The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 07, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2009
Kevin L. Schultz, Georgetown, TX (US);
Perry Steger, Georgetown, TX (US);
Stefanie Breyer, Austin, TX (US);
Kevin L. Schultz, Georgetown, TX (US);
Perry Steger, Georgetown, TX (US);
Stefanie Breyer, Austin, TX (US);
National Instruments Corporation, Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
A smart camera with modular expansion capabilities, including a housing, a camera directly attached to the housing for acquiring an image of an object, a functional unit comprised in the housing and coupled to the camera, where the functional unit is configurable to implement an image processing function, a backplane comprised in the housing and coupled to the functional unit to provide electrical communication, and one or more slots comprised in the housing, where each slot includes a connector that is electrically coupled to the backplane, and where each slot is adapted for receiving a function module. An inserted function module provides modular functionality to the smart camera, such as dedicated image processing functionality, pattern recognition, analysis, communication, sensor, sensor I/O, signal conditioning and/or conversion, control, measurement, and synchronization, among others. The function module may communicate a protocol to the functional unit which may be configured to implement the protocol.