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. 13, 2016
Filed:
Oct. 11, 2013
Mitutoyo Corporation, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Mitutoyo Corporation, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Abstract
A method is provided for controlling a Tracking AutoFocus (TAF) portion of a machine vision inspection system including an imaging portion, a movable workpiece stage, a control portion, and graphical user interface (GUI). The TAF portion automatically adjusts a focus position of the imaging portion to focus at a Z height corresponding to a current surface height of the workpiece. The method includes providing the TAF portion, and providing TAF enable and disable operations, wherein: the TAF disable operations comprise a first set of TAF automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered by user-initiated operations that include changing the Z height, and the TAF disable operations may further comprise automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered based on at least one respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic exceeding a previously set TAF disable limit for that respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic.