JP4460181B2 - Imaging system and imaging apparatus used therefor - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an imaging system for imaging a moving object with a plurality of imaging devices and an imaging device used therefor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional imaging system. FIG. 2 shows that the cans 2a, 2b, and 2c are placed on the belt conveyor 1 at intervals, and the cans 2a, 2b, and 2c are moved when the belt conveyor 1 moves in the arrow direction. This is an imaging system that inspects whether or not a plurality of locations of each can, for example, labels or barcodes, are correctly pasted or displayed at predetermined locations.
[0003]
The imaging devices 4a, 4b, and 4c are arranged corresponding to the positions where the cans 2a, 2b, and cans 2c exist. The imaging devices 4a, 4b, and 4c are arranged in the cans 2a, 2b, and 2c. It is set to photograph different parts.
[0004]
Each of the imaging devices 4a, 4b, and 4c includes imaging means 5a, 5b, and 5c, trigger signal input terminals 6a, 6b, and 6c, personal computer signal input / output terminals 7a and 8a compliant with the serial bus standard IEEE1394, and serial. PC signal input / output terminals 7b and 8b compliant with the bus standard IEEE1394 and PC signal input / output terminals 7c and 8c compliant with the serial bus standard IEEE1394 are provided.
[0005]
The imaging means 5a, 5b, and 5c respectively image different parts of the cans 2a, 2b, and 2c with trigger signals input from the trigger signal input terminals 5a, 5b, and 5c. The imaging outputs of the imaging means 5a, 5b, 5c are connected to personal computer signal input / output terminals 7a, 7b, 7c. The personal computer signal input / output terminals 7a, 7b and 7c are connected to the personal computer signal input / output terminals 8a, 8b and 8c.
[0006]
In addition, sensors 3a and 3b, a trigger generator 9 and a personal computer 10 are prepared.
[0007]
The sensors 3a and 3b detect when the can 2a has moved and passed, generate a timing pulse, and send it to the trigger generator 9. The trigger generator 9 generates a shooting trigger signal based on the timing pulse.
[0008]
Conventionally, as the trigger signal for photographing, the trigger signal input terminals 6a, 6b, and 6c of the image pickup devices 4a, 4b, and 4c are individually connected to the image pickup devices via the cables 11a, 11b, and 11c. The image trigger signal was input.
[0009]
The personal computer signal input / output terminal 7a is connected to the IEEE1394 compliant cable 12a for exchanging signals with the personal computer 10, and the personal computer signal input / output terminal 8a is connected to the personal computer signal input / output terminal 7b by the IEEE1394 compliant cable 12b. The personal computer signal input / output terminal 8b is connected to the personal computer signal input / output terminal 7c by an IEEE1394 compliant cable 12c, and an image captured by the imaging means is displayed on the personal computer 10 for inspection.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, conventionally, the trigger signal from the trigger generator 9 is separately transmitted to the trigger signal input terminals 6a, 6b, and 6c of the imaging devices 4a, 4b, and 4c via the cables 11a, 11b, and 11c. In addition, the wiring is complicated.
[0011]
An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging system in which connection of trigger signals is simplified and an imaging apparatus used therefor.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention includes a sensor that detects movement of a moving object, a trigger signal generator that generates a trigger signal in accordance with the detected sensor output, and a plurality of imaging devices, and outputs from the trigger signal generator In the imaging system in which the moving object is imaged by each imaging device of the plurality of imaging devices according to the triggered signal, each imaging device is configured to input a trigger signal and to image according to the input trigger signal Imaging means, means for delaying the input trigger signal by a predetermined delay amount, means for outputting the delayed trigger signal, and the first imaging device of the first imaging device among the plurality of imaging devices. The trigger signal from the trigger signal generator is input to the trigger signal input means, and the trigger signal input hand of each imaging device except the first imaging device is input. To respectively imaging system characterized by inputting a trigger signal delayed respectively from the trigger signal output means of another imaging device.
[0013]
The present invention provides an imaging system for imaging a moving object with a plurality of imaging devices, wherein each of the imaging devices includes an imaging unit and an input terminal for supplying an imaging trigger signal to the imaging unit. And an output terminal and a delay circuit that delays a signal input to the input terminal for a predetermined time and supplies the output terminal to the output terminal, and the input terminal of the first imaging device among the plurality of imaging devices includes: Connected to a first line that inputs a trigger signal from a trigger generator that is generated in response to a timing pulse from a sensor that detects the movement of the moving object, and the output terminal of the first imaging device includes the plurality of output terminals. It is an imaging system characterized by being connected to the input terminal of the second imaging device among the imaging devices of No. 2 by a second line.
[0014]
In the present invention, the output terminal of the second imaging device is connected to the input terminal of the third imaging device among the plurality of imaging devices by a third line. .
[0015]
In the present invention, each of the plurality of imaging devices further includes an input / output first terminal, means for controlling a delay time of the delay circuit by a control signal from the input / output first terminal, and the input An input / output second terminal for outputting a control signal from the output first terminal is provided, and the input / output first terminal of the first imaging device among the plurality of imaging devices inputs the control signal from a personal computer. Connected to a fourth line, and the input / output second terminal of the first imaging device is connected to the input / output first terminal of the second imaging device of the plurality of imaging devices via a fifth line. An imaging system characterized by the above.
[0016]
In the present invention, the input / output second terminal of the second imaging device is connected to the input / output first terminal of the third imaging device of the plurality of imaging devices by a sixth line. It is an imaging system.
[0017]
In the present invention, an imaging output of the imaging means is connected to the input / output first terminal.
[0018]
In the present invention, the input / output first terminal and the input / output second terminal are terminals compliant with a serial bus standard IEEE1394.
[0019]
The present invention relates to an imaging unit, an input terminal for supplying an imaging trigger signal to the imaging unit, an output terminal, and a delay for supplying a signal input to the input terminal to the output terminal after a predetermined delay. An imaging apparatus including at least a circuit.
[0020]
In the present invention, an input / output first terminal, means for controlling a delay time of the delay circuit by a control signal from the input / output first terminal, and an input for outputting a control signal from the input / output first terminal. An imaging apparatus including an output second terminal.
[0021]
In the present invention, the imaging output of the imaging means is connected to the input / output first terminal.
[0022]
In the present invention, the input terminal and the output terminal are terminals compliant with a serial bus standard IEEE1394.
[0023]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an imaging system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, the same parts as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Each imaging device 4a, 4b, 4c is further connected between trigger signal output terminals 13a, 13b, 13c, trigger signal input terminals 6a, 6b, 6c and trigger signal output terminals 13a, 13b, 13c. Delay circuits 14a, 14b, and 14c. The delay circuits 14a, 14b and 14c are also connected to personal computer signal input / output terminals 7a, 7b and 7c.
[0024]
The trigger signal input terminal 6a is connected to a cable 15a for inputting a shooting trigger signal from the trigger generator 9, the trigger signal output terminal 13a is connected to the trigger signal input terminal 6b by a cable 15b, and the trigger signal output terminal 13b. Is connected to the trigger signal input terminal 6c by a cable 15c.
[0025]
The delay circuit 14a, are 14b, as an example of 14c, and a programmable counter, equipped with a D- flip-flop, the count of the clock signal to be input to the programmable counter, based on the trigger input terminal 6a, 6 b or these trigger signals, The moving object such as the cans 2a, 2b, 2c is delayed by a time difference until the moving object moves to the imaging range of the next imaging device 4b, 4c. Specifically, the installation position of the imaging device, the moving speed of the belt conveyor, etc. It is possible to capture moving objects such as cans 2a, 2b, and 2c with a plurality of imaging devices .
[0026]
In the figure, the sensors 3a and 3b are photo sensors and infrared sensors, but instead of this, another imaging device may be prepared to detect the can.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the imaging system which simplified the connection of the trigger signal, and the imaging device used therefor can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an imaging system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional imaging system.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Belt conveyor, 2a, 2b, 2c ... Can, 3a, 3b ... Sensor, 4a, 4b, 4c ... Imaging device, 5a, 5b, 5c ... Imaging means, 6a, 6b, 6c ... Trigger signal input terminal, 7a, 7b, 7c ... PC signal input / output terminals, 8a, 8b, 8c ... PC signal input / output terminals, 9 ... Trigger signal generator, 10 ... PC, 11a, 11b, 11c ... Cable, 12a, 12b, 12c ... Cable, 13a , 13b, 13c ... trigger signal output terminals, 14a, 14b, 14c ... delay circuits, 15a, 15b, 15c ... cables.

Claims (4)

A trigger signal output from the trigger signal generator, comprising: a sensor that detects movement of a moving object; a trigger signal generator that generates a trigger signal in accordance with the detected sensor output; and a plurality of imaging devices. In the imaging system for imaging the moving object with each imaging device of the plurality of imaging devices according to the imaging device, each imaging device has means for inputting a trigger signal and imaging for imaging in accordance with the input trigger signal a means, a trigger signal the input, and means for delaying the time difference to the moving object moves to the imaging range of the next stage of the imaging device, and means for outputting a trigger signal obtained by the delay, the While inputting the trigger signal from the trigger signal generator to the trigger signal input means of the first imaging device among the plurality of imaging devices, the first imaging device The trigger signal the trigger signal output imaging system characterized by inputting a trigger signal delayed from each means respectively to the input means other imaging device of each imaging apparatus except for the image device. In the imaging system for imaging a moving object with a plurality of imaging devices, each of the imaging devices includes an imaging unit, an input terminal for supplying an imaging trigger signal to the imaging unit, an output terminal, And a delay circuit that delays the signal input to the input terminal by a time difference until the moving object moves to the imaging range of the next stage imaging apparatus and supplies the delayed signal to the output terminal, and the plurality of imaging apparatuses The input terminal of the first imaging device is connected to a first line that inputs a trigger signal from a trigger generator that is generated in response to a timing pulse from a sensor that detects the movement of the moving object, The output system of the first image pickup device is connected to the input terminal of the second image pickup device of the plurality of image pickup devices by a second line. In an imaging device for use in an imaging system that images a moving object with a plurality of imaging devices,
The moving object moves the imaging unit, an input terminal for supplying an imaging trigger signal to the imaging unit, an output terminal, and a signal input to the input terminal to the imaging range of the imaging device at the next stage. An image pickup apparatus comprising at least a delay circuit that is delayed by a time difference up to and supplied to the output terminal.   4. The input / output first terminal, means for controlling a delay time of the delay circuit according to a control signal from the input / output first terminal, and a control signal output from the input / output first terminal according to claim 3. An image pickup apparatus comprising an input / output second terminal for performing the operation.

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