JP7343186B2 - Conveyed object detection processing system and conveyance device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveyance object detection processing system and a conveyance device, and particularly to a conveyance object detection processing technique for detecting a conveyance object moving on a conveyance path, which is suitable for use in a vibrating conveyance device.

In general, conveyance devices detect the presence or absence and position range of conveyed objects during conveyance, and determine the conveyance posture and quality of conveyed objects by inspecting the appearance of the conveyed objects. In some cases, the transport control of the transported objects is performed, such as sorting (excluding) the transported objects and changing the posture (reversing process). In particular, in a vibrating conveyance device such as a parts feeder, objects fed in a disorderly manner are conveyed in the conveying direction along the conveying path by vibrating the conveying body, and by the vibration effect and the shape of the conveying path. Since it is necessary to align the conveyed objects so that they have a predetermined posture, it is necessary to detect the presence or absence of conveyed objects on the conveyance path, their position range, determine their posture, and perform control according to the detection and determination results. It is very important to do the following.

In vibrating conveyance devices such as parts feeders, when identifying the above-mentioned conveyed objects, an image of the conveyed object is taken, and based on this image, each conveyed object is detected and its presence or absence and location range are determined. or perform discrimination processing. In this case, an image is generally acquired by photographing using reflected light from the conveyance surface or the conveyed object based on indoor lighting or the like. However, as shown in Patent Documents 1 to 4, a method is also known in which the silhouette of the conveyed object is obtained using transmitted light emitted from a light source placed behind the conveyed object, and the outer shape and posture of the conveyed object are determined from this silhouette. .

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-312826 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-025444 Utility Model Publication No. 7-024820 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-156755

By the way, when photographing with general reflected light, the background of the conveyed surface and the appearance of the conveyed object reflected in the image depend on the type of conveyed object and the surface characteristics required for the conveyance path (friction, antifouling properties, etc.). Because the image of the conveyed object on the conveyance path is such that the contrast between the conveyed object and the background is insufficient, such as when the conveyed object has almost no external characteristics, it is difficult to detect and distinguish the conveyed object. There are problems in that the accuracy of detection and discrimination of transported objects decreases due to erroneous recognition of transported objects.

In addition, when photographing with reflected light, the contrast varies depending on the placement and angle of the light source such as indoor lighting, the angle of the conveyance surface, the material and external shape of the conveyed object, etc. It is necessary to finely adjust the relationship between image processing and the conveyed object, and there is also the problem that adjustment work to maintain the stability and accuracy of image processing is difficult and the work burden is large.

On the other hand, unlike the method using reflected light described above, the method using transmitted light described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 above can determine the external shape and posture of the transported object based on the silhouette of the transported object. Since it is not possible to distinguish the surface pattern etc. of the transported objects, there is a problem in that there are restrictions on the types of conveyed objects that can be discriminated. In addition, in these methods, the timing at which the conveyed object is conveyed is detected, and the image is taken at this detection timing, or the image is determined to have been captured at the timing when the rear end of the conveyed object has passed. Another limitation is that it is necessary to set and control image acquisition timing, such as performing data synthesis processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a conveyed object detection processing system that detects conveyed objects by processing photographed images of conveyed objects and identifies the presence or absence of the conveyed objects or the position range of the conveyed objects. The object of the present invention is to speed up the processing by facilitating and ensuring image processing, and to improve the accuracy of the detection processing of conveyed objects and the subsequent discrimination processing.

In view of such actual circumstances, the conveyed object detection processing system according to the present invention repeatedly images the measurement area (ME) on the conveyance path (121) along which the conveyed object (CA) is conveyed by photographing with the imaging means (CM). The image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) to be acquired and the transport surface through the light-transmitting area (121c) formed on the transport surface (121a, 121b) of the transport path (121) in the measurement area (ME). (121a, 121b), and a back side illumination means (130) that irradiates light from the back side of the imaging means (CM) to the imaging means (CM) side; By using information indicating the range of the light-shielded portion (121c1) or the non-shaded portion (121c2, that is, the light-transmitting portion) of the transported object (CA) in the area (121c), the transported object within the measurement area (ME) is (CA) or a position range (WDS). According to this invention, in the image data of the measurement area acquired by the image acquisition means, light is irradiated onto the imaging means side by the backside illumination means through the light-transmitting area, and the light-shielding part or non-shading area due to the conveyed object in the light-transmitting area is illuminated. By extracting information indicating the range of the part and using this information to detect the presence or absence or position range of the conveyed object within the measurement area, processing of the image can be facilitated and ensured. It is possible to speed up and increase the accuracy of detection processing and various transportation processing. In this case, based on the presence or absence of the conveyed object (CA) in the measurement area (ME) or the position range (WDS, WDR) detected by the conveyed object detection means (MPU, RAM), the Further, a transport processing means (MPU, RAM) that performs control processing or discrimination processing for the object (CA), counting processing for the transported object (CA) (processing by a counting means etc. described later), or other signal output processing. It is preferable to have the following. It is preferable that the processing by the conveyance processing means is performed based on the results of the presence or absence of the conveyed object and the position range obtained by the conveyed object detection means. It is desirable that this is also done based on information regarding the surface condition of the transported object.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the light-transmitting area (121c) is configured to be narrower than the width of the conveyed object (CA) on the conveyance path (121). According to this invention, in the image data of the measurement area acquired by the image acquisition means, the light-transmitting area through which light is transmitted to the imaging means side by the back side illumination means is limited to a width narrower than the width of the conveyed object. As a result, the amount of light from the rear side illumination is suppressed, so that the surface aspect of the conveyed object can be extracted better from the image information captured by the imaging means. In addition, when the width of the conveyed object changes depending on the attitude of the conveyed object on the conveyance path, the above-mentioned light-transmitting area may be formed narrower than the largest width. However, it is more desirable that the light-transmitting area is configured to be narrower than all the widths corresponding to the postures that the conveyed object can take on the conveyance path.

In the present invention, the light-transmitting area (121c) may be configured in a slit shape that is longer than the length of the conveyed object (CA) in the conveying direction. In this case, by blocking a part of the slit-shaped light-transmitting region extending in the transport direction, the transported object is It becomes possible to specify the position range more easily and reliably. In this case, it is preferable that the light-transmitting region (121c) is formed over the entire range of the measurement area (ME) in the transport direction. According to this, it is possible to know whether a light-shielded portion or a non-light-shielded portion is present at any point in the conveyance direction of the measurement area, making it easier to specify the presence or absence of the conveyed object and the position range. In particular, it is desirable that the light-transmitting region (121c) extends from inside the measurement area (ME) to both outsides in the transport direction. According to this, even if the edge of the conveyed object in the conveyance direction is arranged near both boundary positions of the measurement area in the conveyance direction, the boundary position of the light-shielded portion or the non-shaded portion can be reliably grasped. Note that these points can also be directly applied to a search area (SAS), which will be described later, instead of the measurement area (ME).

In the present invention, the light-transmitting region (121c) may consist of a group of a plurality of light-transmitting region portions (121f-121j) arranged within the measurement area (ME). In this case, by checking which of the plurality of light-transmitting areas is blocked by the transported object, it becomes possible to easily and reliably specify the positional range of the transported object (CA). In particular, the light-transmitting areas are preferably arranged in the transport direction, and may be arranged in the width direction or bidirectionally. In this case, it is preferable that the light-transmitting regions are arranged over the entire range of the measurement area (ME) in the transport direction. According to this, it is possible to know whether a light-shielded portion or a non-light-shielded portion is present at any point in the conveyance direction of the measurement area, making it easier to specify the presence or absence of the conveyed object and the position range. In particular, it is desirable that the arrangement range of the light-transmitting area extends from inside the measurement area (ME) to both outer sides in the transport direction. According to this, even if the edge of the conveyed object in the conveyance direction is arranged near both boundary positions of the measurement area in the conveyance direction, the boundary position of the light-shielded portion or the non-shaded portion can be reliably grasped. In these cases, it is desirable that the light-transmitting area portions (121f-121j) be shorter in the conveying direction than the length of the conveyed object (CA). By arranging a plurality of light-transmitting regions smaller than the conveyed object in the conveyance direction, the light-transmitting region is further limited, so that image information of the surface imaged by the imaging means can be extracted more easily. It is possible.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the formation range of the integrally configured light-transmitting region (121c) or the light-transmitting region portion (121f-121j) in the transport direction is longer than the length of the transported object. This makes it easier to specify the positional range of the transported object in the transport direction based on the light-shielded portions and non-light-blocked portions of the transparent region caused by the transported object. In particular, it is desirable that the formation range be longer than twice the length of the conveyed object. According to this, it is possible to increase the possibility that a light-blocking area due to one transported object exists in the image (measurement area), and even when the front and rear transported objects are transported in close contact with each other, the front and rear of the light-transmitting area This makes it easier to identify by the light-blocking portions and non-light-blocking portions caused by the conveyed object.

In the present invention, the light-transmitting area (121c) may be provided at a position corresponding to an edge in the width direction of the conveyed object (CA) on the conveyance path (121) within the measurement area (ME). preferable. According to this, when the front and rear conveyance items are conveyed in close contact with each other, the portion of the transparent area provided at the position corresponding to the edge in the width direction of the conveyance items Since the non-light-shielding portion 121c3 may appear corresponding to the triangular gap formed by the shape of the corner, it becomes easier to detect the boundary position between the front and rear continuous conveyed objects.

In the present invention, the transport processing means (MPU, RAM) detects that the transport object (CA) is placed within the measurement area (ME) by the transport object detection means (MPU, RAM). Sometimes, it is a transported object determining means (MPU, RAM) that performs transported object determination processing to determine the transported object (CA) based on an image of at least the determination target portion (CA1-CA4) of the transported object (CA). It is preferable. In this case, the transported object detection means (MPU, RAM) detects the position range (WDS, WDR) of the transported object (CA), and the transported object determination means (MPU, RAM) detects the position range (WDS, WDR) of the transported object (CA). It is desirable to perform the determination process for the conveyed object (CA) based on the WDS, WDR). As a result, the data range for image processing for determination processing can be limited to within the above-mentioned position range, so that the processing load can be reduced and determination can be performed more quickly and reliably. Note that the conveyed object determining means (MPU, RAM) uses the information indicating the range of the light-shielded portion (121c1) or non-shaded portion (121c2) of the light-transmitting area (121c) due to the conveyed object (CA). , the transported object (CA) may be determined. For example, when the dimension of the conveyed object on the conveyance path in a predetermined direction changes depending on the posture of the conveyed object, the posture of the conveyed object on the conveyance path may be estimated based on the dimension of the conveyed object indicated by the above range.

In the present invention, a conveyance object passing state in which the conveyance object (CA) passes through a control area (MES, MER) arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the measurement area (ME1) on the conveyance path (121); , a transported object control means (OPS, OPR) configured to be able to switch between a transported object control state in which the transported object (CA) is controlled in the control area (MES, MER) on the transport path (121); , the conveyed object passing state of the conveyed object control means (OPS, OPR) and the conveyed object based on the discrimination mode according to the determination result of the conveyed object (CA) by the conveyed object determining means (MPU, RAM) It is preferable to further include system control means (MPU, RAM) for switching between control states. The transported object detection means (MPU, RAM) performs a transported object detection process to detect that the transported object (CA) is placed within the measurement area (ME1), and also performs the transported object determination process. The means (MPU, RAM) performs image measurement processing on the image data in the measurement area (ME1), so that the conveyance object (CA) is detected in the measurement area by the conveyance object detection means (MPU, RAM). Conveyance object determination that determines the conveyance object (CA) based on an image of at least the determination target portion (CA1-CA4) of the conveyance object (CA) when it is detected that the conveyance object (CA) is located within the conveyance object (ME1). Perform processing. Here, the conveyed object control state refers to a state in which the conveyed object is reversed, removed, or guided to another location.

In this case, the imaging means (CM) continuously photographs at a predetermined photographing interval (Ts), and the measurement areas (ME, ME1) correspond to the conveying speed (Vs) of the conveyed object (CA) and the photographing It is preferable to have a range set in advance such that all the conveyed objects (CA) passing through the conveyance path (121) are always included in relation to the interval (Ts). According to this, even if the arrival timing of the conveyed object does not match the photographing timing, all the conveyed objects are always placed within the measurement area of one of the images, so each image is processed. If the conveyed objects are detected using the same method, all conveyed objects can be detected. In this way, there is no need to generate a trigger signal for detecting the position of each conveyed object as in the prior art, so a sensor for detecting the conveyed object is no longer necessary, and the detection unit can be configured simply. Therefore, there is no need to take into account failure of detection of individual conveyed objects when conveyed objects are connected, and there is no need to create gaps between conveyed objects in advance. High-speed conveyance and high-density conveyance are facilitated, and the overall configuration of the detection system can be configured easily. In addition, since it is sufficient to process only the image data within a preset measurement area among a plurality of continuously photographed images, the image measurement processing for determining the conveyed object can be performed at high speed and with high precision. It can be carried out.

In this case, the position range of the conveyed object detected within the measurement area in each image may vary depending on the image, so the above-mentioned conveyed object detection means detects the conveyed object within the measurement area. It is necessary to specify the location range of Here, once the position range is specified, further information regarding the conveyed object can be collected by performing various image processing within the position range. For example, information regarding the determination target portion can be reliably extracted by processing image data of the determination target portion included in the image. At this time, when collecting the further information, it is sufficient to perform image processing only within the specified position range (for example, the determination target portion), so that the burden of image processing can be reduced here as well.

In the present invention, the conveyed object (CA) passes through the control area (MES, MER) on the conveyance path (121), and the conveyed object (CA) passes through the control area (MES, MER) on the conveyance path (121). A transported object control means (OPS, OPR) configured to be able to switch between the transported object control state controlled by the control area (MES, MER), and The first measurement area (ME1) arranged, the second measurement area (ME2) arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the control area (MES, MER), and the second measurement area (ME2) arranged downstream of the control area (MES, MER). By performing image measurement processing based on the image data of the conveyed object (CA) in ME2), it is possible to detect that the conveyed object (CA) has passed through the control area (MES, MER) and escaped to the downstream side. A discrimination mode according to a determination result of the conveyed object (CA) by a conveyed object passage detection means (MPU, RAM) to detect and the conveyed object determination means (MPU, RAM) in the first measurement area (ME1), Also, based on the manner in which the conveyed object (CA) escapes from the control area (MES, MER) by the conveyed object passage detection means (MPU, RAM) in the second measurement area (ME2), the conveyed object It is preferable that the apparatus further includes a system control means (MPU, RAM) for switching between the conveyance object passing state and the conveyance object control state of the control means (OPS, OPR). At this time, the transported object detection means (MPU, RAM) performs a transported object detection process to detect that the transported object (CA) is placed within the first measurement area (ME1), and The transported object determining means (MPU, RAM) performs image measurement processing on the image data in the first measurement area (ME1), thereby determining whether the transported object is determined by the transported object detecting means (MPU, RAM). (CA) is located within the measurement area (ME1), based on an image of at least the determination target portion (CA1-CA4) of the conveyed article (CA), ) is carried out.

According to this, the first measurement area is arranged adjacent to the upstream side of the control area, and the image data of the second measurement area arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the control area is conveyed. By performing image measurement processing by the object passage detection means, it is possible to detect that the conveyed object has passed through the control area and escaped to the downstream side. Therefore, when the conveyed object control means is set to the conveyed object passing state in accordance with a predetermined discrimination mode (for example, non-defective) of the conveyed object in the first measurement area by the conveyed object determining means, the conveyed object determining means If a judgment result indicating that the conveyed objects are in the same predetermined discrimination manner (for example, non-defective) is not obtained, the conveyed object passage detection means determines whether the conveyed objects are in the same predetermined discrimination manner (for example, non-defective) as above. When it is detected that the object has passed through the control area and escaped to the downstream side, the system control means can switch the object passing state by the object control means to the object control state. Thereby, even when objects are transported at high speed and with high density, the objects can be controlled at high speed and reliably.

In this case, the first measurement area (ME1) and the second measurement area (ME2) are a plurality of captured images (GPX ), depending on the relationship between the conveyance speed (Vs) of the conveyed object (CA) on the conveyance path (121) and the photographing interval (Ts), all the objects passing through the conveyance path (121) It is preferable to have a preset range (LD2) so that at least a part of the image of the conveyed object (CA) is always included. Further, the system control means (MPU, RAM) is configured such that the discrimination mode of the previous conveyance object (CA1) corresponds to the conveyance object passing state, and the discrimination mode of the next conveyance object (CA2) corresponds to the conveyance object control. If it corresponds to the state, the conveyance object passing detection means (MPU, RAM) detects that the previous conveyance object (CA1) has passed through the control area (MES) and escaped to the downstream side. Sometimes, it is preferable to switch the transported object control means (OPS, OPR) from the transported object passing state to the transported object control state.

In the present invention, the system control means (MPU, RAM) determines whether the conveyed object (CA) is in a predetermined manner (for example, non-defective) in the judgment result of the conveyed object determining means (MPU, RAM). The conveyed object (CA) is caused to pass through the conveyed object control means (OPS) in the conveyed object passing state, and the conveyed object passing detection means (MPU, RAM) detects the same predetermined discrimination mode (for example, non-defective item) as described above. It is detected that the transported object (CA1) has passed through the control area (MES) and escaped to the downstream side, and the transported object determining means determines that the next transported object (CA2) has the same discrimination mode (for example, Returning the transported object control means (OPS) to the transported object control state when a determination result indicating that the product is non-defective (good product) is not obtained, and maintaining the transported object control means (OPS) in the transported object control state at other times. It is preferable to do so. According to this, only the conveyed objects for which the conveyed object determining means has determined that they are in a predetermined discrimination mode (for example, non-defective) can pass through the control area, and other conveyed objects are allowed to pass through the control area. controlled. Therefore, not only when the conveyed object is determined to be different from the above-mentioned classification method (e.g., defective), but also when a detection failure or a misjudgment occurs, it is possible to Since the objects to be transported are always controlled in the control area, it is possible to reliably avoid a situation in which objects to be transported that have been determined in a different manner (for example, defective) are supplied as they are.

In the above case, the transported object determination means (MPU, RAM) determines that the transported object (CA) is located in the first measurement area (ME1) by the transported object detection process of the transported object detection means (MPU, RAM). If it is not detected that the conveyance object (CA) is located within the conveyance object (CA), it is preferable not to perform the conveyance object determination processing performed on the determination target portion (CAs1-CAs4) of the conveyance object (CA). In the above case, as mentioned above, since images are taken continuously at predetermined intervals without detecting the position of the conveyed object using an origin sensor or the like, gaps may occur between the conveyed objects, resulting in A case may occur in which the image of the conveyed object is not included within one measurement area. In this case, the transported object determining means cannot make a determination within the first measurement area. For this reason, an object detection process is performed to detect that the image of the judgment target part is included in the first measurement area, and the object is transported only when the object is located within the first measurement area. By performing the object determination process and not performing the conveyed object determination process otherwise, processing outside the first measurement area becomes unnecessary, and wasteful determination processing can be omitted.

In the above case, the length LD1 of the measurement area (ME) or the first measurement area (ME1) in the transport direction (F) along the transport path (121) is equal to the length of one transport object. If the length in the conveyance direction (F) is LDS, the photographing period is Ts, and the conveyance speed is Vs, then n=1-10, a natural number,
LD1≧LDS+n×α=LDS+n×Ts×Vs
It is preferable to have a value that satisfies the following. According to this, all conveyed objects are detected by the conveyed object detection means in a state in which they are always placed within the measurement area or the first measurement area in any image data, and are determined by the conveyed object determination means. It is possible to reliably determine the type of conveyed object. Here, it is more desirable that n be within the range of 3-7.

In the above case, the length LD2 of the second measurement area (ME2) in the transport direction (F) along the transport path (121) is the length LD2 of the transport direction (F) for one transport object. Preferably, the value is greater than or equal to the length LDS. As a result, when the conveyed object is no longer detected in the second measurement area (ME2), it passes through the control area and is in a state of escaping, so it is possible to detect that the conveyed object has passed through the control area and escaped. Can be done. In particular, it is desirable that LD2≧LDS+n×α=LDS+n×Ts×Vs (n=1-10). According to this, if the state in which one transported object is placed in the second measurement area is detected by the transported object detection process, it can be determined that the transported object has passed through the control area and escaped to the downstream side. .

In the present invention, the first measurement area (ME1), the second measurement area (ME2), and the control area (MES) are set as an integrated search area (SAS), and within the search area (SAS), Preferably, the conveyance object detection process is performed on the image data. According to this, according to the process in which the transported object moves from the upstream side to the downstream side, the transported object is detected at any location within the search area that spans both sides of the control area (MES), and its position is specified. It becomes possible to do so.

In the present invention, a first conveyance object counting means for counting the number (N) of the conveyance objects (CA) that have passed through the first measurement area (ME1), and a first conveyance object counting means that has passed through the second measurement area (ME2). the number (M) of the conveyed objects (CA) that have passed, or the conveyed objects (CA) for which a determination result corresponding to the passing state has been obtained, and the second measurement area (ME2) or the control area It is preferable to further include a second conveyed object counting means for counting the number (M) of the conveyed objects (CA) that have passed through the (MES). According to this, the first transported object counting means can count the number of transported objects that have entered the control area (the number of introduced objects N), and the second transported object counting means can count the number of transported objects that have passed through the control area (the number of passed or non-defective products). Since it is possible to count the number M), it is possible to determine the non-defective rate, supply rate, etc.

In the present invention, a data storage means (MPU, MM) that stores image data in at least the first measurement area (ME1) and the second measurement area (ME2) among the plurality of captured images (GPX); , further comprising data display means (MPU, DP1, DP2) for reading and displaying the past image data stored by the data storage means (MPU, MM), and the conveyance object determination means (MPU, RAM). ) also performs the image measurement process on the past image data stored by the data storage means (MPU, MM) to obtain at least the determination target portion () in the first measurement area (ME1). It is preferable that the conveyance object (CA) be configured to be able to determine the conveyed object (CA) based on the images of CAs1 to CAs4). Note that the image data to be saved is not limited to the first measurement area (ME1) and the second measurement area (ME2), but also the search area (SAS) including the control area (MES). Preferably, it is the entire image data. In addition, rather than image data in such a limited range, image data within a photographed image (GPX) or a predetermined image area (GPY) can be used to confirm the transport mode of the transported object over a wider range. This is more preferable in this respect. In this case, it is preferable to further include means for changing the settings of the image measurement process executed by the conveyance object determination means (MPU, RAM). In this case, by resetting the aspect of the image measurement process for the image data and re-executing the image measurement process (conveyed object detection process and conveyed object determination process), image measurement can be performed while checking the determination results. Process adjustment work can be easily performed.

In the present invention, the conveyance path (121) conveys the conveyed object (CA) by vibrating in a reciprocating manner in a direction along the conveying direction (F) of the conveyed object (CA), and When the imaging means (CM1, CM2) are stationary, the above-mentioned image pickup means (CM1, CM2) are set so as to eliminate positional fluctuations with respect to the conveyance path (121) in the photographed image (GPX) due to vibrations of the conveyance path (121) during photographing. It is preferable to correct the position of the measurement area (ME) or the first measurement area (ME1) in the photographed image (GPX). According to this, it is possible to eliminate the positional deviation of the image processing area of the photographed image with respect to the transport path due to the vibration of the transport body, so that the image processing position is prevented from shifting due to the positional deviation, and the image is transported at a constant position on the transport path. Object detection processing and transported object determination processing can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid poor control of the conveyed object due to the above-mentioned positional deviation, and it is possible to control the conveyed object in a reliable and accurate manner. Note that it is desirable to perform similar corrections on the control area (MES) and the second measurement area (ME2).

In this case, the transported object determination means (MPU, RAM) detects the position of a specific point on the transport path (121) captured in the captured image (GPX) by the image measurement process, and It is desirable to correct the positions of the measurement area (ME), the first measurement area (ME1), the second measurement area (ME2), or the control area (MES) depending on the above. The amount of positional deviation of each area with respect to the transport path due to the vibration of the transport path is calculated each time the image is captured using the preset values of the vibration width and vibration cycle of the transport path, and the amount of positional deviation in the captured image is calculated based on the amount of positional deviation. The position of each area may be corrected, but by detecting the position of a specific point on the conveyance path in the photographed image through image processing, it is possible to make corrections that correspond to the vibration mode of the actual conveyance body that appears in the photographed image. This allows the position of each area to be set reliably and with high precision. A position display mark displayed on the conveyance path can be used as the specific location on the conveyance path.

Next, the transport device according to the present invention includes a transport mechanism (12, CL12) including the transport path (121), and the transport object detection system (CM1, CM2, DTU, DP1, DP2, SP1, SP2). It is characterized by comprising the following.

In the present invention, the transport mechanism (12, CL12) includes a vibrating means (125) for vibrating the transport path (121), and a determination of the transport object (CA) by the transport object determining means (MPU, RAM). It is preferable to have an excitation control means (CL12) that controls the driving manner of the excitation means (125) based on the determination manner according to the result. Examples of drive modes to be controlled include stopping the driving of the vibration excitation means, changing the driving frequency and drive voltage of the vibration excitation means, and the like. Thereby, the transport mode (transport speed, stability of transport posture, etc.) of the transported object can be adjusted.

According to the present invention, in a conveyed object detection system that detects the conveyed object by processing a photographed image of the conveyed object and specifies the presence or absence of the conveyed object or the position range, the image processing is facilitated and ensured. It is possible to achieve the excellent effect of speeding up the process and improving the accuracy of the detection process and the conveyance process of the conveyed object.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are explanatory diagrams (a) to (c) showing examples of images showing how a conveyed object is detected in an embodiment of the conveyed object detection system according to the present invention. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view (a) to (c) showing an example of a cross-sectional structure, an imaging means, and a back side illumination means of the transport mechanism of the same embodiment. FIG. FIGS. 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams illustrating other examples of images showing other states of detection of a transported object in the same embodiment. FIGS. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the appearance of conveyed objects on a conveyance path and an arrangement of the conveyed objects. 3A to 4C are method explanatory diagrams for explaining a method of detecting and determining a conveyed object by image processing; FIGS. 5A to 5F are explanatory diagrams (a) to (f) illustrating processing procedures for individual conveyance items in the same embodiment; FIG. 5A to 5F are explanatory diagrams (a) to (f) showing a processing procedure for a plurality of consecutive conveyed objects in the same embodiment; FIG. FIG. 6 is a configuration explanatory diagram showing a process of arranging objects to be transported in the same embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams illustrating examples of other control position detection and determination modes in other embodiments. FIGS. FIGS. 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a method for counting conveyed objects at a sorting location in the same embodiment. FIGS. 3 is a schematic flowchart showing a general control procedure of the entire operating program of the same embodiment. FIGS. 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams illustrating examples of aspects of light-transmitting regions in other embodiments. FIGS. FIGS. 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating examples of erroneous recognition when a conveyance object is detected by a conventional conveyance object detection means.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, with reference to FIG. 4, the overall basic configuration of the embodiment according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the configuration of the drive control system of the conveyance device 10 and the conveyance object discrimination control system of the conveyance device 10.

The conveyance device 10 includes a parts feeder 11 equipped with a bowl-shaped conveyance body 110 having a spiral conveyance path 111 as a conveyance mechanism, and is configured to receive a conveyed object from the exit of the conveyance path 111 of the parts feeder 11. This is a vibrating conveyance device comprising a linear feeder 12 including a conveyance body 120 having a linear conveyance path 121 with an inlet. In the conveyance object discrimination control system of this embodiment, the conveyance object CA on the conveyance path 121 of the conveyance body 120 of the linear feeder 12 is detected based on the photographed image GPX, and the detected image portion is subjected to inspection and judgment. do. Here, the conveyed object discrimination control system of the present embodiment is an example of the conveyed object detection system according to the present invention, and this conveyed object detection system is configured by a functional part including a conveyed object detection means in the conveyed object discrimination control system. configured. Note that, in the present invention, the configuration is not limited to the vibration type conveyance device, but can be used for various conveyance devices in which the conveyed object CA is conveyed along a conveyance path. Moreover, even if it is a vibrating conveyance device, it is not limited to the combination of the parts feeder 11 and the linear feeder 12, and can be used in other types of conveyance devices such as a circulating parts feeder. Furthermore, even in the above combination, the inspection is not limited to the one that inspects the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 121 of the linear feeder 12, but also the one that inspects the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 111 of the parts feeder 11. I do not care.

The parts feeder 11 is driven and controlled by a controller CL11. Furthermore, the linear feeder 12 is driven and controlled by a controller CL12. These controllers CL11 and CL12 drive the vibration means (including electromagnetic drive bodies, piezoelectric drive bodies, etc.) of the parts feeder 11 and the linear feeder 12 with alternating current, and transport the conveyance bodies 110 and 120 on the conveyance paths 111 and 121. The object CA is vibrated so as to move in a predetermined transport direction F. Further, the controllers CL11 and CL12 are connected via an input/output circuit (I/O) to an inspection processing unit DTU having an image processing function, which is the main body of the conveyed object discrimination control system.

In addition, the controllers CL11 and CL12 perform predetermined operation inputs (debugging operations) via operation input devices SP1 and SP2, which will be described later, such as a mouse, to an arithmetic processing unit MPU, which will be described later, and which executes the following operation program. When this happens, the drive of the conveyance device 10 is stopped according to the above-mentioned operation program. At this time, for example, the image measurement process in the inspection processing unit DTU is also stopped according to the above operation program. This debugging operation and various operations corresponding to the debugging operation will be described in detail later.

The inspection processing unit DTU has an arithmetic processing unit MPU (microprocessing unit) such as a personal computer as its core configuration, and in the illustrated example, the arithmetic processing unit MPU includes central processing units CPU1, CPU2, cache memory CCM, memory controller MCL, It consists of chipset CHS etc. The inspection processing unit DTU is also provided with image processing circuits GP1 and GP2 for performing image processing, which are connected to cameras CM1 and CM2, which are imaging means, respectively. These image processing circuits GP1 and GP2 are connected to image processing memories GM1 and GM2, respectively. The outputs of the image processing circuits GP1 and GP2 are also connected to the arithmetic processing unit MPU, which processes the image data of the photographed images GPX taken in from the cameras CM1 and CM2, and generates an appropriate processed image (for example, an image in the image area GPY described later). data) to the arithmetic processing unit MPU. The main storage device MM stores in advance an operation program for the conveyed object discrimination control system. When the inspection processing unit DTU is activated, the operation program is read out and executed by the arithmetic processing unit MPU. The main storage device MM also stores image data of a photographed image GPX or an image area GPY on which image measurement processing, which will be described later, is performed by the arithmetic processing unit MPU.

Further, the inspection processing unit DTU is connected to display devices DP1 and DP2 such as liquid crystal monitors and operation input devices SP1 and SP2 via an input/output circuit (I/O). The display devices DP1 and DP2 display the image data of the captured image GPX or the image area GPY processed by the arithmetic processing unit MPU, the results of the image measurement process, that is, the results of the conveyed object detection process and conveyed object determination process, etc. It is displayed in the display mode. Note that this display function functions not only when an object is actually being transported, but also when past data is being read and reproduced, as will be described later. Further, by operating the operation input devices SP1, SP2 while looking at the screens of the display devices DP1, DP2, various operation commands, processing conditions such as set values can be input to the arithmetic processing unit MPU.

Next, an example of a basic detection processing method and a determination processing method as an example of the transport process of the transport object CA in the transport apparatus 10 using the above-mentioned transport object discrimination control system in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape of the conveyed object CA and the conveyance posture on the conveyance path 121 in this embodiment. In the illustrated example, the conveyed object CA is an electronic component (eg, a chip resistor, a chip inductor, a chip capacitor, etc.) having a substantially cubic shape (eg, a cube with eight rounded corners). The conveyance object CA is conveyed with its longitudinal axis (main axis) facing the conveyance direction F on a conveyance path 121 having mutually orthogonal conveyance surfaces 121a and 121b. Metal terminal portions CAa are exposed at both the front and rear ends of the conveyed object CA, and a white surface CAb made of an insulating material and a black surface CAc serving as a direction identification mark are exposed at the side surface portions between them. The normal transport posture of this conveyed object CA is one in which the leading end face CAt5 faces the transport destination (downstream side, left side in the figure), the rear end face CAt6 faces the transport source (upstream side, right side in the figure), and the four Among the side surfaces CAs1 to CAs4, the side surface CAs1, which has a white surface CAb on the transfer destination side and a black surface CAc on the transfer source side, faces upward, and the side surface CAs2, which has an entirely white surface CAb, is on the transfer path 121. It will be in a posture facing towards the side of the open side.

In addition, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the conveyance surface 121a of the conveyance path 121 is a relatively steep surface, the conveyance surface 121b is a relatively gentle surface, and the cameras CM1 and CM2 are located on the lower front side in the illustration. The figure shows an image taken obliquely from the upper front side of the conveyance surface 121b. Therefore, in the conveyed object CA, the side surface disposed on the upper side in the figure on the conveyance path 121 (the side surface disposed on the conveyance surface 121a side) is a surface facing upward (hereinafter simply referred to as "upper side surface"), The side surface disposed on the lower side in the figure (the side surface disposed on the conveying surface 121b side) is a surface facing to the side (hereinafter simply referred to as "side surface"). Regarding the conveyed object CA at the left end in FIG. 5, the upper side surface is the side surface CAs1, and the side surface is the side surface CAs2.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram (a) to (c) for explaining an example of setting a measurement area for determining whether or not the conveyance attitude of the conveyance object CA shown in FIG. 5 is normal. The photographed images GPX taken by the cameras CM1 and CM2 are appropriately processed by the image processing circuits GP1 and GP2, and as shown in FIG. Only image data included in the necessary range of image width GPW is captured. Further, regarding the range along the transport direction F of the photographed image GPX, image data may be captured in a range limited to the image length GPL as shown in the figure. In this way, by limiting the image area GPY that is actually captured from the captured image GPX and transferred to the arithmetic processing unit MPU, the capture speed and transfer speed can be improved. The image area GPY of this embodiment is a rectangular area that is long in the transport direction F, as shown in FIG. 6(a).

In this embodiment, a detection process and a determination process (conveyance process) are performed on the conveyed object CA by an image measurement process performed according to an inspection process component that is incorporated into the operation program and executed. This image measurement process is not performed over the entire image area GPY shown in FIG. 6(a), but is performed only on a limited area of this image area GPY. In this embodiment, a search area SAS is set within the image area GPY. This search area SAS includes a control area MES for sorting the conveyance items CA. In the case of the illustrated example, the control area MES is an area for sorting the conveyed objects CA, and sorts the conveyed objects CA by letting them pass on the conveying path 121 or removing them from the conveying path 121. However, this is an area for sending only desired conveyance items CA to the downstream side. Regarding the sorting process for the conveyance items CA, only the image data within the search area SAS is subject to the image measurement process.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the search area SAS includes a first measurement area ME1 adjacent to the upstream side of the control area MES, and a second measurement area ME2 adjacent to the downstream side of the control area MES. It further includes. Here, the control area MES is an area on the conveyance path 121 where the conveyed objects CA can be removed by the sorting blowhole OPS formed at the center position CLN. The first measurement area ME1 is inside the search area SAS and is an area where the objects CA transported from the upstream side are not excluded by the sorting blowhole OPS. Furthermore, the second measurement area ME2 is inside the search area SAS and is an area where the conveyed object CA is not excluded by the sorting blowhole OPS when it passes through the control area MES and escapes to the downstream side. .

In the search area SAS, in the image measurement process described above, an image (hereinafter simply referred to as a "detection image") having an outer edge shape corresponding to a pre-registered image of the conveyed object CA (hereinafter simply referred to as a "reference image") is created. .) exists or not. If the detected image exists, the position of the area occupied by the detected image is specified as the transported object detection area WDS (corresponding to the position range of the transported object CA). This is the transported object detection process. The conveyed object detection process does not need to detect the posture or defects of the conveyed object CA, and only needs to detect the existence and position of the conveyed object CA. The degree of coincidence, such as brightness, is determined, and this is compared with a predetermined threshold to determine whether or not detection has occurred. Further, at the time of detection, the position of the pattern shape within the search area SAS is calculated, and the transported object detection area WDS is specified as described above. Note that in the conveyance object detection process, only whether or not the conveyance object CA is placed within a measurement area ME such as the first measurement area ME1 or the second measurement area ME2 may be detected. However, in this case, the burden of the conveyance object determination processing described later increases to some extent. In addition, in the conveyed object detection process, it is sufficient to use only the degree of coincidence of pattern shapes such as the above-mentioned outer shape as a judgment factor, but it is also possible to use the degree of coincidence such as the average brightness inside the outer shape as a judgment factor as described above. Accordingly, the detection accuracy of the transported object CA can be improved. For example, if the overall brightness of the conveyed object CA becomes dark due to the relationship between the illumination direction and the part orientation, it becomes difficult to distinguish it from the background of the image, making it easy to miss a detection. By setting low, detection failure can be reduced.

In the above conveyed object detection process, if the conveyed object detection area WDS is within the first measurement area ME1, the conveyed object determination process described below is subsequently performed. In addition, when the transported object detection area WDS is within the control area MES and the second measurement area ME2, measurement is performed as is, and when the transported object detection area WDS within the control area MES and the second measurement area ME2 disappears. Then, a conveyance object passage detection process is executed to output a conveyance object passage detection signal. Note that, as will be described later, if a plurality of captured images GPX show how one conveyed object CA is arranged in the first measurement area ME1, the conveyed object detection process is performed each time. is performed to derive the transported object detection area WDS, but the following transported object determination process may be performed only once (for example, the first time).

The conveyance object determination process is performed as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the first determination area GWA and the second determination area GWB are positioned based on the transported object detection area WDS specified as above, and the brightness It is detected whether it corresponds to the side surfaces CAs1 to CAs4. For example, the first determination area GWA is arranged on the upper side surface of the conveyance object CA, and the second determination area GWB is arranged on the side surface of the conveyance object CA. In this embodiment, when the upper side surface is the side surface CAs1 and the side surface is the side surface CAs2, it is set that the conveyed object CA is being conveyed in a normal posture. At this time, the first determination area GWA includes a long and narrow determination auxiliary area GWA1 extending in the transport direction F, a determination auxiliary area GWA2 located on the upstream side, and a determination auxiliary area GWA2 located on the downstream side in order to detect the side surface CAs1. It has an auxiliary area GWA3. The determination auxiliary area GWA1 detects the boundary between the white surface CAb and the black surface CAc of the side surface CAs1 by edge detection processing in the transport direction F, and corrects the positions of the determination auxiliary areas GWA2 and GWA3 using the detected edge as the boundary position. . Thereafter, by comparing the brightness of the position-corrected determination auxiliary areas GWA2 and GWA3 with a predetermined threshold value, it is determined whether the brightness of each corresponds to that of the conveyed object CA in the normal posture. In the illustrated example, when the determination auxiliary area GWA2 detects the white surface CAb and the determination auxiliary area GWA3 detects the black surface CAc, it is determined that the conveyed object CA is a non-defective item in a normal posture. Note that the manner of determining the conveyed object CA (determining whether it is good or bad) is not limited to the posture, but may also be based on the shape, size, etc.

The second determination area GWB determines whether the side surface is the side surface CAs2 (the side surface that is all white surface CAb). In this case as well, the determination can be made based on the fact that the brightness of the second determination area GWB is higher than a predetermined threshold. Note that by determining both the first determination area GWA and the second determination area GWB, it is possible to provide redundancy to the acquired information obtained from the image data to be determined. It is possible to improve discrimination accuracy, such as avoiding erroneous judgments due to variations.

On the other hand, in the image area GPY, whether or not to perform reversal processing to reverse the conveyed object CA to a position different from the search area SAS (in the illustrated example, a position upstream of the search area SAS) is determined. Judgment areas GV1 and GV2 are provided for determining. The first determination area GV1 and the second determination area GV2 are arranged at positions through which the upper side surface of the conveyed object CA passes. The first determination area GV1 is determined when the upper side surface of the conveyed object CA is not the side surface CAs1 that includes the black surface CAc, that is, when it is the side surface CAs2-CAs4 that is entirely white surface CAb (for example, when the upper side surface of the conveyed object CA is a If the terminal portion CAa is included or the side surface CAs1 is included (for example, if it is darker than a predetermined threshold value), a determination result PASS is output. Further, the second determination area GV2 is a narrower area in the transport direction F than the first determination area GV1. When an edge is detected by scanning in the transport direction F within this second determination area GV2, it is assumed that the boundary between the front and rear conveyed objects CA that have been conveyed in close contact is located, and the determination result is also set as PASS. . Then, only when the determination result is NG, an airflow is ejected from the reversing blowhole OPR, and the conveyed object CA is reversed so that the upper side surface becomes the other side surface. By doing so, the attitude of the conveyed object CA can be changed only when the upper side surface is located within the first determination area GV1 and this upper side surface is the side surface CAs2-CAs4.

In the present embodiment, the cameras CM1 and CM2 continuously execute photography at a preset default photography cycle, and at each photography cycle, the captured image GPX or the image data in the image area GPY is transferred to the image processing device GP1. , GP2 to the arithmetic processing unit MPU. Of the transferred image data, the arithmetic processing unit MPU processes the image data in the search area SAS as described above using the arithmetic processing memory RAM, and performs detection and determination. However, in this embodiment, a trigger sensor is provided separately, or a predetermined shape pattern of the conveyance object CA is searched within a predetermined area from the image data of the conveyance object CA, and when the shape pattern is detected, an internal trigger is activated. Instead of generating the default shooting cycle, the default shooting cycle can be set by introducing an external trigger that indicates the default shooting cycle, or by outputting a trigger signal with a constant cycle from the processing unit MPU to the cameras CM1 and CM2. Shooting is performed continuously at regular intervals. For this reason, at least the determination target portion of all conveyance objects CA conveyed on the conveyance path 121 (corresponding to the surface portions of side surfaces CAs1 to CAs4 excluding the terminal portion CAa in this embodiment, but the entire appearance of conveyance objects CA) ) in order to detect and determine without omission, the above-mentioned detection target portion of all transported objects CA is within the first measurement area ME1 in any of the captured images GPX or image areas GPY. must be included in the

In addition, in this embodiment, a transported object detection process is performed in order to specify the transported object detection area WDS, which is the position range of the transported object CA, within the search area SAS, but in this transported object detection processing, the first measurement In the area ME1, it is assumed that the detection is performed when the entire conveyed object CA is included in the area. Therefore, in order to detect the position of the conveyance object CA within the first measurement area ME1, the entire conveyance object CA must be included in the first measurement area ME1 in any image data. It is necessary to set it as follows.

Therefore, if the imaging period is Ts [sec], the length of the conveyance direction F of the conveyance object CA is LDS [mm], and the conveyance speed of the conveyance object CA is Vs [mm/sec], all the images of the conveyance object CA are In order to ensure that the image data is included in the first measurement area ME1 of any image data, the range LD1 of the first measurement area ME1 in the transport direction F is set as shown in the following equation (1). do.
LD1≧LDS+α=LDS+Ts×Vs…(1)
For example, if the length LDS of the conveyance direction F of the conveyed object CA is 0.6 [mm], the conveyance speed Vs is 50 [mm/sec], and the photographing period Ts is 1 [msec], then LDS=0. 6 [mm], α=0.05 [mm], and LD1≧0.65 [mm]. Further, if the imaging period Ts is 0.5 [msec], by setting LDS=0.6 [mm] and α=0.025, LD1≧0.625 [mm].

In reality, there are variations in the conveyance speed of the conveyed object CA depending on the individual, depending on the location, or over time. It is desirable to set the image data to be captured. Generally, in order to capture image data more than n times (n is a natural number),
LD1≧LDS+n×α=LDS+n×Ts×Vs…(2)
LD1 is set so that the following holds true. In this embodiment, n is set in the range of 3-7. This is because as n becomes smaller, there is a higher possibility that the conveyed object CA will not be photographed due to variations in the conveyance speed, and conversely, as n becomes larger, the load on image processing increases. Generally, the natural number n is preferably within the range of 1-10. In this embodiment, the image processing time is generally about 150-300 μsec. Further, the photographing interval Ts is about 500-840 [μsec].

In addition, in the case of this embodiment, as described above, since the trigger signal for detecting that the conveyed object CA reaches the first measurement area ME1 is not used, the first There may also be a case where the conveyed object CA and its determination target portions CAs1 to CAs4 are not arranged at all in the measurement area ME1. Therefore, in the image measurement process in the first measurement area ME1, the above-mentioned method is used to detect whether or not the image of at least the determination target portions CAs1 to CAs4 of the conveyed object CA is included in the first measurement area ME1. Executes conveyed object detection processing. When the transported object is detected under predetermined conditions in this transported object detection process, that is, in the above example, when the entire transported object CA is included in the first measurement area ME1, the transported object CA is detected under predetermined conditions. The object determination process is performed, and if not, the conveyed object determination process is not performed. Note that if the same conveyed object CA is detected multiple times in the first measurement area ME1, the conveyed object determination process is performed only once (for example, the first time), and the conveyed object determination process is omitted the other times. You may.

On the other hand, in the control area MES and the second measurement area ME2, only the above-mentioned conveyance object detection process is performed, and the above-mentioned conveyance object determination process is not performed. Then, after the conveyed object passage detection process is performed and the conveyed object CA is detected in the control area MES and the second measurement area ME2, when the conveyed object CA is no longer detected, the conveyed object CA is controlled. Assuming that it has been detected that the conveyance object has passed through the area MES and escaped to the downstream side, the above-mentioned conveyed object passage detection signal is output. Note that the second measurement area ME2 may be the same as the length LDS of the conveyed object CA, but if it is set to a length longer than that, for example, longer than LDS + n × α (n = 1), the length of the conveyed object CA The conveyed object passage detection signal may be output at the time when the entire CA is detected within the second measurement area ME2. Note that when the conveyance object passage detection is performed when at least a part of the conveyance object CA leaves the second measurement area ME2, the range LD2 in the conveyance direction F of the second measurement area ME2 is It is necessary to set the value in advance so that it becomes a value that causes the control area MES to exit before exiting the second measurement area ME2.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 illustrate the control and processing mode for the conveyed object CA that is conveyed in a predetermined manner based on the photographed image GPX photographed by the camera CM1 or the image data in the image area GPY obtained from the photographed image GPX. Figures (a) to (f) are explanatory diagrams for explaining the procedure. FIG. 7 shows a case where a plurality of conveyance objects CA are conveyed in a manner that they are spaced apart from each other by an interval of approximately the length LDS. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the transported object CA1 enters the search area SAS (first measurement area ME1), and then, as shown in FIG. When the entire object enters the search area SAS (first measurement area ME1), the position of the object detection area WDS is specified by the object detection process. Thereafter, the conveyance object determination process using the above-described determination areas GWA and GWB is performed with the position of the identified conveyance object detection area WDS as a reference. If the transported object CA1 is determined to be a good item in this transported object determination process, the airflow from the removal nozzle OPS is stopped unless a preceding defective item is placed within the control area MES.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 7(c) to 7(e), the conveyed object CA1 gradually moves each time an image is taken, moves from the first measurement area ME1 to the control area MES, and then moves to the control area MES. Move from area MES to second measurement area ME2. At this time, the conveyed object detection process is performed on each photographed image data, and the position of the conveyed object detection area WDS is specified each time. Here, the airflow from the removal fumarole OPS toward the conveyed object CA1 is stopped before the conveyed object CA1 moves from the first measurement area ME1 to the control area MES, and also when the conveyed object CA1 moves from the control area MES to the It returns after moving to the second measurement area ME2.

During the above period, as shown in FIG. 7(e), when the next conveyed object CA2 enters the search area SAS (first measurement area ME1), the next conveyed object CA2 enters the search area SAS (first measurement area ME1). ), when the entire conveyed object CA2 enters the search area SAS (first measurement area ME1), the conveyed object CA2 is detected by the conveyed object detection process, and the position of the conveyed object detection area WDA is specified. be done. Subsequently to this transported object detection processing, transported object determination processing is performed in the same manner as above. If the judgment result is a defective product, the airflow ejected from the removal nozzle OPS is not stopped, and when the conveyed object CA2 enters the control area MES, the airflow eliminates the conveyed object CA2 from the conveyance path 121. be done.

FIG. 8 shows a case where a plurality of conveyed objects CA are conveyed in a high-density arrangement (that is, in close contact with each other or at small intervals of less than half the length LDS). In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the conveyed object CA1 enters the search area SAS (first measurement area ME1), and then, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the conveyed object CA1 When the entire object enters the search area SAS (first measurement area ME1), the position of the object detection area WDS is specified by the object detection process. Thereafter, the conveyance object determination process using the above-described determination areas GWA and GWB is performed with the position of the identified conveyance object detection area WDS as a reference. If the transported object CA1 is determined to be a good item in this transported object determination process, the airflow from the removal nozzle OPS is stopped unless a preceding defective item is placed within the control area MES.

In the case of FIG. 8, the next transported object CA2 enters the first measurement area ME1 before the transported object CA1 enters the control area MES, but the range LD1 of the first measurement area ME1 is the length of the transported object. Since it is less than twice the LDS, as shown in FIGS. 8(c) and (d), the entire next transported object CA2 is subjected to the first measurement only after the transported object CA1 enters the control area MES. Upon entering the area ME1, the transported object detection area WDS is detected by the transported object detection process, but its position is not specified. When the next conveyed object CA2 is detected and the determination result is issued, the previous conveyed object CA1 is already within the control area MES, and therefore the airflow from the removal nozzle OPS is in a stopped state. In the illustrated case, the determination result for the next conveyed object CA2 is that it is a defective product, but since the previous conveyed object CA1 has not escaped from the control area MES, the airflow cannot be restored yet. The timing for restoring the airflow is, for example, the time shown in FIG. 8(e) or FIG. 8(f) after the previous conveyed object CA1 escapes from the control area MES. At this time, since the next conveyance object CA2 is still placed within the control area MES, the next conveyance object CA2 is removed from the conveyance path 121 by the airflow.

Furthermore, when the next conveyed object CA3 enters the first measurement area ME1, is detected in the same manner as above, and the position of the conveyed object detection area WDA is specified, the conveyed object determination process is performed in the same manner as above. Ru. At this time, if the conveyed object CA3 is a good item, the airflow is stopped before the conveyed object CA3 enters the control area MES. Here, the airflow continues to be generated unless a non-defective product is determined, but in a state where this airflow is occurring, the stoppage of the airflow means that the target conveyed object, that is, the conveyed object CA that is a good product, reaches the control area MES. This is done before entering. Therefore, the airflow may be stopped when a non-defective conveyed object CA is confirmed by the conveyed object detection process and the conveyed object determination process in the first measurement area ME1. On the other hand, the return of the airflow from the state where the airflow has been stopped must be performed after the transported object that caused the airflow to be stopped, that is, the transported object CA1, which is a good product, escapes from the control area MES. Since the time point at which the conveyed object CA1 escapes from the control area MES is determined by the above-mentioned conveyed object passage detection process (conveyed object passage detection signal), the airflow may be set to be restored by the detection or signal. This processing corresponds to other signal output processing, which is a type of transport processing by the transport processing means.

In the image display devices DP1, DP2, etc. shown in FIG. Each area, such as area ME1, second measurement area ME2, and control area MES, can be displayed using a frame line or the like. Here, in addition to the above, or separately from the above, the conveyed object detection area WDS by the conveyed object detection process, the determination areas GWA and GWB used for the conveyed object determination process, and the conveyed object for controlling the reversing blowhole OPR. At least one of the determination areas GV1 and GV2 used in the determination process can be displayed with a frame line or the like. In these cases, the determination results may be configured so that the determination results can be identified using distinguishable display modes such as display colors and line types of each frame line and the like. For example, if the conveyance object determination process results in an OK determination (determination mode is non-defective item), the frame line or the like is set to the first display mode (for example, green display). Further, if the conveyance object determination process results in an NG determination (the determination mode is a defective product), the frame line or the like is set to a second display mode (for example, displayed in red). Note that each display mode is not limited to the color shown in the above example, and may be a line type such as a solid line, a dotted line, a broken line, a dashed line, or a line thickness, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a mode that can be distinguished from each other.

In this embodiment, the object CA to be inspected is conveyed on the vibrating conveyance path 121 by the vibrating conveyance device 10, while the cameras CM1 and CM2 are placed in a place where there is no vibration (on the base 100). Therefore, in the photographed image GPX or the image data of the image area GPY, the conveyance path 121 that vibrates with a predetermined amplitude in a manner that reciprocates back and forth in the conveyance direction F is caused by a change in the vibration phase when the image data is photographed. It is placed in a displaced position depending on the Therefore, when trying to detect and judge the appearance of the conveyed object CA at a fixed position with respect to the conveyance path 121, the positions of the search area SAS and each measurement area ME1, ME2 in the image must be adjusted to match the shooting timing. It is necessary to move it in synchronization with the vibration of the carrier 120 and with the same amplitude. For example, the carrier 120 is given vibrations with an amplitude of 0.1 mm and a vibration frequency of 300 Hz.

Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to match the position of the search area SAS and each measurement area ME1, ME2 with the vibration position of the carrier 120 at the time of photographing the captured image GPX or the image area GPY, settings are made on the carrier 120. Correction can be performed using a position correction mark (not shown) as a reference. This position correction mark is not particularly limited as long as the position can be detected easily and reliably, but it must be a single color (same gray scale) that can be reliably recognized as a blob in the image and that can stably detect the position of its center of gravity. By using a mark, the detection accuracy of the position can be improved. Note that the position correction mark is not intentionally provided, but is a part that inherently exists in the transport device and can be detected by image processing, such as a ridge line or corner formed on the transport body 120, or a bolt head. , a blowhole, etc. However, it is preferable that it be located in a place where it will not be hidden by the conveyed object CA.

In this embodiment, for the above-mentioned position correction, the positions of the search area SAS and each measurement area ME1, ME2 with respect to the transport path 121 are always set relative to the transport path 121, regardless of the phase timing of vibration during imaging. It will be in the same position. Therefore, for example, the position where the removal air for removing the transported object CA with a bad attitude is blown from the removal blower port OPS, or the position where the reversing air for correcting the attitude of the transported object CA with a bad attitude is blown from the turning blower hole OPR. Since each measurement area ME1, ME2 is set to always have a constant positional relationship with respect to the spraying position from Therefore, it is possible to always cause the effects to occur at similar timing.

FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of a means for arranging conveyed objects CA formed on the conveying body 120 of the conveying device 10. As shown in FIG. In the illustrated example, restrictions on the width and height of the conveyance path 121 are set in advance so that the longitudinal direction of the conveyed object CA is oriented in the conveyance direction F (the posture shown in FIG. 5) in the upstream side portion (not shown). control. Further, on the downstream side of this restriction location, as shown in the figure, along the conveyance path 121, a reversal nozzle OPR1 that forms a first reversal position, a reversal nozzle OPR2 that forms a second reversal position, Further, reversal blowholes OPR3 forming a third reversal position are arranged. These inverted positions correct the posture of the conveyed object CA around the axis along the conveying direction F. Further, on the downstream side thereof, a sorting position is formed in which the above-mentioned sorting nozzle OPS is provided. The photographed image GPX or the image data of the image area GPY described above shows a case where the above-mentioned reversing blowhole OPR3 and sorting blowhole OPS on the most downstream side are photographed. Here, in the present embodiment, the camera CM2 photographs a first reversal position having the reversing jet OPR1 and a second reversing position having the reversing jet OPR2; The third reversal position having the blowhole OPR3 and the sorting position having the exclusion blowhole OPS are photographed. However, in the present invention, one image data may include only one control position, or may include an arbitrary number of two or more control positions.

In this embodiment, at the sorting position, images within the search area SAS having a length LSS in the transport direction F are processed, but at the reversal position, only images within the determination area are processed. In this way, the image range to be processed expands at the position having the search area SAS, but the timing at which the conveyed object CA enters the control area MES can be detected within the first measurement area ME1 by the conveyed object detection process, Since the timing at which objects CA escape from the control area MES can be detected within the control area MES or second measurement area ME2 by the conveyed object passage detection process, it is possible to quickly and reliably detect conveyed objects CA that are being conveyed in high density. This has the advantage that it is possible to determine and control the

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process different from the above-mentioned conveyed object determination process at a reversing position having a reversing jet OPR. In this process, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the above-described conveyed object detection process is performed within the search area SAR, the conveyed object detection area WDR is specified, and the conveyed object detection area WDR is used as a reference. As shown in FIG. 10(b), the conveyance object determination process is performed using the same determination areas GV1 and GV2 as described above. That is, the same processing as the processing for the sorting position (processing according to the present invention) in the above embodiment is also performed for the reversed position. A first measurement area ME1 is set inside the search area SAR, and this first measurement area ME1 is located at a position adjacent to the upstream side of the control area (reversal area) MER that is affected by the reversal nozzle OPR. established in When the transported object detection region WDR detected within the first measurement area ME1 is specified, transported object determination processing is performed in determination areas GV1 and GV2 that are set based on the position of this transported object detection region WDR. . The range LD1 in the conveyance direction F of the first measurement area ME1 is set to a predetermined value with respect to the length LDR of the conveyed object CA, as described above. In addition, in this reversal position, the second measurement area ME2 may be provided as in the above embodiment, and the airflow for reversal is always generated, and the airflow is stopped only when a non-defective product is determined. You can do it like this.

FIG. 11 shows, as a type of transport processing means, the number of transported objects CA entering the first measurement area ME1 and the number of transported objects CA passing through the second measurement area ME2 at the above-mentioned sorting position. It is an explanatory view showing means for counting. As shown in FIG. 11(a), in this embodiment, a counting position CT1 in the transport direction F is set within the first measurement area ME1, and when the transported object CA reaches this counting position CT1, or When a part of the object CA exceeds the counting position CT1, the introduced number N is incremented by one, as shown in FIG. 11(b). This counting position CT1 may be within the range LD1 of the first measurement area ME1, but is preferably set closer to the control area MES (downstream side). In addition, a counting position CT2 in the transport direction F is set in the second measurement area ME2, and when the transported object CA reaches this counting position CT2, or when a part of the transported object CA exceeds the counting position CT2. At this time, the number of passes M is added by one, as shown in FIG. 11(b). This counting position CT2 may be within the range LD2 of the second counting area ME2, but is preferably set on the opposite side (downstream side) from the control area MES.

Furthermore, when counting at the counting position CT2 as described above, it is possible to count the number M of the conveyed objects CA that have passed through the control area MES, but this number M does not necessarily correspond to the passing state of the control area MES. Not only conveyed objects that are determined to be in the corresponding discrimination mode (good), but also conveyed objects that are judged to be in the discrimination mode (defective) that corresponds to the control (exclusion) state, may be mistakenly detected due to a control (exclusion) error, etc. Since the number of good products may not match the number of good products, the number of non-defective products may not match. Therefore, the number M of non-defective products is determined by counting only when the transported objects determined to be non-defective in the first measurement area ME1 pass through the counting position CT2. Thereby, the above-mentioned counting error can be avoided. At this time, instead of the above-mentioned counting position CT2, another counting position is placed at the center position CLN of the control area MES, or on the upstream side thereof (within the control area MES) or at the boundary line between the first measurement area ME1 and the control area MES. A position may be set and counting may be performed at this separate counting position. According to this, since counting can be performed immediately after the determination in the transported object determination process, only the number of non-defective items can be easily counted. Note that in this embodiment, the conveyance object determination process is performed only within the first measurement area ME1, but it may be performed at a position downstream of the first measurement area ME1, for example, a central position CLN within the control area MES, or The conveyance object determination process may be performed until the other counting position on the upstream side is reached. In this way, the number M of non-defective products can be counted using the determination result at a position closer to the upstream side than the other counting position.

Furthermore, in the conveying device 10 of the present embodiment that conveys using vibration, the conveyed object CA is conveyed by repeatedly advancing diagonally upward on the conveying body 120 that reciprocates and vibrates diagonally upward with respect to the conveying direction F. It will be done. Therefore, since the conveyed object CA advances while repeating reciprocating motion back and forth with respect to the conveyor 120, one conveyed object CA can cross the counting positions CT1 and CT2 twice by crossing the counting positions CT1 and CT2 in the opposite direction. It is possible that more than one pass. Therefore, in order to eliminate the counting error caused by this, when the conveyed object CA crosses the counting positions CT1 and CT2 in the opposite direction, as shown in FIG. I'm trying to subtract one. Note that by dividing the number of passed items (or the number of non-defective items) M by the number of introduced items N, the rate of non-defective items and the supply rate M/N can be determined.

In this embodiment, various setting values such as the type of conveyed object CA, dimensions, non-defective product posture, reference image data, a brightness threshold for conveyed object detection processing, various setting values such as a brightness threshold for conveyed object determination processing, Various types of data used for detecting and determining the conveyed object CA are stored in the main memory device MM, etc., and are read out and used as appropriate in each process. In addition, the setting values for determining the shooting timing of cameras CM1 and CM2, the setting values of the image capturing conditions when capturing the captured image GPX or the image area GPY, and the mode of position correction of each setting area due to the vibration of the conveyance path 121 are also explained. Setting values to be determined, setting values to determine various setting screens and display screen aspects, control aspects at the reversal position and sorting position, for example, setting values such as airflow blowing timing and pressure values, etc., are handled in the same way.

In this embodiment, it is possible to select, read out, and display an image file in which past captured images GPX or image areas GPY stored in the main storage device MM are stored continuously in chronological order. Also provided are means for executing various operations on the selected image file.

The image file stored in the main storage device MM is one in which image data of a plurality of captured images GPX or image area GPY captured in the driving mode is automatically recorded by the arithmetic processing unit MPU. This image file can be saved for all image data if there is free space in the main memory device MM, but even if there is no free space in the main memory device MM, it is possible to save the image file for the latest predetermined period. It is preferable to always save the latest image files (for example, one hour's worth) or the latest predetermined number of image files (for example, 1000 images, etc.).

With the photographed image GPX or image area GPY recorded in the past displayed as described above, this image data is subjected to the above-mentioned conveyance object detection process and the above-mentioned conveyance object judgment process (generally, the above-mentioned The image measurement process consisting of the transportation process) can be executed again. As one of the display mode control functions, for multiple captured images GPX or image areas GPY stored in the same file, it is possible to switch one by one to other image data captured before or after using appropriate operations. can. Further, it is also possible to continuously display a plurality of captured images GPX or image areas GPY in the same image file and execute image measurement processing on the displayed image data in parallel.

Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the flow of the entire operating program of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a schematic flowchart of processing executed by the arithmetic processing unit MPU of the inspection processing unit DTU according to the operating program. When this operation program is started, first, the above-described image capturing and image measurement processing are started, and the controllers CL11 and CL12 start driving the conveyance device 10 (parts feeder 11 and linear feeder 12). Then, if the debug setting corresponding to the debug operation described above is OFF, image measurement processing is executed for the captured image GPX or image area GPY, and if the final judgment result is OK, the debug operation is performed. Unless otherwise specified, image measurement processing for the next photographed image GPX or image area GPY is performed as is. For example, at the sorting position, airflow is always flowing from the removal nozzle OPS, but if the judgment result is OK (good product), the airflow from the removal nozzle OPS is stopped, and all non-defective products are sent to the control area MES. The airflow is restored after passing through the Thereby, the defective conveyance object CA is removed from the conveyance path 121. In addition, at the reversal position, the airflow from the reversal nozzle OPR is normally stopped, but if the determination result is NG (defective product), the airflow is ejected from the reversal nozzle OPR onto the conveyance path 121. Invert it with . Note that even in the reversal position, by employing the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the airflow may be made to constantly flow from the reversal nozzle OPR, and the airflow may be stopped only when a non-defective product is detected.

In this way, by controlling the conveyance items CA on the conveyance path 121, only good items are supplied to the downstream side in an aligned state. In this case as well, the determination of the next captured image GPX or image area GPY is carried out as is unless a debugging operation is performed thereafter.

If a debug operation is performed during the above process and the debug setting is turned on, the process exits from the above routine, the drive of the transport device 10 is stopped, and the image measurement process is also stopped. If an appropriate operation is performed in this state, the image file becomes selectable as described above. At this time, the image file that is selected and displayed is an image file that includes a plurality of captured images GPX or an image area GPY that were recorded in the immediately previous driving mode. If you select this and perform the appropriate operations, you will be transferred to re-execution mode. In this mode, image display, detection, and determination can be re-executed based on an image file that records control operations that have already been executed as described above. That is, if a problem occurs in the control of the conveyed object CA of the conveyance device 10, in order to resolve this problem, the image measurement process is first re-executed based on past image data. Find the problem area. Once the problem area is identified, the detection and judgment settings (setting values) can be changed and adjusted accordingly, and the image measurement process can be re-executed on past image data to check the results of the adjustment and improvement work. can be confirmed. Thereafter, when an appropriate return operation is performed, the debug setting is returned to OFF, the image measurement process is restarted, and the driving of the transport device 10 is restarted. Further, the screen of the display device returns to the operation mode display screen.

In the basic configuration of the present embodiment described above, the cameras CM1 and CM2 continuously take pictures at predetermined shooting intervals, and all the objects passing through the transport path 121 are By performing image measurement processing on the image data in the first measurement area ME1 having a preset range LD1 so that the conveyed object CA is always included, the first measurement area ME1 is Since it is possible to detect the conveyed object CA placed within, there is no need to generate a trigger signal for detecting the position of each conveyed object as in the prior art. Further, by processing the image data of the determination target portions CAs1 to CAs4 included in this image, information regarding the determination target portions can be reliably extracted. Therefore, there is no need to take into account failure of detection of individual conveyed objects CA when the conveyed objects CA are connected and conveyed, and there is no need to form gaps between the conveyed objects in advance. It becomes easy to transport objects at high speed and at high density, and the entire configuration of the detection processing system can be easily configured. Furthermore, since it is sufficient to process only the image data in the preset first measurement area ME1 out of the plurality of continuously photographed images, the image measurement process for determining the conveyed object CA is performed. It can be performed at high speed and with high precision.

Further, the first measurement area ME1 is arranged adjacent to the upstream side of the control area MES, and the second measurement area ME2 is arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the control area MES by the conveyed object passage detection means. By performing image measurement processing on the image data, it is possible to detect that the conveyed object CA has passed through the control area MES and escaped to the downstream side. For this reason, when the transported object control means is brought into a passing state according to a predetermined discrimination mode (for example, non-defective) of the transported object CA in the first measurement area ME1 by the transported object determination means, the transported object determination means determines whether If the judgment result that the conveyed object is in the same predetermined discrimination manner (for example, non-defective item) is not obtained, the conveyed object passing detection means determines that the conveyed article is in the same predetermined discrimination manner (for example, non-defective item) as above. When it is detected that the conveyed object has passed through the control area and escaped to the downstream side, the conveyed object control means can be switched from the passing state to the control state. As a result, even when objects are transported at high speed and with high density, the objects can be controlled (sorted, reversed, etc.) at high speed and reliably.

Furthermore, only conveyed objects CA for which a determination result of a predetermined discrimination mode (for example, non-defective product) has been obtained by the conveyed object determination means can pass through the control area MES, and other conveyed objects CA are controlled in the control area MES. (excluded) Therefore, not only when the conveyed object CA is determined to be in a different classification manner than the above (e.g., defective), but also when a detection failure or a judgment error occurs, it is possible to Since the transported object CA is controlled by the control area MES, it is possible to reliably avoid a situation in which a transported object CA with a different discrimination type (for example, defective) from the above is supplied as is.

In this embodiment, as described above, by providing a counting means for the transported objects CA, it is possible to obtain the good product rate at the sorting position of the transported objects CA, so it is possible to estimate the upstream alignment efficiency and the supply efficiency to the supply destination. can do. Therefore, when the above-mentioned non-defective product rate falls below a certain percentage, a command may be automatically issued to the controllers CL11 and CL12 to stop driving the conveying device 10. In addition, as a drive control method for the conveyance device 10 according to such a determination result, in addition to stopping the drive, driving force (voltage, current, etc.) of the vibration means to change the conveyance speed and other conveyance modes, It may also be something that controls amplitude, frequency, etc.

The above configuration described above relates to the overall image of the basic transport mechanism 11, CL11, 12, CL12 of this embodiment and the transported object discrimination control system for controlling the mechanism, and the following of the present invention This is a prerequisite for this embodiment of the configuration related to the feature points described in . Here, a feature of the present invention is that, for example, a light-transmitting area 121c shown in FIG. 1 is provided on the conveyance surface 121a that constitutes the conveyance path 121. As shown in FIG. 2, the light-transmitting region 121c is constituted by a through hole 121d that penetrates the transport block 121b that constitutes the transport path 121 and opens to the transport surface 121a. A back lighting device 121BL arranged on the back side of the transport block is directed to the back opening 121e on the back side of the through hole. The through hole 121d and the back side illumination device 121BL constitute the above-mentioned back side illumination means. Note that the rear side illumination means only needs to have transmitted light directed toward the imaging means through the transparent region 121c, and does not need to be a dedicated illumination device like the illustrated example, but can be directly or indirectly illuminated by internal illumination or the like. It is only necessary that the ambient lighting is secured.

In the rear side illumination means, in FIG. 2(a), the through hole 121d is constituted by a simple through hole formed in the conveying block 121B, but in FIG. 2(b), the conveying path 121 of the through hole 121d is A translucent material such as glass, quartz, sapphire, acrylic resin, etc. is arranged on the side, so that the opening portion of the translucent region 121c of the conveying surface 121a is formed by the translucent material on the conveying surface 121a. and are formed flush with each other. In this way, a stepped portion due to the through hole 121d is not formed on the conveyance surface 121a, so that the conveyance of the conveyed object CA is not hindered. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2(c), by arranging the material extending along the through hole 121d, the light from the back side illumination device 121BL is efficiently guided to the conveying surface 121 through the inside of the material. be able to.

Although the transmitted light of the back illumination device 121BL is emitted from the light-transmitting region 121c toward the camera CM (CM1, CM2), as shown in FIG. 2(a), the range of the light-transmitting region 121c is limited. Therefore, when the conveyance object CA on the conveyance path 121 is photographed by the camera CM, the appearance of the conveyance surfaces 121a and 121b and the surface of the conveyance object CA is changed due to the environmental illumination behind the camera CM (sunlight, factory indoor lighting, etc.). appears in the captured image. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c), a front side illumination device 121FL may be installed to illuminate the conveyance path 121 and the conveyed object CA from behind the camera CM. The front side illumination device 121FL does not need to be particularly installed if a sufficient illumination effect can be obtained from the environmental illumination as described above. As shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c), the illumination-side illumination device 121FL may be configured to provide illumination from various directions.

As shown in FIG. 1, the light-transmitting region 121c is configured in the shape of a slit extending along the transport direction F of the transport path 121. As shown in FIG. At this time, the light-transmitting area 121c is configured to be narrower than the width of the conveyance object CA on the conveyance path 121 (the dimension in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction F). Further, the light-transmitting area 121c extends over the entire search area SAS in the transport direction F, which includes the first measurement area ME1, the control area MES, and the second measurement area ME2. In the illustrated example, the light-transmitting region 121c includes not only parts within the search area SAS but also parts protruding to both outsides in the transport direction F. When the transparent area 121c is configured as described above, when the conveyed object CA1 is conveyed to the first measurement area ME1 as shown in the image shown in FIG. 1(a), the image shown in FIG. 1(b) will eventually appear. When the entire conveyance object CA1 enters the first measurement area ME1, the conveyance object CA1 blocks light from a part of the light-transmitting area 121c (light-shielding part), and there are light-transmitting areas before and after the conveyance direction F. The non-shading portion of 121c appears to be shining. Therefore, it is possible to easily specify the conveyance object detection area WDS, which is the positional range of the conveyance object CA1 in the conveyance direction F within the first measurement area ME1.

More specifically, in the image of FIG. 1(b), the left and right boundaries 121cs in the diagram between the light-shielded portion 121c1 caused by the conveyed object CA1 and the non-shaded portion 121c2 of the transparent region 121c in the first measurement area ME1 Since the position of the transport object CA1 can be detected, at least the positions of the left and right edges of the transported object CA1 are clarified, and based on this, the transported object detection area WDS (WDR) can be accurately determined. Similarly to the above, in the image of FIG. 1(c), the border between the light-shielded portion 121c1 and the non-shaded portion 121c2 caused by the transported object CA1 in the light-transmissive area 121c in the second measurement area ME2 is shown on the left and right sides of the figure. Since the position of 121cs can be detected, the transported object detection area WDS (WDR) can be accurately determined based on this. In this way, even if the contrast between the background of the transport path 121 and the transported object CA1 in each image is low, the transported object detection region WDS (WDR) can be easily and quickly identified. Note that the transported object detection region WDS (WDR) based on the boundary 121cs can be easily identified by fitting the dimensions of the transported object CA, a reference pattern, etc. with the position of the boundary 121cs as a reference. .

Conventionally, when the conveyance density of the conveyed objects CA on the conveyance path 121 becomes high and the preceding and succeeding conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 are conveyed in close contact with each other, erroneous recognition of the conveyed objects has been particularly likely to occur. Regarding this point, modes of misrecognition will be explained with reference to FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14(a), since each of the conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 has a characteristicless surface appearance, under conditions of low contrast, it is difficult to distinguish them from the background of the conveyance path 121, and moreover, the surface of the conveyed objects easily affected by dirt etc. In the illustrated example, dirt on the conveyed object CA1 and dirt on the conveyed object CA2 cause an erroneous recognition that a part of the conveyed object CA1 and a part of the conveyed object CA2 are one conveyed object.

What is shown in FIG. 14(b) is that in a conveyed object that has electrode sections at the front and rear, similar to that shown in FIG. , is an example in which the front end position of the conveyed object CA1 is misidentified. Further, in the case shown in FIG. 14(c), when the front and rear conveyed objects CA2 and CA3 are conveyed with a certain interval, the electrode part at the rear end of the conveyed object CA2 and the conveyed object CA2 are connected in the first measurement area ME1. By misidentifying the electrode portion at the front end of the object CA3 as the front and rear electrode portions of one conveyed object CA, the gap between the front and rear conveyed objects CA2 and CA3 is mistakenly recognized as the body of the conveyed object CA. Any of these misrecognitions can be caused by, for example, as described in Patent Document 2, a gap is formed between the conveyed objects by partially tilting the conveyance path downward, and this gap causes the sensor, etc. This can be prevented by detecting the timing of the arrival of the conveyed object, but in this case, in recent high-speed and high-density conveyance systems, the posture of the conveyed object is easily disturbed due to the downward slope of the conveyance path. However, there is a problem in that the alignment efficiency and conveyance efficiency are reduced.

Next, in this embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, the conveyance density of the conveyance objects CA on the conveyance path 121 becomes high, and as shown in the image of FIG. 3(a), the front and rear conveyance objects CA1 and CA2 are A case where objects are transported in close proximity will be explained. In this case, as shown in the image of FIG. 3(b), when the conveyance object CA1 is placed within the first measurement area ME1, the following conveyance object CA2 is conveyed in a connected state. In this case, the position of the front boundary 121cs (omitted in FIG. 3) between the light-blocking portion 121c1 (omitted in FIG. 3) and the non-light-blocking portion 121c2 (omitted in FIG. 3) of the light-transmitting area 121c due to the transported object CA1 is determined. Since it is clear, the front end of the conveyed object CA1 is clear, and therefore the rear end can also be easily predicted.

In this example, the light-transmitting area 121c is provided at a position corresponding to the edge of the conveyed object CA in the width direction. For example, when setting a conveyance object passing range 121T through which many (for example, a predetermined proportion of 80 to 90 percent) of conveyance objects CA on the conveyance path 121 pass, the width direction of the conveyance object passage range 121T ( It is preferable that the grooves be formed at and near the edges of the upper and lower sides in the figure. In the illustrated example, the light-transmitting region 121c is formed near the lower edge in the figure of the conveyance object passing range 121T. In this way, when the conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 are conveyed closely and continuously as shown in FIG. 3, one part of the light-transmitting area 121c is A triangular gap is created by the conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 having rounded outer shapes near the corners, and a part of the light-transmitting area 121c can become the non-light-shielding part 121c3 through this gap. , the boundary position between continuously transported objects can be known from the non-light-shielding portion 121c3. Note that the light-transmitting region 121c shown in FIG. 1 and the light-transmitting region 121c shown in FIG. However, the third light-transmitting region 121c is formed at a position closer to the edge (lower edge in the figure) of the transported object passing range 121T than the light-transmitting region 121c shown in FIG. Therefore, the non-light-shielding portion 121c3 is easily formed due to the triangular gap. Furthermore, the light-transmitting area 121c shown in FIG. 3 is formed larger in the width direction than the light-transmitting area 121c shown in FIG. Even in this case, a portion of the light-transmitting region 121c is easily visible through the triangular gap. The size of the triangular gap varies depending on the type and shape of the conveyed object CA, but in many cases, it occurs in a detectable manner between the front and rear conveyed objects. In this case, the average position in the width direction of the transported object CA may be determined, and the light-transmitting area 121c may be provided at a position corresponding to the widthwise edge of the transported object at this average position, or The light-transmitting region 121c may be provided in a range corresponding to the edge of the transported object in the range 121T.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram (a) to (c) showing other examples of the light-transmitting region 121c. The light-transmitting region 121c shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is an integral region extending in the transport direction F. However, in the present invention, the registration area 121c may be made up of a group in which a plurality of transparent area parts 121f, 121g, 121h, 121i, and 121j are arranged. In the light-transmitting region 121c of FIG. 13(a), light-transmitting region portions 121f in a spot shape (in the illustrated example, the light-transmitting region portions 121f may be circular or square) are arranged at equal intervals in the conveying direction F. The position in the width direction of the row of light-transmitting area portions 121f is approximately at the center of the conveyance object passage range 121T. By arranging a plurality of light-transmitting regions 121f as discontinuous light-transmitting regions in this way, it is possible to determine which of the light-transmitting region portions 121f becomes the light-shielding portion 121f1 and which becomes the non-light-shielding portion 121f2. It becomes easier to specify the conveyed object detection regions WDS and WDR, which are the position ranges of the conveyed object CA.

In the light-transmitting region 121c shown in FIG. 13(b), a plurality of slit-shaped light-transmitting region portions 121g, 121h, and 121i each extending along the transport direction F are arranged along the transport direction F. However, the light-transmitting area 121g is arranged approximately at the center of the conveyed object passing range 121T, the light-transmitting area 121h is arranged at the upper edge of the conveyed object passing range 121T in the figure, and the light-transmitting area 121i is arranged at the upper edge of the conveyed object passing range 121T. It is arranged at the lower edge of the range 121T in the drawing. That is, the plurality of light-transmitting regions 121g, 121h, and 121i are arranged in the transport direction F and also in the width direction. In this way, depending on which of the plurality of light-transmitting area portions 121g, 121h, and 121i constituting the light-transmitting area 121c is a light-shielding portion and which is a non-light-shielding portion, only the position range of the conveyance direction F of the conveyed object CA can be adjusted. In addition, information can also be obtained about the position range in the width direction within the conveyed object passing range 121T. In the illustrated example, the plurality of light-transmitting regions 121g, 121h, and 121i are arranged in a staggered manner in both the transport direction F and the width direction, but they may be arranged in a line in each direction. Further, the light-transmitting region portions 121f shown in FIG. 13(a) may be arranged in a plurality of directions as in the arrangement mode of this example.

In the light-transmitting region 121c shown in FIG. 13(c), a plurality of slit-shaped light-transmitting region portions 121j each extending diagonally with respect to the transport direction F are arranged in the transport direction F. In this example, since each light-transmitting area portion 121j is configured in an inclined slit shape, the light-shielding portion 121j1 and the non-light-shielding portion 121j2 also move in the width direction depending on the position of the conveyance object CA in the conveyance direction F. Therefore, depending on the position in the width direction of the boundary between the light-shielding portion 121j1 and the non-light-shielding portion 121j2, the position of the boundary in the transport direction F can be specified more accurately or more easily.

In each of the above embodiments, the range of the light-blocking portion 121c1 or the non-light-blocking portion 121c2 by the conveyance object CA that can be detected based on the light emitted from the back side illumination device 121BL through the light-transmitting region 121c provided on the conveyance surface 121a. By using the information indicating , conveyance object detection processing is performed to detect the position range of the conveyance object CA within the measurement areas ME, ME1, and ME2. Thereby, it is possible to easily and reliably detect the conveyance object CA within the measurement area, so that it is possible to improve the accuracy of detection and discrimination of the conveyance object CA.

In particular, by configuring the light-transmitting area 121c to be narrower than the width of the conveyed object CA on the conveyance path 121, the entire surface of the conveyed object CA is enveloped by the light of the back side illumination device 121BL, and it is shaped like a silhouette. Since this prevents the surface appearance of the conveyed object CA from being seen, it becomes possible to determine the surface condition of the conveyed object CA based on the image data taken by the camera CM (CM1, CM2), which is the image capturing means, so that various It becomes possible to deal with the detection and discrimination of transported objects CA. For example, it is preferable that the processing by the transport processing means such as processing for discriminating the transported object is performed based on the presence or absence of the transported object and the position range obtained by the transported object detection means. It is desirable that this is also carried out based on information regarding the surface condition of the conveyed object included in the image data.

Further, the light-transmitting area (121c) is formed in a slit shape extending in the transport direction beyond the length of the conveyed object (CA), so that the light-transmitting area (121c) has a slit shape extending in the transport direction F. 121c is partially blocked by the transported object CA, the transported object detection ranges WDS and WDR, which are the position ranges of the transported object, are determined based on the range of the light-shielded portion 121c1 or the non-shaded portion 121c2 by the transported object CA in the transparent area 121c. can be identified more easily and reliably. In this case, the light-transmitting region 121c is formed over the entire range of the measurement areas ME, ME1, ME2 in the transport direction F, so that there is no light-shielding area at any location in the transport direction F of the measurement areas ME, ME1, ME2. 121c1 or the non-light-shielding portion 121c2, it becomes easier to identify the presence or absence of the conveyed object CA and the position ranges WDS and WDR. In particular, it is desirable that the light-transmitting region 121c extends from within the measurement areas ME, ME1, and ME2 to both outer sides in the transport direction F. According to this, even if the edge of the conveyance direction F of the conveyance object CA is arranged near both boundary positions of the measurement areas ME, ME1, ME2 in the conveyance direction F, the boundary of the light-shielding portion 121c1 or the non-shading portion 121c2 The location of 121cs can be grasped with certainty. Note that the light-transmitting region 121c is a light-transmitting region portion shorter in the transport direction than the length of the transport object CA, and/or a light-transmitting region portion smaller in the width direction than the width of the transport object CA, The same applies to the case where the light-transmitting area portions 121f to 121j are arranged in a group. Further, the arrangement range thereof is also the same as the formation range of the light-transmitting region 121c.

In this embodiment, the formation range of the light-transmitting region 121c in the conveyance direction F is longer than the length of the conveyed object CA, so that the position range (conveyed object detection area WDS) of the conveyed object in the conveyance direction can be easily identified. Its accuracy also improves. In particular, since the formation range of the light-transmitting region 121c in the transport direction F is longer than twice the length of the transported object CA, it becomes easier to cope with high-density transport of the transported object CA. It should be noted that two or more consecutive objects to be transported can be separated by the boundary 121cs of the front end or rear end of the continuous range and the dimension (length LDS) of the transported object CA in the transport direction F without using the light-shielded portion 121c3. It may also be specified based on

In this embodiment, the light-transmitting region 121c is provided near the edge in the width direction of the conveyed object passing range 121T, so that when the front and rear conveyed objects CA1 and CA2 are conveyed in close contact with each other, the transparent region 121c is In the light region 121c, a portion provided at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the edge in the width direction of the transported object passing range 121T is a triangular gap formed by the shape of the corner of the front and rear transported objects CA1, CA2. Since it may appear as a non-light-shielding portion 121c3 corresponding to , it becomes easier to detect the boundary position between the preceding and succeeding conveyed objects.

Note that the conveyance object detection system and conveyance device of the present invention are not limited to the illustrated examples described above, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, as a sorting method at the sorting position, the conveyed objects CA are removed from the conveyance path 121 by blowing an air stream, but individual processing methods, including the method for sorting the conveyed objects CA, are There are no particular limitations on the content or the range of each measurement area, and various known techniques for detection and determination can be employed, such as using mechanical exclusion means. In addition, the conveyed objects can be controlled in various ways, such as not only removal but also reversal and distribution.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transported object detection means detects the transported object detection areas WDS and WDR, which are the position range of the transported object CA, but the presence or absence of the transported object CA, that is, the transported object CA is measured. It may be configured such that only whether or not the object is located within the area (ME, ME1, ME2) is determined. In this case, it becomes difficult to limit the data range to be subjected to image processing within the measurement area in the process of determining the transported object, but it is useful in that it is possible to know whether or not the determination process is necessary.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the basic configuration of the inspection processing unit DTU is to perform imaging at a predetermined time interval Ts regardless of the arrival timing of the transported object CA, but a signal for detecting the arrival of the transported object CA is The photographing means CM1 and CM2 may be activated to photograph an image using a trigger signal based on the above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Conveyance device, 11... Parts feeder, 110... Conveyance body, 111... Conveyance path, 12... Linear feeder, 120... Conveyance body, 121... Conveyance path, 121a, 121b... Conveyance surface, 121c... Transparent area, 121d... Through hole, 121e...Back side opening, 121T...Transferred object passing range, 121BL...Back side illumination device, 121FL...Front side illumination device, OPS, OPR, OPR1-OPR3...Full vent, CA, CA1-CA3...Transferred object, CM1, CM2...Camera, CL11, CL12...Controller, DTU...Inspection processing unit, DP1, DP2...Display device, GP1, GP2...Image processing device, GM1, GM2...Image processing memory, GPX...Photographed image, GPY...Image area , GWA-GWB...judgment area, MPU...arithmetic processing unit, MM...main memory, ME1...first measurement area, ME2...second measurement area, MES, MER...control area, SAS, SAR...search area, CT1, CT2...counting position, SP1, SP2...operation input device, RAM...memory for calculation processing, WDS...conveyed object detection area

Claims (16)

An image containing information regarding the surface condition of the conveyed object caused by a reflected light component of the measurement area (ME) on the conveyance path (121) along which the conveyed object (CA) is conveyed is repeatedly captured by the imaging means (CM). An image acquisition means (MPU, DTU, RAM) to acquire;
a light-transmitting area (121c) formed on the transport surface (121a, 121b) of the transport path (121) within the measurement area (ME) ;
a back side illumination means (130) that irradiates light from the back side of the conveyance surface (121a, 121b) toward the imaging means (CM) through the light-transmitting region (12c);
By using information indicating the range of the light-blocking portion (121c1) or non-light-blocking portion (121c2) by the conveyed object (CA) in the light-transmitting area (121c) with respect to the image data in the measurement area (ME). , a conveyed object detection means (MPU, RAM) that performs conveyed object detection processing to detect the presence or absence or position range (WDS, WDR) of the conveyed object (CA) in the measurement area (ME);
Based on the presence or absence of the conveyed object (CA) in the measurement area (ME) or the position range (WDS, WDR) detected by the conveyed object detection means (MPU, RAM), the Conveyance processing means (MPU, RAM) that performs control processing or discrimination processing for the conveyed article (CA), counting process for the conveyed article (CA), or other signal output processing using information regarding the surface state of the conveyed article )and,
A conveyed object detection and processing system comprising: The light-transmitting area (121c) is configured to have a width narrower than the width of the conveyance object (CA) on the conveyance path (121).
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 1 . The light-transmitting area (121c) is configured in the shape of a slit extending in the conveying direction beyond the length of the conveyed object (CA).
The transported object detection and processing system according to claim 1 or 2 . The light-transmitting region (121c) is formed over the entire range of the measurement area (ME) in the transport direction.
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 3 . The light-transmitting area (121c) extends from inside the measurement area (ME) to both outer sides in the transport direction.
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 4 . The light-transmitting region (121c) is composed of a group of a plurality of light-transmitting region portions (121f-121j) arranged within the measurement area (ME).
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The light-transmitting area portion (121f-121j) is shorter in the conveying direction than the length of the conveyed object (CA),
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 6 . The light-transmitting area (121c) is provided at a position corresponding to an edge in the width direction of the conveyance object (CA) on the conveyance path (121) within the measurement area (ME).
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The conveyance processing means is configured to process the conveyance object (CA) when the conveyance object detection means (MPU, RAM) detects that the conveyance object (CA) is placed within the measurement area (ME). A conveyance object determination means (MPU, RAM) that performs a conveyance object determination process for determining the conveyance object (CA) based on an image showing the aspect of the surface of at least the determination target portion (CA1-CA4);
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 1 . The transported object detection means (MPU, RAM) detects the position range (WDS, WDR) of the transported object (CA),
The conveyance object determination means (MPU, RAM) executes a determination process for the conveyance object (CA) based on the position range (WDS, WDR).
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 9 . A conveyance object passing state in which the conveyance object (CA) passes through a control area (MES, MER) arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the measurement area (ME1) on the conveyance path (121), and the conveyance object (CA) is configured to be able to switch between a conveyed article control state controlled by the control area (MES, MER) on the conveyance path (121);
The conveyance object passing state and the conveyance object control of the conveyance object control means (OPS, OPR) are determined based on the discrimination mode according to the determination result of the conveyance object (CA) by the conveyance object determination means (MPU, RAM). further comprising a system control means (MPU, RAM) for switching between the states;
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 9 or 10 . The imaging means (CM) continuously photographs at a predetermined photographing interval (Ts), and the measurement area (ME, ME1) is configured to take pictures based on the transport speed (Vs) of the conveyed object (CA) and the photographing interval (Ts). having a range set in advance such that all of the conveyance items (CA) passing through the conveyance path (121) are always included due to the relationship with the conveyance path (121);
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 . A conveyed object passing state in which the conveyed object (CA) passes through the control area (MES, MER) on the conveyance path (121), and a conveyed object passing state in which the conveyed object (CA) passes through the control area (MES, MER) on the conveyance path (121). conveyed object control means (OPS, OPR) configured to be able to switch between conveyed object control states controlled by MES, MER);
a first measurement area (ME1) located adjacent to the upstream side of the control area (MES, MER);
a second measurement area (ME2) located adjacent to the downstream side of the control area (MES, MER);
By performing image measurement processing based on the image data of the conveyed object (CA) in the second measurement area (ME2), the conveyed object (CA) passes through the control area (MES, MER). Conveyed object passage detection means (MPU, RAM) for detecting escape to the downstream side;
Discrimination mode according to the determination result of the conveyed object (CA) by the conveyed object determining means (MPU, RAM) in the first measurement area (ME1) and the conveyance in the second measurement area (ME2) Based on the manner in which the transported object (CA) escapes from the control area (MES, MER) by the object passage detection means (MPU, RAM), the transported object passing state of the transported object control means (OPS, OPR) is determined. a system control means (MPU, RAM) for switching between the conveyed object control state;
further comprising;
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to any one of claims 9 to 11 . The first measurement area (ME1) and the second measurement area (ME2) are any of a plurality of captured images (GPX) captured by the imaging means (CM1, CM2) at predetermined capturing intervals (Ts). In this case, depending on the relationship between the conveyance speed (Vs) of the conveyance object (CA) on the conveyance path (121) and the photographing interval (Ts), all the conveyance objects (CA) passing through the conveyance path (121) are having a preset range (LD2) such that at least some images of CA) are always included;
The conveyed object detection and processing system according to claim 13 . A transport mechanism (12, CL12) provided with the transport path (121), and a transport object detection and processing system (CM1, CM2, DTU, DP1, DP2, SP1, SP2) according to claim 9-11, 13 or 14. and,
A conveyance device comprising: The conveyance mechanism (12, CL12) includes a vibrating means (125) for vibrating the conveyance path (121), and a vibrating means (125) that vibrates the conveyance path (121), and a vibrating means (125) that vibrates the conveyance path (121), and a vibrating means (125) that vibrates the conveyance path (121). Vibration control means (CL12) for controlling the drive mode of the vibration excitation means (125) based on the discrimination mode;
The conveying device according to claim 15 .

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