JPH049650A - Image pickup device for long substance - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the cost of equipment by projecting an image on the other side into an image pickup field. CONSTITUTION:Three sides, i.e. the upper side of a rush and two sides observed from the lower light and right sides through a reflector, are included in the image pickup field of a camera 8a. The camera 8a repeats intermittent image pickup and outputs color information and brightness information and an image processing means 10 binarizes these information. In a binary image, a bright part is a rush area. When the rush passes through a light emitting element 9a and a light receiving element 9b, a detection signal is sent to a control device H. When a background blackboard 7 is observed from the slit of the rush, the part is observed as a dark part on the binary image and decided as rejection. Picture elements arrayed on a horizontal line are selected, bright and dark differential values are found out from brightness information on the picture element line along the longitudinal direction, and when differential values more than a set point exist, these values are rejected. Consequently, the number of image pickup means reduced and the cost of equipment is also reduced.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is used, for example, as an imaging device for a rice grass inspection device that inspects the quality of grass grass, and is an imaging device that images one side of a long object. The present invention relates to an imaging device for a long object, which is equipped with a means.

[Prior Art] For example, in an imaging device used in a rush inspection device, it is necessary to image not only the side surface but also the entire circumference of a long object. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of imaging means (8a) are arranged at different angles along the longitudinal direction of the rush grass, and these imaging means (8a) are used to capture long lengths of grass. Images of the side surfaces of the object viewed from different points in the circumferential direction are taken.

In addition, (6) in the figure is the lighting that irradiates the rush.
7) is a blackboard that serves as the background for imaging.

In other words, the side surfaces that become blind spots with the - number of imaging means are compensated for by imaging with other imaging means.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The long object imaging device described above requires a plurality of imaging means to image the entire side surface of the long object at once.
The equipment cost was high, which was a drawback.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to: (1) enable the side surfaces of a long object to be imaged over a wide range even with -1 imaging means; and (1) to reduce equipment costs. It depends on what you plan to do.

[One Stage to Solve the Problem] In the long object imaging device 64 according to the present invention, the lower projection stage projects an image of the other side of the long object within the imaging field of the imaging stage f. This feature is the first feature.

The projection means has a second characteristic configuration at a certain point on the reflecting mirror.

A third characteristic configuration is that the projection means is configured to project images of a plurality of side surfaces viewed from different points in the circumferential direction of the elongated object.

[For production]

In the first characteristic configuration, the image of the other side of the long object is projected by the projection means into the imaging field of the imaging means, so that the imaging means simultaneously images not only one side of the long object but also the other side. I come to do it.

That is, each time the imaging range of the lower four imaging stages increases by -. Then, from the imaging means, imaging information including images of both the side and other sides of the 7-inch object is obtained.

The second characteristic structure <'2 is that the projection 4' stage reflects the image of the other side of the elongated object. ) within the field of view of the imaging means.
・I'll project it・).

For the third characteristic configuration, in the case of the first characteristic configuration,
Within the imaging field of the imaging means - multiple side images are projected; There are also multiple other sides that the stage images. That is, each time the imaging range of the - number of imaging means becomes wider than that of the first characteristic configuration. Then, from the imaging means, imaging information including information on one side of the long object and information on a plurality of other sides is obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the first characteristic configuration C, the range that can be imaged by each imaging means is expanded, so even when capturing a wide side image of a long object, the number of imaging means is small, reducing equipment costs. be able to.

With the second feature, an inexpensive and simple structure can be provided as the projection means 7.

With the third characteristic configuration, the range that can be imaged by each image pickup means is wider than in the case of the first characteristic configuration, so even if the side surface of a long object is to be imaged more widely, the number of image pickup means is small. It is possible to reduce equipment costs.

For example 1. By simply arranging two reflecting mirrors at appropriate angles as projection means, even - number of image pickup means can be used.

It is possible to image the entire circumference of a long object.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained by taking as an example a case where the present invention is implemented in an imaging device of a rush inspection device.

As shown in FIG.
), rush transport section (B), inspection section (C), rush storage section (D
).

As shown in FIG. 3, the rush feeding section (A) narrows the bottom of an inverted triangular hopper (1) to form a guide path (1a), and also includes a pair of upper and lower feeding rollers (2) as separation means (2). 2) and (3) are provided near the guide path (1a). In this strawberry supply section (A), the straw mats (corresponding to long objects) built in the hopper (1) are guided one by one to the guide path (1a), and the feed ropes (2), (3 ) and is fed forward as it rotates. Although not shown as an example, one of the grasses in the hopper (1) is placed between the rollers (2) and (3).
) is equipped with a feeding mechanism that sends out the liquid at set time intervals.
-The books are dispensed accurately.

The rush conveying section (B) has feeding rollers (2) and (3).
An air blowing vibrator (4) is installed on the sending side of the air blowing vibrator (4), and an air pump (
5) is connected and 7 compressed air is blown into the vibrator. In this strawberry conveying section (B), the feeding L
The rushes sent out by (2) and (3)) are accurately sucked into the inlet of the air blowing vibrator (4) by the suction force generated when blowing out the compressed air, and this air blowing vibrator (4) The inside of the container is transported out together with the air.

The inspection section (C) has 12 lights (6) that irradiate light obliquely from the lower side in the direction of conveyance to the rushes being conveyed by the rush conveyance section (B), as shown in Figure 1. , A blackboard (7) is the background of the grass, and the blackboard (7) is the background of the grass that is illuminated by the lighting (fi)! : L,' An imaging device (8) that takes an image of Based on the imaging information, the area of rush grass (described later) is
an image processing means (10) for extracting the area (X);
) Discrimination means (1) for determining the quality of rush grass based on information on
1). Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 4, the image processing means (10) and the discrimination means (]I1 are incorporated as part of a control device (H) configured using a microcomputer.

The strawberry storage section (D) has a two-layer structure consisting of a defective product container (12) that stores the rushes that have failed the inspection, and a good product container (13) that stores the rushes that have passed the inspection. 5, and there is a defective product container (12
) and the incoming LJ of the good container (13) are selectively opened (I cutting plate (14) f setting!: 1'7. This partition plate (I4) receives the command from the control device (H) It is interlocked and connected to a switching mechanism (15) that operates in response to the
A second sensor (1G) is provided in front of the partition plate (14) to detect whether or not grass has been stored. When grass is detected, ζJ! j, during which a detection signal is sent to the control device (l()).

Next, the configuration and functions of the inspection section (C) will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5.

The imaging device (8) includes - color cameras (8a) (
), a pair of reflecting mirrors (8b),
(8b) (corresponding to the projection means).

As shown in Fig. 1, the color camera (8a) is placed in an upward and downward direction on the strawberry conveyance route, and the reflective mirror (8a)
Bb) and (8b) are arranged in a figure 7-shaped inclined position below the straw grass conveyance route. However, the reflective mirror (8b),
(8b) is an angle adjustment so that each of the left and right sides of the lower surface of the rush is projected into the imaging field of the color camera (8a) by total reflection.

That is, the imaging field of the color camera (8a) has 1.
As they are being transported, the books are being transported directly from one to the next. It includes three sides: the side as seen from the force (upper side), and the side as seen from the left and right sides below through the reflectors (8b) and (8b) (lower left side, lower right side). Yes, there is a color camera (
8a) involves repeating intermittent imaging at predetermined time intervals, thereby continuously imaging grasshoppers as shown in FIG. 6, and outputting color information and brightness information for each image. Note that (E) in the figure is the imaging field per - time.

The image processing means (10) converts the color information and brightness information output from the color camera (8a) into binary image information by binarizing the brightness information based on the brightness of each imaging cycle. 2, and based on the transformation, the area (X) of rush grass in each image is extracted.

In the binarized image, the bright part is the grass area (X)
(See Figure 7).

The first photo sensor (9) is constructed by arranging a light emitting element (9a) and a light receiving element (9b) such that they sandwich the rush conveying path. When the grass rush passes between the light emitting element (9a) and the light receiving element (9b), the light from the light emitting element (9a) is blocked by the grass and does not reach the light receiving element (9b). ()I).

The second solar sensor (1G) is also basically a light emitting element (
16a) and a light receiving element (16b), which operate on the same principle as the first photocent (9). Also, the distance between the first photo sensor (9) and the second photo sensor (16) is
The distance shall be at least the length of the rush.

The discrimination means (11) detects the image processing means (10) while the detection signal continues to be sent from the 17th human sensor (9).
) Based on the color information and area information obtained from ), Hendo's method is used to repeatedly determine whether the grass is good or bad.

(A) Calculate the width corresponding to the radial direction of the rush grass in the three areas (X) obtained earlier along the longitudinal direction of the rush grass, and as shown in Figure 8, if the width is 4F beyond the set value, the result is rejected. shall be. Using this method, it is possible to reject grass that has split and expanded in width.

(b) 10, 1' The two areas (X) are inspected, and as shown in Figure 9, the grass that contains areas that are not grass is rejected. The grass area is the blackboard (7) in the background that is visible from the eye of the rice cracker, and corresponds to the dark part within the area (X) in the -valued image. l-ru. With this method, even if the width is normal, the cracks are 41 degrees wide and there are gaps, so it is possible to reject the item.

7) Select pixels arranged horizontally and line C in the three areas (X) 7, and trace the differentiation of brightness and darkness in order along the longitudinal direction C of the strawberry from the luminance information on the line (L) of this pixel. asked for,
The strawberry plants with differential values of ``-'' in these differential value numbers are rejected. As shown in Fig. 10, if the grass has a bent part, a shadow will be created on the surface of the grass by shining the light from an angle. Igi grass long side IGI
If you calculate the differential value along the four lines, the differential value will become large at the boundary between light and dark where the shadow is formed.

By using this method, it is possible to convert grass that has bends into unmixed materials.

(1) Calculate the color difference (2R-B) between the red component (R) and blue component (B) contained in one extracted region (X) (,8), and based on this color difference (2RB)!,'' As shown in the 1st and 11th page of the binarized image information, pixels with a large color difference (21 and 3) are set in the area (X). A number of pixels present in A are rejected. Withered and yellow: Pixels in the discolored and present part have a color difference (2R-B).
) becomes larger. However, with this method, it is possible to reject grass that has withered and turned yellow.

The discriminating means (11) sequentially inspects the image information of the rushes outputted from the color camera (8a) using the methods (a) to (1), and ends the imaging of the rushes. If the product fails any of the areas (X) or stages up to (X), it is determined to be a defective product, and the product is no longer judged to be good or bad. If all of the above conditions pass, the product is determined to be non-defective.Incidentally, it is determined that the imaging of the - book of rushes has been completed when the detection signal from the first photo sensor (9) is interrupted.

The control device (11) operates a switching mechanism (15) to appropriately sort the rushes based on the inspection results of the discriminating means (11).
) is activated.

In other words, if the strawberry is determined to be defective, the second
After confirming that no detection signal is being sent from the photo sensor (16), the entrance of the defective antenna (12) is opened by swinging the partition plate (14) in one direction, and the grass is removed. Defective product: Stored in 1 antenna (12)
I'll do it.

If the rush is determined to be good, confirm that no detection signal is being sent from the second photo sensor (16), and then swing the partition plate (14) toward the upper blade. The entrance of the non-defective container (13) is opened, and the rush is stored in the non-defective container (13).

[Another example]

As the projection means, other mirror-finished members, a prism using refraction, or the like may be used instead of the reflecting mirror. Further, instead of two reflecting mirrors, a single reflecting mirror curved in a U-shape may be used.

The present invention can be applied to capturing images of long objects such as grass, electric wires, gables, piping, and lumber.

Incidentally, although reference numerals are written in the claims section for convenient comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in the accompanying drawings by the reference numerals.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the long object imaging device according to the present invention.
, Fig. 1 is a striped side view of the main part, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the overall general configuration, Fig. 3 is a front view of the strawberry supply section, Fig. 4 is a bronch diagram showing the functional configuration, and Fig. 5 is a bronch diagram showing the functional configuration. The figure shows the flowchart executed by the control device, Figure 6 shows the imaging range when a single straw grass is continuously imaged, and Figures 7 to 9 are binarized images processed with brightness information. , FIG. 10 shows a gradation image based on luminance information, and FIG. 11 shows a binarized image based on color information. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the arrangement of a conventional example. (8a)...imaging means, (8b)...projection means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An imaging device for a long object, comprising an imaging means (8a) for imaging one side of the long object, wherein the imaging means (8a) captures an image of the other side of the long object. ) An imaging device for an elongated object, comprising a projection means (8b) for projecting the image into the imaging field of view. 2. The imaging device for a long object according to claim 1, wherein the projection means (8b) is a reflecting mirror. 3. The imaging device for a long object according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the projection means (8b) is configured to project images of a plurality of side surfaces viewed from different locations in the circumferential direction of the long object.