JPS62269489A - Vision system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the simultaneous processes of picture information from plural cameras by one picture processor, by processing the picture information to be processed from a camera interface simultaneously under a multitask type operating system. CONSTITUTION:An operation, such that a picture from a camera #1 is stored on a picture memory 5 through a camera interface 3, and a picture processing only hardware 4, etc., separated from a processor 6 is performed in the WAIT state of a task #1. After completing the above work, the picture processing only hardware 4 sends an interruption signal representing the fact of the completion to the processor 6. By the interruption signal, a task #2 is set at a READY state again, and the execution of an application program 2 is interrupted, and the task #1 is set at a Running state again. The processor 6 executes an object recognizing macro instruction that is the next in struction to the input instruction of an application program 1. In such way, plural application programs can be executed simultaneously by one processor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a vision system that processes a plurality of image information and controls a robot or the like according to the processing results.

(Prior Art) In conventional vision systems, only one image process is performed in one vision system. In order to control the robot with the vision system shown in Figure 6,
Since multiple cameras and dedicated image processing devices are connected to each camera, it takes n to process n types of images.
This required multiple similar image processing devices.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) For this reason, the cost of conventional vision systems has increased, and the entire system has become large.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel vision system suitable for simultaneously processing image information from a plurality of cameras with one image processing device, and to reduce the cost and size of the vision system.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention includes a plurality of cameras, a camera interface that takes in image information captured by these cameras, and a multitasking operating system that processes the image information to be processed from the camera interface. The above-mentioned problems of the prior art are solved by a vision system characterized by comprising image processing stages 1 to 1 which perform simultaneous processing under the following conditions.

(Function) In the present invention, since image information from multiple cameras is processed simultaneously by one image processing device, the cost and size of the vision system can be reduced without wasting processing time. can be achieved.

(Example) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the vision system of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate means for simultaneously processing a plurality of image information under the control of a multitasking operating system. This is a diagram.

In FIG. 1, a vision system 1 includes a plurality of cameras #l to #n and an image processing device 2. As shown in FIG. The image processing device 2 includes a camera interface 3 connected to a plurality of cameras #l to #n, and is connected to the camera interface 3, and performs preprocessing of image information from the camera interface 3, for example, binarization processing. an image memory 5 connected to the image processing hardware 4 for storing image information to be processed from cameras #1 to #n, and a plurality of cameras #l to #n; a memory 7 storing a plurality of application programs each processing a plurality of images from n and a multitasking operating system; A processor 6 that processes image information from the image processing hardware 4 according to a stored application program, and a processor 6 that is connected to the processor 6 to monitor the operation of the processor 6 and to control the operation of the processor from the outside. The processing results from the keyboard display device 9 and the ProSensor 6 are sent to the target machine, such as Roponto II! j - output interface lO for output.

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of image information storage areas of the image memo 95. Each image information storage area is assigned an address corresponding to each camera #1 to #n.

FIG. 3 shows the application programs and task management blocks stored in the memory 7, and the application programs l to n are stored in the memory 7.
There are as many numbers as correspond to 1 to #n. The plurality of application programs l to n include, for example, input instructions for operating cameras #l to #n and storing captured image information in corresponding image information storage areas in the image memory 5; It consists of an object recognition macro command for calling up image information stored in the computer to recognize an object, and an output command for controlling the target machine (ropot) 11.

In a multitasking operating system, each of these application programs 1 to n is assigned a task #.
Tasks 1 to #n are allocated in advance.

The status of each task #l to #n is monitored by a task management block (TCB) as shown in FIG.

TCB 1 monitors the status of task #1, and TCB 2 monitors the status of task #2.

It is assumed that tasks #l to #n are prioritized.

FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram of a task, and the task states include the RE^口Y state, the Running state, and the WAIT state.
There is a condition. The REAoY state IKj is the state of waiting for allocation of processor allocation time, and the Running state is the R
When in the EA[)Y state, the processor allocation time is distributed and the application program is executed.When an input/output instruction or a macro instruction in the application program is executed, it transitions to the -AIT state and the priority is When a task with a higher priority becomes a READY state, the task with a higher priority becomes a Running state, and the task itself becomes a READY state. Further, the WAIT state is a state in which an event is being completed, for example, an input command is being completed, and while the input command is being executed, the processor 6 remains in an idle state until the image capturing process of the camera is completed. 〒, it is possible to put other tasks into the Running state and execute the application programs of the other tasks.

When the input command is completed in the WAIT state, the task transitions to the READY state.

FIG. 5 briefly explains the management status of the tasks described above. First, tasks #1 and #2 are both REA
Assume that it is in the DY state. Task #I is better than task #
If the priority is higher than 2, ■ Run task #1.
ning state. As a result, the processor 6 starts executing the application program l. ■During the execution of application program l, when an input command is encountered, ■task #1 is set to WAI↑ state and task #2 is set to R.
Put it in the unning state. When the task #l is in the WAIT state, work that is separate from the processor 6 is performed, such as storing the image from the camera #1 into the image memory 5 via the camera interface 3 and the image processing dedicated hardware 4. . When this work is completed, the image processing dedicated hardware 4 sends an interrupt signal to the processor 6 indicating that the work has been completed.
send to By this interrupt signal, ■ Put task a 2 into the REArlY state again, interrupt the execution of application program 2, and ■ Put task #1 into Running again.
state. The prosensor 6 executes an object recognition macro command that is the next command after the input command of the application program 1.

In this way, under the control of the multitasking operating system, tasks are assigned to each of the application programs l to n, and one task is placed in a WAIT state.
By executing other tasks when '+' is present, image processing can be performed as if multiple application programs were being executed simultaneously by one processor.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, a plurality of pieces of image information to be processed can be processed simultaneously under the control of a multitasking operating system, thereby eliminating processor idle time and speeding up processing. It is possible to provide a new low-level and compact vision system that is capable of high-performance processing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of system 1 of the vision system of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the image information storage area of the image memory, and Fig. 3 is task management of the multitasking operating system. Diagram for explaining, No. 4
5 is a diagram showing the state transition of a task, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of task management, and FIG. 6 is a system configuration diagram of a conventional vision system. 1... Vision system, 2... Image processing device, 3
...Camera interface, 4...Image processing only/
\-ware, 6...processor, 11...robot. Patent applicant Fanuc Co., Ltd. Representative Patent attorney Minoru Tsuji

Claims (1)

[Claims] The system includes a plurality of cameras, a camera interface that takes in image information captured by these cameras, and an image processing means that simultaneously processes the image information to be processed from the camera interface under a multitasking operating system. A vision system characterized by: