Real time automated inspection

Patent · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:865463

Fant, Karl M ^[1]; Fundakowski, Richard A ^[2]; Levitt, Tod S ^[1]; Overland, John E ^[3]; Suresh, Bindinganavle R ^[4]; Ulrich, Franz W ^[1]

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1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Saint Paul, MN
3. Plymouth, MN
4. New Brighton, MN

A method and apparatus relating to the real time automatic detection and classification of characteristic type surface imperfections occurring on the surfaces of material of interest such as moving hot metal slabs produced by a continuous steel caster. A data camera transversely scans continuous lines of such a surface to sense light intensities of scanned pixels and generates corresponding voltage values. The voltage values are converted to corresponding digital values to form a digital image of the surface which is subsequently processed to form an edge-enhanced image having scan lines characterized by intervals corresponding to the edges of the image. The edge-enhanced image is thresholded to segment out the edges and objects formed by the edges are segmented out by interval matching and bin tracking. Features of the objects are derived and such features are utilized to classify the objects into characteristic type surface imperfections.

• Research Organization: Honeywell Inc. (Minneapolis, MN)
• DOE Contract Number: FC07-79CS40242
• Assignee: Honeywell Inc. (Minneapolis, MN)
• Patent Number(s): US 4519041
• OSTI ID: 865463
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/382/700/
apparatus
automated
automated inspection
automatic
automatic detection
bin
camera
caster
characteristic
characterized
classification
classify
continuous
converted
corresponding
data
derived
detection
digital
digital image
digital value
digital values
edge-enhanced
edges
features
form
formed
generates
hot
hot metal
image
imperfections
inspection
intensities
interval
intervals
light
light intensities
lines
matching
material
metal
method
moving
moving hot
occurring
pixels
processed
produced
relating
scan
scan line
scanned
scans
segment
segmented
sense
slabs
steel
subsequently
surface
surface imperfection
surface imperfections
surfaces
thresholded
time
time automated
tracking
transversely
type
utilized
values
voltage
voltage value