JP6879743B2 - Image inspection equipment and image inspection method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image inspection device and an image inspection method.

Conventionally, there has been known an image inspection apparatus that inspects the surface of an inspection object by using an image of the inspection object obtained by an imaging unit (digital camera or the like).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-241424 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-288568

However, in the prior art, when it becomes necessary to change the program in the image inspection device (including addition, deletion, rearrangement, etc. of processing), a large-scale work such as replacing the entire program is required, which is troublesome. Was there.

Therefore, one of the problems of the present invention is to provide an image inspection device and an image inspection method capable of easily changing a program.

The image inspection device of the embodiment is an image inspection device that inspects the surface of the inspection object using an image of the inspection object obtained by the imaging unit, and stores parameters for the inspection. A unit and a control unit are provided. The control unit acquires an image of the inspection object from the image pickup unit by executing a device control program that controls an external device including the image pickup unit, and image processing on the acquired image. An image processing module that creates a processed image that is an image after image processing by executing a program, and a determination program for the processed image to determine whether the inspection object is good or bad. It includes a determination module for acquiring a result, and a display control module for controlling the display of at least one of the processed image and the determination result by executing a display control program. Each module has its own executable file, and each module cooperates by sending and receiving messages.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of an inspection system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of the image inspection device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of a control unit and a storage unit of the image inspection device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a parameter setting screen according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen by the flow editing module of the control unit of the image inspection device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a processing flow of each module in the control unit of the image inspection apparatus according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed. The configuration of the embodiment shown below, and the actions and results (effects) brought about by the configuration are merely examples. The present invention can be realized by a configuration other than the configurations disclosed in the following embodiments, and various effects (including derivative effects) obtained by the basic configuration can be obtained.

First, an example of the inspection system according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the inspection system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of the image inspection device 4 according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, FIGS. 1 and 2 will be referred to as appropriate for description.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection system 1 inspects the surface of the inspection object 100 by using an image obtained by capturing the image of the inspection object 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inspection system 1 includes a light source 2, an imaging unit 3, an image inspection device 4, a display device 5 (display unit), and an input device 6. Further, an external PC 7 and a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) 8 are connected to the image inspection device 4. The external PC 7 is, for example, a computer device installed in the user's office. The PLC 8 is a control device to be controlled by the image inspection device 4.

The light source 2 irradiates the inspection object 100 with light from above. The light source 2 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

The imaging unit 3 images the inspection object 100 from above. The imaging unit 3 captures the light emitted from the light source 2 and reflected on the surface of the inspection object 100. The image pickup unit 3 is, for example, a digital camera (digital still camera), and acquires a digital image, that is, a brightness value (data) for each two-dimensional pixel. The image pickup unit 3 has, for example, an image pickup element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor.

The image inspection device 4 includes a control unit 40 (for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like), a storage unit 41, a light irradiation controller 42, an image pickup controller 43, a display controller 44, an input controller 45, a communication unit 46, and the like. The storage unit 41 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 411, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 412, and an auxiliary storage device 413. The ROM 411 stores programs and data that do not need to be rewritten. The RAM 412 temporarily stores various data used when the control unit 40 executes a program to execute various arithmetic processes. The auxiliary storage device 413 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like.

Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of the control unit 40 and the storage unit 41 of the image inspection device 4 according to the embodiment. The storage unit 41 is an executable file for a flow editing module, an executable file for a flow execution module, an executable file for a display control module, an executable file for a core module, an executable file for a device control module, an executable file for an image processing module, and an executable file for a judgment module. Stores files, parameters, captured images, processed images, judgment results, DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files stored in the shared library, and the like. In the following, each executable file may be simply referred to as an "executable file".

The parameters are various setting values related to inspection. The captured image is an image captured by the imaging unit 3. The DLL file stored in the shared library (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “DLL file”) is data that defines a program for inspection that is commonly used in modules 401 to 407 described later.

The flow editing module 401 is realized by the CPU expanding the execution file for the flow editing module of the storage unit 41 and the DLL file related thereto to the RAM 412. The flow editing module 401 displays an item, which is an icon on the screen corresponding to the program for inspection defined by the DLL file, on the display device 5 according to the instruction from the core module 404, and the user's operation. Therefore, a screen for creating an inspection flow by adding, deleting, and rearranging each item and a parameter setting screen for setting parameters of each item are displayed by GUI (Graphical User Interface). Further, the flow editing module 401 edits the inspection flow and returns the editing result to the core module 404. The core module 404 stores, for example, the result of editing including the parameters received from the flow editing module 401 in the storage unit 41.

Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the parameter setting screen according to the embodiment. On the parameter setting screen of FIG. 4, the user can easily set the comparison range and the brightness difference for inspection using the captured image. In the area A1, the pull-down menu allows selection of all directions, vertical directions, horizontal directions, and the like. For the area A2, the comparison range can be selected by the slider SL1. For the area A3, the brightness difference can be selected by the slider SL2. In the area A4, dark, bright, etc. can be selected from the pull-down menu. In the example of FIG. 4, the setting is "select a region that is one or more darker than one pixel around in all directions."

On the conventional parameter setting screen, there are many technical terms such as "segment size", and it is difficult for non-experts to grasp the relative magnitude of the numerical value on the numerical value input screen. On the other hand, according to the parameter setting screen provided by the flow editing module 401 of the present embodiment, there are no technical terms and it is easy to grasp the relative magnitude of the numerical value by the slider, so that it is easy for non-experts to understand. It works.

Here, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen by the flow editing module 401 of the control unit 40 of the image inspection device 4 according to the embodiment. In the display screen of FIG. 5, the area D4 is an area in which the item is displayed.

The area D1 is an area in which the user creates an inspection flow by operating the input device 6. The user can easily drag the items in the area D4 and drop them in the area D1 so that the items are arranged in the execution order of the inspection flow by the operation by the input device 6, so that the inspection flow can be easily performed without any specialized knowledge such as programming. Can be created. Although not represented in the area D1 of FIG. 5, a branch may be inserted in the inspection flow. In that case, an item dedicated to branching is prepared and displayed in the area D4.

The area D2 is an area in which the user sets parameters by operating the input device 6. In the example of FIG. 5, the parameter "captured image" of the item "○○○" is selected from the pull-down menu, "40" is set as the lower limit of the brightness value of the inspection range, and "255" is set as the upper limit thereof. It is set. The parameter setting screen in the area D2 may be a screen using a slider as shown in FIG.

The area D3 is an area for displaying an image. The image displayed in the area D3 may be a captured image or a processed image (an image after image processing is performed on the captured image). For example, among the inspection flows created in the area D1, an image assuming that the processing has progressed to the item selected in the area D2 can be displayed in the area D3. Then, the user can see the image in the area D3 assuming that the processing has progressed to the selected item in the inspection flow, so that the parameters can be easily adjusted and debugged.

Returning to FIG. 3, the flow execution module 402 is realized by the CPU expanding the execution file for the flow execution module of the storage unit 41 and the DLL file related thereto in the RAM 412. The flow execution module 402 performs the execution processing of the inspection flow edited by the flow editing module 401 according to the instruction from the core module 404, and returns the processing result to the core module 404.

The display control module 403 is realized by the CPU expanding the display control module execution file of the storage unit 41 and the DLL file related thereto to the RAM 412. The display control module 403 controls the display device 5 to display at least one of the processed image and the determination result by the determination module 407 by executing the display control program in response to the instruction from the core module 404.

The core module 404 is realized by the CPU expanding the execution file for the core module of the storage unit 41 and the DLL file related thereto in the RAM 412. The core module 404 plays an overall role such as issuing an operation instruction to other modules 401 to 403 and 405 to 407, receiving a result from the other module, and storing the result in the storage unit 41.

The device control module 405 is realized by the CPU expanding the execution file for the device control module of the storage unit 41 and the DLL file related thereto in the RAM 412. The device control module 405 controls the light source 2 or controls the image pickup unit by executing a device control program for controlling the external devices (light source 2, the image pickup section 3) including the image pickup section 3 according to the instruction from the core module 404. The image of the inspection object 100 is acquired from 3 and the result is returned to the core module 404. The core module 404 receives, for example, an captured image from the device control module 405 and stores it in the storage unit 41.

The device control module 405 may be provided separately for controlling the light source 2 and controlling the imaging unit 3. Further, when there are a plurality of light sources 2, the device control module 405 may be provided for each light source 2. Further, when there are a plurality of image pickup units 3, the device control module 405 may be provided for each image pickup unit 3. For example, even when the light source 2 or the imaging unit 3 is replaced with a new one or added, it can be easily dealt with by creating and adding a DLL file for that purpose.

The image processing module 406 is realized by the CPU expanding the execution file for the image processing module of the storage unit 41 and the DLL file related thereto in the RAM 412. The image processing module 406 creates a post-processing image, which is an image after image processing, by executing an image processing program on the image acquired by the device control module 405 in response to an instruction from the core module 404, and the result ( The processed image, etc.) is returned to the core module 404. The core module 404 stores, for example, the processed image received from the image processing module 406 in the storage unit 41.

The image processing module 406 may be provided separately when there are a plurality of types of inspection objects 100. For example, even if a product with a new material or processing method becomes the inspection target 100, it can be easily dealt with by creating and adding a DLL file for that purpose.

The determination module 407 is realized by the CPU expanding the execution file for the determination module of the storage unit 41 and the DLL file related thereto in the RAM 412. The determination module 407 determines whether the inspection object 100 is good or bad by executing a determination program on the processed image created by the image processing module 406 according to the instruction from the core module 404, and acquires the determination result. The result (judgment result, etc.) is returned to the core module 404. The core module 404 stores, for example, the determination result received from the determination module 407 in the storage unit 41. When the determination module 407 determines the quality of the inspection object 100, for example, the brightness of the processed image and the reference image may be compared.

The determination module 407 may be provided separately when there are a plurality of types of inspection objects 100. For example, even if a product with a new material or processing method becomes the inspection target 100, it can be easily dealt with by creating and adding a DLL file for that purpose.

Note that, for example, by a parallel processing method using message passing based on CSP (Communicating Sequential Processes), each module can perform cooperative operation by sending and receiving a message including an output value as appropriate.

In addition, by using WCF (Windows (registered trademark) Communication Foundation), the image inspection device 4 can change (add, delete) DLL files via a network such as the Internet by remote control from an external PC 7 (external device). Including.) Is possible. When the image inspection device 4 is remotely operated from the external PC 7 (external device) to change the inspection process, the core module 404 is not directly accessed from the external PC 7 from the viewpoint of operational stability and safety. It is preferable to store the DLL file required from the external PC 7 in the shared library of the storage unit 41 of the image inspection device 4 so that the image inspection device 4 uses the DLL file.

In the conventional image inspection device, all the processes (programs) are included in one executable file, so if you try to change (add, delete, etc.) the process, the entire program that reflects the changed process is recompiled and replaced. It was necessary and time-consuming. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, an individual executable file is provided for each module, and for example, if there is additional processing, it is sufficient to create a DLL file and put it in the shared library of the storage unit 41. , The effort is very small.

Further, in the conventional image inspection apparatus, since a plurality of threads in one execution file access the shared memory, the processing may take a long time. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since each module performs a cooperative operation by transmitting and receiving a message including an output value as appropriate, it is possible to avoid taking a long time for processing as in the conventional case.

Next, the light irradiation controller 42 (FIG. 2) controls the light emission (on, off) of the light source 2 and the like based on the control signal from the device control module 405 (FIG. 3) of the control unit 40. The image pickup controller 43 (FIG. 2) controls the image pickup by the image pickup unit 3 based on the control signal from the device control module 405 (FIG. 3) of the control unit 40.

The display controller 44 (FIG. 2) controls a display device 5 (for example, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OELD (Organic Electro-Luminescent Display), etc.) based on a control signal from the display control module 403 of the control unit 40. To do. The input controller 45 (FIG. 2) sends data corresponding to an input operation by the input device 6 (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, an operation button, a touch panel, etc.) to the control unit 40. The communication unit 46 is a communication interface for communicating with the external PC 7 and the PLC 8.

Next, the processing flow of each module in the control unit 40 of the image inspection device 4 will be described. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a processing flow of each module in the control unit 40 of the image inspection device 4 according to the embodiment.

First, when the user performs a predetermined operation related to the inspection using the input device 6, the core module 404 sends an instruction to the flow editing module 401 (step S1). In response to this, the flow editing module 401 edits the inspection flow (step S2). Specifically, the flow editing module 401 displays an item on the display device 5 (area D4 in FIG. 5), and adds, deletes, and rearranges each item according to the user's operation to perform an inspection flow. (Area D1 in FIG. 5) and a parameter setting screen (Area D2 in FIG. 5, FIG. 4) for setting parameters of each item are displayed by GUI. Further, the flow editing module 401 edits the inspection flow according to the user's operation using those screens, and returns the editing result (including the parameter set by the user) to the core module 404 (step S3). The core module 404 stores the received editing result (including parameters) in the storage unit 41.

Next, the core module 404 sends an instruction to the flow execution module 402 (step S4). In response to this, the flow execution module 402 performs an execution process of the inspection flow edited by the flow edit module 401 (step S5), and returns the result of the process to the core module 404 (step S6).

Next, the core module 404 sends an instruction to the device control module 405 (step S7). In response to this, the device control module 405 controls the light source 2 and acquires an image of the inspection object 100 from the imaging unit 3 (step S8), and outputs the result (image captured image or the like) to the core module 404. Return (step S9). The core module 404 stores the received captured image in the storage unit 41.

Next, the core module 404 sends an instruction to the image processing module 406 (step S10). In response to this, the image processing module 406 creates a processed image by executing an image processing program on the captured image (step S11), and returns the result (processed image or the like) to the core module 404 (). Step S12). The core module 404 stores the received processed image in the storage unit 41.

Next, the core module 404 sends an instruction to the determination module 407 (step S13). In response to this, the determination module 407 determines the quality of the inspection object 100 by executing the determination program on the processed image (step S14), acquires the determination result, and obtains the result (determination result, etc.). ) Is returned to the core module 404 (step S15). The core module 404 stores the received determination result in the storage unit 41.

Next, the core module 404 sends an instruction to the display control module 403 (step S16). In response to this, the display control module 403 controls the display device 5 to display at least one of the processed image and the determination result by executing the display control program (step S17). For example, when the display control module 403 controls the display device 5 to display the processed image, the processed image is displayed in the area D3 as shown in FIG. In this case, when the user performs an operation of designating an item in the inspection flow in the area D1 or D2 of FIG. 5, the processed image when the inspection flow is executed up to that item is displayed in the area D3. May be good. Further, if the parameter is changed, it may be reflected in the processed image displayed in the area D3. Then, the user can see the processed image and judge the appropriateness of the inspection flow and the parameters, which is convenient.

In this way, according to the image inspection device 4 of the present embodiment, the program can be easily changed by having the control unit 40 having each module. For example, when it is desired to change the process (including addition and deletion), the DLL file may be changed in the shared library of the storage unit 41. Therefore, it is not necessary to recompile and replace the entire program that reflects the changed processing as in the past, and the extensibility is high, the development man-hours can be significantly reduced, and the labor is extremely small. As a result, for example, antivirus software can be easily introduced.

Moreover, not only when changing the program (software), but also when changing (replacement, addition, etc.) the hardware such as the light source 2 and the image pickup unit 3, it is easy to create and add a DLL file for that purpose. Can be handled. That is, by adding the DLL file, specially designed hardware (light source 2, image pickup unit 3, etc.) can be easily added.

Further, the control unit 40 has an individual execution file for each module, and each module performs a cooperative operation by transmitting and receiving a message, so that the processing time can be shortened as compared with the conventional case.

Further, the flow editing module 401 creates an inspection flow by adding, deleting, and rearranging a screen for displaying items (area D4 in FIG. 5) and each item according to a user's operation on the display device 5. The screen for this purpose (area D1 in FIG. 5) and the parameter setting screen for setting the parameters of each item (area D2 in FIG. 5 and FIG. 4) can be displayed by the GUI. Therefore, the user can easily create the inspection flow and set the parameters by using those screens.

In addition, the user can change the DLL file in the image inspection device 4 via a network such as the Internet by remote control from the external PC 7. Therefore, for example, it is convenient because the technician can respond by remote control without going to the site.

Further, since the inspection flow can be created by the drag and drop operation (FIG. 5), the user can easily create the inspection flow without any specialized knowledge such as programming.

(Modification example)
Next, a modified example of the image inspection device 4 will be described. Here, for example, a technician in a place different from the inspection system 1 uses an external PC 7 (external device; FIG. 2) to simulate an image inspection in the same environment (data, program) as the image inspection device 4. Shall be performed. Then, the technician creates a DLL file that defines a program for inspection using an external PC 7 as needed. After that, the technician transmits the newly created DLL file from the external PC 7 to the image inspection device 4 via a network such as the Internet.

Then, the image inspection device 4 receives the DLL file and stores it in the shared library of the storage unit 41. As a result, when the image inspection device 4 is started next time, any of the plurality of modules includes the function of the DLL file by expanding the new DLL file together with the individual executable file into the RAM 412 by the CPU. It is realized by.

In this way, according to the image inspection device 4 of the modified example, it is convenient because the technician can respond by remote control without going to the site. The inspection target used in the simulation of the image inspection performed by the external PC 7 may be an object or data prepared on the side of the external PC 7, or the image inspection device 4 received from the image inspection device 4 at the site. It may be the data of the inspection target object which is the target in.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

For example, the inspection system 1 may be applied to an internal inspection instead of a visual inspection. Further, when changing an individual execution file in the image inspection device 4, for example, a new execution file may be created and replaced with the previous execution file.

1 ... Inspection system, 2 ... Light source, 3 ... Imaging unit, 4 ... Image inspection device, 5 ... Display device, 6 ... Input device, 7 ... External PC, 8 ... PLC, 40 ... Control unit, 41 ... Storage unit, 42 ... light irradiation controller, 43 ... imaging controller, 44 ... display controller, 45 ... input controller, 46 ... communication unit, 401 ... flow editing module, 402 ... flow execution module, 403 ... display control module, 404 ... core module, 405 ... Device controller module, 406 ... image processing module, 407 ... judgment module, 411 ... ROM, 412 ... RAM, 413 ... auxiliary storage device.

Claims (5)

An image inspection device that inspects the surface of the inspection object using the image of the inspection object obtained by the imaging unit.
The image inspection device includes a storage unit for storing parameters for the inspection and a control unit.
The control unit
A device control module that acquires an image of the inspection object from the imaging unit by executing a device control program that controls an external device including the imaging unit.
An image processing module that creates an image after processing, which is an image after image processing, by executing an image processing program on the acquired image.
A judgment module that judges the quality of the inspection target by executing the judgment program on the processed image and acquires the judgment result.
A display control module that controls the display of at least one of the processed image and the determination result by executing the display control program.
Equipped with a,
Each module has its own executable file
Each module is an image inspection device that cooperates by sending and receiving messages. Separate execution file in each module is executable the stored in the storage unit DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files, image inspection apparatus according to claim 1. The control unit further
A screen for displaying items that are icons on the screen corresponding to the program for inspection defined by the DLL file on the display unit, and addition, deletion, and rearrangement of each item according to the user's operation. The image inspection apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a flow editing module for displaying a screen for creating an inspection flow and a parameter setting screen for setting parameters of each item by a GUI (Graphical User Interface). .. The image inspection device according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the DLL file can be changed by remote control from an external device. An image inspection method for inspecting the surface of the inspection object using an image of the inspection object obtained by the imaging unit.
A processing step by the device control module that acquires an image of the inspection object from the imaging unit by executing a device control program that controls an external device including the imaging unit.
A processing step by an image processing module that creates a processed image that is an image after image processing by executing an image processing program on the acquired image, and
A processing step by a determination module that determines the quality of the inspection object by executing a determination program on the processed image and acquires the determination result.
A processing step by the display control module that controls the display of at least one of the processed image and the determination result by executing the display control program.
Only including,
Each processing step by the plurality of modules is executed in the image inspection apparatus.
A transmission step in which an external device sends a DLL file that defines a program for inspection, created based on a simulation of image inspection.
The image inspection device further includes a receiving step of receiving the DLL file.
An image inspection method in which any one of a plurality of modules in the image inspection apparatus is realized including a function by the DLL file by expanding the DLL file together with an individual execution file into a RAM by a CPU .

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