JPH037982B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a self-diagnosis method for an image processing device, and particularly a self-diagnosis method that can easily diagnose abnormalities in each frame memory of a device that performs various image processing using a plurality of frame memories. It is related to.

2. Description of the Related Art Frame memories capable of two-dimensionally storing image information captured by a television camera or the like as digital signals are well known and are used for various image processing. This type of image processing device can be used as an inspection device in various manufacturing processes.For example, it is used to detect the presence or absence of a workpiece in a continuous manufacturing process, and it is also used for inspection to compare the external shape of a mold or other object with a standard shape. It is also used as a device. Furthermore, in the vehicle assembly process, this device is also put into practical use to measure the optical axis of headlights.The headlights of the inspection vehicle are irradiated onto a monitor screen, this is imaged by a monitor television camera, and the beam pattern at this time is measured. The optical axis deviation is inspected based on the area, perimeter, center of gravity, etc. by comparing the image with a reference image, and this optical axis measurement can be performed without visual inspection by the inspector, and the inspection process can be automated. has advantages.

However, in such an image processing apparatus, there are cases where the frame memory cannot perform the desired operation due to an electrical shot, etc., and there has been a desire for an apparatus that can accurately diagnose such an abnormality. In particular, in the optical axis measurement of vehicles mentioned above, a large number of vehicles are measured in the final inspection, so if an abnormality occurs in the frame memory, a vehicle with an optical axis misalignment will be shipped, which will cause an extremely serious problem. There has been a demand for easy self-diagnosis of devices.

Conventionally, in image processing devices used for optical axis measurement, in order to diagnose the device, a vehicle whose optical axis has been correctly adjusted for diagnosis is inspected, and if the inspection results are normal, the frame memory is also diagnosed to be normal. Although dummy testing was considered, in reality, such diagnosis using an actual vehicle is almost impossible when continuous testing processes are performed.

In addition, as another conventional diagnostic method, it has been proposed to connect a separate image processing device for diagnosis to the image processing device to perform a diagnostic operation. For example, it had to be separated from optical axis measurement, making it impractical.

The present invention was made in view of the conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide an improved self-diagnosis method that can reliably perform self-diagnosis of an image processing device with a simple structure and without adding any special diagnostic mechanism. Our goal is to provide the following.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus that stores image information in each of a plurality of frame memories and performs predetermined image processing by comparing the image information with a reference image. A reference pattern for self-diagnosis is written in the frame memory of the frame memory, the reference pattern is transferred to another frame memory, the reference pattern is read again from the transferred frame memory, and the input reference pattern is read out according to the normal processing program. It is characterized in that it performs a comparative analysis, performs image processing on the image processing device, and performs self-diagnosis of the device.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example device in which the image processing device used in the present invention is used for measuring the optical axis of a vehicle headlamp, and includes three frame memories 10, 12,
14 are used, and each frame memory 10, 12,
14 stores the beam images of the right and left headlights, respectively, and the frame memory 14 stores the installation position of the inspection vehicle. Each frame memory 1
Three television cameras 16, 18, and 20 are provided to supply predetermined image information to cameras 0, 12, and 14, and each of the television cameras 16 and 18 uses a beam for a monitor screen emitted from the headlight of the inspection vehicle. The pattern is imaged, and the television camera 20 images the installation state of the inspection vehicle. Since the image information of each television camera 16, 18, 20 is an analog signal, this is transmitted to the AD converter 22, 24,
26 converts it into a digital signal and supplies it to the changeover switch section 28.

The changeover switch section 28 supplies the image information of the supplied digital signal to the corresponding frame memories 10, 12, and 14 according to a command from the processing device 30, and converts the predetermined beam image and vehicle image into digital data. Store as a value.

The image information stored in each of the frame memories 10, 12, and 14 is supplied to the processing device 30 and compared with a predetermined reference image, and corrections are made according to the installation condition of the vehicle at this time to compare it with the reference image. If the comparison value is within a predetermined tolerance range, it is determined that the optical axis of the inspected vehicle is correctly set, and if it is outside the tolerance range, adjustment is performed. Normally, comparison with a reference image is performed using the area, perimeter, and center of gravity of the beam image as parameters, allowing instantaneous optical axis inspection.

The present invention is characterized in that self-diagnosis is performed using the basic processing program of the image processing device described above, and for this purpose, when the processing device 30 selects the self-diagnosis mode, the processing device 30
The reference pattern information 100 is stored in any one frame memory arbitrarily selected from
is supplied and stored in either selected frame memory 10, 12.

In this embodiment, the reference pattern information 1
00 is preferably the reference image used in the normal optical axis measurement described above, and this reference image is shown as a beam shape in FIG. 2, and such reference pattern information 100 is supplied as a digital signal. be done.

Next, the reference pattern stored in the frame memories 10 and 12 described above is sequentially transferred to one of the other frame memories 12 and 14, and normal processing operations are performed. In order to transfer the reference pattern, the changeover switch section 28 is useful in this embodiment, and when a predetermined switching action is selected by a command from the processing device 30, the reference pattern is stored in the frame memory 10, for example. The reference patterns included in the frame memories 12 and 14 are sequentially and correctly transferred to the other frame memories 12 and 14.

Then, the transferred frame memory, for example, 12 reference patterns, is stored in the frame memory 10 again by the processing device 30 in the same way as normal processing, in this embodiment, by program processing similar to normal optical axis measurement. A comparison is made with the written reference pattern, and if this is within a predetermined tolerance range, the frame memories 10 to 12 are reached and the system is determined to be normal, and if this comparison value is outside the tolerance value, the system is determined to be normal. It is determined that there is some kind of abnormality. The allowable reference values in the embodiments are set more strictly than in normal optical axis measurements, thereby making it possible to accurately test for abnormalities in the apparatus.

FIG. 3 shows the self-diagnosis function of FIG. 1. This self-diagnosis may be performed each time prior to the optical axis inspection of each inspected vehicle, or may be conducted at appropriate intervals such as once a day. When the processing device 30 selects the self-diagnosis mode, first, in the embodiment, the reference pattern information 100 is written from the processing device 30 to the frame memory 10 (No. 1), and the optical axis inspection as shown in FIG. 2 is performed. The reference pattern used is stored.

Next, this pattern is transferred from the frame memory 10 to the frame memory 12 via the changeover switch 28.
Transferred to (No. 2).

The processing device 30 then performs data analysis of the frame memory 12, that is, processing according to a predetermined image processing program, and in the embodiment, a process of comparing the image stored in the frame memory 12 with a predetermined reference image.

When the system from the frame memories 10 to 12 is normal, the image stored in the frame memory 12 is the same as the reference image in the processing device 30, so the two match almost completely, and as a result, , a determination of "OK" is made. It is preferable that the permissible judgment range at this time be set more strictly than during normal optical axis inspection.

On the other hand, when the judgment is "NG", it means that the pattern stored in the frame memory 12 is different from the reference image in the processing device 30, and this means that the system from the frame memories 10 to 12 processes the information. This indicates that distortion has occurred, indicating that something is wrong with this system.

When the self-diagnosis of the system from frame memories 10 to 12 is completed as described above, the changeover switch unit 28 transfers the reference pattern information 100 of the frame memory 10 to the next frame memory 14 (No. 3), and similarly Make a judgment.

If the above two repeated self-diagnosis results are all OK, the frame memory group is judged to be normal and the self-diagnosis ends. However, if an abnormality is found at any stage, each At the stage shown in Figure 3, the abnormality of each frame memory is determined,
Furthermore, if the above two repeated self-diagnoses always show an abnormality, the processing device 30 further stores the reference pattern information 100 in the frame memory 12 (No. 2).
This is further transferred to the frame memory 14 by the changeover switch 28, and the same self-diagnosis as described above is performed to clarify the location where the abnormality has occurred.

As described above, according to the present invention, the self-diagnosis of the device can be performed in a very short period of time, and without connecting any accessory device, by directly using the image processing program provided in the processing device 30. It is also possible to determine the location of an abnormality through multiple self-diagnosis.

As explained above, according to the present invention, abnormalities in the image processing device can be automatically self-diagnosed, and the self-diagnosis time can also be extremely shortened. If used in an optical axis measuring device or the like, it can provide various advantages such as significantly improving the reliability of inspection.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a vehicle optical axis measuring device to which the self-diagnosis method according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing reference pattern information used in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of FIG. 1; 10, 12, 14...Frame memory, 16,
18, 20... Television camera, 28... Changeover switch section, 30... Processing device, 100... Reference pattern information.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an image processing device that stores image information in each of a plurality of frame memories and performs predetermined image processing by comparing the image information with a reference image, a reference pattern for self-diagnosis is written in any one frame memory. , transfer the reference pattern to another frame memory, read out the reference pattern from the transferred frame memory again, compare and analyze it with the input reference pattern according to a normal processing program, and perform image processing by the image processing device. 1. A self-diagnosis method for an image processing device, characterized in that the image processing device performs a self-diagnosis of the device.