JPH0690087B2 - Color recognition device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a color recognition device that can be used for discoloration and foreign matter mixture automatic inspection process, shape confirmation and the like in the production of chemical production lines, inspection lines and the like.

(Technical background of the invention and its problems) Conventionally, in chemical manufacturing lines, inspection lines, etc., in order to control the quality of products, a method in which an operator visually inspects for discoloration and contamination of foreign substances is widely used. Has been. However, in the visual inspection method of human beings, there are individual differences and it is not possible to perform uniform color discrimination, and it is difficult to instantly detect and extract the presence or absence of fine foreign matter. Therefore, there is known a device for stimulating the image of an object with a monochrome image pickup device, performing image processing on the image signal, and performing image processing only based on the shade of the image, that is, the difference in lightness, and performing color distinction. In such a device, hue discrimination cannot be performed if there is no difference in brightness even if the colors of the objects are different.

For this reason, an optical filter corresponding to the color of the object is attached to the black-and-white image pickup device to obtain the difference in density and detect the color. However, when handling an object having multiple colors, the operation is troublesome and the optical filter must be adjusted each time.

There is also known a device for recognizing colors by using a color image pickup device, but in this method, the colors are separated into three primary colors of red, green, and blue, and the color recognition is performed by mutual calculation of each color component. It is different from human visual perception. In addition, it takes time and labor for each device to perform color correction, and three transmission lines for each color component are required, which complicates the device and increases the cost.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made under the above circumstances.
The purpose of this invention is to have an NT imaged by a color TV camera.
The brightness, saturation, and hue signal components are separated from the SC composite color video signal, and it is determined whether or not these signal components are within the preset range. All signal components are within the preset range. It is an object of the present invention to provide a color recognition device capable of automatically recognizing a color by obtaining a binary (black and white) signal of a specified specific color by outputting a binary signal under the entered condition.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention is an apparatus for performing color identification by extracting an image of a specified color from a composite color video signal of an NTSC system imaged by a color imaging device. A video signal separating means for separating a hue signal component, and a lightness signal comparing means for comparing the lightness, saturation and hue signals with preset upper and lower limit values and outputting a binary signal, Saturation signal comparison means and hue signal comparison means, and gate means for extracting the designated color recognition image by inputting the outputs of the lightness, saturation and hue signal comparison means, respectively, and counting the outputs of this gate means A color that includes an area determination circuit that measures the area of the color recognition image specified by and determines whether this area is within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the size of the preset object. recognition On location.

(Embodiment of the Invention) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the color recognition apparatus of the present invention. The color recognition apparatus is adapted to be used by being attached to a manufacturing line, an inspection line or the like. The color recognition device includes a lens 1 for focusing and imaging an inspection target object at a desired magnification, an NTSC color television camera 2 for outputting a composite color video signal ES of an image of the captured inspection target object, The composite color video signal ES is changed to the horizontal sync signal H.
A sync separation circuit 18 that separates and outputs the S and vertical sync signals VS is provided. Further, the trap circuit 3 for removing the component of the carrier color signal contained in the composite color video signal ES to separate the luminance signal Y, and the band pass for separating only the carrier color signal component S ₁ from the composite color video signal ES. Filter circuit 4
And the carrier color signal component S ₁ from the bandpass filter circuit 4
An amplitude detection circuit 5 for separating only the amplitude component S _{2 of the} signal, and a synchronous oscillating circuit 6 for oscillating a burst signal included in the composite color video signal ES in synchronization with the burst signal to reproduce a subcarrier S ₃ . A phase detection circuit 7 for detecting the signal S ₄ corresponding to the hue by detecting the phase difference of the carrier color signal component S ₁ from the bandpass filter circuit 4 with the subcarrier S ₃ as a reference is provided. .

In addition, the maximum value of the set voltage (MA
X) V ₁ and a setter 8 for inputting a minimum value (MIN) V _2, and a setter 9 for inputting a maximum value (MAX) V ₃ and a minimum value (MIN) V ₄ of the set voltage to the window comparator 13, The maximum value (MAX) V ₅ and the minimum value (M
IN) and a setting device 10 for inputting V ₆ are provided. Here, the window comparator 12 generates a binary signal component S ₅ from the luminance signal Y and the set voltages V ₁ and V ₂ ,
The window comparator 13 has an amplitude component S ₂ and a set voltage V ₃
, And a signal component S ₆ of binary saturation is generated from V ₄ and the window comparator 14 outputs the signal S ₄ corresponding to the hue and the set voltage.
A binary hue signal component S ₇ is generated from V ₅ and V ₆ . The AND circuit 15 includes a binary lightness signal component S ₅ and a binary saturation signal component S ₆ , 2 generated as described above.
The hue signal component S ₇ is input, and the luminance signal Y is V ₂ <Y
<V ₁ and the analog saturation signal S ₂ is V ₄ <S ₂
<V ₃ and the analog hue signal S ₄ is V ₆ <
When S ₄ <V ₅ , the control signal S ₈ is set to the high level via the AND circuit 15 of the gate means.

Further, when the horizontal synchronizing signal HS and the vertical synchronizing signal VS from the synchronizing separation circuit 18 are input to the color recognizing device, and the control signal S ₈ is input, these signals are synchronously synthesized and one frame of black and white image is obtained. A synchronous synthesizing circuit 16 for generating an output signal S ₉ is provided, and the monochrome image output signal S ₉ is image-processed by an image processing circuit (not shown) and designated by the setting devices 8 to 10 on the screen of the monochrome television monitor. An image of the color of the inspection object is displayed in black and white.

Further, in the color recognition device, in order to specify the size of the object to be inspected, the area determination circuit 17 is provided with the maximum value of the set voltage (MA
X) V ₇ and a setter 11 for inputting a minimum value (MIN) V ₈ , set voltages V ₇ and V ₈ and a vertical synchronizing signal VS are input, and an AND circuit is provided inside the area determination circuit 17. Control signal S ₈ from 15
When the input is input, the integration circuit that integrates this, the sample hold means that holds the output of this integration circuit by the vertical synchronizing signal VS, and the output of this sample hold means and the set voltages V ₇ and V ₈ are input And a window comparator that outputs a determination signal S ₁₀ for determining the size of the color-recognized image that has been generated, and inputs the determination signal S ₁₀ to a control circuit (not shown) to be displayed on the screen of a monochrome television monitor. The size of the object to be inspected is determined, and a warning alarm or the like is issued when a foreign substance of a predetermined size or more is mixed.

FIG. 2 shows the correlation among the three attributes of hue, saturation, and lightness in the color recognition device of the present invention. In the color recognition device of the present invention, the inspection target object imaged by the color television camera 2 is shown. All colors are represented by a combination of hue, saturation, and lightness, so that the colors can be identified by the method closest to human vision. In the figure, colors are arranged in the order of longer wavelength in the order of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple in a clockwise direction on a circle centered on white, and all the circles are arranged on this circle. The highest lightness color with different hue and saturation is represented. The arrow 20 indicates that the wavelength is long in the right direction (+) and the wavelength becomes shorter as the hue goes to the left direction (-), and the arrow 21 indicates that the saturation is high in the right direction (+) and left (-). ) Shows a low appearance. Also, the arrow 22 has a high brightness (+), which is high,
It shows that the brightness becomes gray when the brightness and the brightness are lowered (-), and becomes black when the brightness becomes 0. When the change in brightness is plotted on the vertical axis, a cone as shown in the drawing is formed with a disk representing lightness as the base and black as the apex, and all colors are included in this cone. So, for example, in color 30, all the brightest yellows with different saturation are lined up on the yellow and white lines, the brightest yellow 31, a slightly whitish yellow 32, and a yellowish white 33. The difference in brightness of these colors is located at any point on the triangle surrounded by white, black, and yellow. In this color recognition device, when designating these colors, the brightness is set by the set voltages V ₁ and V ₂ of the setter 8 and the saturation is set by the set voltages V ₃ and V ₃ of the setter 9.
The hue is set by V ₄ , and the hue is set by the set voltages V ₅ and V ₆ of the setter 10.

In addition, these color designations and window comparators 12-14
The comparison may be performed digitally.

Next, a method of using the color recognition device will be described. First, the user is allowed to take an image of the inspection target object conveyed to the production line, the inspection line, etc. by adjusting the lens 1 of the color television camera 2, and further, the color of the inspection target object to be inspected in advance is described above. In this way, setter 8-10
Specified by setting the set voltage V _{1 to} V ₆ of. When the object to be inspected is conveyed in the state where the color is designated in this way, the image of the object to be inspected is picked up by the color television camera 2, and the composite color video signal FS, the horizontal synchronizing signal HS, and the vertical The sync signal VS is separated, the composite color video signal ES is input to the trap circuit 3, and the luminance signal Y is separated. Further, the composite color video signal ES is separated as the carrier color signal component S ₁ by the bandpass filter circuit 4,
The amplitude detection circuit 5 separates the amplitude component S ₂ . Further, the composite color video signal ES is reproduced as a subcarrier S ₃ by the synchronous oscillation circuit 6, and the subcarrier S ₃ and the carrier color signal component S ₁ are detected by the phase detection circuit 7 as a signal S ₄ corresponding to the hue. . Here, the luminance signal Y, the amplitude component S ₂ , and the signal S ₄ corresponding to the hue are input to the window comparators 12 to 14, respectively. Here, since the designation of the color is set by the setters 8 to 10, the inspection target object of the same color as this color is imaged, and the luminance signal Y, the amplitude component S ₂ , and the signal S ₄ corresponding to the hue are displayed in the window. When input to the comparators 12-14,
The window comparators 12 to 14 respectively generate a binary lightness signal component S ₅ , a binary saturation signal component S ₆ , and a binary hue signal component S _{7, which} are input to an AND circuit 15 to be supplied to the respective circuits. When the setting range of the signal component S ₅ to S ₇ are matched, the control signal S ₈
Is input to the synchronous synthesis circuit 16. On the other hand, the synchronous synthesis circuit 16
As described above, the horizontal sync signal HS and the vertical sync signal
Since VS is input, these signals are combined and 2
A black and white video output signal S ₉ having a value is generated, processed by the image processing circuit, and an image of the specified color is displayed in black and white on the screen of the black and white television monitor.

Here, when the size (area) of the object to be inspected is specified and the size of the mixed foreign matter is inspected, the allowable size of the object to be inspected is set in advance in the setter 11 by setting the voltage V ₇ and V ₈ When the foreign matter having a size larger than the set area is conveyed, the determination signal S ₁₀ is generated and input to the control circuit to generate a warning alarm or the like.

In this way, the user can correctly inspect the product of the object to be inspected by the screen of the black and white television monitor and the alarm.

In addition, although the example which images a to-be-inspected object with a color television camera was mentioned above, it is also possible to use imaging devices, such as a CCD camera. Also, in the display on the display device,
A window may be set to limit and change the display area.

(Effect of the Invention) According to the color recognition device of the present invention, the lightness, saturation, and hue signal components of the NTSC composite color video signal of the object to be inspected captured by the color television camera By simply specifying the upper and lower limits in advance, the colors can be automatically discriminated, and the color of the object to be inspected can be recognized on the screen of the black and white television monitor, eliminating individual differences and erroneous recognition due to human vision. Since it is possible to perform color recognition under uniform conditions, and as the color recognition method, recognition is performed using a combination of lightness, saturation, and hue. The work of color correction with a camera etc. becomes unnecessary, and the work time is greatly reduced. Further, since the composite color video signal is used, it is possible to input to the device through only one transmission line, and the device becomes compact. In addition, the size (area) of the object to be inspected is easily discriminated, so that it is possible to easily inspect the foreign matter, so that the reliability of the product is significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a color recognition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a correlation among three attributes of hue, saturation, and brightness of the color recognition apparatus of the present invention. 1 ... Lens, 2 ... Color TV camera, 3 ... Trap circuit, 4 ... Bandpass filter circuit, 5 ... Amplitude detection circuit,
6 ... Synchronous oscillation circuit, 7 ... Phase detection circuit, 8-11 ... Setting device, 12-14 ... Window comparator, 15 ... AND circuit,
16 ... Synchronous synthesis circuit, 17 ... Area determination circuit, 18 ... Synchronous separation circuit, 20 ... Hue, 21 ... Saturation, 22 ... Brightness, 30-33 ... Yellow, ES
... composite color video signal, corresponding to the HS ... horizontal synchronizing signal, VS ... vertical synchronization signal, Y ... luminance signal, S ₁ ... carrier chrominance signal component, S ₂ ... amplitude components, S ₃ ... subcarriers, S ₄ ... hue Signal, S ₅ ... Lightness signal component, S ₆ ... Saturation signal component, S ₇ ... Hue signal component, S ₈ ... Control signal, S ₉ ... Monochrome video output signal, S ₁₀ ... Judgment signal.

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim: What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for extracting a specified color image from a composite color video signal of an NTSC system imaged by a color imaging device to perform color identification, and a signal of lightness, saturation and hue from the composite color video signal. Video signal separating means for separating the components, and lightness signal comparing means for comparing the lightness, saturation and hue signals with preset upper and lower limits and outputting a binary signal, and saturation signal comparison Means and a hue signal comparing means, a gate means for inputting the outputs of the lightness, saturation and hue signal comparing means to extract a designated color recognition image, and an output of the gate means is counted and designated. An area determination circuit for measuring the area of the color recognition image and determining whether or not the area is within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the size of the object set in advance. Color recognition apparatus. 2. The color recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the color image pickup device is a color television camera.