Imaging inspection apparatus for setting one or more image-capturing positions on a line that connects two taught positions, control device thereof, and method of controlling imaging inspection apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US9774827B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Imaging inspection apparatus for setting one or more image-capturing positions on a line that connects two taught positions, control device thereof, and method of controlling imaging inspection apparatus",
  "abstract": "An imaging inspection apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a predetermined position between a first position and a second position as a signal output position, the predetermined position being set by using a distance from a reference position that is based on at least one of the first position and the second position; an image-capturing command signal generator configured to determine, when causing a distal end portion of a robot to move from the first position to the second position, whether or not the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, and if it is determined that the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, the image-capturing command signal generator transmits, to the image-capturing device, an image-capturing command signal for capturing an image of the inspection object by using the image-capturing device.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A control device of an imaging inspection apparatus in which one of an image-capturing device and an inspection object is mounted on a distal end portion of a robot including a plurality of axes, the imaging inspection apparatus being configured to inspect the inspection object by capturing an image of the inspection object by using the image-capturing device, the control device comprising: a motion controller configured to give a motion command for each axis when causing the distal end portion of the robot to move from a first position to a second position, the first position and the second position being taught to the robot; a storage unit configured to store a predetermined position as a signal output position, the predetermined position being on a line that connects between the taught first position and the taught second position and being set by using a distance from a reference position, the reference position being the taught first position, the taught second position, or a middle point between the taught first position and the taught second position; and an image-capturing command signal generator configured to determine, while the distal end portion of the robot is being moved from the taught first position to the taught second position, whether or not the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, and if it is determined that the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, the image-capturing command signal generator transmits, to the image-capturing device, an image-capturing command signal for capturing an image of the inspection object by using the image-capturing device.",
    "2. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a first direction corrector configured to determine whether or not a difference in a direction of a line connecting the taught first position and the taught second position (hereinafter, a first direction) between an actual image-capturing position where the image-capturing device has captured an image based on the signal output position and a predetermined intended image-capturing position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, wherein if the difference in the first direction is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the first direction corrector corrects the signal output position by changing the distance from the reference position in accordance with the difference.",
    "3. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a second direction corrector configured to determine whether or not a difference in a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the taught first position and the taught second position (hereinafter, a second direction) between an actual image-capturing position where the image-capturing device has captured an image based on the signal output position and a predetermined intended image-capturing position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, wherein if the difference in the second direction is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the second direction corrector sets a third position on a straight line that connects a position corresponding to the first position (hereinafter, an actual first position) and the intended image-capturing position, the actual first position being a position where the distal end portion of the robot has actually been located, such that the third position is set at an opposite side to the actual first position with respect to the intended image-capturing position, and the second direction corrector sets a predetermined position between the actual first position and the third position as a new signal output position by using a distance from a reference position that is based on at least one of the actual first position and the third position, and the motion controller gives a motion command for each axis so as to cause the distal end portion of the robot to move from the taught first position to the taught second position through the third position.",
    "4. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the signal output positions are arranged between the taught first position and the taught second position.",
    "5. An imaging inspection apparatus comprising: a robot including a plurality of axes and configured such that one of an inspection object and an image-capturing device is mounted on a distal end portion of the robot, the robot being configured to move the distal end portion relative to the other one of the inspection object and the image-capturing device; an inspection device configured to inspect the inspection object based on an image captured by the image-capturing device; and a controller configured to control the robot and the image-capturing device, wherein the controller includes: a motion controller configured to give a motion command for each axis when causing the distal end portion of the robot to move from a first position to a second position, the first position and the second position being taught to the robot; a storage unit configured to store a predetermined position as a signal output position, the predetermined position being on a line that connects between the taught first position and the taught second position and being set by using a distance from a reference position, the reference position being the taught first position, the taught second position, or a middle point between the taught first position and the taught second position; and an image-capturing command signal generator configured to determine, while the distal end of the robot is being moved from the taught first position to the taught second position, whether or not the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, and if it is determined that the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, the image-capturing command signal generator transmits, to the image-capturing device, an image-capturing command signal for capturing an image of the inspection object by using the image-capturing device.",
    "6. A method of controlling an imaging inspection apparatus in which one of an image-capturing device and an inspection object is mounted on a distal end portion of a robot including a plurality of axes, the imaging inspection apparatus being configured to inspect the inspection object by capturing an image of the inspection object by using the image-capturing device, the method comprising: giving a motion command for each axis when causing the distal end portion of the robot to move from a first position to a second position, the first position and the second position being taught to the robot; setting a predetermined position as a signal output position, the predetermined position being on a line that connects between the taught first position and the taught second position and being set by using a distance from a reference position, the reference position being the taught first position, the taught second position, or a middle point between the taught first position and the taught second position; and determining, while the distal end of the robot is being moved from the taught first position to the taught second position, whether or not the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, and if it is determined that the distal end portion of the robot is located at the signal output position, transmitting, to the image-capturing device, an image-capturing command signal for capturing an image of the inspection object by using the image-capturing device.",
    "7. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a second direction corrector configured to determine whether or not a difference in a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the taught first position and the taught second position (hereinafter, a second direction) between an actual image-capturing position where the image-capturing device has captured an image based on the signal output position and a predetermined intended image-capturing position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, wherein if the difference in the second direction is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the second direction corrector sets a third position on a straight line that connects a position corresponding to the first position (hereinafter, an actual first position) and the intended image-capturing position, the actual first position being a position where the distal end portion of the robot has actually been located, such that the third position is set at an opposite side to the actual first position with respect to the intended image-capturing position, and the second direction corrector sets a predetermined position between the first actual position and the third position as a new signal output position by using a distance from a reference position that is based on at least one of the actual first position and the third position, and the motion controller gives a motion command for each axis so as to cause the distal end portion of the robot to move from the taught first position to the taught second position through the third position.",
    "8. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the signal output positions are arranged between the taught first position and the taught second position.",
    "9. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the signal output positions are arranged between the taught first position and the taught second position.",
    "10. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of the signal output positions are arranged between the taught first position and the taught second position.",
    "11. The control device of the imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal output position is set after the distal end portion of the robot has actually moved from the taught first position toward the taught second position.",
    "12. The imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the signal output position is set after the distal end portion of the robot has actually moved from the taught first position toward the taught second position.",
    "13. The method of controlling an imaging inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the signal output position is set after the distal end portion of the robot has actually moved from the taught first position toward the taught second position."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to an imaging inspection apparatus for performing a visual inspection or the like of an inspection object by using a multi-axis robot, and to a control device of the imaging inspection apparatus, and to a method of controlling the imaging inspection apparatus.\n\nIn imaging inspection apparatuses for performing a visual inspection or the like of an inspection object by using a multi-axis robot an image-capturing device is mounted on a distal end portion of the robot. Such an imaging inspection apparatus is configured to teach an image-ca pun position to the robot as a movement position for the distal end portion of the robot, thereby causing the robot to move to the predetermined movement position (the taught position), and then perform image capturing. However, in a case where the robot is caused to stop at every image-capturing position, which is a taught position, there is a problem in that the more the image-capturing positions, the more time it takes to perform the image-capturing process.\n\nPatent Literature 1, which is described below, proposes a configuration for solving the above problem. The configuration disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is based on known control such that, in a case where there are three taught positions taught to a robot, a motion command to move from a first taught position to a second taught position and a motion command to move from the second taught position to a third taught position are set to overlap each other, thereby suppressing a decrease in the speed of the motion of the robot and allowing the robot to move smoothly.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04N 7/18",
    "B25J 13/08",
    "B25J 19/04",
    "B25J 9/1689",
    "G05B 19/42",
    "G05B 2219/39008",
    "G05B 2219/39045",
    "G05B 2219/39057",
    "H04N 23/51",
    "H04N 5/2252",
    "Y10S 901/44",
    "Y10S 901/47"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04N 5/225",
    "H04N 7/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Kawasaki Jukogyo KK"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hideki Tanaka",
    "Hiroaki Kitatsuji",
    "Kazuhiko Kojima"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-02-08",
  "publication_date": "2017-09-26",
  "grant_date": "2017-09-26",
  "priority_date": "2012-02-14",
  "application_number": "US-201314377667-A",
  "family_id": "48983895",
  "cited_by_count": 11,
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}