Claims
- 1. A machine vision system, comprising:
a first processor; and a lighting system capable of producing and modulating light;
wherein the first processor communicates lighting command signals to the lighting system.
- 2. The machine vision system of claim 1, wherein the lighting system further comprises an LED lighting system.
- 3. The machine vision system of claim 1, wherein the lighting system modulates light by changing at least one of a hue, saturation and intensity of the light.
- 4. The machine vision system of claim 2, wherein the LED lighting system further comprises:
at least one first LED; and at least one second LED, wherein the at least one second LED produces a different color light than the at least one first LED.
- 5. The machine vision system of claim 2, wherein the LED lighting system further comprises:
a second processor that controls the light output from the LED lighting system in accordance with the lighting command signals received from the first processor.
- 6. The machine vision system of claim 5, wherein the second processor independently controls the output from at least one first LED and at least one second LED, and wherein the at least one second LED produces a different color than the at least one first LED.
- 7. The machine vision system of claim 1, wherein communication between the first processor and the lighting system is accomplished through at least one of wireless and wired transmission.
- 8. The machine vision system of claim 4, wherein the first processor communicates lighting command signals to at least one of the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED.
- 9. The machine vision system of claim 8, wherein the lighting command signals are at least one of pulse width modulated, pulse amplitude modulated, and pulse displacement modulated.
- 10. The machine vision system of claim 8, wherein the lighting command signals are at least one of analog voltage control signals, analog current control signals, and analog power control signals.
- 11. The machine vision system of claim 5, wherein the LED lighting system further comprises:
at least one first LED; at least one second LED;
wherein the at least one second LED produces a different color light than the at least one first LED; and wherein the second processor independently controls the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED.
- 12. The machine vision system of claim 11, wherein the second processor controls the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED with signals that are at least one of pulse width modulated, pulse amplitude modulated, and pulse displacement modulated.
- 13. The machine vision system of claim 11, wherein the second processor controls at least one of the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED with signals that are analog voltage control signals, analog current control signals, and analog power control signals.
- 14. The machine vision system of claim 5, wherein the second processor comprises an addressable processor.
- 15. The machine vision system of claim 14, wherein the lighting command signals comprise addressed lighting command signals.
- 16. The machine vision system of claim 1, wherein the lighting system further comprises an addressable processor, and wherein the lighting command signals are directed to the addressable processor.
- 17. The machine vision system of claim 16, wherein the lighting command signals comprise addressed lighting command signals.
- 18. The machine vision system of claim 16, wherein the lighting system further comprises an LED lighting system.
- 19. The machine vision system of claim 18, wherein the lighting system further comprises at least one of a fluorescent light, compact fluorescent light, incandescent light, halogen light, and high intensity discharge light.
- 20. A method of lighting an object or surface in a machine vision system, comprising acts of:
providing a machine vision system; providing a lighting system capable of producing and modulating light; and communicating lighting command signals from the machine vision system to the lighting system.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the lighting system comprises an LED lighting system.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the LED system is capable of modulating at least one of hue, saturation and intensity of t he light produced by the LED lighting system.
- 23. The method of claim 20, wherein communication between the machine vision system and the lighting system is accomplished through at least one of wired and wireless communication.
- 24. The method of claim 20, wherein the lighting system comprises a networked lighting system.
- 25. The method of claim 21, wherein the LED system further comprises at least one first LED and at least one second LED, wherein the at least one first LED produces a different color than the at least one second LED.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the lighting system further comprises a processor that controls at least one of the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED.
- 27. The method of claim 25, wherein the lighting system further comprises a processor that independently controls the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED.
- 28. The method of claim 21, wherein the machine vision system communicates LED control signals to the LED lighting system.
- 29. The method of claim 22, wherein the LED control signals are at least one of pulse width modulated signals, pulse amplitude modulated signals, and pulse displacement modulated signals.
- 30. The method of claim 22, wherein the LED control signals are at least one of analog voltage control signals, analog current control signals, and analog power control signals.
- 31. The method of claim 27, wherein the processor controls the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED with at least one of pulse width modulated signals, pulse amplitude modulated signals, and pulse displacement modulated signals.
- 32. The method of claim 27, wherein the processor controls the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED with at least one of analog voltage control signals, analog current control signals, and analog power control signals.
- 33. The method of claim 27, wherein the processor is an addressable processor.
- 34. The method of claim 21, wherein the lighting system further comprises at least one of a fluorescent light, compact fluorescent light, incandescent light, halogen light, and high intensity discharge light.
- 35. A method of lighting an object or surface in a machine vision system, comprising acts of:
providing a machine vision system that includes an a optical system for viewing an object; providing an object; arranging the optical system to view the object; arranging a lighting system to irradiate the object, wherein the lighting system is capable of producing and modulating light; communicating first lighting control commands from the machine vision system to the lighting system; executing a machine vision function and then having the machine vision system communicate second lighting control commands to the lighting system.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the machine vision system comprises a color machine vision system.
- 37. The method of claim 35, wherein the machine vision system comprises a grey scale vision system.
- 38. The method of claim 35, wherein the lighting system further comprises an LED lighting system.
- 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the LED lighting system further comprises:
at least one first LED; and at least one second LED that produces a different color than the at least one first LED.
- 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the LED lighting system further comprises a processor that controls the output from at least one of the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein the processor comprises an addressable processor.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims priority to and incorporates by reference herein the entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/229,849 “Machine Vision”, filed Sep. 1, 2000.
Provisional Applications (6)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60229849 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
|
60071281 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
|
60078861 |
Mar 1998 |
US |
|
60079285 |
Mar 1998 |
US |
|
60090020 |
Jun 1998 |
US |
|
60068792 |
Dec 1997 |
US |