Patent ID: 7394926
Filing Date: 2008-07-01
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a machine vision system, the method usable when defining inspection operations for a inspecting a workpiece, the machine vision system comprising: a camera system; a controller; at least one display; a motion system usable to provide a relative motion between the camera system and the workpiece; and a user interface displayed on the at least one display, the user interface including a plurality of user-controllable control elements and at least one image of the workpiece, the method comprising: acquiring a plurality of images of the workpiece using the camera system, the acquired images having an acquired image pixel-resolution; determining and storing a first respective composite image of the workpiece based on the plurality of acquired images, wherein the first respective composite image has a first respective pixel-resolution and includes a larger area of the workpiece than is included in each one of the plurality of acquired images; determining and storing at least one additional respective composite image of the workpiece based on at least one of a) the plurality of acquired images and b) the first composite image, wherein each additional respective composite image has a corresponding respective pixel-resolution that is coarser than the first respective pixel-resolution and includes a larger area of the workpiece than is included in each one of the plurality of acquired images; displaying a composite image zoom control in the user interface, the composite image zoom control usable to select which respective composite image is displayed; displaying one of the stored respective composite images depending on a state of the zoom control; and when the zoom control is altered to a different state, immediately displaying a different one of the stored respective composite images in accordance with the state of the zoom control.