DEVICE FOR DETERMINING SURFACE DEFECTS

A device is used for determining whether or not a product has any surface defects. The device includes a platform, a mirror, an image capturing unit, and a processing unit. The mirror and the image capturing unit are respectively adjacent to a first side and second side of the platform. The mirror forms an image of a product on the platform. The image capturing unit simultaneously captures both an image of the actual product placed on the platform and an image of the image of the product in the mirror. The captured images of the product are analyzed and matched against similar views of a blemish-free model product, any discrepancies leading to a determination that the product has any surface defects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1-2show an exemplary embodiment of a device100for determining whether or not a product200has any surface defects (e.g., scratching or other non-uniformity). The device100includes a platform10, a mirror20, an image capturing unit30, and a processing unit40.

The platform10is used to support the product200. In this embodiment, the platform10is a conveyer. The platform10includes a first side101and a second side102opposite to the first side101.

The mirror20is connected to one of the first side101and the second side102, and is oriented at a certain angle, such as eighty degrees. Thus the mirror20forms an image of the product200placed on the platform10. In this embodiment, the product200is rectangular, and a first corner201of the rectangular product200faces the mirror20. Thus a top surface and two sidewalls of the product200connected to the first corner201are shown in the mirror20.

The image capturing unit30is arranged on the other one of the first side101and the second side102, and faces the mirror20. In this embodiment, the image capturing unit30is a camera. The image capturing unit30simultaneously captures both an image of the actual product200placed on the platform and an image of the image of the product200in the mirror20. Thus, the one pair of captured images includes views of all four sidewalls and the top surface of the product200. Accordingly, unlike in conventional art, the image capturing unit30does not need to move or rotate in different directions to capture images of the product200.

In this embodiment, the angle of the image capturing unit30can be adjusted by an operator (e.g. a human user) as needed.

Referring toFIG. 2, the processing unit40includes a control module41, an image obtaining module42, and an analyzing module43, which are individually and in combination a collection of instructions that are executed by the processing unit40. In this embodiment, the processing unit40is arranged in an external computing device300. The processing unit40communicates with the image capturing unit30via a wireless or wired access interface. In other embodiments, the processing unit40may be arranged in the platform10or the image capturing unit30.

The control module41communicates with the image capturing unit30, and controls the image capturing unit30to capture images of the product200according to preset parameters stored in the computing device300. In this embodiment, the stored parameters include the time interval between each two times that the image capturing unit30captures images. In the present embodiment, the stored parameters are preset by a user via a peripheral input device (not shown), such as a keyboard, of the computing device300.

The image obtaining module42obtains the captured images of the product200.

The analyzing module43determines whether or not the product200has any surface defects according to the obtained images. In the embodiment, the analyzing module43compares the obtained images of the product200with stored images of a standard product.

If the obtained images of the product200match the stored images of the standard product, the analyzing module43determines that the product200has no surface defect. If there is any discrepancy between the obtained images and the stored images, the analyzing module43determines that the product200has one or more surface defects. In an alternative embodiment, the analyzing module43may employ a Fourier transform to the obtained images to generate a number of frequency spectrograms, and determine whether or not the product200has a surface defect according to the generated frequency spectrograms. The technology of determining surface defects on a product according to frequency spectrograms is known in the art. See for example the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,154, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In the embodiment, the control module41outputs the result of the determination by the analyzing module43to the computing device300. Specifically, the result output by the analyzing module43can be an audio file or a text message.

Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of exemplary embodiments thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.