Patent ID: 7313270

Claim:
A method for training and monitoring a process, said method comprising: acquiring a set of training images from a portion of a substantially cylindrical side of each of a plurality of training objects on a processing line using a vision system, wherein each training image of said set of training images corresponds to a random spatial orientation of said training objects with respect to said vision system as said training objects pass by said vision system on said processing line; acquiring one monitored image from a portion of a substantially cylindrical side of each of at least one randomly oriented object to be monitored coming down said processing line over a period of time using said vision system, wherein each object to be monitored is substantially similar to said training objects; comparing at least one acquired monitored image of said at least one object to be monitored to said set of training images of said training objects to form at least one comparison image of comparison values or region of interest of comparison values; and generating at least one process deviation signal in response to said comparing.