Patent Document ID: 20180143419
Application ID: 15360579
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for providing a live extended depth of field (EDOF) image of a workpiece displayed in a user interface associated with an imaging system, wherein the workpiece may translate across a field of view of the imaging system, the imaging system comprising: a lens system including a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens that is controlled to provide a periodically modulated optical power variation for the TAG lens and thereby provide a corresponding focus distance variation for the imaging system; a control system comprising a lens controller configured to control the TAG lens; a camera configured to input workpiece image light from the lens system at a plurality of focus distances for the imaging system and output a corresponding raw EDOF image data set corresponding to a raw EDOF image; and an image processing portion configured to input a raw EDOF image data set and process it to provide an EDOF image data set that is based on image processing to remove defocus blur in a corresponding displayed EDOF image, the method comprising: repetitively operating the camera to output a sequence of the raw EDOF image data sets over time, corresponding to a sequence of raw EDOF images of the workpiece over time; repetitively determining a translation state signal corresponding to a current translation speed of the workpiece across a field of view of the imaging system at a current time; repetitively updating the live EDOF image of the workpiece displayed in the user interface based on a state of the translation state signal at a current time, wherein the repetitively updating the live EDOF image comprises: in response to a first translation state signal corresponding to a first current translation speed, displaying a first type of live EDOF image of the workpiece in the user interface corresponding to an EDOF image data set that is based on a first level of image processing to remove defocus blur in the first type of live EDOF image; and in response to a second translation state signal corresponding to a second current translation speed that is faster than the first current translation speed, displaying a second type of live EDOF image of the workpiece in the user interface corresponding to an EDOF image data set that is based on at least one of: a second level of image processing to remove defocus blur in the second type of live EDOF image, wherein the second level of image processing corresponds to less image processing than the first level of image processing; or no image processing to remove defocus blur in the second type of live EDOF image.