JPH02187635A - Color discriminating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for an adjustment of an illumination balance executed by a person's help and to continuously and automatically discriminate different kinds of objects by opening and closing alternately the lower light source for detecting a shape by a shadow and the upper light source for discriminating a color by a shutter means of a liquid crystal panel. CONSTITUTION:As for liquid crystal panels 10, 11 of a shutter means, when one of them is opened, namely, in a light transmitting state, the other is closed, namely in a light shielding state. First of all, the panel 10 is opened, a shadow of a body to be discriminated 1 by a light beam of a light source 6 is caught by a CDD camera 8 and its shape, position, etc., are recognized. Subsequently, when an ON/OFF signal is switched, a color of the body to be discriminated 1 is inputted to the camera 8 by only a light beam from a light source 7 and discriminated. By using the liquid crystal panel, the structure is simplified, a failure rate is low, the reliability is improved, and by opening and closing alternately the panels 10, 11 an allowable margin of the light quantity balance of two illuminations becomes large enough, and it becomes unnecessary to execute a delicate adjustment work by a person's help.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a color identification device suitable for identifying, for example, the color arrangement order of a large number of color cables constituting a wire harness.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, as shown in FIG. 4, this type of color identification device includes a stand 2 made of transparent glass on which an object to be identified, such as a wire harness 1, is placed. This support base 2 is attached via a suitable fixture 3 so as to cover the opening 5 of the housing 4. A first light source 6 is provided on the side of the opening 5 to irradiate light onto the wire harness 1 from below. In addition, this color identification device 6
, a second light source 7 that irradiates light onto the wire harness 1 from, for example, one side diagonally;
It has a CCL camera 8 as an imaging means for taking an image from the L direction. As the first and second light sources 6 and 7, for example, fluorescent lamps are used.

In this conventional device, first and second light sources 6, 7
are turned on at the same time, and the shape of the wire harness 1 is identified by the shading caused by the irradiation light from the first light source 6, and the color forming the wire harness 1 is identified by the reflected light from the irradiation light from the second light source 7. I try to identify the color of the cable.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this way, in the conventional example, the two light sources 6 and 7 are turned on at the same time, and the balance of the illumination is an important factor, especially in distinguishing colors. For this reason, it is necessary to make adjustments such as masking the - section of the illumination depending on the object to be identified, and conventionally this has to be done manually by trial and error, which requires a considerable amount of effort. Also, different types of identified objects k)! However, automatic identification was also difficult.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the problem 1-, the present invention includes a first light source that irradiates light onto an object to be identified, such as a color cable, from below, and a first light source that irradiates light to the object to be identified from one side. and an imaging means such as a CCI) camera for imaging the object to be identified from two parts thereof,
In a color identification device that detects the shape of an object to be identified based on the shadow caused by the irradiation light from the first light source and identifies the color of the object to be identified based on the reflected light of the irradiation light from the second light source; Shutter means are arranged on each optical path from the light source and the second light source to the object to be identified, and these shutter means are opened and closed alternately.

In this case, the shutter means most preferably comprises a liquid crystal panel.

[For production]

As mentioned above, since each shutter means is opened and closed alternately, there is no need for delicate manual adjustment work, and the tolerance for the balance between the two illuminations is sufficiently large, allowing continuous automatic detection of different types of objects. Identification also becomes an oral skill. Also,
In the case of a liquid crystal panel, illuminance control can also be performed easily.

〔Example〕

In FIG. 1, an embodiment of the invention is shown.
The same parts as in the conventional device shown in FIG. 4 described above are given the same reference numerals.

In this color identification device, shutter means 10.11 are arranged on each optical path -H from the first light source 6 and the second light source 7 to the object to be identified (wire harness) 1. In this case, each shutter means 10, 11 consists of a liquid crystal panel, and according to this embodiment, one liquid crystal panel 1
0 is placed on the first light source 6 side, and the other liquid crystal panel 11
is arranged on the second light source 7 side. In this example, each of the liquid crystal panels 10 and 11 is a twisted nematic parallel Nicol bonded panel that becomes translucent when energized.

Further, a diffusion acrylic plate 12 is attached to one liquid crystal panel 10, and a cold filter glass 1 for cutting unnecessary radiant heat from the second light source 7 is attached to the other liquid crystal panel ll side.
3 is provided.

In this color identification device, each liquid crystal panel 10, 11 is alternately opened and closed, and an example of the control N paths is shown in FIG. That is, this control circuit includes an oscillator 14,
2-) liquid crystal panel drive amplifiers 15 and 16 for amplifying the output signal of the oscillator 14, and liquid crystal panels 10 and 11 are connected to each of them. Each liquid crystal panel drive amplifier 15, 16 receives an on/off signal from a Cl)U (not shown) or the like to open the liquid crystal panel (light-transmitting state) or close it (light-shielding state).

To explain the operation, for example, first, an on signal to open the liquid crystal panel 10 is output to one liquid crystal panel drive amplifier 15, and the other liquid crystal panel drive amplifier 16 is outputted.
An off signal is output to close the liquid crystal panel 11.

As a result, light from the first light source 6 enters the CC1) camera 8, and the shape, position, etc. of the object to be identified 1 is recognized by the shadow of the object 1.

Next, the on/off signal is switched so that one liquid crystal panel 10 is closed and the other liquid crystal panel 11 is opened. As a result, the CCL camera 8 captures the color of the object to be identified 1 based only on the light from the second light source 7 without the light from the first light source 6 becoming noise.

In this way, by alternately opening and closing each liquid crystal panel 10, 11, the allowable margin for the light quantity balance of the two illuminations becomes sufficiently large, and it is possible to experience that the system is resistant to external disturbance light.

If the balance between the two illuminations becomes a problem due to the aperture of the camera being used, as shown in Figure 3, each LCD panel driver: 1ilJl 15. Ifi (1) Connect the human power side &+ tun "l" Horyu A17.18, for example CI (not shown) tJ
It is also possible to control the transmitted view of the liquid crystal panel by giving dimming data to the electronic volume control 17 and 18.

Note that as a light source, for example, a halogen lamp or the like can be used in addition to a fluorescent lamp. Also, the liquid crystal panel is -I
- The present invention is not limited to the twisted nematic parallel nicols laminated panel of the above embodiments, but may also be twisted nematic orthogonal nicols laminated.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, each shutter means is opened and closed alternately, thereby eliminating the need for delicate manual adjustment work and improving the tolerance of the balance between the two illuminations. is sufficiently large that continuous automatic identification of different types of objects is also possible.

Further, by using a liquid crystal panel as the shutter means, the structure is much simpler than that of a mechanical shutter, and since there is no moving part, the failure rate is low and the reliability is high. Furthermore, it can be made cheaper in terms of loss.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic assembly diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;
2 and 3 are block diagrams showing an example of a liquid crystal panel control circuit, and FIG. 4 is an assembly diagram similar to FIG. 1 showing a conventional example. In the figure, 1 is the object to be identified (wire harness), 2 is the receiver, 3 is the fixture, 4 is the housing, 5 is the opening, 6° 7 is the light source,
8 is an imaging means (CCL) camera), and 10.11 is a liquid crystal panel. Patent applicant Audio Technica Co., Ltd. Agent
Patent Attorney Takuya OharaFigure 4Figure 4

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A first light source that irradiates light onto an object to be identified, such as a color cable, from below, a second light source that irradiates light onto the object to be identified from above, and the object to be identified. and an imaging means such as a CCD camera that takes an image from above of the object, detects the shape of the object by the shadow of the light emitted from the first light source, and detects the shape of the object from the light emitted from the second light source. In the color identification device for identifying the color of the object to be identified using reflected light, a shutter means is disposed on each optical path from the first light source and the second light source to the object to be identified, A color identification device characterized in that a shutter means is alternately opened and closed. (2) Claim 1, wherein the shutter means comprises a liquid crystal panel.
Color identification device as described.