JPH0748457Y2 - Vehicle body control number reader - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a body control number reading device useful for an assembly line of a vehicle.

<Prior art> In an assembly line of a vehicle, a large number of bodies are automatically transferred to a welding factory, a painting factory, and an outfitting factory over a plurality of vehicle types.Therefore, each body should be given a body management number that represents vehicle type information. Therefore, it is necessary for the host computer of the line to recognize and manage what each body is.

Conventionally, a hole (data hole) in which a body management number is coded is formed on a plate completely different from the body, and the plate with the data hole is detachably hooked to the body by a clip. Then, for each process in the line that requires control, an input device is installed beside the line, and the operator removes the plate with the data hole from the body and carries it to the input device to read the body control number. Let's go back to the body again and hook it again. The input device sends the read body management number to the host computer.

<Problems to be solved by the device> Since the plate with the data hole is simply hooked on the body with a clip, it may fall off from the body during automatic transportation. Also, due to human labor, there is a risk of forgetting to return the plate with the data hole to the body or accidentally hooking it on another body.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional technique, the purpose of the present invention is to pre-open a data hole representing the body management number in the body itself, photograph the data hole installation site of the body with a TV camera beside the line, and use the image processing to process the body. It is to provide a device for reading a control number. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of accurately reading the body management number without being influenced by the coating color applied to the body.

<Means for Solving the Problems> A body management number reading device according to the present invention is a television camera that captures a data hole and a positioning hole representing a body management number opened in the body itself conveyed to an assembly line of a vehicle. In a device for reading a body management number by image processing, a plurality of TV cameras that have their visual fields aligned with different hole areas corresponding to a plurality of types of bodies conveyed to the assembly line, and are located behind the hole area. A reflection screen, a light source that illuminates the rear surface of the hall area by irradiating the reflection screen with light, and an image processing device that switches each TV camera and reads the body management number from the image signal of the readable TV camera. A TV camera with a feature or a field of view matching the hall area It is characterized by comprising a reflection screen located behind the area, a light source for irradiating the reflection screen with light to illuminate the rear surface of the hall area, and an image processing device for reading the body management number from the image signal of the television camera. .

<Operation> If you make a data hole in the body itself, you do not have to worry about it falling off.

Further, in the present invention, the light from the light source illuminates the back surface of the hall area through the reflection screen. As a result, both the data holes and the positioning holes become bright parts, and the peripheries of these holes become dark parts, so that the light and shade of the hole area are surely made. Therefore, the body management number can be accurately read without being affected by the paint color applied to the body. Basically, the number of TV cameras is basically
One unit is enough.

However, if there is only one TV camera, the data
Since some areas do not fit in the field of view, prepare multiple TV cameras and fix them to the field of view corresponding to the car model,
Switch TV cameras until you can read the body control number,
The body management number is read by image processing.

<Embodiment> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flat portion 3 of the left headlamp support panel 2 of the vehicle 1 is used as a hole area, and the flat portion 3 itself has a data hole representing the body management number 4. And the positioning hole.

In FIG. 2, 5 is a headlamp support assembly, 6 is a right headlamp support panel, 7 is a front end upper bar, and 8 is a front end cross member.

As shown in Fig. 1, at the proper place beside the assembly line,
A plurality of TV cameras # 1 and # 2 are installed so that the hall area 3 is photographed from the front. It is also conceivable that the light source 9 illuminates the hole area 3 from the television camera side by a reflection method as detailed in FIG. 6, which is useful in each step before painting, and the data hole is read as black. It will be. However, after painting, since the light reflectance varies depending on the body color, it is difficult to read, especially in the case of black type. Therefore, in the outfitting process, the white reflective screen 10 is arranged so as to be located inside the wheel house, and the reflective screen 10 is illuminated by the light source 11 as shown in detail in FIG. Illuminate 3 and read data hole as white. The transmission method using the reflection screen 10 can be easily realized because the body is lifted by the shuttle in the fitting process.

Since the position of the hall area 3 is different depending on the car model when viewed from the TV camera, there are car models that are out of the field of view with one vehicle, so the field of view of each TV camera # 1, # 2 is as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The hall areas 3-1 and 3− of each car model 12-1 and 12-2
It is previously fixed and fixed to 2.

Each of the television cameras # 1 and # 2 is connected to the image processing device 13. The image processing device 13 switches the television cameras # 1 and # 2 in order to input an image signal, and the presence or absence of holes and the arrangement thereof are determined by image processing. Determine and calculate and read the body management number 4.

The read data is sent to the upper assembly line controller (ALC) 15 through the communication controller 14 and used for confirmation of the order of bodies in each process.

The hole with the body management number 4 is previously opened at the head of the welding line by the ALC 15 and is punched online by the punching machine 16.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the body management number 4 is composed of a large positioning hole 17 on the left and right and a small data hole 18 located at a matrix point of 5 rows and 5 columns between them. There are 5 digits, and each digit is expressed in binary in one column. However, the uppermost row has odd parity bits 19. In the example of FIG. 4, black circles are represented by holes and white circles are represented by no holes, which represents "24321".

FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the image processing device 13, which includes a camera switching unit 21 for switching a plurality of TV cameras 20, an image processing unit 22 for receiving an image signal from the TV camera and reading a body management number, and its output. It is composed of a computer unit 23 for calculating data. When the body management number cannot be read, the computer section 23 gives a control signal to the camera switching section 21 to input the image signal of the next television camera to the image processing section 22. The computer unit 23 also displays the read body management number on the message display panel 24 and outputs it to the ALC 15. 2
Reference numeral 5 is a monitor TV, 26 is an image data input / output unit, 27 is an automatic illumination switching unit, and 28 is a handy computer. The automatic illumination switching unit 27 automatically detects the disconnection of the light source and automatically turns on the auxiliary light source.

FIG. 10 shows a flow of operations of the image processing device 13. Image processing is performed by stopping the body on the line, and when the hall area is within the field of view of any television camera, a start command is issued and a series of processing is performed.

In Fig. 10, image input ... from a television camera such as a solid-state element to a hall
Input the image signal (analog signal) of the area in 64 steps
A / D convert. The image is divided into vertical 240 × horizontal 256 and the image data is stored in the image memory for each pixel.

Binarization process: The signal is compared with a certain voltage value (called a threshold value) to binarize the entire screen into light and dark. The higher the threshold, the brighter the image.

Contour line extraction ... The boundary line of light and dark is divided into vertical 240 × horizontal 256 and stored in the image memory. The contour line can be confirmed on the monitor TV.

Contour feature value calculation: Area, circularity, and barycentric position are calculated for all contour lines in the image memory. Regarding the circularity, the circularity = [4π × area / (perimeter × perimeter)] <1, and the closer the value is to 1, the more likely the circle is.

Hole recognition: Select each hole from the areas and circularity of the positioning holes and data holes that have been set in advance.

Area rotation inclusion confirmation: Obtain the area inclination from the position of the center of gravity of the positioning hole and correct the data so as to face it. At that time, check whether the screen includes the previous data area.

Reference length calculation: Calculate the distance between data holes (called reference length) from the distance between positioning holes.

Data array calculation: An array is calculated by dividing the barycentric position of the hole recognized as a data hole by the reference length.

Data recognition: Calculate the body management number from the data array.

Check: Check the parity bit to see if the data is normal.

Switching cameras ... Since the position of the data hole differs depending on the car model, one TV camera is required for each car model.
They are installed individually. So when you can't find it,
Change the TV camera and process again.

Threshold switching: Seven kinds of thresholds can be registered in each TV camera, and when the TV camera cannot be recognized even if the TV camera is changed, the threshold is also changed and the processing is performed again.

FIG. 11 shows an example of utilizing the waste material of the positioning hole 17, and after completion of reading the body management number, tap holes 30 are pre-drilled in the electrical equipment in the vehicle, for example, ABS resin case 29 of a suitable control unit, and screws 31 The case 29 is screwed and attached to the headlamp support panel 2 using.

FIG. 12 shows a concrete example in which the TV cameras # 1 and # 2, the reflection screen 10 and the light source 11 are arranged in the fitting process.

<Effect of the Invention> According to the present invention, the body itself has the data hole indicating the body management number and the positioning hole.
There is no need to worry about dropping out.

Further, according to the present invention, by adopting the transmissive illumination, since the light of the light source illuminates the back surface of the hall area through the reflective screen without being influenced by the paint color applied to the body, The body itself is a bright part, and the surrounding area is a dark part, so that the light and shade of the hall area are surely provided, so that the body management number of the vehicle body can be accurately read.

In addition, by using multiple TV cameras and matching the field of view of each TV camera to the hall area for each model,
The body control number can be automatically read even if the vehicle type is different.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a headlamp support panel as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of holes, and FIG. The figure shows an example of data, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the transmission method illumination, and FIG.
7 is a plan view showing an arrangement example of a television camera, FIG. 8 is a side view showing an arrangement example of a television camera and a light source, and FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an image processing apparatus. , First
FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the operation, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of utilizing the positioning hole, and FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example in the outfitting process. In the drawings, # 1 and # 2 are TV cameras, 2 are left headlamp support panels, 3 is a flat part (hole area), 4 is a body management number, 5 is a headlamp support assembly, and 9,
11 is a light source, 10 is a reflective screen, 13 is an image processing device, 17
Is a positioning hole, and 18 is a data hole.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An apparatus for reading a body management number by image-processing a data hole representing a body management number opened in a body itself conveyed to an assembly line of a vehicle and a positioning hole, and reading the body management number by image processing. Multiple TV cameras with different field of view corresponding to different types of bodies conveyed on the line, a reflective screen located behind the hole area, and the back of the hole area by illuminating the reflective screen with light. A vehicle body management number reading device, comprising: a light source for illuminating the vehicle and an image processing device that switches each television camera and reads the body management number from an image signal of the readable television camera. 2. A device for reading a body management number by image processing by photographing a data hole representing a body management number and a positioning hole formed in a body itself conveyed to an assembly line of a vehicle with a television camera and reading the body management number by image processing. A TV camera with a matching field of view, a reflective screen located behind the hall area, a light source that illuminates the back of the hall area by illuminating the reflective screen, and image processing that reads the body control number from the image signal of the TV camera. And a device for reading a body management number of a vehicle.