IP Library Granted Patent US 12691471
Granted Patent B2
US 12691471 · App. 18/987,440 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Object imaging apparatus and object recognition apparatus

Inventors: Kenichi Fukuda (Ishikawa, JP); Nozomi Ogi (Ishikawa, JP)
Assignee: PFU Limited
B07C5/3422B07C5/3408G01N21/84G06V10/141B07C2501/0054G01N2021/845G06V2201/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691471
App. No.
18/987,440
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object imaging apparatus includes a housing, a light source inside the housing, a first reflector inside the housing to diffusely reflect light from the light source, a second reflector inside the housing to guide at least a part of light from the light source to the first reflector, and an imager to image an object irradiated with the light from the first reflector. A diffuse reflectance of the first reflector is higher than a diffuse reflectance of the second reflector.

Claims (35)

1 . An object imaging apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a light source inside the housing;

a first reflector inside the housing to diffusely reflect light from the light source;

a second reflector inside the housing to guide at least a part of light from the light source to the first reflector; and

an imager to image an object irradiated with the light from the first reflector,

wherein a diffuse reflectance of the first reflector is higher than a diffuse reflectance of the second reflector.

2 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the housing is located facing a conveyor to convey the object,

the housing is open to the conveyor, and

a distance between the second reflector and the conveyor is shorter than a distance between the first reflector and the conveyor.

3 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the housing includes:

a base face away from the conveyor; and

a side face extending from the base face toward the conveyor, and

wherein the first reflector is provided on the base face, and the second reflector is provided on the side face.

4 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the first reflector extends in a direction intersecting a first direction from the first reflector toward the conveyor, and

the second reflector extends along the first direction relative to the first reflector.

5 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the second reflector has a concave face that is recessed toward an outside of the housing and is farther from the first reflector in a direction intersecting a first direction, which is a direction from the first reflector to the conveyor, as the concave face extends in the first direction.

6 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a pair of plates spaced apart in a width direction of the conveyor and sandwiching a space between the housing and the conveyor, wherein

the imager is configured to image an object between the pair of plates,

each of the pair of plates has a face facing the space, the face has a first portion that is away from the conveyor and a second portion closer to the conveyor relative to the first portion, and

a reflectance of the second portion is lower than a reflectance of the first portion.

7 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a height of the second portion in a direction in which the housing and the conveyor face each other is set based on a shape of the object.

8 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a plate position adjuster to adjust at least one of a distance between the pair of plates in the width direction and positions of the pair of plates in a direction in which the housing and the conveyor face each other.

9 . The object imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the housing includes:

a base face; and

a side face extending from the base face in a first direction,

wherein the imager is disposed at the base face and has an optical axis oriented along the first direction.

10 . An object recognition apparatus, comprising:

the object imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

circuitry configured to recognize the object based on a captured image obtained by imaging the object by the imager.