IP Library Granted Patent US 7,983,476
Granted Patent B2
US 7,983,476 · App. 12/357,808 · Granted Jul 19, 2011

Working apparatus and calibration method thereof

Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,983,476
App. No.
12/357,808
Granted
Jul 19, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A working apparatus comprises a working unit which executes work on a work subject, and a calibration jig on which a plurality of markers is arranged in a radial pattern from a center point of markers, the plurality of markers being arranged in three dimensions, and the calibration jig being attached to a working unit such that a calibration reference point set of a working unit coincides with a center point of markers. According to such a composition, it becomes possible to calibrate a position of a working unit even when a portion of the jig containing a center point of markers is occluded during image measurement.

Claims (32)

1. A working apparatus comprising:

a working unit which executes work on a work subject; and

a calibration jig on which are arranged a plurality of markers in a radial pattern from a center point of markers,

wherein the plurality of markers are arranged in three dimensions, and

wherein the calibration jig is attached to the working unit such that a reference point placed on the working unit for calibration coincides with the center point of the markers.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an imaging unit which captures the working unit;

a calculation unit which calculates coordinates in an image of a center point of the markers based on a marker image existing in an image captured by the imaging unit; and

a calibration unit which calibrates transform processing between image coordinates and apparatus coordinates based on coordinates of the center point of the markers calculated by the calculation unit and apparatus coordinates of the reference point of the working unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration jig has a cone shape portion with the center point of markers as a vertex, the plurality of markers being arranged on a side surface of the cone shape portion.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a portion on which the plurality of markers is arranged on the calibration jig is comprised of a material which transmits light.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of imaging units which capture the working unit;

a calculation unit which calculates coordinates in an image of the center point of markers based on an image of markers from each of a plurality of images captured by the plurality of imaging units;

an acquisition unit which acquires a plurality of epipolar lines corresponding to the center point of markers from the plurality of images, and acquires 3-dimensional coordinates of the center point of markers based on an intersection point of the plurality of epipolar lines; and

a calibration unit which calibrates transform processing between 3-dimensional coordinates acquired from the plurality of images and apparatus coordinates based on 3-dimensional coordinates of the center point of markers acquired by the acquisition unit, and on apparatus coordinates of the reference point of the working unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of markers has a line segment shape with the center point of markers as a center, and the calculation unit calculates an intersection point of the markers having a line segment shape as the center point of markers.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the calculation unit acquires, from values measured by a sensor which executes distance measurement, coordinates of the center point of markers in the vertical direction corresponding to the image.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the calibration jig comprises a cone shape portion having the center point of markers as a vertex, and the plurality of markers being arranged on a side surface of the cone shape portion, and a plurality of perimeter portion markers being arranged for the purpose of detection of a base surface portion of the cone shape portion, and

the apparatus further comprises an orientation detection unit which detects a base surface portion from the perimeter portion markers, and detects an orientation of the calibration jig based on an extension direction from a center of a detected base surface portion to the center point of markers calculated by the calculation unit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the calibration jig comprises a plurality of markers having different colors or shapes from each other, and the apparatus further comprises an orientation detection unit which detects a position or an orientation of the calibration jig from a positional relationship of the plurality of markers having different colors or shapes from each other.

10. A working apparatus, comprising:

a working unit which executes work on a work subject; and

a calibration jig on which is arranged a plurality of markers in a radial pattern from a center point of markers,

wherein the plurality of markers are arranged in three dimensions, and

wherein the calibration jig is fixed externally to the work subject such that a reference point of the work subject coincides with the center point of markers.

11. A working apparatus, comprising:

a working unit which executes work on a work subject, and

a calibration jig on which is arranged a plurality of markers in a radial pattern from a center point of markers,

wherein the plurality of markers are arranged in three dimensions,

wherein a position in which the center point of markers exists is a space in which a calibration jig does not exist, and

wherein the calibration jig is externally fixed to the work subject such that, when the work subject is moved to a predetermined position, a position of a marker arranged on the work subject coincides with a position of the center point of markers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2009
From: TATE, SHUNTA; AOBA, MASATO
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 022968/0363 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2008-014177 · Jan 24, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090190826A1 · Jul 30, 2009