Machine-vision system and method for remote quality inspection of a product

1. A system comprising:

a controller connected to a plurality of image acquisition devices over a first data network, wherein the controller and the plurality of image acquisition devices are located at a first location, and wherein the plurality of image acquisition devices is configured to capture digital images of a plurality of inspection locations to create a plurality of digital images, and wherein the controller is configured to:

receive the plurality of digital images captured by the plurality of image acquisition devices over the first data network;

compute a plurality of measurements using the plurality of digital images and a first machine-vision algorithm;

compute a comprehensive measurement, wherein the comprehensive measurement is calculated using the plurality of measurements; and

transmit the plurality of digital images, the comprehensive measurement, and the plurality of measurements over a second data network, wherein the comprehensive measurement and plurality of digital images used to calculate the plurality of measurements are transmitted together;

a vision server connected to the controller over the second data network, and wherein the vision server is configured to:

receive the plurality of digital images and the plurality of measurements from the controller; and

store the plurality of digital images and the plurality of measurements in a database storage;

a terminal connected to the vision server over the second data network, wherein the terminal is configured to:

receive a first digital image of the plurality of digital images and a first measurement of the plurality of measurements; and

display the first digital image and the first measurement on the terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the terminal is further configured to:

receive a request for quality criteria from a user at the terminal; and

display a second measurement that corresponds to the quality criteria on the terminal; and

wherein the vision server is further configured to:

analyze at least one of the plurality of digital images using a second machine-vision algorithm to compute the second measurement; and

transmit the second measurement to the terminal for display.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the vision server is further configured to:

retrieve a plurality of previously stored digital images from the database storage in response to the request for the quality criteria received at the terminal;

analyze the plurality of previously stored digital images using the second machine-vision algorithm to compute a second plurality of measurements corresponding to the plurality of previously stored digital images;

compute a quality metric based on an aggregation of the second plurality of measurements and the second measurement based on the first digital image of the plurality of digital images; and

transmit the quality metric to the terminal for display.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image acquisition device is a digital camera having a two-dimensional optical sensor array.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vision server is further configured to compile the first digital image and the first measurement as web content and transmit the web content to the terminal for display using an Internet browser.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal is further configured to:

display a graphical representation depicting the first measurement, wherein the graphical representation is updated in response to the vision server receiving a subsequent digital image and a subsequent measurement.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of digital images from a plurality of image acquisition devices to a controller over a first data network, wherein the controller and the plurality of image acquisition devices are located at a first location, and

wherein the plurality of image acquisition devices is configured to capture digital images of a plurality of inspection locations to create the plurality of digital images;

computing a plurality of measurements using the plurality of digital images and a first machine-vision algorithm;

computing a comprehensive measurement, wherein the comprehensive measurement is calculated using the plurality of measurements; and

transmitting the plurality of digital images, the comprehensive measurement, and the plurality of measurements from the controller to a vision server over a second data network, wherein the comprehensive measurement and plurality of digital images used to calculate the plurality of measurements are transmitted together;

storing the plurality of digital images and the plurality of measurements in a database storage on the vision server;

transmitting a first digital image of the plurality of digital images and a first measurement of the plurality of measurements from the vision server to a terminal; and

displaying the first digital image and the first measurement on the terminal.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving a request for quality criteria from a user at the terminal;

displaying a second measurement that corresponds to the quality criteria on the terminal;

analyzing, at the vision server, at least one of the plurality of digital images using a second machine-vision algorithm to compute the second measurement; and

transmitting the second measurement from the vision server to the terminal for display.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

retrieving a plurality of previously stored digital images at the vision server from the database storage in response to the request for the quality criteria received at the terminal;

analyzing the plurality of previously stored digital images at the vision server using the second machine-vision algorithm to compute a second plurality of measurements corresponding to the plurality of previously stored digital images;

computing a quality metric at the vision server based on an aggregation of the second plurality of measurements and the second measurement based on the first digital image of the plurality of digital images; and

transmitting the quality metric from the vision server to the terminal for display.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the image acquisition device is a digital camera having a two-dimensional optical sensor array.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising compiling the first digital image and the first measurement as web content at the vision server and transmitting the web content to the terminal for display using an Internet browser.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising displaying a graphical representation depicting the first measurement at the terminal, wherein the graphical representation is updated in response to the vision server receiving a subsequent digital image and a subsequent measurement.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer-readable instructions configured to be executed on a computer processor, the instructions comprising:

transmitting a plurality of digital images from a plurality of image acquisition devices to a controller over a first data network, wherein the controller and the plurality of image acquisition devices are located at a first location, and

wherein the plurality of image acquisition device is configured to capture digital images of a plurality of inspection locations to create the plurality of digital images;

computing a plurality of measurements using the plurality of digital images and a first machine-vision algorithm;

computing a comprehensive measurement, wherein the comprehensive measurement is calculated using the plurality of measurements; and

transmitting the plurality of digital images, the comprehensive measurement, and the plurality of measurements from the controller to a vision server over a second data network, wherein the comprehensive measurement and plurality of digital images used to calculate the plurality of measurements are transmitted together;

wherein the plurality of digital images and the plurality of measurements are stored in a database storage on the vision server,

wherein a first digital image of the plurality of digital images and a first measurement of the plurality of measurements are transmitted from the vision server to a terminal; and

wherein the first digital image and the first measurement are displayed on the terminal.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the instructions further comprising:

receiving a request for quality criteria from a user at the terminal;

displaying a second measurement that corresponds to the quality criteria on the terminal;

analyzing, at the vision server, at least one of the plurality of digital images using a second machine-vision algorithm to compute the second measurement; and

transmitting the second measurement from the vision server to the terminal for display.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , the instructions further comprising:

retrieving a plurality of previously stored digital images at the vision server from the database storage in response to the request for the quality criteria received at the terminal;

analyzing the plurality of previously stored digital images at the vision server using the second machine-vision algorithm to compute a second plurality of measurements corresponding to the plurality of previously stored digital images;

computing a quality metric at the vision server based on an aggregation of the second plurality of measurements and the second measurement based on the first digital image of the plurality of digital images; and

transmitting the quality metric from the vision server to the terminal for display.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the image acquisition device is a digital camera having a two-dimensional optical sensor array.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the instructions further comprising compiling the first digital image and the first measurement as web content at the vision server and transmitting the web content to the terminal for display using an Internet browser.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the instructions further comprising displaying a graphical representation depicting the first measurement at the terminal, wherein the graphical representation is updated in response to the vision server receiving a subsequent digital image and a subsequent measurement.