US 12,170,849 B2
Pulsed illumination for fluid inspection
Asaf Schlezinger, Modi'in (IL)
Assigned to APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/650,024.
Prior Publication US 2023/0254589 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 23/74 (2023.01); B65G 47/22 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); H04N 7/015 (2006.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/74 (2023.01) [G06T 7/001 (2013.01); H04N 7/015 (2013.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); B65G 47/22 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0235 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10152 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30108 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid inspection system, comprising:
a transportation system, wherein the transportation system is configured to move a carrier in a first direction through an inspection zone, wherein a plurality of containers of fluid is disposed in a row in the first direction on the carrier;
at least one illuminator directed to the inspection zone;
one or more cameras positioned in a camera row in the first direction and directed to the inspection zone in a second direction;
one or more actuators disposed proximate to the inspection zone and operable to rotate the plurality of containers of fluid such that the fluid within the containers remains rotating for at least a portion of time the containers are in inspection zone; and
a controller in communication with the at least one illuminator and the one or more cameras, wherein the controller is configured to:
cause the transportation system to move the carrier, on which the plurality of containers of fluid is disposed, into the inspection zone;
cause the one or more actuators to rotate the plurality of containers of fluid;
cause the one or more actuators to stop rotating the plurality of containers of fluid;
cause the at least one illuminator to emit pulses of light to the inspection zone according to a timing sequence comprising a plurality of frames of the one or more cameras, wherein at least two of the plurality of frames include a different number of pulses of light, a different illumination level of pulses of light, and a varying time between adjacent pulses of light;
cause the one or more cameras to capture a plurality of images of fluid rotating in the plurality of containers disposed in the inspection zone; and
cause the transportation system to move the carrier, on which the plurality of containers of fluid is disposed, out of the inspection zone,
wherein an illumination time of the pulses of light is less than an exposure time of each frame of the one or more cameras.