VISUAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN EXTENDED PRODUCT

Abstract

A visual control system for an extended product being a wire, a tube, a plate, a strip or a series of juxtaposed elements type contains a first measurement zone with an inspection unit for automatically inspecting a portion of the product advancing along a longitudinal path. The inspection unit delivering at least one map having qualitative information of an inspected portion of the product. A second control zone is disposed downstream of the first measurement zone and has a device for overprinting at least the qualitative information on the portion of the product. The second control zone being intended for displaying the portion as it arrives in the second control zone.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A visual control system for a product, the visual control system comprising: a first measurement zone having an automatic inspection unit for inspecting a product portion advancing along a longitudinal path, said automatic inspection unit delivering at least one map having qualitative information on the product portion inspected; and a second control zone disposed downstream of said first measurement zone, said second control zone containing an overlaying means for overlaying at least the qualitative information onto the product portion of the product, said second control zone being dedicated to displaying the product portion as it arrives in said second control zone, the product being of a metallurgical type and extending like a wire, tube, plate or strip.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said overlaying means dynamically displays location marks, characterization marks and/or quantification marks related to detected qualitative information for portions of the product.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said second control zone is disposed in a fixed zone dedicated to visual inspection of the product by an operator.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the product is made of metal, said automatic inspection unit and said overlaying means are disposed downstream of a module for producing, treating or surface-coating the product.

19. The system according to claim 15, further comprising an interactive interface having a detector of signals and coupled to said overlaying means so that an operator interacts with the qualitative information being projected.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said interactive interface initiates updating of a training database related to the qualitative information delivered by said automatic inspection unit.

21. The system according to claim 15, wherein said overlaying means contains optical filters or spectral illumination means.

22. The system according to claim 15, wherein said overlaying means is a video projector.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein said overlaying means projects the qualitative information onto the product.

24. The system according to claim 22, further comprising a transparent screen, said overlaying means projecting the qualitative information onto said transparent screen sized to allow an operator to view an entirety of the product portion in a background of said transparent screen.

25. The system according to claim 15, wherein said overlaying means is a graphic display.

26. The system according to claim 15, wherein said overlaying means is a virtual vision optic borne by an operator.

27. The system according to claim 15, further comprising a tracking module which delivers an identification signal for the product portion of the product inspected by said first measurement zone to said overlaying means of said second control zone.

28. The system according to claim 15, wherein said first measurement zone and said second control zone are inserted: into at least one distinct longitudinal plane with continuous advancement of the product; and/or into the at least one longitudinal plane with discontinuous advancement of the product.

29. The system according to claim 25, wherein said graphic display is a partially or completely transparent liquid-crystal display sized to allow an operator to view an entirety of the product portion in a background of said graphic display.

30. The system according to claim 26, wherein said virtual vision optic borne by the operator is in a form of an eyepiece or a headset.

31. The system according to claim 17, wherein during the visual inspection of the product by the operator advancement of the product is slowed or even stopped.

Description

[0024] Exemplary embodiments and applications are provided using the described figures:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a visual control system according to a first embodiment of the invention,

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a visual control system according to a second embodiment of the invention,

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a visual control system according to a third embodiment of the invention.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention in which is presented a visual control system for an extended product (1) such as a wire, tube, plate, strip or series of juxtaposed elements comprising: [0029] a first, measurement zone (i1) comprising an inspection unit—camera (2), means (3) for illuminating one face of the product, data processing unit (4)—automatic for a product portion advancing along a longitudinal path (X), [0030] said inspection unit (4) delivering at least one map (7) comprising qualitative information on said inspected portion of the product, [0031] a second, control zone (i2) arranged downstream of the first zone (i1) and comprising means (11) for overlaying at least the qualitative information directly onto the portion of the product (here the face inspected automatically under the first zone), the second zone being dedicated to allowing an operator (op) to view said product portion as it arrives in the second zone.

[0032] A strip portion tracking module (not shown) delivers an identification signal for the portion of the product inspected by the first zone to the overlaying means of the second zone, so that the qualitative information on the portion measured by automatic inspection in the first zone may be overlaid with absolute precision onto the same portion of the product in the second zone.

[0033] The overlaying means dynamically displays location marks (markers, arrows, etc.), characterization marks (defect type) and/or quantification marks (defect intensity) related to the detected qualitative information for portions of the product.

[0034] It may also display other information of use to the operator, such as, for example, the thickness of the product, its material, its production tolerances, treatment or coating, its speed recorded at various stages on its run, and alerts for defects due to marks related to worn or damaged parts originating from the installations through which the product ran.

[0035] The overlaying means (11) may be coupled to a database management system (12) for the qualitative information (7) issued by the inspection unit (2, 3, 4), and optionally interactive data issued by an interactive interface (int) with respect to the operator and which are intended to confirm, disconfirm or modify said overlaid qualitative data. In this way, if, for example, the operator detects an artifact while the associated qualitative datum indicates a specific defect, it may modify it immediately under a new category “artifact”. Thus, in the database (12), the map originating from the inspection unit (2, 3, 4) may be immediately updated with corrected real information.

[0036] Such an interactive interface (int) may comprise a detector of signals (gestures, stylus, pointers, etc.) and be easily coupled to the overlaying means so that an operator interacts with the qualitative information overlaid on the product. Lastly, the interactive interface then initiates updating of the database of real data but also of training data related to the qualitative information delivered by the inspection unit, which may in fact comprise an artificial intelligence that requires training, for example when product parameters or the treatment thereof are changed.

[0037] The overlaying means may also comprise one or more optical filters or other spectral illumination means which allow the operator to better discern the actual defect on the overlaid product.

[0038] In the case of FIG. 1, the overlaying means is a videoprojector (11) which is preferably arranged above the operator and the second zone (which is here vertical). More generally, it is advantageous for the overlaying means (such as a videoprojector) to have axes of projection/reflection that are close to the direction of advancement of the product and, in particular, out of the line of sight of the operator. In this way, direct reflections from the projector which might dazzle the operator can be avoided, for example for a product of reflective character (such as a metallic-textured product).

[0039] Nowadays, such “interactive” videoprojectors make it possible to easily produce an interactive interface (int) as previously described on a planar zone such as in the second zone (i2).

[0040] In the example according to FIG. 1, the overlaying means such as a videoprojector just simply projects the qualitative information directly onto the product, more specifically onto the face of product inspected automatically in the first zone (i1). However, it would also be possible for said overlaying means to project the qualitative information onto a transparent screen arranged between the operator and the product and sized to allow an operator to view the entirety of the product portion in the background of the screen. The operator could thus directly touch the screen with their hand (or a stylus) to interact with the projected data.

[0041] The example of FIG. 1 (like the following examples according to FIGS. 2 and 3) shows an extended production line where: [0042] the second zone is located in a fixed zone dedicated to visual inspection of the product by an operator (op), ideally in which the advancement of the product is slowed or even stopped in order to allow visual control of the actual product and its defects marked by a (human) operator; [0043] The first, upstream zone and the second, downstream zone are inserted [0044] into one or more distinct longitudinal (X, Z) planes (8) with continuous advancement of the product; in other words and for example, the line comprising the first zone (i1) may be a continuously advancing production line for the product coupled to another line downstream comprising an accumulator for slowing the continuous advancement of the product and allowing the product to be inspected by virtue of the system according to the invention in the second zone (i2); [0045] and/or into one or more longitudinal (X, Z) planes (8) with discontinuous advancement of the product; in other words and for example, the line comprising the first zone (i1) may be a continuously advancing production line for the product which comprises a winder for the product, and then the product is unwound again into another, distinct line downstream of the production line at a sufficiently low speed for the product in order to allow the product to be inspected by virtue of the system according to the invention in the second zone (i2). According to this scheme, it is then advantageously easier to automatically find and to remove, on the distinct line downstream of the production line, portions that are better delimited and inspected upstream as defective from a strip placed on a mother reel and produced on the first line, and then unwound into the distinct line downstream so as to finally produce a daughter strip which is free of defects and may be rewound with the optimal guarantee of the desired tolerances.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a visual control system according to a second embodiment of the invention, which is substantially identical to that of FIG. 1.

[0047] Alternatively, the overlaying means is a graphic display (111) arranged facing the second zone (i2), such as a partially or completely transparent liquid-crystal display sized to allow an operator to view the entirety of the product portion in the background of the screen. This graphic display may also be a touch display (via finger, stylus, etc.) to allow interactivity between the operator (op) and the qualitative data (7) or other, additional data displayed by the screen.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a visual control system according to a third embodiment of the invention, which is substantially identical to that of FIG. 1.

[0049] Alternatively, the overlaying means is a virtual vision optic (112) borne by the operator (op), ideally in the form of an eyepiece or a headset. This optic is nowadays associated with interactive hand controls to allow interactivity between the operator (op) and the qualitative data (7) or other, additional data (“augmented reality” data) displayed by said optic.