Data acquisition image analysis image manipulation interface

Abstract

An interface apparatus for use with a computer system. The apparatus in the preferred embodiment having three concentric annular rings. The outer most of which is a solid ring, the two inner rings each being segmented into for equal arcs, which arcs form four pairs of two buttons each. The interface also has at its center two buttons. The interface is used to position an object for imaging and also to manipulate and position the image of an object for comparison and analysis. The two center buttons and the outside annular ring are used to generate signals to rotate an object or the image of the object in a common reference frame. The four pairs of arcs of the two inner concentric rings are used to generate signals for translational motion of the object or the image of the object. The four pairs of arcs being positioned to move the object or the image of the object in one of four perpendicular directions within the common reference frame. In a sub-operating state the outside periphery of the outer most solid ring can be made to represent the contours of the surface of an object and also to indicate which portions of the surface of that object have been imaged.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An interface apparatus for manipulating a workpiece positionable by movement means, said apparatus comprising: 
 a first annular control means responsive to operator input for generating a rotational control signal for rotating said workpiece within a common reference frame;    a second annular control means responsive to operator input for generating a translational motion control signal for movement of said workpiece within the common reference frame; and    such movement allowing the operator to position the workpiece for at least one of the following imaging, analysis and comparison.    
     
     
         2 . The interface apparatus of  claim 1  which further comprises a third annular control means for generating a translational motion control signal, for movement of the workpiece within the reference frame, wherein the control signal generated by the second annular control means moves the workpiece in small increments and the signal generated by the third annular control means moves the workpiece in large increments.  
     
     
         3 . The interface apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the two annular control means are concentric so that they share a common center.  
     
     
         4 . The interface apparatus of  claim 3  which further comprises, at the common center of the first and second concentric annular control means, at least two activable buttons, the first button when activated rotates the work piece in a clockwise direction and the second button when activated rotates the work piece in a counterclockwise direction.  
     
     
         5 . The interface apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second annular control means is segmented into four equal arcs, with each arc forming a separate button for directed motion, which on individual activation of each button generates a control signal for movement of the workpiece on a vector in a direction which is radially away from a common center of the arcs and normal to a tangent at a center of a peripheral outside edge of the arc so activated, the arcs being so positioned that the direction of a vector of any one arc is perpendicular to the direction of vectors of the two adjacent arcs when each is activated by operator input, and 180 degrees from the direction of a vector of an arc on the opposite side of the common center of the arcs when activated by operator input.  
     
     
         6 . The interface apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the interface includes a third annular ring, also segmented into four equal arcs, each arc so formed being paired with an arc of the second annular ring so that the paired arcs form two buttons for movement of the workpiece along a vector in the same direction, one of the arcs of each pair providing for small incremental movements of the workpiece and the other arc of each pair providing for large incremental movements of the workpiece.  
     
     
         7 . The interface apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control signal generated by operator input at a selected spot on the second annular control means moves the workpiece within the common reference frame in a direction of a vector radially away from a common center of the second annular control means and normal to a tangent line formed at the closest point on an outside periphery of the annular control means to the selected spot on the second annular control means activated by operator input.  
     
     
         8 . The interface apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the command and control mechanism is a programmable computer with a visual display.  
     
     
         9 . The interface apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the workpiece is both an object and an image of that object and the computer system is in functional communication with an imaging device and an object positioning device, the imaging device being placed in relation to the object positioning device such that upon operator input, applied through the interface, the computer system can generate the necessary control signal to position the object held by the object positioning device in a focal plane of the object imaging device so that the imaging device can focus on the object and transmit to the computer for display on the visual display the image of that object so obtained.  
     
     
         10 . The interface apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the first annular control means can be switched between a first operational state wherein it rotates the object and a second operational state wherein contours of a surface of the object can be mapped to an outside periphery of the first annular control means so that a representation of the contours of the surface of the object appears on the outside periphery of the first annular control means.  
     
     
         11 . The interface apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the second operation state maps those portions of the contours of the object which have been successfully imaged and stored in a memory by the computer system.  
     
     
         12 . The interface apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the object imaged is a spent bullet and the first annular control means of the interface apparatus in the second operational state displays on its outside periphery contours of land engraved areas of the bullet successfully imaged and stored by the computer in a memory.  
     
     
         13 . The interface apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the workpiece is an image of a reference object and an image of a test object and the computer system can simultaneously display on the visual display an image of a test object and an image of a reference object and operator input applied through the interface can switch the computer system between three different image analysis states, a first state for manipulating the image of the test object, a second state for manipulating the image of the reference object and a third state for manipulating the combined images of the test object and the reference object.  
     
     
         14 . The interface apparatus of  claim 13  wherein when the interface is in the third state, the image of the test object and the reference object are joined together on the visual display in an overlapping configuration with the visible portions of the image of the reference object and the image of the test object separated by a line of separation, the line of separation being manipulated by operator input means.  
     
     
         15 . The interface apparatus of  claim 14  wherein operator input to manipulate the line of separation, while the interface is in the third state, causes the line of separation to rotate about a central point, which as it rotates it successively reveals different portions of the overlapped images of the test object and the image of the reference object so that the operator can compare and analyze them.  
     
     
         16 . The interface apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the first annular control means has an operator activable marker, which marker as the operator moves it around the first annular ring generates the signal which causes the workpiece to rotate in the same direction through the same angular distance as the marker is moved by the operator on the first annular control means.  
     
     
         17 . The interface apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the operator activates the interface with a pointing device.  
     
     
         18 . The interface apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the pointing device is taken from one of the group consisting of: a mouse, track ball, touch pad, light pen and PC styles.  
     
     
         19 . The interface apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the operator activities the various parts of the interface with a touch sensitive screen.  
     
     
         20 . In a computer system, a visual display interface for manipulating a workpiece comprising: an operator activated interface for a visual display with four operator activable buttons positioned in an orthogonal relationship to each other around a common center and each button, when individually activated, by operator input, generates a signal which causes a workpiece in a common frame of reference to move in a direction of a vector of motion pointing radially away from the common center, which vector is at right angles to the direction of vectors of motion of the two adjacent buttons, and at 180 degrees from the direction of a vector of motion of the button on an opposite side of the common center.  
     
     
         21 . The interface apparatus of  claim 20  which further comprises an annular ring which generates a control signal which rotates the workpiece upon operator input.  
     
     
         22 . The interface apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the interface further comprises four additional buttons one of each of which is paired with the four original buttons, thus forming four pairs of two buttons each, one of each pair when activated moves the workpiece in small increments in the direction of the vector of motion of the original button of the pair moves the workpiece, and the second button of each pair moves the workpiece in larger increments in the same direction of the vector of motion of the original button of the pair moves the workpiece.  
     
     
         23 . The interface apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the pairs of buttons in orthogonal relation to each other share the common center with the annular ring.  
     
     
         24 . The interface apparatus of  claim 23  wherein the annular ring circumscribes the four pairs of buttons.  
     
     
         25 . The interface apparatus of  claim 24  which further comprises two additional buttons at the common center, the first button upon operator input rotates the workpiece in a clockwise direction and the second button upon operator input rotates the workpiece in a counter clockwise direction.  
     
     
         26 . The interface apparatus of  claim 25  wherein the interface can be switched between two different operating modes, a first mode for image acquisition and a second mode for image analysis.  
     
     
         27 . The interface apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the work piece is an object and the image of that object and in which the computer system is in functional communication with an imaging device and an object positioning device, the imaging device being placed in relation to the object positioning device such that upon operator input applied through the interface the computer system can generate the necessary control signal to position the object held by the object positioning device in a focal plane of the object imaging device so that the imaging device can focus on the object and transmit to the computer the image of the object so obtained.  
     
     
         28 . The interface apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the common reference frame further comprises a primary reference frame and a secondary reference frame, the primary reference frame being the visual display shared by the image of the object and the interface apparatus and the secondary reference frame being the focal plane of the imaging device; the primary reference frame and the secondary reference frame are functionally linked so that during real time imaging that movement of the image resulting from operator input to the interface apparatus results in corresponding movement of the object so that operator can position the object to acquire images of any surface of the object.  
     
     
         29 . The interface apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the annular ring has two functional operating states between which it can be changed while in the first operating mode of image acquisition, a first operational state in which it rotates the object and the image of that object being imaged, and a second state in which those portions of the object which are successfully imaged by the system and the images are saved by the system are representatively mapped to an outside periphery of the annular ring so that a representation of those portions of the object appears on the said periphery.  
     
     
         30 . The interface apparatus of  claim 29  wherein the object imaged while the system is in the first state of the first operating mode is a cartridge case.  
     
     
         31 . The interface apparatus of  claim 29  wherein the object imaged while the system is in the second state of the first operating mode is a spent bullet from a firearm and the portions of the spent bullet which are representatively mapped to the annular ring upon successful imaging are land engraved areas of the spent bullet.  
     
     
         32 . The interface apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the workpiece is both an image of a test object and an image of a reference object and when the computer system is in the second mode of image analysis it can simultaneously display, on the visual display, the image of the test object and the image of the reference object and operator input through the interface can switch the computer system between three different imaging states, a first state for manipulating the image of the test object, a second state for manipulating a the image of the reference object and a third state for manipulating the combined images of the test object and the reference object.  
     
     
         33 . The interface apparatus of  claim 32  wherein when the interface is in the third state, the image of the test object and the reference object are joined together on the visual display in an overlapping configuration with the visible portions of the image of the reference object and the image of the test object separated by a line of separation, the line of separation being manipulated by the operator generated control signal.  
     
     
         34 . The interface apparatus of  claim 33  wherein activation of the first annular control means to generate the control signal, while the interface is in the third state, causes the line of separation to rotate about a central point, which as it rotates it successively reveals different portions of the overlapped images of the test object and the image of the reference object so that the operator can compare and analyze them.  
     
     
         35 . The interface of  claim 34  wherein the image of the object under analysis is a cartridge case.  
     
     
         36 . In a computer system, a method for manipulating objects and images comprising the steps of: 
 generating an activable interface for a visual display with at least two annular control means: the first annular control means, when activated, generates a control signal of rotational motion which rotates a workpiece within a reference frame, the second annular control means, when activated, generates a control signal of translational motion which moves the workpiece within the reference frame;    moving a workpiece within the reference frame to a desired location in that reference frame, with the control signal of translational motion generated by activating the second annular control means;    rotating the workpiece within the reference frame to a desired angular orientation with the control signal of rotational motion generated by activating the first annular control means; and    conducting at least one of the following imaging, analysis and comparison.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the step of generating the interface further comprises the step of generating the first and second annular control means such that they are concentric and thus share a common center.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the step of generating the interface further comprises: generating a third annular control means which shares the common center with the first and second annular control means and wherein activation of the third annular control means generates a signal of translational motion which moves the workpiece in large increments and the signal of translational motion generated by activation of the second annular control means moves the work piece in small increments.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein generating the interface further comprises the step of the interface and the workpiece sharing a common reference frame.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36  wherein generation of a control signal by operator input at a selected spot on the second annular control means moves the workpiece in the direction of a vector pointing radially away from a center of the second annular control means and normal to a line tangent to a point on an outside circumference of the second annular control means which point is the closest point on the outside periphery to the selected spot.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36  wherein in the step of generating the interface comprises: segmenting the second annular control means into four equal arcs which share a common center, with each arc forming a separate button for directed motion, which on individual activation of each button generates a control signal for movement of the workpiece on a vector in a direction which is radially away from the common center of the arcs, said vector being normal to the center of the peripheral outside edge of the arc so activated, the arcs being so positioned that the direction of the vector of any one arc being perpendicular to the direction of the vectors of the two adjacent arcs and 180 degrees from the direction of the vector of the arc on the opposite of the common center.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the step of generating the interface further comprises generating a third concentric annular control means which shares the common center with the second annular control means, the third annular control means being segmented into four equal arcs, each arc so formed by the third annular control means being paired with an arc of the second annular control means so that the paired arcs form two buttons for movement of the workpiece along a vector in the same direction, one of the arcs of each pair providing for small incremental movements of the workpiece and the other arc of each pair providing for large incremental movements of the workpiece.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein generating the interface further comprises generating two buttons at the common center of the annular control means, one of said buttons upon operator activation rotates the workpiece in a clockwise direction and the other button on operator activation rotates the workpiece in a counterclockwise direction.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 36  comprising the further step of switching between two operating modes, a first mode for image acquisition and second for image analysis, comparison and manipulation.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the step of operating in the first operating mode comprises manipulating with the interface a workpiece which is both an object and an image of that object, the image of the object so manipulated appearing on the visual display.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the step of operating in the second operating mode comprises the workpiece being an image of a reference object and an image of a test object and simultaneously displaying on the visual display the image of the test object and the image of the reference object, and the further step of switching the interface in the second operating mode between three different states, a first state for manipulating the image of the test object, a second state for manipulating a the image of the reference object and a third state for manipulating a combined image of the test object and the reference object.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the step of operating in the first operating mode comprises the step of selecting one of two different states to operate in: a first state for acquisition of an image of a cartridge case and a second state for acquisition of images of the land engraved areas of a spent bullet.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein the step of operating in the second state includes the step of mapping to the first annular control means a representation of each land engraved area successfully imaged.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  wherein, the step of the second state imaging the land engraved areas, further comprises the step of a third state mapping contours of the object imaged to the first annular control means.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48  comprising the step of entering the third state before entering the second state.  
     
     
         51 . A method of displaying contours of a surface of an object, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an interface with a peripheral surface;    obtaining positional information on contours of said surface of said object; and    altering said interfaces peripheral surface to display said information on the contours of portions of said object.    
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the step of obtaining the information on the contours of said surface of said object comprises scanning the surface of said object and generating a mathematical function approximating said surface of said object.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  wherein the step of altering said interfaces peripheral surface comprises: altering the peripheral surface of said interface apparatus with the information from said mathematical function.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53  comprising the further step of imaging selected portions of said surface of said object and indicating on the peripheral surface of said interface which portions of said surface of said object have been imaged.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 52  wherein the scanned object is cylindrical in shape.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 52  wherein said object is a spent bullet.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  comprising the further step of imaging selected portions of said spent bullet surface and indicating on the peripheral surface of said interface which portions of said spent bullet have been imaged.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57  wherein the portions of said spent bullet imaged are land engraved areas.  
     
     
         59 . An interface apparatus of a computer system adaptable for representing contours of a surface of an object, said apparatus comprising: 
 an annular control means with a peripheral surface;    an imaging system capable of obtaining information on the surface of the object; and    means to alter the peripheral surface of the annular control means with the information obtained by the imaging system so that the peripheral surface represents the contours of the surface of the object.    
     
     
         60 . The interface apparatus of  claim 59  wherein the imaging system obtains the information on the contours of the surface of the object by scanning the object and generating a mathematical function representative of the contours of the surface which mathematical function is the information used to alter the outside peripheral surface by the altering means.  
     
     
         61 . The interface apparatus of  claim 60  wherein when the imaging system obtains images of portions of the surface of the object, the peripheral surface of the annular control means can indicate which portions of the surface of the object were imaged.  
     
     
         62 . The interface apparatus of  claim 61  wherein the imaging system comprises an imaging device and an object holding device, the holding device being configured to hold and manipulate the object and the imaging device being positioned to focus on and image the object held by the holding device so that the object may be scanned and imaged.  
     
     
         63 . The interface apparatus of  claim 62  wherein the computer system is in control of the operation of the imaging system, the means to alter, and the annular control means and the annular control means appears on a visual display of the computer system.  
     
     
         64 . A system for manipulating a work piece, said workpiece being an object or an image of that object, said system comprising: 
 interface means for receiving an operator input and generating an operative signal,    mode selection means for selecting between an acquisition and an analysis mode,    acquisition movement means for generating a workpiece positioning signal upon the operators selection of the acquisition mode and generation of an operative signal,    analysis movement means for generating an image positioning signal upon the operators selection of the analysis mode and generation of the operative signal,    means for receiving said mode selection signal and for providing said operative signal selectively to one of: the acquisition movement means in response to selection of the acquisition mode, or the analysis movement means in response to selection of the analysis mode.    
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64  wherein said acquisition movement means for generating a workpiece positioning signal and analysis movement means for generating an image positioning signal further comprises means to generate a first workpiece positioning signal which provides for rotational motion of the work piece, and a second workpiece positioning signal which provides for translational motion of the work piece.  
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 64  wherein said acquisition mode has a first sub-mode for acquisition of a profile of contours of a surface of the object and means for displaying an image of the profile of the contours of the surface of the object.  
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 65  wherein said analysis movement means has means to display the image of a test object and the image of a reference object adjacent to each other and the mode means can change the analysis movement means among three operating states: a first operating state for rotation and translational motion of the image of the reference object, a second operating state for rotation and translation of the image of the test object and a third operating state for displaying the combined image of the test and the reference object joined by a line of separation.  
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 67  wherein when the system is in the third operating state the signal of rotational motion, upon input of an operative signal rotates the line of separation about a point on the line of separation, whereby rotation of the line of separation successively different portions of the image of the test and reference object.  
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 64  wherein the interface receives operator input from a pointing device and the operator selects the operating mode with the pointing device.  
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 65  wherein the interface means has a first and second annular control means, wherein the first annular control means receives operator input for generation of the first workpiece positioning signal which provides for rotational motion and the second annular control means receives operator input for generation of the second workpiece positioning signal for which provides for translational motion of the workpiece.  
     
     
         71 . The system of claim  70  wherein the interface means further comprises a third annular control means wherein the third annular ring receives operator input for generation of a signal for large translational motion movements of the workpiece and the second annular control piece receives operator input for generation of a signal for small translational motion movements of the workpiece.  
     
     
         72 . The system of claim  71  wherein the first annular control means, the second annular control means and the third annular control means all share a common center and at the common center the interface has means for incremental rotational movement whereby the operator input generates a signal which provides for incremental rotational movement of the work piece.  
     
     
         73 . A method for dimensionally adjusting an image for optimal image analysis comprising: 
 displaying an image on a screen;    sending a signal to expand the image so that the image adjusts along at least one dimensional axis;    wherein the adjusting of the image can be stretching it out or compressing it; and    whereby the adjustment of the image facilitates analysis of the image and comparison of the image with at least one other image.    
     
     
         74 . An interface apparatus for dimensionally adjusting an image for optimal image analysis comprising: a thumb wheel responsive to operator input, said thumb wheel being operatively connected to an image adjustment mechanism so that when the operator moves the thumb wheel the image adjusts it size along at least one axis, wherein adjustment can either be a stretching out of the image or compressing the image to facilitate analysis of the image and comparison of the image with at least one other image.