System and method for monitoring and visualizing the output of a production process

Abstract

A system for monitoring and visualizing the output of a production process, whose output materials or items are inspected by one or more inspection units, may include a communication module to receive data from the one or more inspection units. The received data may be associated with a measured or extrapolated value of at least one parameter of the inspected materials or items. A comparator module may compare at least one of the measured or extrapolated values against a corresponding stored value to determine a difference value, and a visualization module may generate an image representing the inspected items or materials. An area or section of the image corresponding to an area or section of the item or material associated with the at least one of the measured or extrapolated values which was compared to the stored value may be visually coded to indicate a corresponding difference value.

1 . A method for visualizing the output of a production process comprising:
 inspecting two or more materials or items produced by the production process;   directly measuring or extrapolating one or more values of one or more parameters of each inspected item;   comparing at least one of the measured or extrapolated values against a corresponding stored value to determine a difference value;   using a computing device to generate an image representing each of the inspected items, wherein an area or section of the image corresponding to an area or section of the item associated with the at least one of the measured or extrapolated values which was compared to the stored value is visually coded to indicate the corresponding value or difference value.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the measured or extrapolated parameter value is compared with a stored value representing a target value for the parameter. 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising presenting to a viewer each of the generated images serially. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein visual coding an area or a section comprises applying a color to the area or section, wherein the color is associated with the value or difference value. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein visual coding an area or a section comprises applying a texture to the area or section, wherein the texture is associated with the value or difference value. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein each of a set of colors is associated with a range of possible values or difference values. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein each of a set of colors is associated with a specific value and the difference value is quantized so as to correspond with one of the values associated with one of the colors. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising performing statistical analysis on correspond values and or difference values associated with corresponding points on each of the inspected materials or items to derive a statistical analysis based data set. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising visualizing the statistical analysis based data set. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the type of statistical analysis performed may be selected from group consisting of averaging, range determination, and standard deviation calculation. 
   
   
       11 . A system for visualizing the output of a production process whose output materials or items are inspected by one or more inspection units, said system comprising;
 a communication module to receive data from the one or more inspection units, wherein the received data is associated with a measured or extrapolated value of at least one parameter of the inspected materials or items;   a comparator module to compare at least one of the measured or extrapolated values against a corresponding stored value to determine a difference value; and   a visualization module to generate an image representing each of the inspected items, wherein an area or section of the image corresponding to an area or section of the item or material associated with the at least one of the measured or extrapolated values which was compared to the stored value is visually coded to indicate the corresponding value or difference value.   
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the measured or extrapolated parameter value is compared with a stored value representing a target value for the parameter. 
   
   
       13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said visualization module presents to a viewer each of the generated images serially. 
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said visualization module visually codes an area or a section by applying a color to the area or section, wherein the color is associated with the value or difference value. 
   
   
       15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said visualization module visually codes an area or a section by applying a texture to the area or section, wherein the texture is associated with the value or difference value. 
   
   
       16 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein each of a set of colors is associated with a range of possible values or difference values. 
   
   
       17 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein each of a set of colors is associated with a specific value and the difference value is quantized so as to correspond with one of the values associated with one of the colors. 
   
   
       18 . The system according to  claim 12 , further comprising a statistical calculation module to perform statistical analysis on correspond values or difference values associated with corresponding points on each of the inspected materials or items to derive a statistical analysis based data set. 
   
   
       19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the visualization module is adapted to visualize the statistical analysis based data set. 
   
   
       20 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the type of statistical analysis performed by said statistical calculation module may be selected from group consisting of averaging, range determination, and standard deviation calculation.