Recent Patents on Vision Technology-based Devices

Background: In VTBDs (Vision Technology-Based Devices), vision technology is utilized to acquire abundant information about the external environment and process such information to achieve certain functions. They are used in various fields to solve practical problems. Various patents have been discussed in this article, hoping to provide ideas for solving practical problems in the future. Objective: The study aimed to provide an overview of the existing VTBDs and introduce their classifications, characteristics, as well as the stage and trend of development. Methods: This paper reviews various patents, especially Chinese patents related to VTBDs. The structural characteristics, differentiation, and engineering applications of VTBDs are also introduced. Results: The existing VTBDs are analyzed and compared, and their typical characteristics are summarized. The main applications, as well as the pros and cons, in the current development stage, are summarized and analyzed, as well. In addition, the development trend of VTBDsrelated patents is also discussed. Conclusion: VTBDs can be categorized into DsBMV (Devices Based on Monocular Visual), DsBBV (Devices Based on Binocular Visual), and DsBMCV (Devices Based on Multi-Camera Visual). All of these categories exhibit their own relative advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is of much importance to analyze the specific problems, followed by selecting appropriate machine vision technologies and reasonable mechanical structures to design VTBDs accordingly.