Electro-optical article positioning system

Claim 2

In an electro-optical system for positioning an article in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to a pair of coordinate axes, the article having first and second reference marks thereon: photoelectric image detecting devices, for detecting the position of a reference mark with respect to a first coordinate location, to produce output signals in accordance with the position of the reference mark with respect to the first coordinate location; first article positioning means, responsive to the output signals from the photoelectric devices with the devices detecting the position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate location, for translating the article relative to the coordinate axes to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate location; second article positioning means, for translating the article with respect to the coordinate axes a linear distance equal to the linear distance between the reference marks, to move the first reference mark from the first coordinate location to a second coordinate location, and third article positioning means, responsive to the outputs from the photoelectric devices with the devices detecting the position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate location, for rotating the article about the second coordinate location to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate location, whereby the article is positioned in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to the pair of coordinate axes.

Claim 3

In a system for pOsitioning an article in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article having first and second reference marks on a surface thereof which have a light reflecting characteristic contrasting with that of the surrounding surface area; projecting means, having a field of view, for projecting an image of an area of the surface of the article, within the field of view, onto a screen; first article positioning means for positioning the article with the first reference mark within the field of view of the projecting means to obtain an image of the first reference mark on the screen; first and second pairs of photoelectric elements associated with the screen for sensing portions of an image thereon and for generating output signals in accordance with the light intensity thereof, the first pair of photoelectric elements for sensing portions of the image along a line parallel to the first coordinate axis and the second pair of photoelectric elements for sensing portions of the image along a line parallel to the second coordinate axis, the output signals, in response to the contrasting light reflecting characteristic of a reference mark, being representative of the position of the reference mark with respect to a first coordinate location; second article positioning means, with the image of the first reference mark on the screen, responsive to the output signals from the photoelectric elements for translating the article parallel to the first coordinate axis in accordance with the output signals from the first pair of photoelectric elements, and for translating the article parallel to the second coordinate axis in accordance with the output signals from the second pair of photoelectric elements, to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate location; third article positioning means, for translating the article a linear distance equal to the linear distance between the reference marks, to position the first reference mark at a second coordinate location and to position the second reference mark within the field of view of the projecting means, and fourth article positioning means, responsive to the outputs from the first pair of photoelectric elements, for rotating the article about the first reference mark in accordance with the outputs to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate location.

Claim 4

In a system for pOsitioning an article in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article having first and second reference marks on a surface thereof which have a light reflecting characteristic contrasting with that of the surrounding surface area; projecting means, having a field of view, for projecting an image of an area of the surface of the article, within the field of view, onto a screen; first article positioning means for positioning the article with the first reference mark within the field of view of the projecting means to obtain an image of the first reference mark on the screen; first and second pairs of photoelectric elements associated with the screen for sensing portions of an image thereon and for generating output signals in accordance with the light intensity thereof, the first pair of photoelectric elements for sensing portions of the image along a line parallel to the first coordinate axis and the second pair of photoelectric elements for sensing portions of the image along a line parallel to the second coordinate axis, the output signals, in response to the contrasting light reflecting characteristic of a reference mark, being representative of the position of the reference mark with respect to a first coordinate location; second article positioning means, with the image of the first reference mark on the screen, responsive to the output signals from the photoelectric elements for translating the article parallel to the first coordinate axis in accordance with the output signals from the first pair of photoelectric elements, and for translating the article parallel to the second coordinate axis in accordance with the output signals from the second pair of photoelectric elements, to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate location; third article positioning means, for translating the article a linear distance equal to the linear distance between the reference marks, to position the first reference mark at a second coordinate location and to position the second reference mark within the field of view of the projecting means, and fourth article positioning means, responsive to the outputs from the first pair of photoelectric elements, for rotating the article about the first reference mark in accordance with the outputs to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate location.

Claim 5

In a system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second article positioning means includes: a first support for the article, actuable to move in directions parallel to the first and second coordinate axes; first and second differential amplifiers, each for comparing the output signal of a different photoelectric element of the first pair of photoelectric elements with a sampling signal; third and fourth differential amplifiers, each for comparing the output signal of a different photoelectric element of the second pair of photoelectric elements with the sampling signal; a first temporary storage circuit, responsive to the outputs of the first and second differential amplifiers, to provide signals on outputs thereof for actuating the first support for movement parallel to the first coordinate axis, and a second temporary storage circuit, responsive to the outputs of the third and fourth differential amplifiers, to provide signals on outputs thereof for actuating the first support for movement parallel to the second coordinate axis.

Claim 6

In a system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the second article positioning means includes: a second support, for carrying the first support for rotation about the second coordinate location when the first reference mark is at the second coordinate location, in accordance with the output signals from the first temporary storage circuit.

Claim 7

In a method of positioning an article in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article havinG first and second reference marks thereon, the sequential steps of: detecting the position of the first reference mark with respect to a first coordinate point; generating a first group of signals representative of the detected position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes in accordance with the generated first group of signals to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes a linear distance equal to the linear distance between the first and second reference marks to position the first reference mark at a second coordinate point; detecting the position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; generating a second group of signals representative of the detected position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point, and rotating the article about the second coordinate point in accordance with the generated second group of signals to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate point.

Claim 8

In a method of positioning an article in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article havinG first and second reference marks thereon, the sequential steps of: detecting the position of the first reference mark with respect to a first coordinate point; generating a first group of signals representative of the detected position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes in accordance with the generated first group of signals to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes a linear distance equal to the linear distance between the first and second reference marks to position the first reference mark at a second coordinate point; detecting the position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; generating a second group of signals representative of the detected position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point, and rotating the article about the second coordinate point in accordance with the generated second group of signals to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate point.

Claim 11

In a method as set forth in claim 6, wherein: positioning the substrate with the first one of the discernible marks positioned to be detected by the group of photocells includes positioning the substrate with the first discernible mark positioned to be detected by at least one photocell of the group of photocells; photoelectrically detecting the first discernible mark and generating first signals includes generating a signal of a first state with each photocell that detects the first discernible mark and generating a signal of a second state with each photocell that does not detect the mark, and moving the substrate in accordance with the first generated signals includes determining the state of the signals generated by the photocells along each diagonal, and moving the substrate in a direction which moves the first discernible mark parallel to a diagonal having one photocell associated therewith generating a signal of the first state while the other photocell assocaited therewith generates a signal of the second state, in a direction which moves the first discernible mark toward the photocell generating the signal of the second state.

Claim 12

In a method as set forth in claim 6, wherein: moving the substrate the predetermined distance includes moving the substrate to position the second discernible mark to be detected by at least one photocell of a first pair of diagonally opposed photocells; photoelectrically detecting the second discernible mark and generating second signals with one pair of diagonally opposed photocells includes generating a signal of the first state with the photocells of the pair if the photocell detects the second discernible mark and generating a signal of the second state if the photocell does not detect the mark, and rotating the substrate about the first discernible mark includes determining the state of the signals of the photocells of the pair and rotating the substrate in a direction in accordance therewith to move the second discernible mark toward the photocell generating the signal of the second state.

Claim 13

In a method of positioning an article in a predetermined translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article having first and second reference marks on a surface thereof: positioning the article with the first and second reference marks lying in the plane of the coordinate axes; projecting an image, encompassing both the first reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at a first coordinate point, onto a screen; detecting on the screen the position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; generating a first group of signals having values representative of the detected position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes in accordance with the values of the first group of signals to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes a linear distance equal to the linear distance between the first and second reference marks to position the first reference mark at a second coordinate point; projecting an image, encompassing both the second reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at the first coordinate point, onto the screen; detecting on the screen the position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; generating a second group of signals having values representative of the detected position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point, and rotating the article about the first reference mark, in accordance with the values of the second group of signals, to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate point, thereby the article is oriented with respect to the first and second coordinate axes.

Claim 14

In a method of positioning an article in a predetermined translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article having first and second reference marks on a surface thereof: positioning the article with the first and second reference marks lying in the plane of the coordinate axes; projecting an image, encompassing both the first reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at a first coordinate point, onto a screen; detecting on the screen the position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; generating a first group of signals having values representative of the detected position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes in accordance with the values of the first group of signals to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes a linear distance equal to the linear distance between the first and second reference marks to position the first reference mark at a second coordinate point; projecting an image, encompassing both the second reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at the first coordinate point, onto the screen; detecting on the screen the position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; generating a second group of signals having values representative of the detected position of the second reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point, and rotating the article about the first reference mark, in accordance with the values of the second group of signals, to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate point, thereby the article is oriented with respect to the first and second coordinate axes.

Claim 15

In a method as set forth in claim 9, wherein: detecting the first reference mark on the screen includes sensing the light intensity of the image on the screen at orthogonal positions on the screen which lie along lines which intersect at the first coordinate point and which are each parallel to a different one of the coordinate axes; generating the first group of signals includes generating a different signal in accordance with the light intensity of the image sensed at each of the orthogonal positions; translating the article to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate point includes comparing the signals generated in accordance with the intensity of the image at the positions lying along the line parallel to the first coordinate axis and translating the article along the first coordinate axis in accordance therewith, and comparing the signals generated in accordance with the intensity of the image at the positions lying along the line parallel to the second coordinate axis and translating the article along the second coordinate axis in accordance therewith; detecting the second reference mark on the screen includes sensing the light intensity at the positions on the screen lying along a line parallel to the first coordinate aXis; generating the second group of signals includes generating a different signal in accordance with the light intensity of the image sensed at each of the positions lying along the line parallel to the first coordinate axis, and rotating the article to position the second reference mark at the first coordinate point includes comparing the signals generated in accordance with the intensity of the image sensed at the positions lying along the line parallel to the first coordinate axis and rotating the article about the first reference mark in accordance therewith.

Claim 16

In a method as set forth in claim 10, wherein: the step of projecting an image encompassing both the first reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at the first coordinate point onto a screen includes viewing an area of the surface of the article with a tv camera, the area encompassing both the first reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at the first coordinate point, and generating an image thereof on a screen on a tv monitor; the step of detecting the first reference mark on the screen by sensing the light intensity of the image on the screen includes photoelectrically detecting the light intensity of the image on the screen of the tv monitor; the step of projecting an image encompassing both the second reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at the first coordinate point onto the screen includes viewing an area of the surface of the article with a tv camera, the area encompassing both the second reference mark and an area of the surface of the article at the first coordinate point, and generating an image thereof on the screen of the tv monitor, and the step of detecting the second reference mark on the screen by sensing the light intensity at positions thereon includes photoelectrically detecting the light intensity at positions on the screen of the tv monitor.

Claim 17

In a method of positioning an article in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article having first and second reference marks thereon: detecting the position of the first reference mark with respect to a first coordinate point; generating a first group of signals representative of the detected position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes in accordance with the generated first group of signals to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate point; detecting the position of the second reference mark with respect to a second coordinate point, the spacing between the first and the second coordinate points being equal to the spacing between the first and the second reference marks; generating a second group of signals representative of the detected position of the second reference mark with respect to the second coordinate point, and rotating the article about the first coordinate point in accordance with the generated second group of signals to position the second reference mark at the second coordinate point.

Claim 18

In a method of positioning an article in a preselected translational and rotary orientation with respect to first and second coordinate axes, the article having first and second reference marks thereon: detecting the position of the first reference mark with respect to a first coordinate point; generating a first group of signals representative of the detected position of the first reference mark with respect to the first coordinate point; translating the article relative to the coordinate axes in accordance with the generated first group of signals to position the first reference mark at the first coordinate point; detecting the position of the second reference mark with respect to a second coordinate point, the spacing between the first and the second coordinate points being equal to the spacing between the first and the second reference marks; generating a second group of signals representative of the detected position of the second reference mark with respect to the second coordinate point, and rotating the article about the first coordinate point in accordance with the generated second group of signals to position the second reference mark at the second coordinate point.