US5686994A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Appearance inspection apparatus and appearance inspection method of electronic components
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1996-08-27
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Granted: 1997-11-11
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Expires: 2016-08-27
Abstract
Abstract A camera is part of an appearance inspection apparatus which observes electronic components soldered to a printed circuit board from a position located directly above the electronic components. The apparatus includes an illuminating light which is emitted toward the electronic components. A laser beam which is emitted from a laser oscillator to an emission area overlaps a viewing field of a camera. The camera is for acquiring image data of the electronic component. Also included is a photo sensor which is disposed obliquely above the emission area which receives the reflected light of the laser beam which has been reflected by the solder. Also included is a moving apparatus for moving the printed circuit board in a horizontal direction relative to the camera and laser oscillator. The image data is acquired and the solder height is measured at substantially the same time. As a result, inspection time is shortened.
Inventors
- 👤 Nobufumi Tokura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:37
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/84; G01N21/88; G01N21/95; G01N21/956; H; H05; H05K; H05K13/00; H05K13/08; H05K13/081; H05K13/0815; H05K13/0817
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
209 words
An appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting a component adhered by solder to a printed circuit board, said appearance inspection apparatus comprising: a camera for observing said component on said printed circuit board from a first position located above said component, said camera having a viewing field and said component being located in said viewing field, a light source for emitting an illuminating light toward the component, said illuminating light used by said camera for observing said component, a light emitter for emitting a measuring light from a second position located above said component to an emission area on said printed circuit board so that said emission area and said viewing field of said camera overlap, said measuring light reflecting from the solder to emit a reflected measuring light, photo sensing means for receiving the reflected measuring light, control means for maintaining said printed circuit board, said camera and said light emitter stationary until both the camera observes said component and the photo sensing means receives said reflected measuring light, and moving means for moving one of (1) the printed circuit board and (2) said camera and said light emitter in a horizontal direction after the camera observes said component and the photo sensing means receives said reflected measuring light.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
209 words
An appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting a component adhered by solder to a printed circuit board, said appearance inspection apparatus comprising: a camera for observing said component on said printed circuit board from a first position located above said component, said camera having a viewing field and said component being located in said viewing field, a light source for emitting an illuminating light toward the component, said illuminating light used by said camera for observing said component, a light emitter for emitting a measuring light from a second position located above said component to an emission area on said printed circuit board so that said emission area and said viewing field of said camera overlap, said measuring light reflecting from the solder to emit a reflected measuring light, photo sensing means for receiving the reflected measuring light, control means for maintaining said printed circuit board, said camera and said light emitter stationary until both the camera observes said component and the photo sensing means receives said reflected measuring light, and moving means for moving one of (1) the printed circuit board and (2) said camera and said light emitter in a horizontal direction after the camera observes said component and the photo sensing means receives said reflected measuring light.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is a laser oscillator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
106 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the camera has a first optical path between said camera and said component, said photo sensing means has a second optical path between said photo sensing means and said component, and the wavelength of the illuminating light and the wavelength of the measuring light are different, and the appearance inspection apparatus further includes: a first filter for preventing the measuring light from entering the camera, said first filter disposed in said first optical path, and a second filter for preventing the illuminating light from entering the photo sensing means said second filter disposed in said second optical path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first position and said second position are along the same vertical axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera observes said component and said photo sensing means receives said reflected light at substantially the same time.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said photo sensing means comprises a plurality of photo sensors radially positioned around the axis of the measuring light emitted to the emission area on the substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: memory means for storing image data obtained by the camera, height measuring means for calculating the height of a measuring point using a signal from the photo sensing means, and judging means for judging a quality of a positioning and a soldering of the electronic component on the substrate using said image data and said calculated height of the measuring point.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
204 words
An appearance inspection method for inspecting components soldered to a printed circuit board, said appearance inspection method comprising: (a) setting a viewing field of a camera provided above the printed circuit board and an emission area of a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator to overlap each other, (b) moving the printed circuit board horizontally relative to said camera and said laser oscillator to position a first component soldered to the printed circuit board in the viewing field and the emission area, (c) acquiring image data of the first component using the camera and storing said image data in a memory, (d) measuring a height of a measuring point using the laser beam and storing the measured height in the memory, (e) maintaining said printed circuit board stationary until both step (c) and step (d) have been performed, (f) moving the printed circuit board horizontally relative to said camera and said laser oscillator to position a next component soldered to the printed circuit board in said viewing field and said emission area, and (g) judging whether an appearance quality of said first component and the solder using the stored measured height and the stored image data from said memory while performing step (f).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
204 words
An appearance inspection method for inspecting components soldered to a printed circuit board, said appearance inspection method comprising: (a) setting a viewing field of a camera provided above the printed circuit board and an emission area of a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator to overlap each other, (b) moving the printed circuit board horizontally relative to said camera and said laser oscillator to position a first component soldered to the printed circuit board in the viewing field and the emission area, (c) acquiring image data of the first component using the camera and storing said image data in a memory, (d) measuring a height of a measuring point using the laser beam and storing the measured height in the memory, (e) maintaining said printed circuit board stationary until both step (c) and step (d) have been performed, (f) moving the printed circuit board horizontally relative to said camera and said laser oscillator to position a next component soldered to the printed circuit board in said viewing field and said emission area, and (g) judging whether an appearance quality of said first component and the solder using the stored measured height and the stored image data from said memory while performing step (f).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 8 wherein step (c) and (d) are preformed at substantially the same time.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
177 words
An appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting an electronic component adhered by solder on a substrate comprising: a camera for observing said electric component, positioned above the substrate, wherein an optical axis of the camera is perpendicular to the substrate, said camera having a viewing field and said electric component being located in said viewing field, a light source which emits an illuminating light onto the substrate, said illuminating light used by said camera for observing said component, a light emitter which generates a measuring light, an optical device positioned between the substrate and the camera, said optical device directing the measuring light onto the substrate by reflecting the measuring light from the light emitter, a scanning means positioned between the light emitter and the optical device for scanning the measuring light so that the measuring light scans an emission area on the substrate which overlaps the viewing field of the camera, and a plurality of photo sensors radially positioned around the optical axis of the camera for receiving the measuring light by a reflection from the substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
177 words
An appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting an electronic component adhered by solder on a substrate comprising: a camera for observing said electric component, positioned above the substrate, wherein an optical axis of the camera is perpendicular to the substrate, said camera having a viewing field and said electric component being located in said viewing field, a light source which emits an illuminating light onto the substrate, said illuminating light used by said camera for observing said component, a light emitter which generates a measuring light, an optical device positioned between the substrate and the camera, said optical device directing the measuring light onto the substrate by reflecting the measuring light from the light emitter, a scanning means positioned between the light emitter and the optical device for scanning the measuring light so that the measuring light scans an emission area on the substrate which overlaps the viewing field of the camera, and a plurality of photo sensors radially positioned around the optical axis of the camera for receiving the measuring light by a reflection from the substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
73 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: memory means for storing image data obtained by the camera, height measuring means for calculating the height of a measuring point using a signal from at least one of said plurality photo sensors, judging means for judging a quality of a positioning and a soldering of the electronic component on the substrate using said image data and said calculated height of the measuring point.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 10 further comprising control means for maintaining said substrate stationary until the camera observes said component and at least one of said plurality of photo sensors receives said measuring light.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
74 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 10 further comprising positioning means for positioning the electric component soldered on the substrate to the region where the viewing field of the camera and the emission area of the measuring light are overlapping, said positioning means moves the substrate relative to the camera in a horizontal direction after the camera observes said component and at least one of said plurality of photo sensors receives said measuring light.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The appearance inspection apparatus of claim 10 wherein the optical axis intersects said optical device so that a portion of the measuring light from the light emitter is reflected along the optical axis.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
145 words
An appearance inspection method for inspecting components soldered on a substrate comprising the steps of: (a) acquiring an image of the substrate at a camera having an optical axis perpendicular to the substrate, (b) emitting a measuring light along the optical axis of the camera to a measuring point inside of a viewfield of the camera, (c) receiving, at a photo sensor, the measuring light reflected by the substrate, (d) judging a quality of a positioning and a soldering of the electronic component to the substrate using said image data and a signal from the photo sensor, (e) maintaining the substrate stationary until both step (a) and step (c) have been performed, and (f) moving the substrate relative to the camera so that a next electronic component is positioned for inspection, wherein the viewfield of the camera and a viewfield of the measuring light overlap.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
145 words
An appearance inspection method for inspecting components soldered on a substrate comprising the steps of: (a) acquiring an image of the substrate at a camera having an optical axis perpendicular to the substrate, (b) emitting a measuring light along the optical axis of the camera to a measuring point inside of a viewfield of the camera, (c) receiving, at a photo sensor, the measuring light reflected by the substrate, (d) judging a quality of a positioning and a soldering of the electronic component to the substrate using said image data and a signal from the photo sensor, (e) maintaining the substrate stationary until both step (a) and step (c) have been performed, and (f) moving the substrate relative to the camera so that a next electronic component is positioned for inspection, wherein the viewfield of the camera and a viewfield of the measuring light overlap.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-11-10 | 2001-05-12 | 2001-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-11-10 | 2005-05-12 | 2005-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-11-10 | 2009-05-12 | 2009-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |