US6138347A — Method and apparatus for the suppression of elect…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 105 words

A method of manufacturing a plurality of electronic packages comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of circuit boards, each of which includes a plurality of grounding sites; (b) attaching a device sensitive to electromagnetic interference to one of said plurality of circuit boards; (c) attaching at least one electromagnetic shield to a preselected one of said plurality of grounding sites on said circuit board, said grounding site being preselected so that said sensitive device is shielded from electromagnetic interference by attachment of said shield; and (d) repeating steps (b) through (c) for a second and subsequent ones of said plurality of circuit boards.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 105 words

A method of manufacturing a plurality of electronic packages comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of circuit boards, each of which includes a plurality of grounding sites; (b) attaching a device sensitive to electromagnetic interference to one of said plurality of circuit boards; (c) attaching at least one electromagnetic shield to a preselected one of said plurality of grounding sites on said circuit board, said grounding site being preselected so that said sensitive device is shielded from electromagnetic interference by attachment of said shield; and (d) repeating steps (b) through (c) for a second and subsequent ones of said plurality of circuit boards.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method according to claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises the step of providing a plurality of surface mount circuit boards.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method according to claim 1, wherein said providing step further comprises the step of: mounting one or more electronic components to one of said plurality of circuit boards.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 48 words

The method according to claim 1, wherein said attaching step (c) comprises: providing a storage unit having a plurality of said electromagnetic shields; removing an electromagnetic shield from the storage unit; placing said electromagnetic shield on said preselected grounding site; and attaching said shield to said grounding site.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

The method according to claim 4, wherein said removing step comprises the step of removing said electromagnetic shield from said storage unit with an automated assembly unit, and wherein said placing step comprises the step of placing said electromagnetic shield on said preselected grounding site with said automated assembly unit.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method according to claim 5, wherein said providing step comprises conveying said plurality of circuit boards to a position adjacent said automated assembly unit.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) precedes step (b).

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 49 words

The method according to claim 4, wherein said shield-providing step comprises providing said plurality of electromagnetic shields on a tape reel, said shields being serially and releasably attached thereto, and wherein said removing step comprises the step of peeling one of said plurality of shields from said tape reel.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of: testing a second plurality of circuit boards for electromagnetic interference; and reprogramming said automatic assembly unit control module to designate a different one of said plurality of grounding site.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of manufacturing a plurality of electronic packages comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first circuit board having a plurality of electronic devices and a plurality of grounding sites; (b) testing said first circuit board for electromagnetic interference; (c) selecting at least one of said plurality of grounding sites for which attachment of a shielding unit reduces electromagnetic interference on said first circuit board; (d) providing a plurality of second circuit boards, each of which has said plurality of electronic devices and said plurality of grounding sites; and (e) attaching shielding units to the selected ones of said plurality of grounding sites on said plurality of second circuit boards.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 111 words

A method of manufacturing a plurality of electronic packages comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first circuit board having a plurality of electronic devices and a plurality of grounding sites; (b) testing said first circuit board for electromagnetic interference; (c) selecting at least one of said plurality of grounding sites for which attachment of a shielding unit reduces electromagnetic interference on said first circuit board; (d) providing a plurality of second circuit boards, each of which has said plurality of electronic devices and said plurality of grounding sites; and (e) attaching shielding units to the selected ones of said plurality of grounding sites on said plurality of second circuit boards.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of providing a plurality of second circuit boards comprises the step of providing a plurality of surface mount circuit boards.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method according to claim 10, wherein said attaching step comprises: providing a storage unit having a plurality of shielding units; removing a shielding unit from the storage unit; placing said shielding unit on said preselected grounding site; and attaching said shielding unit to said grounding site.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 50 words

The method according to claim 12, wherein said removing step comprises the step of removing said shielding unit from said storage unit with an automated placement unit, and wherein said placing step comprises the step of placing said shielding unit on said preselected grounding site with said automated assembly unit.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of providing a plurality of second circuit boards comprises conveying said plurality of circuit boards to a position adjacent said automated placement unit.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method according to claim 13, wherein said automated assembly unit further comprises a control module for designating said preselected grounding site.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 53 words

The method according to claim 12, wherein said shielding unit providing step comprises providing said plurality of shielding units on a tape reel, said shielding unit being serially and releasably attached thereto, and wherein said removing step comprises the step of peeling one of said plurality of shielding units from said tape reel.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method according to claim 15, wherein said selecting step comprises programming said control module to designate one of said plurality of grounding sites to receive a shielding unit so that the electromagnetic interference experienced by said sensitive device is reduced.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 162 words

A method of manufacturing a plurality of electronic packages comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of first tape reels, each of which has a plurality of electronic components serially and releasably attached thereto; (b) providing a second tape reel having a plurality of electromagnetic shielding units serially and releasably attached thereto; (c) providing a plurality of circuit boards, each of which has a plurality of grounding sites; (d) automatically picking selected ones of said electronic components from said first tape reels; (e) automatically placing said selected electronic components on one of said plurality of circuit boards; (f) automatically picking at least one of said plurality of shielding units from said second tape reel; (g) automatically placing said at least one shielding unit at preselected ones of said plurality of grounding sites to reduce electromagnetic interference experienced by said electronic components on said circuit board; and (h) repeating steps (d)-(g) for second and subsequent ones of said plurality of circuit boards.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 162 words

A method of manufacturing a plurality of electronic packages comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of first tape reels, each of which has a plurality of electronic components serially and releasably attached thereto; (b) providing a second tape reel having a plurality of electromagnetic shielding units serially and releasably attached thereto; (c) providing a plurality of circuit boards, each of which has a plurality of grounding sites; (d) automatically picking selected ones of said electronic components from said first tape reels; (e) automatically placing said selected electronic components on one of said plurality of circuit boards; (f) automatically picking at least one of said plurality of shielding units from said second tape reel; (g) automatically placing said at least one shielding unit at preselected ones of said plurality of grounding sites to reduce electromagnetic interference experienced by said electronic components on said circuit board; and (h) repeating steps (d)-(g) for second and subsequent ones of said plurality of circuit boards.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method according to claim 18, wherein step (g) is preceded by the step of: preselecting which of said plurality of grounding sites reduces the electromagnetic interference experienced by said electronic components on said circuit board when a shielding unit is attached thereto.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 49 words

The method according to claim 18, wherein step (g) is preceded by the step of: programming an automatic placement unit to place a shielding unit at each of preselected ones of said plurality of grounding sites to reduce electromagnetic interference experienced by said electronic components on said circuit board.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method according to claim 18, wherein said providing step comprises the step of providing a plurality of surface mount circuit boards.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method according to claim 18, wherein said steps (f) and (g) precede steps (d) and (e).

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method according to claim 18, wherein said circuit board providing step comprises conveying said plurality of circuit boards to a position adjacent said automated assembly unit.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 59 words

The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of: testing a second plurality of circuit boards for electromagnetic interference; and preselecting which of said plurality of grounding sites reduces the electromagnetic interference experienced by said electronic components on each of said circuit boards of said second plurality of circuit boards when a shielding unit is attached thereto.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-10-31	2004-05-01	2004-10-31	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-10-31	2008-05-01	2008-10-31	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-10-31	2012-05-01	2012-10-31	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for the suppression of electromagnetic interference in an electronic system

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