Acuity Imaging, LLC

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.

Velcro Industries B.v.

Jonathan Edmund Ludlow

Steven Joseph King

Howard K Stern

Gregory R Hallerman

George Schurr

Richard Madden

Martin E Smirlock

Jon Chouinard

A three-dimensional inspection system and method is used to obtain information about three-dimensional articles with specular surfaces having a shape and positive or negative height by projecting a pattern of light onto the articles at an oblique angle. The system includes a patterned light projector with optical axis disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the plane of the article being inspected, an extended light source, and an image detector disposed above the article to detect the image of the pattern on the article. The light pattern includes lines with a substantially equal thickness and spacing. The spacing of the lines is greater than a spacing or pitch of the specular elements. An image processor, coupled to the image detector, receives the image, locates the lines, and measures the lateral shift of the lines. Height information is determined from the lateral shift and projection angle using triangulation.

Method for three-dimensional inspection using patterned light projection

A three-dimensional inspection system is used to obtain three-dimensional information pertaining to an article having specular surfaces, such as a BGA device, by projecting a pattern of light onto the article at an oblique angle with respect to the article. The system includes patterned light projector having an optical axis disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the plane of the article being inspected and an image detector or camera disposed generally above the article being inspected to detect the image of the pattern projected on the article. The patterned light projector includes an extended light source that directs light along the optical axis and a light patterning member disposed at an angle with respect to the optical axis such that the light pattern is in focus in an image plane parallel to the plane of the article, thereby satisfying the Scheimpflug condition. The light pattern preferably includes lines of light projected onto the article with a substantially equal thickness and spacing. The spacing of the lines is preferably greater than a spacing or pitch of the specular elements, such as the solder balls on a BGA device. An image processor is coupled to the image detector to receive the image, locate the lines, and measure the lateral shift of the lines. Height information is determined from the lateral shift and projection angle using triangulation.

System and method for three-dimensional inspection using patterned light projection

An inspection system and method uses a first illumination apparatus, such as a ring illumination apparatus to illuminate one or more reflective elements, such as solder balls on an electronic component or other protruding surfaces or objects. The ring illumination apparatus includes a substantially ring-shaped light source that provides a substantially even illumination across the one or more reflective elements. An illumination detection device detects light beams reflecting off of the illuminated reflective elements for forming a first captured image. The system and method then uses a second, different illumination apparatus, such as an on-axis illumination apparatus to illuminate the reflective elements. The second illumination apparatus is selected so as to illuminate unwanted reflective elements substantially the same as they are illuminated by the first illumination apparatus while illuminating the desired reflective elements differently. A second image of the object is then captured by the illumination detection device. The second image is then subtracted from the first or vice-versa by an image processor to generate a resulting image that is substantially devoid of the unwanted reflective elements, yet including the desired reflective elements, which are further analyzed using additional image analyzed techniques.

System and method for image subtraction for ball and bumped grid array inspection

An inspection system and method uses a first illumination apparatus to illuminate one or more features, such as solder balls on an electronic component or other protruding surfaces or features on an object being inspected. Once the object being inspected is illuminated, a first reflected image of the plurality of features is captured by an illumination detection device. The first reflected image is stored in an image buffer. The object being inspected is then illuminated by at least one additional illumination apparatus. Each additional illumination apparatus is selected so that it differs from the other illumination apparatuses in either geometrical arrangement, degree of diffusion or illumination characteristic. An additional reflected image of the object is then captured by the illumination detection device while the object is illuminated by each additional illumination apparatus. Each additional reflected image is also stored in an image buffer. Once at least two reflected images are captured and stored in the image buffer, they are combined by an image processor using at least one arithmetic operation to create a resulting image in which at least one selected feature is enhanced. The enhanced features appearing on the resulting image can then be inspected using additional image processing equipment using standard image analysis techniques.

System and method for arithmetic operations for electronic package inspection

An inspection system and method for optically inspecting substantially the entire circumference of a cylindrical surface, such as a cigarette is provided. The system includes first and second moveable supports for supporting and transporting the cigarette so that a first side of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette is presented to a first visual inspection apparatus and a second side, which includes at least those portions of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette not included in the first side, is presented to a second visual inspection apparatus. Each visual inspection apparatus includes an illumination source for illuminating the presented side of the cigarette's surface. Each illumination source is configured to direct light onto the cigarette's surface substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cigarette at a low, acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. An image of each presented side of the cigarette is captured using an image capture device, which is preferably a time domain and integration (TDI) camera. The system also includes multiple inspection system processors for processing the captured images.

Cylindrical object surface inspection system

System and method for three-dimensional inspection using patterned light

An illumination apparatus and method illuminates one or more reflective elements, such as solder balls on an electronic component or other protruding surfaces or objects. The illumination apparatus includes one or more arc shaped or arc shape arranged light sources that provides a substantially even illumination across the one or more reflective elements. An illumination detection device detects light beams reflecting off of the illuminated reflective elements for forming a reflected image. A method of processing the reflected image includes locating one or more points on each reflected image element representing an illuminated reflective element. The points on the reflected image elements are used to located the pattern of the reflected image elements and/or to fit an outline around each image element corresponding to a known percentage of the true dimensions of each solder ball or other reflective element. The inspection system and method thereby determines various characteristics such as the absence/presence, location, pitch, size and shape of each reflective element.

Arc illumination apparatus and method

An inspection system and method uses a ring illumination apparatus to illuminate one or more reflective elements, such as solder balls on an electronic component or other protruding surfaces or objects. The ring illumination apparatus includes a substantially ring-shaped light source that provides a substantially even illumination across the one or more reflective elements. An illumination detection device detects light beams reflecting off of the illuminated reflective elements for forming a reflected image. A method of processing the reflected image includes locating one or more edges of each reflected image element representing an illuminated reflective element. The edges of the reflected image elements are located by determining the maximum intensity gradient in the pixels forming the reflected image element. The inspection system and method thereby determines various characteristics such as the absence/presence, location, pitch, size and shape of each reflective element.

Ring illumination apparatus for illuminating reflective elements on a

Ring illumination reflective elements on a generally planar surface

Silent touch fastener material adapted to releasably engage a mating surface and adapted to produce reduced sound during rapid separation of the touch fastener material from the mating surface. The material comprises a planar backing material having an engaging surface thereon contacting the backing material at discrete points and adapted to releasably engage the mating surface and means for reducing the coupling of noise-producing vibration from the backing material into the surrounding air. Various embodiments disclose the backing material as having a high mass relative to the mass of the engaging surface; a planar high mass supplemental backing material bonded to the backing material; a flexible, high mass material incorporated into the backing material; means disposed at the discrete points of attachment of the engaging surface to the backing material for suppressing the coupling of vibrations produced in the engaging surface into the backing material; and, the backing material comprising a lattice structure having low ability for transferring vibrations induced therein into the air surrounding it.

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Jonathan Edmund Ludlow