Toshiba Engineering Corporation

Masahiro Itou

Kouzou Ichiba

Chuji Itagaki

The present invention provides a method and apparatus of inspecting a surface of an object article capable of precisely detecting stains or miniature defects present in the object surface. Specifically, the invention provides a method of inspecting surface irregularity of an object article having a surface of uniform or regular brightness, which comprises the steps of: gaining brightness informations for a plurality of two-dimensionally distributed pixels by taking a picture of the article surface; finding stains on the article surface in response to each information obtained in the brightness information gaining step to produce a first output; finding miniature defects smaller in size than a unit pixel in response to each information obtained in the brightness information gaining step to generate a second output; switching the first output and the second output into appropriate electrical signals in an controlled manner; and displaying the switched electrical signals on a display in a viewable condition.

Method and apparatus for detecting minute irregularities on the surface of an object

The present invention provides a method and apparatus of inspecting a surface of an object article capable of precisely detecting strains or miniature defects present in the object surface. Specifically, the invention provides a method of inspecting surface irregularity of an object article having a surface of uniform or regular brightness, which comprises the steps of: gaining brightness information for a plurality of two-dimensionally distributed pixels by taking a picture of the article surface; finding stains on the article surface in response to each information obtained in the brightness information gaining step to produce a first output; finding miniature defects smaller in size than a unit pixel in response to each information obtained in the brightness information gaining step to generate a second output; switching the first output and the second output into appropriate electrical signals in an controlled manner; and displaying the switched electrical signals on a display in a viewable condition.

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Machida, Japan

Masahiro Itou