The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 27, 2003
Filed:
Apr. 05, 1999
Minoru Fujita, Kawasaki, JP;
Toshiba Engineering Corporation, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
A light-and-shade inspecting apparatus and method therefor, includes an image pick-up device for picking up an image of the object to output an image data, an integrated image calculating portion for dividing the image data outputted from the image pick-up device into a mesh pattern of meshes and then adding together the image data within each of the divided meshes to obtain an integrated image, a differentiated image calculating portion for performing a difference operation between each pair of meshes separated by a predetermined interval from each other with respect to their corresponding two integrated images obtained through the integrated image calculating portion, a defect detecting portion for comparing a value obtained through the differentiated image calculating portion with a predetermined value to detect as a defect portion which is partially different in luminance from the other portions on the object, an average value calculating portion for calculating an average value of the integrated image obtained through the integrated image calculating portion, and a light-and-shade deciding portion for deciding whether the defect detected by the defect detecting portion includes a light defect or a shade defect based on the average value obtained through the average value calculating portion and values of the integrated images in respective pairs of meshes apart by the predetermined interval from each other which have been subjected to the difference operation. Thus, low contrast defects can be precisely detect by distinguishing light and shade defects from each other and without mistaking a single defect for two separate defects.