Systems, apparatus, and methods for sorting components using illumination
AssigneeNanotronics Imaging, Inc.
InventorsJohn B. Putman, Jonathan Yancey, Justin Stanwix
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An illumination apparatus, method and system to facilitate manual sorting of components. The illumination apparatus can include an array of lights and a component holder receptacle configured to receive a component holder retaining components. The illumination apparatus can further include a control module configured to receive information identifying components for sorting and location information for locating the one or more components on the component holder, and to selectively control activation of individual lights of the array of lights to illuminate the one or more components.
Claims22
An illumination apparatus, comprising:
- an array of lights;
- a component holder receptacle configured to receive a component holder having components thereon;
- a control module configured to:
- receive information about one or more components on the component holder, the information including at least one of identification of one or more components for sorting and location information for locating the one or more components on the component holder;
- and
- selectively control activation of individual lights of the array of lights to illuminate the one or more components;
- and
- at least one reference point configured to interact with at least one reference point on a component holder, when a component holder is placed in the component holder receptacle.
An illumination system comprising:
- an illumination apparatus comprising:
- an array of lights;
- a component holder receptacle configured to hold a component holder having components thereon;
- and
- at least one reference point configured to interact with at least one reference point on a component holder, when a component holder is placed in the component holder receptacle;
- an inspection system configured to generate component information about one or more components on the component holder, the component information including at least one of identification of one or more components for sorting and location information for locating the one or more components on the component holder;
- and
- a control module configured to receive the component information and activate one or more lights of the array of lights to illuminate at least a portion of the one or more components identified for sorting on the component holder.
A method for sorting components on a component holder, the method comprising:
- receiving, by an illumination apparatus, information about one or more components on a component holder, the information including at least one of identification of the one or more components identified for sorting and location information for locating the one or more components on the component holder, wherein the illumination apparatus comprises:
- an array of lights;
- a component holder receptacle configured to receive the component holder;
- and
- a control module configured to selectively control illumination of individual lights of the array of lights;
- and
- at least one reference point configured to interact with at least one reference point on a component holder, when a component holder is placed in the component holder receptacle positioning the component holder in the component holder receptacle;
- and
- selectively activating, by the control module, one or more individual lights of the array of lights to illuminate the one or more components identified to be sorted, wherein said at least one reference point is employed by the illumination apparatus to accurately illuminate the one or more components in said step of selectively activating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.