# US 10,769,775 B2 · System, apparatus and method for dispensed adhesive material inspection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,775 B2 - Document ID: US10769775B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/272,223 - Filed: 2019-02-11 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-28 - Assignees: Jabil Inc. - Applicants: Jabil Inc. - Inventors: Quyen Duc Chu; Nazir Ahmad - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769775B2 ## CPC - G06T 7/0006: {using a design-rule based approach} - G01N 21/00: Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light (G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence) - G01N 21/6456: {Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging} - G01N 21/8851: {Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002)} - G06F 18/22: Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures - G06T 7/0008: {checking presence/absence} - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - G01N 2021/646: {Detecting fluorescent inhomogeneities at a position, e.g. for detecting defects} - G06T 2207/10064: Fluorescence image - G06T 2207/10141: Special mode during image acquisition - G06T 2207/30108: Industrial image inspection - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Apparatus, system and method for detecting defects in an adhesion area that includes an adhesive mixed with a fluorescent material. One or more illumination devices may illuminate the fluorescent material in the adhesion area with a light of a predetermined wavelength. A camera may be configured to capture an image of the illuminated adhesion area. A processing device, communicatively coupled to the camera, may be configured to process the captured image by applying one or more boundary areas to the captured image and determining an image characteristic within each of the boundary areas, wherein the image characteristic is used by the processing device to determine the presence of a defect in the adhesive, such as an excess of adhesive or an insufficient application of adhesive. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for detecting defects in an adhesive, comprising: the adhesive applied in an adhesion area and including at least one fluorescent material and a non-fluorescent material; at least one illumination source for illuminating the adhesion area with at least two modulated light frequencies, wherein at least one of the light modulation frequencies illuminates the at least one fluorescent material; and a processing device configured to process a captured image of the illuminated at least one fluorescent material, the captured image comprising an image characteristic used to determine the presence of the defects in the adhesive; wherein the illumination of the fluorescent material is at one or more frequencies between 1-20 MHz. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the defect comprises one of an excess of the adhesive and an insufficiency of the adhesive. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the image characteristic comprises pixel coverage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the processing device is configured to determine the image characteristic using machine vision. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the machine vision comprises one of edge detection, grayscale matching and gradient matching. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to apply at least one boundary area to the captured image, and further is configured to determine the presence of a defect from the boundary area, the defect comprising one of an excess of adhesive and an insufficient application of adhesive. ### Claim 7 A system for detecting defects in an adhesive, comprising: the adhesive applied in an adhesion area and including at least one fluorescent material and a non-fluorescent material; at least one illumination source for illuminating the adhesion area with at least two modulated light frequencies, wherein at least one of the light modulation frequencies illuminates the at least one fluorescent material; and a processing device configured to process a captured image of the illuminated at least one fluorescent material, the captured image comprising an image characteristic used to determine the presence of the defects in the adhesive; wherein the at least one fluorescent material comprises at least two fluorescent materials, and correspondingly the at least two modulated light frequencies comprise at least three modulated light frequencies, and wherein each of the at least two fluorescent materials is corresponded uniquely to one of the at least three modulated light frequencies. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one fluorescent material comprises less than about 1% by weight of the adhesive. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the fluorescent material comprises at least one of Acridine dyes, Cyanine dyes, Fluorone dyes, Oxazine dyes, Phenanthridine dyes, Rhodamine dyes, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 A method for detecting defects in an adhesive comprised of an adhesive material mixed with a fluorescent material, comprising: illuminating, by at least two modulation frequencies, the adhesive; capturing an image of the illuminated adhesive by a camera; processing, by a processing device communicatively coupled to the camera, at least the captured image of the fluorescent material fluorescing responsive to at least one of the at least two modulation frequencies; and determining, by the processing device, an image characteristic of the fluorescent material in the processed captured image indicative of a presence of the defects in the adhesive, wherein determining the image characteristic comprises determining pixel coverage within multiple boundary areas, and wherein determining the presence of the defects in the adhesive comprises utilizing one or more thresholds applied to the pixel coverage within each of the boundary areas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the defects comprise one of an excess of adhesive and an insufficient application of adhesive. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising applying a mask, by the processing device, to at least one secondary boundary area when determining the image characteristic within one of the boundary areas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining the image characteristic comprises machine vision processing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the machine vision processing comprises one of edge detection, grayscale matching and gradient matching. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the capturing the image comprises time-of-flight imaging. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the illuminating the adhesive comprises light modulated at one or more frequencies between 1-20 MHz. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the fluorescent material fluoresces at least two different modulation frequencies, and indicates the presence of different ones of the defects at each of the modulation frequencies.