Processing device and inspection apparatus for optical inspection and corresponding methods

A method for setting up an inspection apparatus for optical inspection of samples, wherein the inspection apparatus comprises:

• an optical inspection device comprising a camera,
• a user interface comprising a display device,
• a processing device, and
• a storage device,
• the method comprising:
• coupling the processing device communicatively to the user interface and the camera,
• coupling the processing device communicatively to the storage device,
• configuring the processing device to have access to the storage device to store and retrieve data,
• creating instruction data including instructions for optical quality inspection of samples to be performed by a user, and storing the instruction data in the storage device, wherein creating the instruction data comprises defining instructions for the user regarding what kind of quality inspection to be performed on which sample, which quality reports to be made, and which images to be acquired from the sample, wherein the creating the instruction data further comprises:
• defining at least one overlay to be displayed by the display device, such that the overlay is virtually overlaid to a sample currently inspected by the optical inspection device and/or viewed via the displays device, and the overlay to be used by the user to perform specific quality inspections on the sample by:
• matching a live image of the sample currently viewed to the overlay, and
• determining quality characteristics based on differences between corresponding geometric measures of the overlay and the live image of the sample,
• configuring the processing device to provide the instructions to a user upon request, and
• configuring the processing device to store quality report data and image data upon request during the providing of the instructions.

A method for operating a processing device to be used in an inspection apparatus for optical inspection of samples, the processing device being configured to:

• be communicatively coupled to a camera of an optical inspection device,
• be communicatively coupled to a user interface comprising display device,
• receive input data from the user interface and/or from the camera,
• provide output data to the user interface, and
• be communicatively coupled to a storage device and to access the storage device to store and retrieve data,
• the method comprising:
• providing, by accessing instruction data stored at the storage device by the processing device, instructions for optical quality inspections of samples to be performed by a user, via the user interface device,
• providing the instructions as output data to the user interface, wherein the instructions include pre-defined instructions for the user regarding what kind of quality inspection to be performed on which sample, and at least one pre-defined overlay to be displayed by the display device, such that the overlay is virtually overlaid to a sample currently viewed by the optical inspection device and/or via the display device, and the overlay to be used by the user to perform specific quality inspections on the sample,
• controlling, by the processing device, the camera to acquire a live image of the sample currently viewed,
• controlling the display device to display the live image and the overlay such that the overlay is virtually overlaid to the live image,
• receiving, by the processing device, quality report data from the optical quality inspections via the user interface and/or image data of images acquired by the camera as input data, and
• storing the quality report data and/or the image data in the storage device.