US 2006/0188142 A1 · Electronic assembly video inspection system

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically assessing the quality of a printed circuit board assembly using digitized video image analysis. The apparatus integrates with existing relatively low precision automated surface mount technology (“SMT”) manufacturing systems as an inspection station insertable at various steps in the assembly process or as a separate manually loaded station. The inspection station includes a high resolution video imaging system and a video image analyzer comprising an onboard master computer that generates control signals to reposition the camera mounted within a screen on a movable carriage and/or reposition the circuit board, and adjust the lighting; and generates individual board status data to be archived, graphically displayed on monitors or otherwise utilized by a rework station.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for visually inspecting electronic assemblies, each including a variety of components mounted on a printed circuit board, said method comprises:

positioning a region of said board comprising a plurality of components of different types, orientations and terminal lead spacings, within the view of an imaging system;
scanning via said imaging system, an image of said region including said components;
analyzing said image to obtain a record of observed features including type, location and orientation of a variety of components, and terminal lead spacing data;
maintaining a database of a plurality of visually perceptible parameters of said features;
and
numerically testing each of said observed features under a plurality of said visually perceptible parameters to locate defects therein including component placement, lead spacing and orientation defects.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electronic assembly video inspection system

Life of this patent

Electronic assembly video inspection system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19