# US 2017/0254758 A1 · Inspection Apparatus, Inspection Method, And Program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254758 A1 - Document ID: US20170254758A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/586,303 - Filed: 2017-05-04 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-09 - Assignees: Keyence Corporation - Applicants: Keyence Corporation - Inventors: Hajime Matsuda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254758A1 ## CPC - G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features} - 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)} - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06T 7/0008: {checking presence/absence} - G06T 7/586: from multiple light sources, e.g. photometric stereo - G06V 20/62: Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images - G01N 2021/845: {Objects on a conveyor} - G01N 2201/062: LED's - G01N 2201/12: Circuits of general importance; Signal processing - G06T 2207/10152: Varying illumination - G06T 2207/20016: Hierarchical, coarse-to-fine, multiscale or multiresolution image processing; Pyramid transform - G06T 2207/20221: Image fusion; Image merging - G06T 2207/30164: Workpiece; Machine component - 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) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract To facilitate adjusting of a distance from an inspection target to an illumination section by providing a movable illumination section that is movable independently of the imaging section. An illumination apparatus has a plurality of LEDs arranged in a substantially annular form, a light diffusion member for diffusing light emitted from the plurality of LEDs, and a lighting control part for lighting the plurality of light sources in accordance with a predetermined lighting pattern when designated to start lighting. In particular, the illumination apparatus moves independently of a camera to adjust a distance to a workpiece. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 An inspection apparatus comprising: an illumination section which has a plurality of light segments to illuminate the inspection target from three or more illumination directions; a storage section to store a lighting data including lighting time of the plurality of light segments and interval information indicating a lighting interval of the plurality of light segments; a processor for controlling the illumination section to light the plurality of light segments with reference to the lighting data stored in the storage section when designated to start lighting, and generating an trigger signal for designating a start of imaging in conjunction with the start of the illumination: an imaging section for capturing a plurality of luminance images of an inspection target in accordance with the trigger signal; an inspection image generating section for obtaining a normal vector of a surface of the inspection target based on the three or more luminance images acquired by the imaging section and generating an inspection image based on the normal vector by a photometric stereo method; and a determination section for determining defectiveness/non-defectiveness of the inspection target by using the inspection image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the storage section and the processor are housed in a housing which is independent of the illumination section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the storage section stores lighting pattern data includes a timing information for designating a timing for lighting the plurality of each light segment and identification information of the light segments that are simultaneously lighted at the timing for lighting each light segment. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The inspection apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the lighting patterns includes a first lighting pattern which illuminates the inspection target from four directions sequentially and a second lighting pattern which illuminates the inspection target with lighting all light segments simultaneously. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The inspection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the lighting patterns information includes the timing for lighting all light segments before or after execution of lighting in accordance with the photometric stereo method. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The inspection apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the lighting patterns includes a number of lighting times in one lighting cycle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a plurality of light sources are connected in series in each light segment, and a switch capable of being switched on/off by the lighting control part is connected in parallel to each of the plurality of light sources. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The inspection apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a variable power source for supplying a voltage to the plurality of light sources; a variable constant current source for adjusting a current that flows through the plurality of light sources; and a main switch for switching on/off of the variable constant current source, wherein, after a voltage supplied by the variable power source becomes sufficiently high, the processor switches the switch that is connected in parallel to each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the lighting pattern, and switches on the main switch, to light any of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the lighting pattern. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The inspection apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the processor controls a voltage of the variable power source in accordance with a voltage value that is fed back from the variable constant current source such that an overvoltage is not applied to the variable constant current source. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a setting section for setting a flaw inspection region for the inspection image; and a flaw inspecting section for inspecting a flaw in the flaw inspection region, wherein the determination section determines defectiveness/non-defectiveness of the inspection target based on a result of inspection by using the inspection image by the flaw inspecting section. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a setting section for setting a character recognition region for the inspection image; and a character recognizing section for recognizing a character in the character recognition region, wherein the determination section determines defectiveness/non-defectiveness of the inspection target based on a result of recognition by using the inspection image by the character recognizing section. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an adjustment section for adjusting a characteristic size which is a parameter that is required at the time of creating the inspection image. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The inspection apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the inspection image generating section generates a plurality of inspection images based on respectively different characteristic sizes designated by the adjustment section. ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the inspection image generating section generates, as the inspection image, a surface shape image based on a normal vector of the surface of the inspection target or a texture image based on a reflectance of the surface of the inspection target.