Engineered lighting system for TDI inspection comprising means for controlling lighting elements in accordance with specimen displacement

A engineered video inspection system comprising:

• an array of light emitting diodes;
• means adapted for securing the array of light emitting diodes such that light emitted therefrom is directed to a portion of a generally continuously moving associated specimen;
• means for receiving a displacement signal representative of a speed of the associated specimen relative to the array over a selected scan period;
• controller means for selectively supplying a current pulse to selected light emitting diodes of the array in accordance with the displacement signal during the scan period such that a portion of the associated specimen is sequentially illuminated by a plurality of the rows of light emitting diodes of the array;
• means for communicating the displacement signal to the controller means;
• and
• an array of light sensitive transducer elements adapted to receive light generated by the array of light emitting diodes after exposure to the associated specimen.

An engineered lighting video inspection system comprising:

• an array of light emitting elements;
• securing means adapted for securing the array into a plurality of lighting element subsets of light emitting elements such that a cone of light emanating from each lighting element subset is directed to a selected region of an associated specimen;
• means for receiving a displacement signal representative of a linear velocity of the associated specimen relative to the array;
• controller means for selectively controlling effective intensity of each of the lighting element subsets in accordance with the displacement signal during a scan period such that a single portion of the associated specimen is sequentially illuminated by discrete lighting element subsets;
• means for communicating the displacement signal to the controller means;
• an array of light sensitive transducer elements adapted to receive light generated by the array of focussed light emitting elements after exposure to the associated specimen;
• wherein the array of light sensitive transducer elements is formed as a plurality of transducer element subsets, and wherein the array of light sensitive transducer elements includes selection means for selectively addressing individual transducer element subsets thereof, the selection means including means for sequentially addressing selected discrete transducer element subsets which correspond to each of the discrete lighting element subsets so as to repetitively illuminate a generally equivalent portion of the associated specimen successively.

A video inspection method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a displacement signal representative of a linear displacement of an associated specimen relative to an array of a plurality of generally parallel rows of focussed light emitting diodes disposed such that a cone of light emanating from diodes of each row of light emitting diodes is directed to a generally linear region of an associated specimen over a selected scan period;
• selectively controlling effective intensity of each of the rows of light emitting diodes in accordance with the displacement signal during the scan period such that a single portion of the associated specimen is sequentially illuminated by a plurality of the rows of light emitting diodes of the array;
• and
• receiving light generated by the light emitting diodes into a plurality of transducer elements adapted to receive light generated by the array of focussed light emitting elements after exposure to the associated specimen.

A engineered video inspection system comprising:

• a first array of light emitting diodes;
• first securing means adapted to illuminate an associated specimen disposed in an illumination region such that lighting intensity on a selected portion of a surface of the associated specimen is primarily attributable to a selected subset of the light emitting diodes;
• means for receiving a displacement signal representative of a linear displacement of the associated specimen relative to the first array over a selected scan period;
• means for supplying current to the light emitting diodes in accordance with the displacement signal during the scan period such that the selected portion is illuminated a plurality of times;
• video receptor means for synchronously integrating a plurality of images of the associated specimen, which images result from exposure of the associated specimen to light of the first array;
• and
• means for communicating the displacement signal to the video receptor to synchronize the video receptor with the linear displacement of the associated specimen relative to the first array.