Method and apparatus for inspection of surface mounted devices

An apparatus for inspecting a surface mounted device to estimate a position thereof, said estimation including at least one of an axial placement and an angular orientation estimation, said apparatus comprising:

• A. UDL means for storing a UDL signal representative of a shape of at least a portion of a surface mounted device to be inspected,
• B. planning means, coupled with said UDL means, responsive to at least said UDL signal for generating a plan signal representative of a plan for application of a plurality of successive vision tools to an image signal, each vision tool for inspection of a selected feature of a surface mounted device to determine characteristics thereof and, thereby, to estimate a position of the device itself, wherein said plan reduces with inspection of each successive feature an uncertainty in the estimate of the position of said device,
• C. video input means for generating an image signal representative of at least a portion of a surface mounted device being inspected, and
• D. inspection means, coupled with said video input means and in communication with said planning means, for
• i) applying to said image signal a plurality of successive vision tools, each such vision tool for inspection of a selected feature of said surface mounted device to estimate a position of the device itself in accord with said plan and for generating in connection with application of each such vision tool an output signal representative of said estimate,
• ii) reducing with application of each such vision tool an uncertainty in said estimate of the position of said device.