Method and apparatus for inspecting solder portions

A method comprising the steps of:

• taking an image of an object to be inspected;
• first deciding a condition of the object in response to the image;
• measuring a shape of the object to derive height information representing a height of the object in cases where a result of the decision by the first deciding step is gray;
• and
• second deciding a condition of the object in response to the height information;
• wherein the first deciding step comprises executing a learning process on the object in response to a result of the decision by the second deciding step.

An apparatus for inspecting a solder portion, comprising:

• first means for deciding whether or not an image of a solder portion being inspected is similar to one of images of typical solder portions and deciding whether the inspected solder portion is acceptable or unacceptable, said first means further having an ability to include additional images as images of additional typical solder portions;
• second means connected to the first means for deciding whether the inspected solder portion is acceptable or unacceptable to supplement the decision by the first means when the first means decides the image of the inspected solder portion to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions;
• and
• third means connected to the first means for, when the first means decides the image of the inspected solder portion to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions, enabling the first means to include the image of the inspected solder portion as an image of an additional typical solder portion of said images of typical solder portions used by the first means, and adding the image of the inspected solder portion to said images of typical solder portions as an image of a new typical solder portion.

An apparatus for inspecting a solder portion, comprising:

• first means for determining whether or not an image of a solder portion being inspected is similar to one of a plurality of images of typical solder portions each corresponding to either an acceptable solder portion or an unacceptable solder portion, said first means further having an ability to include additional images as images of additional typical solder portions;
• second means connected to the first means for deciding the inspected solder portion to be acceptable when the first means determines the image of the inspected solder portion to be similar to one of the images of typical solder portions each corresponding to an acceptable solder portion, and for deciding the inspected solder portion to be unacceptable when the first means determines the image of the inspected solder portion to be similar to one of the images of typical solder portions each corresponding to an unacceptable solder portion;
• third means connected to the first means for determining whether the inspected solder portion is acceptable or unacceptable when the first means determines the image of the inspected solder portion to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions;
• and
• fourth means connected to the first means and the third means for enabling the first means to include the image of the inspected solder portion as an image of an additional typical solder portion in said images of typical solder portions used by the first means, for adding the image of the inspected solder portion to said images of typical solder portions as an image of a new typical solder portion, and for providing a correspondence relation between the new typical solder portion and one of an acceptable solder portion and an unacceptable solder portion in response to a result of the determination by the third means in cases where the first means determines the image of the inspected solder portion to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions.

A method of inspecting a solder portion, comprising the steps of:

• first deciding whether or non an image of a solder portion being inspected is similar to one of images of typical solder portions to decide whether the inspected solder portion is acceptable or unacceptable;
• second deciding whether the inspected solder portion is acceptable or unacceptable to supplement the decision by the first deciding step when image of the inspected solder portion is decided to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions by the first deciding step;
• and
• including the image of the inspected solder portion and adding the learned image of the inspected solder portion to said images of typical solder portions as an image of a new typical solder portion in the decision by the first deciding step when the image of the inspected solder portion is decided to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions by the first deciding step.

A method of inspecting a solder portion, comprising the steps of:

• first determining whether or not an image of a solder portion being inspected is similar to one of images of typical solder portions to each corresponding to either an acceptable solder portion or an unacceptable solder portion;
• first deciding the inspected solder portion to be acceptable when the first determining step determines the image of the inspected solder portion to be similar to one of images of typical solder portions each corresponding to an acceptable solder portion, and deciding the inspected solder portion to be unacceptable when the first determining step determines the image of the inspected solder portion to be similar to one of images of typical solder portions each corresponding to an unacceptable solder portion;
• second deciding whether the inspected solder portion is acceptable or unacceptable when the first determining step determines image of the inspected solder portion to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions;
• and
• including the image of the inspected solder portion, adding the included image of the inspected solder portion to said images of typical solder portions as an image of a new typical solder portion, and providing a correspondence relation between the new typical solder portion and one of an acceptable solder portion and an unacceptable solder portion in response to a result of the determination by the second determining step in cases where the first determining step determines the image of the inspected solder portion to be not similar to one of the images of the typical solder portions.