Inspecting device and method for detecting minute contour defects

Abstract

A contour inspecting device for detecting a defect in a contour of an object to be inspected according to the invention comprises; an image memory for storing an image of the inspection object captured by a camera; a scanner for scanning, along a plurality of scanning lines, an inspection region which covers a part of the image stored in the image memory; a binary unit for converting an image signal read out by the scanner into a binary signal; a detector for detecting positions of changing points at which the value of the binary signal changes; a comparator for calculating a difference between positions of the changing points on two of the plurality of scanning lines separated from each other by a predetermined interval; and a decision unit for determining whether or not the contour of the inspection object has a defect on the basis of a comparison of the difference with a predetermined value.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.