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US 5,768,759 AGranted
Method and apparatus for reflective in-flight component registration
AssigneeZevatech, Inc.
InventorEdison T. Hudson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An "on-the-fly" component registration system comprises a two-dimensional imaging camera carried by a component placement nozzle platform in turn carried by a positioning gantry. A reflective surface located on or adjacent to a workpiece on which a component is to be placed allows the camera to image by reflection therefrom the component held by the component placement nozzle and an associated machine vision system to determine position correction information (e.g., .DELTA.x, .DELTA.y and .DELTA..theta.) therefrom while the component placement nozzle platform is traveling on the positioning gantry from a component supply station, by the reflective surface, on the way to a component placement target position on the workpiece.
Claims21
A method of positioning a component in a selected position on a workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:
- removing the component from a component storage means;
- transporting the component from the component storage means into the region of the workpiece by component transporting means, said component transporting means having a positioning axis, and the component having a predetermined nominal position relative to the positioning axis;
- moving the component transporting means to position said positioning axis in a predetermined position relative to the workpiece;
- detecting the actual position of the component relative to the positioning axis of said component transporting means and measuring the deviation of said actual position of the component from the predetermined nominal position thereof relative to the positioning axis while the component is spaced from the workpiece, said detecting step carried out by a camera directed at a reflective surface in turn directed at the component so as to image the component with said camera by means of reflecting an image of said component into said camera with said reflective surface;
- generating a control signal in response to a deviation of the actual position of the component from the predetermined nominal position thereof relative to the positioning axis;
- changing the position of the positioning axis of the component transporting means with respect to the workpiece in response to the control signal to thereby change the actual position of the component so that it coincides with the preset position thereof on the workpiece, and
- thereafter positioning the component on the workpiece.
4 more elements
An apparatus for positioning a component on a workpiece in a selected position, said apparatus comprising:
- a workpiece receiving and retaining means for receiving and retaining a workpiece,
- storage means containing the component to be positioned onto the workpiece;
- component transporting means displaceable between said storage means and said workpiece receiving and retaining means and comprising a pickup retaining member adapted to pick up and remove the component from said storage means and to retain it during transportation thereof to the workpiece, said component transporting means having a positioning axis, and the component having a predetermined nominal position relative to the positioning axis;
- means for moving said component transporting means to position said positioning axis in a predetermined position relative to said workpiece receiving and retaining means;
- position detection means for detecting an actual position of the component relative to the positioning axis of the component transporting means, for measuring a deviation of said actual position of the component from the predetermined nominal position thereof relative to the positioning axis, and for generating a control signal in response to a deviation of said actual position of the component relative to the positioning axis from the predetermined nominal position thereof relative to the positioning axis, said position detection means including imaging means moveable with said component transporting means and a reflective surface not attached to said component transporting means for reflecting an image of the component into said imaging means during displacement of said component transporting means;
- and
- control means for effecting a change in the position of the positioning axis in response to said control signal to thereby change the actual position of the component so that it coincides with the preset position thereof on the workpiece.
4 more elements
An apparatus for positioning a component from a component supply source to a selected position on a workpiece, said apparatus comprising:
- a workpiece receiving and retaining member for receiving and retaining the workpiece;
- component transporting means displaceable between the component supply source and the workpiece receiving and retaining member, said component transporting means including a pickup retaining member adapted to pick up and remove the component from the component supply source and to retain the component during displacement thereof between the component supply source and the workpiece, said component transporting means including a platform, said pickup retaining member attached to said platform, said component transporting means having a positioning axis and said component having a predetermined nominal position relative to the positioning axis of said component transporting means;
- an adjusting device for moving said component transporting means to position said positioning axis in a predetermined position relative to said workpiece receiving and retaining member;
- a reflective surface mounted beneath said component transporting means and between the component supply source and the workpiece, said reflective surface oriented to reflect an image of an actual position of said component relative to the positioning axis of said component transporting means toward said platform while said platform is disposed in proximity to said reflective surface;
- and
- a camera attached to said platform and adapted to capture said image at a selected moment.
3 more elements
A method of positioning a component in a selected position on a workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:
- removing the component from a component storage means;
- transporting the component from the component storage means into the region of the workpiece by component transporting means, said component transporting means having a positioning axis, and the component having a predetermined nominal position relative to the positioning axis;
- moving the component transporting means to position said positioning axis in a predetermined position relative to the workpiece;
- causing the component transporting means to pass by a reflective surface on its way from the component storage means to the workpiece;
- generating a signal to cause a camera to store an image of the component when the image of the component is viewable by the camera in the reflective surface;
- using the image to detect the actual position of the component relative to the positioning axis of said component transporting means and measuring the deviation of said actual position of the component from the predetermined nominal position thereof relative to the positioning axis while the component is spaced from the workpiece;
- generating a control signal in response to a deviation of the actual position of the component from the predetermined nominal position thereof relative to the positioning axis;
- changing the position of the positioning axis of the component transporting means with respect to the workpiece in response to the control signal to thereby change the actual position of the component so that it coincides with the preset position thereof on the workpiece;
- and
- thereafter positioning the component on the workpiece.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.