US 6,714,670 B1 · Methods and apparatuses to determine the state of elements

Abstract

A methods and apparatuses are disclosed for determining the state of elements in an image. The elements can be arranged in any regular pattern, such as a matrix of LCD display elements. The state of the elements is determined by extracting a characteristic of the elements, such as intensity, and processing the characteristic to provide comparison criteria, such as a difference value. The comparison criteria are then used to determine the state of the element alone or in combination with other comparisons, such as average intensity comparisons. Several comparisons and variations thereof are disclosed, as well as the preferred ordering and configuration of comparisons for LCD displays. Also disclosed is an embodiment where a model of the elements is generated and used to inspect the elements. Also disclosed is a method to normalize the intensity of any image, which in a preferred embodiment normalizes the intensity of the image of the LCD elements before evaluation, where normalizing the intensity of the image optimally makes the grey values of an element of one color the same throughout the image.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A method for determining a state of test elements, the method comprising:

acquiring a test image of the test elements, each of the test elements being in a test state;
extracting a test element characteristic for each test element of the plurality of test elements, wherein the test element characteristic at least approximately represents each of the test elements in the test image;
processing the plurality of test element characteristics from the test image alone so as to provide a plurality of first comparison criteria;
choosing at least one threshold value based on at least a subset of the plurality of first comparison criteria and comparing at the least one threshold value with at least one of the plurality of the first comparison criteria to provide one or more comparison results for each one of the test elements associated with the at least one of the plurality of comparison criteria;
and
determining the test state of selected ones of the test elements in the image using the respective one or more comparison results so as to provide known-state test elements.

3 more elements

An apparatus for determining a state of test elements, the apparatus comprising:

a test image of the test elements, each of the test elements being in a test state;
extracting means for extracting an test element characteristic approximately representing each of the test elements in the test image;
processing means, in cooperation with the extracting means, for processing the plurality of test element characteristics from the test image alone so as to provide a plurality of comparison criteria;
choosing means, in cooperation with the processing means, for choosing at least one threshold value based on at least a subset of the plurality of comparison criteria and comparing the at least one threshold value with at least one of the plurality of the comparison criteria to provide one or more comparison results for each one of the test elements associated with the at least one of the plurality of comparison criteria;
and
state means, in cooperation with the choosing means, for determining the test state of selected ones of the test elements in the image using the respective one or more comparison results to provide known-state test elements.

3 more elements

An apparatus for determining a state of test elements, the apparatus comprising:

a test image of the test elements, each of the test elements being in a test state;
an extraction module, adapted to extract an test element characteristic approximately representing each of the test elements in the test image;
a processing module, in cooperation with the extraction module, adapted to process the plurality of test element characteristics from the test image alone so as to provide a plurality of comparison criteria;
a choosing module, in cooperation with the processing module, adapted to choose at least one threshold value based on at least a subset of the plurality of comparison criteria and comparing the at least one threshold value with at least one of the plurality of the comparison criteria to provide one or more comparison results for each one of the test elements associated with the at least one of the plurality of comparison criteria;
and
a state module, in cooperation with the choosing module, adapted to determine the test state of selected ones of the test elements in the image using the respective one or more comparison results to provide known-state test elements.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and apparatuses to determine the state of elements

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatuses to determine the state of elements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims43