Worked product appearance inspection method and system therefore

• US 20040132297A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Baba, Susumu, Yotsumoto, Yuichiro, Futami, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/689
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation

Abstract

A worked product appearance inspection system inspects appearances of a plurality of worked products held by a sheet-like inspection target sheet, and includes an image processing station provided at a first location and defect detection stations provided at one of or a plurality of second locations away from the first location. The appearance inspection system also includes a marking station provided at the first location. The image processing station images each of the worked products held by the inspection target sheet and extracts image-processed data serving as an inspection target. The defect detection station displays on a computer the image-processed data extracted by the image processing station and serving as the inspection target to urge an operator to detect a defect part, and outputs detection result data including position data on the defect part, based on an instruction from the operator. The marking station gives onto the image-processed inspection target sheet a mark representing the defect part, based on the detection result data output by the defect detection station.

Claims

1. A worked product appearance inspection method of inspecting appearance of a plurality of worked products held by a sheet-like inspection target sheet, the method comprising:

an image processing step, executed at a first location, of imaging each of the worked products held by the inspection target sheet, and of extracting image-processed data that serves as an inspection target; and

a defect detection step, executed at one or a plurality of second locations away from said first location, of displaying on a computer the image-processed data extracted in said first image processing step and serving as said inspection target to urge an operator to detect a defect part, and of outputting detection result data including position data on the defect part based on an instruction from the operator.

2. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 1, wherein,

said image processing step comprises:

an image fetching processing step of imaging said each worked product held by said inspection target sheet, and of fetching image data of said each worked product;

a defect candidate part extraction processing step of comparing each of the image data fetched in the image fetching processing step with basic image data prepared in advance, and of thereby extracting a defect candidate part under a predetermined setting condition; and

an image data extraction processing step of extracting position data and image data on the defect candidate part extracted in the defect candidate part extraction processing step as said image-processed data, and wherein

said defect detection step comprises;

a defect part determination processing step of displaying on the computer an image of the defect candidate part of said each worked product based on the position data and the image data on the defect candidate part extracted in said defect candidate part extraction processing step and said image data extraction processing step of said image processing step to urge an operator to determine the defect part, and of outputting the detection result data including the position data on the defect part based on an instruction from the operator.

3. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 2, wherein exchange of the position data and the image data on the defect candidate part of said each worked product between said first location and said second location is made by transferring the position data and the image data through a network.

4. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 2, wherein exchange of the position data and the image data on the defect candidate part of said each worked product between said first location and said second location is made by transporting a recording medium that stores the position data and the image data.

5. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 1, wherein

said image processing step comprises:

an image fetching processing step of imaging said each worked product held by said inspection target sheet, and of extracting image data of said each worked product as said image-processed data, and wherein

said defect detection step comprises;

a defect part extraction processing step of displaying on the computer an image of said each worked product based on the image data on said each worked product extracted in said image fetching processing step of said image processing step to urge an operator to extract the defect part, and of outputting the detection result data including the position data on the defect part based on an instruction from the operator.

6. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 5, wherein exchange of the image data on said each worked product between said first location and said second location is made by transferring the image data through a network.

7. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 5, wherein exchange of the image data on said each worked product between said first location and said second location is made by transporting a recording medium that stores the image data.

8. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a marking step, executed at said first location, of giving onto said inspection target sheet a mark representing the defect part, based on said detection result data output in said defect detection step.

9. The worked product appearance inspection method according to claim 1, wherein said each worked product held by said inspection target sheet is one of a lead frame for a semiconductor package and a spring member for a hard disk drive.

10. A worked product appearance inspection system of inspecting appearance of a plurality of worked products held by a sheet-like inspection target sheet, the system comprising:

an image processing station, provided at a first location, of imaging each of the worked products held by the inspection target sheet, and of extracting image-processed data that serves as an inspection target; and

one or a plurality of defect detection stations, provided at one or a plurality of second locations, respectively, away from said first location, of displaying on a computer the image-processed data extracted by said first image processing station and serving as said inspection target to urge an operator to detect a defect part, and of outputting detection result data including position data on the defect part based on an instruction from the operator.

11. The worked product appearance inspection system according to claim 10, further comprising;

a first data management computer connected to said image processing station, and managing the image-processed data extracted by said image processing station and serving as said inspection target;

a second data management computer connected to said one or plurality of defect detection stations, managing said detection result data output by said one or plurality of defect detection stations, and managing the image-processed data extracted by said image processing station and serving as said inspection target; and

a network system transferring said image-processed data between said first data management computer and said second data management computer.

12. The worked product appearance inspection system according to claim 10, wherein

said image processing station comprises:

an image fetching processing section that images said each worked product held by said inspection target sheet, and that fetches image data of said each worked product;

a defect candidate part extraction section that compares each of the image data fetched by the image fetching processing section with basic image data prepared in advance, and that thereby extracts a defect candidate part under a predetermined setting condition; and

an image data extraction processing section that extracts position data and image data on the defect candidate part extracted by the defect candidate part extraction processing section as said image-processed data, and wherein

said one or plurality of defect detection stations comprise;

a defect part determination processing section that displays on the computer an image of the defect candidate part of said each worked product based on the position data and the image data on the defect candidate part extracted by said defect candidate part extraction processing section and said image data extraction processing section of said image processing station to urge an operator to determine the defect part, and that outputs the detection result data including the position data on the defect part based on an instruction from the operator.

13. The worked product appearance inspection system according to claim 10, wherein

said image processing station comprises:

an image fetching processing section that images said each worked product held by said inspection target sheet, and that extracts image data of said each worked product as said image-processed data, and wherein

said one or plurality of defect detection stations comprise;

a defect part extraction processing section that displays on the computer an image of said each worked product based on the image data on said each worked product extracted by said image fetching processing section of said image processing station to urge an operator to extract the defect part, and that outputs the detection result data including the position data on the defect part based on an instruction from the operator.

14. The worked product appearance inspection system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a marking station, provided at said first location, of giving onto said inspection target sheet a mark representing the defect part, based on said detection result data output by said one or a plurality of defect detection stations.

15. The worked product appearance inspection system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a second data management computer connected to said one or plurality of defect detection stations, and managing said detection result data output by said one or plurality of defect detection stations;

a control computer connected to said marking station, and controlling said marking station based on said detection result data output by said one or plurality of defect detection stations; and

a network system transferring said detection result data between said second data management computer and said control computer.

16. The worked product appearance inspection system according to claim 10, wherein

said each worked product held by said inspection target sheet is any one of a lead frame for a semiconductor package and a spring member for a hard disk drive.