Method and apparatus for evaluating a set of electronic components

• US 20040239360A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accu-Assembly Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Accu-Assembly Incorporated
• Inventors: Kou, Yuen-Foo Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,015,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/763
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/287 Procedures; Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2881 related to environmental aspects other than temperature, e.g. humidity or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/083 Quality monitoring using results from monitoring devices, e.g. feedback loops H05K13/084 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/086 Supply management, e.g. supply of components or of substrates

Abstract

A method is disclosed of monitoring an environmental condition associated with a container with a set of electronic components including attaching a moisture recorder to the container, the moisture recorder comprising a sensing element responsive to atmospheric moisture content, a memory storage device, and a processor electrically coupled to the sensing element and the memory storage device, the processor being configured to periodically receive information from the sensing element indicative of atmospheric moisture content and to store data in the memory storage device based on the received information.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring an environmental condition associated with a container containing a set of electronic components, the method comprising:

attaching an environmental condition recorder to the container, the environmental condition recorder comprising a sensing element responsive to atmospheric moisture content, a memory storage device, and a processor electrically coupled to the sensing element and the memory storage device, the processor being configured to periodically receive information from the sensing element indicative of atmospheric moisture content and to store data in the memory storage device based on the received information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transporting the container and the attached environmental condition recorder from a storage area to an assembly station for installing the electronic components into electronic assemblies.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising accessing the data in the memory storage device with a memory reader at the assembly station.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the memory reader at the assembly station evaluates whether electronic components of the set of electronic components are suitable for installation into the electronic assemblies, based on the data accessed by the memory reader.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising removing a portion of the set of electronic components from the container for installation into the electronic assemblies at the assembly station.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising transporting the container containing a remaining portion of the set of electronic components and the attached environmental condition recorder from the assembly station to the storage area.

7-25. -25. (Cancelled)

26. A container of electronic components to be installed into electronic assemblies, the container comprising:

a storage device containing a set of electronic components; and

an environmental condition recorder coupled to the storage device and associated with the set of electronic components, the environmental condition recorder comprising sensing elements responsive to an ambient environmental condition, a processor and an associated memory storage device, the processor being configured to receive data from the sensing elements indicative of the ambient environmental condition during multiple, successive periods of time, to cumulatively and accessibly store the data in the associated memory storage device and to evaluate whether the electronic components are suitable for installation based on a cumulative effect of exposure to the ambient environmental condition.

27. The container of claim 26 wherein the storage device comprises a shipping package containing at least one reel of identical electronic components.

28. The container of claim 26 wherein the storage device comprises a reel containing multiple identical electronic components.

29. The container of claim 26 wherein the storage device comprises a storage carton containing multiple identical electronic components.

30. The container of claim 26 wherein the storage device comprises a tray of identical electronic components.

31. The container of claim 26 wherein the sensing elements are responsive to ambient moisture content.

32. The container of claim 26 wherein the environmental condition recorder is removably secured to the storage device.

33. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to create a graphical representation of the data plotted against an axis representative of time.

34. The container of claim 26 wherein the environmental condition recorder further comprises a timing element and wherein the processor receives and stores the data at predefined intervals of time as measured by the timing element.

35. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to communicate the stored data and a determination of whether the electronic components are suitable for installation to a remote device.

36. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a remaining floor life associated with the electronic components.

37. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to identify a reference time associated with a reference remaining floor life value.

38. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a reduction in floor life associated with each of multiple, consecutive periods of time.

39. The container of claim 38 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a cumulative total remaining floor life based on the calculated reductions in floor life associated with each consecutive period of time.

40. The container of claim 36 wherein the processor is further configured to estimate the remaining floor life based on a reference temperature value and a reference relative humidity value.

41. The container of claim 36 wherein estimating the remaining floor life comprises considering a moisture sensitivity level associated with the set of electronic components.

42. The container of claim 26 wherein estimating remaining floor life comprises considering a body thickness associated with each electronic component of the set.

43. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to integrate a set of sensed ambient moisture content values over time to calculate a cumulative environmental exposure factor.

44. The container of claim 26 further comprising a light emitting diode coupled to the processor and configured to illuminate to indicate whether the electronic components are suitable for installation.

45. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to compare the data to a predefined baseline to determine an estimated reliability factor.

46. The container of claim 26 wherein the processor is further configured to communicate data indicative of whether the electronic components are suitable for installation to a remote device.

47. The container of claim 26 wherein the environmental condition recorder is coupled to the container in such a way as to permit removal of the environmental condition recorder from the container and its subsequent reattachment to a second container.

48. The container of claim 26 wherein the electronic components are individual chips for installation onto a printed circuit board.

49. The container of claim 26 wherein the environmental condition recorder is housed within a metallic container.

50. A system for evaluating a set of identical electronic components prior to installing the components into electronic assemblies, the system comprising:

a storage device containing a set of identical electronic components;

an environmental condition recorder coupled to the storage device and associated with the set of identical electronic components, the environmental condition recorder configured to collect data indicative of an environmental condition over multiple, successive periods of time; and

a remote device comprising a processor and a memory storage unit, wherein the processor is configured to receive the collected data from the environmental condition recorder and evaluate whether the electronic components are suitable for installation based on the collected data.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a remaining floor life associated with the set of electronic components.

52. The system of claim 50 wherein the processor is further configured to identify a reference time associated with a reference floor life.

53. The system of claim 50 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a reduction in floor life associated with each of the multiple, successive periods of time.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a total remaining floor life based on the calculated reductions in floor life associated with each of the multiple, successive periods of time.

55. The system of claim 51 wherein estimating the remaining floor life is based on an associated reference temperature value and a reference relative humidity value.

56. The system of claim 51 wherein estimating the remaining floor life comprises considering a moisture sensitivity level associated with the electronic components of the set and a body thickness value associated with the electronic components of the set.

57. The system of claim 50 wherein the processor is further configured to integrate a set of sensed ambient moisture content values over time to calculate a cumulative environmental exposure factors.

58. An article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer executable instructions for causing a computer system to:

receive a set of time-based data representing ambient moisture content exposure for a set of uninstalled electronic components;

evaluate whether the set of electronic components are suitable for installation based on a cumulative effect of moisture exposure derived from the time-based data; and

output information indicating suitability of the electronic components for installation into electronic assemblies.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the computer system to estimate a total remaining floor life associated with the set of electronic components based on the time-based data.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the computer system to identify a reference time in the time-based data associated with a reference floor life.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the computer system to calculate a reduction in floor life associated with each of multiple, successive periods of time represented by the time-based data.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 61 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the computer system to calculate a cumulative total remaining floor life based on the reductions in floor life associated with each of the periods of time.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the computer system to calculate an integral function of sensed ambient moisture content over time to identify an environmental exposure factor.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 63 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the computer system to compare the calculated environmental exposure factor to a predetermined benchmark value representative of an ideal environmental exposure factor.