Method for detecting the alignment of films for automated defect detection

• US 20070116350A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Cheverton, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/285,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116350A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method comprising acquiring an image of a display film or a mold with a camera; transferring the image to a computer; detecting an angle of alignment and/or a position of the display film or the mold from the image; detecting coordinates of defects located in the display film or the mold; and correcting the coordinates of the defects by compensating for the angle of alignment and/or the position of the display film or the mold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring an image of a display film or a mold with a camera;

transferring the image to a computer;

detecting an angle of alignment and/or a position of the display film or the mold from the image;

detecting coordinates of defects located in the display film or the mold; and

correcting the coordinates of the defects by compensating for the angle of alignment and/or the position of the display film or the mold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing the display film or the mold in a fixture in a sample holder.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a fiducial mark in the image of the display film or the mold.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising cropping the fiducial marks from the image of the display film or the mold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the correcting of the coordinates is accomplished by transferring coordinates of the defects to a system of universal coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting and correcting of the coordinates is automatically performed by an algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising highlighting some defects present in the image while eliminating other defects present in the image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering defects based on defect size.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering defects based on intensity of light scattered from a defect.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising merging adjacent defects.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein characteristics of the defect as well as coordinates of the defect are recorded to a memory device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the characteristics are size, aspect ratio, orientation, dimensionality or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing characteristics.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an inspection report and a defect map.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising locating a source of the defects and eliminating the source.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold is flat, curvilinear or cylindrical

16. An article employing the method of claim 1.

25. An article employing the method of claim 1.

17. A method comprising:

disposing a display film or a mold in a fixture in a sample holder;

acquiring an image of a display film or a mold with a camera;

transferring the image to a computer;

detecting a fiducial mark in the image of the display film or the mold;

cropping the fiducial mark from the image of the display film or the mold;

detecting an angle of alignment and/or a position of the display film or the mold from the image;

detecting coordinates of defects located in the display film or the mold; and

correcting the coordinates of the defects by compensating for the angle of alignment and/or the position of the display film or the mold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the correcting of the coordinates is accomplished by transferring coordinates of the defects to a system of universal coordinates.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the detecting and correcting of the coordinates is automatically performed by an algorithm.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising highlighting some defects present in the image while eliminating other defects present in the image.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising filtering defects based on defect size and/or based on intensity of light scattered from a defect.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising merging adjacent defects.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein characteristics of the defect as well as coordinates of the defect are recorded to a memory device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the characteristics are size, aspect ratio, orientation, dimensionality, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing characteristics.

26. A method comprising:

disposing a display film or a mold in a fixture in a sample holder;

acquiring an image of the display film or the mold with a camera;

transferring the image to a computer;

detecting a fiducial mark in the image of the display film or the mold;

cropping the fiducial mark from the image of the display film or the mold;

detecting an angle of alignment and/or a position of the display film or the mold from the image;

detecting coordinates of a defect located in the display film or the mold;

correcting the coordinates of the defect by compensating for the angle of alignment and/or the position of the display film or the mold;

filtering a defect based on defect size; and

recording characteristics of a defect to a memory device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising merging adjacent defects into a single defect.

28. An article employing the method of claim 26.

29. An automated inspection system comprising:

a control device;

a transmission light disposed below a sample holder for illuminating defects in a display film or a mold placed on the sample holder;

a reflection light disposed above the sample holder for illuminating defects in the display film or the mold; and

a low resolution camera in electrical communication with the control device;

wherein the control device executes an algorithm that permits the automated inspection device to perform a method comprising;

acquiring an image of a display film or a mold with a camera;

transferring the image to a computer;

detecting an angle of alignment and/or a position of the display film or the mold from the image;

detecting coordinates of defects located in the display film or the mold; and

correcting the coordinates of the defects by compensating for the angle of alignment and/or the position of the display film or the mold.