Pattern recognition system
First Claim
1. A method for locating the centers of distinguishable areas falling within a selected size range in a field of interest, said method comprising the steps of:
- scanning the field in a raster scan sequence of parallel lines oriented in a first scanning direction;
generating image signals indicative of portions of the parallel lines that overlap the distinguishable areas; and
processing the image signals to obtain a centerline signal representative of the locus of center points of the portions of the parallel lines that overlap the distinguishable areas, said processing step also including disregarding image signals indicative of distinguishable areas falling outside a selected size range.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and related apparatus for finding center lines or center points of distinguishable areas in a scanned field, such as the field of view of an optical scanning device in which is positioned an integrated-circuit chip. The invention is disclosed in the form of circuitry for analyzing a serial digital data stream representative of the image of the scanned field, and for determining the positions of center lines of center points of distinguishable areas in the field falling within a selected size range. The circuitry includes separate sections for analyzing the scanned image in order to detect center lines with respect to four separate scanning directions, the outputs of these sections being synchronized with each other, although delayed from the original serial data stream, and being representative of center lines of areas falling within the selected size range. The outputs of the four separate sections may be logically combined in any desired manner to produce a serial output signal indicative of center points of areas falling within the selected size range. Selected center points may then be used in conjunction with a wire bonding machine to provide information indicative of the position and orientation of the chip.
40 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for locating the centers of distinguishable areas falling within a selected size range in a field of interest, said method comprising the steps of:
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scanning the field in a raster scan sequence of parallel lines oriented in a first scanning direction; generating image signals indicative of portions of the parallel lines that overlap the distinguishable areas; and processing the image signals to obtain a centerline signal representative of the locus of center points of the portions of the parallel lines that overlap the distinguishable areas, said processing step also including disregarding image signals indicative of distinguishable areas falling outside a selected size range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. For use with a wire bonding machine, a method for determining the locations of bonding pads on a microcircuit chip, the locations to be utilized as reference points to provide the wire bonding machine with the exact position and orientation of the chip, said method comprising the steps of:
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transforming an image of the chip into a serial binary data stream by scanning the image line-by-line in raster fashion, the scan lines following a first scanning direction; processing the serial binary data stream to determine the centers of all bonding pads on the chip; generating a serial output signal, time-delayed with respect to the serial binary data stream, and indicative of the center points of the bonding pads; and selecting two bonding pad centers for use as reference points by the wire bonding machine; and wherein said processing step includes the step of disregarding distinguishable areas on the chip which fall outside of a preselected size range, whereby the bonding pads can be distinguished from other features of the chip.
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7. For use with a wire bonding machine, a method for determining the locations of bonding pads on a microcircuit chip, the locations to be utilized as reference points to provide the wire bonding machine with the exact position and orientation of the chip, said method comprising the steps of:
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transforming an image of the chip into a serial binary data stream by scanning the image line-by-line in raster fashion, the scan lines following a first scanning direction; processing the serial binary data stream to determine the centers of all bonding pads on the chip; generating a serial output signal, time-delayed with respect to the serial binary data stream, and indicative of the center points of the bonding pads; and selecting two bonding pad centers for use as reference points by the wire bonding machine; and wherein said processing step includes deriving a first set of center lines of the bonding pads, with respect to the first scanning direction, generating therefrom a first serial output signal indicative of the first set of center lines, deriving a second set of center lines of the bonding pads, with respect to a second scanning direction, generating therefrom a second serial output signal indicative of the second set of center lines, logically combining the first and second serial output signals to obtain the signal indicative of the center points of the pads, and disregarding distinguishable areas on the chip which fall outside of a preselected size range, whereby the bonding pads can be distinguished from other features of the chip. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. Apparatus for locating the centers of distinguishable areas falling within a selected size range in a field of interest, said apparatus comprising:
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means for scanning the field of interest and generating signals indicative of the image of the field; signal processing means for determining from the image signals the center points of portions of parallel lines oriented in a first scanning direction with respect to the field, said portions overlapping the distinguishable areas, the determined center points defining a first center line, with respect to the first scanning direction, for each distinguishable area, and said signal processing means including means for disregarding image signals corresponding to distinguishable areas falling outside a selected size range. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. Apparatus for determining the centers of a plurality of optically distinguishable areas in a two-dimensional field of view, said apparatus comprising:
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means for transforming the field of view into a serial data stream representative of the field of view, including the plurality of optically distinguishable areas; and means for processing said serial data stream and deriving therefrom a serial output signal, time delayed with respect to said serial data stream, and containing information indicative of the center of each of the plurality of distinguishable areas falling within a preselected size range. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for determining the centers of optically distinguishable areas in a two-dimensional field of view, said apparatus comprising:
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means for transforming the field of view into a serial binary data stream representative of the field of view as scanned along a sequence of lines in a first scanning direction; first processing means for determining from said binary data stream the position of a first center line for each distinguishable area, said first center lines being measured in relation to said first scanning direction, and for generating a first serial output signal, time-delayed with respect to said binary data stream, and containing binary data indicative of said first center lines; at least one additional processing means for determining from said binary data stream the position of at least one additional center line for each distinguishable area, said additional center lines being measured in relation to at least one additional scanning direction, and for generating at least one assitional serial output signal, time-delayed with respect to said binary data stream, and containing binary data indicative of said additional center lines; means for selectively combining said first and additional serial output signals to yield a combined output signal indicative of the center points of the distinguishable areas; and filter means, included within said first and additional processing means, for disregarding distinguishable areas falling outside of a preselected size range. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. For use with a wire bonding machine, apparatus for determining the locations of particular bonding pads on a microcircuit chip, the bonding pad locations to be utilized as reference points to provide the wire bonding machine with the exact position and orientation of the chip, said apparatus comprising:
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means for transforming an image of the chip placed in a scanning field into a serial binary data stream in which bonding pad areas on the chip are identified as having a particular binary state, said serial binary data stream resulting from scanning the image in raster fashion in a first scanning direction; processing means for determining from said serial binary data stream the centers of all bonding pads on the chip, and for generating a serial output signal, time-delayed with respect to said serial binary data stream, and indicative of the center points of the bonding pads; and means for selecting the centers of at least two particular bonding pads, the coordinates of which can be supplied to the wire bonding machine, to define the exact position and orientation of the chip; and wherein said processing means includes filter means for disregarding distinguishable areas on the chip which fall outside of a preselected size range, whereby bonding pads can be distinguished from other features of the chip.
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27. Apparatus for locating the centers of distinguishable areas falling within a selected size range in a field of interest, said apparatus comprising:
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means for scanning the field of interest and generating signals indicative of the image of the field; means for determining from the image signals the center points of portions of parallel lines oriented in a first scanning direction with respect to the field, said portions overlapping the distinguishable areas, the determined center points defining a first center line, with respect to the first scanning direction, for each distinguishable area; means for determining from the image signals the center points of portions of parallel lines oriented in a second scanning direction with respect to the field, said first and second scanning directions being substantially orthogonally related, said portions overlapping the distinguishable areas, and the determined center points defining a second center line, with respect to the second scanning direction, for each distinguishable area; means for logically combining said first and second center lines to define a center point for each distinguishable area; means for determining from the image signals the center points of portions of parallel lines oriented in a third scanning direction with respect to the field, said portions overlapping the distinguishable areas, the determined center points defining a third center line, with respect to said third scanning direction, for each distinguishable area; means for determining from the image signals the center points of portions of parallel lines oriented in a fourth scanning direction with respect to the field, said portions overlapping the distinguishable areas, the determined center points defining a fourth center line, with respect to said fourth scanning direction, for each distinguishable area; and means for logically combining said third and fourth center lines to define a center point for each distinguishable area; said third and fourth scanning directions also being substantially orthogonally related; whereby the center points of most areas can be determined by employing the logical combination of either said first and second center lines of said third and fourth center lines. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. Apparatus for determining the centers of optically distinguishable areas in a two-dimensional field of view, said apparatus comprising:
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means for transforming the field of view into a serial data stream representative of the field of view, including the optically distinguishable areas; and means for processing said serial data stream and deriving therefrom a serial output signal, time delayed with respect to said serial data stream, and containing information indicative of the center of each distinguishable area falling within a preselected size range; and
whereinsaid serial data stream is obtained by scanning the field line-by-line in a first scanning direction, said means for processing said serial data stream includes first processing means, for determining the position of a center line of each distinguishable area falling within the preselected size range, said center line being measured in relation to said first scanning direction, and said first processing means includes accumulator means for accumulating a count indicative of the width of a distinguishable area as scanned along a line in said first scanning direction, means for determining from the accumulated count the center point of the distinguishable area with respect to a scan line in said first scanning direction, means for storing center point images in said serial output signal, and filter means, for disregarding accumulated counts falling outside of selectable upper and lower limits.
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30. Apparatus for determining the centers of optically distinguishable areas in a two-dimensional field of view, said apparatus comprising:
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means for transforming the field of view into a serial data stream representative of the field of view, including the optically distinguishable areas; and means for processing said serial data stream and deriving therefrom a serial output signal, time delayed with respect to said serial data stream, and containing information indicative of the center of each distinguishable area falling within a preselected size range; wherein said serial data stream is obtained by scanning the field line-by-line in a first scanning direction; and wherein said means for processing said serial data stream includes first processing means, for determining the position of a center line of each distinguishable area falling within the preselected size range, said center line being measured in relation to said first scanning direction, second processing means operating on said serial data stream in parallel with said first processing means, for determining the position of a second center line for each distinguishable area falling within the preselected size range, said second center line being measured in relation to a second scanning direction, third and fourth processing means operating on said serial data stream in parallel with said first and second processing means, for determining the positions of third and fourth center lines for each distinguishable area falling within the preselected size range, said third and fourth center lines being measured in relation to third and fourth scanning directions, respectively, and means for selectively combining outputs from said first, second, third and fourth processing means to determine center points of the distinguishable areas. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. For use with a wire bonding machine, apparatus for determining the locations of particular bonding pads on a microcircuit chip, the bonding pad locations to be utilized as reference points to provide the wire bonding machine with the exact position and orientation of the chip, said apparatus comprising:
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means for transforming an image of the chip placed in a scanning field into a serial binary data stream in which bonding pad areas on the chip are identified as having a particular binary state, said serial binary data stream resulting from scanning the image in raster fashion in a first scanning direction; processing means for determining from said serial binary data stream the centers of all bonding pads on the chip, and for generating a serial output signal, time-delayed with respect to said serial binary data stream, and indicative of the center points of the bonding pads; and means for selecting the centers of at least two particular bonding pads, the coordinates of which can be supplied to the wire bonding machine, to define the exact position and orientation of the chip; and wherein said processing means includes first processing means for deriving a first set of center lines of the bonding pads, said first set of center lines being determined with respect to said first scanning direction, and for generating a first serial output signal indicative of said first set of center lines, second processing means for deriving a second set of center lines of the bonding pads, said second set of center lines being determined with respect to a second scanning direction orthogonally related with said first scanning direction, and for generating a second serial output signal indicative of said second set of center lines, means for logically combining said first and second serial output signals to derive said serial output signal indicative of the center points of the pads, and filter means for disregarding distinguishable areas on the chip which fall outside of a preselected size range, whereby bonding pads can be distinguished from other features of the chip. pg,96 - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification