Component position verification using a position tracking device

• US 6,408,253 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2001
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Revware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microscribe, LLC
• Inventors: Riegel, James R., Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US09/754,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 702/95, 702/94, 702/150-153, 702/155, 702/158, 702/33, 702/35, 702/36, 702/81-84, 702/127, 702/128, 702/163, 702/166-168, 702/183, 702/FOR.146, 702/FOR.147, 702/FOR.170, 702/FOR.171, 702/FOR.137, 702/FOR-123, 702/FOR.141, 702/FOR.144, 702/FOR.145, 700/58, 700/65, 700/66, 700/109, 700/110, 700/114-116, 700/117, 700/121, 700/124, 700/125, 700/186, 700/192-195, 700/245, 700/237, 700/258, 700/264, 700/302, 700/303, 700/98, 700/95-97, 700/99, 700/106, 700/107, 700/213-215, 700/217, 700/219-222, 700/225, 700/226, 348/87, 348/92, 348/94, 348/95, 382/145-147, 382/149-152, 324/537, 324/754, 324/764, 324/756-758, 33/1.MP, 33/1.PJ, 335/59, 335/03--05, 335/55, 738/658, 738/665, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/162, 345/178, 345/179, 901/44-46, 901/33, 901/15, 901/10, 901/6, 438/14-16, 438/7, 438/10, 438/12, 438/107, 438/129, 438/FOR.142, 228/8-12, 297/99, 297/91, 297/40, 297/41, 297/42, 297/20, 297/09--13, 414/935-938, 433/76
• US Class Current: 702/95
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/04 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers

Abstract

Method and system for checking and verifying the positions of components on an object such as a circuit board using a position tracking device. A component of the object, positioned at a particular location on the object, is selected by the user using the position tracking device. Reference information about a correct component positioned at the location of the selected component is displayed or otherwise provided, and the displayed reference information is compared with the selected component to determine if the selected component is of the correct type and value. In one embodiment, the selecting is accomplished by moving a probe tip of a probe apparatus within a predetermined distance of the selected component and activating a control, such as a button. The user can initiate a verify signal or a failure signal depending on whether the selected component matches the reference information.

Claims

1. A method for providing verification information about physical components of an object, the method comprising:

receiving position information from a position tracking device manually positioned by a user, said position information describing a particular location on an object placed in a workspace volume of said position tracking device, wherein a particular one of said physical components is positioned at said particular location on said object, and wherein said object includes a plurality of said physical components, each positioned at a different location on said object;

accessing reference data for a desired component layout of said object, said reference data including descriptive information about a desired component desired to be provided at said particular location described by said position information received from said position tracking device, said descriptive information including a description of a non-geometric characteristic of said desired component that is to be positioned at said particular location; and

providing said descriptive information about said desired component to allow a comparison between said non-geometric characteristic of said desired component and a non-geometric characteristic of said particular one of said physical components positioned at said particular location on said object.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said object is a printed circuit board and said physical components include circuit board components.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising receiving a signal from said position tracking device indicating whether an electrical connection exists between two leads on a probe tip of said position tracking device, wherein said probe tip is contacted by said user to an electrical trace on said printed circuit board.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said descriptive information about said desired component includes a value associated with said desired component, and wherein said comparison includes a comparison between said value associated with said desired component and a value associated with said physical component.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising receiving position information from said position tracking device indicating a location of said printed circuit board in three-dimensional space.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said non-geometric characteristic is a type of said desired component, and wherein said comparison is between said type of said desired component and a type of said particular physical component positioned at said particular location on said object.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said comparison between said type of said desired component and said type of said particular physical component is performed by said user after receiving said provided descriptive information.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said providing said descriptive information includes outputting said descriptive information to said user.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining if said particular location has previously been received as position information, and outputting an indication to said user that said particular physical component has already been checked if said particular location has previously been received.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said receiving position information, accessing reference data and providing said descriptive information are performed by a host computer coupled to said position tracking device, and wherein said comparison between said non-geometric characteristic of said desired component and said non-geometric characteristic of said particular physical component is performed by said host computer.

11.The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said comparison is performed by reading identifying information from said particular physical component using a sensor included on said position tracking device, said identifying information indicating said non-geometric characteristic of said physical component.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising storing verify or failure information for said particular physical component indicating that a match exists or does not exist between said non-geometric characteristics of said desired component and said particular physical component.

11. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said sensor includes a bar code reader operative to read a bar code positioned on said particular physical component.

13. A method for checking components of an object, the method comprising:

placing said object in a workspace volume of a position tracking device, said position tracking device operative to provide three-dimensional position information to a computer coupled to said position tracking device;

selecting one of said components of said object using said position tracking device, said selected component being positioned at a particular location on said object, wherein said selecting is accomplished by a user moving a tip of said position tracking device within a predetermined distance of said selected component, wherein said distance can be greater than zero to allow selection when said tip is not contacting said selected component, and wherein said selecting one of said components is accomplished by said user activating a control on said position tracking device while said tip is within said predetermined distance of said selected component; and

comparing at least one characteristic of said selected component with reference information about a correct component displayed from information provided by said computer, said correct component being desired to be positioned at said particular location of said selected component, wherein said reference information includes a description of a desired characteristic of said correct component to be positioned at said particular location of said selected component.

14. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said object is a printed circuit board and said components include circuit board components.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said at least one characteristic of said selected component is a type of said selected component, and wherein said desired characteristic of said correct component is a type of said correct component.

17. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said position tracking device is moved and operated manually by a user, wherein said selecting one of said components of said object using said position tracking device includes selecting a trace between two leads of said position tracking device, and wherein said comparing at least one characteristic of said selected component with reference information includes verifying an electrical connection exists between said two leads.

15. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said position tracking device includes an arm linkage having a plurality of joints and wherein said tip is a probe tip coupled to said arm linkage.

18. A method for providing verification information about components of an object, the method comprising:

receiving position information from a position tracking device manually positioned by a user, said position information describing a particular location on an object placed in a workspace volume of said position tracking device, wherein a physical component is positioned at said particular location on said object;

accessing reference data for a desired component layout of said object, said reference data including descriptive information about a desired component desired to be provided at said particular location described by said position information received from said position tracking device, wherein said descriptive information describes at least one non-geometric characteristic of said desired component; and

outputting said descriptive information about said desired component to allow a user to compare said at least one non-geometric characteristic of said desired component with a corresponding at least one non-geometric characteristic of said physical component positioned at said particular location on said object.

19. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said object is a printed circuit board and said components include circuit board components.

20. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said descriptive information about said desired component includes a value associated with said desired component.