Method and apparatus for evaluating a set of electronic components

• US 7,015,713 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Accu-Assembly Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Accu-Assembly Incorporated
• Inventors: Kou, Yuen-Foo Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PARESH H
• Application Number:
  US10/884,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 374/28, 374/45, 360/133, 702/130, 702/101, 324/102, 324/112, 324/113, 324/760, 324/763, 324/73
• US Class Current: 73/29.01
• 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; and

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.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing the data in the memory storage device with a memory reader at the assembly station.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising evaluating, with the memory reader at the assembly station, 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.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing a portion of the set of electronic components from the container for installation into the electronic assemblies at the assembly station.

5. The method of claim 4 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.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after transporting the container and the attached environmental condition recorder from the storage area to the assembly station, removing the environmental condition recorder from the container; and

attaching the environmental condition recorder to a second container of electronic components.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

after attaching the environmental condition recorder to the second container of electronic components, sensing the second container'"'"'s electronic components'"'"' exposure to atmospheric moisture content with the attached environmental condition recorder prior to installing the electronic components of the second set into electronic assemblies.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sensing the electronic components'"'"' exposure to ambient moisture content with the sensing element of the attached environmental condition recorder.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing data in the memory storage device based on the information received by the processor.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the container of electronic components stores only electronic components that are identical to each other.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the environmental condition recorder from the container just prior to installing the electronic components into the electronic assemblies.