Method and apparatus for component recognition

• US 7,050,623 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hachiya, Eiichi, Noudo, Akira, Kanetaka, Iwao, Fukuda, Shozo
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAWAN, SHEELA C
• Application Number:
  US10/129,531
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 382/151, 382/149, 382/141, 382/145, 382/274, 348/223.1, 348/363, 348/226.1, 297/40
• US Class Current: 382/151
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0813 Controlling of single components prior to mounting, e.g. orientation, component geometry H05K13/0812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component

Abstract

Adjustment of image pickup conditions through alternative selection of two cameras different in resolution, adjustment of image lightness of a to-be-recognized component based on component information of the component, and performing control allows an image of the component to be picked up by either one of the cameras under the image pickup conditions.

Claims

1. A component recognition device for recognizing and processing a picked-up image of a component, comprising:

an illumination unit for emitting illumination light to a component when held by a component holding member and to be placed on a circuit forming body;

a first image pickup unit for recognizing a component, when held by the component holding member and illuminated by said illumination unit, with a first resolution;

a second image pickup unit for recognizing a component, when held by the component holding member and illuminated by said illumination unit, with a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution; and

a control section for

(i) based on component information of a component to be recognized, adjusting image pickup conditions by

(a) alternatively selecting one of said first image pickup unit and said second image pickup unit,

(b) adjusting a condition related to image lightness of the component to be recognized, and

(c) when said second image pickup unit is selected by said control section, adjusting a readout clock frequency of said second image pickup unit to be higher than a readout clock frequency of said first image pickup unit, and

(ii) performing control such that an image of the component to be recognized is picked up, under the image pickup conditions as adjusted by said control section, by the one of said first and second image pickup units as selected by said control section.

2. The component recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

said illumination unit includes plural kinds of illumination sources capable of illuminating a component with different kinds of illumination light and being disposed in different positions relative to the component when held by the component holding member, and

said control section is for adjusting the condition related to image lightness of the component to be recognized by

(i) adjusting illuminance of illumination from said illumination unit to the component to be recognized when held by the component holding member, or

(ii) selecting a kind or a position of said plural kinds of illumination sources.

3. The component recognition device according to claim 2, wherein

said plural kinds of illumination sources include

(i) a first illumination source disposed so as to be able to emit illumination light for illuminating a component, when held by the component holding member, from almost directly beneath the component, and

(ii) a second illumination source disposed so as to be able to emit illumination light for illuminating the component, when held by the component holding member, from an inclined lower side of the component, and

said control section is for adjusting the condition related to image lightness of the component to be recognized by causing illumination light to be emitted from said first illumination source if an electrode of the component to be recognized is in a mirror state.

4. The component recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

said control section is for adjusting the condition related to image lightness of the component to be recognized by adjusting an exposure time of the one of said first and second image pickup units as selected by said control section.

5. The component recognition device according to claim 4, wherein

said control section is for adjusting the condition related to image lightness of the component to be recognized by prolonging an exposure time if, based on the component information, an electrode of the component to be recognized has difficulty in reflecting light.

6. The component recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

said control section is for adjusting the condition related to image brightness of the component to be recognized by adjusting an image signal gain, so as to be suited for image recognition, to eliminate difference in lightness of an image of the component to be recognized that is to be picked up by the one of said first and second image pickup units as selected by said control section, due to difference in performance between said first image pickup unit and said second image pickup unit, and a kind of the component to be recognized.

7. The component recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

said control section is also for, based on the component information of the component to be recognized, adjusting the image pickup conditions by setting a scan spacing of the image of the component to be recognized that is to be picked up by the one of said first and second image pickup units as selected by said control section, in accordance with the one of said first and second image pickup units and a kind of the component to be recognized,

said component recognition device further comprising:

an image recognition processing section for

(i) scanning the image, as picked up by the one of said first and second image pickup units, based on the scan spacing as set by said control section,

(ii) recognizing a component existing region in the image, and then

(iii) recognizing the component existing region, as recognized by said image processing section, as an image so as to enable posture recognition of the component.

8. The component recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

said illumination unit includes an illumination source for emitting illumination light for illuminating a component, when held by the component holder, from an illumination direction that is other than a direction orthogonal to any side of the component when held by the component holding member.

9. The component recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

said illumination unit includes

(i) light diffusing plate disposed opposite to said first and second image pickup units relative to a component when held by the component holding member, and above the component when held by the component holding member,

(ii) an illumination source for emitting illumination light for illuminating the component, when held by the component holding member, downwardly, and

(iii) a reflection section for reflecting the illumination light emitted from said illumination source upwardly toward said light diffusing plate,

such that when the illumination light is emitted from the illumination source and reflected by said reflection section upwardly toward said light diffusing plate, the illumination light is diffused by said light diffusing plate and an outline image of the component is picked up, as the image of the component to be recognized, by the one of said first and second image pickup units, upon said control section performing said control via this diffused light.

10. The component recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

said control section is for alternatively selecting one of said first image pickup unit and said second image pickup unit by

(i) selecting said second image pickup unit if, based on the component information, the component to be recognized is a lead component, or a C4 component of a BAG or a CSP, and

(ii) selecting said first image pickup unit if, based on the component information, the component to be recognized is a chip component.

11. A component mounting apparatus comprising:

the component recognition device as defined in claim 1; and

the component holding member, said component holding member for holding the component at a component holding position and moving the component along a moving route to a placement position of the circuit forming body through a recognition position,

wherein the component mounting apparatus is for illuminating the component, when held by said component holding member, with said illumination unit of said component recognition device at the recognition position on the moving route to perform recognition processing of the image of the component picked up by the one of said first and second image pickup units, and for correcting a posture of said component holding member relative to the placement position based on a result of the recognition processing.

12. A component recognition method comprising:

based on component information of a component held by a component holding member and to be placed on a circuit forming body, adjusting image pickup conditions by

(a) alternatively selecting one of a first image pickup unit and a second image pickup unit, with said second image pickup unit having a resolution higher than a resolution of said first image pickup unit, and

(b) adjusting a condition related to image lightness of said component;

under the image pickup conditions as adjusted,

(i) using an illumination unit to illuminate said component, and

(ii) picking up an image of said component, when illuminated, by the one of said first and second image pickup units as selected; and

performing component recognition based on the image of said component as picked-up,

wherein, when said second image pickup unit is selected, adjusting said image pickup conditions includes adjusting a readout clock frequency of said second image pickup unit to be higher than a readout clock frequency of said first image pickup unit.

13. The component recognition method according to claim 12, wherein

adjusting said condition related to image lightness of said component, comprises

(i) adjusting an illuminance of illumination emitted from said illumination unit to said component, or

(ii) selecting kinds or positions of plural kinds of illumination sources of said illumination unit.

14. The component recognition method according to claim 12, wherein

adjusting said condition related to image lightness comprises emitting illumination light from almost directly beneath said component if an electrode of said component is in a mirror state.

15. The component recognition method according to claim 12, wherein

adjusting said condition related to image lightness of said component comprises adjusting an exposure time of the one of said first and second image pickup units as selected.

16. The component recognition method according to claim 15, wherein

adjusting said condition related to image lightness comprises prolonging an exposure time if, based on the component information, an electrode of said component has difficulty in reflecting light.

17. The component recognition method according to claim 12, wherein

using an illumination unit to illuminate said component comprises

(i) reflecting upwardly illumination light, emitted from an illumination source, by a reflection section toward a light diffusing plate disposes opposite to said first and second image pickup units relative to said component, and

(ii) diffusing said illumination by said light diffusing plate,

such that picking up said image of said component comprises picking up an outline image of said component with light diffused by said light diffusing plate.

18. The component recognition method according to claim 12, wherein

alternatively selecting one of a first image pickup unit and a second image pickup unit comprises

(i) selecting said second image pickup unit if, based on the component information, said component is a lead component, or a C4 component of a BAG or a CSP, and

(ii) selecting said first image pickup unit if, based on the component information, said component is a chip component.

19. The component recognition method according to claim 12, wherein

adjusting said condition related to image lightness of said component comprises adjusting an image signal gain, so as to be suited for image recognition, to eliminate difference in lightness of an image of said component that is to be picked by the one of said first and second image pickup units as selected, due to difference in performance between said first image pickup unit and said second image pickup unit, and a kind of said component.

20. The component recognition method according to claim 12, further comprising:

based on the component information of said component, setting a scan spacing of the image of said component that is to be picked up by the one of said first and second image pickup units, as selected, in accordance with the one of said first and second image pickup units and a kind of said component;

scanning the image, as picked up by the one of said first and second image pickup units, based on said scan spacing as set;

recognizing a component existing region in said image; and

then

recognizing said component existing region, as recognized, as an image so as to enable posture recognition of said component.

21. The component recognition method according to claim 12, wherein

using an illumination unit to illuminate said component comprises emitting illumination light to said component from a direction that is other than a direction orthogonal to any side of said component.

22. A component mounting method comprising:

using a component holding member to hold a component at a component holding position and move said component along a moving route to a placement position of a circuit forming body through a recognition position;

at said recognition position, performing component recognition in accordance with the component recognition method as defined in claim 12;

then

correcting a posture of said component holding member relative to said placement position based on a result of said component recognition; and

placing said component, held by said component holding member, onto said placement position of said circuit forming body.