Methods and apparatus for inspecting centerplane connectors

• US 7,742,071 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kennedy, John F., Henry, Greg I., Smith, Ricky A., Evans, Brian T., Roach, Thomas E., Ho, Chuck V., Mew, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philippe; Gims S
• Application Number:
  US10/351,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,707 Days
• Field of Search: 348/87, 348/92, 348/94, 348/95, 382/145, 382/147, 250/358.1, 356/239.5, 361/818
• US Class Current: 348/87
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/95661 for leads, e.g. position, curvature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/95684 Patterns showing highly reflecting parts, e.g. metallic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/309 of printed or hybrid circuits or circuit substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/68 Testing of releasable connections, e.g. of terminals mounted on a printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30141 Printed circuit board [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods that reliably detect defects on centerplane connectors. The apparatus and methods include a visual inspection system. The visual inspection system includes a control box, an inspection cart, a camera jig, and a vision system. The vision system has a light emitting diode (LED) lighting system that provides the necessary lighting for the camera on the vision system. The vision system is mounted to the camera jig via a spring-loaded mechanism. The camera jig has dimensions similar to a daughter card that is used with the centerplane connectors. The camera jig also includes a motor and worm gear assembly that raise and/or lower the camera'"'"'s view of the centerplane connectors. The control box is mounted to the inspection cart so that an operator can use it to control the up/down movements of the vision system. A timer/relay may be build into the control box to allow controlled/fixed movements of the vision system. The camera is connected to a high resolution color monitor and/or an optional flat screen color monitor. A computer workstation can be used to video capture the camera'"'"'s image and can be used to send this image to an e-mail alias/webpage or print out a hard copy.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an electronic chassis;

a camera;

a camera jig coupled to the camera; and

wherein the camera jig is operable to position the camera along a plurality of camera positions inside the electronics chassis.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the electronics chassis is a centerplane chassis;

and

wherein the camera jig is operable to position the camera to view a centerplane mounted in the centerplane chassis.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of camera positions form an array that is substantially parallel to an array of centerplane connectors on the centerplane.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera jig is operable to move the camera in a vertical direction.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a control box coupled to the camera jig; and

wherein the control box controls movement of the camera jig.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control box comprises a single push button control for allowing a plurality of inspection sequences by only pressing the single push button.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a video monitor operable to display a camera view from the camera.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer coupled to the camera for capturing an image of a defect of a connector inside the electronics chassis.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer sends the captured image of the defect to a remote device;

and wherein the remote device includes at least one of an e-mail receiving device, a webpage receiving device, or a printer.

10. The system of claim 1,

wherein the camera is a video camera;

and

wherein the system further comprises a light emitting diode coupled to the video camera to provide light for the video camera.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera jig has dimensions that are substantially similar to dimensions of a daughtercard operable to be received in the electronics chassis such that the camera jig is operable to be inserted into the electronics chassis to position the camera along a plurality of camera positions that substantially correspond with connectors in the electronics chassis that are operable to receive the daughtercard.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of camera positions form a substantially continuous linear array of camera positions.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera jig comprises:

a gear assembly;

a motor connected with the gear assembly;

wherein the motor moves the camera longitudinally on the camera jig; and

wherein the gear assembly comprises a worm gear assembly.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera jig is a spring-loaded camera jig.

15. An inspection method, comprising:

providing a camera jig, coupled to a camera, wherein the camera jig is operable to position the camera along a plurality of camera positions;

inserting the camera jig into an electronics chassis;

aligning the camera of the camera jig with at least one connector inside the electronics chassis; and

capturing an image of the at least one connector with the camera.

16. The inspection method of claim 15, further comprising:

moving the camera on the camera jig along the plurality of camera positions;

wherein at least a subset of the plurality of camera positions are substantially parallel to an array of connectors inside the chassis; and

wherein the array of connectors includes the at least one connector.

17. The inspection method of claim 16,

wherein the array of connectors is comprised in a first sequence of connectors;

wherein another array of connectors is comprised in a second sequence of connectors;

wherein the first sequence does not overlap with the second sequence;

wherein the inspection method further comprises;

capturing an image of at least two connectors in the first sequence of connectors;

receiving an input to capture an image of at least part of the second sequence of connectors; and

capturing an image of at least two connectors in the second sequence of connectors in response to receiving the input.

18. The inspection method of claim 15, further comprising:

recording a defect in the image of the connector and a specific location of the defect.

19. A system, comprising:

a centerplane chassis comprising a centerplane;

a video monitor;

a camera jig;

a vision system, which includes a camera, coupled to the video monitor and the camera jig, wherein the camera jig is operable to position the vision system to view at least a subset of connectors of the centerplane with the camera;

a control box coupled to the vision system and the camera jig;

wherein the control box comprises a relay for providing controlled movements of the vision system on the camera jig; and

a computer coupled to the vision system, wherein the computer is operable to capture images, provided by the vision system, of defects on the at least a subset of the connectors of the centerplane.

20. The system of claim 19,

wherein the camera jig has dimensions that are substantially similar to dimensions of a daughtercard operable to be received in the centerplane chassis housing the centerplane;

and

wherein the camera jig is operable to be inserted into the centerplane chassis to position the vision system to view the at least a subset of connectors on the centerplane.