Image processing device and image processing method

• US 7,982,779 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Original Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Inventors: Saeki, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peterson; Christopher K
• Application Number:
  US11/055,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20050178949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,350 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.12, 348/218.1, 34820799-2072, 348 86- 92, 382141-152
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10

Abstract

In an inspection of a substance in which a first region is made of black resin and a second region is made of a metal, a portion surrounding the first region is registered as a first imaging range, and a portion surrounding the second region is registered as a second imaging range. As an imaging condition for the first region, a relatively slow shutter speed is registered such that an image does not become dark. Further, as an imaging condition for the second region, a relatively fast shutter speed is registered such that an image does not have unduly high white levels. As such, the imaging range and condition set by a user are supplied to a CCD camera, and then image processing is performed on a captured image from the CCD camera by an image processing device main body.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

a solid-state image element camera that captures a plurality of images of an inspection object, the solid-state image element camera comprising a pixel region;

an image processing device main body that receives and processes the captured images from the camera; and

a monitor that displays an inspection or measurement result by the image processing device main body,

the image processing device main body having;

an assigning section that allows a user to assign a plurality of imaging ranges comprising at least a first imaging range and a second imaging range, and the assigning section allows a user to independently assign a plurality of imaging conditions that includes at least shutter speed for each imaging range and wherein said imaging conditions assigned by user for each imaging range is storable and transmittable, wherein the imaging conditions comprise X and Y coordinates of the pixel region, and the first imaging range and the second imaging range comprise different X and Y coordinates of the pixel region of the solid-state image element camera, wherein the first imaging range and second imaging range are settable so as to be overlapped with each other within the imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera;

a storing section having stored therein the plurality of user set imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera and the plurality of user set imaging conditions including at least one imaging condition for each of the plurality of user set imaging ranges;

a transmitting section that reads the plurality of user set imaging ranges and the plurality of user set imaging conditions stored in the storing section and transmits a signal about the plurality of user set imaging ranges and the plurality of user set imaging conditions to the solid-state image element camera, in an order for transmitting to the solid-state image element camera which is set in the storing section in addition to correspondence relationship information on the user set imaging condition assigned to each user set imaging range;

a receiving section that receives, as individual image signals, a captured image signal of each of the plurality of user set imaging conditions of the solid-state image element camera, including shutter speed, in a predetermined order, which is set with respect to each of the plurality of user set imaging ranges; and

an image processing section that performs a selected inspection or measurement based on each of the captured images obtained in correspondence with each of the imaging ranges,

wherein each imaging range is only a portion of the entire field of view of the solid state image element camera and the image processing device performs an image process of at least the first imaging range and the second imaging range based on the captured image signals received by the receiving section and forms a captured image from the plurality of captured image signals;

wherein the solid-state image element camera captures each of the images based on the imaging range and the imaging condition corresponding to the imaging range transmitted in a predetermined order from the transmitting section of the image processing device main body, and transmits each of the captured images to the image processing device.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein at least one imaging range of the plurality of imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera is set by an external apparatus connected to the image processing device main body.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2,

wherein at least one imaging range of the plurality of imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera is set by the external apparatus during the image process by the image processing device main body.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the image processing device main body reads at least one imaging condition of the plurality of imaging conditions, together with the respective imaging range, and transmits signals about the at least one imaging condition and respective imaging range to the solid-state image element camera, and sets the at least one imaging condition on the solid-state image element camera to capture an image.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4,

wherein at least one imaging condition of the plurality of imaging conditions is selected from at least one of a group of magnification and scanning modes of the solid-state image element camera, an amplification factor of an output signal of the solid-state image element camera, diaphragms, and illumination of the solid-state image element camera.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the solid-state image element camera and the image processing device main body are connected to each other via a cable.

9. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the image processing device main body has:

the assigning section that assigns the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions on behalf of the user;

the transmitting section that transmits the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions assigned by the assigning section to the solid-state image element camera;

the receiving section that receives the signal about the captured images of the assigned imaging ranges from the solid-state image element camera;

the image processing section that performs a selected inspection or measurement based on each of the captured images obtained in correspondence with each of the imaging ranges;

a monitor display control section that transmits the captured images received from the solid-state image element camera to the monitor and causes the monitor to display the captured image; and

the storing section that stores the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions determined by the user.

10. The image processing device according to claim 4,

wherein the image processing device main body has:

the assigning section that assigns at least one imaging range and the at least one imaging condition for that imaging range, on behalf of the user;

the transmitting section that transmits the at least one imaging range and the at least one imaging condition for that imaging range, assigned by the assigning section, to the solid-state image element camera;

the receiving section that receives the signal about the captured image of the assigned imaging range captured under the assigned at least one imaging condition, from the solid-state image element camera;

the image processing section that performs a selected inspection or measurement based on each of the captured images obtained in correspondence with each of the imaging ranges;

a monitor display control section that transmits the captured image received from the solid-state image element camera to the monitor and causes the monitor to display the captured image; and

the storing section that stores the at least one imaging range and the at least one imaging condition for that imaging range, determined by the user.

14. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the receiving section of the image processing main body is configured to perform a position correction of the captured image, based upon a previously captured image.

7. An image processing device having:

a solid-state image element camera that captures a plurality of images of an inspection object, the solid-state image element camera comprising a pixel region;

an image processing device main body that receives and processes a plurality of images, to form a captured image; and

a monitor that displays an inspection or measurement result by the image processing device main body,

wherein the image processing device main body is switchable between a setup mode in which a user assigns a plurality of imaging ranges and a plurality of imaging conditions such that each imaging range represents only a portion of the entire field of view of the solid-state image element camera, and the plurality of imaging conditions includes at least one imaging condition that includes at least shutter speed for each of the plurality of imaging ranges and wherein said imaging conditions assigned by user for each imaging range is storable and transmittable, wherein the plurality of imaging ranges comprises at least a first imaging range and a second imaging range, the imaging conditions comprise X and Y coordinates of the pixel region, and the first imaging range and the second imaging range comprise different X and Y coordinates of the pixel region of the solid-state image element camera, wherein the first imaging range and second imaging range are settable so as to be overlapped with each other within the imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera, and an operation mode in which an image process is performed,

in a setup mode, the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions are transmitted to the solid-state image element camera, and the captured image transmitted from the solid-state image element camera is displayed on the monitor, such that the user assigns the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions through an assigning section, and the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions are stored in a storing section, wherein an order for transmitting to the solid-state image element camera is set in the storing section in addition to correspondence relationship information on the user set imaging condition assigned to each user set imaging range,

in an operation mode, a signal about the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions stored in the storing section is transmitted from the image processing device main body to the solid-state image element camera such that the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions of the solid-state image element camera is set, and the image processing device main body receives and processes at least the first imaging range and the second imaging range to form a captured image of each of the plurality of imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera according to the plurality of imaging conditions;

wherein the solid-state image element camera captures, as individual image signals, each of the images based on the imaging range and the imaging condition, including shutter speed, corresponding to the imaging range transmitted in a predetermined order, which is set with respect to each of the plurality of user set imaging ranges, and transmits each of the captured images to the image processing device.

8. The image processing device according to claim 7,

wherein, the images captured by the solid-state image element camera under the imaging conditions assigned by the user is displayed on the monitor, such that the user determines the imaging conditions while viewing the monitor.

15. The image processing device of claim 7, wherein the image processing device main body is configured to perform a position correction of the captured image, based upon a previously capture image.

11. An image processing method performed in an image processing device, comprising:

assigning a plurality of user set imaging ranges and a plurality of user set imaging conditions, pertaining to a solid-state image element camera, through an assigning section of the image processing device, and wherein said imaging conditions assigned by user for each imaging range is storable and transmittable, wherein the plurality of user set imaging ranges comprises at least a first imaging range and a second imaging range, the plurality of user set imaging conditions includes at least one imaging condition that includes shutter speed for each of the plurality of user set imaging ranges, the user set imaging conditions comprise X and Y coordinates of the pixel region, and the first imaging range and the second imaging range comprise different X and Y coordinates of the pixel region of the solid-state image element camera, wherein the first imaging range and second imaging range are set so as to be overlapped with each other within the imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera;

storing the plurality of user set imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera and the plurality of user set imaging conditions including at least one imaging condition for each of the plurality of imaging ranges;

capturing an image of an inspection object by capturing an image of each of the plurality of imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera and generating a captured image signal of each image of the plurality of imaging conditions, including shutter speed, captured by the solid-state image element camera, which is set with respect to each of the plurality of user set imaging ranges; and

performing an image process based on the captured image signal generated;

wherein each imaging range represents only a portion of the entire field of view of the solid-state image element camera;

wherein the solid-state image element camera captures each of the images based on the imaging range and the imaging condition corresponding to the imaging range transmitted in a predetermined order from the image processing device, and transmitting each of the captured images to the image processing device.

12. The image processing method according to claim 11, said method further comprising:

assigning the plurality of imaging ranges and the plurality of imaging conditions set by the user;

capturing an image of an inspection object by the solid-state image element camera and generating a captured image of the assigned plurality of imaging ranges in the image captured by the solid-state image element camera; and

displaying the captured image of the assigned plurality of imaging ranges received from the solid-state image element camera; and

storing the plurality of imaging ranges determined by the user as set imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera.

13. The image processing method according to claim 11, said method further comprising:

setting the plurality of imaging ranges of the solid-state image element camera by an external apparatus connected to the image processing device.

16. The image processing method of claim 11, wherein capturing said plurality of images further comprises performing a position correction of the captured image, based upon a previously capture image.