Apparatus, systems, and methods for a multi-position image sensor

• US 9,584,730 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Inventors: Costigan, George, Nunnink, Laurens, Sumner, Roger, Wallack, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Shan
• Application Number:
  US14/171,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 348/142
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/95638 for PCB's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1562 for selective scanning, e.g. windowing, zooming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide for a displacement sensor with a multi-position image sensor. The displacement sensor includes an optical lens. The displacement sensor includes an image sensor configured to view an object through the lens along a plane of focus that is not parallel to an image plane of the image sensor. The displacement sensor includes a laser for illuminating the object by the displacement sensor, wherein the laser is: spaced from the lens at a fixed distance, and configured to project a line of light along the plane of focus of the image sensor. The displacement sensor comprises a first configuration wherein the image sensor is at a first location along an image plane with a first field of view along the plane of focus, and a second configuration at a second location with a different field of view.

Claims

1. A displacement sensor for determining characteristics of an object, comprising:

an optical lens disposed on a lens plane;

an image sensor, disposed on an image plane that is not parallel to the lens plane, configured to capture an image of an object along a plane of focus that is not parallel to the image plane

a light source for illuminating the object by the displacement sensor, wherein the light source is;

spaced from the lens at a fixed distance; and

configured to project light along the plane of focus of the image sensor;

wherein the image sensor is configured to be placed at;

a first location along the image plane to obtain a first field of view along the plane of focus, and

a second location along the image plane to obtain a second field of view along the plane of focus that is wider than the first field of view.

2. The displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to be placed at the first position to obtain an image of a small object or a feature of the small object with a first level of detail, and wherein the image sensor is configured to be placed at the second position to obtain an image of a large object or large feature of an object with a second level of detail, wherein the first level of detail is higher than the second level of detail.

3. The displacement sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a motion stage configured to mount the image sensor, disposed on a plane parallel to the image plane, configured to move the image sensor on the image plane; and

a controller configured to move the motion stage to position the image sensor at the first location or the second location.

4. The displacement sensor of claim 1, further comprising one or more locator pins, wherein the one or more locator pins can be provided in a first locator pin configuration to align the one or more locator pins with the image sensor placed at the first location, and wherein the one or more locator pins can be provided in a second locator pin configuration to align the one or more locator pins with the image sensor placed at the second location.

5. The displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is at a third location in the displacement sensor to provide a third field of view along the plane of focus, wherein the third field of view is wider than the second field of view.

6. The displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to view the object through the lens using the Scheimpflug principle to provide the first field of view and the second field of view by shifting the image sensor along the image plane not parallel to the plane of focus.

7. The displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a laser for illuminating the object configured to project a line of light along the plane of focus of the image sensor.

8. The displacement sensor of claim 7, wherein:

when the image sensor is placed at the first location, the laser is configured to project a first line of light with a first thickness to illuminate the object for inspection; and

when the image sensor is placed at the second location, the laser is configured to project a second line of light with a second thickness greater than the first thickness to illuminate the object for inspection.

9. The displacement sensor of claim 8, wherein the laser is removably provided in the displacement sensor.

10. The displacement sensor of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is removably provided in the displacement sensor.

11. A displacement sensor for determining characteristics of an object, comprising:

an optical lens disposed on a lens plane;

an image sensor, disposed on an image plane that is not parallel to the lens plane, configured to capture an image of an object along a plane of focus that is not parallel to the image plane

a light source for illuminating the object by the displacement sensor, wherein the light source is;

spaced from the lens at a fixed distance; and

configured to project light along the plane of focus of the image sensor;

wherein the image sensor is configured to be placed at;

a first location along the image plane to obtain a first field of view along the plane of focus; and

a second location along the image plane to obtain a second field of view along the plane of focus that is wider than the first field of view.

12. The displacement sensor of claim 11, further comprising:

a motion stage configured to mount the image sensor, disposed on a plane parallel to the image plane, configured to move the image sensor on the image plane; and

a controller configured to move the motion stage to position the image sensor at the first location or the second location.

13. The displacement sensor of claim 11, further comprising one or more locator pins, wherein the one or more locator pins can be provided in a first locator pin configuration to align the one or more locator pins with the image sensor placed at the first location, and wherein the one or more locator pins can be provided in a second locator pin configuration to align the one or more locator pins with the image sensor placed at the second location.

14. The displacement sensor of claim 11, wherein the image sensor is at a third location in the displacement sensor to provide a third field of view along the plane of focus, wherein the third field of view is wider than the second field of view.

15. A method of manufacturing a displacement sensor, comprising:

mounting an optical lens disposed on a lens plane to a displacement sensor housing;

mounting an image sensor, disposed on an image plane not parallel to the lens plane, to the displacement sensor housing, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture an image of an object along a plane of focus that is not parallel to the image plane of the image sensor, and wherein the displacement sensor is mounted in one of a plurality of configurations comprising;

a first configuration in which the image sensor is at a first location along the image plane of the image sensor to provide a first field of view along the plane of focus; and

a second configuration in which the image sensor is at a second location along the image plane of the image sensor to provide a second field of view along the plane of focus that is wider than the first field of view,

mounting a light source for illuminating the object by the displacement sensor on the displacement sensor housing, wherein the light source is;

spaced from the lens at a fixed distance; and

configured to project light along the plane of focus of the image sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising mounting the image sensor on a motion stage configured to move along an axis defined within the image plane.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising installing one or more locator pins in the displacement sensor housing in one of a plurality of locator pin configurations comprising:

a first locator pin configuration in which the one or more locator pins are aligned to the image sensor in the first location; and

a second locator pin configuration in which the one or more locator pins are aligned to the image sensor in the second location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the locator pins are machined in the one of the plurality of locator pin configurations.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the light source comprises a laser that is removably mounted to the displacement sensor housing to allow for use of a first laser to project a first line of light and a second laser to project a second line of light.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the image sensor is removably mounted to the displacement sensor housing to allow for use of a first image sensor for the first configuration and a second image sensor for the second configuration.