Inspection apparatus, inspection system, and inspection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837831-B2
Application number	US-201916289753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	Mar 2, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An inspection apparatus includes a spectroscopic imager that spectroscopically separates light from a predetermined imaging range of an inspection object into light of a plurality of wavelengths and images spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths, a shape inspection unit that inspects a shape of the inspection object using a spectroscopic image of a predetermined wavelength among the spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths, and a color inspection unit that inspects a color of the inspection object using the spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inspection apparatus comprising:
a spectroscopic image sensor component configured to spectroscopically separate light from a predetermined imaging range of an inspection object into light of a plurality of wavelengths and image spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths;
a transport arm that transports the inspection object;
a transport controller that controls driving of the transport arm;
a vision controller that controls the spectroscopic image sensor component;
a memory configured to store a program; and
a processor configured to execute the program so as to:
inspect a shape of the inspection object using the spectroscopic image of a predetermined wavelength among the wavelengths; and
inspect a color of the inspection object using the spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths.

2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spectroscopic image sensor component includes
a variable wavelength interference filter that includes a pair of reflection films opposite to each other and a gap changing member which changes a gap size between the pair of reflection films, and
an imaging sensor that images light transmitted through the variable wavelength interference filter.

3. An inspection system comprising:
the inspection apparatus according to claim 2 ; and
a transport mechanism that transports the inspection object inspected by the inspection apparatus to a predetermined position.

4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an imaging holding arm that holds the spectroscopic image sensor component and is relatively movable with respect to the inspection object.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the spectroscopic image sensor component is held by the imaging holding arm via a buffer material.

6. An inspection system comprising:
the inspection apparatus according to claim 5 ; and
a transport mechanism that transports the inspection object inspected by the inspection apparatus to a predetermined position.

7. An inspection system comprising:
the inspection apparatus according to claim 4 ; and
a transport mechanism that transports the inspection object inspected by the inspection apparatus to a predetermined position.

8. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transport arm has
a grip that grips the inspection object, and
an imaging holder that holds the spectroscopic image sensor component at a position opposite to the inspection object gripped by the grip.

9. The inspection apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the spectroscopic image sensor component is held by the imaging holder via a buffer material.

10. An inspection system comprising:
the inspection apparatus according to claim 9 ; and
a transport mechanism that transports the inspection object inspected by the inspection apparatus to a predetermined position.

11. An inspection system comprising:
the inspection apparatus according to claim 8 ; and
a transport mechanism that transports the inspection object inspected by the inspection apparatus to a predetermined position.

12. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transport controller controls the driving of the transport arm based on an input signal input from the vision controller and transports the inspection object to a position according to results of the shape inspection and the color inspection.

13. The inspection apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the transport controller transports the inspection object to a first transport position when a defect having a predetermined size or larger is detected by the processor,
transports the inspection object to a second transport position when a defect having the predetermined size or larger is not detected by the processor and chromaticity detected by the processor is out of a predetermined reference range, and
transports the inspection object to a third transport position when a defect having the predetermined size or larger is not detected by the processor and chromaticity detected by the processor is within the reference range.

14. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reference object with known optical properties with respect to a wavelength of the light spectroscopically separated by the spectroscopic image sensor component.

15. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to inspect the shape using the spectroscopic image of a shortest wavelength among the spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths.

16. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to inspect the shape using the spectroscopic image corresponding to a wavelength at which a light quantity of the light from the inspection object peaks.

17. An inspection system comprising:
the inspection apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a transport mechanism that transports the inspection object inspected by the inspection apparatus to a predetermined position.

18. The inspection system according to claim 17 ,
wherein the processor is configured to correct a display color of an image displayed on the inspection object when the inspection object displays the image by self-illumination,
wherein the transport mechanism transports the inspection object to a position in which the processor corrects the display color when a defect having a predetermined size or larger is not detected by the processor and chromaticity detected by the processor is out of a predetermined reference range.

19. An inspection method for causing a processor to execute a program stored in a memory, the method comprising executing on the processor the steps of:
spectroscopically separating light from a predetermined imaging range of an inspection object into light of a plurality of wavelengths and imaging spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths;
inspecting a shape of the inspection object using the spectroscopic image of a predetermined wavelength among the wavelengths imaged in the imaging of the spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths; and
inspecting a color of the inspection object using the spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths imaged,
wherein the processor is configured to inspect the shape using the spectroscopic image corresponding to a wavelength at which a light quantity of the light from the inspection object peaks.

20. An inspection apparatus comprising:
a spectroscopic image sensor component configured to spectroscopically separate light from a predetermined imaging range of an inspection object into light of a plurality of wavelengths and image spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths;
a memory configured to store a program; and
a processor configured to execute the program so as to:
inspect a shape of the inspection object using the spectroscopic image of a predetermined wavelength among the wavelengths; and
inspect a color of the inspection object using the spectroscopic images of each of the wavelengths,

wherein the processor is configured to inspect the shape using the spectroscopic image corresponding to a wavelength at which a light quantity of the light from the inspection object peaks.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Oguchi Satoshi
• Kuri Ryohei
• Kanai Masashi

Classifications

• G01N2021/9513

  Liquid crystal panels · CPC title

• G01N2021/845

  Objects on a conveyor · CPC title

• G01N2021/8845

  Multiple wavelengths of illumination or detection · CPC title

• G01J3/0264

  Electrical interface; User interface · CPC title

• G01J2003/2826

  Multispectral imaging, e.g. filter imaging · CPC title