Industrial internet of things (IIOT) in-situ stress real-time monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332131-B2
Application number	US-202217885101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2022
Priority date	Aug 10, 2021
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide sensors inside an In-Circuit Tester (ICT) that measure stress on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) every time the ICT runs through a manufacturing process. This ICT can comprise an Internet of Things (IoT) device which can measure, monitor, record, and show stress data that is being exerted by ICTs on the mounted PCB in real-time during tests thereby providing technicians an ability to oversee failures based on historical data that the IoT device provides.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An In-Circuit Tester (ICT) device comprising:
a clamp shell;
one or more sensors disposed at one or more locations in the clamp shell; and
an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device coupled with the one or more sensors, the IoT device comprising a processor and a memory coupled with and readable by the processor, the memory storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
read an input signal from each of the one or more sensors, the input signal from each sensor indicating an amount of force on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) mounted in the clamp shell, wherein the input signal is read from each of the sensors in real-time while a test is being conducted on the PCB, and
log a set of results indicating the amount of force on the PCB during the test based on the input signal from each of the one or more sensors.

2. The ICT device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to transmit the logged set of results indicating the amount of stress on the PCB during the test to a monitoring system.

3. The ICT device of claim 1 , wherein the ICT device further comprises an amplifier coupled with each of the one or more sensors and an analog-to-digital converter coupled with the analog-to-digital converter and the IoT device, and wherein the IoT device reads the input signal from each of the one or more sensors through the amplifier and the analog-to-digital converter.

4. The ICT device of claim 1 , wherein the IoT device comprises an Arduino device.

5. The ICT device of claim 1 , wherein the IoT device comprises a Raspberry-Pi device.

6. The ICT device of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more sensors comprises:
a rigid base having a top side and a bottom side, the bottom side being mounted on the clamp shell of the ICT device, wherein the top side is opposite the bottom side;
a compressible layer disposed along the top side of the rigid base; and
a force sensitive device disposed on a side of the compressible layer opposite the rigid base.

7. The ICT device of claim 6 , wherein the force sensitive device comprises a force sensitive resistors.

8. The ICT device of claim 1 , wherein the force indicated by the set of results logged by the IoT device indicate a stress placed on the PCB during the test.

9. A monitoring system of an manufacturing and testing environment, the monitoring system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
receive, from an Internet-or-Things (IoT) device, data logged by the IoT device, wherein the IoT device is disposed within an In-Circuit Tester (ICT), wherein the data logged by the IoT device is logged in real-time during a test conducted on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) mounted on the ICT, and wherein the data logged by the IoT device indicates a force applied to the PCB during the test; and
present, in a user interface, a visual indication of the force applied to the PCB during the test based on the received data logged by the IoT device.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to store the received data logged by the IoT device in a set of historical records.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine whether the received data logged by the IoT device indicates a problem with the PCB.

12. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the received data logged by the IoT device indicates a problem with the PCB is based on the set of historical records.

13. The monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein, in response to determining the received data logged by the IoT device indicates a problem with the PCB, the instructions further cause the processor to initiate an action directed to the problem.

14. A method for monitoring a manufacturing and testing process, the method comprising:
reading, by an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device, an input signal from each of one or more sensors, wherein the IoT device and one or more sensors are disposed within an In-Circuit Tester (ICT), wherein the input signal from each sensor indicates an amount of force on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) mounted in a clamp shell of the ICT, and wherein the input signal is read from each of the sensors in real-time while a test is being conducted on the PCB;
logging, by the IoT device, a set of results indicating the amount of force on the PCB during the test based on the input signal from each of the one or more sensors; and
transmitting, by the IoT device, the logged set of results indicating the amount of stress on the PCB during the test to a monitoring system.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving, by the monitoring system, from the IoT device, the data logged by the IoT device; and
presenting, by the monitoring system, in a user interface, a visual indication of the force applied to the PCB during the test based on the received data logged by the IoT device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing, by the monitoring system, the received data logged by the IoT device in a set of historical records.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining, by the monitoring system, whether the received data logged by the IoT device indicates a problem with the PCB.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining whether the received data logged by the IoT device indicates a problem with the PCB is based on the set of historical records.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, in response to determining the received data logged by the IoT device indicates a problem with the PCB, initiating, by the monitoring system, an action directed to the problem.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the IoT device comprises one of an Arduino device or a Raspberry-Pi device.

Assignees

• Flex Ltd

Inventors

• Vilale Rodimir N
• Alatorre Mercado Raymundo
• Uy William L
• Kurwa Murad M

Classifications

• G01R31/2808

  Holding, conveying or contacting devices, e.g. test adapters, edge connectors, extender boards (probe, multiprobe, probe manipulator or probe fixture G01R1/067) · CPC title

• G01L1/26 Primary

  Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with the measurement of force, e.g. for preventing influence of transverse components of force, for preventing overload · CPC title

• G01R31/2817 Primary

  Environmental-, stress-, or burn-in tests (of IC's G01R31/2855; of individual semiconductors G01R31/2642; of other circuits G01R31/2849) · CPC title