Camera handling system
View Patent ↗A test handler is controlled by a tester to transport, select, focus and test miniature digital camera modules. The modules are loaded onto a transport tray and moved on a conveyer to a robot. The robot selects the untested modules from the tray an alternately places the modules into two test stations. A first test station focuses and tests a first module while the second test station is loaded with a second module, thus burying the handling time for the modules within the test time. The robot returns tested modules to the transport tray, and when all modules on the tray are tested, moves the tray out of the test handler. A second tray with untested modules is positioned at the robot while the tested modules of the first tray are being focus fixed and sorted into part number bins. The overlap of operations buries handling time within the focus and test time so that the limitation of total test time is depending on focus and test operations.
1. A method for focusing a manual focus digital camera module, comprising:
a) loading a digital camera module with manual focus into a test station,
b) making electrical contact to said digital camera module,
c) aligning said digital camera module under an optical unit,
d) selecting a focus target,
e) contacting an adjustable lens cap of said digital camera module with a focus apparatus,
f) adjusting a focus of said digital camera module by turning said adjustable lens cap with said focus apparatus,
g) measuring brightness of an analog picture image,
h) controlling a direction of said focus apparatus to turn said adjustable lens cap past a point of maximum brightness, and then
i) reversing said direction and turning said adjustable lens cap back to a point of maximum brightness thereby establishing focus setting of the digital camera module to maintain said focus setting throughout subsequent handling and testing of the digital camera module.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said focus target is a combination of light and dark areas.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said light areas are formed by round holes in a surrounding solid structure.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said light areas are non-round holes.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said focus apparatus further comprises a stepper motor.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said stepper motor turns said focus apparatus which turns said lens cap.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said focus apparatus contacts said lens cap with a contact part that has a shape that allows mating with said lens cap.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said lens cap has a hexagonal shape.
9. A focus apparatus for focusing a digital camera module with a manual focus, comprising:
a) a digital camera module with a manually adjustable lens cap,
b) an optical unit,
c) a focusing apparatus with an access hole,
d) a stepper motor,
e) said optical unit contained within a test station of a focus and test handler,
e) said focusing apparatus driven by said stepper motor contacts said lens cap and adjusts a focus of the digital camera module by turning said lens cap.
10. The focus apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said stepper motor control by a tester connected to said test handler.
11. The focus apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said access hole is positioned over said lens cap and makes physical contact to said lens cap.
12. The focus apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said access hole is larger than said lens cap by an amount that allows said access hole to enclose said lens cap and accurately adjust a focus of said digital camera module.
13. The focus apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said access hole has a same shape as said lens cap.
14. The focus apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said lens cap is hexagonal.
15. The focus apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said focusing apparatus is driven by a stepper motor.
16. The focus apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the stepper motor drives the focusing apparatus with a belt.
17. The focus apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said stepper motor steps in larger or smaller steps depending upon the closeness of the focus position of said lens cap to an optimum focus point.
18. The focus apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said stepper motor turns said focusing apparatus in a plurality of steps to a complete a revolution of said focus apparatus.
19. The focus apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said stepper motor turns said focusing apparatus in both directions.
20. The focus apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the inner shape of the focusing apparatus allows light from a focus target to fall on a lens of said digital camera module.