IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,632,931
Granted Patent B2
US 12,632,931 · App. 17/964,884 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inspection system, image processing method, and defect inspection device

Inventors: Tomotaka Nagashima (Kyoto, JP); Takahide Hatahori (Kyoto, JP); Hisanori Morita (Kyoto, JP); Kenji Takubo (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
G06T5/70G01N21/45G01N21/88G06T5/50G01N2201/02G01N2201/06113
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,632,931
App. No.
17/964,884
Filed
Oct 12, 2022
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2673
USPC
382/275
Abstract

An inspection system includes an image processing unit that suppresses noise of a complex number image on which pixels are represented by a complex number indicating a periodic change in a vibration state of an inspection target. The image processing unit acquires a degree of similarity between a pixel included in a target image region defined in the complex number image and a pixel included in a plurality of reference image regions defined in the complex number image separately from the target image region by comparing complex numbers representing pixels, and executes noise suppression processing of the target image region by using a weight based on the acquired degree of similarity.

Claims (40)

1 . An inspection system comprising:

a vibrator that excites an elastic wave in an inspection target;

a measurer that measures a vibration state in the inspection target in which the elastic wave is excited by the vibrator; and

an image processor configured to suppress noise of a complex number image on which pixels are represented by a complex number indicating a periodic change in the vibration state of the inspection target based on a measurement result of the measurer,

wherein the image processor

acquires a degree of similarity between a pixel included in a target image region defined in the complex number image and a pixel included in a plurality of reference image regions defined in the complex number image separately from the target image region by comparing complex numbers representing pixels, executes noise suppression processing of the target image region by using a weight based on the acquired degree of similarity, and

is configured to approximate a noise distribution of signal points of complex numbers representing pixels of the target image region on a complex plane such that the noise distribution is distributed according to a two-dimensional normal distribution that spreads unevenly on the complex plane, and acquire the degree of similarity based on the approximated distribution.

2 . The inspection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image processor is configured to approximate the noise distribution of the signal points of the complex numbers representing the pixels of the target image region on the complex plane such that the noise distribution is distributed according to the two-dimensional normal distribution that spreads unevenly in a signal point direction from an origin on the complex plane in accordance with magnitude of an amplitude of the periodic change in the vibration state of the inspection target, and acquire the degree of similarity based on the approximated distribution.

3 . The inspection system according to claim 2 , further comprising:

an operation device that is connected with the image processor and receives an operation of changing a parameter indicating a degree of spread of a distribution in a case where the noise distribution is approximated.

4 . The inspection system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the image processor is configured to store a comparison result obtained by comparing the complex numbers representing the pixels included in each of the target image region and the plurality of reference image regions, and acquire the degree of similarity by using the changed parameter indicating the degree of spread of the distribution and the stored comparison result in a case where the operation of changing the parameter indicating the degree of spread of the distribution is received.

5 . The inspection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image processor is configured to execute, as the noise suppression processing, non-local means processing of suppressing noise of the target image region by averaging the plurality of reference image regions by using the weight based on the acquired degree of similarity.

6 . The inspection system according to claim 5 ,

wherein the image processor is configured to execute, as the noise suppression processing, non-local means processing of suppressing the noise of the target image region by removing low frequency components of the plurality of reference image regions and averaging the plurality of reference image regions in which the low frequency components are removed by using the weight based on the acquired degree of similarity.

7 . The inspection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein image processor is configured to acquire the degree of similarity by comparing an average value of the complex numbers representing the pixels of the target image region and an average value of the complex numbers representing the pixels of the reference image region.

8 . The inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an irradiator that irradiates the inspection target in which the elastic wave is excited by the vibrator with laser beams,

wherein the measurer is configured to cause a reflected laser beam which is the laser beam emitted by the irradiator and reflected on the inspection target and a reference laser beam which is the laser beam emitted by the irradiator to interfere with each other, and capture and measure interference light obtained by causing the reflected laser beam and the reference laser beam to interfere with each other, and

the image processor is configured to suppress the noise of the complex number image generated based on a measurement result of the captured interference light.

9 . The inspection system according to claim 8 ,

wherein the image processor is configured to acquire a degree of interference of the measured interference light, and is configured to correct the complex numbers representing the pixels by weighting the complex numbers representing the pixels of the complex number image in accordance with the acquired degree of interference.

10 . The inspection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image processor is configured to generate a vibration state image on which the vibration state of the inspection target is visually recognizable based on the complex number image in which noise is suppressed by executing the noise suppression processing.

11 . An image processing method comprising:

a step of acquiring a complex number image on which pixels are represented by a complex number indicating a periodic change in a state;

a step of acquiring a target image region defined in the acquired complex number image and a plurality of reference image regions defined in the complex number image separately from the target image region;

a step of acquiring a degree of similarity between a pixel included in the acquired target image region and a pixel included in the plurality of reference image regions by comparing complex numbers representing pixels; and

a step of executing noise suppression processing of the target image region by using a weight based on the acquired degree of similarity,

wherein the step of acquiring the degree of similarity includes approximating a noise distribution of signal points of complex numbers representing pixels of the target image region on a complex plane such that the noise distribution is distributed according to a two-dimensional normal distribution that spreads unevenly on the complex plane, and acquiring the degree of similarity based on the approximated distribution.

12 . A defect inspection device comprising:

a vibrator that excites an elastic wave in an inspection target;

an irradiator that irradiates the inspection target in which the elastic wave is excited by the vibrator with laser beams;

a measurer that measures a vibration state of the inspection target in which the elastic wave is excited by the vibrator by causing a reflected laser beam which is the laser beam emitted by the irradiator and reflected on the inspection target and a reference laser beam which is the laser beam emitted by the irradiator to interfere with each other and capturing and measuring interference light obtained by causing the reflected laser beam and the reference laser beam to interfere with each other; and

a controller configured to suppress noise of a complex number image for defect inspection on which pixels are represented by a complex number indicating a periodic change in the vibration state of the inspection target based on a measurement result of the measurer,

wherein the controller acquires a degree of similarity between a pixel included in a target image region defined in the complex number image and a pixel included in a plurality of reference image regions defined in the complex number image separately from the target image region by comparing complex numbers representing pixels, executes noise suppression processing of the target image region by using a weight based on the acquired degree of similarity, and

the controller is configured to approximate a noise distribution of signal points of complex numbers representing pixels of the target image region on a complex plane such that the noise distribution is distributed according to a two-dimensional normal distribution that spreads unevenly on the complex plane, and acquire the degree of similarity based on the approximated distribution.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2022
From: NAGASHIMA, TOMOTAKA; HATAHORI, TAKAHIDE; MORITA, HISANORI; TAKUBO, KENJI
To: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061420/0145 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-168296 · Oct 13, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230114484A1 · Apr 13, 2023
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