IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,724,960
Granted Patent B2
US 10,724,960 · App. 15/129,273 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

Inspection system and inspection method

Inventors: Toru Kurihara (Kochi, JP); Shigeru Ando (Chiba, JP); Michihiko Yoshimura (Aichi, JP)
Assignees: The University of Tokyo; Ricoh Elemex Corporation; Kochi Prefectural Public University Corporation
G01N21/8806G01N21/8851G01N2021/8829G01N2201/0625G01N2201/0634
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,724,960
App. No.
15/129,273
Filed
Sep 26, 2016
Granted
Jul 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2877
USPC
356/237.2
Abstract

An inspection system of an embodiment includes: a planar illumination unit that temporally varies an intensity of light in a periodic manner by spatially moving a stripe pattern of the intensity of light; a time-correlation image generator that generates a time-correlation image with a time-correlation camera or an image capturing system that performs an operation equivalent to that of the time-correlation camera; and a calculation processor that calculates a characteristic from the time-correlation image, the characteristic corresponding to a distribution of normal vectors to an inspection target surface and serving to detect an abnormality based on at least either a difference from a surrounding area or a difference from a reference surface.

Claims (32)

1. An inspection system comprising:

a planar illuminator that temporally varies an intensity of light emitted from the planar illuminator to an inspection target surface in a successive and periodic manner by spatially moving a stripe pattern of the intensity of the light; and

at least one processor configured to:

multiply a light intensity signal by a reference signal, the light intensity signal representing an intensity of light reflected from the inspection target surface in response to the light emitted from the planar illuminator incident on the inspection target surface, the reference signal periodically changing in response to a temporal change of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator due to spatially moving the strip pattern of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator according to a lapse of time;

generate, using an image capturing device, a time-correlation image according to the multiplied light intensity signal; and

calculate a characteristic from the time-correlation image, the characteristic corresponding to a concave-convex irregularity/abnormality of the inspection target surface and serving to detect an abnormality based on at least either a difference from a surrounding area or a difference from a reference surface,

wherein the planar illuminator temporally varies the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator in the successive and periodic manner in a single exposure time of the image capturing device by spatially moving the stripe pattern of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator according to the lapse of time.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the stripe pattern is set so as to be projectable based on the following expression (1):

e jωt ·e jϕ(x,y)   (1)

where e represents an exponential function, j represents an imaginary number, ωrepresents a temporal angular velocity, t represents time, x and y represent two-dimensional coordinates, and ϕ represents a phase distribution continuously varying in the x-y plane.

3. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein a stripe width of the stripe pattern is set so as to satisfy the following expression (2):

p·w/λ>0.5  (2)

where w=1−2H(1+γ 2 )·f xx , p represents a width of an image capturing element of the time-correlation camera, λ represents the stripe width, H represents a distance between an inspection subject and the planar illumination unit, γ represents tan θ 0 , θ 0 represents an angle of a direction of the image pickup device with respect to a frontal direction of the inspection subject, f xx , represents the second-order derivative of f(x), f(x) is a function representing a shape of a surface, and x represents a direction along a representative surface of the inspection subject.

4. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the stripe pattern is set so as to move in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of a defect.

5. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein a stripe width of the stripe pattern is set according to an inclination of the inspection target surface.

6. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination unit outputs a plurality of stripe patterns having different stripe widths to one inspection target surface.

7. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination unit outputs a stripe pattern including a plurality of stripes having different stripe widths.

8. The inspection system according to claim 7 , wherein the stripe pattern includes a plurality of stripes having different stripe widths and extending in the same direction.

9. The inspection system according to claim 7 , wherein the stripe pattern includes a plurality of stripes having different widths and extending in intersecting directions.

10. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination unit outputs a plurality of stripe patterns extending in different directions to one inspection target surface.

11. An inspection method comprising:

varying an intensity of light emitted from a planar illuminator to an inspection subject in a successive and periodic manner by spatially moving a stripe pattern of the intensity of light;

multiplying a light intensity signal by a reference signal, the light intensity signal representing an intensity of light reflected from the inspection target surface of an inspection subject in response to the light emitted from the planar illuminator incident on the inspection target surface, the reference signal periodically changing in response to a temporal change of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator due to spatially moving the strip pattern of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator according to a lapse of time;

generating, using an image capturing device, a time-correlation image for the inspection subject irradiated with the light emitted from the planar illuminator according to the multiplied light intensity signal; and

calculating a characteristic from the time-correlation image, the characteristic corresponding to a concave-convex irregularity/abnormality of the inspection target surface and serving to detect an abnormality based on at least either a difference from a surrounding area or a difference from a reference surface,

wherein the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator is varied in the successive and periodic manner in a single exposure time of the image capturing device by spatially moving the stripe pattern of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator according to the lapse of time.

12. An inspection system comprising:

a planar illuminator that temporally varies an intensity of light emitted from the planar illuminator to an inspection target surface in a successive and periodic manner by spatially moving a stripe pattern of the intensity of the light; and

at least one processor configured to:

multiply a light intensity signal by a reference signal, the light intensity signal representing an intensity of light reflected from the inspection target surface in response to the light emitted from the planar illuminator incident on the inspection target surface, the reference signal periodically changing in response to a temporal change of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator due to spatially moving the strip pattern of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator according to a lapse of time; and

generate a time-correlation image according to the multiplied light intensity signal, the time correlation image being used for calculating a characteristic from the time-correlation image, the characteristic corresponding to a concave-convex irregularity/abnormality of the inspection target surface and serving to detect an abnormality based on at least either a difference from a surrounding area or a difference from a reference surface,

wherein the planar illuminator temporally varies the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator in the successive and periodic manner in a single exposure time for generating the time-correlation image by spatially moving the stripe pattern of the intensity of the light emitted from the planar illuminator according to the lapse of time.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDRESS OF THE THIRD ASSIGNEE (KOCHI PREFECTURAL PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CORPORATION), SPECIFICALLY THE CITY PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 051337 FRAME 0752. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ADDRESS OF KOCHI PREFECTURAL PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CORPORATION SHOULD BE: 2-22, EIKOKUJI-CHO, KOCHI-SHI, KOCHI, JAPAN 780-8515. Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO; RICOH ELEMEX CORPORATION
To: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO; RICOH ELEMEX CORPORATION; KOCHI PREFECTURAL PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054215/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2019
From: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO; RICOH ELEMEX CORPORATION
To: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO; RICOH ELEMEX CORPORATION; KOCHI PREFECTURAL PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051337/0752 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDRESS OF THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 039862 FRAME 0787. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ADDRESS. Recorded Jan 4, 2017
From: KURIHARA, TORU; ANDO, SHIGERU; YOSHIMURA, MICHIHIKO
To: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO; RICOH ELEMEX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041244/0451 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2016
From: KURIHARA, TORU; ANDO, SHIGERU; YOSHIMURA, MICHIHIKO
To: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO; RICOH ELEMEX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039862/0787 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-074880 · Mar 31, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170115230A1 · Apr 27, 2017