Intelligent pattern recognition systems for wire bonding and other electronic component packaging equipment, and related methods

1. A method of operating a pattern recognition system of a wire bonding machine, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) imaging a portion of a workpiece on the wire bonding machine using an image acquisition recipe, the portion of the workpiece including a fiducial marking of the workpiece, the image acquisition recipe including a plurality of parameters related to an imaging system of the pattern recognition system, the plurality of parameters including at least one of (i) one or more lighting parameters of the imaging system, (ii) one or more optical parameters of the imaging system, (iii) one or more position parameters of the imaging system, and (iv) one or more component parameters related to the imaging system;

(b) utilizing a pattern recognition recipe in connection with an image from step (a) to determine if an acceptable level of matching occurs in connection with the fiducial marking of the workpiece to determine if a wire bonding operation may proceed, wherein the acceptable level of matching is determined by comparing a pattern from an acquired image taken by the imaging system with a reference pattern;

(c) automatically varying at least one parameter of the image acquisition recipe if the acceptable level of matching does not occur in step (b);

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c), using a new image acquisition recipe including the at least one parameter that was automatically varied, until an acceptable level of matching occurs in step (b); and

(e) saving the new image acquisition recipe into memory if step (b) results in an acceptable level of matching.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern recognition system includes a control system for controlling the imaging system, and a computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more lighting parameters includes at least one of brightness of illumination, exposure time, camera gain, and light color.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the pattern recognition recipe includes a plurality of image processing parameters used in connection with step (b).

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of image processing parameters includes at least one of image filtering parameters, image resolution parameters, parameters related to pattern matching, and parameters related to determining a level of matching in connection with step (b).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the varying of the at least one parameter in step (c) results in the new image acquisition recipe.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern recognition recipe and the image acquisition recipe are included in a library, the library including a plurality of recipes stored in memory in connection with the wire bonding machine.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein, if an acceptable level of matching does not occur based on step (b), another one of the plurality of recipes stored in memory is selected, and steps (a) and (b) are repeated using the another of the plurality of recipes prior to step (c).

9. A pattern recognition system of a wire bonding machine, the pattern recognition system comprising:

an imaging system for imaging a portion of a workpiece on the wire bonding machine using an image acquisition recipe, the portion of the workpiece including a fiducial marking of the workpiece, the image acquisition recipe including a plurality of parameters related to the imaging system of the pattern recognition system, the plurality of parameters including at least one of (i) one or more lighting parameters of the imaging system, (ii) one or more optical parameters of the imaging system, (iii) one or more position parameters of the imaging system, and (iv) one or more component parameters related to the imaging system;

a control system for controlling the imaging system; and

a computer configured to utilize a pattern recognition recipe in connection with an image from the imaging system to determine if an acceptable level of matching occurs in connection with the fiducial marking of the workpiece to determine if a wire bonding operation may proceed, wherein the acceptable level of matching is determined by comparing a pattern from an acquired image taken by the imaging system with a reference pattern, the computer varying at least one parameter of the image acquisition recipe if the acceptable level of matching does not occur, the varying of the at least one parameter by the computer resulting in a new image acquisition recipe, the computer further configured to repeat imaging of the portion of the workpiece using the new image acquisition recipes until an acceptable level of matching occurs, the computer further configured to save the new image acquisition recipe that results in the acceptable level of matching into memory.

10. The pattern recognition system of claim 9 wherein the one or more lighting parameters includes at least one of brightness of illumination, exposure time, camera gain, and light color.

11. The pattern recognition system of claim 9 wherein the pattern recognition recipe includes a plurality of image processing parameters.

12. The pattern recognition system of claim 9 wherein the imaging of the portion of the workpiece and the utilizing of the pattern recognition recipe by the computer are repeated until the computer determines that an acceptable level of matching occurs.

13. The pattern recognition system of claim 9 wherein at least one of the image acquisition recipe and the pattern recognition recipe is one of a plurality of recipes stored in memory in connection with the pattern recognition system.

14. The pattern recognition system of claim 13 wherein, if an acceptable level of matching does not occur, another one of the plurality of recipes stored in memory is selected, and the imaging of the portion of the workpiece and the utilizing of the pattern recognition recipe by the computer are repeated using the another of the plurality of recipes.

15. A wire bonding system comprising:

a support structure for supporting a workpiece during a wire bonding operation;

a bond head assembly carrying a wire bonding tool; and

a pattern recognition system including

(i) an imaging system for imaging a portion of the workpiece using an image acquisition recipe, the portion of the workpiece including a fiducial marking of the workpiece, the image acquisition recipe including a plurality of parameters related to the imaging system of the pattern recognition system, the plurality of parameters including at least one of (a) one or more lighting parameters of the imaging system, (b) one or more optical parameters of the imaging system, (c) one or more position parameters of the imagining system, and (d) one or more component parameters related to the imaging system,

(ii) a control system for controlling the imaging system, and

(iii) a computer configured to utilize a pattern recognition recipe in connection with an image from the imaging system to determine if an acceptable level of matching occurs in connection with the fiducial marking on the workpiece to determine if the wire bonding operation may proceed, wherein the acceptable level of matching is determined by comparing a pattern from an acquired image taken by the imaging system with a reference pattern, the computer varying at least one parameter of the image acquisition recipe if the acceptable level of matching does not occur, the varying of the at least one parameter by the computer resulting in a new image acquisition recipe, the computer further configured to repeat imaging of the portion of the workpiece using the new image acquisition recipes until an acceptable level of matching occurs, the computer further configured to save the new image acquisition recipe that results in the acceptable level of matching into memory.

16. A method of operating a pattern recognition system of a wire bonding machine, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) imaging a portion of a workpiece on the wire bonding machine using an image acquisition recipe, the portion of the workpiece including a fiducial marking of the workpiece, the image acquisition recipe including a plurality of parameters related to an imaging system of the pattern recognition system, the plurality of parameters including at least one of (i) one or more lighting parameters of the imaging system, (ii) one or more optical parameters of the imaging system, (iii) one or more position parameters of the imaging system, and (iv) one or more component parameters related to the imaging system; and

(b) utilizing a pattern recognition recipe in connection with an image from step (a) to determine if an acceptable level of matching occurs in connection with the fiducial marking on the workpiece to determine if a wire bonding operation may proceed, wherein the acceptable level of matching is determined by comparing a pattern from an acquired image taken by the imaging system with a reference pattern,

wherein each of the image acquisition recipe and the pattern recognition recipe is one of a plurality of recipes stored in memory in connection with the wire bonding machine, and the image acquisition recipe is automatically selected to be used in step (a) in an order based on prioritization criteria.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of automatically varying at least one parameter of the image acquisition recipe if the acceptable level of matching does not occur in step (b).

18. The method of claim 16 wherein if the acceptable level of matching does not occur in step (b), a selection is made to (i) repeat steps (a)-(b) with another of the plurality of recipes, or (ii) automatically vary at least one parameter of the image acquisition recipe.