IP Library Granted Patent US 12,372,650
Granted Patent B2
US 12,372,650 · App. 17/942,225 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inspection system and method for controlling the same, and storage medium

Inventor: Hirotaka Seki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G01S17/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,372,650
App. No.
17/942,225
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An inspection system comprises a plurality of image capturing systems including a first image capturing unit, a first irradiation unit corresponding to the first image capturing unit, a second irradiation unit that does not correspond to the first image capturing unit but corresponds to a second image capturing unit and in which the irradiated terahertz waves are directly incident to the first image capturing unit, and a control unit that controls the plurality of image capturing systems such that the timing of a period of image capturing of the first image capturing unit and the timing of a period of irradiation of the terahertz waves of the second irradiation unit is different.

Claims (44)

1. An inspection system comprising:

a plurality of image capturing systems each of which includes:

an illuminator that irradiates a terahertz wave to an inspection target, and

an image capturing sensor that captures an image of the inspection target by detecting a reflected wave from the inspection target that has been irradiated with the terahertz wave by a corresponding illuminator, and

at least one processor or circuit programmed to

control the illuminator and the image capturing sensor of each of the plurality of image capturing systems,

wherein the plurality of image capturing systems includes:

a first image capturing sensor,

a first illuminator corresponding to the first image capturing sensor, and

a second illuminator that does not correspond to the first image capturing sensor but corresponds to a second image capturing sensor and in which the irradiated terahertz waves are directly incident to the first image capturing sensor, and

wherein the at least one processor or circuit is configured to control the plurality of image capturing systems such that the timing of a period of image capturing of the first image capturing sensor and the timing of a period of irradiation of the terahertz wave of the second illuminator is different, and

wherein each of the plurality of image capturing systems is controlled to perform image capturing and irradiation based on a predetermined cycle.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one processor or circuit is further configured to control the image capturing system so as to have:

a first image capturing period during which the image of the inspection target is captured in a state in which the terahertz waves are irradiated by each of an illuminator,

a second image capturing period during which an image of the inspection target is captured in a state in which each of the illuminators is not irradiating, and

a non-image capturing period during which image capturing is not performed.

3. The inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor or circuit is configured to control the plurality of image capturing systems such that the timing of at least the first image capturing period of the image capturing systems that include the image capturing sensors substantially facing each other in the image capturing direction are different from each other.

4. The inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor or circuit is further configured to control the plurality of image capturing systems such that the second image capturing period of the plurality of image capturing systems belongs to a same predetermined period.

5. The inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor or circuit is further configured to control the plurality of image capturing systems such that the timing of the first image capturing period of each of the plurality of image capturing systems is different from each other.

6. The inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor or circuit is further configured to divide the plurality of image capturing systems into a plurality of groups based on an image capturing direction of each of the image capturing sensors and an irradiation direction of each of the illuminators of the plurality of image capturing systems, and control the plurality of image capturing systems such that the timing of the first image capturing period of the different groups is different.

7. The inspection system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor or circuit is further configured to generate a third image by using the first image captured in the first image capturing period, and a second image captured in the second image capturing period.

8. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor or circuit is further configured to cause the illuminator to repeat irradiation and non-irradiation of the terahertz wave at the predetermined cycle.

9. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of image capturing systems are disposed in a pair of side wall portions forming a passage through which the inspection target passes, so as to capture an image of the inspection target from different directions.

10. A control method of an inspection system having

a plurality of image capturing systems each of which includes:

an illuminator that irradiates a terahertz wave to an inspection target, and

an image capturing sensor that captures an image of the inspection target by detecting a reflected wave from the inspection target that has been irradiated by the terahertz wave by the corresponding illuminator,

wherein the plurality of image capturing systems includes:

a first image capturing sensor,

a first illuminator corresponding to the first image capturing sensor, and

a second illuminator that does not correspond to the first image capturing unit, but corresponds to a second image capturing sensor, and in which the irradiated terahertz wave is directly incident to the first image capturing sensor, and

wherein the control method includes a control step of controlling the illuminator and the image capturing sensor of each of the plurality of the image capturing systems such that the timing of a period of image capturing of the first image capturing sensor and the timing of a period of irradiation of the terahertz wave of the second image capturing sensor is different;

wherein each of the plurality of image capturing systems is controlled to perform image capturing and irradiation based on a predetermined cycle.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store a computer program to control an inspection system having a plurality of image capturing systems each of which includes

an illuminator that irradiates a terahertz wave to an inspection target, and

an image capturing sensor that captures an image of an inspection target by detecting a reflected wave from the inspection target that has been irradiated with the terahertz wave by the corresponding illuminator,

wherein the plurality of image capturing systems includes:

a first image capturing sensor,

a first illuminator corresponding to the first image capturing sensor, and

a second illuminator that does not correspond to the first image capturing unit, but corresponds to a second image capturing sensor, and in which the irradiated terahertz wave is directly incident to the first image capturing unit,

wherein the computer program comprises instructions for executing following process: a control step of controlling the illuminator and the image capturing sensor of each of the plurality of the image capturing systems such that the timing of a period of image capturing of the first image capturing sensor and the timing of a period of irradiation of the terahertz wave of the second image capturing sensor is different;

wherein each of the plurality of image capturing systems is controlled to perform image capturing and irradiation based on a predetermined cycle.

12. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the timing of at least one period of image capturing of the first image capturing sensor and the timing of at least one period of image capturing of the second image capturing sensor is different.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2022
From: SEKI, HIROTAKA
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 061248/0736 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-156808 · Sep 27, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230119179A1 · Apr 20, 2023
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