IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,461,026
Granted Patent B2
US 12,461,026 · App. 17/823,957 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Optical inspection method, non-transitory storage medium storing optical inspection program, processing device, and optical inspection apparatus

Inventors: Hiroshi Ohno (Tokyo, JP); Hiroya Kano (Kawasaki Kanagawa, JP); Hideaki Okano (Yokohama Kanagawa, JP); Takahiro Kamikawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
G01N21/4738G01N21/255G01N21/27
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 12,461,026
App. No.
17/823,957
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to the embodiment, an optical inspection method includes: acquiring an image by capturing the image, using light from a surface of an object, which passes through a wavelength selection portion configured to selectively pass light components of a plurality of predetermined wavelengths different from each other, the image sensor including color channels configured to discriminately receive the light components of the plurality of predetermined wavelengths, performing color count estimation processing configured to estimate the number of colors based on the intensity ratio of the color channels that have received the light in each pixel of the image, and performing scattered light distribution identification processing configured to identify a scattered light distribution as BRDF from the surface of the object based on the number of colors or surface state identification processing configured to identify a state of the surface of the object based on the number of colors.

Claims (51)

1 . An optical inspection method comprising:

acquiring an image by capturing the image with an image sensor, using light from a surface of an object in such a manner as to make the light enter a wavelength selection portion configured to selectively pass light components of a plurality of predetermined wavelengths different from each other, and then to allow the light components of the plurality of predetermined wavelengths that have selectively passed through the wavelength selection portion to enter an imaging optical element configured to collect the light from one point of the surface of the object onto a conjugate image point on the image sensor,

the wavelength selection portion being configured to color the light in accordance with a scattering angle at the surface of the object, the light including at least one of scattering light and/or specularly reflected light,

the image sensor including color channels configured to discriminately receive the light components of the plurality of predetermined wavelengths,

performing color count estimation processing to estimate, as the number of colors, the number of channels of the color channels that have received the light in each pixel of the image, and

performing at least one of scattered light distribution identification processing to identify a scattered light distribution as Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) from the surface of the object based on the number of colors and surface state identification processing to identify a state of the surface of the object based on the number of colors.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the wavelength selection portion,

a first region of the wavelength selection portion passes a light component of a first wavelength from the surface of the object and shields light components of a second wavelength and a third wavelength, which are different from the first wavelength,

a second region of the wavelength selection portion passes the light component of the second wavelength from the surface of the object and shields the light components of the first wavelength and the third wavelength,

a third region of the wavelength selection portion passes the light component of the third wavelength from the surface of the object and shields the light components of the first wavelength and the second wavelength,

in the image sensor, the color channels of the image sensor discriminately receive the light component of the first wavelength, the light component of the second wavelength, and the light component of the third wavelength, and

in the color count estimation processing, in each pixel of the image acquired by the image sensor, the number of channels of the color channels that have received the light is estimated as the number of colors.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the wavelength selection portion,

a first region of the wavelength selection portion passes a light component of a first wavelength from the surface of the object and shields a light component of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength,

a second region of the wavelength selection portion passes the light component of the second wavelength from the surface of the object and shields the light component of the first wavelength, and

the method further comprises

illuminating the surface of the object with illumination light that is parallel light in a cross section defined by a direction in which the first region and the second region are arrayed in the wavelength selection portion and a direction orthogonal to a light receiving surface of the image sensor and is diffused light in a cross section orthogonal to the cross section,

wherein

the wavelength selection portion is parallel to the light receiving surface of the image sensor, and

the direction in which the first region and the second region are arrayed in the wavelength selection portion is parallel to the light receiving surface.

4 . A non-transitory storage medium storing an optical inspection program, the optical inspection program causing a computer to execute:

image acquisition processing of acquiring an image by capturing the image with an image sensor, using light from a surface of an object in such a manner as to make the light enter a wavelength selection portion including a first region configured to pass a light component of a first wavelength and shield a light component of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and a second region configured to pass the light component of the second wavelength and shield the light component of the first wavelength, and then to allow the light components that have selectively passed through the wavelength selection portion to enter an imaging optical element configured to collect the light from one point of the surface of the object onto a conjugate image point on the image sensor,

the wavelength selection portion being configured to color the light in accordance with a scattering angle at the surface of the object, the light including at least one of scattering light and/or specularly reflected light,

the image sensor including color channels configured to discriminately receive the light component of the first wavelength and the light component of the second wavelength;

color count estimation processing to estimate, as the number of colors, the number of channels of the color channels that have received the light in each pixel of the image; and

at least one of scattered light distribution identification processing to identify a scattered light distribution as Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) from the surface of the object based on the number of colors and surface state identification processing to identify a state of the surface of the object based on the number of colors.

5 . A processing device including a processor configured to:

acquire an image by capturing the image with an image sensor, using light from a surface of an object in such a manner as to make the light enter a wavelength selection portion configured to selectively pass light components of a plurality of predetermined wavelengths different from each other, and then to allow the light components of the plurality of predetermined wavelengths that have selectively passed through the wavelength selection portion to enter an imaging optical element configured to collect the light from one point of the surface of the object onto a conjugate image point on the image sensor,

the wavelength selection portion being configured to color the light in accordance with a scattering angle at the surface of the object, the light including at least one of scattering light and/or specularly reflected light,

the image sensor including color channels configured to discriminately receive the light components of the plurality of predetermined wavelengths;

perform color count estimation processing to estimate, as the number of colors, the number of channels of the color channels that have received the light in each pixel of the image corresponding to wavelength spectra of the plurality of predetermined wavelengths; and

perform at least one of scattered light distribution identification processing to identify a scattered light distribution as Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) from the surface of the object based on the number of colors and surface state identification processing to identify a state of the surface of the object based on the number of colors.

6 . An optical inspection apparatus comprising:

a wavelength selection portion including a first region configured to pass a light component of a first wavelength from a surface of an object and shield a light component of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and a second region configured to pass the light component of the second wavelength from the surface of the object and shield the light component of the first wavelength;

an image sensor including color channels configured to discriminately receive the light component of the first wavelength and the light component of the second wavelength, which have passed through the wavelength selection portion;

an imaging optical element configured to collect a light beam group exiting from an object point on the surface of the object to an image point on the image sensor; and

a processing device defined in claim 5 ,

wherein the imaging optical element is provided between the wavelength selection portion and the image sensor.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein each of the first region and the second region of the wavelength selection portion has a stripe shape in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the imaging optical element.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second region is arranged in at least two portions of the wavelength selection portion.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising an illumination portion configured to irradiate the surface of the object with light.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the illumination portion is configured to irradiate a cross section including the surface of the object, the wavelength selection portion with the first region and the second region, the imaging optical element, and the image sensor with parallel light.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the illumination portion is configured to irradiate the surface of the object with illumination light

that is parallel light in a cross section defined by a direction in which the first region and the second region are arrayed in the wavelength selection portion and the optical axis of the imaging optical element and

that is diffused light in a cross section defined by the optical axis and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the first region and the second region are arrayed in the wavelength selection portion,

wherein

the wavelength selection portion is parallel to a light receiving surface of the image sensor, and

the direction in which the first region and the second region are arrayed in the wavelength selection portion is parallel to the light receiving surface of the image sensor.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a support portion configured to support the wavelength selection portion and rotate the wavelength selection portion about an optical axis of the imaging optical element.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2022
From: OHNO, HIROSHI; KANO, HIROYA; OKANO, HIDEAKI; KAMIKAWA, TAKAHIRO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 061523/0943 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-045295 · Mar 22, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230304929A1 · Sep 28, 2023
References Cited (25)
US 5675407A · Geng · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 7353954B1 · Malek · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 10732102B2 · Ohno et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10812786B2 · Ohno et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20100088201A1 · Nagarajan · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20140193042A1 · Allen · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20160040985A1 · Nagai · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20200408684A1 · Kato · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210131961A1 · Ohno et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220003980A1 · Dholakia · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220025784A1 · Ren · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220086326A1 · Ohno et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008209726A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019124542A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019203796A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 202176423A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
Ohno, One-shot color mapping imaging system of light direction extracted from a surface BRDF (Year: 2020). [cited by examiner]
Rahmlow, Hyperspectral imaging using a linear variable filter based ultra-compact camera (Year: 2020). [cited by examiner]
Howes, Rainbow Schlieren and its applications, 1984 (Year: 1984). [cited by examiner]
W.L. Howes “Rainbow schlieren and its applications,” Applied Optics, vol. 23, No. 14, pp. 2449-2460 (1984). [cited by applicant]
Jun-Sik Kim et al., “Multiaperture telecentric lens for 3D reconstruction,” Optics Letters, vol. 36, No. 7, pp. 1050-1052 (2011). [cited by applicant]
P.S. Greenberg et al. “Quantitative rainbow schlieren deflectometry,” Applied Optics, vol. 34, No. 19, pp. 3810-3822 and 3 pages of color figures (1995). [cited by applicant]
H. Ohno et al., “One-shot BRDF imaging system to obtain surface properties,” Optical Review, vol. 28, pp. 655-661 (2021). [cited by applicant]
Hiroshi Ohno et al., “One-shot BRDF imaging system to obtain surface properties,” Optical Review, vol. 28, pp. 655-661, DOI: 10.1007/s10043-021-00689-x (2021). [cited by applicant]
Japan Patent Office, Office Action in JP App. No. 2022-045295, 2 pages, and machine translation, 2 pages (Mar. 4, 2025). [cited by applicant]