Patent · US Expired

System for measuring surface flatness using shadow moire technology

US5835223A · kind A · utility

41Cited by
7References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 1996
Grant dateNov 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/306
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system for measuring surface characteristics of an electronic interconnection component, such as a printed circuit board, by analyzing shadow moire patterns. Printed circuit boards are carried on a continuous conveyor under a grating. For each printed circuit board, a shadow moire fringe pattern is created in response to a determination that the printed circuit board is properly located under a grating and within the field of view of a camera. Fringes of the shadow moire fringe pattern are quantified over one or a multiple of analysis paths to determining if the printed circuit board is unacceptably warped, in which case a signal is generated. For each printed circuit board, multiple images can be captured and mathematically combined, by image subtraction, to produce an enhanced shadow moire fringe pattern that is analyzed for warpage.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.