Camera handling system

US7505064B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Digital Imaging Systems GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Horst Knoedgen · Munich, DE
• Dirk Huettmann · Baltmannsweiler, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 30, 2004
• Grant date: Mar 17, 2009
• Expiry date: Oct 10, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04N17/00
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A test handler is controlled by a tester to transport, select, focus and test miniature digital camera modules. The modules are loaded onto a transport tray and moved on a conveyer to a robot. The robot selects the untested modules from the tray an alternately places the modules into two test stations. A first test station focuses and tests a first module while the second test station is loaded with a second module, thus burying the handling time for the modules within the test time. The robot returns tested modules to the transport tray, and when all modules on the tray are tested, moves the tray out of the test handler. A second tray with untested modules is positioned at the robot while the tested modules of the first tray are being focus fixed and sorted into part number bins. The overlap of operations buries handling time within the focus and test time so that the limitation of total test time is depending on focus and test operations.