Inspection system

Abstract

To shorten an inspection takt time in centralized management of a plurality of inspection lines.SOLUTION: An inspection system includes: a plurality of inspection lines 4 each having a visual contact appearance inspection device 3; a database 5 for storing images captured by the visual contact appearance inspection device 3; and a centralized management device 6 connected to the visual contact appearance inspection device 3 and the database 5, having a display unit 32 for displaying an inspection image of an object to be inspected, and for centrally performing visual inspection of the object to be inspected being transported to each inspection line. While the centralized management device 6 is inspecting the visual inspection image captured by the visual contact appearance inspection device 3 of one inspection line, the visual contact appearance inspection device 3 of another inspection line that has received position data on an inspection required portion of the object to be inspected from the database 5 performs preemptive photographing of the object to be inspected transported on that inspection line under predetermined photographing conditions, stores the preemptive photographed image in the database 5, and displays on the display unit 32 the preemptive photographed image read out from the database 5 by the centralized management device 6 during visual inspection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to an inspection system that inspects inspection objects transported on an inspection line, and more particularly to an inspection system that enables centralized management of a plurality of inspection lines. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electronic components such as ICs, LSIs, capacitor elements, and resistor elements are densely mounted on printed circuit boards due to miniaturization of electronic devices. To densely mount electronic components on printed circuit boards, for example, pads on which wiring patterns and electronic components are mounted are formed on rigid printed circuit boards such as glass epoxy by cream solder or etching of copper foil. Next, cream solder is printed on the pads by screen printing or the like, and then the electronic components are mounted in predetermined positions by an automatic component mounting machine or the like, and a reflow soldering process is performed. In the inspection process after manufacturing, an appearance inspection device performs an appearance inspection of the mounting status, soldering status, etc., and also performs a continuity inspection of the circuit and a function check of electrical operation.

[0003] Here, in the appearance inspection of a printed circuit board on which electronic components and the like are surface-mounted, an automatic appearance inspection device and a visual appearance inspection device are used in combination, and a printed circuit board determined to be defective by the appearance inspection by the automatic appearance inspection device is inspected by the visual appearance inspection device to confirm the nature of the mounting defect. Examples of the automatic inspection device include an automatic optical inspection (AOI) device, an automatic X-ray inspection (AXI) device, an in-circuit tester (ICT) device, etc. As the visual appearance inspection device, an appearance visual inspection device such as that shown in Patent Document 1 is used.

[0004] The visual appearance inspection device includes a support unit that supports a printed circuit board to be inspected that has been determined to have a mounting defect by the automatic appearance inspection device, a camera that captures an image of a part of the printed circuit board to be inspected, and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the positions of the camera and the printed circuit board to be inspected to align the part of the printed circuit board to be inspected with a position where the camera can capture an image. The image data captured by the camera is displayed on a monitor and visually inspected by an inspector through the monitor. Here, in order to check for printing defects on the surfaces of the printed circuit board and electronic components, the visual appearance inspection device is provided with an oblique camera that captures soldering points from diagonally above in addition to a planar camera that captures the surfaces of the printed circuit board and electronic components from above. This is because the soldering points are three-dimensional, and it is easier for an inspector to visually check the state of the soldering by capturing an image of the relevant part from diagonally above. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-152312 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Meanwhile, in fields requiring mass production of printed circuit boards and the like, labor-saving in terms of manpower and time is also required in the inspection process. For this reason, an inspection system has been proposed in which multiple inspection lines, each equipped with an automatic appearance inspection device and a visual appearance inspection device, are provided on the transport path of the objects to be inspected, and a centralized control terminal is provided to centralize inspections on the multiple inspection lines, thereby performing inspections on the multiple inspection lines in parallel. In an inspection system using such a centralized control terminal, inspectors inspect the inspection images of the visual appearance inspection devices on the multiple inspection lines, thereby reducing the variation in inspection quality and reducing the labor required in the inspection process.

[0007] On the other hand, in an inspection system that uses a centralized management terminal to centralize inspections on multiple inspection lines, inspections on other inspection lines cannot proceed until the inspector operating the centralized management terminal has completed his or her visual inspection, making it difficult to reduce the takt time of the inspection process.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to reduce the takt time of the inspection process, it is also necessary to reduce the inspection time itself, which is the visual inspection performed by the inspector operating the centralized control terminal.

[0009] The present technology has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an inspection system that can shorten the tact time of the inspection process in an inspection system that centralizes inspection of multiple inspection lines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inspection system according to the present technology includes a plurality of inspection lines each having a visual appearance inspection device, a database storing images captured by the visual appearance inspection device, a communication unit connected to the visual appearance inspection device and the database and communicating with the visual appearance inspection device and the database, a display unit displaying an inspection image of the inspection object, and a centralized management device having a control unit for controlling the operation of the visual appearance inspection device and the database, and centralized visual inspection of the inspection objects being transported along each of the inspection lines, wherein while the centralized management device is inspecting a visual inspection image captured by the visual appearance inspection device of one of the inspection lines, the visual appearance inspection device of the other of the inspection lines that has received position data of a portion of the inspection object to be inspected from the database captures a preemptive image of the inspection object being transported along the inspection line under specified photographing conditions, stores the preemptively captured image in the database, and displays the preemptively captured image read out from the database by the centralized management device during the visual inspection on the display unit.

[0011] Moreover, an inspection method according to the present technology is an inspection method using an inspection system, the inspection system including a plurality of inspection lines each having a visual appearance inspection device, a database storing an image captured by the visual appearance inspection device, a communication unit connected to the visual appearance inspection device and the database and communicating with the visual appearance inspection device and the database, a display unit displaying an inspection image of the inspection object, and a centralized management device having a control unit for controlling the operation of the visual appearance inspection device and the database, and centralized visual inspection of the inspection objects being transported along each of the inspection lines, wherein while the centralized management device is inspecting a visual inspection image captured by the visual appearance inspection device of one of the inspection lines, the visual appearance inspection device of the other of the inspection lines that has received position data of a portion of the inspection object to be inspected from the database captures a preemptive image of the inspection object being transported along the inspection line under predetermined photographing conditions, stores the preemptively captured image in the database, and displays the preemptively captured image read out from the database by the centralized management device during the visual inspection on the display unit. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present technology, in a system in which inspection images taken by visual appearance inspection devices installed on each inspection line are displayed on a centralized management device and visual inspection is performed, the tact time of the inspection process can be shortened. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an inspection system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main configuration of an automatic visual inspection device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the automatic visual inspection device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the main configuration of a visual appearance inspection device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the appearance of the visual appearance inspection device. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an imaging camera. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the state of the substrate with no warpage, upward warpage, and downward warpage. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the visual appearance inspection device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the main configuration of the centralized management device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the centralized management device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing data stored in a database for a visual appearance inspection device. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing data stored in a database for an automatic visual inspection device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the inspection system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an inspection system to which the present technology is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present technology is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present technology. The drawings are schematic, and the ratios of the dimensions may differ from the actual ones. The specific dimensions should be determined with reference to the following explanation. The drawings also include parts in which the dimensional relationships and ratios differ from one another.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, an inspection system 1 to which the present technology is applied comprises a plurality of inspection lines 4 (inspection line 4A, inspection line 4B, ...), each equipped with an automatic appearance inspection device 2 and a visual appearance inspection device 3, a database 5 storing images captured by the visual appearance inspection device 3, and a centralized management device 6 connected to the visual appearance inspection device 3 and the database 5 of each inspection line 4, having a display unit on which inspection images of the objects to be inspected are displayed, and which centrally performs appearance inspection of the objects to be inspected being transported to each inspection line 4.

[0016] While the centralized management device 6 is inspecting one inspection line 4, the inspection system 1 uses the visual appearance inspection device 3 of the other inspection line 4 to preemptively photograph the objects to be inspected on that other inspection line 4 under specified photographing conditions, and after the inspection of the first inspection line 4 is completed, displays the preemptively photographed image of the other inspection line 4 on the display unit.

[0017] As a result, in the inspection system 1, which performs visual inspection by displaying images taken by the visual appearance inspection devices 3 installed on each inspection line 4 on the centralized management device 6, the visual appearance inspection devices 3 on each inspection line 4 can shorten the takt time of the inspection process by previously taking images of the parts of the object to be inspected that need to be inspected.

[0018] That is, in the inspection system 1, each inspection line 4 is equipped with an automatic appearance inspection device 2 and a visual appearance inspection device 3, but visual inspection of the inspection objects conveyed along each inspection line 4 is performed centrally by displaying inspection images on a display unit such as a monitor provided in the centralized management device 6. Also, in the inspection system 1, each of the automatic appearance inspection device 2 and the visual appearance inspection device 3 is equipped with an imaging means, but visual inspection by the centralized management device 6 is performed using images captured by the visual appearance inspection device 3.

[0019] For this reason, when visual inspection is required simultaneously in multiple inspection lines 4, the other inspection lines will wait while the visual inspection of the inspection object in one inspection line 4 is being performed. Then, when the visual inspection in one inspection line 4 is completed, if the visual appearance inspection device 3 of another inspection line moves the imaging camera to the part of the inspection object that needs to be inspected, it takes time to move the camera and time to focus in order to photograph the part of the inspection object that needs to be inspected at a specified angle and focal depth, during which time the inspector is in a waiting state where he cannot proceed with the inspection by the centralized management device 6, and a loss occurs in the takt time of the inspection process. When there are multiple parts that need to be inspected for one inspection object, the time required to move the imaging camera further increases, and the takt time of the inspection process is extended.

[0020] Therefore, in the inspection system 1 according to the present technology, while the centralized control device 6 is inspecting one inspection line 4, the visual appearance inspection device 3 of the other inspection line 4 photographs the parts to be inspected of the objects to be inspected on the other inspection line 4 under predetermined photographing conditions. In the present technology, this is called preemptive photography, and the images photographed by preemptive photography are called preemptively photographed images. The preemptively photographed images are stored in the database 5. When the inspection of one inspection line 4 is completed, the inspector switches the display on the display unit of the centralized control device 6 to the preemptively photographed images on the other inspection line. The preemptively photographed image data of the other inspection line is read out from the database 5 and displayed on the display unit of the centralized control device 6. This allows the inspector to promptly perform a visual inspection of the objects to be inspected on the other inspection line 4.

[0021] In this way, the inspection system 1 can shorten the takt time of the visual inspection process by displaying on the centralized management device 6 preemptively captured images taken by the visual appearance inspection devices 3 installed on each inspection line 4.

[0022] The inspection-required portion refers to a portion that requires visual inspection, such as a portion suspected of being defectively mounted, identified by an inspection by the automatic visual inspection device 2 prior to the visual inspection by the visual inspection device 3. The position data of the inspection-required portion is determined by an XYθ coordinate system specific to the imaging cameras 11 and 21 described later. Among these, XY is an XY coordinate, which is two orthogonal coordinates in the inspection surface of the inspection object, and specifies the imaging position of the imaging cameras 11 and 21. θ is an angle when the inspection surface of the inspection object is rotated counterclockwise with the center point of the XY coordinate as the rotation center and the X axis as the starting point, and specifies the imaging direction (θ direction) by the oblique cameras 11a and 21a described later. The position data (XYθ coordinate data) of the inspection-required portion is stored in the database 5 by the automatic visual inspection device 2, and the visual inspection device 3 can photograph the position in advance by referring to the position data stored in the database 5.

[0023] The components of the inspection system 1 will be described below. Note that the inspection system 1 is preferably used to inspect the mounting state of a printed circuit board on which various electronic components such as ICs, LSIs, resistors, and capacitors are surface-mounted, but the objects to be inspected are not limited to these. In the following, an example of an object to be inspected will be described, taking a printed circuit board 7 on which electronic components are surface-mounted.

[0024] The inspection system 1 has a plurality of inspection lines 4, each equipped with an automatic appearance inspection device 2 and a visual appearance inspection device 3. Each inspection line 4 has transport means, such as a belt conveyor, for transporting objects to be inspected, and the automatic appearance inspection device 2 and the visual appearance inspection device 3 are arranged on the transport line for the objects to be inspected. This allows the inspection line 4 to transport objects to be inspected one after another, and perform continuous inspections.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic appearance inspection device 2 and the visual appearance inspection device 3 provided on each inspection line 4 are connected to a database 5 and a centralized management device 6 via a bus 8. The database 5 includes a first database 5A connected to the visual appearance inspection device 3 and storing various data acquired by the visual appearance inspection device 3, and a second database 5B connected to the automatic appearance inspection device 2 and storing various data acquired by the automatic appearance inspection device 2. The databases 5A and 5B are also connected to the centralized management device 6 via the bus 8. Note that the connection form of the devices 2 and 3 and the databases 5A and 5B in the inspection system 1 via the bus 8 is merely an example, and it goes without saying that a network connection form other than a bus type may be used.

[0026] The inspection system 1 then automatically inspects specified inspection points of the object to be inspected using the automatic appearance inspection device 2, and further visually inspects the object to be inspected that has received a specified judgment, such as defective or indeterminable, using the visual appearance inspection device 3.

[0027] [Automatic visual inspection equipment] The automatic appearance inspection device 2 is a device that photographs the objects to be inspected on the inspection line 4 and automatically judges the quality of the objects to be inspected based on the image data, and is provided on the inspection line 4 upstream of the visual appearance inspection device 3 in the conveying direction of the objects to be inspected. The automatic appearance inspection device 2 may employ either a method in which the objects to be inspected are attached and detached manually or automatically, but an automatic method is preferable in terms of shortening the inspection takt time.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the automatic visual inspection device 2 includes an imaging camera 11 such as a CCD camera that images the object to be inspected, an automatic inspection computer 12 that judges pass / fail based on image data captured by the imaging means, and a communication means 13 that is connected to the bus 8 and communicates with a second database 5B, etc.

[0029] The imaging camera 11 includes an oblique camera 11a that captures an image of a predetermined inspection location of an object to be inspected from obliquely above. The imaging camera 11 may also include a planar camera 11b that captures an image of the surface of the object to be inspected from above. The imaging camera 11 may be disposed above the device housing and supported by a rotation mechanism so that the object to be inspected can be imaged from all directions.

[0030] Based on an automatic judgment processing program, the automatic inspection computer 12 uses the imaging camera 11 to capture an image of a predetermined inspection location on the object to be inspected, and judges pass / fail at the predetermined inspection location using the captured image data. Specifically, the automatic appearance inspection device 2 has position data indicating the inspection location of the printed circuit board 7 to be inspected in advance, and captures inspection images such as planar images and oblique images at the positions indicated by the position data in sequence, for example, in order of proximity, according to the program. The automatic judgment result can be set arbitrarily, for example, "OK", "NG", "unable to judge", etc. A known image processing program can be used for the pass / fail judgment.

[0031] As a result, the inspection system 1 can automatically determine the quality of the soldering of electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board 7 using the automatic visual inspection device 2, and store the automatic determination results in the second database 5B via the communication means 13.

[0032] Moreover, various data such as "defective location data" and "defect details" are stored in the second database 5B in association with the board ID, the component ID, the automatic judgment result, etc. from the automatic appearance inspection device 2 via the communication means 13. The "defective location data" refers to the XYθ coordinates of the location where the defect was found on the inspection object. The "defect details" refers to data that classifies the defect mode into a type in advance (for example, bridge, displacement, no electrode, etc.) and classifies which type the defect falls into. The automatic appearance inspection device 2 may also store an automatically judged image, which is a digitalized image of the captured screen used for the automatic judgment, in the second database 5B. The second database 5B manages data such as the automatic judgment result, the automatic inspection image, the automatic shooting condition data (angle, magnification, etc.), and the defective location data (XYθ coordinates) as automatic inspection data.

[0033] [Operation flow] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the automatic visual inspection device 2. As shown in Fig. 3, first, in step S1, an inspection object such as a printed circuit board is carried into the automatic visual inspection device 2. Next, in step S2, an image of a predetermined inspection point is captured obliquely from above or from above by the imaging camera 11.

[0034] Then, in step S3, an automatic judgment processing program uses the captured image data to judge pass / fail at a predetermined inspection location. In step S4, the automatic visual inspection device 2 transmits the judgment result together with the "defective location data" and "defect details" to the second database 5B. Each transmitted data is stored in the second database 5B, and this automatic inspection data is referenced when the visual visual inspection device 3 takes images, etc. Note that in step S4, the captured image data used for the judgment by the automatic visual inspection device 2 may be transmitted and stored in the second database 5B.

[0035] After that, in step S5, the inspection object is carried out, and the next inspection object is carried in. In this manner, the automatic visual inspection device 2 carries out inspection of the inspection objects conveyed on the inspection line 4, successively carrying out the inspection.

[0036] [Visual inspection equipment] The visual appearance inspection device 3 is a device that takes an image of the inspection object to be displayed on the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6, and is provided on the inspection line 4 downstream of the automatic appearance inspection device 2 in the conveying direction of the inspection object. The visual appearance inspection device 3 may employ either a method in which the inspection object is attached and detached manually or automatically, but an automatic method is preferable in terms of shortening the inspection tact time.

[0037] 4 and 5, the visual appearance inspection device 3 includes an imaging camera 21 such as a CCD camera for photographing the inspection object, a support unit 22 for supporting the inspection object, a communication means 23 connected to the bus 8 for communicating with the first and second databases 5A and 5B and the centralized control device 6, and a visual inspection computer 24 for preemptively photographing the defective portion data (XYθ coordinates) of the automatic inspection data. The visual appearance inspection device 3 can be remotely controlled by the centralized control device 6.

[0038] The imaging camera 21 is provided on the upper side of the device housing, and includes an oblique camera 21a that images a predetermined inspection target portion of the inspection object from an obliquely upward direction. The imaging camera 21 may also include a planar camera 21b that images an inspection target portion of the inspection object from above. In addition, the visual appearance inspection device 3 includes the imaging camera 21 provided on the upper side of the device housing, and a moving mechanism in the XYθ directions is provided on the support unit 22 or the imaging camera 21 that supports the inspection object, so that the imaging camera 21 can move relatively to the inspection object supported by the support unit 22, and can image any position of the inspection object. In addition, in the visual appearance inspection device 3, a rotation mechanism is provided on the support unit 22 or the imaging camera 21 that supports the inspection object, so that the imaging camera 21 can rotate relatively to the inspection object supported by the support unit 22, and can image the inspection object from any direction.

[0039] The oblique camera 21a is supported with the camera optical axis α1 inclined obliquely with respect to the inspection object, and captures an image of the inspection object from obliquely above. As shown in Fig. 6, the oblique camera 21a is provided with its optical axis at an angle of, for example, 45° with respect to the inspection object, which is the printed circuit board 7. The planar camera 21b is supported with the camera optical axis α2 aligned with the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism, and captures an image of the inspection object from directly above.

[0040] The imaging camera 21 has a predetermined imaging lens and an imaging element built into each lens barrel of the oblique camera 21a and the planar camera 21b. The captured image data is stored in the first database 5A and is reproduced and displayed on the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6 during visual inspection. The imaging camera 21 can also display images captured by the oblique camera 21a and the planar camera 21b on the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6 as real-time images.

[0041] The imaging camera 21 may have focus and zoom functions in the oblique camera 21a and the planar camera 21b, or may not have these functions and may have a focal length and aperture to realize a large depth of field, and may take pictures using a camera capable of deep focus shooting, and the image may be displayed at an appropriate image size through processing on the visual inspection computer 24 or the centralized control device 6 side.

[0042] The imaging camera 21 may be provided with a plurality of oblique cameras 21a. For example, the imaging camera 21 may be provided with a pair of oblique cameras 21a, consisting of a high-magnification camera and a low-magnification camera, at opposite positions across the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism, so that the imaging camera 21 can be used according to the width of the inspection area. The imaging camera 21 may be provided with a plurality of oblique cameras 21a arranged concentrically around the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism, and the plurality of oblique cameras 21a may be arranged at equal intervals or at unequal intervals.

[0043] When an object to be inspected is carried in, the imaging camera 21 refers to the defective part data (XYθ coordinate data) stored in the second database 5B as position data of the part requiring inspection, and preemptively photographs the part requiring inspection at a predetermined angle and magnification. The captured image is stored in the first database 5A, read out in response to an operation by an inspector, and displayed on the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6. When additional photography is performed, which will be described later, the captured image is displayed as a real-time image. The inspector operating the centralized management device 6 judges whether the object is good or bad by looking at the preemptively captured image and the real-time image displayed on the display unit 32.

[0044] In the pre-emptive imaging, the area to be examined may be photographed once or multiple times. In addition, in the pre-emptive imaging, the area to be examined may be photographed multiple times with different magnifications or angles. When there are multiple pre-emptively photographed images, they may be displayed side by side on the display unit 32 of the centralized control device 6 at the same time, or may be displayed sequentially in response to the operation of the inspector.

[0045] In addition, in the advance photographing, the part to be examined may be photographed as a moving image. In this advance photographing moving image, the magnification and angle of the part to be examined may be changed. When advance photographing is photographed as a moving image, the playback speed and rewinding, etc., of the advance photographing moving image displayed on the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6 may be adjusted in response to the operation of the inspector.

[0046] Furthermore, in the proactive photography, one or more still images and video images may be used in combination. On the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6, one or more proactively photographed images (still images) and proactively photographed video images may be displayed side by side, or may be displayed sequentially in response to an operation by an inspector.

[0047] There is no limitation on the configuration of the support unit 22 as long as it is a mechanism for detachably fixing and supporting the object to be inspected. For example, the support unit 22 may be configured to have a pair of long side frames with protruding support surfaces that face each other and support the lower surface of the outer edge of the printed circuit board 7, a pair of connecting bars that connect both ends of the long side frames, and a fixing pin that slides along the longitudinal direction of the long side frames and fixes the printed circuit board 7.

[0048] [Z-axis correction value] Furthermore, the visual appearance inspection device 3 may be provided with a vertical (Z-axis) movement mechanism and Z-axis correction means on the support unit 22 that supports the imaging camera 21 or the inspection object, so as to vary the relative distance in the Z-axis direction between the imaging camera 21 and the inspection object. As a result, even if warping occurs in a plate-like inspection object such as the printed circuit board 7, the imaging position of the imaging camera 21 can be corrected in the Z-axis direction to reliably capture the area to be inspected.

[0049] 7(a), if there is no warpage in the printed circuit board 7, the area to be inspected identified based on the position data set by the automatic visual inspection device 2 coincides with the area to be actually inspected that is displayed on the display unit 32. Therefore, by setting the relative position between the printed circuit board 7 and the imaging camera 21 based on the position data (XYθ coordinates) of the area to be inspected, the optical axis of the oblique camera 21a coincides with the area to be inspected of the electronic component set on the printed circuit board 7, and the area to be inspected can be captured by the oblique camera 21a.

[0050] However, if downward warping occurs in the printed circuit board 7 as shown in Figure 7(b), or if upward warping occurs in the printed circuit board 7 as shown in Figure 7(c), when the relative position between the printed circuit board 7 and the oblique camera 21a of the imaging camera 21 is set in the visual appearance inspection device 3 based on the position data of the area to be inspected set on the printed circuit board 7 by the automatic appearance inspection device 2, a misalignment will occur between the area to be inspected identified in the automatic appearance inspection device 2 and the image of the oblique camera 21a displayed on the display unit 32, and the oblique camera 21a may not be able to capture the area to be inspected, or may be out of focus.

[0051] In FIG. 7(c), the optical axis α1 of the oblique camera 21a captures the front of the inspection-required part because the printed circuit board 5 is warped upward, and in FIG. 7(b), the optical axis α1 of the oblique camera 21a captures the front of the inspection-required part because the printed circuit board 5 is warped downward. In this way, if the relative positions of the printed circuit board 7 and the imaging camera 21 are set based on the data of the inspection-required part set by the automatic appearance inspection device 2, the part required for visual inspection cannot be captured, and the inspector cannot know which position of which surface-mounted component should be visually inspected. In particular, in recent years, extremely small chip components with a side of less than 1 mm, such as 0603 chips, are used as surface-mounted components, and these extremely small chips are mounted at high density, making it difficult to confirm the part to be inspected on the display unit 32.

[0052] Therefore, it is preferable that the visual appearance inspection device 3 is provided with a vertical (Z-axis) movement mechanism and Z-axis correction means on the support part 22 that supports the imaging camera 21 or the object to be inspected, so as to move the relative distance in the Z-axis direction between the imaging camera 21 and the object to be inspected.

[0053] A known movement mechanism can be used as the mechanism for moving the imaging camera 21 or the support portion 22 in the up and down direction.

[0054] As a means for correcting in the Z-axis direction, for example, a method can be adopted in which the amount of deflection of the inspection object (printed circuit board 7) is measured using a laser displacement meter or the like, and the relative distance (height direction: Z-axis direction) of the imaging camera 21 or the support part 22 is corrected based on the value. In order to grasp the amount of deflection, the height of a reference point of the printed circuit board 7 is measured in advance. For example, the measurement is performed at points on the periphery of the board where the amount of deflection can be assumed to be approximately 0 structurally, such as near the origin (X:Y=0:0) at the lower left in a plan view of the rectangular board, near the upper left, near the upper right, near the lower right, and other points. The measurement point may be one, but multiple points are preferable. When there is one measurement point, the height of the measurement point is used as the reference value, and when there are multiple measurement points, the average of the heights of the measurement points is used as the reference value.

[0055] Next, a laser displacement meter or the like is used to measure the board height of the part to be inspected of the inspection target (printed board 7), and a difference value from a reference value is calculated. This difference value becomes the correction amount in the Z-axis direction. The correction amount in the Z-axis direction is measured in advance of the inspection process, and is stored in the first database 5A in association with the board ID, etc. Note that the means for correcting the Z-axis direction is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and any known method can be used.

[0056] When the imaging camera 21 of the visual appearance inspection device 3 pre-images the area to be inspected, the correction amount in the Z-axis direction of the area to be inspected on the board is referenced, and the relative height between the imaging camera 21 and the support part 22 is corrected. As a result, in the visual inspection process, a visual inspection image that has been corrected in advance in the Z-axis direction is displayed, and additional imaging such as manually correcting the imaging camera 21 in the Z-axis direction is not required, thereby shortening the tact time of the inspection process.

[0057] The correction amount in the Z-axis direction is referred to when taking pre-emptive photographs as well as when taking additional photographs. The correction amount in the Z-axis direction may be measured during the inspection of the first object to be inspected (printed circuit board 7) in the inspection process, stored in the first database 5A in association with the board type ID, etc., and referred to during pre-emptive photographing or additional photographing of subsequent objects to be inspected of the same board type. Alternatively, the correction amount in the Z-axis direction may be measured each time an object to be inspected is carried into the visual appearance inspection device 3, and used for pre-emptive photographing or additional photographing.

[0058] The device housing may be provided with a lighting means (not shown) for illuminating the inside of the housing.

[0059] [Key visual inspection points] The inspection system 1 may set a portion to be visually inspected in a predetermined inspection object by the visual appearance inspection device 3. For example, when a specific portion of the printed circuit board 7 is likely to be defective, the portion is registered in advance as a portion to be preliminarily photographed by the imaging camera 21, and visual inspection of the portion is always performed as a portion to be inspected regardless of the judgment result of the automatic appearance inspection device 2. The position data (XYθ coordinates) of the important visual inspection portion to be visually inspected is stored in the first database 5A in advance in association with the board type ID, etc., and the position data is referenced when visual inspection is performed on the same board type, etc., and the image is preliminarily photographed by the imaging camera 21. All the preliminarily photographed images are displayed on the display unit 32 and inspected by the inspector, so that the important visual inspection portion is also visually inspected.

[0060] [Additional Shooting] When the visual appearance inspection device 3 receives an instruction from the centralized control device 6 to take an additional photograph during a visual inspection using a preemptively captured image, the imaging camera 21 is driven in response to the operation of the centralized control device 6 to capture an image of the inspection object. The additionally captured image is displayed as a real-time image on the display unit 32 of the centralized control device 6. This allows the inspector operating the centralized control device 6 to display the inspection object at a desired angle, magnification, etc., and to observe the part requiring inspection in more detail, for example, when it is difficult to judge the part at a predetermined angle or magnification obtained by preemptively capturing an image.

[0061] The additional images captured by the visual appearance inspection device 3 are digitized in response to the operation of the centralized management device 6, and are stored in the first database 5A as visual inspection images used for the judgment, associated with the judgment results and other information.

[0062] Furthermore, the visual appearance inspection device 3 may take one or more still images of the real-time image by additional shooting in response to the operation of the centralized management device 6, and store the additionally shot image data in the first database 5A. Furthermore, the visual appearance inspection device 3 may digitize the additionally shot real-time image, and store the additionally shot video data in the first database 5A. Furthermore, the additionally shot image data and the additionally shot video data may be displayed on the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6 as appropriate, and may be stored in the first database 5A as the visual inspection image used in the judgment, associated with the judgment result and other information.

[0063] Furthermore, additional photographing condition data such as the angle and magnification set by the inspector may be stored in the first database 5A as visual inspection data in association with the board type ID, etc., and subsequent preemptive photographing of the same board type, etc. may be performed based on this additional photographing condition data, or subsequent preemptive photographing may be performed based on the additional photographing condition data in addition to the predetermined preemptive photographing conditions. This allows preemptive photographing of inspection objects of the same board type, etc. under desired photographing conditions, allowing the inspector to efficiently perform visual inspection.

[0064] Furthermore, when the pre-emptively captured image is displayed on the display unit 32 for visual inspection by the inspector, the visual appearance inspection device 3 may be configured to wait at a position where the imaging camera 21 that captured the pre-emptive image captures the first inspection portion that the inspector will first visually inspect using the pre-emptively captured image. When there are multiple inspection-requiring portions for one inspection object, i.e., when there are multiple pre-emptively captured images to be visually inspected, the pre-emptively captured images are displayed on the display unit 32 in a predetermined order and are made available for visual inspection by the inspector.

[0065] Here, the visual appearance inspection device 3 keeps the imaging camera 21 on standby at the position where it captures the first inspection portion, in preparation for an instruction from the inspector to take additional photographs. The first inspection portion refers to a portion of the inspection object being visually inspected, the image of which is first displayed on the display unit 32 in advance. This allows the imaging camera 21 to quickly take additional photographs when the inspector gives an instruction to take additional photographs, and thus saves the time required for moving the imaging camera 21, thereby shortening the tact time of the inspection process.

[0066] Furthermore, the visual appearance inspection device 3 may move the imaging camera 21 to a location corresponding to the pre-captured images displayed sequentially on the display unit 32. In this way, by moving the imaging camera 21 to the location displayed on the display unit 32, when an inspector instructs to capture additional images, the imaging camera 21 can quickly capture additional images, thereby eliminating the time required for moving the imaging camera 21 and shortening the tact time of the inspection process.

[0067] In the inspection system 1, an inspector judges the quality of soldering of electronic components mounted on a printed circuit board 7 using the visual appearance inspection device 3, and inputs the visual judgment result. The input visual judgment result is stored in the first database 5A via the communication means 23.

[0068] In addition, various data such as "visual inspection image", "additional photographing condition data", "inspection time required", and "defect details" are stored in the first database 5A in association with the visual judgment results via the communication means 23 from the visual appearance inspection device 3. The "visual inspection image" refers to the pre-photographed image or additional photographed image used for the visual judgment. The "additional photographing condition data" refers to the photographing conditions such as the angle and magnification of the additional photographing specified by the inspector. The "inspection time required" refers to the time required from the display of the visual inspection image to the input of the visual judgment result. The "defect details" are the same as the "defect details" in the automatic inspection data described above, but are appropriately corrected according to the results of the visual inspection. The first database 5A manages the data such as the visual judgment results, visual inspection image, additional photographing condition data, inspection time required, and defect details as visual inspection data.

[0069] [Operation flow] Next, the operation of the visual appearance inspection device 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, first, in step S6, an inspection object such as a printed circuit board is carried into the visual appearance inspection device 3. Next, in step S7, the defective portion data identified by the automatic appearance inspection device 2, that is, the XYθ coordinate data of the inspection-required portion where a defect is found in the inspection object and visual inspection is required, stored in the second database 5B, is referred to. In addition, the visual appearance inspection device 3 receives automatic inspection data such as a board ID, a part ID, and a defect content from the second database 5B. In step S8, the imaging camera 21 is moved to the inspection-required portion and photographed at a predetermined angle and magnification. This step S8 is performed in advance while the inspector of the centralized management device 6 is inspecting the visual inspection images of the other inspection lines 4. When there are multiple inspection-required portions, the imaging camera 21 sequentially photographs the inspection-required portions. The advance photographed images taken by the imaging camera 21 are stored in the first database 5A via the bus 8. When the advance photographing is completed, the imaging camera 21 moves to the location where the first inspection part was captured, and waits for an instruction to capture additional images. The advance photographed images stored in the first database 5A are displayed on the display unit 32 in response to a display switching operation of the centralized control device 6, and are used for visual inspection.

[0070] In step S9, it is determined whether an operation signal instructing additional imaging has been input from the centralized control device 6, and if an input has been input, in step S10, the imaging camera 21 is driven in response to the operation of the centralized control device 6, and an image of the inspection object is captured at an angle and magnification in accordance with the operation. The captured image is displayed as a real-time image on the display unit 32 of the centralized control device 6, and is used for visual inspection.

[0071] After the additional photographing is completed, in step S11, the image used for the judgment is digitized in response to the operation of the centralized management device 6, and is stored in the first database 5A as the visual inspection image used for the judgment in association with the judgment result and other information. If there is no instruction to photograph additional images, the pre-photographed image used for the judgment is stored in the first database 5A as the visual inspection image used for the judgment in association with the visual judgment result and other visual inspection data. If there is no correction to the "defect content" of the automatic inspection data, it is left as it is, but if there is a correction, it is appropriately corrected and stored in the first database 5A as visual inspection data.

[0072] Thereafter, in step S12, the inspection object is carried out, and the next inspection object is carried in. In this manner, the visual appearance inspection device 3 carries out inspection of the inspection objects conveyed on the inspection line 4, one after another.

[0073] [Centralized management device] The centralized management device 6 is a device that sequentially displays visual inspection images captured by the visual appearance inspection devices 3 on the multiple inspection lines 4 and performs visual inspection of each inspection object transported along the multiple inspection lines 4 in a concentrated manner in one location, and is connected to the automatic appearance inspection device 2, the visual appearance inspection device 3, and the first and second databases 5A and 5B via a bus 8.

[0074] As shown in Figure 9, the centralized management device 6 is equipped with an input unit 31 into which an inspector inputs visual judgment results and instructions for additional capture of visual inspection images, a display unit 32 that displays visual inspection images (pre-captured images, additional captured images) captured by the visual appearance inspection device 3 and related information about the visual inspection images, a communication means 33 that communicates with the first database 5A and the visual appearance inspection device 3, and a control unit 34 that controls the operation of the entire inspection system 1, such as switching images on the display unit 32 and communicating with the visual appearance inspection device 3, etc.

[0075] The input unit 31 receives instructions from an inspector to execute the inspection process of the inspection system 1, such as an instruction to capture a visual inspection result or a visual inspection image, and an instruction to switch the inspection line 4 displayed on the display unit 32. As the input means, a known input means such as an operation panel on which input buttons, levers, etc. are arranged, or a mouse or keyboard for inputting instructions on an operation screen displayed on the display unit 32 can be used.

[0076] An operator of the centralized management device 6 can perform any operation on the visual appearance inspection device 3 and the first database 5A via the input unit 31, such as inputting visual inspection results, issuing screen display switching instructions to switch the screen of the visual inspection image for visual inspection, issuing instructions to take additional photographs and move the camera, and issuing instructions to digitize the visual inspection image and store it in the first database 5A.

[0077] The visual inspection result inputted via the input unit 31 includes the pass / fail judgment result and defect details. The defect details may be displayed on the display unit 32 as previously categorized defect details, and one or more of them may be selected, or a free entry field may be provided so that the defect details can be entered.

[0078] The screen display switching instruction is to display a list of the visual appearance inspection devices 3 on the inspection line that have completed advance shooting and are in a standby state on the display unit 32, and switch the visual inspection images in the order of display according to the switching instruction. Alternatively, the visual inspection image displayed on the display unit 32 may be switched by an inspector arbitrarily selecting one of the visual appearance inspection devices 3 displayed in the list.

[0079] The additional image capture instruction and camera movement instruction specify the position, angle, magnification, etc. of the imaging camera 21 in order to obtain a desired additional captured image.

[0080] The instruction to digitize the visual judgment image and store it in the first database 5A is an operation to store the visual inspection image that was the basis of the judgment as image data in the first database 5A. The image that the visual appearance inspection device 3 additionally captures is a real-time image, and is not a recorded image that is reproduced and displayed. Therefore, the visual inspection image that was the basis of the pass / fail judgment is stored as image data in the first database 5A in association with data such as the pass / fail judgment result, the defect content, and the board ID. If additional photography was not performed, the data of the previously captured image that was the basis of the judgment is stored in the first database 5A in association with data such as the pass / fail judgment result, the defect content, and the board ID.

[0081] The display unit 32 has one or more monitors, and displays visual inspection images (pre-emptively captured images, additionally captured images) captured by the visual appearance inspection device 3, a list of the visual appearance inspection devices 3 on the inspection line 4 that are undergoing visual inspection or waiting for visual inspection, an operation screen, etc.

[0082] The control unit 34 controls each part of the centralized management device 6 in response to the operation of an inspector, thereby enabling centralized inspection in multiple inspection lines 4, and is configured, for example, by a computer. The control unit 34 can remotely operate the visual appearance inspection device 3 and the first database 5A via the bus 8 to perform necessary processing.

[0083] [Operation flow] The operation of the centralized control device 6 will be described. As shown in Fig. 10, in step S13, the inspector operates the input unit 31 to input a screen display switching command to the centralized control device 6. Next, in step S14, the centralized control device 6 retrieves from the first database 5A and the visual appearance inspection device 3 the inspection object data such as the board ID and board type ID of the inspection object (printed circuit board 7) to be displayed on the display unit 32, the automatic judgment result of the automatic appearance inspection device 2, the defective location data, the defective content, and the like, and the advance photographed image data by the visual appearance inspection device 3. Then, in step S15, the centralized control device 6 displays the visual inspection image (advance photographed image) of the visual appearance inspection device 3 that has been instructed to be switched on the display unit 32, and the inspector performs visual inspection.

[0084] If the inspector is unable to make a pass / fail judgment from the predetermined visual inspection image, he or she performs an operation to take an additional image of the desired position at the desired angle and magnification. In step S16, the centralized control device 6 determines whether an operation signal instructing additional imaging has been input from the input unit 31, and if an input has been input, in step S17, drives the imaging camera 21 of the visual appearance inspection device 3 in response to the operation signal from the input unit 31 to image the inspection target at the angle and magnification according to the operation. The captured image is displayed as a real-time image on the display unit 32, and the inspector performs a visual inspection.

[0085] After the visual inspection, the inspector inputs the judgment result in step S18. At this time, if any corrections are made to the data of the inspection object such as the defect content, the corrections are also input. Next, in step S19, the centralized management device 6 causes the control unit 34 to associate the judgment result with the inspection data such as the board ID and store it in the first database 5A. The centralized management device 6 also digitizes the visual inspection images (preemptively photographed images, additionally photographed images) used for the judgment, and stores it in the first database 5A in association with the judgment result, etc. In addition, the centralized management device 6 stores the inspection time required from the screen display switching instruction to the input of the judgment result, the additional photographing condition data (position, angle, magnification, etc.), and the visual inspection data such as the board type in association with the judgment result, etc. in the first database 5A. The additional photographing condition data is fed back to the preemptive photographing conditions of the same board type, so that the subsequent preemptive photographing can be performed based on the additional photographing condition data in addition to or instead of the predetermined preemptive photographing conditions.

[0086] Then, when a screen display switching instruction is input to switch to a visual inspection image of another inspection line 4, the centralized control device 6 reads out the visual inspection image (preemptively captured image) of the specified inspection line 4 from the first database 5A and displays it on the display unit 32. In this way, the centralized control device 6 can display visual inspection images captured by the visual appearance inspection devices 3 of multiple inspection lines 4, allowing one inspector to perform appearance inspections of multiple inspection lines 4.

[0087] At this time, in the inspection system 1 to which the present technology is applied, while the visual inspection device 3 on one inspection line 4 is inspecting the visual inspection image captured by the visual inspection device 3 on the other inspection line 4, the visual inspection device 3 on the other inspection line 4 has finished preemptively capturing images of a predetermined area to be inspected and is waiting. Therefore, when an inspector inputs an instruction to switch the screen display, the visual inspection image (preemptively captured image) of the inspection target on the other inspection line 4 is promptly displayed, and visual inspection can be performed.

[0088] As a result, the inspection system 1 can shorten the takt time of the inspection process in a system in which images taken by the visual appearance inspection devices 3 installed on each inspection line 4 are displayed on the centralized management device 6 to perform visual inspection.

[0089] [Database] The database 5 includes a first database 5A connected to the visual appearance inspection device 3 and storing various data acquired by the visual appearance inspection device 3, and a second database 5B connected to the automatic appearance inspection device 2 and storing various data acquired by the automatic appearance inspection device 2. As shown in Fig. 11, the first database 5A stores inspection object data related to the inspection object (printed circuit board 7), visual inspection data transmitted from the visual appearance inspection device 3, inspection line data such as an identification ID of the inspection line and an identification ID of an inspector operating the centralized management device 6, and the like. As shown in Fig. 12, the second database 5B stores various automatic inspection data transmitted from the automatic appearance inspection device 2.

[0090] The automatic inspection data includes, for example, automatic judgment results, automatic inspection images, automatic photographing condition data (angle, magnification, etc.), defective location data (XYθ coordinates), etc. The inspection object data includes, for example, inspection items, key visual inspection location data, board ID, board type ID, component ID, Z-axis correction value, etc. The visual inspection data includes, for example, visual judgment results, visual inspection images used for visual judgment, additional photographing condition data (position, angle, magnification, etc.), inspection time, defective content based on visual inspection, etc. The inspection line data includes, for example, an inspection line ID that is an identification ID assigned to each inspection line, an automatic appearance inspection device ID that is an identification ID assigned to each automatic appearance inspection device, a visual appearance inspection device ID that is an identification ID assigned to each visual appearance inspection device, an inspector ID that is an identification ID assigned to each inspector, inspection date and time, inspection quantity, etc. The data managed in the first and second databases 5A and 5B is not limited to these.

[0091] Each data is managed in association with each other, and is referred to in response to the operation of the centralized management device 6. In addition, each data is managed in association with each other, and is used to verify the accuracy of judgment, improve the accuracy of automatic judgment, support inspectors for inspection, evaluate and improve the inspection ability of inspectors, etc.

[0092] In addition, the first database 5A may be configured integrally with the centralized management device 6, or may be configured as a server network-connected with the second database 5B, the automatic appearance inspection device 2, the visual appearance inspection device 3, and the centralized management device 6 via a bus 8.

[0093] In addition, the above-mentioned inspection system 1 has two databases, a first database 5A for the visual appearance inspection device 3 and a second database 5B for the automatic appearance inspection device 2, but it may also be configured with a single database 5 connected to the automatic appearance inspection device 2, the visual appearance inspection device 3, and the centralized management device 6 via a bus 8.

[0094] [Inspection flow] Next, the inspection process of the entire inspection system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Note that in the following description, a case will be described in which three inspection lines 4A, 4B, and 4C are provided as inspection lines, and visual inspections in these three inspection lines are performed by one centralized management device 6, but the present technology is not limited to this case.

[0095] In each of the inspection lines 4A, 4B, 4C, following automatic inspection by the automatic appearance inspection device 2, advance photographing is performed by the visual appearance inspection device 3, and the advance photographed images are stored in the first database 5A. The advance photographed images read out from the first database 5A are displayed in sequence on the centralized management device 6, and visual inspection is performed by inspectors.

[0096] When starting with inspection on the inspection line 4A, when photographing by the visual appearance inspection device 3 on the inspection line 4A is completed, the centralized management device 6 displays the previously photographed image as a visual inspection image on the display unit 32. After additional photographing is performed as appropriate, the visual judgment result is input. The control unit 34 stores the visual inspection data such as the visual judgment result in the first database 5A.

[0097] Meanwhile, in the inspection lines 4B and 4C, following the automatic inspection, preemptive photographing is also performed by the visual appearance inspection device 3, the preemptive photographed images are stored in the first database 5A, and the inspection-required parts are captured by the imaging camera 21 and are on standby. The control unit 34 of the centralized management device 6 detects that the visual appearance inspection device 3 of each inspection line 4 has completed preemptive photographing and is in a standby state. Then, when the visual judgment results and the like in the inspection line 4A are input, and the inspector performs a screen display switching operation, the control unit 34 reads out the preemptive photographed images taken by the visual appearance inspection device 3 of the inspection line capable of visual inspection (inspection line 4B in this case) from the first database 5A and displays them on the display unit 32 in the order in which the preemptive photographing was completed, and the visual inspection is performed.

[0098] Meanwhile, on the inspection line 4A, following the automatic inspection, the visual appearance inspection device 3 preemptively captures images, stores the preemptively captured images in the first database 5A, and waits with the imaging camera 21 capturing the area to be inspected. In this way, while the centralized management device 6 is inspecting one inspection line 4, the inspection system 1 preemptively captures the inspection objects conveyed on the inspection line 4 under predetermined imaging conditions by the visual appearance inspection device 3 of the other inspection line 4. When the inspection of one inspection line 4 is completed, the inspector switches the display on the display unit 32 of the centralized management device 6 to the image of the other inspection line 4. At this time, the imaging camera of the visual appearance inspection device 3 of the other inspection line 4 has preemptively captured the area to be inspected at a predetermined angle and focal depth, so the inspector can quickly visually inspect the inspection objects on the other inspection line 4 by simply reading out the preemptively captured images.

[0099] As a result, the inspection system 1 can shorten the takt time of the inspection process in a system in which images taken by the visual appearance inspection devices 3 installed on each inspection line 4 are displayed on the centralized management device 6 to perform visual inspection.

[0100] In addition, in each inspection line 4, visual inspection is not necessarily performed following automatic inspection. For example, when the automatic appearance inspection device 2 clearly judges an item to be OK, or judges the item to be a defect (NG) that is so obvious that visual inspection is not required, the automatic judgment result may be stored in the second database 5B, and the item may be excluded from the visual inspection by the visual appearance inspection device 3. Therefore, the waiting order (display order) for visual inspection may be irregular. Of course, when 100% inspection is performed, the waiting order (display order) for visual inspection may be regular.

[0101] Furthermore, the visual inspection images displayed on the centralized control device 6 may be inspected in the order in which the inspection lines 4 for which advance photographing has been completed are displayed, or the visual inspection images of the inspection line 4 designated by the inspector may be inspected. This allows, for example, an inspection line with many defects and a small number of inspection processes to be designated and inspected preferentially.

[0102] The functions of each component of the inspection system 1 to which the present technology is applied can be configured as cloud computing, in which multiple devices share and jointly process the functions via a network. For example, the first and second databases 5A and 5B can be functioned by server storage or the like. Also, one or more of the first and second databases 5A and 5B, for example, databases for each automatic visual inspection device, may be functioned by external storage connected via a network.

[0103] It is also possible to create a computer program for implementing each function of the inspection system 1 to which the present technology is applied, and to implement it in a personal computer or the like. It is also possible to provide a computer-readable recording medium in which such a computer program is stored. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. The above computer program can also be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Inspection system, 2 Automatic appearance inspection device, 3 Visual appearance inspection device, 4 Inspection line, 5A First database, 5B Second database, 6 Centralized management device, 7 Printed circuit board, 8 Bus, 11 Imaging camera, 12 Inspection computer, 13 Communication means, 21 Imaging camera, 21a Oblique camera, 21b Planar camera, 31 Input unit, 32 Display unit, 33 Communication means, 34 Control unit

Claims

1. A plurality of inspection lines each having a visual appearance inspection device; A database for storing images captured by the visual appearance inspection device; a centralized management device which is connected to the visual appearance inspection device and the database, has a communication unit which communicates with the visual appearance inspection device and the database, a display unit which displays an inspection image of the inspection object, and a control unit which controls the operation of the visual appearance inspection device and the database, and which centralizes the visual inspection of the inspection objects being transported to each of the inspection lines, While the centralized control device is inspecting the visual inspection image captured by the visual appearance inspection device of one of the inspection lines, the visual appearance inspection device of another of the inspection lines, which has received position data of a portion of the inspection object to be inspected from the database, performs preemptive photography of the inspection object conveyed on the inspection line under predetermined photography conditions, stores the preemptively photographed image in the database, and displays the preemptively photographed image read out from the database by the centralized control device during the visual inspection on the display unit. Inspection system.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the advance capture image is a still image and / or a video image.

3. 3. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the images captured by the visual inspection devices and displayed on the display unit are switched in response to an operation of an inspector of the centralized control device.

4. a measuring means for measuring a height of a defective portion of the inspection object, a calculating means for calculating a correction value in the Z-axis direction of the inspection object from a reference height of the inspection object and the height of the defective portion, and a moving means for moving an imaging means of the visual appearance inspection device or a supporting portion for supporting the inspection object in the Z-axis direction of the inspection object, A correction value in the Z-axis direction of the object to be inspected is obtained in advance; storing the correction value in the database; 4. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein, in the advance photographing, the correction value is referenced to perform correction in the Z-axis direction of the object to be inspected.

5. The database includes a first database and a second database, The first database stores the advance photographed image of the object to be inspected by the visual appearance inspection device, 5. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein said second database stores position data of a portion of said object to be inspected by said visual appearance inspection device.

6. An inspection method using an inspection system, comprising: The above inspection system is A plurality of inspection lines each having a visual appearance inspection device; A database for storing images captured by the visual appearance inspection device; a centralized management device which is connected to the visual appearance inspection device and the database, has a communication unit which communicates with the visual appearance inspection device and the database, a display unit which displays an inspection image of the inspection object, and a control unit which controls the operation of the visual appearance inspection device and the database, and which centralizes the visual inspection of the inspection objects being transported to each of the inspection lines, While the centralized control device is inspecting the visual inspection image captured by the visual appearance inspection device of one of the inspection lines, the visual appearance inspection device of another of the inspection lines, which has received position data of a portion of the inspection object to be inspected from the database, performs preemptive photography of the inspection object conveyed on the inspection line under predetermined photography conditions, stores the preemptively photographed image in the database, and displays the preemptively photographed image read out from the database by the centralized control device during the visual inspection on the display unit. Testing method.

7. A visual appearance inspection device that is connected to a centralized management device via a network and performs an appearance inspection of an inspection object that is conveyed along an inspection line in response to an operation of the centralized management device, The visual appearance inspection device includes an imaging camera, a communication means, and a visual inspection computer, receiving position data of a region to be inspected of the object to be inspected from a database connected via a network; Prior to visual inspection by an inspector, the centralized management device preemptively photographs a portion of the object to be inspected under a predetermined photographing condition while the centralized management device is inspecting a visual inspection image photographed by the visual appearance inspection device of another inspection line, The above-mentioned preemptively photographed images are stored in a database. Visual appearance inspection device.

8. A computer program for a visual appearance inspection device that is connected to a centralized management device via a network and performs an appearance inspection of an inspection object that is conveyed along an inspection line in response to an operation of the centralized management device, The visual appearance inspection device includes an imaging camera, a communication means, and a visual inspection computer, receiving position data of a region to be examined of the object to be examined from a database connected via a network; a process of, prior to visual inspection by an inspector, photographing a portion of the object to be inspected under a predetermined photographing condition while the centralized control device is inspecting a visual inspection image photographed by the visual inspection device of another inspection line, in the visual appearance inspection device; A process of storing the proactively photographed image in a database; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

9. A centralized management device for centrally performing visual inspection of each of the inspection objects of a plurality of inspection lines along which the inspection objects are transported, the centralized management device comprising: The centralized management device includes: a visual appearance inspection device connected via a network to a database that stores position data of a portion of the inspection object to be inspected and an image captured by the visual appearance inspection device; The device includes an input unit, a display unit, a communication means, and a control unit, receiving, from the database, data of a pre-emptively photographed image captured under predetermined photographing conditions while the centralized management device is inspecting a visual inspection image captured by the visual inspection device of another inspection line, based on position data of a portion to be inspected of the inspection object received from the database, and Display the above pre-taken image, The visual inspection results are stored in the above database. Centralized management device.

10. A computer program for a centralized management device that centrally performs visual inspection of each of a plurality of inspection lines along which the inspection objects are transported, the centralized management device including: The centralized management device includes: a visual appearance inspection device connected via a network to a database that stores position data of a portion of the inspection object to be inspected and an image captured by the visual appearance inspection device; The device includes an input unit, a display unit, a communication means, and a control unit, receiving, from the database, data of a pre-emptively photographed image captured under predetermined photographing conditions while the centralized management device is inspecting a visual inspection image captured by the visual inspection device of another inspection line, using the visual inspection device based on position data of a portion requiring inspection of the inspection object received from the database; A process for displaying the above-mentioned preemptively captured image; A process of storing the visual judgment results in the above database. A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

Images