Camera illumination device with a common lens array for various illumination mechanisms

Abstract

To create a camera for optically detecting an object, especially an electronic assembly component.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a camera for detecting an object, the camera comprising (a) an irradiation device for irradiating the object located in an object plane of the camera, and (b) a camera sensor for capturing an image of the object irradiated by the irradiation device. The irradiation device includes: (a1) a first illumination mechanism having a plurality of first light sources for irradiating the object with a first irradiation light at a first irradiation angle; (a2) a second irradiation mechanism having a plurality of second irradiation light sources for irradiating the object with second irradiation light at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle; and (a3) an optical-lens array having a plurality of independent lenses for collimating the first irradiation light and the second irradiation light. Each independent lens is assigned to at least one first light source, and each independent lens is assigned to at least two second light sources.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the technical field of cameras for monitoring automated processes in industrial production engineering. The invention particularly relates to a camera for optically detecting electronic assemblies, said camera comprising (i) an illumination device for illuminating the electronic assembly and (ii) a camera sensor for capturing an image of the electronic assembly illuminated by the illumination device. The invention further relates to a placement head for automatic placement of assembly carriers, comprising (at least one) camera as described above. The invention also relates to an automatic placement mechanism comprising (at least one) placement head as described above. [Background technology]

[0002] During automated assembly of the assembly carrier using the automated assembly mechanism, electronic assemblies are picked up from the assembly component supply device by a placement head, moved to a placement area of ​​the automated placement mechanism, and placed in the placement area on the appropriate assembly carrier at a predetermined assembly component placement position. For example, a camera is attached to the placement head and used to detect the position and angular position of the assembly components held by the assembly component holding device of the placement head during movement from the assembly component supply device to the placement area. In this way, the angular position and position can be detected without any additional loss of assembly time, and the angular position can be adjusted by rotating the assembly component holding device so that the assembly component is placed on the assembly carrier in the correct orientation.

[0003] The camera mounted on the installation head typically has an illumination device that illuminates the assembly being captured so that a sufficiently bright image of the assembly can be captured with a short exposure time. A suitable illumination device typically includes multiple illumination mechanisms, each of which illuminates the assembly being detected at a specific illumination angle. The illumination mechanism comprises at least one light source, typically at least one light-emitting diode (LED), and typically also at least one illumination optical device, by which the illumination light emitted by the light source is collimated.

[0004] Every illumination angle, and therefore every illumination mechanism, presents challenges in terms of illumination characteristics on other objects for image processing. Different spatial arrangements of the illumination mechanism relative to the object, i.e., the electronic assembly, can produce different illumination angles. For example, a flat, distant illumination mechanism produces a steep illumination that strikes the object at an angle of at least about 0 degrees. An annular illumination mechanism positioned at a different distance from the object, possibly with appropriate illumination optics, can produce a "ring of light" with an angle between, for example, 30 and 80 degrees.

[0005] The required brightness of the illumination light can be obtained by using a correspondingly large number of light sources.

[0006] Even if relatively small LEDs are used as light sources, many LEDs that require high brightness require a relatively large installation space. Furthermore, the illumination optics of various illumination mechanisms and the respective beam paths of the light sources require a relatively large space to be able to efficiently "direct" the illumination light to the target. This results in a large overall installation space for the camera with the illumination device that must be "reserved" in the installation head for optical detection of electronic assemblies. In a so-called turret installation head having multiple assembly holding devices arranged on a circular ring carrier and capable of rotating together about a rotation axis, the rotation angle range for the assembly holding devices on the circular ring carrier, i.e., the rotation angle range in which electronic assemblies can be (i) picked up by an electronic assembly supply device and / or (ii) placed on the associated assembly carrier, means that a large installation space for the camera is reduced. This negatively impacts the installation performance of the installation head, i.e., the number of electronic assemblies that can be picked up and installed within a reliable time. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention is based on the objective of creating a camera for optical detection of objects, in particular electronic assemblies, which (i) has an illumination device that provides highly collimated and bright illumination light for a variety of illumination angles, and (ii) can nevertheless be realized within a small installation space.

[0008] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a camera is described for optically detecting an object, particularly an electronic assembly. The described camera comprises an illumination device (a) for illuminating an object located in an object plane of the camera and a camera sensor (b) for capturing an image of the object illuminated by the illumination device. The illumination device comprises a first illumination mechanism (b1) having a plurality of first light sources for illuminating the object with first illumination light at a first illumination angle, a second illumination mechanism (b2) having a plurality of second light sources for illuminating the object with second illumination light at a second illumination angle different from the first illumination angle, and an optical lens array (b3) having a plurality of independent lenses for collimating the first illumination light and the second illumination light. According to the present invention, each independent lens is assigned to at least one first light source and each independent lens is assigned to at least two second light sources.

[0010] The described camera is based on the insight that collimation of illumination rays can be achieved within a small installation space by jointly using independent lenses of an optical lens array to collimate both the first illumination light and the second illumination light, ensuring illumination of the object at various angles. Furthermore, the use of a common lens array reduces the number of optical components, and in particular the number of optical components required for collimating the rays.

[0011] The described lens array, which may also be referred to as a microlens array, has at least two independent lenses. To obtain particularly homogeneous illumination along two spatial directions by the two illumination lights, the lens array may have a square number of independent lenses. The described compact design of the camera can be obtained by a lens array with exactly four independent lenses (and four times as many at least one primary light source) also along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera. The optical axis of the camera may be the optical axis for the first and / or second illumination light. The optical axis of the camera is further related to the measurement light or the optical image of the object on the camera sensor.

[0012] Homogeneous illumination is understood in this document to mean in particular illumination that illuminates an object in such a way that all partial areas of the object are illuminated perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera (of the illumination device) with at least approximately the same light intensity, which leads to a particularly reliable detection of the object.

[0013] As used herein, the term "illumination angle" does not necessarily mean a single, precisely defined angle. Rather, the two illumination angles may encompass a specific angle or a specific angular spectrum around a target angle, for example, due to less-than-perfect optical collimation. Preferably, the two angular ranges are selected so that the two illumination angles are sufficiently different that there is no overlap between the rays of the first illumination light and the rays of the second illumination light. The angular range defined for the first illumination light may be, for example, ±3 degrees (plus or minus 3 degrees), ±6 degrees, or 12 degrees. In an embodiment in which the first illumination light is a steep illumination light with a first illumination angle of, for example, approximately 0 degrees, and the second illumination light is a somewhat flat illumination light with a second illumination angle of, for example, approximately 30 degrees, the angular range of the second illumination light is significantly larger than that of the first illumination light. The angular range of the second illumination light may be, for example, ±10 degrees (plus or minus 10 degrees), ±15 degrees, or 20 degrees.

[0014] In this specification, a 0 degree illumination angle means that the illumination ray is parallel to the optical axis of the camera (of the illumination device) and perpendicular to the target. An illumination angle of approximately 90 degrees corresponds to illumination that is nearly perpendicular to the optical axis, and therefore corresponds to extremely oblique or flat illumination.

[0015] The first light source and / or the second light source are preferably light emitting diodes (LEDs). More preferably, the LEDs are so-called high-power light emitting diodes (high-power LEDs), each having a luminous flux of at least 3.0 lumens. To achieve a particularly high luminous flux, LEDs in the blue spectral range may be used.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the invention, with respect to the optical axis of each independent lens, the at least one assigned first light source is arranged closer to the optical axis than the at least two assigned second light sources, as a result of which a relatively steep illumination of the object by the first illumination light and a somewhat flatter illumination of the object by the second illumination light can be advantageously and simply influenced together with the (at least one) first light source.

[0017] If more than one primary light source is used, for example four primary light sources, these primary light sources should be positioned as close as possible to the optical axis, preferably symmetrically with respect to the optical axis of each individual lens, to produce a sharp illumination of the object.

[0018] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, exactly one primary light source is assigned to each independent lens, which has the advantage that the primary light source can be positioned exactly in or on the optical axis, which can result in a very steep illumination of the object (even at an angle of 0 degrees).

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the invention, at least one of the separate lenses is an aspherical lens, in particular a non-rotationally symmetric lens.

[0020] By using independent lenses whose surfaces deviate from a sagittal shape, a particularly homogeneous illumination can be obtained by the two illumination mechanisms. Suitable aspherical shapes can be realized by so-called freeform lenses, which allow the refraction or collimation of the first and second illumination light to be optimally adapted to the geometry of the entire (compactly realized) illumination device.

[0021] All of the individual lenses are preferably aspherical lenses. In some embodiments, all of the aspherical lenses are similar, meaning that all of the aspherical lenses have three-dimensional (refractive) surfaces of the same shape. In other embodiments, at least two of the individual lenses are different, meaning that the two individual lenses have different three-dimensional (refractive) surfaces.

[0022] With a suitably designed or shaped freeform free-standing lens, a relatively wide angular spectrum can be generated for the second illumination light as opposed to the first illumination light, for example, with illumination angles in the range between 25 and 35 degrees, between 20 and 40 degrees, or between 10 and 40 degrees.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first illumination light source and the second illumination light source are arranged (at least approximately) in a common focal plane of all the independent lenses, as a result of which the illumination device and thus the entire camera can be implemented in a particularly compact design along a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera (of the illumination device).

[0024] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first light source and the second light source are disposed on a common circuit board and are electrically connected, which advantageously simplifies the manufacturing process of the described camera.

[0025] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the lens array is directly or indirectly mounted on a common circuit board. The lens array, like the light source, may be mounted on the common circuit board using an automated mounting process using an automated mounting mechanism. As a result, not only can the production of the camera be simplified, but also, due to the typically high mounting accuracy of the automated mounting mechanism, a particularly compact spatial arrangement between the lens array and the individual lenses can be obtained.

[0026] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first light sources are each arranged at a grid point of a two-dimensional structured grid, and the second light sources are arranged at least approximately at additional grid points of the two-dimensional structured grid. The first light sources and the second light sources are arranged in a common plane. The common plane may in particular be the aforementioned common focal plane.

[0027] In this context, a structured lattice is to be understood as a lattice having "unit lattice cells." A number of unit lattice cells regularly arranged next to each other form a structured lattice.

[0028] A "unit lattice cell" may consist of, for example, five lattice points, where four lattice points form a square and an additional central lattice point is located at the center of the square. With respect to the central lattice point, the four lattice points mentioned are immediately adjacent lattice points.

[0029] Alternatively, the unit lattice cell may simply be a square unit cell, in which case the unit lattice cell is a uniform lattice that perfectly divides coplanar two-dimensional space into axis-parallel square regions, so that there is the same distance between two adjacent lattice points. In this case, a central lattice point along the side edges of the square has four nearest neighbors, and four further neighbors slightly further away from the central lattice point by exactly two routes along the two diagonals of the square.

[0030] Arranging both the first and second light sources in a two-dimensional structured grid advantageously facilitates the calculation of the beam paths of the illumination device, which makes the overall camera structure easier to realize.

[0031] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the lattice point of the first light source is a central lattice point located on the optical axis of the independent lens assigned to the associated first light source. Furthermore, the additional lattice points of the second light sources are each adjacent lattice points. In the structured lattice, for each central lattice point there are several predetermined adjacent child support points, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to each other around the central lattice point.

[0032] By arranging the first light source on the optical axis of the independent lens, a homogeneous illumination of the object can be obtained for the first illumination light. By arranging the second light sources symmetrically with respect to each other around the first light source or around the optical axis, a homogeneous illumination of the object can further be obtained for the second illumination light. In particular, the described symmetric arrangement can result in a symmetric angular distribution around the optical axis.

[0033] The predetermined number may depend on the specific lattice structure, i.e., whether the unit cell is a pure square (with all lattice points located at one corner of a square) or a square of adjacent lattice points with a face-centered central lattice point.

[0034] In the case of a quadrangle with a face-centered central lattice point, there are exactly four lattice points that are closest to the central lattice point. In this case, the four closest neighboring secondary light sources can be assigned to the central primary light source for each individual lens. The predetermined number in this case is 4. In the case of a pure square (not having a face-centered central lattice point), there are four secondary light sources that are closest to the primary light source. Furthermore, as mentioned above, there are four further adjacent lattice points that are slightly further away from the central lattice point by exactly square root of 2. In this case, the predetermined number may be 4 or 8.

[0035] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the actual positions of at least some of the secondary light sources are spatially offset relative to each additional grid point, the corresponding spatial offset being smaller than 1 / 5, preferably smaller than 1 / 10, of the distance between two immediately adjacent grid points.

[0036] The described spatial offset, which may be a disadvantage for purely geometrical and optical reasons, has the advantage that if the light sources are particularly bright (red) LEDs that are not purely SMD components but must be bonded for electrical contact, the first and second light sources can also be placed closer to each other (thus contributing to a more compact camera). The described spatial offset makes it possible to create the space between the LEDs required for bonding (for the adhesive band). The first and / or second light sources therefore do not necessarily have to be implemented as SMD LEDs, which often have a lower luminous intensity compared to "bonded LEDs".

[0037] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the illumination device further comprises an (internal) mirrored boundary which at least partially laterally surrounds the lens array and / or the intermediate space between (i) the first and second light sources and (ii) the lens array. The described (internal) mirrored boundary can advantageously contribute to ensuring that as little illumination light as possible is lost, in particular as little second illumination light as possible is lost, for the greatest possible brightness.

[0038] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first irradiation angle comprises an angle of 0° and / or the second irradiation angle is in the range of 20° to 40°, preferably in the range of 25° to 35°. It is even more preferred if the second irradiation angle is at least close to 30°. As already mentioned above, in particular the second irradiation light may have a large angular range, for example 25° to 35°, 20° to 40° (or asymmetrically up to 30°), 10° to 40°.

[0039] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the camera further comprises a beam splitter arranged in the optical illumination light path (i) of the first illumination light (and the second illumination light) between the lens array and the object surface, and in the optical measurement light path (ii) of the measurement light between the object surface and the camera, in which the measurement light is generated by (back)scattering of the first illumination light and / or the second illumination light on the object.

[0040] The described beam splitter therefore ensures a spatial separation of the measurement light from the first illumination light and / or the second illumination light in partial regions of the two beam paths. This means that when the first illumination angle is exactly 0 degrees, the image of the object can also be captured by the camera sensor. This means that a high level of detection accuracy can be achieved even when the structures of the object are smaller.

[0041] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the beam splitter is spatially arranged along a straight connecting line between the lens array and the object surface, so that the first and second illumination light penetrate the beam splitter during movement, and the measurement light emitted by the object impinges on the camera sensor after reflection. This has the advantage that in the camera system described below, which has (at least) two cameras as described herein, the first and second light sources of both of the two cameras can be mounted on a (flat) common circuit board. The same applies to the two lens arrays of the two cameras.

[0042] However, it should be noted that there are also embodiments of the cameras described herein in which the beam splitter is spatially arranged along the connecting line between the object plane and the camera sensor, in which case, in a camera system with (at least) two cameras arranged next to each other, the two camera sensors can be mounted on a (flat) common circuit board.

[0043] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the beam splitter is a beam splitter cube configured and arranged with respect to the two illumination structures and the lens array such that a portion of the second illumination light is totally internally reflected at an inner sidewall of the beam splitter cube whose totally internal sidewall faces the camera sensor.

[0044] The described total internal reflection advantageously (i) expands the angular range or spectrum of the second illumination light, (ii) partially homogenizes the illumination light, especially with the second illumination light, and (iii) rays of the second illumination light that flatly impinge on the totally internally reflecting sidewall are not lost due to bright illumination of the object, while at the same time, the total internal reflection can reliably prevent any particular oblique rays of the second illumination light from being detected by the camera sensor.

[0045] Specifically, the beam splitter cube has a light guiding function, especially with respect to the totally internally reflecting sidewalls that ensure low losses of the secondary illumination light.

[0046] According to a further embodiment of the invention, an additional portion of the second illumination light is totally internally reflected by an additional internal sidewall of the beam splitter cube, the additional internal sidewall facing away from the camera sensor, which can also contribute to the second illumination light impinging on the object having a wide angular range, high intensity with respect to local light intensity, and high homogeneity.

[0047] The additional totally internally reflecting sidewall facing away from the camera sensor can be coupled away from the illumination light path by a beam splitter to ensure that the portion of the (first and second) illumination light that strikes the additional totally internally reflecting sidewall at a very steep angle does not exit the beam splitter and inadvertently strike the camera sensor. This unwanted re-entry of the separated (first and second) illumination light can be effectively prevented by placing a light absorber "behind" the additional totally internally reflecting sidewall and thus outside the beam splitter cube.

[0048] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the beam splitter cube has at least one reflective sidewall that reflects outside the beam splitter cube.

[0049] The described reflective sidewalls contribute to the secondary illumination light having, inter alia, a wide angular range, high intensity and high homogeneity with respect to local light intensity within the region of interest.

[0050] The beam splitter cube preferably has an additional reflective sidewall opposite the reflective sidewall, which may have the same technical advantages as the reflective sidewall.

[0051] According to the above-described embodiment, in which the beam splitter is arranged along the connecting line between the lens array and the object surface, the four mentioned side walls are lateral walls with respect to the illumination light path. This means that the two front side walls facing the lens array or the object surface are not capable of total internal reflection (which is impossible due to the steep angles of incidence of the first and second illumination light) and are not reflective. The illumination light passes through these two side walls as far as possible without any loss of light entering or exiting.

[0052] Of the four side walls, two are preferably fully reflective and two are (fully) reflective due to an external mirror coating.

[0053] The externally reflected sidewalls may advantageously be used to mechanically mount the beam splitter indirectly to the camera chassis and / or to the circuit boards mentioned above for the first and second light sources. Said mechanical fixation can be achieved by suitable bonding without impairing the optical function of the beam splitter cube.

[0054] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the illumination device further comprises a third illumination arrangement having a plurality of third light sources for illuminating the object with third illumination light at a third illumination angle that is flatter compared to both the first illumination angle and the second illumination angle, and further comprising an optical collimation arrangement for collimating the third illumination light.

[0055] The third illumination arrangement described in conjunction with the optical collimation arrangement has the advantage that an additional, particularly flat illumination can be applied to the object, which allows for even more reliable and accurate optical detection of the object. Furthermore, the optical properties of the object can be reliably recognized as part of the image evaluation using a data processing device connected below the camera sensor.

[0056] According to another embodiment of the invention, the optical collimation arrangement comprises at least one refractive optical component and / or at least one reflective optical component. Through a suitable optical design of the components described, a high homogeneity in terms of the level of local illumination is advantageously obtained for the flat third illumination.

[0057] The optical collimation arrangement preferably comprises both at least one refractive optical component and at least one reflective optical component, as a result of which good collimation with low light losses is obtained with various designs of the illumination device.

[0058] The refractive optical element may be, for example, a cylinder lens. The cylinder lens may be an elongated cylinder lens assigned to a plurality of third light sources, which are preferably arranged next to each other in a line along a linear direction. The reflective optical element may be, for example, a concave mirror having a constant curvature along its longitudinal direction and capable of also collimating the third illumination light from a plurality of third light sources arranged along a linear direction.

[0059] Of course, different refractive and / or reflective optics may be used for each tertiary light source, as a result of which the optical collimation arrangement can be adapted even more precisely to the specific design of the illumination device or the entire camera and optimized with respect to light intensity, angular range and homogeneity.

[0060] In some embodiments, at least one refractive optical element is a freeform lens. Alternatively, or in combination, at least one reflective optical element is a freeform mirror. By appropriately shaping the freeform (in each case), illumination by the third illumination light can be further improved.

[0061] According to another embodiment of the invention, the object surface is spatially separated from the beam splitter along a portion of the path of the beam splitter's illumination light. Furthermore, to increase the distance between the object surface and the beam splitter, the optical collimation arrangement is arranged around the installation volume, thereby advantageously allowing a single "coupling" of the third illumination light towards the object at a flat angle.

[0062] According to another embodiment of the invention, the illumination device also has an additional (internal) mirrored boundary that laterally surrounds the installation space at least partially. This has the advantage that the first illumination light exiting the beam splitter, and in particular the second illumination light exiting the beam splitter, cannot exit laterally or can only do so to a very small extent. This simply and effectively prevents as much as possible loss of the second illumination light, in particular, in order to obtain the brightest possible illumination. Furthermore, the homogeneity of the illumination light is further improved.

[0063] In this context, the term "lateral" is understood to mean in particular a spatial region away from the optical axis of the path of the illumination light perpendicular to the part of the path of the illumination light between the object surface and the beam splitter, where this distance is so large that light rays from the first illumination light and / or the second illumination light do not penetrate outside or next to the additional (internal) mirror boundary and thus disappear after illuminating the object.

[0064] The expression "at least partially surrounded" in this context may be understood to mean that the reflection is not perfect due to additional boundaries along a direction parallel to the optical axis of the illumination path. Alternatively, or in combination, the reflection may be understood to be incomplete along the optical axis of the illumination path. The region without reflection along the optical axis of the illumination path may be used to allow a third illumination light from outside to strike the target surface at a flat angle.

[0065] According to another aspect of the invention, in the described camera system having two cameras of the above aspect, the two cameras are mounted together so as to be spatially fixed on a common carrier mechanism.

[0066] The described camera system is based on the insight that two objects can be optically detected simultaneously as long as the distance between them is precisely large enough so that the objects can be located in one of two object detection regions. This is the case, for example, when the assembly holding devices are configured to temporarily hold the objects and corresponding electronic assemblies, together with a so-called turret installation head having (a) a first plurality of first assembly holding devices arranged on a first annular ring carrier and (b) a second plurality of second assembly holding devices arranged on a second annular ring carrier, the two annular ring carriers being rotatable about a common rotation axis. Such a turret installation head is described in detail, for example, in DE 102020116385.

[0067] The common carrier mechanism may also be a common chassis for the two cameras.

[0068] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the camera system also includes a light absorber disposed between the two cameras. The light absorber can effectively help to ensure that "crosstalk" between both cameras is prevented. This can be applied to the measurement light as well as the light rays from the various "illumination lights." This, together with the described camera system, allows optical detection of the two assemblies without interference between the two cameras.

[0069] In an embodiment in which each of the two cameras has a beam splitter and both beam splitters are arranged next to each other, the light absorber in particular can contribute to absorbing the rays of each first illumination light and / or second illumination light that reach the respective object or assembly at each camera sensor without scattering.

[0070] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first and second light sources of the first camera and the first and second light sources of the second camera are arranged in a common (focal) plane and in particular on a common circuit board, which advantageously simplifies the manufacturing process for the described camera system.

[0071] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, an installation head is described for installing an assembly carrier, the installation head comprising: (a) a chassis; (b) at least one component holding device attached to the chassis for temporarily holding an electronic assembly; and (c) a chassis-mounted camera of the type described above and / or a chassis-mounted camera system of the type described above.

[0072] The described placement head is based on the insight that the above-mentioned camera and / or the above-mentioned camera system can be used to detect electronic assemblies with very short exposure times, due to advantageous optical properties, in particular the high intensity and / or high homogeneity of the first and second light sources. Because the above-mentioned camera / camera system can potentially be installed in a particularly compact manner, the entire placement head can also be installed in a compact manner. However, in particular, the installation space of the placement head that must be reserved for the camera or camera system is quite small, resulting in more installation space being "left over" or available for the actual mechanical task of the placement head, i.e., picking up electronic assemblies and placing the picked-up assemblies on the respective assembly carriers. This can have a positive impact on assembly performance, i.e., the number of electronic assemblies that can be picked up and placed in a certain time.

[0073] According to another aspect of the invention, an automated placement mechanism is described for automatically placing electronic assemblies on assembly carriers. The automated placement mechanism described includes: (a) a frame mechanism; (b) a transport device attached to the frame mechanism for feeding assembly carriers for loading to a placement area or removing at least partially loaded assembly carriers from the placement area; (c) a positioning system having at least one fixed part stationarily attached to the frame mechanism and a movable part positionable relative to the mounted part; and (d) a placement head of the type described above, attached to the movable part and configured to pick up assemblies and, after appropriate positioning of the movable part, to place the assemblies on the assembly carriers, each assembly being attached to the assembly carrier at a predetermined placement position.

[0074] The automated installation mechanism described herein is based on the insight that high installation performance can be achieved with the installation head described above. This is not only due to the fact that the cameras of the installation head can be made very compact. In particular, the low weight of the cameras can also contribute to improved installation performance. With the reduced weight of the cameras and therefore the reduced weight of the installation head, only a fairly small (blunt) mass is moved back and forth by the gantry system during the installation operation.

[0075] Further advantages and features of the present invention result from the following illustrative description of presently preferred embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0076] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an automatic installation mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 shows a perspective view of a camera system with two cameras for optically detecting one assembly part in each case mounted on a common carrier mechanism at a fixed distance from each other; [Figure 3]1 shows a cross-sectional view of the illumination device of the two cameras. [Figure 4] 1 shows an enlarged perspective view of an illumination device for a camera. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 shows light emitting diodes mounted on a common circuit board, representing a first light source and a second light source, each contacted via a bond wire, some of the light emitting diodes offset from their respective grid points of the two-dimensional structural grid to create sufficient space for the bond wires. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0077] In the following detailed description, features or components of various embodiments that are identical or at least functionally identical to corresponding features or components of another embodiment are provided with the same reference numeral or a reference numeral with the same last two digits of the reference numeral of the corresponding identical or at least functionally identical feature or component. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, features or components that have already been described based on the previous embodiments will not be described in detail any more thereafter.

[0078] Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments described below represent only a limited selection of possible variations of embodiments of the present invention, and in particular, the characteristics of independent embodiments can be combined as appropriate so that a large number of different embodiments can be considered to be clearly disclosed for those skilled in the art together with the embodiments explicitly described herein.

[0079] Spatial terms such as "front" and "rear," "top" and "bottom," "left" and "right," etc., are used to describe the relationship of one element to another, or to describe other elements as shown in the figures. Thus, the spatial terms may apply in a direction other than that shown in the figures. However, it should be understood that all such spatial terms refer to the directions shown in the figures for convenience of description and are not necessarily limited, since the devices, components, etc. shown in each case will assume, during use, an orientation that may differ from that shown in the figures.

[0080] 1 is a schematic diagram of an automated placement mechanism 100 for mounting an assembly carrier or circuit board 190 carrying an electronic assembly 192. The automated placement mechanism 100 includes a frame 101. Two stationary carrier rails 105a are attached to the frame mechanism 101 and each extend along the Y direction. The two carrier rails 105a are part of a positioning system 105 and are referred to herein as fixed components 105a.

[0081] The movable carrier arm 105b is attached to the two fixed parts 105a and extends along the X direction. In the context of the technology described herein, the movable carrier arm is referred to as the movable part 105b. The movable carrier arm 105b can move along the Y direction and is driven by a drive motor (not shown) in a linear motor manner. The corresponding direction of movement is indicated with a double arrow "Y".

[0082] The mounting part 105c is attached to the movable part 105b and may be, for example, a carriage held in a linear guide (not shown) of the movable part 105b and moved along the X direction by an additional linear motor (not shown). The corresponding direction of movement is indicated with a double arrow "X". The installation head 120 is attached to the mounting part 105c in a known manner.

[0083] The two fixed parts 105a, the movable part 105b and the mounting part 105c together with linear motors and linear guides (not shown in FIG. 1) represent a positioning system 105 that allows the installation head 120 to move or position in the XY plane.

[0084] The placement of the assembly part carriers 190 is carried out in the placement area 102 of the automatic placement mechanism 100. Before placement, the assembly part carriers 190 to be loaded are transported to the placement area 102 by a transport device 103, for example a belt conveyor. After the assembly parts 192 have been at least partially loaded, the assembly part carriers 190 are transported by the transport device 103. The corresponding transport directions are respectively indicated by arrows T in FIG. 1 .

[0085] As already mentioned above, the installation head 120 is attached to the mounting part 105c. By appropriately controlling linear motors (not shown), the installation head 120 can be moved between the assembly part pickup position 104a of the assembly part supply system 104 and the installation area 102. A data processing device 106, which controls the installation process, is communicatively connected to the various linear motors and the installation head 120 via data lines (not shown). During the installation process, the installation head 120 moves to the assembly part pickup position 104a, where an assembly part 192 is picked up. The installation head 120 then moves, together with the picked-up assembly part 192, to the installation area 102, where the assembly part 192 is placed on a supplied assembly part carrier 190. The "empty" installation head 120 then moves to the supply system 104, where the assembly part 192 is again picked up.

[0086] According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the installation head 120 is a so-called double turret head and includes a chassis 120a and two annular ring carriers, a first annular ring carrier 121 and a second annular ring carrier 122. The two rotor assemblies are arranged concentrically with each other and are rotatable about a rotation axis (not shown). A plurality of assembly-part holding devices 123 are attached to both annular ring carriers 121 and 122, from which electronic assemblies 192 can be picked up or held. The assembly-part holding devices 123 may be moved along their longitudinal axes, i.e., perpendicular to the plane of the paper, by linear drives (not shown). As a result, in known manner, the entire installation head 120 does not need to move vertically, i.e., perpendicular to the plane of the paper, whether picking up an assembly 192 or placing it on the assembly carrier 190. For further details about the mechanical structure of the installation head, please refer to German Patent No. 102020116385.

[0087] The held subassemblies 192 located on the lower end faces of each subassembly holding device 123 are not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity.

[0088] The installation head 120 also has a camera system 125 including two cameras 130 according to the exemplary embodiment shown herein. One of the two cameras 130 is assigned to the first annular ring carrier 121 and is used to measure the assembly 192 held by the assembly holding device 123 of the first annular ring carrier 121. The other of the two cameras 130 is assigned to the second annular ring carrier 122 and is used to measure the assembly 192 held by the assembly holding device 123 of the second annular ring carrier 122. When measuring the assembly, for example, the precise angular position of the loaded or held assembly 192 can be measured. Furthermore, the precise position of the loaded or held assembly 192 (with respect to each assembly holding device 123) can also be determined. When the appropriate assembly 192 is installed, any angular position error can be compensated for in a known manner by (i) appropriate rotation of the assembly holding device 123 and (ii) appropriate positioning of the entire installation head 120, and by compensating for the positional error of the assembly 192 in a known manner, the assembly 192 can be installed on the assembly carrier 190 in exactly the intended installation position and in the correct angular position.

[0089] 2 is a perspective view of a camera system 125 including two cameras 130 for optically detecting an assembly part 192, each of which is positioned in a target plane 230a of the camera 130. The two cameras 130 have a common carrier mechanism 226 and are positioned at a fixed spatial distance from each other. Although not shown in the embodiment, the distance between the two cameras 130 is variable.

[0090] The two cameras 130 are identically constructed, at least with respect to essential optical properties, so that when we refer to one "camera" below, we also mean the other camera 130.

[0091] Camera 130 includes an illumination device 240 that illuminates assembly 192 from below. As will be described in more detail below, this illumination is provided with various illumination mechanisms, each at a different illumination angle: (i) a first illumination beam is incident on assembly 192 normally, (ii) a second incident illumination beam is incident on assembly 192 at a steep oblique angle, and (iii) a third incident illumination beam is incident on assembly 192 at a shallow oblique angle. The first illumination beam, which is incident at a normal incidence, and the second illumination beam, which is incident at a steep oblique angle, reach the assembly by propagating through a beam splitter.

[0092] The camera 130 also has a camera sensor 285 for capturing an image of the assembly 192 illuminated by the illumination device 240. The corresponding measurement light, which is essentially illumination light backscattered by the assembly 192, reaches the camera sensor 285 by reflecting in or on a beam splitter. Camera optics 286, optically connected upstream of the camera sensor 285, ensures a proper optical image of the assembly 192 on the camera sensor 285. According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the camera optics 286, which is a multiple-lens system comprising multiple lenses, is configured so that the distance between the beam splitter and the camera sensor 285 is as small as possible. The camera 130, and thus the entire camera system 125, can be implemented along the optical axis of the camera sensor 285 in a spatially compact design.

[0093] A transparent cover plate 227 covers the entire optical system of the two cameras 130 from above, ensuring that dust and debris do not adversely affect the illumination of the assembly 192 or the image of the assembly 192 on the camera sensor 285.

[0094] 3 shows a cross-sectional view of two illumination devices 240 of two cameras 130. One of the two illumination devices 240 is assigned to one of the two cameras 130, and the other of the two illumination devices is assigned to the other of the two cameras 130.

[0095] Like the two cameras 130, the two illumination devices 240 are also identically configured, at least with respect to essential optical properties. Therefore, when we refer to an "illumination device" below, we also mean the other illumination device 240.

[0096] The illumination device 240 comprises a first illumination arrangement 350 comprising a plurality of first light sources 351 for illuminating the associated assembly 192 with first illumination light 352 at a first illumination angle, which according to the exemplary embodiment shown herein is a vertical illumination angle. This means that in FIG. 3 , the first illumination light 352 strikes the assembly 192 vertically from below. The illumination device 240 further comprises a second illumination arrangement 360 comprising a plurality of second light sources 361 for illuminating the assembly 192 with second illumination light 362 at a second illumination angle. The second illumination angle is a steep angle with respect to the flat underside of the assembly 192, e.g., 30 degrees with respect to the normal to the lower surface of the assembly 192. The second illumination angle preferably comprises a relatively wide angular spectrum or distribution, e.g., 10 degrees, 20 degrees, or even 30 degrees, around a central second illumination angle.

[0097] According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, all of the first light sources 351 and all of the second light sources 361 are light emitting diodes, which are mounted on and electrically connected to a common circuit board 364, which carries the first light emitting diodes 351 of the first illumination mechanism 350 as well as the second light emitting diodes 361 of the second illumination mechanism 360.

[0098] The illumination device 240 includes an optical lens array 354 having a plurality of independent lenses 355 for collimating both a first illumination light 352 and a second illumination light 362. Each independent lens 355 is assigned to exactly one first light source 351, and each independent lens 355 is assigned to at least two second light sources 361. The first light source 351 and the second light sources 361 are mounted on a common circuit board 364 and are all located in a common focal plane 364a of the optical lens array 354.

[0099] According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, in addition to the single primary light source 351, exactly eight secondary light sources 361 are each assigned to an independent lens 355, as will be explained below with reference to Figure 4 and in particular Figure 5. The eight secondary light sources 361 are arranged around one primary light source 351. Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the lens array 354 (for each illumination device 240) has exactly four independent lenses 355 in a square arrangement, although for clarity only a maximum of two independent lenses 355 are shown in the figures.

[0100] With respect to the optical axis 355a of each independent lens 355, the first light source 351 is at least approximately located on this optical axis 355a. The second light sources 361 are arranged around the first light source 351, as already mentioned above. The independent lenses 355 are constructed and arranged relative to the light sources 351, 361 assigned to the first illumination light 352 and the second illumination light 362, such that both the first illumination light 352 and the second illumination light 362 are collimated.

[0101] Due to the positioning of the first light source 351 on the optical axis 355a, the entire beam of the first illumination light 352 is symmetrical about the optical axis 355a. A selected illumination beam of the first illumination light 352 is shown in the illumination device 240 shown on the left in Fig. 3. During the movement, the first illumination light 352 penetrates the beam splitter cube 365 as already mentioned above in the description of Fig. 2 and hits the underside of the assembly 192, which is located in the object plane 230, exactly from below.

[0102] The first illumination light 352 scattered by assembly 192 obviously enters beam splitter cube 365, not shown, and after a 90 degree reflection through beam splitter cube 365 strikes camera sensor 285, which is shown schematically in FIG. 3.

[0103] Due to the offset arrangement of the secondary light sources 361 with respect to the optical axis, the rays of the secondary illumination light 362 for each secondary light source 361 are oblique rays. Selected illumination beams of the secondary illumination light 362 from two different secondary light sources 361 are shown in the illumination device 240 shown on the right of FIG. 3 . In this context, it can be seen that in particular some of the oblique rays strike the inner sidewalls of the beam splitter cube 365. According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, to minimize losses of the secondary illumination light sources 362 and thus ensure the brightest and most homogeneous illumination of the assembly 192, the optical system comprises the secondary light sources 361, the optical lens array 354, and the beam splitter cube 365, which is configured for total internal reflection at two opposing inner sidewalls, a (first) inner sidewall 365 a and a second inner sidewall 365 b, for the oblique rays of the secondary illumination light 362. The inner sidewall 365a facing the camera sensor 285 reflects the second illumination light 362 due to the very flat angle of incidence. At the same time, after reflection within the beam splitter cube 365, the measurement light strikes the inner sidewall 365a at a very steep angle, penetrates the associated sidewall of the beam splitter cube 365, and strikes the camera sensor 285.

[0104] Correspondingly, the second illumination light 362 impinging on the additional inner sidewall 365b is also totally internally reflected. At the same time, part of the light emitted by the second light source 361 and reflected by the beam splitter cube 365 penetrates the additional inner sidewall 365b and impinges on the light absorber 342 arranged between the two illumination devices 240. The light absorber 342 then ensures that the second light source can no longer impinge on the camera sensor 285.

[0105] The illumination device 240 also includes a third illumination mechanism 370. The third illumination mechanism 370 includes a plurality of third light sources 371 for illuminating the assembly 192 with third illumination light 372 at a third illumination angle that is significantly flatter than both the first and second illumination angles. The rays of the third illumination light 372 are shown in the illumination device 240 on the left side of FIG. 3 . According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, all of the third light sources 371 (from both of the plurality of illumination devices 240) are located on an additional common circuit board 376. This additional common circuit board 376, like the common circuit board 364 for the first light source 351 and the second light source 361, also facilitates assembly of the described camera system 125 and contributes to high optical imaging quality, which can be combined with high spatial placement accuracy of the various light sources 351, 361, 371, which are designed as light-emitting diodes.

[0106] The third illumination mechanism 370 further includes an optical collimation arrangement for collimating the third illumination light 372. Details of the third illumination mechanism 370 are described below with respect to FIG.

[0107] Figure 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the illumination device 240 for one of the two cameras 130. For clarity, Figure 4 is a partial representation, with the selected portion being precisely selected between the two independent lenses 355 and parallel to the optical axis (not shown) of all the independent lenses 355.

[0108] The primary light sources 351 and secondary light sources 361 are disposed on a common circuit board 364 shown below. Only two of the primary light sources 351 are shown in Figure 4. Even the secondary light sources 361 that surround the primary light source 351 are not all visible in the perspective view of Figure 4.

[0109] At the periphery of lens array 354 is a mirror arrangement 456, also referred to herein as a mirror shaft. Mirror shaft 456 also surrounds the gap extending along the optical axis of independent lens 355 between primary light source 351 and secondary light source 361 on one side and the lower surface of beam splitter cube 365 on the other side. Mirror shaft 456 ensures that as little illumination as possible, especially secondary illumination light 362 from secondary light source 361, is lost laterally.

[0110] Above the lens array 354 is the beamsplitter cube 365, which has been described in detail above. For clarity, the camera sensor 285, located to the right of the beamsplitter cube 365, is not shown in FIG. 4. The rear portion of the beamsplitter cube 365, shown in FIG. 4, has a reflective sidewall 365c on its rear, which also contributes to reducing losses, particularly for the second illumination light 362. The front portion of the beamsplitter cube 365, not shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, also has a reflective sidewall on its front, which also helps to reduce losses for the (second) illumination light 362. The reflective sidewalls can also be used to mount the beamsplitter cube 365, for example, directly or indirectly to the common carrier mechanism 226. For this purpose, for example, an adhesive may be used that is attached to the outer wall of at least one of the two reflective sidewalls and mechanically connects the beamsplitter cube 365 to a suitable holding structure (not shown in detail).

[0111] 4, between the apex of beamsplitter cube 365 and the underside of cover plate 227 (along the optical axis of independent lens 355) there is an additional gap surrounded by additional mirror boundary 475, referred to herein as additional mirror shaft. Additional mirror shaft 475 also serves to avoid or at least reduce unwanted lateral losses of first illumination light 652 and especially second illumination light 362.

[0112] However, as can be seen in Figure 4, the mirrored boundary 475 does not extend directly below the cover plate 227. Rather, the optical collimation arrangement 474 is provided above the mirrored boundary 475 and is spaced slightly from the underside of the cover plate 227. The optical collimation arrangement 474 allows the third illumination light 372 (shown in Figure 3) generated by the third illumination arrangement 370, or more precisely by the third light source 371 of the third illumination arrangement 370, to be injected into the additional gap at a very flat angle or at this flat angle and to strike the assembly 192 from below and laterally (not shown in Figure 5) with an appropriate angular distribution. The third light source 371 is also preferably a light-emitting diode.

[0113] According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the third light source 371 is (i) mounted on (and in contact with) the additional common circuit board 376 so as to surround the mirrored boundary 475. As can be seen in Figure 4, the mirrored boundary 475 is located in a suitable recess in the additional common circuit board 376.

[0114] The number of tertiary light sources 371 may vary depending on the specific embodiment. The tertiary illumination arrangement 370 should have at least two tertiary light sources 371, arranged on two opposing sides of the mirrored boundary 475. However, preferably there is at least one tertiary light source 371 on each of the four sides of the mirrored boundary 475 shown in Figure 4. More preferably, multiple tertiary light sources 371 are arranged on each side of the mirrored boundary 475, consecutively and at a short distance from each other.

[0115] According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the optical collimation arrangement 474 includes a plurality of optical components designed to ensure that the third illumination light 372 strikes the corresponding assembly 192 as uniformly as possible, i.e., with a spatially constant intensity. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the optical collimation arrangement 474 includes a refractive optical component 474a and a reflective optical component 474b. In the embodiment described herein, the third light source 371 is positioned along four sides of the mirror boundary 475, each spaced a short distance apart. According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the refractive optical component is a cylinder lens 474a, and the reflective optical component is a simple curved concave mirror 474b, which may also be referred to as a "cylinder mirror." The reflective optical component 474b ensures that as much of the third illumination light 372 emitted by the third light source 371 as possible is directed onto the refractive optical component 474a. In other words, the loss of illumination light is also reduced by the reflective optical component 474b.

[0116] 4, according to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the additional mirror shaft 475, at least the refractive optical element 474a and preferably also the reflective optical element 474b are formed integrally as a so-called hybrid optical system. Such an integrated design facilitates the assembly of the illumination device 240 and thus the entire camera 130. Meanwhile, the optical elements 474a, 474b of the optical collimation arrangement 474 can be manufactured together with the additional mirror shaft 475 with high spatial precision and therefore high optical accuracy.

[0117] As mentioned above, the third illumination light 372 should strike the assembly 192 at a very flat angle (not shown in FIG. 4). However, this also means that the third illumination light 372 must pass through the cover plate 227 at a shallow angle, which is usually necessary to prevent dust from entering the interior of the camera 130. To avoid unwanted total internal reflection under these circumstances, at least the underside of the cover plate 227 is provided with a suitable anti-reflection coating. Furthermore, to avoid unwanted electrostatic charging of the cover plate 227, a so-called ESD coating ("electrostatic discharge" coating) is provided.

[0118] According to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, both the independent lens 355 and the optical components of the optical collimation arrangement 474 are so-called freeform optics. This means that the (refractive) surfaces of the independent lens 355 are aspheric. Furthermore, the refractive surface of the refractive optical component 474a and the reflective surface of the reflective optical component 474b deviate from a purely cylindrical shape. The aperture areas of all freeform optics are three-dimensionally designed so that each of them contributes to a homogeneous illumination of the assembly 192 with a spatially constant light intensity. However, it should be noted that in other embodiments, freeform optics are not used or are used only for one or two illumination features 350, 360, 370.

[0119] FIG. 5 shows light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on a common circuit board 364, representing the first and second light sources 351 and 361, respectively. The LEDs 351 and 361 are so-called high-power LEDs and are electrically connected directly to the common circuit board 364 from below via contact pads (not shown). Contact is made to the vertices of the LEDs 351 and 361 via a first bond wire 551a or a second bond wire 561a. The ends of the bond wires 551a and 561a are electrically connected to vertex contacts (not shown in FIG. 5) on the common circuit board 364 in a known manner. A certain amount of space on the circuit board 364 is required for these connections between the bond wires 551a and 561a and the circuit board 364. To create this space, according to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the individual LEDs 351 and 361 are slightly offset from the ideal lattice points of the two-dimensional structural lattice. The primary light sources or light emitting diodes 351 are preferably precisely positioned at (optical) grid positions defined by or precisely aligned with the optical axis of each individual lens. The space required for bonding between the individual light emitting diodes 351, 361 is then created by moving at least some of the secondary light sources or light emitting diodes 361. Although this deteriorates the optical image for (only) the secondary illumination light 352, said deterioration can be compensated for or even overcompensated by using particularly bright or high-intensity light emitting diodes for the primary light source 351 and / or secondary light source 361, which, at least currently, are only available as light emitting diodes that need to be electrically contacted using bond wires.

[0120] It should be noted that the term "comprises" does not exclude other elements and the word "one or" does not exclude a plurality. Elements described in connection with various illustrated embodiments may also be combined. It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 100 Automatic installation mechanism 101 Frame mechanism 102 Installation area 103 Transport Device 104 Assembly parts supply system 104a Assembly part pick-up position 105 Positioning System 105a Mounting bracket / Fixed carrier rail 105b Moving parts / moving carrier arms 105c Mounting parts 106 Data processing devices / operating devices 120 installation head 120a chassis 121 First annular ring carrier 122 Second annular ring carrier 123 Assembly part holding device 125 camera system 130 Camera 190 Assembly Parts Carrier 192 Electronic Assemblies / Objects T Transport direction 226 Career Organization 227 Cover Plate 230a Target surface 240 Irradiation Device 285 Camera Sensor 86 Camera Optical System 342 Light absorber 350 First irradiation mechanism 351 First light source 352 First irradiation light 354 Lens Array 355 Independent Lens 355a optical axis 360 Second irradiation mechanism 361 Second light source 362 Second irradiation light 364 Common Circuit Board 364a common focal plane 365 Beamsplitter Cube 365a (First) inner sidewall (for total reflection) 365b Additional inner sidewall (for total internal reflection) 370 Third irradiation mechanism 371 Third light source 372 Third irradiation light 376 Additional Common Platform 456 Mirror Boundary / Mirror Shaft 465c reflective sidewall 474 Optical Collimation Arrangement 474a Refractive Optical Components / (Freeform) Cylinder Lenses 474b Reflective Optical Components / Single Curved (Freeform) Concave Mirrors 475 Additional mirror boundary / additional mirror shaft 551a First bond wire 561a Second bond wire

Claims

1. A camera (130) for optically detecting an object (192), comprising: an illumination device (240) for illuminating the object (192) located in the object plane (230a) of the camera (130); a camera sensor (285) for capturing an image of the object illuminated by the illumination device (240); A cover plate (227) that covers the entire camera (130) from above; Equipped with The illumination device (240) a first illumination mechanism (350) having a plurality of first light sources (351) for irradiating the object (192) with first illumination light (352) at a first illumination angle; a second illumination mechanism (360) having a plurality of second illumination light sources (361) for illuminating the object (192) with second illumination light (362) at a second illumination angle different from the first illumination angle; an optical lens array (354) having a plurality of individual lenses (355) for collimating the first illumination light (352) and the second illumination light (362); a third illumination mechanism (370) having a plurality of third light sources (371) for irradiating the target (192) with third illumination light (372) at a third illumination angle that is flatter than both the first illumination angle and the second illumination angle; and Each of the independent lenses (355) is assigned to at least one of the first light sources (351); Each of the independent lenses (355) is assigned to at least two of the second light sources (361); The third light source (371) is disposed on a circuit board (376) located at least between the cover plate (227) and the optical lens array (354). Camera (130).

2. 2. The camera (130) of claim 1, wherein, with respect to the optical axis of each of the independent lenses (355), at least one of the assigned first light sources (351) is positioned closer to the optical axis than at least two of the assigned second light sources (361).

3. 2. The camera (130) of claim 1, wherein each said independent lens (355) is assigned to exactly one said first light source (351).

4. 10. The camera of claim 1, wherein at least one of the separate lenses is an aspheric lens.

5. 2. The camera (130) of claim 1, wherein the first light source (351) and the second light source (361) are disposed in a common focal plane (364a) of all the independent lenses (355).

6. 10. The camera (130) of claim 1, wherein the first light source (351) and the second light source (361) are disposed on and electrically connected to a common circuit board (364).

7. 7. The camera (130) of claim 6, wherein the lens array (354) is directly or indirectly attached to the common circuit board (364).

8. the first light sources (351) are each disposed at a grid point of a two-dimensional structured grid, the second light sources (361) are each disposed at least approximately at an additional grid point of the two-dimensional structured grid, and the first light sources (351) and the second light sources (361) are disposed on a common plane (364a); the grid point of the first light source is a central grid point on the optical axis of the independent lens (355) assigned to the associated first light source (351); The plurality of additional lattice points of the second light source (361) are adjacent lattice points, the structured grid has a predetermined number of neighboring grid points for each central grid point; the adjacent lattice points are arranged symmetrically with respect to each other around the central lattice point; The camera (130) of claim 1.

9. the actual positions of at least some of the secondary light sources (361) are spatially offset with respect to each of the additional grid points; The camera (130) of claim 8.

10. The illumination device (240) the lens array (354) and / or a mirrored boundary (456) at least partially laterally enclosing an intermediate space between (i) the first light source (351) and the second light source (361) and (ii) the lens array (354); The camera (130) of claim 1.

11. The first illumination angle has an angle of 0 degrees. and / or the second irradiation angle is in the range of 20 degrees to 40 degrees; The camera (130) of claim 1.

12. (i) within an optical illumination path of the first illumination light (352) between the lens array (354) and the object surface (230a); and (ii) a beam splitter (365) disposed in the optical measurement path of the measurement light between the object surface (230a) and the camera sensor (285), the beam splitter (365) generating measurement light by scattering the first illumination light (352) and / or the second illumination light (362) at the object (192). The camera (130) of claim 1.

13. the beam splitter is a beam splitter cube configured such that the lens array (354) is arranged relative to two illumination mechanisms (350, 360) such that a portion of the second illumination light (362) undergoes total internal reflection at an inner sidewall (365 a) of the beam splitter cube (365); The inner sidewall (365a) that is totally reflective faces the camera sensor (285). The camera (130) of claim 12.

14. an additional portion of the second illumination light (362) undergoes total internal reflection on an additional inner sidewall (365b) of the beam splitter cube (365), the additional inner sidewall (465b) facing away from the camera sensor (285); The camera (130) of claim 13.

15. The beam splitter cube (365) has at least one reflective sidewall (365c) that reflects outside the beam splitter cube (365). The camera (130) of claim 13.

16. The illumination device (240) an optical collimation arrangement (474) for collimating the third illumination light (372); The camera (130) of claim 12.

17. the object surface (230a) is spatially spaced from the beam splitter (365) along a region of the illumination path of the beam splitter (365); the optical collimation arrangement (474) is arranged around an installation space such that the object surface (230a) and the beam splitter (365) are spaced apart; The installation space is located between the cover plate (227) and the beam splitter (365). The camera (130) of claim 16.

18. A camera system (125) having two cameras (130) according to claim 1, wherein the two cameras (130) are a first camera (130) and a second camera (130), the first and second cameras (130) being mounted to one another in a spatially fixed manner on a common carrier mechanism (226); Camera system (125).

19. 20. The camera system (125) of claim 18, further comprising a light absorber (342) disposed between the first camera (130) and the second camera (130).

20. The first light source (351) and the second light source (361) of the first camera (130) and the first light source (351) and the second light source (361) of the second camera (130) are arranged on a common focal plane (364a).

20. The camera system of claim 19.

21. A placement head (120) for mounting an assembly carrier (190), comprising: a chassis (120a); at least one assembly holding device (123) attached to said chassis (120a) for temporarily picking up an electronic assembly (192); a camera (130) according to claim 1 attached to the chassis (120a) or a camera system (125) according to claim 18 attached to the chassis (120a); A placement head (120) comprising:

22. an automated placement mechanism (100) for placing the electronic assembly (192) on the assembly carrier (190), comprising: A frame mechanism (101); a transport device (103) attached to the frame mechanism (101) for feeding the assembly carrier (190) to be mounted in the installation area (102) and for removing the assembly carrier (190) at least partially mounted from the installation area (102); a positioning system (105) having at least one fixed part (105a) fixedly attached to the frame mechanism (101) and having a movable part (105b) that can be positioned relative to the fixed part (105a); an installation head (120) attached to the movable part (105b) and configured to pick up the assembly (192) and to install the assembly (192) on the assembly carrier (190) after properly aligning the movable part (105b); Equipped with Each of the subassemblies (192) is mounted on the subassembly carrier (190) at a predetermined installation position; Automatic installation mechanism (100).

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