Automated Chip Card Inspection via Circuit Contour Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of chip cards with integrated electronic circuits often results in alignment and damage issues during manufacturing, leading to functional failures or short-lived functionality due to errors in the placement of the electronic circuit within the card body.
Innovation Solution
An inspection device comprising an illumination source, imaging camera, and processor is used to automate the verification of semi-finished chip cards by detecting the contour and size of the electronic circuit, determining connected pixels with low light intensity, and masking out areas outside the contour to ensure accurate detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If automated inspection is implemented to detect alignment and damage issues, then manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection device is divided into distinct functional modules: illumination source, imaging camera, and processor. Each module performs a specific function (lighting, image capture, image analysis), allowing the complex inspection task to be broken down into manageable segments that can be independently optimized and maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
An image camera is introduced as an intermediary between the physical chip card and the processor. The camera captures visual information and converts it into digital image data, serving as a mediator that bridges the physical inspection object and the computational analysis system, thereby enabling automated defect detection without direct mechanical contact.
2Manufacturing precision
If automated inspection is implemented to detect alignment and damage issues, then manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection process replaces manual visual inspection and mechanical measurement methods with an automated optical system. The illumination source, camera, and processor work together to automatically detect alignment issues and damage, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining high inspection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection device performs verification of alignment and potential damage before the chip card proceeds to subsequent production steps. By detecting issues early in the manufacturing process, the system prevents defective products from advancing, thereby reducing waste and rework time in later stages.
3Measurement precision
If contour detection and area analysis are performed to verify electronic circuit integrity, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but processing time and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The processor focuses analysis only on the electronic circuit region of interest within the chip card image, rather than analyzing the entire image. By concentrating computational resources on the specific area containing the electronic circuit, the system achieves high measurement precision for contour and area analysis while minimizing unnecessary processing of irrelevant regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system analyzes specific parameters such as contour shape, enclosed area, and pixel intensity distribution to verify electronic circuit integrity. By monitoring these key parameters rather than performing exhaustive analysis of all image features, the system achieves reliable defect detection with reduced computational overhead and faster processing times.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables efficient and automated verification of chip card semi-finished products, detecting potential damage and ensuring correct alignment and functionality, thereby preventing functional failures and improving the reliability of chip cards.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination source, which is designed to illuminate the semi-finished product with light of a predetermined wavelength
Implementation Method 2
an imaging camera, which is designed to capture an image of the illuminated semi-finished product with the electronic circuit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an inspection device (100) for verifying a semi-finished product (101) for manufacturing a chip card with an electronic circuit (104) comprising a light source (105) configured to illuminate the semi-finished product (101) with light of a predetermined wavelength, an image camera (107) configured to capture an image of the illuminated semi-finished product (101) with the electronic circuit (104), and a processor (109) configured to detect a contour of the electronic circuit (104) in the image and to verify the semi-finished product (101) on the basis of the detected contour of the electronic circuit (104).