阅读说明：本技术 用于辅助印刷电路板的手动组装和测试的系统和方法 (System and method for assisting manual assembly and testing of printed circuit boards ) 是由 大卫·内森·阿林斯基·阿林斯基 于 2020-04-01 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了一种系统和方法,用于辅助印刷电路板(PCB)的手动组装,包括摄像头,其朝向设为捕获该PCB的局部或全部的摄像头图像；以及处理器,其被配置成根据摄像头图像,确定PCB的物理位置与PCB版图之间的对位；接收要在PCB的元件上执行的PCB任务工作清单；根据对位和工作清单,确定PCB上要执行任务所在的位置；响应性地生成叠加图像以可视地指示所述PCB上要执行所述任务所在的位置。(A system and method are provided for facilitating manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), including a camera oriented to capture a partial or full camera image of the PCB; and a processor configured to determine, from the camera image, an alignment between the physical location of the PCB and the PCB layout; receiving a PCB task work list to be performed on components of a PCB; determining the position of a task to be executed on the PCB according to the alignment and the working list; responsively generating an overlay image to visually indicate a location on the PCB where the task is to be performed.)

1. A system for assisting manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), comprising:

a camera oriented to capture a partial or full camera image of the PCB, an

A processor comprising a memory having instructions that when executed perform the steps of: determining the alignment between the physical position of the PCB and the PCB layout according to the camera image; receiving a PCB task manifest to be performed on elements of the PCB; determining the position of a task to be executed on the PCB according to the alignment and the working list; and responsively generating an overlay image to visually indicate a location on the PCB where the task is to be performed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the task to be performed is assembling components at a given location on the PCB.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a projector configured to receive the overlay image and to visually project the overlay image onto the PCB.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a magnified video display, and wherein the processor is further configured to generate a merged image of the overlay image and the camera image and present the merged image on the magnified video display.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera image of the merged image presented on the enlarged video display is a real-time enlarged image of an area of the PCB including a location where the task is to be performed.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera is located in an optical unit above the PCB, and wherein the magnified video display is located on top of the optical unit for viewing from above.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to identify components of the PCB in the camera image, to associate the identified components with components in the PCB worklist, to determine components not present on the PCB, and to responsively determine tasks to perform.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the task to be performed comprises mounting the component on the PCB.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the overlay image further comprises text related to the element.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the overlay image further comprises text of instructions to be executed related to the task.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is an embedded processor located in one or more of a base, a projector arm, or an optical unit of the system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera includes a zoom lens to provide a high resolution magnified image of a PCB area including a location on the PCB where the task is to be performed.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to record a completion time of the task and responsively determine statistical information of operator task execution.

14. A system for facilitating manual testing of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), comprising:

a camera oriented to capture a partial or full camera image of the PCB;

a processor comprising a memory having instructions that when executed perform the steps of: determining a corresponding relation between the camera image and the schematic diagram of the PCB; responsively receiving a location request identifying an exemplary location; responsively determining a physical location of the schematic location on the PCB; and responsively generating an overlay image to visually indicate the physical location on the PCB.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an interactive display unit, and wherein the processor is further configured to present a schematic of a logic circuit on the interactive display unit, the schematic location being selectable by the operator from the schematic of the logic circuit.

16. A computer-based method for assisting manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) having one or more processors and memory, the memory including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to implement the method, comprising:

capturing a partial or full camera image of the PCB by using a camera;

determining the alignment between the physical position of the PCB and the PCB layout according to the camera image;

receiving a PCB task manifest to be performed on elements of the PCB;

determining the position of a task to be executed on the PCB according to the alignment and the working list; and

responsively generating an overlay image to visually indicate a location on the PCB at which the task is to be performed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the overlay image is a highlighting pattern, and wherein indicating the location on the PCB where the task is to be performed comprises projecting the overlay image onto the PCB to highlight elements on the PCB.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system and method for developing, assembling and testing Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).

Background

Over the past few decades, electronic Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) have continued to shrink in size and are increasingly filled with tiny electronic components. Many electronic components have become so small that it is difficult to manually position them on a PCB for assembly or testing.

During manual PCB assembly and quality control, the operator is often required to position specific components on the board, which has been a time consuming task, reducing efficiency. Accordingly, there is an increasing need for tools and methods to simplify the process of component positioning on PCBs to enable fast and efficient debugging and assembly of modern PCBs.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for developing, assembling and testing Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) that addresses the need to handle small components and boards by indicating the location of any particular portion on the PCB. The indicated portion is determined by a computerized worklist or directly from the schematic of the circuit. The indication of the portion may be performed by projecting a "visible fence" (fence perimeter is rectangular, oval, circular, etc.) around the portion location.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide a system for assisting manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), the system comprising a camera oriented to capture a partial or full camera image of the PCB; and a processor (including a memory with execution instructions to configure processor actions). The processor may be configured to determine, from the camera image, an alignment between the physical location of the PCB and the PCB layout; receiving a PCB work list of tasks performed on components of the PCB; determining the position of a task to be executed on the PCB according to the alignment and the working list; and responsively generating an overlay image to visually indicate a location on the PCB where the task is to be performed.

In some embodiments, the task to be performed is to assemble the components at a given location on the PCB. The system may also include a projector configured to receive the overlay image and to visually project the overlay image onto the PCB. The system may also include a magnified video display, and the processor may be further configured to generate a merged image of the overlay image and the camera image and present the merged image on the magnified video display. The camera image of the merged image presented on the magnified video display is a real-time magnified image of an area of the PCB that includes a location where a task may be performed. In some embodiments, the camera may be located in an optical unit above the PCB, and the magnified video display may be located on top of the optical unit for viewing from above.

The processor may also be configured to identify components of the PCB in the camera image, to associate the identified components with components in a PCB worklist, to determine components that are not present on the PCB, and to responsively determine a task to be performed. The tasks to be performed may include mounting the components on a PCB.

The overlay image may also include text associated with the element, or text of an instruction to be executed associated with the task.

The processor may be an embedded processor located in one or more of the base, projector arm, or optical unit of the system.

The camera may include a zoom lens for providing a high resolution magnified image of an area of the PCB including where a task may be performed on the PCB.

In still other embodiments, the processor may be configured to record completion times of the tasks and responsively determine statistical information of operator performance.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a system for facilitating manual testing of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), the system comprising a camera oriented to capture a partial or full camera image of the PCB; and a memory having instructions that when executed comprise the steps of: determining a corresponding relation between the camera image and the schematic diagram of the PCB; responsively receiving a location request identifying a location of the schematic; responsively determining a physical location of the schematic location on the PCB; and responsively generating an overlay image to visually indicate the physical location on the PCB.

The system may include an interactive display unit, and the processor may be further configured to present a schematic of a logic circuit on the interactive display unit, from which schematic location the operator may select.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-based method for assisting manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), having one or more processors and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to implement the method of: capturing a partial or full camera image of the PCB by using a camera; determining the alignment between the physical position of the PCB and the PCB layout according to the camera image; receiving a PCB task manifest to be performed on elements of the PCB; determining the position of a task to be executed on the PCB according to the alignment and the working list; responsively generating an overlay image to visually indicate a location on the PCB at which the task is to be performed.

In some embodiments, the overlay image may be a highlighting pattern, and wherein indicating the location on the PCB where the task is to be performed comprises projecting the overlay image onto the PCB to highlight elements on the PCB.

Drawings

For a better understanding of various embodiments of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. The details of the present invention are set forth in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art how to implement the invention in its various forms in practice, when described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the figure:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for assisting manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a projected text message is shown;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing an indicated wiring path;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an optical unit of a system according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention showing a receiving memory cartridge;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a video display;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a system including a top mounted video display according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing an indication of PCB orientation;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an interactive system for a system for assisting manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 10 is a flow chart of a process for assisting manual assembly of a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for increasing the powerful efficiency of a data center. Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of brevity, not all features or components of an actual implementation are described. The embodiments and/or limitations characterized in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 for developing, assembling, and/or measuring PCBs in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system provides an operator assembling or testing a PCB with a visual indicator of the PCB component or area in which the operator is operating.

The system includes several basic components. The base 102 provides a surface on which a PCB 104 (e.g., a "device under test" or DUT) is placed. Above the base is an optical unit 106 that is mounted or otherwise secured to a projection arm 108. The optical unit includes a camera 110 and a projector 114. The camera 110 captures a digital image of the PCB 104 and/or the base 102 and provides a camera signal to the processor, which may include multiple images or a real-time video signal. The projector 114 receives an image or video signal (hereinafter referred to as a "projected image") and then projects it onto the PCB and/or the base. The camera and projector are in communication with one or more processors that process the camera signals and generate projected images, as described further below.

As shown, the projector may project an image containing a highlighting pattern 122 that highlights one or more elements on the display panel. The highlighting may provide a visual "fence" around the area where the work is to be performed, or may provide additional indications that the work is important. For example, the highlighting may be color coded according to the type of component to be mounted or tested, or may indicate a shape reflecting the type of component. Other types of projection images provided by system 100 are described below.

An operator working on a PCB, typically assembling or testing the PCB, will typically select the components or areas of the circuit board to work on. The processor then generates a suitable projected image that "illuminates" the highlighting pattern on the correct area of the PCB to assist the operator in locating the element or area. As described below, the operator may specify the elements or regions to be highlighted while performing the task of assembly and/or testing. Alternatively or additionally, the specification of the highlighted content may be preset by a stored assembly or test plan, depending on the components of the operator's specific job.

Also shown is an input/output (I/O) port 126 of the system, which may be, for example, a USB or Ethernet port, for receiving input and generating output, as described further below. These ports may be located in the optical unit as shown, or in the projector arm or base. Alternatively or additionally, the system may communicate with the outside through wireless means.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the highlighting pattern 122 and the text message 132 described above are projected. As shown, a highlighting pattern 122 is projected onto the PCB, while a text message 132 is projected onto the base, proximate to the highlighted element. The text may be oriented, for example, in a direction facing the operator. In still other embodiments, the operator may select whether to project text onto the board or the base.

The text message 132 is projected as part of the projected image generated by the processor described above. (in the example shown, the projected imagery includes a highlighted pattern 122 and a text message 132.) the text message in the given example shows the type of element to be mounted or tested at a given (highlighted) location, in this example "C1 ═ 10 μ F". In other words, the text indicates to the operator useful information about the element itself. In still other embodiments, the text message may be an instruction to an operator of the system, such as a step of assembling instructions and testing instructions. For example, the test instruction may be an indication of the type of test to be performed.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which indicated wiring or wiring paths are shown. As shown, on the PCB 140, a path for arranging a cable or a wire harness is indicated by a projected pattern 142.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an optical unit 106 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The optical unit includes a camera 110 and a projector 114. The camera may include a zoom lens 110 for providing a high resolution magnified image of the PCB area including the component locations on the PCB. The scaling may be controlled by the processor to enhance the resolution of the image at a given location. The projector field of view may also be modified to accommodate different resolutions. In some embodiments, the camera and/or projector further comprises an autofocus rangefinder. The camera resolution is typically configured to be sufficient to enable the processor to distinguish between components on the circuit board in order to determine whether a component has been mounted. The projector may employ any known projection technology, such as Digital Light Processing (DLP) or liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technology based on Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) semiconductor chips.

The system 100 generally includes an embedded processor that may be assembled with a control board 146 located in the optical unit. The processing functions are further described below in conjunction with the flow diagram of fig. 10. Also shown are I/O ports 126, described further below in connection with FIGS. 5 and 9

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of system 100 showing a receiving memory cartridge 150, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a memory cartridge may be inserted into one of the I/O ports 126 as shown in FIG. 4 above. Typically, the memory box provides assembly instructions and/or PCB layout and bill of material (BOM) data relating to a given PCB to be assembled or tested. The provided data may be used by the processor to determine the position of the panel to be highlighted and the text or instructions to be displayed to the operator.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 including an enlarged video display 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the projector 114 indicates the location of the circuit board on the PCB with a highlight indicating where the operator is performing the development, assembly or testing work. Additional text may also be projected on or near the PCB. In addition, the magnified video display 200 may receive from the processor a magnified image 202 of the area where the work is being performed. That is, the image 202 displayed on the magnifying glass video display 200 may be a real-time view of the highlighted location of the PCB captured by the camera 110, which is an image or portion of an image. The magnified video display 200 may be separate from the system 100 or may be mounted on a "base" or "side".

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 including a top mounted magnified video display 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The top mounted video display is configured as part of the optical unit 106 with its screen facing upwards so that the magnified image 302 is presented to the operator as image 202. As shown, when the top-mounted magnified video display is mounted, the projector arm 108 may be shorter (i.e., the optics unit may be positioned lower) because the operator will see the top-mounted video display and the PCB simultaneously. Additional features of the top mounted magnified video display 300 are: it may also display a text message 304 to the operator, such as the text message 132 described above that may be projected onto the PCB and/or the base. The features of the text display in combination with the magnified image of the highlighted PCB location may also be provided by the video display 200 described above. A top-mounted or non-top mounted magnified video display is used in conjunction with the system 100 and the projector may be optional. That is, the magnified image 302 may include an overlay image of a highlighted pattern that indicates the location of the components to be assembled or tested. If the projector is not used, the processor combines the overlay pattern with the camera image and transmits the combined image to the magnifying video display.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of system 100 showing an indicator PCB orientation 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The projector may be configured to indicate a location and orientation at which the PCB is placed. Alternatively or additionally, the processor may receive an image of the PCB and align the position of the PCB by finding fiducial points printed on the PCB or by identifying other features of the PCB, such as edges or component features. The processor aligns the physical location of the circuit board with a representative layout of the circuit board stored in a memory accessible to the processor.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an interactive system 600 for facilitating manual assembly and testing of PCBs, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 described above may be connected to an external computer system 602, which may be, for example, a mainframe computer, a personal desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and a smart phone. Some or all of the processing of the system may be performed by an embedded processor as described above or by an external computer system that may be connected to the system 100 in a wireless or wired manner as described above. In general, the system 600 is interactive such that the processor provides a view of a logic schematic 606, such as a PCB, on a workstation display 604. This enables the operator to select (i.e., "request") the components for testing or assembly, thereby making the selection using interactive devices such as a mouse 608 and a keyboard 610. The workstation display may also display, for example, a PCB layout or BOM in which the operator may interactively select the component to be manipulated. The workstation display may also display instructions or portions of information that the projector may project, as described above.

Fig. 10 is a flow diagram of a process 1000 for assisting manual assembly of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In step 1020, data regarding the PCB to be assembled or tested is provided to the processor. This data typically includes circuit board layout and a bill of materials indicating the components on the PCB and their position on the PCB relative to a reference point or other feature, such as an edge or corner of the board. The camera of the system 100 then captures a camera image of part or all of the PCB placed on the base of the system 100. This may be performed automatically by a camera providing a constant video stream so that the processor can identify the placement of the PCB. The processor then compares the camera image of the PCB to the stored layout by applying fiducials or edges or other known features of the PCB to generate a registration between the physical location of the PCB and the PCB layout so that the physical location of the component on the PCB relative to the base can be determined.

In step 1022, the processor may receive a PCB work list for tasks to be performed for the PCB. These may be device instructions such as the task of mounting components, routing cables, etc. Alternatively, they may be instructions of a set of tests to be performed on one or more elements. The processor may then associate the work list with a list of installed components determined by scanning the camera images to determine, for example, which tasks in the assembly work list have been completed (i.e., components have been installed) and which tasks still need to be complete. The processor may determine that the first assembly task on the work list that has not yet been completed is the task that is now to be performed. This task is associated with the location on the circuit board where the assembly is to be performed.

Alternatively, the processor may receive an indication from an operator on the interactive workstation described above that the element should be tested or operated (e.g., replaced). The indication may be made on an interactive display displaying a schematic diagram of the PCB. The processor may then determine the physical location of the component to be manipulated from the PCB layout based on the component indicated by the operator.

Once the physical location on the PCB is determined, the processor generates an overlay image to visually indicate the location on the PCB where the task is to be performed in step 1024. The superimposed image can then be projected onto the PCB, or it can be combined with the camera image and displayed on a magnifying glass video screen, or both.

In step 1028, the processor may also add additional features to the overlay image to project or display, to instruct and/or component details, such as component values (e.g., capacitor values).

In step 1030, the operator may indicate that the task is complete, for example, by checking instructions listed on the interactive display. When the operator's work is conducted as directed by the worklist, such as for an assembly project, the processor may then determine the next task to be performed and present it to the operator and continue iteratively, as indicated by arrow 1040. The processor may also analyze the new camera image to determine that the task is complete (e.g., the component is installed). The processor may also collect statistical data such as the speed of task execution by the operator. The processor may also maintain a completion log record for each PCB so that when a job is stopped, subsequent jobs can be started with knowledge of the completion. It may be noted that the system may also compare operator task performance over a period of hours, days, etc. for statistics of task performance rates.

If any movement of the PCB on the base has occurred, process 1000 iteratively continues to the first step of general process 1000, as indicated by arrow 1040, with the PCB realigned.

The system implementing the above method may be a plug-in or upgrade or retrofit for commercial products used for PCB design and testing, such as software programs for storing and processing component databases and CAD drawings.

The processing elements of the systems described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. These components can be implemented as a computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a non-transitory machine-readable storage device, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable data processing apparatus, a computer, or as distributed across multiple computers at one location or across multiple locations. Memory storage of software and data may include one or more storage units, including one or more types of storage media. Examples of storage media include, but are not limited to, magnetic media, optical media, and integrated circuits such as read only memory devices (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). The network interface module may control the transmission and reception of data packets over the network. Method steps associated with the systems and processes may be rearranged and/or one or more of such steps may be omitted to achieve the same or similar results as described herein.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove.