Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically inspecting and repairing printed circuit boards includes an inspection functionality automatically inspecting printed circuit boards and providing a machine readable indication of regions thereon requiring repair. An automatic repair functionality employs the machine readable indication to repair the printed circuit boards at some of the regions thereon requiring repair. An automatic repair reformulation functionality automatically reinspects the printed circuit boards following an initial automatic repair operation, and provides to the automatic repair functionality a reformulated machine readable indication of regions thereon requiring repair.

Abstract: An image of an article to be inspected is divided into image portions, and a search engine makes a comparison with the image portion and a library of reference images. The reference images have predetermined labels that indicate whether each indicates a defect or no defect. The one of the reference images that most closely matches the image portion is determined, and the label associated with the reference image is taken as indicating whether the image portion corresponds to a location with a defect or no defect. Locations indicated as being defective are considered candidate defects and may subsequently be inspected in more detail.

Abstract: A method for inspecting an electrical circuit including optically inspecting at least a portion of an electrical circuit by detecting light reflected therefrom in a first image during a first time interval, optically inspecting light emitted from at least a portion of the electrical circuit by fluorescence in a second image acquired during a second time interval and indicating defects in the electrical circuit based on geometrically coincident indications from both the optically inspecting at least a portion of an electrical circuit by detecting light reflected therefrom and the optically inspecting light emitted from at least a portion of the electrical circuit by fluorescence.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for manufacture and inspection of flat articles, such as flat planel display substrates, that are manufactured in a contamination-sensitive environment. In particular, a manufacturing step such as applying coatings to the article is performed in a self-contained micro-environment, typically characterized by an airborn particulate concentration which is substantially lower than its surroundings. Automated inspection apparatus is provided inside the self-contained micro-environment of the fabrication equipment to inspect the article after completion of the fabrication step and before transfer of the article to other fabrication equipment. The inspection apparatus includes an illumination subsystem illuminating the article with various configurations of dark field and bright field illumination, a staring array sensor capturing images of the article under various illumination configurations and a computer that analyzes the images to automatically detect defects.

Abstract: An image of an article to be inspected is divided into image portions, and a search engine makes a comparison with the image portion and a library of reference images. The reference images have predetermined labels that indicate whether each indicates a defect or no defect. The one of the reference images that most closely matches the image portion is determined, and the label associated with the reference image is taken as indicating whether the image portion corresponds to a location with a defect or no defect. Locations indicated as being defective are considered candidate defects and may subsequently be inspected in more detail.

Abstract: A duplex printing system and a printing method which enables printing of the second side of substrate in any desired order is provided. The printing system includes a printing unit, a reader and a processing unit. In the first pass, the printing unit receives a digital representation of a first image and at least one machine readable code and prints the first image and the machine readable code on a first side of a printing substrate. In the second pass, the reader identifies the printed machine readable code, preferably a bar-code, and provides it to the processing unit. The processing unit provides the digital representation of a second image associated with the machine readable code to the printing unit for printing a second image on a second side of the printing substrate, preferably, but not necessarily, in an orientation which is generally similar to the orientation of the printed first image and in registration therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention is a protocol by which document handlers, document creators and output devices can communicate desired document attributes and available document handling capabilities to each other. If the available capabilities do not match the desired ones, the protocol provides the ability to change the desired capabilities so as to match what is available. The protocol also provides the ability to question a device as to its available capabilities. For output devices, the protocol enables a document handler to first provide a list of desired document handling capabilities to an output device and to receive information regarding whether or not the output device has the desired handling capabilities. Only once the document handling capabilities of the output device are acceptable may document data be sent.