Patents by Inventor Jon Chouinard

Jon Chouinard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5943125
    Abstract: An inspection system and method uses a ring illumination apparatus to illuminate one or more reflective elements, such as solder balls on an electronic component or other protruding surfaces or objects. The ring illumination apparatus includes a substantially ring-shaped light source that provides a substantially even illumination across the one or more reflective elements. An illumination detection device detects light beams reflecting off of the illuminated reflective elements for forming a reflected image. A method of processing the reflected image includes locating one or more edges of each reflected image element representing an illuminated reflective element. The edges of the reflected image elements are located by determining the maximum intensity gradient in the pixels forming the reflected image element. The inspection system and method thereby determines various characteristics such as the absence/presence, location, pitch, size and shape of each reflective element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Acuity Imaging, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Joseph King, Jonathan Edmund Ludlow, Jon Chouinard, George Schurr