Patent ID: 9494528
Filing Date: 2016-11-15
CPC Classification: G01N,G06K,G06T

Claim Text:
1. An inspection apparatus comprising: an imaging section configured to capture an image of an inspection target; an illumination section which has a plurality of light sources arranged in a substantially annular form, a light diffusion member for diffusing light emitted from the plurality of light sources, and a lighting control part for lighting the plurality of light sources to illuminate the inspection target from three or more illumination directions in accordance with a predetermined lighting pattern when designated to start lighting, and which moves independently of the imaging section to adjust a distance to the inspection target; a setting section configured to set a characteristic size which is a parameter showing a size of the surface shape of the inspection target; an inspection image generating section configured to a) synthesize a plurality of luminance images, acquired by the imaging section, by a photometric stereo method, b) obtain an inclination data which has an inclination component of the surface shape of the inspection target based on a normal vector data of the surface of the inspection target computed from the synthesized plurality of luminance images, and c) generate an inspection image having a plurality of pixel values in accordance with the inclination data of the surface of the inspection target based on the characteristic size set by the setting section; and a determination section configured to determine defectiveness/non-defectiveness of the inspection target by using the inspection image.