Patent ID: 6272437
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: G01N,G07C

Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting the probable existence, location, and type of defects in a workpiece, comprising:a signal processor having a computer readable memory;a control subsystem; anda sensor subsystem, wherein:the sensor subsystem is configured to sense a first section of the workpiece and produce signals corresponding to at least one physical characteristic of the section of the workpiece and store the signals in the computer readable memory;the processor is configured to read the signals from the computer readable memory, to verify the signals, to generate defect types by comparing the signals to a rule set, and to generate a data model of the workpiece section;the control subsystem is configured to generate a workpiece section identifier to specifically identify a workpiece section being sensed and provide the workpiece section identifier to the processor; andthe processor is further configured to receive the signals for the first workpiece section to a first workpiece processing thread after receiving the associated workpiece section identifier, and to generate a second workpiece processing thread to receive signals from a second workpiece section, and wherein the signals in the first workpiece processing thread are processed to generate the data model of the first workpiece section prior to the processing of the signals in the second workpiece processing thread.