Patent ID: 6948232

Claim:
A component recognizing method comprising: while transversely moving a plurality of component holding members relative to a recognition unit, with said plurality of component holding members holding a plurality of components such that surfaces of said plurality of components are at different levels, for the surface of a selected one of said plurality of components that does not correspond to a recognizable range of said recognition unit, (i) producing a velocity curve, for vertical movement of a corresponding one of said plurality of component holding members that is holding said selected one of said plurality of components, with parameters of (a) a target position in a height direction at a time when vertical movement of said corresponding one of said plurality of component holding members is to be controlled so as to position said surface of said selected one of said plurality of components within said recognizable range, (b) a maximum velocity of said corresponding one of said plurality of component holding members during vertical movement thereof to said target position, and (c) a maximum acceleration of said corresponding one of said plurality of component holding members during vertical movement thereof to said target position; and (ii) on a basis of said velocity curve, and in response to a starting instruction upon arrival of said corresponding one of said plurality of component holding members at a starting position due to said corresponding one of said plurality of component holding members moving transversely toward said recognition unit, automatically starting vertical movement of said corresponding one of said plurality of component holding members so as to adjust the level of said surface of said selected one of said plurality of components such that this surface is brought within said recognizable range, and (iii) when said surface of said selected one of said plurality of components comes within said recognizable range, using said recognition unit to recognize this surface.