Patent ID: 7809180

Claim:
A component image generation method of generating an image of a component that is used for identifying a characteristic of the component to be mounted on a substrate, said method comprising: taking an image of the component in color; and converting the color image into a grayscale image in which an outline of the component or an outline of an electrode of the component is shown in grayscale, wherein in said taking of the color image, a first color image of the component is taken so as to have a background in a first monochrome color, wherein in said converting, the first color image is converted into the grayscale image in which the background is shown in black or white and an outline of the component is shown in grayscale, and wherein said component image generation method further comprises: judging whether or not a contrast between the component and background in the grayscale image satisfies a predetermined standard; taking a second color image of the component so as to have the background in a second monochrome color that is different from the first monochrome color, in the case where it is judged that the contrast does not satisfy the standard; and converting the second color image into a grayscale image in which the background is shown in black or white and the outline of the component is shown in grayscale.