Inspecting apparatus

Abstract

An inspection apparatus is provided with a holder configured to set an inspection target thereon, the inspection target configured to detect a contact position on the inspection target touched by a human finger; pseudo finger(s) configured to be detected as the human finger upon contact with the inspection target; a positioner configured to move the pseudo finger(s) relative to the inspection target and to change the contact position of the pseudo finger(s) relative to the inspection target; a memory configured to store, respectively, a value of a pressing force in a range of pressing forces said range including a zero pressing force for each of the pseudo finger(s) on the inspection target; a controller configured to regulate the pressing force for pseudo finger(s) of the pseudo finger(s) based on the respective value; and a sensor configured to acquire an electric signal output from the inspection target.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inspection apparatus comprising:
 a holder configured to set an inspection target thereon, the inspection target configured to detect a contact position on the inspection target touched by a human finger;   at least one pseudo finger configured to be detected as the human finger upon contact with the inspection target, the at least one pseudo finger being an elongated member;   a positioner configured to move the at least one pseudo fingers relative to the inspection target and to change the contact position of the at least one pseudo finger relative to the inspection target;   a memory configured to store a respective value of a pressing force in a range of pressing forces, said range including a zero pressing force value, for each of the at least one pseudo finger on the inspection target;   a controller configured to regulate the pressing force for at least one pseudo finger based on the one or more respective values; and   a sensor configured to acquire an electric signal output from the inspection target.   
     
     
         2 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a weight canceling part configured to apply, to the at least one pseudo finger, a canceling force to bring the at least one pseudo finger apart from the inspection target.   
     
     
         3 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein regulation of the pressing force by the controller is maintained during said changing of the contact position of the pseudo finger relative to the inspection target by the positioner. 
     
     
         4 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein slide friction of the pseudo finger on the inspection target is configured to be eliminated by said maintaining of the pressing force by the controller. 
     
     
         5 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a housing having a chamber for accommodating the at least one pseudo finger for a linear movement therein; and   a bearing-forming gas passage configured to receive a bearing-forming gas pressure for forming a hydrostatic gas bearing between the housing and the at least one pseudo finger.   
     
     
         6 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a thrust gas passage configured to receive a thrust-forming gas pressure to provide a thrust force biasing the at least one pseudo finger toward the inspection target; and   a canceling gas passage configured to receive a thrust-canceling gas pressure to provide a canceling force opposing the thrust force;   wherein the controller controls at least one of the thrust-forming gas pressure and the thrust-canceling gas pressure to regulate said pressing force.   
     
     
         7 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one pseudo finger further comprises:
 at least two pseudo fingers;   wherein the controller is configured to regulate pressing forces of each of said at least two pseudo fingers independently.   
     
     
         8 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said zero pressing force includes said pressing force less than a minimum pressing force necessary to actuate the inspection target. 
     
     
         9 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said zero pressing force includes a considerably weak pressing force greater than 0 gf. 
     
     
         10 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to regulate the pressing force to progressively increase from said zero pressing force to determine a lower actuation limit pressing force value based on the electrical signal output acquired by the sensor, wherein the lower actuation limit corresponds to the minimum pressing force necessary to trigger a detection of said contact position by the inspection target. 
     
     
         11 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to regulate the pressing force to progressively decrease from said lower actuation limit pressing force to determine a maximum de-actuation limit pressing force value based on the electrical signal output acquired by the sensor, wherein the maximum de-actuation limit corresponds to the maximum pressing force necessary to trigger a detection of a movement by the positioner away from the detected contact position. 
     
     
         12 . The inspecting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein regulation by the controller of said pressing force is differentially controlled by the pressure applied to thrust gas passage and the cancelling gas passage, respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The inspecting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the zero pressing force is realized by setting one of the pressure applied to the thrust gas passage and the cancelling gas passage, respectively, to a constant value and varying the other of said respective pressures. 
     
     
         14 . The inspecting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inspection target is at least one of pressure sensitive or capacitive. 
     
     
         15 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrostatic gas bearing is configured to eliminate the slide friction of said at least one pseudo finger in a linear direction. 
     
     
         16 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pseudo finger is journalled within a cylindrical bushing. 
     
     
         17 . The inspection apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the cylindrical bushing is porous.