Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Mechanized store
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-14
2002-11-05
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Mechanized store
C209S522000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474553
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to manufacture of IC (integrated circuit) packages, and more particularly, to a chest of counting grids for efficiently indicating a count of IC packages within a partially filled IC package tray for a plurality of types of IC package trays.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
During manufacture of IC (integrated circuit) packages, the IC packages are carried by IC package trays having a plurality of pockets with each pocket carrying a respective IC package. Depending on the size of IC packages being manufactured, different types of IC package trays have different numbers of pockets for carrying different numbers of IC packages.
Referring to
FIG. 1
for example, a first IC package tray
102
has twelve pockets for carrying twelve IC packages. The twelve pockets are arranged in four rows including a first row
111
, a second row
112
, a third row
113
, and a fourth row
114
, and are arranged in three columns including a first column
121
, a second column
122
, and a third column
123
. The first IC package tray
102
has an orientation facet surface
124
for indicating the location of the first row
111
and the first column
121
on the first IC package tray
102
as the row and the column nearest the orientation facet surface
124
.
During use of the first IC package tray
102
, each pocket of the first IC package tray
102
carries one respective IC package. The IC packages are placed into the pockets of the first IC package tray
102
in a predetermined sequential order. For the example of the first IC package tray
102
of
FIG. 1
, this predetermined sequential order is to first fill the first row
111
starting from the first column
121
, then the second column
122
, and then the third column
123
within the first row
111
of pockets. After the first row
111
of pockets is filled, the second row
112
of pockets is filled with IC packages starting from the first column
121
, then the second column
122
, and then the third column
123
within the second row
112
of pockets. After the second row
112
of pockets is filled, the third row
113
of pockets is filled with IC packages starting from the first column
121
, then the second column
122
, and then the third column
123
within the third row
113
of pockets. After the third row
113
of pockets is filled, the fourth row
114
of pockets is filled with IC packages starting from the first column
121
, then the second column
122
, and then the third column
123
within the fourth row
114
of pockets.
Depending on the size of IC packages being manufactured, different types of IC package trays have different numbers of pockets for carrying different numbers of IC packages. Referring to
FIG. 2
, for example, a second IC package tray
202
has twenty-four pockets for carrying twenty-four IC packages. The twenty-four pockets are arranged in four rows including a first row
211
, a second row
212
, a third row
213
, and a fourth row
214
, and are arranged in six columns including a first column
221
, a second column
222
, a third column
223
, a fourth column
224
, a fifth column
225
, and a sixth column
226
. The second IC package tray
202
has an orientation facet surface
230
for indicating the location of the first row
211
and the first column
221
on the second IC package tray
202
as the row and the column nearest the orientation facet surface
230
. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the first IC package tray
102
and the second IC package tray
202
have the same predetermined number of rows of pockets (i.e., four rows of pockets) but different numbers of columns of pockets (i.e., three columns of pockets for the first IC package tray
102
and six columns of pockets for the second IC package tray
202
).
During use of the second IC package tray
202
, each pocket of the second IC package tray
202
carries one respective IC package. The IC packages are placed into the pockets of the second IC package tray
202
in a predetermined sequential order. For the example of the second IC package tray
202
of
FIG. 2
, this predetermined sequential order is to first fill the first row
211
starting from the first column
221
, then the second column
222
, then the third column
223
, then the fourth column
224
, then the fifth column
225
, and then the sixth column
226
within the first row
211
of pockets. After the first row
211
of pockets is filled, the second row
212
of pockets is filled with IC packages starting from the first column
221
, then the second column
222
, then the third column
223
, then the fourth column
224
, then the fifth column
225
, and then the sixth column
226
within the second row
212
of pockets.
After the second row
212
of pockets is filled, the third row
213
of pockets is filled with IC packages starting from the first column
221
, then the second column
222
, then the third column
223
, then the fourth column
224
, then the fifth column
225
, and then the sixth column
226
within the third row
213
of pockets. After the third row
213
of pockets is filled, the fourth row
214
of pockets is filled with IC packages starting from the first column
221
, then the second column
222
, then the third column
223
, then the fourth column
224
, then the fifth column
225
, and then the sixth column
226
within the fourth row
214
of pockets.
In
FIGS. 1 and 2
, each IC package is placed within a pocket of the first IC package tray
102
or the second IC package tray
202
with proper orientation as indicated by an orientation marking (a circular marking) in the upper left corner of the IC package, as illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. During manufacture of IC packages, an IC package tray may be only partially filled. For example, in
FIG. 1
, the first IC package tray
102
is filled only to the pocket at the first column
121
of the third row
113
. In
FIG. 2
, the second IC package tray
202
is filled only to the pocket at the second column
222
of the third row
213
.
In any case, the number of IC packages within each of the IC package trays
102
and
202
is determined during manufacture of the IC packages. In the prior art, an operator manually counts the number of IC packages within a partially filled IC package tray for different types of IC package trays for carrying different numbers of IC packages. Unfortunately, the manual counting of the IC packages is prone to human error from fatigue as an operator continually counts the number of IC packages within numerous IC package trays during a work shift. The operator in some cases may count the number of IC packages in an IC package tray twice to ensure accuracy in counting the number of IC packages. Such a manual counting process of the prior art is also time-consuming.
Thus, a mechanism is desired for efficiently indicating the count of IC packages within a partially filled IC package tray for a plurality of types of IC package trays.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in a general aspect of the present invention, a mechanism includes a chest of counting grids for indicating a count of IC (integrated circuit) packages for a plurality of types of IC (integrated circuit) package trays. In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of types of IC package trays has a same predetermined number of rows of pockets for carrying IC packages, and each of the plurality of types of IC package trays has a respective number of columns of pockets for carrying IC packages.
In one aspect of the present invention, each counting grid of a plurality of counting grids has respective counting labels corresponding to a respective type of IC package tray. Each of the respective counting labels are arranged to be over a respective pocket of the respective type of IC package tray corresponding to a counting grid when the counting grid is placed over the respective type of IC package tray with the predetermined number of rows of counting labels on the counting grid being aligned to the predetermined number of rows of pockets of the res
Gune Rahul V.
Pinlam Watcharin
Choi Monica H.
Lee Michael G.
Nguyen Kimberly
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