Claims
- 1. A method of controlling a system, comprising:
creating or obtaining an image having; overlaying the image with a computer-generated graphic component having associated functionality; coordinating the scale of the image with that of the graphic components; and executing the functionality associated with the graphic component, the action of the graphic component being defined at least in part by its geometric characteristics, the action being performed on a portion of the image, or on an object corresponding to the image, corresponding to the portion overlaid by the graphic component.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the image on a display screen and in which overlaying the image with a computer-generated graphic component includes displaying a shape on the image.
- 3. The method of claim 1 in which overlaying the image with a computer-generated graphic component includes overlaying the image with a computer-generated graphic component comprising a one-dimensional or a two dimensional shape.
- 4. The method of claim 2 in further comprising altering the computer-generated graphic in accordance with the results of executing the functionality.
- 5. The method of claim 1 in which executing the functionality associated with the graphic component includes controlling the operation of a machine to perform an operation.
- 6. The method of claim 5 in which controlling the function of a machine includes imaging or altering a site using a charged particle beam or a laser beam.
- 7. The method of claim 5 in which executing the functionality associated with the graphic component includes milling a specimen.
- 8. The method of claim 1 in which executing the functionality associated with the graphic component includes locating a pattern in the image.
- 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
overlaying the image with a second computer-generated graphic component having associated functionality; and executing the functionality associated with the second graphic component to measure a dimension defined in part by the pattern located in the image.
- 10. The method of claim 1 in which executing the functionality associated with the graphic component includes measuring a feature on the image.
- 11. A computer readable media including instruction for carrying the steps of claim 1.
- 12. A method of performing operations on an image or on an imaged object, comprising:
obtaining an image; placing a first shape on the image, the first shape associated with executable pattern recognition computer instructions; executing the executable pattern recognition computer instructions to locate a first feature; repositioning the first shape in a location corresponding to the location of the first feature; placing a second shape on the image, the position of the second shape being determined by the location of the first shape and the second shape being associated with second executable pattern recognition computer instructions; executing the second shape to locate a second feature; placing a third shape on the image, the third shape specifying an operation the results of which are directly or indirectly dependent upon the positions of the first shape and the second shape.
- 13. The method of claim 12 in which placing a third shape on the image includes placing on the image a third shape that connects between the first shape and the second shape.
- 14. The method of claim 12 in which placing a third shape on the image includes placing on the image a third shape associated with computer instructions that measures a distance between the first shape and the second shape.
- 15. The method of claim 12 in which placing a third shape on the image includes placing on the image a third shape specifying an operation the results of which are indirectly dependent upon the positions of the first shape and the second shape through one or more intermediate shapes whose positions are ultimately dependent upon the position of the first and second shape.
- 16. The method of claim 12 further comprising placing on the image one or more additional shapes, the positions of the one or more additional shapes depending upon the positions of the first shape and the second shape, and in which the results of the operation of the third shape are dependent upon the positions of the one or more additional shapes.
- 17. The method of claim 12 in which the operation specified by the third shape comprises a micromachining operation.
- 18. The method of claim 12 in which the operation specified by the third shape comprises a measurement operation.
- 19. The method of claim 12 in which executing the second shape to locate a second feature includes locating an edge of a structure located by executing the first shape.
- 20. The method of claim 19 in which placing a second shape on the image includes placing a second shape including fixture points for positioning additional shapes on the image.
- 21. The method of claim 20 in which at least one of the additional shapes or the third shape includes associated computer instructions for determining distances or angles between features.
- 22. The method of claim 20 in which at least one of the additional shapes or the third shape includes associated computer instructions for determining distances or angles between features.
- 23. The method of claim 12 in which placing a first shape on an image and placing a second shape on the image comprise placing a composite shape on the image.
- 24. A computer readable media having instruction for carrying the method of claim 12.
- 25. A method of performing repetitive operations on an image or an object, comprising:
obtaining an image; providing a first shape having an associated pattern recognition operation that can be trained to recognize a feature; training the first shape to recognize a feature by positioning the first shape over the feature to be recognized; providing at least one additional shape that defines at least one point in relation to the feature and defines an operation having a scope related to the positions of the feature and the point; executing the pattern recognition operation associated with the first shape to locate occurrences of the feature in the image; and executing the operation associated with the at least one additional shape to define at least one point in relation to the feature and perform the operation at each located feature occurrence.
- 26. The method of claim 25 in which providing a least one additional shape that defines at least one point in relation to the feature and defines an operation having a scope related to the positions of the feature and the point includes providing shapes that specify points that define and measure dimensions of the features.
- 27. The method of claim 26 in which the measured dimensions are stored in a spreadsheet for analyses.
- 28. The method of claim 25 in which providing a least one additional shape that defines at least one point in relation to the feature and defines an operation having a scope related to the positions of the feature and the point includes providing shapes that specify points that define machining operations to later the features.
- 29. The method of claim 25 in which providing a first shape includes selecting a shape from a stencil.
- 30. The method of claim 29 further comprising combining the one or more additional shapes and storing the combination on a stencil for future use.
- 31. A method of controlling operations comprising associating geometrical and non-geometrical information with a graphical shape, the geometrical information specifying a region for an operation and the non-geometrical information specifying control parameters for the operation.
- 32. The method of claim 31 in which duplicating the shape also duplicates the non-geometrical information.
- 33. The method of claim 31 in which shapes can be combined to perform complex operations.
- 34. The method of claim 33 in which combined shapes can be saved as new shapes.
- 35. The method of claim 31 in which shapes can be organized onto pages to specify order or operation.
- 36. The method of claim 31 in which there exists parent child relationships between shapes, the parent child relationship influencing the order of operations.
- 37. The method of claim 31 in which the children shape can change as a result of an operation of the parent.
- 38. The method of claim 31 in which the parent shape locates a pattern and then the children shape adapt to the pattern located.
- 39. The method of claim 31 in which the results of previous sites are used to determine the operation at future sites.
- 40. Instructions on a computer readable media for implementing a software object, comprising:
a geometric software object having a shape having associated geometric properties and non-geometric properties, a display of the geometric software object being superimposed over an image; a software tool for performing an operation that accomplishes a physical transformation of a work piece or analyzes an image of a work piece, the software tool having behavior logic, the software tool altering the geometric shape in accordance with the results of the operation; and a software control controlling the logic of the software tool in accordance with the properties of the geometric software object.
- 41. The computer instruction of claim 40 in which the software tool for accomplishing a physical transformation of a work piece or analyzing an image of a work piece comprises pattern recognition software and a software control controlling the logic of the software tool in accordance with the properties of the geometric software object includes a software control causing the software tool to search for a feature within the area of the geometric software object.
- 42. A method of composing a metrology plan, comprising:
providing a stencil of shapes, each shape having an associated operation, at least one of the associated operations including a pattern recognition operation and at least one of the associated operation including a measurement operation; placing shapes from the stencil onto an image, the shapes and the image being similarly scaled and the position of the shapes on the image controlling the scope of the associated operations; combining the shapes on the image into a composite shape; and placing the composite shape onto the stencil to be available for additional measurements.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Pat. App. 60/314,687, filed Aug. 23, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60314687 |
Aug 2001 |
US |