1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for testing a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, and more particularly, to a device for panel reliability testing.
The present invention further relates to a method for testing a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly, to a method for panel reliability testing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally speaking, each liquid crystal display panel needs to undergo reliability testing. Reliability is defined as the probability that a functional unit will perform its required property or function under stated environments/conditions for a specific period of time. For the reliability testing, aging testing is one of the important testing items.
At present, the reliability testing is performed on an assembled LCD panel, which not only wastes time but also needs to prepare for many components, such as a driver circuit and a backlight module, for the LCD panel undergoing the reliability testing. Accordingly, manufacturing cost is increased.
A commonly used method for the LCD panel reliability testing includes using probes to contact liquid crystal cell, to input signals to the liquid crystal cell, and examining the liquid crystal cell through backlight. However, a prior device for the LCD panel reliability is seldom put into a chamber of a testing equipment because such the prior device is bulky and expensive.
Therefore, there is a need for providing a method for panel reliability testing and a device thereof to solve the problem occurring in the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for panel reliability testing and a device thereof so as to solve high testing cost and low testing efficiency when testing LCD panels.
According to the present invention, a device for panel reliability testing comprises: a connection module, for connecting the panel and an aging module; a reliability chamber control module, for sending a voltage regulation command to a bias module and/or a switch control command to the aging module; the bias module, for regulating voltage and transmitting information about voltage regulation to the aging module; and the aging module, for performing an aging operation on the panel depending on the switch control command sent from the reliability chamber control module and the information about voltage regulation transmitted from the bias module. The connection module further comprises: a probe, for being connected to a test pad in the panel; an adjustment module, for adjusting the position of the probe and the position of the test pad; a transfer module, for transferring aging signals sent from the aging module to the probe; a multiplexing module, for collecting information about a switch-on/off state of the probe and sending the information to a feedback module through simultaneous multiplexing; and the feedback module, for determining if the probe is connected to the test pad, wherein the feedback module is electrically connected to the adjustment module, and the feedback module calculates an adjustment amount and an adjustment direction to adjust the position of the probe relative to the test pad and commands the adjustment module to adjust the probe and the test pad when the feedback module itself determines that the probe fails to be connected to the test pad.
In one aspect of the present invention, the adjustment module comprises a first adjustment module and a second adjustment module, both are disposed on an alignment of the probe.
In another aspect of the present invention, the first adjustment module and the second adjustment module are disposed at both ends of the probe.
According to present invention, a device for panel reliability testing comprises: a connection module, for connecting the panel and an aging module; a reliability chamber control module, for sending a voltage regulation command to a bias module and/or a switch control command to the aging module; the bias module, for regulating voltage and transmitting information about voltage regulation to the aging module; and the aging module, for performing an aging operation on the panel depending on the switch control command sent from the reliability chamber control module and the information about voltage regulation transmitted from the bias module.
In one aspect of the present invention, the connection module further comprises: a probe, for being connected to a test pad in the panel; an adjustment module, for adjusting the position of the probe and the position of the test pad; a transfer module, for transferring aging signals sent from the aging module to the probe; a multiplexing module, for collecting information about a switch-on/off state of the probe and sending the information to a feedback module through simultaneous multiplexing; and the feedback module, for determining if the probe is connected to the test pad.
In another aspect of the present invention, the feedback module is electrically connected to the adjustment module, and the feedback module calculates an adjustment amount and an adjustment direction to adjust the position of the probe relative to the test pad and commands the adjustment module to adjust the probe and the test pad when the feedback module itself determines that the probe fails to be connected to the test pad.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the connection module further comprises: an alarm module, for generating alarm signals once the adjustment module cannot adjust the probe and the test pad.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the reliability chamber control module comprises: a storage module, for storing programs for panel reliability testing; a clock signal generation module, for generating clock signals; and a dominating module, for reading the programs from the storage module, generating a control command, and for sending the control command to the aging module and/or the bias module according to the clock signals.
According to present invention, a method for panel reliability testing comprises a reliability chamber control module, a bias module, an aging module, and a connection module. The method comprises the following steps of: (A) the connection module connecting the panel to the aging module; (B) the reliability chamber control module sending a voltage regulation command to the bias module and/or a switch control command to the aging module; (C) the bias module regulating voltage and transmitting information about voltage regulation to the aging module; and (D) the aging module performing an aging operation on the panel according to the switch control command sent from the reliability chamber control module and the information about voltage regulation transmitted from the bias module.
In one aspect of the present invention, the connection module comprises a probe, a transfer module, a feedback module, an adjustment module, and a multiplexing module, and the (A) step further comprises the following steps of: (a1) connecting the probe to a test pad in the panel; (a2) the adjustment module adjusting the position of the probe and the position of the test pad; (a3) the transfer module transferring aging signals sent from the aging module to the probe; (a4) the multiplexing module collecting information about a switch-on/off state of the probe and sending the information to the feedback module through simultaneous multiplexing; and (a5) the feedback module determining if the probe is connected to the test pad.
In another aspect of the present invention, the feedback module is electrically connected to the adjustment module, and the method further comprises the following step of: (a6) the feedback module calculating an adjustment amount and an adjustment direction to adjust the position of the probe relative to the test pad and commanding the adjustment module to adjust the probe and the test pad when the feedback module itself determines that the probe fails to be connected to the test pad.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the connection module further comprises an alarm module, and the method further comprises the following step of: (a7) generating an alarm signal once the adjustment module is incapable of adjusting the probe and the test pad.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the reliability chamber control module comprises a storage module, a clock signal generation module, and a dominating module, and the (B) step further comprises the following steps of: (b1) the storage module storing programs for panel reliability testing; (b2) the clock signal generation module generating clock signals; and (b3) the dominating module reading the programs from the storage module, generating a control command, and sending the control command to the aging module and/or the bias module according to the clock signals.
In contrast to the conventional technology, LCD panels undergo the aging testing before being packaged in the present invention, thereby shortening a time period of manufacturing LCD panels and enhancing production efficiency.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying figures.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
In the following description, units with a similar structure will be labeled by the same reference numerals though they are shown in different drawings.
Referring to
The bias module 102 receives the voltage regulation command and regulates voltage automatically according to the voltage regulation command. Referring to
OUTPUT=15V×R0/(R3+R0)=12.8V stands when the input voltage is larger than 3.6 volts (i.e., INPUT>Vi1− and INPUT>Vi2+), the voltage V0 output by the first operational amplifier 501 is V0=Vcc=15V, the first BJT 502 conducts, the voltage V0 output by the second operational amplifier 503 is V0=Gnd=0V, and the second BJT 504 does not conduct. OUTPUT=15V×R0/(R4+R0)=11.8V stands when the input voltage is smaller than 3.3 volts (i.e., INPUT>Vi1− and INPUT>Vi2+), the voltage V0 output by the first operational amplifier 501 is V0=Gnd=0V, the first BJT 502 does not conduct, the voltage V0 output by the second operational amplifier 503 is V0=Vcc=15V, and the second BJT 504 conducts. The bias module 102 electrically connected to the aging module 103 transmits information about voltage regulation to the aging module 103 electrically connected to the connection module 104. The connection module 104 comprises a plurality of probes 302. As shown in
Poor contact between the connection module 104 and the test pads 303 in the LC cell probably occurs during the process of panel reliability testing, so operators have to reconnect the connection module 104 to the test pad 303. It not only wastes a lot of time but also hinders an increase in production capacity. A solution to the above-mentioned problem is that a multiplexing module 304, a feedback module 306, an adjustment module 305, an alarm module 307, and a transfer module 301 are disposed in the connection module 104, as shown in
Definitely, the multiplexing module 304 which multiplexes each detecting signal in the connection module 104 in the device for panel reliability testing can be replaced by a current-collecting module according to the present invention. The current-collecting module collects the detecting signals from each of the plurality of probes 302 and sends all of the detecting signals to the feedback module 306 one by one. The feedback module 306 determines a switch-on/off state of each of the plurality of probes 302 one by one. In the device for panel reliability testing, the feedback module 306 calculates an adjustment amount and an adjustment direction of the position of the connection module 104 relative to the panel through the detecting signals sent from the multiplexing module 304 or from the current-collecting module when the feedback module 306 itself determines that the plurality of probes 302 in the connection module 104 fail to be connected to the test pad 303 in the panel. Next, the feedback module 306 transmits information about the adjustment amount and the adjustment direction to the adjustment module 305, which adjusts the position of the connection module 104 and the position of the panel according to the information.
Preferably, more than one adjustment module 305 is placed along the alignment of the plurality of probes 302 in the connection module 104. For example, a first adjustment module 401 and a second adjustment module 402 are disposed at both ends of the plurality of probes 302, respectively, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
The method for panel reliability testing further comprises the following steps: the feedback module 306 calculates an adjustment amount and an adjustment direction of position of the connection module 104 relative to the panel according to the detecting signals sent from the multiplexing module 304 or from the current-collecting module when the feedback module 306 itself determines that the plurality of probes 302 in the connection module 104 fail to be connected to the test pad 303 in the panel. Subsequently, information about the adjustment amount and the adjustment direction is transmitted to the adjustment module 305, which adjusts the position of the connection module 104 and the position of the panel according to the information.
Some operations are complicated during the operators perform the reliability testing on panels. So in a preferred embodiment, the aging module 103 is integrated with the connection module 104. The aging module 103 is integrated and functions as a semaphore in the device for panel reliability testing in the present invention. In this way, the operations can be simplified.
In sum, the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments shown and described in detail while the foregoing embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art. The protection scope of a patent right is determined by the patent claim.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CN2011/075908 | 6/19/2011 | WO | 00 | 12/8/2011 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2012/162915 | 12/6/2012 | WO | A |
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