Portable defect mitigators for electrochromic windows
View Patent ↗Portable apparatus for identifying and mitigating defects in electronic devices disposed on substrates or windows are disclosed herein. Such defects can be visually perceived by the end user. The substrates or windows may include flat panel displays, photovoltaic windows, electrochromic devices, and the like, particularly electrochromic windows.
1. A portable defect mitigator for mitigating a defect in an electronic device of a window, the portable defect mitigator comprising:
a first mechanism configured to detect the defect;
a second mechanism configured to mitigate the defect;
a dichroic mirror configured to receive collimated illumination from the first mechanism and collimated illumination from the second mechanism;
a reflective mirror configured to receive collimated illumination from the first and second mechanisms along a coaxial path from the dichroic mirror; and
a focal lens configured to receive collimated illumination reflected from the reflective mirror and configured to focus the collimated illumination to the electronic device to image and mitigate the defect.
2. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , further comprising a pivoting mechanism configured to pivot the reflective mirror and the focal lens in coordinated rotational movement to focus the collimated illumination from the reflective mirror at an angle to a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the electronic device.
3. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , wherein the focal lens is configured to focus the collimated illumination to a focal point at a corner of an insulated glass unit.
4. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , wherein the focal lens is configured to focus the collimated illumination to a focal point under a spacer of an insulated glass unit.
5. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , further comprising a light-tight, handheld chassis containing the first mechanism, the second mechanism, the reflective mirror, and the focal lens, the light-tight, handheld chassis adapted to affix to a surface of the window.
6. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , wherein the portable defect mitigator weighs less than 10 lbs.
7. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , further comprising a dynamic autofocus system for automatically focusing the second mechanism to a surface of the electronic device of a deforming window during defect mitigation.
8. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , further comprising a stage, the dichroic mirror and the focal lens mounted to the stage, the stage configured to translate the dichroic mirror and the focal lens in coordinated movement in orthogonal directions in a plane parallel to a surface of the window.
9. The portable defect mitigator of claim 8 , wherein the portable defect mitigator has a field of view of 22 mm×22 mm.
10. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , further comprising a window thickness adjustment mechanism for initially focusing based on window parameters.
11. The portable defect mitigator of claim 10 , wherein the window parameters include insulated glass unit thickness, spacer thickness, and pane thickness.
12. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanism includes an illumination device and an optical detector.
13. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device on the window is an electrochromic device.
14. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanism comprises at least one of a microscope, a camera, and a photo detector, and wherein the second mechanism comprises at least one of a laser, a heat source, an induction coil, a microwave source, and a voltage source.
15. The portable defect mitigator of claim 1 , wherein the dichroic mirror is configured to receive collimated illumination along a first direction from the first mechanism and collimated illumination along a second direction from the second mechanism.