Portable defect mitigator 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 apparatus for mitigating a defect in an electrochromic device on a window, the portable apparatus comprising:
a first mechanism configured to detect the defect;
a second mechanism configured to mitigate the defect;
a third mechanism configured to align the portable apparatus with the window; and
an illumination mechanism comprising a backstop, and configured to illuminate the defect in the electrochromic device on the window and to substantially block energy from the second mechanism with the backstop while the second mechanism is mitigating the defect during operation, the illumination mechanism being positioned on a first side of the window, and the first mechanism, the second mechanism, and the third mechanism being positioned on a second side of the window, opposite the first side.
2. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first mechanism comprises at least one of a microscope, a camera, and a photo detector, and
the second mechanism comprises at least one of a laser, a heat source, an induction coil, a microwave source, and a voltage source.
3. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portable apparatus is configured to mount to the window.
4. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third mechanism includes a movable stage configured to align the first and second mechanisms.
5. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portable apparatus is configured to mount to the window using suction.
6. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanism employs at least one of reflection, scattering, and refraction to identify a defect signature.
7. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller including program instructions for conducting a process including:
scanning the window with the first mechanism to detect the defect; and
positioning the second mechanism appropriately to mitigate the defect.
8. The portable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second mechanism includes a laser, the program instructions for conducting the process further including guiding the laser to circumscribe an electrical short in the electrochromic device.
9. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanism includes an optical sensor, and wherein the second mechanism includes a laser, the portable apparatus further comprising:
an illumination source;
a mirror configured to reflect a first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted from the laser and to reflect a second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation from the illumination source; the mirror positioned to reflect the first wavelength and the second wavelength from, or to, a surface of the window; and
a dichroic mirror configured to reflect the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation and to pass the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation; the dichroic mirror positioned to reflect the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation from the laser to the mirror and to pass the second wavelength of electromagnetic radiation to the optical sensor.
10. The portable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising optics for focusing the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation onto the window at a position of the defect.
11. The portable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a controller including program instructions for conducting a process including:
aligning the portable apparatus with the defect using the optical sensor;
emitting a low power first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation from the laser that is detected by the optical sensor; and
aligning the portable apparatus such that the first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation impinges at a position of the defect, when there is an offset between the alignment of the portable apparatus using the optical sensor and the detected low power first wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.
12. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination mechanism includes at least one of a light emitting diode and a halogen lamp.
13. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , further including a communication mechanism configured to enable communication between the second mechanism and the illumination mechanism, the communication mechanism including at least one of an optical transceiver and an inductive proximity detector.
14. The portable apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second mechanism is configured to be disabled when the communication mechanism indicates that the illumination mechanism and the second mechanism are not in close proximity.
15. The portable apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanism includes an illumination source and an optical sensor, the illumination source positioned to illuminate the window at a small glancing angle, wherein a profile of the defect reflects light to the optical sensor.
16. The portable apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second mechanism includes a laser and a focusing lens configured to focus a beam from the laser, and wherein the focusing lens is also configured to collect light scattered by the profile of the defect.
17. A method of mitigating a defect in an electrochromic device on a window, the method including:
(a) identifying the defect in the window;
(b) mitigating the defect using a portable apparatus including at least one of a laser, a heat source, an induction coil, a microwave source, and a voltage source; and
(c) using an illumination device comprising a backstop to illuminate the defect in the electrochromic device on the window and substantially block energy from the portable apparatus with the backstop while the portable apparatus is being used to mitigate the defect.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein mitigating the defect comprises circumscribing the identified defect.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein (a) comprises identifying the defect using at least one of reflection, scattering, and refraction to identify a defect signature.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein (a) comprises scanning the window with a first mechanism to detect the defect, wherein the first mechanism comprises at least one of a microscope, a camera, and a photo detector in order to determine the coordinates of the defect.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising tinting the electrochromic device of the window prior to (a) or as part of (a).
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising using the coordinates of the defect to position the at least one of the laser, the heat source, the induction coil, the microwave source, and the voltage source to mitigate the defect.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
storing in memory the coordinates of the defect detected in (a); and then
sending the coordinates to the at least one of the laser, the heat source, the induction coil, the microwave source, and the voltage source for use in positioning to mitigate the defect.