Voltage imaging system using electro-optics
First Claim
1. An apparatus for observing voltage at a large plurality of positions on a surface of a panel under test comprising:
- means for producing optical energy;
means for directing said optical energy into an input beam of any polerization state;
an electro-optic modulator means, said electro-optic modulator means having a first face and an opposing second face in an orientation to allow longitudinal probing geometries, said first face having a conductive coating electrically coupled to a voltage reference means for biasing said electro-optic modulator means and said second face being disposed to be adjacent an area of said surface of said panel under test, said panel under test being coupled to an excitation voltage means for applying voltages to selected portions of the panel under test, said modulator means being oriented to intercept at least a portion of said input beam directed into said modulator means through said first face to impinge on said second face adjacent said area of said surface in order to cause in an output beam spatiallydependent modulation along said input beam, said modulation being proportional to differences between voltages produced by the voltage reference means and the excitation voltage means at position on said surface; and
means for detecting said modulation in an image across said output beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A two-dimensional image of the voltage distribution across a surface at a large plurality voltage test points of a panel under test is extracted by illuminating the surface with an input beam of optical energy through an electro-optic modulator wherein the modulator is disposed to allow longitudinal probing geometries such that a voltage differential on the surface of the panel under test causes a power modulation in the optical energy which can be observed through an area optical sensor (a camera) for use to directly produce a two-dimensional spatially-dependent power modulation image directly representative of the spatially corresponding differential voltage state on the surface of the panel under test. Surface cross-talk is minimized by placing the face of the modulator closer to the panel under test than the spacing of voltage sites in the panel under test. The device may operate in a pass-through mode or in a reflective mode.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for observing voltage at a large plurality of positions on a surface of a panel under test comprising:
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means for producing optical energy; means for directing said optical energy into an input beam of any polerization state; an electro-optic modulator means, said electro-optic modulator means having a first face and an opposing second face in an orientation to allow longitudinal probing geometries, said first face having a conductive coating electrically coupled to a voltage reference means for biasing said electro-optic modulator means and said second face being disposed to be adjacent an area of said surface of said panel under test, said panel under test being coupled to an excitation voltage means for applying voltages to selected portions of the panel under test, said modulator means being oriented to intercept at least a portion of said input beam directed into said modulator means through said first face to impinge on said second face adjacent said area of said surface in order to cause in an output beam spatiallydependent modulation along said input beam, said modulation being proportional to differences between voltages produced by the voltage reference means and the excitation voltage means at position on said surface; and means for detecting said modulation in an image across said output beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for simultaneously observing differences between voltages produced by a voltage reference means and by an excitation voltage means at a plurality of positions on a surface of a panel under test comprising:
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a light source for producing optical energy; an electro-optic modulator means, said electro-optic modulator means having a first face and an opposing second face in an orientation to allow longitudinal probing geometries, said firs face having a conductive coating electrically coup led to the voltage reference means for biasing said electro-optic modulator means and said second face being disposed to be adjacent an area of said surface of said panel under test, said panel under test being coupled to the excitation voltage means for applying voltages to selected portions of the panel under test, said modulator means being oriented to intercept at least a portion of said input beam directed into said modulator means through said first face to impinge on said second face adjacent said area of said surface in order to cause in an output beam spatially-dependent change in light power along said input beam, said change in light power being proportional to differences between voltages produced by the voltage reference means and the excitation voltage means at positions on said surface; and means disposed to intercept said spatiallydependent power modulation for producing an observable map having features corresponding to magnitude of said differences between voltages. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method for observing voltage differentials at a large plurality of positions on a surface of a panel under test comprising:
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directing an input beam of optical energy into an electro-optic modulator means, said electro-optic modulator means having a first face and an opposing second face in an orientation to allow longitudinal probing geometries, said first face having a conductive coating electrically coupled to a voltage reference means and said second face being disposed to be adjacent an area of said surface of said panel under test, said panel under test being coupled to the excitation voltage means for applying voltages to selected portions of the panel under test, said electro-optic modulator means being oriented to intercept at least a portion of said input beam directed into said modulator means through said first face to said second face adjacent said area of said surface of said panel under test in order to cause in an output beam a spatially-dependent modulation along said input beam, said modulation being proportional to differences between voltages produced by the voltage reference means and the excitation voltage means at positions on said surface; and detecting said modulation in an image across said output beam. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for observing voltage at a large plurality of positions on a surface of a panel under test comprising:
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means for producing optical energy; means for directing said optical energy into an input beam of any polarization state; an electro-optic modulator means, said electro-optic modulator means having a first face and an opposing second face in an orientation to allow longitudinal probing geometries, said first face having a conductive coating electrically coupled to a voltage reference means for producing a time-varying voltage to bias said electro-optic modulator means and said second face being disposed to be adjacent an area of said surface of said panel under test, said panel under test being coupled to an excitation voltage means for applying voltages to selected portions of the panel under test, said modulator means being oriented to intercept at least a portion of said input beam directed into said modulator means through said first face to impinge on said second face adjacent said area of said surface in order to cause in an output beam spatially-dependent modulation along said input beam, said modulation being proportional to differences between voltages produced by the voltage reference means and the excitation voltage means at positions on said surface; and means for detecting said modulation in an image across said output beam.
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20. A method for observing voltage differentials at a large plurality of positions on a surface of a panel under test comprising:
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directing an input beam of optical energy into an electro-optic modulator means, said electro-optic modulator means having a first face and an opposing second face in an orientation to allow longitudinal probing geometries, said first face having a conductive coating electrically coupled to a voltage reference means and said second face being disposed to be adjacent an area of said surface of said panel under test, said panel under test being coupled to the excitation voltage means for applying voltages to selected portions of the panel under test, said electro-optic modulator means being oriented to intercept at least a portion of said input beam directed into said modulator means through said first face to said second face adjacent said area of said surface of said panel under test in order to cause in an output beam a spatially-dependent modulation along said input beam, said modulation being proportional to differences between voltages produced by the voltage reference means and the excitation voltage means at positions on said surface; and detecting said modulation in an image across said output beam.
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Specification