Inspection apparatus and method for display device

• US 5,473,261 A
• Filed: 06/07/1994
• Issued: 12/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Koji, Hosomi, Masasi, Mochizuki, Yuichiro, Irie, Katsumi, Kawase, Nobuyuki, Marumoto, Hideji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHOSRAVI, KOURO
• Application Number:
  US08/255,917
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 324/770, 359/88, 359/54, 359/55, 345/904
• US Class Current: 324/760.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2221 to test input/output devices or peripheral units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309

Abstract

The inspection apparatus of the invention inspects a display device including first and second bus lines formed on an active matrix substrate. The inspection apparatus includes a first substrate unit and a second substrate unit each having a pair of substrates and connecting films therebetween. On one substrate of each substrate unit, inspection terminals and first inspection lines are formed and each of the inspection lines are connected to one of the inspection terminals. On the other substrate of each substrate unit, second inspection lines are provided. The first and second inspection lines of the substrates are selectively connected by the connecting films. During inspection, the second inspection lines of the first substrate unit are brought directly in contact with the first bus lines, so that each of the first bus lines is connected to one of the inspection terminals of the first substrate unit. Each of the second bus lines is connected to one of the inspection terminals of the second substrate unit via the respective second inspection lines in the same way. The apparatus further includes: a driving signal input circuit for supplying driving signals for a display inspection of the display device to the inspection terminals of each substrate unit; a resistance measuring device for measuring resistances of the first and second bus lines of the display device; and a section for connecting either of the driving signal input circuit or the resistance measuring device to the first and second substrate unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inspecting a display device including an active matrix substrate, a counter substrate, and a display medium interposed between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate, the active matrix substrate having a plurality of first bus lines and a plurality of second bus lines formed thereon, the apparatus comprising:

a first substrate unit including a plurality of first inspection terminals, a plurality of first inspection lines, a plurality of second inspection lines, and first supporting means including first and second faces for supporting the first inspection terminals and the first and second inspection lines, each of the first inspection lines being connected to one of the first inspection terminals, the second inspection lines being provided on the second face of the first supporting means which is different from the first face thereof on which the first inspection lines are provided, each of the second inspection lines being selectively connected to one of the first inspection lines by first connecting means, wherein when the second inspection lines are brought directly in contact with the first bus lines, each of the first bus lines is connected to one of the first inspection terminals;

a second substrate unit including a plurality of second inspection terminals, a plurality of third inspection lines, a plurality of fourth inspection lines, and second supporting means including third and fourth faces for supporting the second inspection terminals and the third and fourth inspection lines, each of the third inspection lines being connected to one of the second inspection terminals, the fourth inspection lines being provided on the fourth face of the second supporting means which is different from the third face thereof on which the third inspection lines are provided, each of the fourth inspection lines being selectively connected to one of the third inspection lines by second connecting means, wherein when the fourth inspection lines are brought directly in contact with the second bus lines, each of the second bus lines is connected to one of the second inspection terminals;

driving signal input means for supplying driving signals for performing a display inspection of the display device to the first inspection terminals and the second inspection terminals;

resistance measuring means for measuring resistances of the first bus lines and the second bus lines of the display device; and

means for connecting either of the driving signal input means or the resistance measuring means to the first substrate unit and the second substrate unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first supporting means comprises a first substrate including said first face and a second substrate including said second face, the first inspection terminals and the first inspection lines being provided on the first face, the second inspection lines being provided on the second face, the first substrate and the second substrate being disposed to allow the first inspection lines to face the second inspection lines, and a conductive film as the first connecting means being formed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second supporting means comprises a third substrate including said third face and a fourth substrate including said fourth face, the second inspection terminals and the third inspection lines being provided on the third face, the fourth inspection lines being provided on the fourth face, the third substrate and the fourth substrate being disposed to allow the third inspection lines to face the fourth inspection lines, and a conductive film as the second connecting means being formed between the third substrate and the fourth substrate.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the number of the first inspection terminals is predetermined, the first inspection lines are divided into groups, the number of groups being equal to the predetermined number of the first inspection terminals, and each group of the first inspection lines is connected to one first inspection terminal which is different from a first inspection terminal to which any other group of the first inspection lines is connected.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the number of the second inspection terminals is predetermined, the third inspection lines are divided into groups, the number of groups being equal to the predetermined number of the second inspection terminals, and each group of the third inspection lines is connected to one second inspection terminal which is different from a second inspection terminal to which any other group of the third inspection lines is connected.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second inspection lines and the fourth inspection lines are formed at the same pitches as those of the first bus lines and the second bus lines, respectively.

7. A method for inspecting a display device using the inspection apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting said first substrate unit of said apparatus to the display device to align said second inspection lines of the first substrate unit and said first bus lines of said active matrix substrate, and connecting said second substrate unit of said apparatus to the display device to align said fourth inspection lines of said second substrate unit and the second bus lines of said active matrix substrate; and

switching a mode of the inspection apparatus between a mode for checking the display device as to a display state thereof and a mode for measuring resistances between the first bus lines and the second bus lines.

8. An apparatus for inspecting a display device including an active matrix substrate, a counter substrate, and a display medium interposed between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate, the active matrix substrate having a plurality of bus lines which are formed thereon, the apparatus comprising:

at least one substrate unit including a plurality of inspection terminals, a plurality of first inspection lines, a plurality of second inspection lines, and first and second substrates, each of the first inspection lines being connected to one of the inspection terminals, the first inspection lines being provided on the first substrate, the second inspection lines being provided on the second substrate, each of the second inspection lines being selectively connected to one of the first inspection lines by a conductive film, wherein when the second inspection lines are brought directly in contact with the bus lines, each of the bus lines is connected to one of the inspection terminals;

driving signal input means for supplying driving signals for performing a display inspection of the display device to the inspection terminals;

resistance measuring means for measuring resistances of the bus lines of the display device; and

means for connecting either of the driving signal input means or the resistance measuring means to the substrate unit.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one substrate unit includes two substrate units.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the number of the second inspection lines being equal to the number of the first inspection lines, and the second inspection lines are arranged at a pitch equal to a pitch of the first inspection lines.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the number of the first inspection terminals is predetermined, the first inspection lines are divided into groups, the number of groups being equal to the predetermined number of the inspection terminals, and each group of the first inspection lines is connected to one inspection terminal which is different from an inspection terminal to which any other group of the first inspection lines is connected.