# US 8,784,149 B2 · Apparatus and method for repair of defects in an electronic energy control or display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,784,149 B2 - Document ID: US8784149B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/857,217 - Filed: 2013-04-05 - Published: 2013-08-29 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-27 - Assignees: Sage Electrochromics, Inc. - Applicants: SAGE Electrochromics, Inc. - Inventors: Neil L. Sbar; Harvey Kalweit - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784149B2 ## CPC - H01J 9/50: Repairing or regenerating used or defective discharge tubes or lamps - B23K 26/0096: {Portable laser equipment, e.g. hand-held laser apparatus} - B23K 26/032: {using optical means} - B23K 26/0622: by shaping pulses - B23K 26/082: Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head - B23K 26/361: for deburring or mechanical trimming (B23K26/351 takes precedence) - B23K 26/40: taking account of the properties of the material involved - B23K 2101/38: Conductors - B23K 2103/50: {Inorganic materials other than metals or composite materials} - G02F 1/15: based on an electrochromic effect - Y02W 30/82: Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE] - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract An apparatus for repair of a defect in an electronic energy control device may include a position indicating means for indicating a position at which to fixedly position a mounting unit relative to a portion of an electronic energy control device including a defect to be repaired, where the device is fixed in position. An imaging and repair assembly of the apparatus has an optical imaging range and a laser repair range. When the mounting unit is mounted to a support surface to fixedly position the mounting unit at the position indicated by the position indicating means and the imaging and repair assembly is attached to the mounting unit, the portion of the electronic energy control device is within the imaging range and the repair range. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for repair of a defect in an electronic energy control device, the apparatus comprising: a mounting unit fixedly mountable to a support surface; an imaging and repair assembly including: an imaging unit to acquire an image from within an optical imaging range, and a repair unit to ablate material of an electronic energy control device within a repair range; and wherein, when the mounting unit is fixedly mounted to the support surface at a predetermined position determined in relation to a portion of an electronic energy control device including a defect to be repaired, the electronic energy control device to be repaired being within an electronic energy control device product, and the imaging and repair assembly is attached to the mounting unit, the portion of the electronic energy control device to be repaired is within the imaging range and the repair range. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assembly with the mounting unit attached thereto is portable. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic energy control device product is in an installed state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting unit is operable to create a vacuum between the support surface and the mounting unit using gas flowing between the apparatus and a gas unit external to the apparatus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a gas unit that at least one of supplies gas to or withdraws gas from the mounting unit through a conduit interconnecting the mounting unit and the gas unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mounting unit uses the gas to create a vacuum between the support surface and the mounting unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a weight of less than 14 pounds. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a weight of less than 20 pounds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit automatically detects the defect. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the defect is detected using machine vision. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the defect is detected by the control unit using input from an input device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the defect is detected by the control unit using input from an operator of the apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a weight of less than 30 pounds. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a control unit to control the imaging and repair assembly, the control unit being external to the assembly and portable. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit automatically defines a path extending around the defect and along which the material of the electronic energy control device to be repaired is ablated by the repair unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the repair unit is operable to ablate the material of the electronic energy control device to be repaired at selected portions spaced from each other along the path. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material of the electronic energy control device to be repaired that is ablated includes at least one film of the electronic energy control device to be repaired. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a position indicating unit that indicates the predetermined position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the position indicating unit includes an optical unit operable to indicate the predetermined position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the position indicating unit is operable to control an angle at which a light beam emitted from the optical unit travels towards the electronic energy control device to be repaired, when the position indicating unit is fixed in position attached to mounting unit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a light beam emitted from the optical unit travels along a same optical path within the assembly that a light beam from the repair unit that ablates the material of the electronic energy control device to be repaired travels. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the position indicating unit is detachably attachable at a predetermined alignment position with the mounting unit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the repair unit includes a laser controllable to emit a light beam along a path that ablates the material of the electronic energy control device to be repaired to isolate the defect. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls display on a display screen of an image acquired by the imaging unit with indicia for control of operation of the assembly. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the indicia include an icon for operating at least one of the imaging unit or the repair unit. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the icon is for at least one of controlling a search for the defect by moving a camera of the imaging unit, display of the image acquired by the camera, ablation of the material of the electronic energy control device to be repaired along a path circumscribing the defect, or display of the path. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the assembly is operable to emit light that illuminates a portion of the electronic energy control device to be repaired during imaging of the portion by the imaging unit. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic energy control device to be repaired is an electrochromic device and the electronic energy control device product is a window. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic energy control device to be repaired is a laminated electrochromic device. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic energy control device to be repaired is a display device. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the display device is one of an OLED display, an electroluminescent display, an electro-reflective display, an LCD display and a monolithic display. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic energy control device to be repaired is a monolithic lighting device. ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the defect includes a short between first and second conductive layers of the electronic energy control device to be repaired. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the electronic energy control device to be repaired is an electrochromic device including an electrochromic film stack, the film stack including the first and second conductive layers. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the defect includes a particle of a material other than a predetermined material for manufacture of the electronic energy control device to be repaired. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the defect includes a non-uniformity or scratch in one material layer of the electronic energy control device to be repaired. ### Claim 37 A method for repair of a defect in an electronic energy control device comprising: mounting an imaging and repair assembly to a support surface to fixedly position the assembly at a predetermined position relative to a portion of an electronic energy control device including a defect to be repaired, the electronic energy control device to be repaired being within an electronic energy control device product; and with the imaging and repair assembly, acquiring optical images and emitting a light beam that circumscribes the defect by ablating material of the electronic energy control device to be repaired to isolate the defect, wherein, when the assembly is mounted to the support surface in accordance with the predetermined position, the portion of the electronic energy control device to be repaired is within an imaging range and a laser repair range of the assembly. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the electronic energy control device product is in an installed state. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the electronic energy control device product is not in an installed state. ### Claim 40 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37 further comprising: indicating the predetermined position by emitting a light beam toward the electronic energy control device to be repaired. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the predetermined position is indicated when the assembly is not mounted to the support surface. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein, while the predetermined position is indicated, a mounting unit to which the assembly is detachably attachable is mounted to the support surface at the predetermined position.