The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 07, 1998
Filed:
May. 02, 1996
David L Burgess, Half Moon Bay, CA (US);
Orlin D Trapp, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method for detecting a failure in an electronic device having an electric circuit. The method includes the steps of coating the electric circuit with a liquid crystal having a transition temperature between nematic and isotropic phases. A voltage is applied across the electric circuit so that the temperature of the liquid crystal at the failure approximates the transition temperature of the liquid crystal. The voltage applied is cycled across the electric circuit between a first nonzero voltage which is greater than the transition temperature and a second nonzero voltage which is less than the transition temperature. The cycling of the voltage reduces transient optical effects in the liquid crystal which have an appearance similar to the isotropic phase of the liquid crystal. A tester and liquid crystal for use in the method are provided.