Patent US3601698A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3601698A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Semiconductor tester having visual display
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1969-01-21
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Granted: 1971-08-24
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Expires: 1989-01-21
Abstract
Abstract A continuity tester particularly suitable for testing bipolar transistors and semiconductor diodes is disclosed having a visual display including four test information indicator lamps arranged in a square with green lamps at adjacent corners of the square and red lamps at the remaining corners. A fifth indicator lamp functioning as a test mode indicator lamp is positioned in the center of the square. A circuit automatically applies an alternating current test voltage across the emitter-base and base-collector terminals of the transistor during first test mode time intervals and also turns on the second test mode indicator lamp and applies the test voltage across the collector-emitterterminals during alternate second test mode time intervals which alternate with the first time intervals. Current flow, if any, and its direction of flow between the various terminals of the transistor causes lighting of certain of the test information indicator lamps during each of the two test mode time intervals. The color and position of the lamps thus lighted indicates whether the transistor is a good NPN transistor or a good PNP transistor and, if not, the nature of the defect. Diodes are similarly tested by applying the test voltage across their terminals during the second test mode intervals.
Inventors
- 👤 Milton E Thurman Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:55
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/26; G01R31/2607
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
A device for producing a visual information display having a plurality of display modes, comprising: display mode indicator means for providing a plurality of visual display mode indications; information indicator means including a plurality of information indicators each having a first visual indication changeable to a second visual indication in response to an electric information signal; mode control means for causing said display mode indicator means to repetitively provide a series of said visual display mode indications at a rate at which each said visual display mode indication is separately visible for a predetermined time interval; and display control means responsive to said mode control means for providing a set of electric information signals corresponding to each said visual display mode indication and for supplying the information signals of the set of information signals corresponding to each such visual display mode indication to selected information indicators of said information indicator means during the time interval for such visual display mode indication; said display control means including means to cause information signals of each of said set of information signals to be supplied to at least certain of the same information indicators of said plurality of information indicators for causing the same plurality of indication indicators to provide different visual information in each of said visual display modes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
217 words
A device for producing a visual information display having a plurality of display modes, comprising: display mode indicator means for providing a plurality of visual display mode indications; information indicator means including a plurality of information indicators each having a first visual indication changeable to a second visual indication in response to an electric information signal; mode control means for causing said display mode indicator means to repetitively provide a series of said visual display mode indications at a rate at which each said visual display mode indication is separately visible for a predetermined time interval; and display control means responsive to said mode control means for providing a set of electric information signals corresponding to each said visual display mode indication and for supplying the information signals of the set of information signals corresponding to each such visual display mode indication to selected information indicators of said information indicator means during the time interval for such visual display mode indication; said display control means including means to cause information signals of each of said set of information signals to be supplied to at least certain of the same information indicators of said plurality of information indicators for causing the same plurality of indication indicators to provide different visual information in each of said visual display modes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device in accordance with claim 1 in which said information indicators are arranged around a central position and said display mode indicator means occupies said central position.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
247 words
A device for producing a visual information display, comprising: display mode indicator means for providing a plurality of visual display mode indications; information indicator means including a plurality of information indicators each having a first visual indication changeable to a second visual indication in response to an electric information signal; mode control means for causing said display mode indicator means to repetitively provide a series of said visual display mode indications at a rate at which each said visual display mode indication is separately visible for a predetermined time interval; and means responsive to said mode control means for providing a set of electric information signals corresponding to each said visual display mode indication and for supplying the information signals of the set of information signals corresponding to each such visual display mode indication to selected information indicators of said information indicator means during the time interval for such visual display mode indication; said device being a semiconductor device tester means in which said means responsive to said mode control means includes means for supplying a first set of information signals causing said iNformation indicators to indicate the conductive properties between a selected pair of terminals of said semiconductor device when said mode indicator indicates a first test mode and means for supplying a second set of information signals causing said information indicators to indicate the conductive properties between another selected pair of terminals of said semiconductor device when said mode indicator indicates a second test mode.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
247 words
A device for producing a visual information display, comprising: display mode indicator means for providing a plurality of visual display mode indications; information indicator means including a plurality of information indicators each having a first visual indication changeable to a second visual indication in response to an electric information signal; mode control means for causing said display mode indicator means to repetitively provide a series of said visual display mode indications at a rate at which each said visual display mode indication is separately visible for a predetermined time interval; and means responsive to said mode control means for providing a set of electric information signals corresponding to each said visual display mode indication and for supplying the information signals of the set of information signals corresponding to each such visual display mode indication to selected information indicators of said information indicator means during the time interval for such visual display mode indication; said device being a semiconductor device tester means in which said means responsive to said mode control means includes means for supplying a first set of information signals causing said iNformation indicators to indicate the conductive properties between a selected pair of terminals of said semiconductor device when said mode indicator indicates a first test mode and means for supplying a second set of information signals causing said information indicators to indicate the conductive properties between another selected pair of terminals of said semiconductor device when said mode indicator indicates a second test mode.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
269 words
A device for producing a visual information display, comprising: display mode indicator means for providing a plurality of visual display mode indications; information indicator means including a plurality of information indicators each having a first visual indication changeable to a second visual indication in response to an electric information signal; mode control means for causing said display mode indicator means to repetitively provide a series of said visual display mode indications at a rate at which each said visual display mode indication is separately visible for a predetermined time interval; and means responsive to said mode control means for providing a set of electric information signals corresponding to each said visual display mode indication and for supplying the information signals of the set of information signals corresponding to each such visual display mode indication to selected information indicators of said information indicator means during the time interval for such visual display mode indication; said mode control means including a free running multivibrator and a plurality of electrically operated switches controlled by output voltages from said multivibrator for applying a test signal voltage across a selected pair of terminals of a device under test to produce said first set of information signals in the form of current flow between the pair of selected terminals when said mode indicator indicates a first test mode and for applying a test signal voltage across another selected pair of terminals of said test device to provide said second set of information signals in the form of current flow between the other selected pair of terminals when said mode indicator indicates a second test mode.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
269 words
A device for producing a visual information display, comprising: display mode indicator means for providing a plurality of visual display mode indications; information indicator means including a plurality of information indicators each having a first visual indication changeable to a second visual indication in response to an electric information signal; mode control means for causing said display mode indicator means to repetitively provide a series of said visual display mode indications at a rate at which each said visual display mode indication is separately visible for a predetermined time interval; and means responsive to said mode control means for providing a set of electric information signals corresponding to each said visual display mode indication and for supplying the information signals of the set of information signals corresponding to each such visual display mode indication to selected information indicators of said information indicator means during the time interval for such visual display mode indication; said mode control means including a free running multivibrator and a plurality of electrically operated switches controlled by output voltages from said multivibrator for applying a test signal voltage across a selected pair of terminals of a device under test to produce said first set of information signals in the form of current flow between the pair of selected terminals when said mode indicator indicates a first test mode and for applying a test signal voltage across another selected pair of terminals of said test device to provide said second set of information signals in the form of current flow between the other selected pair of terminals when said mode indicator indicates a second test mode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
A device in accordance with claim 1, in which said mode indicator means and said information indicators include electric lamps each providing a first visual indication when turned off and a second visual indication when turned on and in which said information indicators are arranged around said mode indicator means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device in accordance with claim 5, in which the electrically operated switches are diode bridge electronic switches.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A device in accordance with claim 5, in which said means for applying a test signal voltage includes means for producing an alternating test voltage having positive and negative half waves of equal amplitude and means responsive to the direction of current flow between said selected terminals to cause said indicators to change from a first visual indication to a second visual indication.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
67 words
A device in accordance with claim 7, in which said information indicators are electric lamps and said means responsive to the direction of current flow includes an electronic switch means for each lamp, each switch means having an input transistor biased so that said switch means for each of said lamps turns on the lamp associated therewith in response to said current flow in one direction only.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
92 words
A device in accordance with claim 7, in which said means responsive to direction of current flow includes a separate switch means responsive to direction of current flow for each information indicator and in which said control means when in one of said test modes has means for connecting two terminals of said semiconductor device undergoing test into a series test circuit with said means for producing an alternating test voltage and in series with each of a pair of said switch means which are responsive to current flow in opposite directions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
A device in accordance with claim 9, in which said control means connects the base-collector terminals of a transistor into a first series test circuit and the emitter-base terminals into a second series test circuit when said mode indicator indicates the first test mode and connects the emitter-collector terminals of said transistor inTo said second series test circuit when said mode indicator indicates the second test mode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-23 | 1975-02-22 | 1975-08-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-23 | 1979-02-22 | 1979-08-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-23 | 1983-02-22 | 1983-08-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |