Abstract:
The present invention provides a testing device and a testing method. The testing method comprises: providing a testing device; bonding at least one connecting terminal of the testing device to signal lines of the display panel; and inputting test signals to the signal lines of the display panel through at least one test contact of the testing device. In the present invention, it is not required to arrange shorting bars on the display panel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a field for testing display panels, and more particularly to a testing device and a testing method for display panels. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have been widely applied in electrical products, wherein LCD panels are important components of the LCDs. 
     After the LCD panels are made, in general, makers of the LCD panels will test the LCD panels to find problem products and to reduce a waste in follow-up processes. Currently, in the test process of the LCD panels, shorting bars are disposed on an array substrate of the LCD panel and connected to signal lines  220  of the LCD panel. Test signals are inputted to the signal lines through the shorting bars for testing whether the signal lines are broken or have defects. After the test process, the connections between the shorting bars and the signal lines are cut off by a laser. 
     It is necessary to add a laser cutting process for cutting off the shorting bars after testing the LCD panels, thereby deteriorating a production capacity and a process yield of the LCD panels. Moreover, it is required to waste the space on the LCD panel for arranging the shorting bars. In addition, after cutting off the shorting bars, the LCD panel can not be tested again. 
     As a result, it is necessary to provide a testing device and a testing method to solve the problems existing in conventional technologies such as above-mentioned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a testing device and a testing method to solve the test problems existing in conventional LCD panel. 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a testing device for testing a display panel, and the testing device comprising: a test substrate; at least one connecting terminal arranged at one side of the test substrate configured to be connected to signal lines of the display panel; at least one test contact disposed on the test substrate; and at least one connecting line connected between the connecting terminals and the test contact. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a testing device for testing a display panel, and the testing device comprising: a test substrate; a plurality of connecting terminals arranged at one side of the test substrate configured to be connected to signal lines of the display panel, wherein a width of each of the connecting terminals is larger than a width of an input terminal of each of the signal lines, and the width of each of the connecting terminals is less than 300 μm; at least one test contact disposed on the test substrate; and at least one connecting line connected between the connecting terminals and the test contact. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the test substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one connecting terminal comprises a plurality of connecting terminals, and a pitch between each adjacent two of the connecting terminals is identical to a pitch between each adjacent two of the signal lines. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, a width of each of the connecting terminals is larger than a width of an input terminal of each of the signal lines. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the width of each of the connecting terminals is less than 300 μm. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one test contact comprises a first test contact, a second test contact, a third test contact, and the first test contact is configured to test red pixels of the display panel, and the second test contact is configured to test green pixels of the display panel, and the third test contact is configured to test blue pixels of the display panel. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting terminal is an elongated terminal, and a length of the connecting terminal is longer than an arrangement length of the signal lines. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the test substrate is configured to test data lines of the display panel, and the testing device further comprises another test substrate configured to test gate lines of the display panel. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a testing method for testing a display panel, and the testing method comprising: providing a testing device, wherein the testing device comprises a test substrate, at least one connecting terminal, at least one test contact, and at least one connecting line, and the connecting terminal is arranged at one side of the test substrate, and the test contact is disposed on the test substrate, and the connecting line is connected between the connecting terminals and the test contact; bonding the connecting terminal of the testing device to signal lines of the display panel; and inputting test signals to the signal lines of the display panel through the test contact of the testing device. 
     The testing device of the present invention can be used for testing the signal lines or pixels of the display panel. With the use of the testing device of the present invention, the display panel can be tested without arranging shorting bars on the substrate thereof, thereby enhancing the utilization rate of the substrate thereof. Moreover, it is not required to use a laser to cut off the shorting bars, thereby preventing an additional laser cutting process, and the effect of the laser cutting process on the display panel is avoidable for ensuring a process yield of the display panel. In addition, with the use of the testing device, the spot test or multi-test can be carried out at random or limited to a specific display panel for meeting any test requirement, as well as improving a test quality for the display panel. 
     The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings: 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing a testing device and a display panel according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing connecting terminals of the testing device and the signal lines of the display panel according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing one connecting terminal of the testing device and input terminals of the signal lines according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing a connecting terminal of the testing device and the signal lines of the display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following embodiments are referring to the accompanying drawings for exemplifying specific implementable embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, directional terms described by the present invention, such as upper, lower, front, back, left, right, inner, outer, side and etc., are only directions by referring to the accompanying drawings, and thus the used directional terms are used to describe and understand the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for understanding and ease of description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, for understanding and ease of description, the thicknesses of some layers and areas are exaggerated. It will be understood that, when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. 
     In addition, in the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements. Furthermore, in the specification, “on” implies being positioned above or below a target element and does not imply being necessarily positioned on the top on the basis of a gravity direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram showing a testing device and a display panel according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The testing device  100  of the present embodiment is configured to test signal lines of the display panel  101 . The display panel  101  may be an LCD panel, an organic electro luminescence (OEL) display panel, an organic light emission diode (OLED) display panel or a plasma display panel (PDP). When the display panel  101  is the LCD panel, the display panel  101  and a backlight module can be assembled as an LCD apparatus. Referring to  FIG. 1  again, the display panel  101  of the present embodiment comprises a substrate  102  which may be a glass substrate or a flexible and plastic substrate. A plurality of signal lines  103 , such as data lines or gate lines, are arranged on the substrate  102 . The signal lines  103  have exposed input terminals  103   a  which are positioned at one side of the signal lines  103  for receiving inputted signals, such as scan signals, data signals or test signals. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, the testing device  100  of the present embodiment comprises a test substrate  110 , at least one connecting terminal  120 , at least one test contact  130  and at least one connecting line  140 . The connecting terminal  120 , the test contact  130  and the connecting line  140  are formed on a surface of the test substrate  110 . The connecting terminal  120  may be golden fingers which are positioned at one side of the test substrate  110  for contacting with the input terminals  103   a  of the signal lines  103  of the display panel  101 . The at least one connecting line  140  is connected between the connecting terminal  120  and the test contact  130 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing connecting terminals of the testing device and the signal lines of the display panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. The test substrate  110  may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board. In this embodiment, the testing device  100  can be used for testing the data lines of the display panel  101 . In this case, the testing device  100  can have a plurality of connecting terminals  120  which are arranged at one side of the test substrate  110 , and a pitch between each adjacent two of the connecting terminals  120  can be substantially identical to a pitch between each adjacent two of the signal lines  103 , such that the connecting terminals  120  can be correspondingly positioned to the input terminals  103   a  of the signal lines  103  of the display panel  101 . In this case, a width W 1  of each of the connecting terminals  120  can be equal to or larger than a width W 2  of each of the input terminals  103   a . When the width W 1  of the connecting terminals  120  is larger than a width W 2  of the input terminals  103   a , the contacts between the connecting terminals  120  and the input terminals  103   a  can be enhanced, so as to prevent that the connecting terminals  120  and the input terminals  103   a  are disconnected due to position errors. In this case, the width W 1  of the connecting terminals  120  may be less than 300 μm, such as 120 μm˜250 μm. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, when using the testing device  100  to test the data lines of the display panel  101 , the at least one test contact  130  can comprise a first test contact  131 , a second test contact  132 , a third test contact  133  and a common voltage test contact  134 . The first test contact  131  may be configured to test red pixels (not shown) of the display panel  101 , and the second test contact  132  may be configured to test green pixels (not shown) thereof, and the third test contact  133  may be configured to test blue pixels (not shown) thereof, and the common voltage test contact  134  may be configured to test common electrodes thereof. The size of the test contact  130  may be larger than 1 mm, such as 1 mm˜5mm, so as to make contacting the screen convenient for an external test machine or a test system. Corresponding to the four test contacts  131 ,  132 ,  133  and  134 , four connecting line  140  are distanced from each other, and connected between the connecting terminals  120  and the test contacts  131 ,  132 ,  133  and  134 , respectively. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing one connecting terminal of the testing device and the input terminals of the signal lines according to one embodiment of the present invention. The testing device  100  of the present embodiment can further comprise another test substrate  150  configured to test the gate lines of the display panel  101 . In this case, a connecting terminal  121 , a test contact and a connecting line  140  are formed on the test substrate  150 , and the connecting terminal  121  on the test substrate  150  may be an elongated terminal for contacting with all the input terminals  103   b  of the gate lines (signal lines  103 ) at the same time. In this case, a length L of the connecting terminal  121  can be longer than an arrangement length of the gate lines or the input terminals  103   b , so as to enhance the contacts between the connecting terminal  121  and the input terminals  103   b.    
     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, when testing the signal lines  103  or pixels of the display panel  101 , the testing device  100  is first provided, and subsequently, the at least one connecting terminal  120  (or  121 ) can be bonded to the input terminals  103   a  (or  103   b ) of the signal lines  103  of the display panel  101  by, for example, an anisotropic conductive film (ACF), thereby forming connections between the signal lines  103  of the display panel  101  and the at least one test contact  130  of the testing device  100 . At this time, partial surfaces of the test substrate  110  and/or  150  can be bonded on the substrate  102  of the display panel  101  by the anisotropic conductive film. Subsequently, test signals can be transmitted to the signal lines  103  (data lines and/or gate lines) of the display panel  101  from the at least one test contact  130  of the testing device  100  for testing the display panel  101 . When inputting the test signals to the signal lines  103  of the display panel  101 , the external test machine or test system can input the different test signals to the display panel  101  through the test contacts  130  ( 131 ,  132 ,  133 ,  134  or  135 ) of the testing device  100  for testing the different signal lines or pixels of the display panel  101 . 
     After the display panel  101  passed the test and is recognized as a normal panel, the testing device  100  can be removed from the display panel  101 . Therefore, with the use of the testing device  100 , the display panel  101  can be tested without arranging shorting bars on the substrate of the display panel  101 , so as to enhance a utilization rate of the substrate thereof. Moreover, it is not required to use a laser to cut off the shorting bars, thereby preventing an additional laser cutting process. In addition, with the use of the testing device  100 , a spot test or multi-test can be carried out at random or limited to a specific display panel  101  for meeting any test requirement, as well as improving a test quality for the display panel  101 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a schematic diagram showing a connecting terminal of the testing device and the signal lines of the display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In another embodiment, an elongated connecting terminal  220  of the testing device  100  is configured to test the data lines of the display panel  101  for contacting with all the input terminals  103   a  of the data lines (signal lines  103 ) at the same time. In this case, a length L′ of the connecting terminal  220  can be longer than an arrangement length of the data lines or the input terminals  103   a , so as to enhance the contacts between the connecting terminal  220  and the input terminals  103   a.    
     As described above, the testing device of the present invention can be used for testing the signal lines or pixels of the display panel. With the use of the testing device of the present invention, the display panel can be tested without arranging shorting bars on the substrate thereof, thereby enhancing the utilization rate of the substrate thereof. Moreover, it is not required to use a laser to cut off the shorting bars, thereby preventing an additional laser cutting process. In addition, with the use of the testing device, the spot test or multi-test can be carried out at random or limited to a specific display panel for meeting any test requirement, as well as improving a test quality for the display panel. 
     The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications to the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.