JP4237798B2 - Method and system for automated design of light guide plate pattern - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a light guide plate pattern design method and system, and more particularly, to a method and system for automatically designing a dot pattern on the surface of a light guide plate.

  As is well known, a light guide plate is made of PMMA or other similar material that is located on the back of a display device that does not emit light, such as an LCD, and directs light generated from a light source on the side to the front of the display. Means a plate-like module.

  In this way, the light guide plate refracts the light from the side light source and directs it to the front, which is reflected from the refracting dots formed on the back of the light guide plate after the light generated from the light source enters the inside of the light guide plate. Alternatively, the path is changed due to scattering. Such dots are usually printed with ink or the like, or are mechanically formed notches, pits or dimples.

  The arrangement of the dots on the surface of the light guide plate described above is called a dot pattern. One of the most important characteristics of such a dot pattern is that light is dispersed as widely and uniformly as possible when this light guide plate is used. Thus, uniform brightness must be obtained over the entire surface of the light guide plate.

  In general, since a point closer to the light source has a higher luminance than a point far away and a point with a high dot density has a higher luminance than a point with a relatively small dot density, the large variable that affects the luminance uniformity of the light guide plate is the position of the light source. And the density distribution of dots. Among them, since the position of the light source is determined in advance, it can be said that the design of the dot pattern is very important for luminance uniformity. Such a light guide plate pattern must be designed differently depending on the electronic product. The reason is that, for example, electronic devices using LCDs have various shapes such as mobile phones, computer monitors, and wall-mounted televisions. This is because a unique light guide plate pattern must be designed according to the pattern, width, and characteristics of the light source.

  The design method of the light guide plate pattern used up to now is a very primitive and inefficient method. Among them, the most basic method is a prototype that applies a new light guide plate by imitating the previous light guide plate pattern with similar size and area when designing a new light guide plate pattern ( (proto type) is manufactured on a trial basis, and it is confirmed with the naked eye whether uniform brightness can be obtained with the pattern.If a non-uniform part is found as a result of the confirmation, the density of the dots arranged in this part is changed. In this method, a secondary prototype light guide plate, which is relatively adjusted in comparison with the above part, is further manufactured to obtain an optimal design through the same process.

  That is, a primitive method has been used in which a light guide plate is directly manufactured and observed with the naked eye each time and corrected using experience values.

  In this way, the conventional method of actually producing a new light guide plate prototype by creating a new mold for each new light guide plate form is a very inefficient design method from the viewpoint of cost and time. is there.

  This is especially acute in the mobile phone manufacturing industry, which has recently emerged rapidly, but in the current situation where dozens of models are newly introduced by each mobile phone manufacturer every year, such too much human power The costly and time-consuming primitive design method is, to some extent, an old method that can make the mobile phone manufacturer reluctant due to market competition.

  Accordingly, there is a demand for a new and efficient light guide plate design method that has been developed from such a primitive method.

  The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, by obtaining the luminance pattern of the light guide plate designed by using computer simulation without actually manufacturing the light guide plate, and automatically feeding back this. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for easily obtaining an optimized light guide plate pattern.

  Therefore, by utilizing such a feature of the present invention, the cost and time required for manufacturing a new light guide plate can be significantly reduced.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a software structure for driving a computer to operate in the above-described manner and a method for operating the software.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure of an automatic light guide plate design system that operates by the above method and a method for operating the structure.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, a light guide plate pattern including an input unit, an output unit, a storage unit, a central processing unit, a dot position generation unit, a simulator, a luminance calculation unit, and a dot density correction unit. In the light guide plate pattern design method using a design system, the central processing unit (a) receives an input of a light guide plate pattern having a predetermined dot density using the input means, and (b) the input means. Receiving the input of the dot form variables and the light guide plate variables using (a), and (c) generating coordinate variables for each dot using the dot position generation means based on the dot density input in the previous step And (d) inputting coordinate variables, form variables, and light guide plate variables of the dots into the simulator, and (e) using the simulator, (G) simulating a light guide plate luminance distribution indicated by the light guide plate pattern inputted in the step; (f) obtaining an overall average luminance value of the simulated light guide plate using the luminance calculation means; Obtaining an individual luminance value for each analysis sector obtained by dividing the light guide plate using the luminance calculating means; and (h) based on the average luminance value and the individual luminance value using the dot density correcting means. A method of designing a light guide plate pattern comprising performing a method of designing a light guide plate pattern including adjusting a dot density of each analysis sector to generate a dot density of a new light guide plate pattern.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, in a recording medium storing a computer program for driving a computer having an input unit, an output unit, a storage unit, and a central processing unit, the computer program includes a dot position generation unit, a simulator Brightness calculating means and dot density correcting means, wherein the computer program (a) receives an input of a light guide plate pattern having a predetermined dot density using the input means, and (b) the input means Using the dot shape variable and the light guide plate variable, and (c) generating a coordinate variable for each dot using the dot position generation means based on the dot density input in the previous step. , (D) inputting the coordinate variable, form variable, and light guide plate variable of the dot into the simulator (E) simulating the light guide plate luminance distribution indicated by the light guide plate pattern inputted in the previous step using the simulator; and (f) the entire simulated light guide plate using the luminance calculation means. Obtaining an average luminance value; (g) obtaining an individual luminance value for each analysis sector obtained by dividing the light guide plate using the luminance calculating means; and (h) using the dot density correcting means. Performing a light guide plate pattern design method including a step of generating a dot density of a new light guide plate pattern by adjusting the dot density of each analysis sector based on the average luminance value and the individual luminance value. A recording medium on which is recorded.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, an input unit, an output unit, a storage unit, a central processing unit, a dot position generation unit, a simulator, a luminance calculation unit, and a dot density correction unit are included, and (a) the input unit includes A step of receiving an input of a light guide plate pattern having a predetermined dot density, (b) a step of receiving input of the dot form variables and the light guide plate variables using the input means, and (c) in a previous step Generating coordinate variables for each dot using the dot position generation means based on the input dot density; and (d) inputting the coordinate variables, form variables, and light guide plate variables of the dots to the simulator; (E) simulating the light guide plate luminance distribution indicated by the light guide plate pattern inputted in the previous step using the simulator; and (f) the luminance calculating means. A step of obtaining an overall average luminance value of the simulated light guide plate, and (g) obtaining an individual luminance value for each analysis sector obtained by dividing the light guide plate using the luminance calculation means, and (h) And a step of generating a dot density of a new light guide plate pattern by adjusting the dot density of each analysis sector based on the average brightness value and the individual brightness value using the dot density correction means. An apparatus for designing a light guide plate pattern is provided.

  The light guide plate described above can be used with either a point light source such as an LED or a linear light source such as CCFL disposed on the side surface thereof.

  The most notable point in the drive system of the present invention is that all steps before actually making the light guide plate are moved by computer simulation, the brightness is judged with the naked eye of the producer, and the dot density is corrected manually, followed by This step is automatically performed by the digital data value exchanged between the simulator and the dot density correcting means, not the method of designing the pattern.

  Therefore, the user only has to determine whether or not to create a new dot density pattern after checking the simulator result value with the naked eye, so that an accurate pattern can be obtained in a short time that cannot be compared with the existing method. it can.

  As a result, when designing a new type of light guide plate pattern to be used for a new display device using the present invention, the optimum pattern can be found significantly faster and faster than the conventional method. Above all, since it is not necessary to actually make a plurality of molds, the design cost is significantly reduced.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a light guide plate pattern design system according to the present invention. The system of FIG. 1 drives a computer, and includes hardware devices such as input means for inputting data, storage means for storing data, a CPU for calculating data, and output means such as a monitor for outputting data. . Furthermore, a dot position generating means for setting the coordinates of the dots whose density is set for each area of the light guide plate, and a simulator for simulating an optical situation by receiving the generated coordinates of the dots and other optical data Brightness calculating means for analyzing the brightness of the result output from the simulator, and dot density correcting means for resetting the dot density for each area from the calculated brightness.

  Each of the means realized by either hardware or software can be realized in a single computer (stand-alone type), but they are connected via wired and wireless, partly acting as a server and partly acting as a client. The network computer can be realized and operated organically (network type).

  In the light guide plate pattern design system of the present invention, the first step is to generate a T01 pattern using the input means by a user who wants to design a light guide plate.

  In the present invention, the T01 pattern refers to the dot density set by the user for each region of the light guide plate that is the design target. This is the most primitive and basic light guide plate pattern, but the specific method for setting this is to input the size of the entire light guide plate using the input means and set the dot density for each region. Alternatively, after entering the dot density at a specific point, for example, the point closest to the light source, the dot density is automatically calculated by region using a preset exponential function or other function. This is a method for setting.

  FIG. 2 shows an embodiment for the dot density of T01 arbitrarily set by the user according to the distance from the light source, and the schematic shape of the light guide plate of this embodiment is shown in FIG. Yes. In this embodiment, when the Y-axis coordinate value of a light source adjacent to one side surface of a light guide plate having a horizontal axis length of 50 mm and a vertical axis length of 60 mm is set to 0, the Y-axis direction This is a dot density pattern of an arbitrary light guide plate set so that the dot density increases as the distance increases.

  Here, the fact that the dot density is set to increase according to the Y value means that the luminance decreases as the distance from the light source increases, and this is offset to obtain a uniform luminance as a whole. Thus, the natural law is used that the luminance increases as the number of dots increases in the light guide plate.

  As the increment due to the distance of the Y-axis, an arbitrary value based on the user's experience can be input in addition to the exponential function and linear proportionality described above. In this way, the dot density can be arbitrarily set at T01. This is because optimization can be approached in an iterative process described later.

  The pattern of FIG. 3 is a simple pattern having the same dot density at all points located at the same Y distance by the input of FIG. 2, that is, the same height as seen from the drawing, so that the initial value for driving the simulator of the present invention It only has the above meaning. Therefore, when the light guide plate in which the dot pattern of T01 is actually realized is used together with the point light source LED, a portion near the light source is too bright, a dark area is formed on the side surface, and the luminance of the entire light guide plate is also uneven. It is.

  The present invention drives the simulator based on this T01 and repeats this while setting new patterns extracted each time to T11, T21, etc., and automatically finds the optimized light guide plate pattern design.

  When the dot density pattern of T01 is set, the next step is a step of checking how much brightness is simulated by the optical simulator using this pattern.

  The simulator used in the present invention is sufficient as long as it can calculate the brightness distribution of the light guide plate over the entire area of the light guide plate after inputting the necessary variables of the dots. As an example, SPEOS of France optis can be used.

  Since the simulator produces an optical situation, all information about individual dots must be known. Therefore, in order to drive the simulator, the dot density set in T01 must be converted into specific simulator input data.

  One of the important variables to be input to the simulator is the dot position information, that is, the X, Y, and Z coordinates. These coordinates are determined by the dot position generation means, which is one component of the present invention. It is generated based on the dot density provided in the stage.

  The generation method will be described in detail. First, the dot position generation unit in FIG. 1 is provided with the density information of the dots input by the input unit. At this time, the dot density can be transmitted from the input unit to the dot position generation unit via the storage unit in conjunction with each position information.

  The dot position generation means creates the X, Y, Z coordinates of the dot based on the provided density distribution, that is, T01, and a method of periodically arranging the dot within the point, The coordinates of each dot can be generated using any one of the random placement methods.

  In the case of periodic arrangement, for example, if 250 dots are positioned within 5 mm × 5 mm over the entire area, each dot is uniformly arranged with an interval of 0.01 mm, so the X, Y, and Z coordinates are also What is necessary is just to set so that it may increase only 0.01 mm with respect to the X-axis and the Y-axis from the coordinate (0, 0, 0) of the point arrange | positioned most at a corner. Since it is for a two-dimensional light guide plate, all Z coordinates are zero. In T01 of FIG. 2, since the dot density is set for each Y-axis section, the periodic arrangement is obtained by dividing the square area formed by the X-axis length and the Y-axis length by the number of dots according to this density. This is done by setting the coordinates.

  A random arrangement method, which is another method for setting dot positions, arbitrarily sets dot coordinates within a unit area using a random number generator (not shown) which is one component of dot position generation means. It is a method. In other words, this is a method of generating dot coordinates randomly while satisfying the density condition of the area.

  Either of the two methods may be used, but if the process deviation generated in the actual process is taken into consideration, the latter method using the random number generator is a method that enables more realistic simulation. I can say that.

  An example in which the X, Y, and Z coordinates of each dot arranged in T01 are set using either one of the two methods described above is shown in FIG. 4 in the form of a Microsoft Excel file. Has been. This file is used later as a script file that is input to the simulator.

  In the example of FIG. 4, an elliptical dot is assumed, and each number row is data for one dot. Specifically, the first three numbers are the X, Y, and Z coordinate values of each dot, and the next six numbers are divided into two groups of three, each of which is an ellipse. 2 shows two vectors indicating the directions of the major axis and the minor axis. The next three numbers indicate the lengths of the elliptical dots in the X, Y, and Z axis directions.

  In the present invention, the dot shape variable is a concept including all the remaining dot information necessary for driving the simulator, excluding the coordinate variable located in the first half of the number row. If it is a shape, long axis information, short axis information, and size information in each axial direction are indicated. Also, if the dot is spherical, only the diameter of the sphere will be included in the dot shape variable, and if the dot is a cylinder, the diameter of the cylinder and its direction and size relative to its height will be included. For other shapes of dots, a variable that can define the shape is referred to as a dot form variable, which is input to the simulator together with the coordinate variable created by the dot position generation means.

  When the generation of such coordinate values is completed, this is all input to the simulator. The input is performed by a method in which the simulator automatically reads a dot coordinate file and a form file created by the dot position generation means, for example, a script file in the form of FIG. 4 from the storage device. Before and after this stage, input optical variables (hereinafter referred to as “light guide plate variables”) necessary for simulation, such as the position and brightness of the light source, the refractive index of the light guide plate, the thickness of the light guide plate, and process errors. Input through the means and provide to the simulator. In addition to such variables, the accuracy of the X, Y, and Z coordinate values, that is, how many digits are input after the decimal point, and how many sectors the entire light guide plate is divided in later analysis are analyzed. Moreover, it can be entered at this stage. This analysis sector will be described in detail later.

  After setting and inputting all such optical variables necessary for driving the simulator, the simulator is driven. As described above, the purpose of this drive is to simulate what luminance distribution the T01 pattern is expressed on the light guide plate as a whole.

  FIG. 5 shows a situation where an example of the luminance distribution T02 obtained by driving the simulator with respect to T01 is shown on a monitor which is an example of the output means. Each boundary line indicates a boundary where the luminance is divided, and the numbers inside the boundary line indicate the relative luminance when the luminance of the brightest part is 100 as a whole. .

  As already predicted before driving the simulator, at T02, the portion near the light source is generally brighter than the portion far from the light source, and the portion immediately before the light source is the brightness of the entire light guide plate. In view of the above, a very bright region (Too Bright Region) is formed, and a very dark region (Dark Region) is formed on the side surface.

  In the next stage, a process of correcting T02 having non-uniform brightness as described above after driving the simulator is performed. The basic natural law used in the correction stage is that the dot density and the luminance of the light guide plate are proportional as described above. That is, T02 is corrected by a method in which the dot density is increased in a relatively low brightness area, and conversely, the dot density is decreased in a relatively high brightness area.

  In order to go through such a correction step, the light guide plate pattern design system of the present invention first divides each region of the light guide plate by a square area having the same area and then finely divides each area. Individual analysis. Such a square is hereinafter referred to as an analysis sector, but the coordinates of each analysis sector can be set as the coordinates of the center point, and each analysis sector has its own luminance value. This is an average luminance value in the area indicating how much light and dark each analysis sector has, and is hereinafter referred to as “individual luminance value”.

  FIG. 6 schematically shows one form divided into the analysis sectors. In particular, on the right side, an arbitrary analysis sector A, which is an example of the analysis sector, is enlarged, and the coordinate values of the analysis sector and the individual analysis sectors are expanded. Luminance values are shown. As described above, the light guide plate pattern design system according to the present invention calculates the individual luminance value of each analysis sector for the result T02 passed through the simulator using the luminance calculation means inside the digital data, and then links the digital data in conjunction with the coordinates. In the storage means.

  After such luminance calculation for each analysis sector is performed, the luminance calculation means obtains an average luminance value (hereinafter referred to as “average luminance value”) of the entire light guide plate. That is, after the T02 luminance distribution is multiplied by the individual luminance value and the area value of the analysis sector in which the luminance appears, the above process is repeated for all the analytical sectors and all the result values are added. This is divided by the total area of the light guide plate to obtain the overall average luminance value. The overall average luminance value is a target value that each part of the light guide plate should reach. When each part reaches the target value, the entire light guide plate shows the same brightness. When this is performed at T02, the overall average luminance value of the light guide plate is obtained as 67, for example.

  In the illustrated example, the number of analysis sectors is not large and the area occupied by each individual analysis sector is large. However, this is only an illustrative example for explanation, and in actual experiments conducted by the present inventor, about 40,000. One analytical sector was used. As the number of such analysis sectors increases, the accuracy or resolution in future analysis increases. However, if there are too many such analysis sectors, there is a possibility that the calculation will be burdened. In the case of a telephone light guide plate, it has been determined through various experiments that a value of about 1,000 to about 40,000 is appropriate. However, the present invention is not limited to this range.

  When the individual luminance value for each analysis sector and the average luminance value of the entire light guide plate are performed by the luminance calculating means and stored as a digital file, this data is transmitted to the dot density correcting means. The dot density correction unit compares each analysis sector and the corresponding individual luminance value with an average luminance value, and sets a new dot density for each analysis sector so that each analysis sector reaches the overall average luminance value. . That is, the dot density is lowered from the current level for the sector that shows an individual brightness value higher than the overall average brightness value, and the dot density is improved from the time T01 for the analysis sector that shows a brightness lower than the average brightness value.

  Such dot density correction can follow any one of a variety of previously stored logic. Hereinafter, such dot density correction logic will be described.

  The first correction logic, which is one of the correction logics for adjusting the dot density, calculates the difference between the overall average luminance value and each individual luminance value, and what percentage the difference value corresponds to. To increase or decrease the dot density of the sector by that percentage.

  In order to explain this in more detail, for example, an arbitrary analysis sector having an individual luminance value of 50 and a dot density of 40 is a relatively dark sector in which the luminance is reduced by 17 when compared with the average luminance value 67. On the other hand, in order to correct the dot density, when the luminance difference is converted as a percentage, the luminance is small by 34% (17/50 × 100). Therefore, the dot density is improved by this percentage. That is, the new dot density that this sector should have is 54 (40 × 1.34). In this way, a new pattern is generated by correcting the dot density for each individual sector.

  The dot density and brightness are not necessarily in a linear proportional relationship as described above. That is, in addition to the above-described method, a weight value can be given according to the Y coordinate value of each sector, or an exponential function or other similar functions can be set so that the two are proportional. Since the simulation is performed many times and the optimum design is reached from now on, if only the dot density and the luminance value are maintained in a proportional state, no matter which function is used to correct the dot density, the dot density is greatly affected. It is because it does not exert. Therefore, it is clear that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment in which the dot density and the brightness are calculated only with the linear proportional relationship.

  The second correction logic for adjusting the dot density increases or decreases the dot density of each analysis sector by a predetermined number at a time. For example, since the individual brightness value of the sector is smaller than the overall average brightness value, the density of 12 dots is increased to have a total density of 52 dots, and the individual brightness value is 82 and the overall average brightness is 82. For another sector with a dot density greater than 43 and a dot density of 43, adjust the dot density of each analysis sector by adjusting 12 dots to a total of 31 dot densities. T11 is generated.

  Here, the increase or decrease of the predetermined number of dots is to reduce the calculation burden because the pattern generation module needs to perform calculations for a total of 40,000 analysis sectors. Further, the 12 adjustment values are arbitrary numbers set in advance, and the dot density to be added or subtracted from the 12 to 5 in the continuous approximation process for obtaining T21, T31, T41, etc. later. If the size is reduced to 3 or 3, the dot density close to the target overall average luminance value is finally obtained for each individual analysis sector. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all the numbers given as examples here are merely illustrative examples.

  While adjusting the dot density for each sector using any one of these methods, the dot density correction means finally obtains the dot density corresponding to the new pattern T11.

  In the dot density correction, if the dot density is too high to be practically processed, the dot density can be reduced by the same degree as a whole and converted into a number that can be actually processed. For example, if it is derived that any one analysis sector of T11 should have a dot density in which 10,000 or more dots are arranged within 1 mm × 1 mm, no matter how precise laser processing is performed, that degree The density is impossible to process itself, or it takes too much cost and time to process, so we try to reduce it to 100, which is 1% of the density. At this time, since it is impossible to reduce only the sector concerned, all the remaining individual sectors must be corrected to reduce to 1% of the calculated density.

  The T11 may be a final pattern capable of exhibiting uniform brightness by itself, but generally, a pattern obtained at this stage is a final pattern that cannot exhibit completely uniform brightness. An intermediate stage form to obtain is obtained.

  In order to judge such a situation, the light guide plate pattern design system of the present invention inputs the T11 variable once more into the simulator and drives the simulator. Since a new dot density has already been obtained for each sector at T11, it is not difficult to set the X and Y coordinates of each dot using the dot position generation means described above so as to match this dot density. The remaining variables are the same as those for T01 with respect to the size, material, and light source of the light plate.

  The simulator is driven with respect to T11, and the simulation result value T12 shown in FIG. 7 can be obtained. At T12, it can be seen that there are no more luminance boundary lines than at the previous stage T02, and many luminance differences between the portion immediately before the light source and its side portions have been eliminated. That is, the brightness of the individual sector as a whole is close to the target overall average brightness value.

  The same process is repeated once more for this T12. That is. After obtaining the individual luminance value of each analysis sector once more, this is compared with the overall average luminance value, and the corresponding dot density is adjusted. The adjustment logic uses the same logic as that for obtaining T11 described above.

  Through this process, T12 in which a new dot density is set for each individual sector can be obtained.

  A result T22 obtained by further driving the T21 with the simulator is schematically shown in FIG. 8, but it can be seen that the overall brightness is almost uniform at present.

  If the process of obtaining the TN1 is repeated many times in this manner, the overall luminance becomes uniform step by step, and finally, a pattern having a luminance uniformity enough to manufacture an actual light guide plate is obtained. be able to. Such a situation can be understood by driving the simulator every time the TN1 pattern is obtained and observing the resulting value with the naked eye from the monitor.

  When it is determined that TN1 having a uniform luminance that is satisfactory is derived, necessary data is extracted from the TN1 and an actual light guide plate is manufactured. The data necessary for the actual manufacture of the light guide plate is the positional information and form information of each dot, which is provided from the storage means to the dot processing margin with a numerical control program, and then the prototype light guide plate is actually manufactured.

  In order to know whether the actually manufactured light guide plate shows uniform brightness as in a simulator, after mounting a light source on this prototype, an experiment must be performed to confirm the brightness distribution with the naked eye. If the result value is not to be satisfied, the cause can be found and fed back to any one of the steps of the present invention, so that the present invention can derive a more satisfactory result later.

  If the simulation and the actual result are different from each other, the dot density correction method is not based on the simple proportionality described above, or another variable that was not anticipated appears, but this is a new correction. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the values or new variables need only be fed back into the process, and not fundamentally changing the mode of operation of the present invention.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating the operation method of the light guide plate pattern design system of the present invention described above.

  First, since it is repeated many times, a variable N for dividing each stage is set to zero.

  Thereafter, at this stage where TN1, that is, N = 0, when the user arbitrarily sets and inputs the dot density of T01 as shown in FIG. 2, the dot position generation means calculates the coordinate value of each dot from this input value. Generate and input to the simulator. In addition, before and after the above steps, both form variables and light guide plate variables necessary for the simulation are input.

  If the simulator is driven after the input, the result value T02 is generated.

  After visually outputting T02 to the output means, the user determines whether the luminance is uniform for judgment, and if it is uniform, the data is completely stored in the storage means for the actual manufacture of the light guide plate. After storing or transmitting to the numerically controlled machining device, all steps are finished. However, if it is determined that the result is not satisfactory, the following repeated execution steps are performed.

  First, an analysis sector is set, and the luminance calculation means obtains an overall average luminance value and an individual luminance value. If there is an analysis sector already set up in the previous stage and it is used as it is, this stage may not be performed.

  Thereafter, using the average luminance value and the individual luminance value, the dot density correction means obtains T11 having a new dot density distribution. At this stage, the N value is increased by one to be distinguished from the previous T01.

  Next, the T11 is input, the dot position generation means described above obtains the respective dot coordinates, and a simulation is performed as described above.

  These steps are repeated until a satisfactory luminance distribution is shown.

  The embodiments of the present invention can have various modifications.

  For example, the simulated dot is an ink dot printed by screen printing, or a concept that includes all the dots mechanically made on the light guide plate. The lens type, spherical type, prismatic type, pyramid type, and other light guide plate patterns that can be used, and all the forms in which the variables can be set, correspond to this.

  In the description of the dot density of the entire present invention, as an example, the number of dots per unit area has been described. However, it is natural that the total area of dots per unit area can also be used as the dot density. Therefore, in the present invention, what is called dot density is a concept that includes not only the number of dots per unit area but also the total area occupied by dots per unit area.

  Further, the resolution or efficiency of the analysis can be increased by increasing or decreasing the number of analysis sectors as the TN1 passes.

  In addition, out of the luminance values indicated by each analysis sector, abnormal data located within a predetermined range at both ends of the normal distribution does not affect subsequent calculations because the simulator determines that it is incorrect luminance. It can also be removed.

  This will be described in more detail. When the individual luminance values are arranged in a normal distribution, the average value matches the overall average luminance value. Therefore, the individual luminance values centered on this have a bell-type distribution, but are located at both ends of the normal distribution and show a difference of not less than a predetermined value, for example, ± 70% or more from the average luminance value. Since there is room for the values to be recognized by the simulator as incorrect values, these values can be removed to improve the accuracy of the calculation.

  The present invention can be applied to a case where CCFL is used as a light source in addition to the case where the illustrated LED or the like is used as a light source. In this case, the analysis sector can be configured by a number of rectangles parallel to the CCFL, in addition to the above-described grid shape.

  10 to 13 are diagrams showing a light guide plate pattern design method when a linear side light source such as CCFL is used.

  First, FIG. 10 schematically shows a CCFL currently used and a light guide plate using the CCFL. The light source CCFL is a side light source arranged on the side surface of the light guide plate, and a groove pattern is used. Is the situation.

  FIG. 11 is a luminance distribution showing the result of passing through the simulator of the present invention with respect to T01 which is the pattern of FIG. 10, that is, the situation where the grooves are arranged at regular intervals. Each line represents a boundary value of luminance, and it can be seen that the luminance is not uniform as a whole.

  In addition, when a linear light source such as CCFL is used, it can be seen that all points separated by the same distance from the light source in the luminance distribution of the entire light guide plate exhibit the same luminance. Therefore, unlike the above-described embodiment using a point light source such as an LED, when designing a light guide plate pattern for a linear light source, the density of the light guide plate pattern over any one straight line in the X-axis direction, for example, X1 The pattern design for the entire light guide plate is sufficiently completed by designing only the same and extending the same in the Y-axis direction.

  FIG. 12 is a comprehensive representation of FIGS. 10 and 11 again. The T01 pattern in which the groove patterns at the lower part of the light guide plate are arranged at regular intervals and the simulated luminance distribution by the T01 pattern, that is, X1 in FIG. The luminance distribution situation simulated along the line is expressed according to the distance from the CCFL as the light source.

  Similar to the above-described embodiment, the T01 pattern indicating the luminance distribution is obtained by calculating an average luminance value of the entire target light guide plate, and analyzing sectors obtained by dividing the light guide plate at equal intervals (w) in the X-axis direction. Set. Thereafter, a density adjustment step of the lower groove or pattern is performed for each analysis sector. FIG. 13 schematically shows a pattern of T11 in which the individual luminance value is adjusted closer to the average luminance value by adjusting the pattern distribution of T01 first. The logic for adjusting the pattern or groove density in this way uses the same method as that of the point light source described above.

  As mentioned above, although the suitable Example of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to these Examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a block diagram of the pattern design system of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the dot density of T01 pattern. It is a schematic diagram which shows the shape of the light-guide plate by the dot density of FIG. It is a figure which shows the data of an elliptical dot. It is a luminance distribution schematic diagram of the result value T02 of the simulator. It is a figure which sets the analysis sector to the said T02. It is a luminance distribution schematic diagram which shows the simulation result with respect to T11. It is a luminance distribution schematic diagram which shows the simulation result with respect to T21. It is a flowchart showing the pattern design method of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern design method of the light-guide plate which uses a linear type side light source. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern design method of the light-guide plate which uses a linear type side light source. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern design method of the light-guide plate which uses a linear type side light source. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern design method of the light-guide plate which uses a linear type side light source.

Claims (18)

In the light guide plate pattern design method using the light guide plate pattern design system including input means, output means, storage means, central processing unit, dot position generation means, simulator, luminance calculation means and dot density correction means,
The central processing unit is
(A) receiving an input of a light guide plate pattern having a predetermined dot density using the input means;
(B) receiving input of the dot shape variable and the light guide plate variable using the input means;
(C) generating a coordinate variable for each dot using the dot position generation means based on the dot density input in the previous step;
(D) inputting coordinate variables, form variables, and light guide plate variables of the dots into the simulator;
(E) using the simulator, simulating the light guide plate luminance distribution indicated by the light guide plate pattern input in the previous step;
(F) obtaining an overall average luminance value of the simulated light guide plate using the luminance calculation means;
(G) using the luminance calculation means to obtain an individual luminance value for each analysis sector obtained by dividing the light guide plate;
And (h) using the dot density correcting means to generate a dot density of a new light guide plate pattern by adjusting the dot density of each analysis sector based on the average luminance value and the individual luminance value. A light guide plate pattern design method, comprising performing a pattern design method.   The light guide plate pattern design method according to claim 1, further comprising: visually expressing the simulated luminance distribution using the output device after the step (e).   The light guide plate pattern according to claim 1 or 2, wherein steps (c) to (h) are repeatedly performed based on a design density of the new light guide plate pattern obtained in step (h). Design method.   The light guide plate pattern design method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (c), coordinate values are generated so that the dots are regularly arranged on the light guide plate.   The light guide plate pattern design method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (c), the coordinate values are generated so that the dots are arranged in a random manner.   2. The light guide plate according to claim 1, wherein the step (h) is performed after removing a value indicating a difference greater than a predetermined value from the average luminance value among the individual luminance values in the step (g). Pattern design method.   The light guide plate according to claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the dot density adjusts the dot density so as to be linearly proportional to a difference value between the overall average luminance value and the individual average luminance value. Pattern design method.   The adjustment of the dot density in the step (h) is based on the number of dots per unit area and the total area occupied by dots per unit area so as to be proportional to the difference value between the average luminance value and the individual luminance value. The light guide plate pattern design method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the above is adjusted.   The light guide plate pattern designing method according to claim 1, wherein the luminance values obtained in the steps (f) to (g) are in a digital data form.   2. The light guide plate pattern design method according to claim 1, wherein the dot simulates one of an ink dot and a mechanical dot formed on the light guide plate. 3.   2. The light guide plate pattern design method according to claim 1, wherein the dot simulates any one of a lens shape, a spherical shape, a prism shape, and a pyramid shape.   The light guide plate pattern design method according to claim 1, wherein the light guide plate is used together with any one of a point light source and a linear light source arranged on a side surface thereof. In a recording medium storing a computer program for driving a computer having input means, output means, storage means, and a central processing unit,
The computer program includes dot position generation means, a simulator, luminance calculation means, and dot density correction means,
The computer program is
(A) receiving an input of a light guide plate pattern having a predetermined dot density using the input means;
(B) receiving input of the dot shape variable and the light guide plate variable using the input means;
(C) generating a coordinate variable for each dot using the dot position generation means based on the dot density input in the previous step;
(D) inputting coordinate variables, form variables, and light guide plate variables of the dots into the simulator;
(E) using the simulator, simulating the light guide plate luminance distribution indicated by the light guide plate pattern input in the previous step;
(F) obtaining an overall average luminance value of the simulated light guide plate using the luminance calculation means;
(G) using the luminance calculation means to obtain an individual luminance value for each analysis sector obtained by dividing the light guide plate;
And (h) using the dot density correcting means to generate a dot density of a new light guide plate pattern by adjusting the dot density of each analysis sector based on the average luminance value and the individual luminance value. A recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, wherein a pattern design method is performed.   14. The recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon according to claim 13, wherein the luminance values obtained in steps (f) to (g) are in the form of digital data.   The recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the light guide plate is used together with any one of a point light source and a linear light source disposed on a side surface of the light guide plate. In the light guide plate pattern design apparatus including input means, output means, storage means, central processing unit, dot position generation means, simulator, luminance calculation means and dot density correction means,
The light guide plate pattern design apparatus comprises:
(A) receiving an input of a light guide plate pattern having a predetermined dot density using the input means;
(B) receiving input of the dot shape variable and the light guide plate variable using the input means;
(C) generating a coordinate variable for each dot using the dot position generation means based on the dot density input in the previous step;
(D) inputting coordinate variables, form variables, and light guide plate variables of the dots into the simulator;
(E) using the simulator, simulating the light guide plate luminance distribution indicated by the light guide plate pattern input in the previous step;
(F) obtaining an overall average luminance value of the simulated light guide plate using the luminance calculation means;
(G) using the luminance calculation means to obtain an individual luminance value for each analysis sector obtained by dividing the light guide plate;
And (h) using the dot density correcting means to generate a dot density of a new light guide plate pattern by adjusting the dot density of each analysis sector based on the average luminance value and the individual luminance value. A light guide plate pattern design apparatus, characterized by performing a pattern design method.   The light guide plate pattern design apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the light guide plate is used together with any one of a point light source and a linear light source arranged on a side surface thereof.   [17] The light guide plate pattern design apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the luminance values obtained in the steps (f) to (g) are in the form of digital data.

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