Method, device and quality management method for detecting defects of display panel

Abstract

This invention provides a method, apparatus, and quality management method for detecting defects in display panels, belonging to the field of display technology. The method for detecting defects in a display panel includes: confirming whether the display panel has defects based on its display status; if defects are found, acquiring an image showing the defects of the display panel based on received first indication information; displaying the acquired image; enlarging the displayed image according to a preset ratio; and determining a precise defect area based on the grayscale of each pixel corresponding to the displayed image, thereby determining the actual defect size of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of display technology, and specifically relates to a method, apparatus, and quality management method for detecting defects in display panels. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of display technology, the display resolution of display panels is getting higher and higher, and the shipment volume is also increasing, making the quality inspection task of display panels increasingly heavy. At present, the main method is for staff to manually measure the defects of display panels using comparison cards or eyepieces. However, the defective areas of display panels are usually small, making it difficult for staff to accurately measure the size of the defects. Moreover, due to factors such as work experience and eye fatigue, the measurement results of different staff may vary.

[0003] Therefore, improving the accuracy of defect detection for display panels has become a pressing technical problem to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a method for detecting defects in display panels by accurately detecting defective dimensions of display panels.

[0005] The technical solution adopted to solve the technical problem of this invention is a method for detecting defects in a display panel, comprising:

[0006] The presence of defects in the display panel is determined based on the display status of the display panel to be tested. If defects are found, an image showing the defects of the display panel is obtained based on the received first instruction information.

[0007] The acquired image is displayed, and the displayed image is magnified according to a preset ratio. The precise defect area is determined according to the grayscale of each pixel in the displayed image, so as to determine the actual defect size of the display panel.

[0008] Preferably, the steps of displaying the acquired image, enlarging it according to a preset ratio, and determining the precise defective area based on the grayscale of each pixel in the displayed image include:

[0009] The acquired image is enlarged and displayed according to a predetermined ratio;

[0010] The precise defective areas are determined based on the grayscale of each pixel after being magnified in the corresponding display.

[0011] Preferably, the step of determining the precise defective region based on the grayscale of each pixel corresponding to the displayed image includes:

[0012] Determine the grayscale of each pixel corresponding to the image being displayed;

[0013] Determine whether the grayscale of each pixel meets the preset range. If it does, then the pixel displays the first grayscale; if it does not, then the pixel displays the second grayscale. The first grayscale is different from the second grayscale.

[0014] The largest area defined by the pixels of the first grayscale is the precision defect area.

[0015] Preferably, the defect detection method further includes a step of determining the actual defect size of the display panel; the step of determining the actual defect size of the display panel includes:

[0016] The dimensions of the precise defective area are measured according to the second instruction information;

[0017] The actual defective size of the display panel is determined based on the measurement results and the predetermined ratio.

[0018] The technical solution adopted to solve the technical problem of the present invention is a quality management method for display panels, including any of the above-mentioned defect detection methods for display panels.

[0019] Preferably, the quality management method further includes:

[0020] The defect level of the display panel is determined based on the actual defective size of the display panel.

[0021] The technical solution adopted to solve the technical problem of the present invention is a defect detection device for display panels, comprising:

[0022] The first determining unit is used to determine whether the display panel is defective based on the display status of the display panel to be tested;

[0023] If present, a defective image with the display panel is obtained according to the received first instruction information;

[0024] The image acquisition unit is used to determine whether the display panel is defective based on the display status of the display panel to be detected when the display panel is defective; if it is defective, the unit acquires an image of the defective display panel based on the received first indication information.

[0025] An image display unit is used to display the acquired image;

[0026] The magnification unit is used to magnify the displayed image according to a preset ratio;

[0027] The precision determination unit is used to determine the precise defect area based on the grayscale of each pixel corresponding to the displayed image, so as to determine the actual defect size of the display panel.

[0028] Preferably, the magnification unit is used to magnify the acquired image according to a predetermined ratio;

[0029] The image display unit is specifically used to display the magnified acquired image;

[0030] The precise determination unit is specifically used to determine the precise defective area based on the grayscale of each pixel after it has been enlarged and displayed.

[0031] Preferably, the precise determination unit includes:

[0032] A grayscale determination module is used to determine the grayscale of each pixel in the display image corresponding to the defective area.

[0033] The judgment unit is used to determine whether the gray level of each pixel meets the preset range. If it does, the pixel is set to display the first gray level; if it does not, the pixel is set to display the second gray level.

[0034] The largest area defined by the pixels of the first grayscale is the precise defective area.

[0035] Preferably, the defect detection device further includes:

[0036] A measuring unit is used to measure the size of the precise defective area according to the second indication information;

[0037] A calculation unit is used to calculate and determine the actual defective size of the display panel based on the measurement results and the predetermined ratio. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a defect detection method for a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 The image displayed on the display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a magnified display image of an image with defects, as shown in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0042] Example 1:

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for detecting defects in a display panel, particularly suitable for detecting dimensional defects in liquid crystal display panels. The defect detection method includes:

[0044] S1. Confirm whether the display panel is defective based on its display status. If so, obtain an image showing the defective display panel based on the received first instruction information.

[0045] In this embodiment, when there is a defect in the display panel, the staff can send a first instruction to the defect detection device according to the location of the defect as seen by the human eye. The defect detection device then obtains an image of the defect in the display panel based on the received first instruction.

[0046] S2 displays the acquired image, enlarges the displayed image according to a preset ratio, and determines the precise defect area based on the grayscale of each pixel in the corresponding displayed image, so as to determine the actual defect size of the display panel.

[0047] Since defects in display panels are usually very small, the human eye cannot directly and accurately determine their size. In this step, the acquired image containing defects is magnified and processed, and the precise defect area is determined based on the grayscale of each pixel in the defect area. This helps personnel accurately identify the defective areas of the display panel, facilitating the accurate measurement of the defect size.

[0048] The defect detection method for the display panel provided in this embodiment can acquire a display image of a small defect with blurred boundaries captured by the human eye, and magnify the image to determine the precise actual defect area (i.e., the precise defect area) based on the change in grayscale of the image display caused by the defect. This allows for accurate determination of the precise size of the small defect, which is convenient for defect calibration of the display panel.

[0049] The defect detection method provided in this embodiment can be used to detect various defects in display panels. To illustrate this method more clearly, the following description uses the dimensional detection of defects caused by foreign objects in a liquid crystal display panel as an example. The detection method includes:

[0050] S11. Control the display panel to be tested to display the test screen.

[0051] This step is the preparation work for the defect detection method, such as... Figure 2 As shown, display defects are detected by controlling the display panel under test. Figure 2 (At the intersection of the dashed lines). The detection screen can be any display screen. Preferably, to facilitate the detection of defects in the display panel, the detection screen is preferably a solid color screen, such as red, blue, green, or pure white. The following explanation uses a pure white screen as an example for detecting defects.

[0052] S12. Confirm whether the display panel is defective based on the display status of the display panel to be tested. If it is defective, obtain an image of the defective display panel based on the received first instruction information.

[0053] In this step, the display panel can be inspected by human visual inspection or by machine to identify defective areas and obtain images showing these areas. Taking visual inspection as an example, staff can confirm the presence of defects by observing the display on the panel. If defects are found (…),… Figure 2 At the intersection of the dotted lines, the defective area can be marked using tools such as a mouse (issuing the first indication information). The image acquisition unit then acquires the display image of that area of ​​the display panel to be inspected based on the marked area. It should be noted that this display image is the image presented to the human eye after the display panel has been defectively inspected.

[0054] It should be noted that, due to the small size of the defects on the display panel, the defect area marked in this step is a rough area and the precise size of the defects cannot be determined. In other words, the defects in the image obtained in this step are small, so subsequent steps are needed to further process the obtained image to determine the precise size of the defects.

[0055] S13. Display the acquired image, enlarge the displayed image according to a preset ratio, and determine the precise defect area based on the grayscale of each pixel in the corresponding displayed image, so as to determine the actual defect size of the display panel.

[0056] In this step, such as Figure 3 As shown, the actual defect size of the display panel is accurately determined by magnifying and processing the defective image.

[0057] Preferably, this step includes:

[0058] S131. Enlarge and display the acquired image according to a predetermined ratio.

[0059] In other words, this step involves magnifying the acquired image containing defects so that the defects are clearly visible to the human eye. Let's take a black spot caused by a foreign object as an example to illustrate this.

[0060] S132. Determine the precise defective area based on the grayscale of each pixel after magnification.

[0061] It is understandable that a defect in the display panel refers to an abnormal display area. Taking a pure red image as an example, when the defect is caused by a foreign object in the display panel, the presence of the foreign object will cause a black dot to appear on the display panel corresponding to the foreign object, and a gradient will form from the black dot to the normal display area (e.g., a white area). When the size of the defect is determined, even if the acquired image with the defect is magnified, the gradient area is relatively blurry, making it difficult for the human eye to clearly distinguish the boundary of the defect. Therefore, in this embodiment, the precise defect area is determined by analyzing the grayscale of each pixel displaying the image.

[0062] Specifically, in this embodiment, the precise determination of defective areas can be achieved through the following steps:

[0063] S1321. Determine the grayscale of each pixel in the corresponding displayed image.

[0064] Understandably, when displaying a defective image, the grayscale of the defective area will differ from the grayscale that should be displayed. Taking a normal display of a solid color image as an example, the grayscale of the normally displayed area (displayed as white) is the same, while the grayscale of the defective area is different from that of the normally displayed area. The grayscale of the edge area gradually changes (from white to black), while the grayscale of the middle part is consistent and displayed as black.

[0065] S1322. Determine whether the grayscale of each pixel meets the preset range. If it does, make the pixel display the first grayscale. If it does not meet the preset range, make the pixel display the second grayscale. The first grayscale is different from the second grayscale. The maximum area defined by the pixel displaying the first grayscale is the precision defect area.

[0066] In this embodiment, a preset range can be determined based on the difference between the grayscale of each pixel in the currently displayed image and the ideal grayscale of each pixel when the display panel is normally displayed. By comparing the grayscale of each pixel with the preset range, the precise defective area can be determined. Specifically, to make the defects clearly visible, pixels whose grayscale meets the preset range can be displayed at a first grayscale, and pixels whose grayscale does not meet the preset range can be displayed at a second grayscale. This makes the defective display area clearly distinguishable from the normal display area, thus accurately determining the precise defective area.

[0067] When the image being detected is a solid color, as a preferred implementation, the displayed grayscale of each pixel can be compared with a preset grayscale threshold. The largest area defined by pixels with grayscale values ​​greater than this threshold can be defined as the area with poor accuracy. This grayscale threshold can be set according to the human eye's recognition ability. For example, assuming the lowest grayscale value that the human eye can recognize is 160 for red, green, and blue, then pixels with grayscale values ​​below 160 can be controlled to display completely black, with the liquid crystal particle deflection angle set to 0°; pixels with grayscale values ​​above 160 can be controlled to display completely white, with the liquid crystal particle deflection angle set to 90°. Figure 3 As shown, the image at this time appears as a white area in black, which is the area with poor accuracy.

[0068] At this point, the precise area of ​​the display panel can be determined. The size of the magnified, precise defective area can be measured, and the actual defective size of the display panel can be calculated based on the magnification ratio.

[0069] The determination of defective dimensions can be done manually or electronically.

[0070] Preferably, in this embodiment, the method further includes: S14, a step of determining the actual defective size of the display panel. This step of determining the actual defective size of the display panel includes:

[0071] S141. Measure the dimensions of the precision defective area according to the second instruction information.

[0072] In this step, the staff can select the boundary (such as width boundary, height boundary) of the defective area to be measured using a mouse or other tools based on the precise defective area determined in step S13. They can also send a second instruction to the defect detection device using a mouse or other tools. The defect detection device can automatically perform electronic measurement based on the second instruction and measure the required size.

[0073] S142. Calculate and determine the actual defective size of the display panel based on the measurement results and the predetermined ratio.

[0074] It is understandable that the size measured in step S142 is the size after the defect is magnified. In this step, the actual defect size of the display panel can be calculated and determined based on the measurement results and the magnification ratio.

[0075] Example 2:

[0076] This embodiment provides a quality management method for display panels, including: any of the defect detection methods for display panels provided in Embodiment 1.

[0077] Since the quality management method of the display panel in this embodiment includes the defect detection method of the display panel provided in Embodiment 1, the defective size of the display panel can be accurately detected, and the defect level of the display panel can be determined according to the defective size, thereby improving the quality management effect of the display panel.

[0078] Preferably, the quality management method provided in this embodiment further includes: determining the defect level of the display panel based on the actual defect size of the display panel.

[0079] In this embodiment, when a defective size of the display panel is detected, the defective size of the display panel can be uploaded and stored in the MES system to determine the defect level of the display panel.

[0080] Specifically, when determining the defect level of a display panel, the defect level can be manually selected first. Then, the system will automatically benchmark against the defective dimensions of the display panels stored in the MES system. If the benchmark is successful, the display panel will be put into storage according to the manually selected level. Otherwise, the system will instruct the staff to reselect the level and benchmark again until the benchmark is successful.

[0081] The criteria for judging the defect level of the display panel can be formulated according to the customer and process requirements, and corresponding specifications and levels are not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0082] The quality management method provided in this embodiment can automatically match and classify the results detected by the defect detection method provided in Embodiment 1 through the company's classification system, which is in contrast to the prior art where manual measurement is performed based on memorized specifications and measurement results for manual selection.

[0083] Example 3:

[0084] This embodiment provides a defect detection device for a display panel, including: a first determining unit, an image acquisition unit, an image display unit, a magnification unit, and a precise determining unit. Wherein,

[0085] The first determining unit is used to determine whether the display panel has any defects based on the display status of the display panel to be tested.

[0086] The image acquisition unit is used to determine whether the display panel is defective based on the display status of the display panel to be detected when the display panel is defective. If it is defective, the unit acquires an image of the defective display panel based on the received first indication information.

[0087] The image display unit is used to display the acquired image.

[0088] The magnification unit is used to magnify the displayed image according to a preset ratio.

[0089] The precision determination unit is used to determine the precise defect area based on the grayscale of each pixel of the corresponding displayed image, so as to determine the actual defect size of the display panel.

[0090] Preferably, the magnification unit is used to magnify the acquired image according to a predetermined ratio. The image display unit is specifically used to display the magnified acquired image. The precision determination unit is specifically used to determine the defective areas based on the grayscale of each pixel in the corresponding magnified display.

[0091] Preferably, the precise determination unit includes a grayscale determination module and a judgment module. The grayscale determination module determines the grayscale of each pixel in the displayed image corresponding to the defective display area; the judgment module determines whether the grayscale of each pixel meets a preset range. If it does, the pixel displays the first grayscale; if not, the pixel displays the second grayscale. The maximum area defined by the pixels displaying the first grayscale constitutes the precise defective display area.

[0092] Preferably, the defect detection device in this embodiment further includes a measurement unit and a calculation unit. The measurement unit measures the precise dimensions of the defective area based on the second indication information; the calculation unit calculates and determines the actual defective dimensions of the display panel based on the measurement results and a predetermined ratio.

[0093] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for detecting defects in a display panel, characterized in that, Used for dimensional inspection of defects caused by foreign objects in display panels, including: The presence of foreign objects or defects in the display panel is determined based on its display behavior when displaying a solid color image. If there is a grayscale gradient area in the display panel, it is determined that there is a foreign object defect in the display panel; When it is determined that there is a foreign object defect in the display panel, an image of the foreign object defect in the display panel is obtained according to the received first instruction information; The acquired image is displayed, and the displayed image is magnified according to a preset ratio. The precise defect area caused by the foreign object is determined according to the grayscale of each pixel of the displayed image, so as to determine the actual defect size of the display panel. The step of determining the precise defective area caused by the foreign object based on the grayscale of each pixel in the corresponding displayed image includes: Determine the grayscale of each pixel corresponding to the image being displayed; Determine whether the grayscale of each pixel meets the preset range. If it does, then the pixel displays the first grayscale; if it does not, then the pixel displays the second grayscale. The first grayscale is different from the second grayscale. The largest area defined by the pixels of the first grayscale is the precision defect area.

2. The defect detection method for a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps of displaying the acquired image, enlarging it according to a preset ratio, and determining the precise defective area based on the grayscale of each pixel in the displayed image include: The acquired image is enlarged and displayed according to a preset ratio; The precise defective areas are determined based on the grayscale of each pixel after being magnified in the corresponding display.

3. The defect detection method for a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a step of determining the actual defective size of the display panel; the step of determining the actual defective size of the display panel includes: The dimensions of the precise defective area are measured according to the second instruction information; The actual defective size of the display panel is determined based on the measurement results and the preset ratio.

4. A quality management method for a display panel, characterized in that, include: The method for detecting defects in a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The quality management method for a display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: The defect level of the display panel is determined based on the actual defective size of the display panel.

6. A defect detection device for a display panel, characterized in that, Used for dimensional inspection of defects caused by foreign objects in display panels, including: The first determining unit is used to determine whether there are foreign objects or defects in the display panel based on the display status of the display panel to be tested when displaying a solid color image; If there is a grayscale gradient area in the display panel, it is determined that there is a foreign object defect in the display panel; An image acquisition unit is used to acquire an image of the foreign object defect on the display panel according to a received first indication information when the display panel has a foreign object defect. An image display unit is used to display the acquired image; The magnification unit is used to magnify the displayed image according to a preset ratio; The precise determination unit is used to determine the precise defect area caused by the foreign object based on the grayscale of each pixel corresponding to the displayed image, so as to determine the actual defect size of the display panel; The precise determination unit includes: A grayscale determination module is used to determine the grayscale of each pixel in the display image corresponding to the defective area. The judgment unit is used to determine whether the gray level of each pixel meets the preset range. If it does, the pixel is set to display the first gray level; if it does not, the pixel is set to display the second gray level. The largest area defined by the pixels of the first grayscale is the precise defect area.

7. The defect detection device for a display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that, The magnification unit is used to magnify the acquired image according to a preset ratio; The image display unit is specifically used to display the magnified acquired image; The precise determination unit is specifically used to determine the precise defective area based on the grayscale of each pixel after it is enlarged and displayed.

8. The defect detection device for a display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: A measuring unit is used to measure the size of the precise defective area according to the second indication information; The calculation unit is used to calculate and determine the actual defective size of the display panel based on the measurement results and the preset ratio.

Images