External optical compensation method and device for display module

Abstract

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a method and device for external optical compensation of a display module. In a specific example, the method includes: S10, transporting the display module to a collection station; S20, controlling the display module to display a test screen and collecting an image containing the test screen; S30, transporting the display module to a material unloading station, and in the process of transporting the display module to the material unloading station, generating external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test screen and burning it to the display module. The external optical compensation method for a display module provided in the present application utilizes the time of transporting the display module to generate external optical compensation data and burn it to the display module, thereby saving the process of external optical compensation of the display module and improving production test efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of external optical compensation, and more specifically, to a method and device for external optical compensation of a display module. Background Art

[0002] Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display panels contain a large number of light-emitting diode units. In the manufacturing process of conventional OLED display panels, due to impure materials, production processes and other reasons, the electrical parameters of different light-emitting diode units are not uniform, which will lead to uneven brightness of the OLED display panel during display. The industry calls this unevenness mura. External optical compensation (Demura) is usually used to solve the problem of uneven display of the panel. How to improve the efficiency of external optical compensation in the production line and improve the compatibility of external optical compensation devices are currently urgent problems that need to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for external optical compensation of a display module to solve at least one of the problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides an external optical compensation method for a display module, the method comprising the steps of:

[0006] S10, moving the display module to the collection station;

[0007] S20, controlling the display module to display a test screen, and collecting an image including the test screen;

[0008] S30, transporting the display module to a material unloading station, and in the process of transporting the display module to the material unloading station, generating external optical compensation data according to the image including the test screen and burning the data into the display module.

[0009] Optionally, generating external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test picture includes: using a .dll method to call a pre-processing algorithm to pre-process the image containing the test picture to restore the display data of the display module;

[0010] The display data is post-processed to obtain external optical compensation data.

[0011] Optionally, the pre-processing includes positioning, correcting and dust filtering the image containing the test picture to restore the display data of the display module.

[0012] Optionally, the method further includes: in the process of transporting the display module to the unloading station, sequentially transporting at least one other display module to the collection station and executing steps S20-S30.

[0013] Optionally, the file format of the external optical compensation data is a bin file.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention provides an external optical compensation device for a display module, the device comprising: a controller, a transport mechanism and an image acquisition device;

[0015] The controller is used to control the conveying mechanism to convey the display module to the acquisition station, control the display module located at the acquisition station to display a test screen, control the image acquisition device to acquire an image containing the test screen, and control the conveying mechanism to convey the display module to the unloading station after the acquisition is completed, and in the process of conveying the display module to the unloading station, generate external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test screen and burn it into the display module.

[0016] Optionally, the controller includes a first controller and a second controller;

[0017] The first controller is used to send control instructions to the transport mechanism and send photo request and test request to the second controller;

[0018] The second controller is used to send an image acquisition instruction to the image acquisition device, send an image acquisition completion instruction and a test completion instruction to the first controller, and generate external optical compensation data according to an image containing a test picture.

[0019] Optionally, the device further comprises an inspection machine, which is used to make the display module display a test picture and receive the external optical compensation data and burn it into the display module in response to an instruction of the controller.

[0020] Optionally, the first controller is further configured to control the transport mechanism to transport other display modules to the collection station after receiving the test completion instruction.

[0021] Optionally, generating external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test picture includes: using a .dll method to call a pre-processing algorithm to pre-process the image containing the test picture, positioning and correcting the image, and performing dust filtering to restore the display data of the display module;

[0022] The display data is post-processed to obtain external optical compensation data.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] The external optical compensation method of the display module provided in the present application utilizes the time of transporting the display module to generate external optical compensation data and burns it into the display module, thereby saving the time of external optical compensation of the display module and improving production test efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The specific implementation modes of the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an external optical compensation method provided by an embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 A flow chart showing an external optical compensation method for a display module provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a device for implementing an external optical compensation method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 4 A flow chart showing an external optical compensation method provided by another embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the device architecture of an external optical compensation apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to explain the present invention more clearly, the present invention is further described below in conjunction with embodiments and drawings. Similar components in the drawings are represented by the same reference numerals. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the content specifically described below is illustrative rather than restrictive, and the protection scope of the present invention should not be limited thereto.

[0032] External optical compensation means first using a camera to take a picture of the display module showing the test screen, then processing the captured image to obtain compensation data, and finally burning the compensation data into the storage device of the display module. In this way, the display module can compensate for the brightness of the pixel points or areas with mura according to the compensation data when displaying. Figure 1As shown, it is a flow chart of the existing external optical compensation method, the display module is transported to station 1 by the loading and unloading device, the lower computer executes the turntable rotation, and moves the display module located at station 1 to station 2 for taking pictures, and after the pictures are taken, it is moved to station 3 to wait for the upper computer to perform demura processing and generate a file containing external optical compensation data, after receiving the test completion information fed back by the upper computer, the lower computer controls the turntable rotation to move the display module to be tested to station 4 and requests the upper computer to burn the file, after the upper computer feedback is completed, the lower computer executes the turntable rotation to move the display module to be tested to station 1, and transports the display module to other process lines through the loading and unloading device.

[0033] The inventors discovered that in the existing external optical compensation process of display modules, the time required to complete each process is different, but the workstation and the process are in a one-to-one relationship. In order to meet the rhythm of actual production time, when testing different types of products, it is necessary to adjust the time that the display module is allocated to some workstations. For example, some models require a long time to process the external optical compensation data. In this case, it is necessary to increase the time of workstation 3; some models require a long time to burn the external optical compensation data to the display module, and it is necessary to increase the time of workstation 4; and the workstations are strictly independent, and the time for the operation of the conveying mechanism and before unloading is not utilized.

[0034] Based on the above findings, an embodiment of the present invention provides an external optical compensation method for a display module, such as Figure 2 As shown, including:

[0035] S10, moving the display module to the collection station;

[0036] S20, controlling the display module to display a test screen, and collecting an image including the test screen;

[0037] S30, transporting the display module to a material unloading station, and in the process of transporting the display module to the material unloading station, generating external optical compensation data according to the image including the test screen and burning the data into the display module.

[0038] This solution utilizes the time of transporting the display module to generate external optical compensation data and burns the data into the display module, thereby saving external optical compensation time and improving production test efficiency.

[0039] In a possible implementation manner, generating external optical compensation data according to the image including the test picture includes:

[0040] Using a .dll (dynamic link library) method to call a pre-processing algorithm to pre-process the image containing the test screen to restore the display data of the display module;

[0041] The display data is post-processed to obtain external optical compensation data, wherein the file format of the external optical compensation data is a bin file.

[0042] In the prior art, image data is stored on a computer hard disk in the form of a file, and the algorithm is in the form of an exe. The pre-processing algorithm is called in the .exe mode to perform data pre-processing. The use of this mode to call the program is serial processing, and a new file cannot be inserted before the current file processing is completed, otherwise it will cause an exception, thereby reducing the demura efficiency. Compared with the prior art, in this solution, image data is stored in the computer memory, and the pre-processing algorithm is called in the .dll mode to pre-process the image containing the test screen. The image data can be directly exchanged in the memory mode, and files can be processed in parallel. The images of the test screens of multiple display panels can be processed at the same time. Using the method provided by this solution, the controller can simultaneously perform external optical compensation data processing of multiple display modules during the display module transfer process, so that the display module can be transferred to the unloading station after the photo is completed, making full use of the time during the display module transportation process, further improving production efficiency, improving the compatibility of the demura process, increasing continuity and reducing the interaction between controllers.

[0043] In a specific embodiment, the pre-processing includes positioning, correcting and dust filtering the image containing the test picture to restore the display data of the display module.

[0044] The test picture is, for example, a single pure color picture including a red picture, a green picture, a blue picture, a white picture or a grayscale picture.

[0045] In a specific embodiment, the external optical compensation method further includes: in the process of transporting the display module to the unloading station, sequentially transporting at least one other display module to the collection station and executing steps S20-S30.

[0046] The method is described below in conjunction with a specific application scenario. The transport mechanism takes a turntable as an example. Figure 3 The figure shows the structure diagram of the external optical compensation line of the display module, which mainly includes a turntable, an upper / lower work station and a collection station.

[0047] The display module is placed at the loading station by the loading and unloading device, and the controller controls the turntable to rotate and transport it to the collection station and connect it to the inspection machine, and then controls the image collection device to collect images containing the test screen, wherein:

[0048] When the loading and unloading device detects that there is no display module on the loading and unloading station, it will transport a new display module to be tested to the loading and unloading station.

[0049] In a specific embodiment, the inspection machine is used to control the display module to display a test screen according to the instructions of the controller.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the control of transportation and the generation of data can be started simultaneously. After image acquisition is completed, the display module is transported to the unloading station by the transport mechanism, and during the transportation process, demura processing is performed according to the image containing the test screen to generate external optical compensation data, and the external optical compensation data is burned into the display module by the inspection machine. After the external optical compensation data is burned into the display module, the inspection machine is disconnected from the display module, and the display module is transported to the unloading position by a turntable.

[0051] It should be noted that before inputting external optical compensation data into the inspection machine, it is necessary to determine whether there is original data in the inspection machine. If so, the original data of the inspection machine is deleted to prevent the original data from interfering with demura compensation, and the display module is erased to delete the original data in the display module.

[0052] In a specific embodiment, the image acquisition device is, for example, a CCD camera, which is used to acquire a test image of the display module, such as a single solid color image and a grayscale image. After the CCD camera completes taking the image, the controller controls the transport mechanism to move the display module located at the acquisition station away.

[0053] In a specific embodiment, the controller includes a first controller and a second controller, the first controller is used to control the transport mechanism to transport the display module to the image acquisition station, and send an image acquisition request to the second controller;

[0054] In response to the image acquisition request, the second controller controls the inspection machine to make the display module display a test screen, and controls the image acquisition device to acquire an image containing the test screen;

[0055] The second controller sends an image acquisition completion instruction to the first controller, and the first controller controls the transport mechanism to transport the display module to the unloading position in response to the image acquisition completion instruction, obtains the image containing the test screen and obtains external optical compensation data based on the image;

[0056] The inspection machine burns the external optical compensation data into a preset register of the display module and then disconnects from the display module.

[0057] In a possible implementation, the transport mechanism is a drawer-type transporter, the display module is placed at a loading station by a loading and unloading device, the first controller controls the drawer-type transporter to transport the display module to an image acquisition station, and sends an image acquisition request to the second controller;

[0058] In response to the image acquisition request, the second controller controls the inspection machine to make the display module display a test screen, and controls the image acquisition device to acquire an image containing the test screen.

[0059] The second controller sends an image acquisition completion instruction to the first controller after image acquisition is completed, and the first controller controls the drawer-type transporter to move the display module away from the image acquisition station in response to the image acquisition completion instruction;

[0060] It should be noted that the drawer-type transporter has two layers of drawers, upper and lower, which can perform external optical compensation for two sets of display modules at the same time, further improving the efficiency of display module testing.

[0061] In a specific embodiment, generating external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test picture includes:

[0062] The image data containing the test screen is stored in the memory of the second controller, and the pre-processing algorithm is called in a .dll manner to pre-process the image containing the test screen, so as to restore the display data of the display module;

[0063] The display data is post-processed to obtain external optical compensation data.

[0064] In a possible implementation, after receiving the photographing completion instruction, the first controller controls the transport mechanism to transport the display module to the unloading position, while transporting the next display module to be tested to the collection position and sending a photographing request to the second controller.

[0065] Compared with the prior art, in which the display module can be moved to the next station only after receiving the processing completion instruction of each station sent by the host computer, the present invention makes full use of the time before the operation of the transport mechanism and unloading. After receiving the completion instruction of taking pictures fed back by the host computer, the transfer of the display module and the inspection machine connected thereto can be executed. The pre-unloading area is, for example, a transport line of a turntable. During the transportation process, the demura processing of the display module to be tested and the burning of data are continuously realized, which further improves the production efficiency of the screen, improves the compatibility of the demura process, increases continuity, and reduces the interaction between controllers.

[0066] In a specific embodiment, the first controller is, for example, a lower computer, which is communicatively connected to the second controller and is used to control the transport mechanism; the second controller is, for example, a host computer, which is communicatively connected to the lower computer and is used to control the image acquisition device to take pictures of the display module and perform demura pre- and post-processing based on the acquired images, and control the inspection machine to perform actions such as erasing and burning the display module; the transport mechanism is, for example, a turntable or a manipulator, which is used to transport the display module to a fixed workstation according to the instructions of the lower computer, and the specific number of the transport mechanisms can be determined according to the specific plan.

[0067] In one possible implementation, Figure 4 As shown, when an abnormality occurs in the process, the lower computer sends a request test signal to the upper computer after receiving the photo completion instruction, and the upper computer resumes the subsequent process of the external optical compensation method in response to the request test signal.

[0068] It should be noted that, under normal circumstances, the host computer will automatically start processing after receiving the image containing the test screen, without the need for the request test signal to be activated.

[0069] In this solution, the request test signal sent by the first controller enables the second controller to recover from an abnormal state to a normal state, so that the continuity of the method is further improved, no external manpower recovery is required, and the failure rate of the system is reduced.

[0070] An embodiment of the present invention provides an external optical compensation device for a display module, wherein the transport mechanism is a turntable as an example. Figure 5 As shown, it includes a controller, a transport mechanism and an image acquisition device;

[0071] The controller is used to control the conveying mechanism to convey the display module to the acquisition station, control the display module located at the acquisition station to display a test screen, control the image acquisition device to acquire an image containing the test screen, and control the conveying mechanism to convey the display module to the unloading station after the acquisition is completed, and in the process of conveying the display module to the unloading station, generate external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test screen and burn it into the display module.

[0072] This solution realizes automatic control of the external optical compensation device and fully automatic batch external optical measurement through the cooperation of the controller, the transport mechanism and the image acquisition unit. In the process of transporting the display module to the unloading station, demura processing is performed and the obtained external optical compensation data is burned into the display module, further improving the production test efficiency.

[0073] In a specific embodiment, the controller includes a first controller and a second controller, which are communicatively connected;

[0074] The first controller is used to send control instructions to the transport mechanism and send photo request and test request to the second controller;

[0075] The second controller is used to send an image acquisition instruction to the image acquisition device, send an image acquisition completion instruction and a test completion instruction to the first controller, and generate external optical compensation data according to an image containing a test picture.

[0076] In a specific embodiment, the device further includes an inspection machine electrically connected to the display module to control the display module to display a test picture, and is also used to receive the external optical compensation data and burn it into the display module.

[0077] In a specific embodiment, the first controller is further used to control the transport mechanism to transport other display modules to the collection station after receiving the test completion instruction.

[0078] In a specific embodiment, generating external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test picture includes:

[0079] Using a .dll method to call a pre-processing algorithm to pre-process the image containing the test screen, locate, correct, and filter dust on the image to restore the display data of the display module;

[0080] The display data is post-processed to obtain external optical compensation data.

[0081] In a specific embodiment, the transport mechanism is connected to the first controller through a wireless network, for example, and is used to receive a control instruction from the first controller to transport the display module to the instruction position;

[0082] The controller, the transport mechanism and the image acquisition device in this solution are communicated and connected, which realizes the full automation of the external optical compensation device of the display module, eliminates the need for manpower and improves production efficiency.

[0083] It should be noted that the principle and working process of the external optical compensation device of a display module provided in this embodiment are similar to those of the external optical compensation method of the display module. The relevant parts can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0084] In the description of the present invention, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0085] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is impossible to list all the embodiments here. All obvious changes or modifications derived from the technical solution of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for external optical compensation of a display module, characterized in that: Includes steps: S10, moving the display module to the collection station; S20, controlling the display module to display a test screen, and collecting an image including the test screen; S30, transporting the display module to a material unloading station, and in the process of transporting the display module to the material unloading station, generating external optical compensation data according to the image including the test screen and burning the data into the display module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Generating external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test picture comprises: Using a .dll method to call a pre-processing algorithm to pre-process the image containing the test screen, so as to restore the display data of the display module; The display data is post-processed to obtain external optical compensation data.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The pre-processing includes positioning, correcting and dust filtering the image containing the test picture to restore the display data of the display module.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further includes: in the process of transporting the display module to the unloading station, sequentially transporting at least one other display module to the collecting station and executing steps S20-S30.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The file format of the external optical compensation data is a bin file.

6. An external optical compensation device for a display module, characterized in that: It includes a controller, a transport mechanism and an image acquisition device; The controller is used to control the conveying mechanism to convey the display module to the acquisition station, control the display module located at the acquisition station to display a test screen, control the image acquisition device to acquire an image containing the test screen, and control the conveying mechanism to convey the display module to the unloading station after the acquisition is completed, and in the process of conveying the display module to the unloading station, generate external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test screen and burn it into the display module.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The controller includes a first controller and a second controller; The first controller is used to send control instructions to the transport mechanism and send photo request and test request to the second controller; The second controller is used to send an image acquisition instruction to the image acquisition device, send an image acquisition completion instruction and a test completion instruction to the first controller, and generate external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test picture.

8. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The device also includes an inspection machine, which is used to make the display module display a test picture and receive the external optical compensation data and burn it into the display module in response to the instruction of the controller.

9. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that The first controller is also used to control the transport mechanism to transport other display modules to the collection station after receiving the test completion instruction.

10. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that Generating external optical compensation data according to the image containing the test picture comprises: Using a .dll method to call a pre-processing algorithm to pre-process the image containing the test screen, locate, correct, and filter dust on the image to restore the display data of the display module; The display data is post-processed to obtain external optical compensation data.

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