VIRTUAL BACKLIGHT FRAMEWORK

• US 20090024362A1
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Linzie, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US12/133,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

A software interface for designing backlights is disclosed. The software has three particular aspects, summarized briefly here. In one embodiment, a first aspect is “sharing” or “collaborating”, in which any users in a group can read and write annotated components, annotated designs and annotated results. In another embodiment, a second aspect is “metadata”, in which the software automatically analyzes the components, the design, and/or the results. In another embodiment, a third aspect is “workflow driven”, in which the software first provides a graphical user interface for selecting options, then the user selects one or more options, then the software provides a further graphical user interface for providing detail information, then the user provides detail information for a cavity and/or one or more backlight components.

Claims

1. An application server for interacting with a plurality of users through respective user computers to design a backlight, the application server being configured for:

receiving design information relating to a backlight or component(s) thereof from at least one of the users;

generating a backlight design as a function of the design information;

simulating the backlight design to produce performance results;

receiving from at least one of the users annotation data relating to at least one of;

(a) the backlight or the component(s) thereof, or (b) the performance results;

annotating the backlight, the component(s) thereof, and/or the performance results with the annotation data; and

providing the annotation data to the users.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the annotating step associates the annotation data with the corresponding annotated backlight, component(s) thereof, and/or performance data.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the receiving step includes receiving from a first user first annotation data relating to the backlight, component(s) thereof, and/or performance results thereof, and receiving from a second user second annotation data relating to the same backlight, component(s) thereof, and/or performance results thereof.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the receiving step includes receiving from a first user first annotation data relating to the backlight, component(s) thereof, and/or performance results thereof, and later receiving from a second user second annotation data relating to the same backlight, component(s) thereof, and/or performance results thereof.

5. The application server of claim 1, wherein the performance results include a figure of merit.

6. The application server of claim 5, wherein the simulating step includes using the figure of merit in at least one optimization routine.

7. The application server of claim 1, wherein the backlight design comprises a location and orientation for each of the selected components.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the annotating step is performed automatically by the application server.

9. A computer system for interacting with at least one user to design a backlight, the computer system being configured for:

receiving a plurality of design information relating to at least one backlight or component(s) thereof from at least one user;

generating at least one backlight design as a function of the design information;

simulating the at least one backlight design to produce performance results;

analyzing automatically at least one of;

(a) the plurality of design information, or (b) the at least one backlight design or the component(s) thereof, or (c) the performance results, to produce analytical information; and

providing the analytical information to the at least one user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the generating step generates a plurality of backlight designs, and wherein the analyzing step compares the plurality of backlight designs.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the simulating step produces performance results for a plurality of backlight designs, and wherein the analyzing step compares the performance results for the plurality of backlight designs.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the analyzing step is performed automatically by the application server.

13. A computer system for interacting with at least one user to design a backlight, the computer system being configured to execute the steps of:

(a) providing a first graphical user interface containing a plurality of selectable cavity design options;

(b) receiving the selected cavity design options from the user;

(c) after step (b), providing a second graphical user interface adapted to receive cavity detail information, the type of cavity detail information being a function of the cavity design options selected by the user;

(d) receiving the cavity detail information from the user;

(e) providing a third graphical user interface containing a plurality of selectable backlight component options;

(f) receiving the selected backlight component options from the user;

(g) after step (f), providing a fourth graphical user interface adapted to receive component detail information, the type of component detail information being a function of the backlight component options selected by the user; and

(h) receiving the component detail information from the user.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the first, second, third and fourth graphical user interfaces are all different from each other.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein at least two of the first, second, third and fourth graphical user interfaces are the same as each other.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein steps (a) through (d) are performed before steps (e) through (h).

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein steps (a) through (d) are performed after steps (e) through (h).