5.2: Approaches to Virtual Product Development in LCD Business

In the process to build up the complicated system for a LCD backlight unit, a panel and their module assembly, the use of physical prototype has many drawbacks in terms of cost and lead-time. The virtual prototyping platform, EzOptics we developed in the cooperative work, provides the way of working where the LCD design and optical analysis activities can be developed in the early product development stages. The work being described here permits that a designer analyses the optical characteristics of a LCD module with a panel. In the LCD industry this must be the first system by which the virtual prototyping of LCD can substitute the physical prototype. The system allows a virtual prototype with a full size scale LCD backlight unit and panel modelling without any limitations of the size and shape. The result of the simulation also guarantees the accuracy by supporting the bidirectional scattering distribution functions (BSDF) to define the scattered light propagation over the optical components, and the expert knowledge is provided for more comprehensive, quick and user-friendly virtual prototype modelling.