JP7625469B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a process for forming an object.

In the past, in the design of a mold used in injection molding, a technique for evaluating whether a molded product can be released from a mold without manufacturing the mold has been known (Patent Document 1). This technique evaluates whether the mold can be released by structural analysis based on a three-dimensional shape model of the molded product and the mold, molding conditions, resin properties, etc.
In recent years, there is a demand for imparting various designs to the exterior surface of a resin product. For example, by providing fine irregularities that cannot be seen with the naked eye on the surface of a resin product, visual textures such as glossiness and brilliance (low gloss matte tone, glittering metallic tone, etc.) can be expressed. In addition, the above method can also impart a tactile texture such as a grip (a rubber-like texture with a moist feel) to a resin product. Furthermore, by providing unevenness that can be seen with the naked eye that imitates the grain of leather on the surface of a resin product and imparting different fine irregularities to the convex and concave portions to change the glossiness, a texture of so-called leather tone painting can be imparted.

JP 2009-298035 A

When manufacturing objects such as resin products by injection molding, it is difficult to evaluate whether an object with irregularities to express a desired texture can be released from the mold.

The purpose of the present invention is to easily evaluate whether an object with unevenness according to its texture can be released from a mold.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration: That is, the information processing device has an acquisition means for acquiring first shape data representing a shape of a die for molding an object, texture parameters relating to a texture to be imparted to the object, and information representing a direction in which the die is removed from the object, a first generation means for generating processing parameters for processing the object based on the texture parameters, and a determination means for determining whether or not the object can be removed from the die based on the first shape data , the information representing the direction, and the processing parameters, wherein the texture parameter is an evaluation value of gloss, or a sense of brilliance or grip, or a characteristic value representing the texture of a leather-tone paint.

The present invention makes it possible to easily evaluate whether an object with unevenness according to its texture can be demolded.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing apparatus. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the unevenness of the mold surface. A diagram showing the relationship between mold processing parameters and gloss level. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the mold surface and processing pattern. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a cross section of a mold after processing. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the demolding direction and the height difference on the mold surface. 13 is a flowchart of a release determination process. 11 is a GUI showing the results of the mold release determination process. 13 is a flowchart of a process for determining an alternative texture. 11 is a GUI showing the results of a process for determining an alternative texture. 13 is a GUI showing the results of the determination process for all alternative textures.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

First Embodiment
The information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described below.

1 shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system 10 of this embodiment. In FIG. 1, the information processing system 10 includes an information processing device 100, an external storage device 111, a display device 112, an input device 113, and a network 120. The information processing device 100 includes a CPU 101, a RAM 102, a ROM 103, a storage unit 104, a communication unit 105, and a bus 107. The information processing system 10 may also have an imaging device (not shown). The information processing device 100 is, for example, a desktop PC, but may also be a notebook PC or a tablet in which the display device 112 and the input device 113 are integrated. Although one information processing device 100 is shown in FIG. 1, there may be multiple information processing devices. Alternatively, there may be multiple information processing devices 100 that each hold their respective components in a distributed manner.

The CPU 101 is a central processing unit that generally controls each component in the information processing system 10. The CPU 101 executes the OS and various programs to realize various functions. The RAM 102 is a volatile memory, such as a DRAM and an SRAM. The ROM 103 is a non-volatile memory, such as a mask ROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, etc. The ROM 103 stores the OS and various programs. The memory unit 104 is a storage device that stores data, programs, etc., such as an HDD and an SSD. The communication unit 105 can transmit the results processed by the CPU 101 to an external device (e.g., the display device 112). Alternatively, the communication unit 105 can receive user input from an external device (e.g., the input device 113) and transmit the received results to the CPU 101. Bus 107 is a data transmission path connecting each component within information processing device 100 and connecting information processing device 100 and an external device (not shown). CPU 101 controls each component of information processing device 100 via bus 107. Programs stored in ROM 103, external storage device 111, etc. are transferred to RAM 102, and CPU 101 executes them to realize the processing of the flowcharts described below.

The external storage device 111 is a storage device that stores data, programs, etc., and is, for example, an HDD or SSD. The external storage device 111 may also be realized by a medium (recording medium) and an external storage drive for accessing the medium. The medium may be, for example, an FD (flexible disk), CD-ROM, DVD, USB memory, MO, flash memory, etc. The external storage device 111 is connected to the information processing device 100 via the bus 107, and can transmit and receive data and signals to and from the information processing device 100.

The display device 112 is a device that displays data and the results of processing by the CPU 101, and is, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display) or an OLED (organic light emitting display). The display device 112 is connected to the information processing device 100 via the bus 107. The input device 113 is a device that accepts selections from the user, and is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, etc. The input device 113 is connected to the information processing device 100 via the bus 107. The CPU 101 displays a GUI provided by a program on the display device 112, and receives input information that is a user's instruction obtained via the input device 113.

The network 120 is a communication network for transmitting and receiving data, signals, etc. between the information processing device 100 and an external device (not shown). The network 120 includes a plurality of routers, switches, cables, etc. that meet a communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark). In this embodiment, the network 120 may be any network that enables communication between the information processing device 100 and other devices, and may be configured with any scale and communication standard. For example, the network 120 may be the Internet, a wired LAN, a wireless LAN, a WAN, etc.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 in this embodiment. The CPU 101 functions as the functional configuration shown in Figure 2 by executing a program stored in the ROM 103 using the RAM 102 as a work memory. Note that it is not necessary for all of the processes shown below to be executed by the CPU 101. The information processing device 100 may be configured so that some or all of the processes are performed by one or more processing circuits (not shown) other than the CPU 101. The information processing device 100 includes a control unit 201, a shape data acquisition unit 202, a texture parameter acquisition unit 203, a release direction acquisition unit 204, a processing pattern generation unit 205, and an evaluation unit 206.

The control unit 201 displays the GUI on the display device 112 and receives input information representing user instructions via the input device 113. The input information is sent to the shape data acquisition unit 202, the texture parameter acquisition unit 203, and the release direction acquisition unit 204. The control unit 201 also displays the evaluation results related to release, which will be described later, on the display device 112.

The shape data acquisition unit 202 acquires shape data from the ROM 103, the external storage device 111, etc., based on user input information received by the input device 113. The shape data is polygon data that represents the surface shape of the mold before the unevenness is processed, as a collection of multiple planes. In other words, the shape data represents the shape of the surface where the mold and resin come into contact, in other words, the shape before texture is added. The shape data also consists of a list of the three-dimensional coordinates (xyz coordinates) of the vertices that make up the multiple planes, and the corresponding two-dimensional coordinates (uv coordinates). The shape data acquisition unit 202 sends the acquired shape data to the processing pattern generation unit 205 and the evaluation unit 206.

The texture parameter acquisition unit 203 acquires texture parameters based on the user's input information received by the input device 113. The texture parameter acquisition unit 203 also acquires information on the resin material and molding conditions as conditions for producing a molded product. In this embodiment, the texture parameter is glossiness. The acquired texture parameter, resin material, and molding condition information are sent to the processing pattern generation unit 205. The texture parameter is not limited to glossiness, and may be other characteristic values that represent the characteristics of the texture of the molded product. For example, evaluation values that quantify sensory quantities such as glitter and grip through sensory evaluation experiments may be used. Alternatively, for example, the dynamic friction coefficient and static friction coefficient may be used as characteristic values that represent the grip feeling. The texture parameter may also be a combination of multiple characteristic values. For example, a combination of the glossiness of the concave portion, the glossiness of the convex portion, and the maximum height difference between the concave portion and the convex portion may be used as characteristic values that represent the texture of leather tone paint.

The mold release direction acquisition unit 204 acquires a three-dimensional unit vector (mold release direction vector) indicating the mold release direction based on the input information. The mold release direction acquisition unit 204 transmits the acquired mold release direction vector to the evaluation unit 206. The processing pattern generation unit 205 generates processing pattern data based on the shape data, texture parameters, resin material, and molding condition information. The details of the processing pattern data will be described later. The processing pattern generation unit 205 transmits the generated processing pattern data to the evaluation unit 206. The evaluation unit 206 calculates an evaluation value regarding the mold release between the mold with irregularities and the corresponding molded product based on the shape data, the mold release direction vector, and the processing pattern data, and evaluates whether or not the mold release is possible. The details of the mold release evaluation will be described later. The evaluation unit 206 transmits the evaluation result to the control unit 201.

Figure 3 is a diagram explaining the texture and mold release depending on the presence or absence of unevenness on the molded product. Figure 3 (a) is a diagram explaining the case where unevenness is not provided on the surface of the molded product. In Figure 3 (a), surface 301 represents a flat surface on the molded product that is not provided with unevenness. Normal vector 304 of surface 301 is a vector indicated by multiple black arrows, and points in the same direction at all positions within surface 301. Normal vector 304 is also called normal direction. Incident light 306 is visible light, but may be light having any wavelength, for example. In this case, the specular reflection direction of incident light 306 on surface 301 is a constant direction regardless of the incident position on surface 301. Therefore, the reflected light is not diffused, and the user perceives surface 301 as a highly glossy surface.

On the other hand, FIG. 3(b) is a diagram for explaining the case where unevenness is provided on the surface of a molded product. In FIG. 3(b), surface 302 represents a surface on which fine convex portions 303 are provided in the molded product. When incident light 306 is incident on the convex portions 303, the normal vector 304 faces in various directions in the convex portions 303, and the reflected light is diffused. As a result, the user perceives that the gloss of surface 302 is lower than that of surface 301. The more convex portions 303 formed in surface 302, the greater the variation in normal vector 304, and therefore the greater the degree of diffusion of reflected light. In addition, the variation in normal vector 304 changes depending on the characteristics of the convex portions 303, such as the height, width, and geometric shape of the convex portions. Therefore, by changing the density and shape of the convex portions 303, various glosses can be imparted to the surface 302 of the molded product.

In addition to the example shown in FIG. 3(b), by combining multiple convex portions 303 of different shapes to provide unevenness on the surface 302, it is possible to provide the molded product with a sense of brilliance, a sense of grip, and the texture of a leather-tone paint. For example, a low-gloss surface on which uniform-sized first minute convex portions 303 are densely provided can be dotted with larger second minute convex portions 303. This allows the user to perceive the extremely small areas where the second convex portions 303 exist as sparkling. By changing the size and density of the second convex portions 303 on the low-gloss surface, it is possible to provide the molded product with various senses of brilliance. In addition, by providing fine convex portions 303, it is possible to change the coefficient of friction of the surface 302 of the molded product, and it is possible to provide the molded product with various grip feelings.

In addition, by providing convex portions of a size visible to the user so as to be dotted on the surface of the molded product, and further providing different fine convex portions on the surfaces of the convex portions and the areas other than the convex portions, the texture of a leather-tone paint can be imparted to the molded product. However, by providing unevenness (i.e., imparting texture), the molded product's release resistance increases, which may cause problems in releasing the molded product. Below, problems that occur during release will be explained. In Figures 3(a) and 3(b), arrow 305 indicates the direction in which the mold is moved relative to the molded product (surfaces 301 and 302). For example, a case will be explained in which surfaces 301 and 302 are molded and the mold is moved in the direction of arrow 305 for each. Surface 301 has no unevenness and its release resistance is small, so it is possible to release surface 301 from the mold. On the other hand, surface 302 has multiple convex portions 303 on its surface, which come into contact with the concave portions of the mold, increasing the release resistance of surface 302. This can cause mold release problems when surface 302 is released from the mold.

The uneven structure of surface 302 is realized by a mold having unevenness corresponding to that structure. The unevenness of the mold is processed into the mold surface by a processing machine such as a cutting machine or a laser processing machine. The concaves processed into the mold surface are transferred to the resin as convex portions 303 of the molded product, and the depth of the concave portions of the mold becomes the height of the convex portions 303 of the molded product. Similarly, the convex portions processed into the mold surface are transferred to the resin as concave portions of the molded product, and the height of the convex portions of the mold becomes the depth of the concave portions of the molded product. In this embodiment, the processing diameter, processing depth, and processing density are used as parameters for controlling the processing of the concaves and convexities of the mold by the processing machine.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of a recess machined on the surface of a mold. In Figure 4, the machining diameter 401 is the diameter of the recess (arrow r), and the machining depth 402 is the distance (indicated by arrow d) from the mold surface 403, which is the surface of the mold before machining the recess, to the bottom when vertically lowered. The shaded area in Figure 4 shows the cross section of the mold. The machining diameter 401 is a parameter equivalent to the tool diameter in a cutting machine and the spot diameter of the laser light in a laser processing machine. The machining depth 402 is a parameter that controls the machining depth with the mold surface 403 before machining the unevenness as the reference (depth zero). The machining density is a parameter that controls the number of recesses machined per unit area of the mold. Hereinafter, a combination of the parameters of the machining diameter, machining depth, and machining density will be referred to as a machining parameter set.

When manufacturing a mold with irregularities, data (hereinafter, machining pattern data) is created that associates the positions on the mold surface 403 where the irregularities are to be formed with the machining depth 402, based on the shape data of the mold surface 403 before machining and the machining density. The machining pattern data is input to CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing). The CAM converts this data into a program such as NC data, and sends the program to a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) processing machine. When this program is executed, the processing machine processes the mold.

FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the processing parameter set and the glossiness of a mold. In this embodiment, based on the shape data and glossiness conditions input by the user, processing pattern data of the mold that satisfies those conditions is generated. FIG. 5 shows tables 501, 502, and 503. Table 501 includes a processing parameter set 504 and a glossiness 505 when the material of the molded product is resin A and molding condition 1 is set. Tables 502 and 503 include a processing parameter set 504 and a glossiness 505 similar to table 501. The processing parameter set 504 includes a processing diameter (μm), a processing depth (μm), and a processing density (dot/mm ² ). In FIG. 5, the processing diameters are indicated as r1, r2, ..., r', and the processing depths are indicated as d1, d2, ..., d'. In addition, the processing density is indicated as ρ1, ρ2, ..., ρ', and the glossiness 505 is indicated as g1, g2, ..., g'. The processing pattern generation unit 205 acquires the value of the processing parameter set 504 corresponding to the glossiness 505 input by the user. The glossiness 505 in tables 501 to 503 is obtained by measuring, with a gloss meter, a flat measurement sample molded by combining various materials, molding conditions, and processing parameter sets.

Tables 501 to 503 in FIG. 5 are stored in advance in the ROM 103 or the like. If the gloss level matching the gloss level input by the user does not exist in tables 501 to 503, the processing pattern generation unit 205 refers to a gloss level close to the input gloss level. The processing pattern generation unit 205 interpolates the value of the processing parameter set 504 corresponding to the gloss level close to the input gloss level to obtain the value of the processing parameter set 504 corresponding to the input gloss level. Note that characteristic values other than gloss level may be used as texture parameters, and tables 501 to 503 may have information associating the processing parameter set 504 with other characteristic values. The processing parameter set 504 may also include processing parameters according to the processing machine used. For example, the processing parameter set when a laser processing machine is used may include the output intensity and irradiation time of the laser light instead of the processing depth.

Figure 6 shows an example of a mold surface and processing pattern. Figure 6(a) shows an example of the surface shape of a mold represented by polygons in xyz coordinate space. Surface shape 600 is the shape of the surface that comes into contact with resin during molding. In Figure 6(a), element surface 601 is a triangle (△p1p2p3) formed by connecting vertices p1, p2, and p3 on surface shape 600, and is one of the multiple planes that make up surface shape 600. Point 602 indicates a representative point within element surface 601.

FIG. 6B shows an example of a development of a surface shape 600 and an element surface 601 developed on a uv coordinate plane. The machining pattern generating unit 205 generates machining pattern data based on the xyz coordinates, uv coordinates, and machining parameter set 504 of the vertices of the polygon indicated by the shape data. In FIG. 6C, the machining depth map 603 is machining pattern data, and the enlargement 604 is an image obtained by enlarging the machining depth map 603. The machining depth map 603 is an image in which pixel positions are represented by uv coordinates. The pixel value at the pixel position (u, v) of the machining depth map 603 represents the machining depth at the position (x, y, z) on the mold surface corresponding to (u, v). The pixel 605 is a pixel (□) having a pixel value c ₀ indicating a machining depth of 0, and the pixel 606 is a pixel (■) having a pixel value c _d indicating a machining depth of d.

If the area of Δp ₁ p ₂ p ₃ in the xyz coordinate space is A, A×ρ pixels having a pixel value c _d indicating a machining depth d are included in Δp ₁ p ₂ p ₃ on the machining depth map. In addition, when the other pixel values are a value c ₀ indicating a machining depth 0, the machining density on the mold surface is equal to ρ. The pixel values of all pixels in the machining depth map 603 are initialized to c _0. The machining pattern generation unit 205 randomly selects A×ρ pixels 606 according to the area of the element surface 601 for all element surfaces 601 constituting the surface shape 600, and arranges the element surfaces 601. Thereby, the machining pattern generation unit 205 can generate a machining depth map 603 corresponding to the glossiness 505 input by the user. The resolution of the machining depth map 603 may be any resolution as long as it is a resolution that can express the machining density. In other words, it is sufficient that the element surface 601 includes A×ρ or more pixels 606. Furthermore, when arranging the pixels 606 on the element surface 601, the pixels 606 may be arranged at equal intervals rather than being arranged randomly. Alternatively, the pixels 606 may be arranged on the element surface 601 based on a predetermined rule.

In this embodiment, an evaluation value for determining whether or not the mold can be released is calculated in the following procedure, and whether or not the mold can be released when texture is added is determined based on this evaluation value. FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the normal vector 700, the release direction vector 701, the angle θ, the mold 702 (shaded area), and the molded product 703 (area other than the shaded area). The normal vector 700 indicates a direction perpendicular to the mold 702 at the surface where the mold 702 and the molded product 703 contact each other. The release direction vector 701 indicates the direction in which the mold 702 is pulled away from the molded product 703. First, for all element faces 601 constituting the above surface shape 600, the angle θ between the normal vector 700 and the release direction vector 701 of each element face is calculated. Next, for each element face 601 constituting the surface shape 600, the maximum height difference Δd in the height direction along the normal vector 700 is calculated for the surface shape 600 of the mold when the unevenness is processed. The maximum height difference Δd is calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum heights of the surface shape 600 within the element surface 601.

FIG. 8 shows a cross section of a mold in which unevenness has been machined based on a part of the machining depth map. FIG. 8 shows a machining depth map 801, a mold surface 802, a mold surface 803, a pixel 804, and a pixel 805. Furthermore, FIG. 8 shows a position 806, a position 807, a height difference 808, a machining diameter 809, and a machining depth 810. The machining depth map 801 is a map expressing the machining depth of a mold surface 802 including pixels 804 and 805. The mold surface 802 is a portion shown in a wavy manner with a solid line, and shows the mold surface after machining. The mold surface 803 is a portion shown with a dashed line, and shows the surface before machining the mold. The pixel 804 is a pixel (■) having a pixel value of c _d indicating the machining depth d, and the pixel 805 is a pixel (□) having a pixel value of c ₀ indicating the machining depth 0. The height of the mold surface 802 is lowest at a position 806 corresponding to a pixel 804 in the machining depth map 801 .

The height of the mold surface 802 at positions other than position 806 is the same as the mold surface 803 before machining, or is lower depending on the machining diameter 809 and machining depth 810 at position 806. In FIG. 8, the height of the mold surface 802 after machining is highest at position 807, and the difference in height between positions 806 and 807 is the height difference 808 (shown as Δd). The surface shape 802 of the mold with the unevenness machined is determined by computer simulation based on the shape data, machining parameter set, machining depth map, etc.

For each element surface 601 constituting the surface shape 600, Δdlimit, which is the release limit value of the height difference 808 corresponding to the angle θ, is obtained. These correspondences are stored in advance in the ROM 103, etc. The release limit value Δdlimit is a value that represents the maximum height difference at which the molded product can be released without any problems. FIG. 9 shows an example of a LUT that holds the correspondence between the angle θ and the release limit value Δdlimit. FIG. 9 includes tables 901, 902, and 903. Table 901 shows the correspondence between the angle 904 and the release limit value 905 when the material of the molded product is A and the molding condition is 1. The angle 904 is expressed in θ (deg) and is expressed as a numerical value such as 0, 5, ..., 90. The release limit value 905 is expressed in Δdlimit (μm) and is expressed as a numerical value such as 50, 20, ..., 0. Table 902 shows the correspondence between angle 904 and release limit value 905 when the material of the molded product is resin B and the molding condition is 1. Table 903 shows the correspondence between angle 904 and release limit value 905 when the material of the molded product is resin C and the molding condition is 2. Note that tables 902 and 903 each have the same angle 904 and release limit value 905 as table 901.

In general, the release limit value 905 for the angle 904 varies depending on the material and molding conditions. Therefore, various data may be obtained by prototyping molded products made with various materials and molding conditions in advance, or by simulating under those conditions. A LUT including various data obtained by various means may be used. The release evaluation value F of each element surface 601 is calculated by subtracting Δd of the height difference 808 from the release limit value Δdlimit. The calculation method of the release evaluation value F is as shown in the following equation 1. If the height difference 808 is greater than the release limit value Δdlimit, the release evaluation value F becomes a negative value, indicating that there is a problem with the release. On the other hand, if the height difference 808 is smaller than the release limit value Δdlimit, the release evaluation value F becomes a positive value, indicating that there is no problem with the release. Note that the release evaluation in this embodiment is evaluated based on the relationship between the height difference 808 and the release limit value Δdlimit on each element surface 601, but is not limited thereto. For example, the mold release evaluation may be performed based on the angle of the draft gradient φ obtained by subtracting the angle θ between the normal vector 700 and the mold release direction vector 701 from the angle 90° in FIG. 7. In this case, the draft gradient φ may be associated with the height difference 808.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the information processing device 100. Hereinafter, each step is represented by adding an S before the reference symbol. In S1001, the control unit 201 displays a GUI 1101 as shown in Figure 11 (a) on the display device 112 and accepts input of instructions from the user. Here, Figure 11 (a) shows an example of a GUI. The GUI 1101 includes a display area 1102, a shape setting 1103, a texture setting 1104, and a mold release direction setting 1105. The GUI 1101 further includes a material setting 1106, a molding condition setting 1107, an evaluation start 1108, and a confirmation 1109. In Figure 11 (a), the display area 1102 is an area where an image of the molded product and the mold appearance rendered, etc. is displayed. The shape setting 1103 is an area where the path of a file recording the mold shape data is input. Texture settings 1104 is an area where the user inputs characteristic values that represent the texture they want to impart to the molded product.

The release direction setting 1105 is an area for inputting the values of the components (x, y, z) of the release direction vector. The material setting 1106 is a pull-down list for selecting the resin material to be used in the molded product. The molding condition setting 1107 is a pull-down list for selecting the molding conditions for molding the molded product. The evaluation start 1108 is a button for evaluating whether or not the mold can be released based on the conditions input to the GUI 1101. When the user presses the evaluation start 1108, the shape data acquisition unit 202, the texture parameter acquisition unit 203, and the release direction acquisition unit 204 each acquire data such as the shape data, glossiness, and release direction vector based on the input information.

In S1002, the machining pattern generation unit 205 refers to the tables 501 to 503 and acquires a machining parameter set 504 corresponding to the glossiness 505 acquired in S1001. The machining parameter set 504 is the machining diameter (μm), machining depth (μm), and machining density (dot/mm ² ). In S1003, the machining pattern generation unit 205 generates a machining depth map using the shape data acquired in S1001 and the machining depth and machining density acquired in S1002. In S1004, the evaluation unit 206 calculates a mold release evaluation value F for all element faces 601 constituting the surface shape 600 of the mold based on the shape data, the mold release direction vector, the machining parameter set, and the machining depth map.

In S1005, the evaluation unit 206 determines that demolding is possible if the calculated demolding evaluation value F is 0 or more for all element surfaces 601. On the other hand, the evaluation unit 206 determines that demolding is not possible if the demolding evaluation value F is less than 0. The control unit 201 updates the GUI 1101 on the display device 112 based on the judgment result, displays the judgment result in the display area 1102, and the process ends. Here, FIG. 11(b) shows an example of a GUI 1120 when it is judged that demolding is possible. In FIG. 11(b), the display area 1102 displays "Release OK" together with a rendering image of the molded product or the mold. On the other hand, FIG. 11(c) shows an example of a GUI when it is judged that demolding is not possible. In FIG. 11(c), the display area 1102 displays "Release NG" together with a rendering image of the molded product or the mold. In this case, notifications other than those provided by the GUI may be sent in the form of, for example, an alarm sound, a flashing light, or an email notification, or a combination of these.

As shown in FIG. 11(c), an image 1111 in which the element surface 601 is color-coded according to the demolding evaluation value F calculated in S1004 is generated and displayed in the display area 1102. The image 1111 has a non-releasable part displayed by shading in the lower area. The degree of non-releasability may be displayed by the shade of the hatching, for example, a light hatching indicates that demolding is slightly difficult, and a dark hatching indicates that demolding is completely difficult. The user can recognize the part where a problem occurs in demolding by checking the non-releasable part of the image 1111 displayed in the display area 1102. Also, when it is determined that demolding is possible in FIG. 11(b) and the user presses Confirm 1109, the generated machining depth map may be stored in the external storage device 111 or the like. Alternatively, the machining depth map may be output to a CAM connected via a network, and machining may be performed by a machining machine. The above process makes it easier to evaluate whether a molded product can be released from the mold when the desired texture (e.g., unevenness) is imparted to the surface.

In this embodiment, an example in which the user inputs gloss as a texture parameter has been described, but other characteristic values that represent texture features, such as a quantitative evaluation value of a sensory quantity, may also be input. In addition, data that combines multiple characteristic values may also be input, such as inputting both gloss and the dynamic friction coefficient. In addition, image data that associates positions on the mold surface with characteristic values may be created separately and used as a texture parameter. For example, a gloss map image is created in which pixel values corresponding to the gloss of each part are recorded in pixels in areas corresponding to the concave and convex parts as texture parameters that represent the texture of leather-tone paint. This gloss map image may also be input together with the maximum height difference between the concave and convex parts.

The user may also input a texture name into GUI 1101 instead of the texture parameters. In this case, texture parameters corresponding to the texture name are stored in advance in ROM 103 or the like. In S1001, the shape data acquisition unit 202, the texture parameter acquisition unit 203, and the release direction acquisition unit 204 may acquire texture parameters corresponding to the input texture name from ROM 103 or the like. Furthermore, the type of processing machine used by the user may be input in S1001. In this case, the correspondence between processing parameters and texture parameters for each type of processing machine is stored in ROM 103 or the like in advance. By referring to this correspondence in S1002, processing parameters corresponding to the combination of the input processing machine type and texture parameters may be acquired.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the user inputs only one direction as the demolding direction, but for a mold consisting of multiple pieces with different demolding directions, the demolding direction may be input for each piece. In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the feasibility of demolding is determined based on the demolding evaluation value F, but the determination method is not limited to this. For example, a solid model of the mold with the unevenness machined may be created based on shape data, a machining parameter set, a machining depth map, etc. Whether demolding is possible may be determined based on the demolding resistance force obtained by applying a known structural analysis method to this solid model.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, by preparing the table 501 etc. in advance, it is possible to create a machining depth map of a mold having unevenness according to a texture parameter (glossiness). The first embodiment can determine whether a molded product can be released from the relationship between the height difference of the unevenness of the mold cross section created based on the machining depth map and a predefined release limit value. The first embodiment makes it possible to evaluate release without creating a solid model of the mold corresponding to each texture parameter and creating the mold. This makes it easy to evaluate whether an object having unevenness according to its texture can be released.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, a method for evaluating whether or not a molded product can be released when a desired texture is imparted to the surface of the molded product has been described. In this embodiment, an example is described in which an alternative texture parameter (hereinafter, alternative glossiness) that allows release is presented when it is determined that release is impossible. The following describes the differences from the first embodiment. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are described with the same reference numerals. The configuration and functions of the information processing device 100 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the information processing device 100 in this embodiment. The processing from S1201 to S1204 is the same as S1001 to S1004 in Figure 10, so the description will be omitted. In S1205, the evaluation unit 206 performs a mold release judgment based on whether the mold release evaluation value calculated in S1204 is 0 or more. In S1205, if the mold release evaluation value is 0 or more (Yes in S1205), the evaluation unit 206 judges that the mold is releasable, and the processing proceeds to S1208. In S1208, the control unit 201 updates the GUI 1101 on the display device 112, displays the possibility of mold release for the gloss level input by the user, and the alternative gloss level, and the processing ends.

In S1205, if the release evaluation value is not 0 or more (No in S1205), the evaluation unit 206 determines that release is not possible, and the process proceeds to S1206. In S1206, the evaluation unit 206 calculates an alternative gloss level at which release is possible, and the process proceeds to S1207. At this time, the evaluation unit 206 selects one processing parameter set 504 in table 501 that minimizes the difference between the gloss level input by the user and the alternative gloss level. The release evaluation value of the mold in which the unevenness has been processed using the processing parameter set 504 corresponding to the alternative gloss level may be calculated by the processes of S1203 to S1204.

In S1207, the evaluation unit 206 performs a demolding judgment based on whether the calculated demolding evaluation value is 0 or more. If the calculated demolding evaluation value is 0 or more (Yes in S1207), the evaluation unit 206 judges that demolding is possible. In addition, the evaluation unit 206 sets the glossiness 505 newly selected in S1206 as the alternative glossiness, and the process proceeds to S1208. The process of S1208 is the same as above, so the description is omitted. On the other hand, if the calculated demolding evaluation value is not 0 or more (No in S1207), the evaluation unit 206 judges that demolding is impossible, and the process returns to S1206. In S1206, one processing parameter set 504 with the next smallest difference between the glossiness input by the user and the alternative glossiness is selected. In the process from S1207 onwards, the evaluation unit 206 judges again whether demolding is possible. The process of determining whether or not demolding is possible is repeated until a demoldable processing parameter set 504 is found or there are no unselected processing parameter sets 504.

Figure 13 shows an example of the GUI display. Figure 13 (a) is an example of the GUI 1301 display when it is determined that the mold can be released. In Figure 13 (a), when the user presses Confirm 1309, the processing depth map for achieving the selected gloss is saved in the external storage device 111 or the like. The evaluation result 1310 presents the release evaluation by the evaluation unit 206 and an alternative gloss. For example, the evaluation result 1310 indicates that the mold is "OK" and there is no alternative candidate (displayed as "-"). An alternative candidate refers to an alternative gloss. Figure 13 (b) is an example of the GUI 1302 display when it is determined that the mold cannot be released. In Figure 13 (b), Confirm 1309 is the same as above, so the explanation will be omitted. The evaluation result 1311 indicates that the evaluation result is "NG" and there is an alternative candidate. The alternative candidate indicates that the gloss level is "9.1", the material is "Resin B", and the molding condition is "Molding condition 1". At this time, if the user presses Confirm 1309, the processing depth map for achieving the alternative gloss level of 9.1 is saved in the external storage device 111, etc.

Figure 13 (c) is an example of the display of GUI 1303 when no alternative gloss level that allows demolding and the corresponding processing parameter set were found in S1207. Unlike the above, Confirm 1309 in Figure 13 (c) is displayed with a shaded area so that it will not be pressed by the user. Evaluation result 1312 indicates that the evaluation result is NG and that there are no alternative candidates. The alternative candidates indicate that the gloss level is "None" and that there are no alternative candidates for the material and molding conditions (displayed as "-").

As described above, the possibility of demolding when the desired texture is imparted to the surface of the molded product can be evaluated, and when it is determined that demolding is not possible, an alternative texture (alternative glossiness) that allows demolding can be presented. Note that, in this embodiment, an example in which only one alternative glossiness is presented has been described, but multiple alternative glossinesses may be presented. For example, in S1208, the possibility of demolding may be determined for each of multiple processing parameter sets in which the difference between the glossiness input by the user and the alternative glossiness is within a predetermined range. Furthermore, all of the alternative glossinesses corresponding to multiple processing parameter sets that are determined to allow demolding may be presented as alternative candidates.

Figure 14 shows the judgment result of whether or not the mold can be released for the glossiness associated with multiple processing parameter sets. Figure 14 includes a GUI 1400, a display area 1401, a display area 1402, a display area 1403, and a user input 1405 confirmation 1409. The display area 1401 displays the evaluation result for the glossiness input by the user. The display area 1401 displays a rendering image of the mold and release NG as a judgment result that the mold cannot be released. The display area 1402 displays a list of alternative glossinesses having values close to the glossiness of the user input 1405. For example, since the user input 1405 displays a glossiness of 9.0, a value close to this glossiness is displayed. The display area 1402 has a table including Δ glossiness, glossiness, material, and molding conditions. The first row of the table in the display area 1402 shows the glossiness of the user input 1405, and the second row and subsequent rows show a list of alternative glossinesses. The second and subsequent rows of the table in the display area 1402 will be described below. Δglossiness represents the difference between the glossiness of the user input 1405 and the newly selected glossiness, and is displayed as +0.1, +0.4, +1.0, .... The difference + indicates that the alternative glossiness is greater than the glossiness input by the user.

The gloss level is displayed as 9.1, 9.5, 10.0, etc. The materials are displayed as material B, material A, material C, etc. The molding conditions are displayed as 1, 2, 2, etc. The boxes in the leftmost column of the table in the display area 1402 are boxes for selecting whether or not to display in the display area 1403 described below. If the box in the second row of the table is checked, the display area 1403 displays a rendering image of a molded product molded using a gloss level of 9.1, resin B, and molding condition 1. If the box is not checked, no image is displayed in the display area 1403. When the user presses Confirm 1409, the processing depth map for realizing the selected alternative gloss level is saved in the external storage device 111, etc.

Also, an alternative gloss level may be calculated for each element surface constituting the surface shape of the mold, and a different alternative gloss level may be presented for each element surface. In this embodiment, an example has been described in which an alternative gloss level is presented as an alternative for texture, but characteristic values that represent other texture features may also be presented as values in the candidate list. Also, for example, in addition to the determination result of whether demolding is possible, alternatives regarding the design of the mold, such as the demolding direction of the molded product and the division position of the mold pieces, may be presented. For example, alternative demolding directions may be presented together with the determination result of whether demolding is possible when the demolding direction vector is changed in various ways. Alternative demolding directions can be found by searching for directions in which demolding is possible.

According to the second embodiment, when it is determined that a molded product cannot be released from a mold corresponding to the gloss level input by the user, an alternative gloss level close to that gloss level can be presented. The second embodiment can determine whether a molded product can be released from a mold corresponding to an alternative gloss level, and notify the user of all the determination results. This configuration does not require the user to go through the trouble of searching for an alternative gloss level when it is determined that the product cannot be released from the mold. This configuration can efficiently support the user in designing a mold. This makes it easy to evaluate whether an object having unevenness according to its texture can be released from the mold.

Other Examples
The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

10: Information processing system, 100: Information processing device, 202: Shape data acquisition unit, 203: Texture parameter acquisition unit, 204: Release direction acquisition unit, 205: Processing pattern generation unit, 206: Evaluation unit

Claims (18)

an acquisition means for acquiring first shape data representing a shape of a die for molding an object, texture parameters relating to a texture to be imparted to the object, and information representing a direction in which the die is moved away from the object;
a first generating means for generating processing parameters for processing the object based on the texture parameters;
a determination means for determining whether or not the object can be released from the die based on the first shape data, the information representing the direction, and the processing parameters,
The texture parameter is an evaluation value of gloss, brilliance, or grip, or a characteristic value representing the texture of a leather-tone paint.
23. An information processing apparatus comprising: a second generating means for generating a first map that defines a depth of a recess in the first shape data based on the first shape data and the processing parameters;
a storage means for storing in advance a first difference between the depth and a height of a convex portion in the first shape data, the first difference corresponding to an angle between a normal direction of the die at a position where the die contacts the object and a direction in which the object is separated from the die,
the determination means calculates a second difference between the depth and the height based on the first map, and determines whether or not the object can be released from the mold based on whether or not the second difference exceeds the first difference.
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, The determination means determines that the object cannot be released from the mold when the second difference exceeds the first difference.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2. The determination means determines that the object can be released from the mold when the second difference does not exceed the first difference.
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer. the storage means stores in advance the texture parameter, and a processing density and a processing depth associated with the texture parameter;
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer. The first shape data includes three-dimensional coordinates constituting vertices of a plurality of planes of the mold and two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the three-dimensional coordinates.
6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer. the storage means stores a plurality of materials contained in the object and a plurality of molding conditions for molding the object in association with the first difference;
7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer. the determination means generates second shape data by color-coding the first shape data in accordance with a determination result of whether or not the object can be separated from the mold;
The method further includes a notification unit for notifying the user of the second shape data.
8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer. the storage means stores in advance the first difference corresponding to an angle between a direction in which the object is separated from the mold and a surface of the object;
9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer. the storage means stores in advance a plurality of alternative gloss levels different from the gloss level as the texture parameter, and processing densities and processing depths respectively associated with the plurality of alternative gloss levels;
10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer. The acquisition means acquires an alternative gloss level selected from the plurality of alternative gloss levels so that a difference between the alternative gloss level and the gloss level is small, based on a determination by the determination means as to whether the object to which the gloss level has been assigned can be separated from the mold;
the second generating means generates a second map that defines a depth of the recessed portion in the first shape data and a height of the protruding portion in the first shape data, based on the first shape data, and the processing density and the processing depth corresponding to the alternative gloss level;
the determination means determines whether or not the object can be released from the mold based on whether or not a third difference between the depth and the height in the second map exceeds the first difference.
11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, The acquisition means, when it is determined by the determination means that the object to which the glossiness has been assigned can be separated from the mold, does not acquire the alternative glossiness,
The method further includes a notification means for notifying a first determination result that the object to which the glossiness has been given by the determination means can be separated from the mold.
12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 . The acquisition means acquires the alternative glossiness when the determination means determines that the object to which the glossiness has been assigned cannot be separated from the mold,
The method further includes a notification means for notifying a second determination result in which the determination means determines that the object to which the gloss level has been assigned cannot be removed from the mold, and further includes a notification means for notifying the alternative gloss level and the processing density and processing depth corresponding to the alternative gloss level when the determination means determines that the object to which the alternative gloss level has been assigned can be removed from the mold.
13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 or 12. The notification means notifies that there is no alternative glossiness and that there is no processing density and processing depth corresponding to the alternative glossiness when the determination means determines that the object to which the alternative glossiness is assigned cannot be separated from the mold.
14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, The notification means, when it is determined by the determination means that the object to which each of the plurality of alternative gloss levels is assigned can be removed from the mold, notifies all of the alternative gloss levels determined to allow the object to be removed from the mold and the processing densities and processing depths corresponding to the alternative gloss levels.
15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 or 14. an acquisition means for acquiring first shape data representing a shape of a die for molding an object, texture parameters relating to a texture to be imparted to the object, and information representing a direction in which the die is moved away from the object;
a first generating means for generating processing parameters for processing the object based on the texture parameters;
a second generating means for generating a first map that defines a depth of a recess in the first shape data based on the first shape data and the processing parameters;
a storage means for storing in advance a first difference between the depth and a height of a convex portion in the first shape data, the first difference corresponding to an angle between a normal direction of the die at a position where the die contacts the object and a direction in which the object is separated from the die;
and a determination means for calculating a second difference between the depth and the height based on the first map, and determining whether or not the object can be released from the mold based on whether or not the second difference exceeds the first difference.
23. An information processing apparatus comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring shape data representing a shape of a die for molding an object, texture parameters relating to a texture to be imparted to the object, and information representing a direction in which the die is moved away from the object;
a generating step of generating processing parameters for processing the object based on the texture parameters;
a determination step of determining whether or not the object can be released from the mold based on the shape data, the information representing the direction, and the processing parameters,
The texture parameter is an evaluation value of gloss, brilliance, or grip, or a characteristic value representing the texture of a leather-tone paint.
23. An information processing method comprising: A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of an information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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