tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42748825842456671142024-02-19T02:13:35.718-08:00Display Week 2014 Daily NewsInformation Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-62968347298753600832014-06-08T08:00:00.003-07:002014-06-08T08:01:33.993-07:00Quantum Dots Enable High Dynamic Range TV<br />
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A year ago, high dynamic range (HDR) was not part of
anybody's stated technical envelope for advanced generation television. Now, all major TV makers are at least
mentioning it. In his SID keynote address, Kazumasa Nomoto, Senior GM of Sony's
Display Device Development Division, specifically mentioned HDR as part of the
envelope of future TVs, and at this year's CES, Sharp showed an HDR technology
demonstrator using Dolby technology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the show floor at SID 2014, Nanosys' 10-foot-by-10-foot
booth won a Best in Show award in the small exhibit category. Nanosys, which makes the quantum dots used in
3M's quantum-dot enhancement film (QDEF), was showing two TV sets side-by-side: one was a conventional LCD TV; the second
incorporated both QDEF and Dolby's HDR technology, and the image was
compelling. But what does QDEF have to
do with HDR?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nanosys' Jeff Yurek told me that QDEF turns out to be a
critical tool in reducing the cost and power consumption of HDR, which up to
now have limited the technology to very expensive professional monitors.
Dolby's current technology uses 2300 red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes
in a full-matrix backlight array.
Controlling the LEDs in clusters, known as local-area-dimming, is the
key to HDR, and Dolby is currently controlling the LEDs individually. Some of the LEDs are very inefficient, with
the result that lots of heat is generated and the power consumption is very
high.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, if only efficient blue LEDs are used and the QDEF
is used to convert the blue light to red and green, power consumption would be
reduced. For consumer television, it is
likely that the number of LEDs would be sharply reduced. This side-by-side
comparison drew a lot of attention, creating heavier traffic around the Nanosys
booth. <i>– Ken Werner</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-60041233710778523542014-06-07T03:51:00.001-07:002014-06-07T03:52:24.374-07:00Self-Healing Material Protects Mobile Devices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTzdJ4PiT4QqcSwpJZ6xg5cq3ADQMIe6GaRetV85PWAJPKLZ1QWV7zKDV7Y1uDShmRdpBynGo58_0FsEtuHLmAZimF1FkaQQ3rq_5tVQ60BYYG54Rp7bGEICyODMfzxVb8BHhyOeIW-M/s1600/natoco+self-healing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTzdJ4PiT4QqcSwpJZ6xg5cq3ADQMIe6GaRetV85PWAJPKLZ1QWV7zKDV7Y1uDShmRdpBynGo58_0FsEtuHLmAZimF1FkaQQ3rq_5tVQ60BYYG54Rp7bGEICyODMfzxVb8BHhyOeIW-M/s1600/natoco+self-healing.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></div>
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By their very nature, mobile devices are more exposed to
physical damage than desktop devices that spend their time sitting safely in
one place. Manufacturers have responded to the problem of cracked or shattered
display screens with the adoption of hardened cover glass such as the
ion-exchange Gorilla Glass from Corning. But what about protecting the rest of
the case from scratches and dents?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.natoco.co.jp/english/index.html">Natoco</a>
from Japan may have the solution. The company was exhibiting some of its novel
materials in the booth from chemical company <a href="http://www.nagase.co.jp/english/">Nagase</a> at Display Week. One
particularly interesting one was a glossy paint that can heal itself when
scratched. The booth demonstration had two glossy black panels mounted side by
side. When you scrubbed them with a wire brush, the scratches were clearly
visible. However, the scratches on the panel using the Natoco coating slowly
disappeared, and in a matter of a few minutes, the surface was restored to a
pristine surface.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The paint comes in a variety of formulations that can be
cured using either heat or UV light. The paint is clear, so it can be used to
create a case of any color, simply by applying a base coat. The result is a
bright and durable coating for mobile phones, tablets, or other portable
devices. As companies struggle to find ways to differentiate their products
from the competition, a durable coating made to match colors associated with
the company’s branding could provide a competitive advantage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Natoco also makes a matte transparent coating that resists
marks. Dirt from routine handling or even “permanent” markers can be wiped off
with a standard facial tissue or paper towel, with no solvents required: not
even water. The slick surface makes it difficult for materials such as ink to
adhere, and the transparent coating offers the same color-matching advantages
as the self-healing material. <i>–Alfred Poor<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-36852229992504118642014-06-06T08:29:00.001-07:002014-06-06T08:29:49.995-07:00Display Week Touch Poll Shows Surprising Disconnects Between Industry Direction and User Preference<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">During Monday’s Seminar,
“Issues, Insights, and Interactions on Touch HMI,” by Geoff Walker and Gary Barrett), the
speakers asked the audience the questions listed below. The audience responded
by raising their hands. Because of the size of the audience (134 people), exact
answer counts weren’t possible, so estimates were made. (Before the questions
started, the speakers made everyone in the audience raise their hand as a
warm-up exercise, which helps increase audience participation in the polls.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Which would you rather do: (a) Hover your finger above the screen to
view choices and then touch to select, or (b) Press lightly to view choices and
then press harder to select?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Hover = 1/3; Pressure = 2/3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All
the p-cap touch controller suppliers are implementing (or have already
implemented) hover as the industry’s preferred solution to the need for
mouseover emulation, since nobody has successfully developed absolute pressure-sensing
for p-cap yet. This audience response shows a definite preference for pressure
sensing, which is not where the industry is headed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
For those of you that write Kanji characters on a smartphone screen, how
many of you are comfortable using your fingers, and how many would prefer to
use a stylus? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Fingers = two people; Stylus = the great majority<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
answer was quite surprising, since the speakers were under the impression that
Asian users are generally happy using their fingers to write Kanji characters
on a smartphone, particularly since the software suggests characters based on
partial input (the same way that English words are suggested based on partial
input using an onscreen keyboard). This answer strongly supports the idea that
use of a stylus (probably a passive stylus) is likely to move into the
mainstream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Are you more likely to want a stylus on a smartphone or a tablet?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Smartphone = almost nobody; Tablet = almost everybody<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Taking
notes, making sketches and drawings, using a stylus as a high-precision
pointing device – all of these activities make more sense on a tablet than a
smartphone, so the audience’s preference is easily understandable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Do you see a need for simultaneous stylus and touch?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Yes = 25%; No = 75%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Microsoft
is working hard on enabling simultaneous stylus and touch (which is not a
native capability of Windows 8), but most people don’t see a need for it (yet),
probably because of the lack of an obvious consumer application. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
How many of you are completely satisfied with the way touch works today
on your smartphone and tablet?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Zero people held up their hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
audience response was stunning. The fact that <u>nobody</u> is completely
satisfied with touch today really brings into question the common OEM/ODM
practice of supplying touch that’s “good enough.” Clearly “good enough” isn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Who has more impact on touch, Windows/Microsoft or Android/Google?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Windows/Microsoft = 6 people; Android/Google = everybody else<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">While
this is not a very surprising audience response, the speakers pointed out that
Microsoft has had quite a large influence on the touch industry over time due
to the fact that it has set a lot of technical specifications on touch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Has anyone seen a demo of a flexible touchscreen on top of a flexible
OLED display?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Zero people held up their hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Everyone
has seen demos of flexible OLED displays, and everyone has seen demos of
flexible touchscreens (for example, built on Corning’s 100-</span>µ<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">m Willow
glass). But nobody in the audience (or the speakers) has seen the two combined
yet. It’s not clear if the reason is a
technical impediment, or simply the lack of a real-world application.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
How many of you have seen a tablet that has a passive stylus with a 1.5
mm tip instead of today’s big, ugly, uncomfortable 7 mm rubber tip?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Eight people held up their hand<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All
of the p-cap touch-controller suppliers have increased their signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR) to the point where you can now touch with a very fine-tipped
passive stylus. In fact, on the show
floor Sharp was demonstrating a 22-inch touch p-cap touchscreen that worked
perfectly with a #2 pencil. The problem is that very few OEMs have rolled out
products that offer this capability so far. By the end of this year, that
situation should have changed significantly. The photo below shows a section of
Sharp’s 22-inch touchscreen with two #2 pencils. <i>– Geoff Walker</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybGqPVVFmFvsFE3TLXj8MoFM6RRM1tt-ARn7bmLU6p8X3EC548HMOUO9RCVZ9jXYBSCWfdu8JbS5Udf6y9WiLDZCNbNBAvQgEVpNZWb__ud3B3442wl6xgVybH8HUDMTzjbIbKsJB2ss/s1600/sharp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybGqPVVFmFvsFE3TLXj8MoFM6RRM1tt-ARn7bmLU6p8X3EC548HMOUO9RCVZ9jXYBSCWfdu8JbS5Udf6y9WiLDZCNbNBAvQgEVpNZWb__ud3B3442wl6xgVybH8HUDMTzjbIbKsJB2ss/s1600/sharp.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Sharp’s
22-inch touchscreen (using one of Sharp’s new series of p-cap touch controllers)
works with a #2 pencil as the touch-object. Interestingly, one of the two
pencils shown on the display even worked with the eraser (not just the pencil
tip), probably because it was worn down more than the other one. </b>Photo by author.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-14982202776310785942014-06-06T08:11:00.001-07:002014-06-06T08:12:29.054-07:00JDI Reveals Embedded Touch Strategy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvqZvWlHlyVdsB2cMs2QviCqgXb91KoStu5166dypVAQzL2KDCXf36K_knv27_w1FEtxeoDxmJ3UYvD6jflYnN-2l_5OvWlZ4lk3y66hcnKKXKqPn5lG2EBfLipKsXfPEVESswcBcBEI/s1600/JDI+touch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvqZvWlHlyVdsB2cMs2QviCqgXb91KoStu5166dypVAQzL2KDCXf36K_knv27_w1FEtxeoDxmJ3UYvD6jflYnN-2l_5OvWlZ4lk3y66hcnKKXKqPn5lG2EBfLipKsXfPEVESswcBcBEI/s1600/JDI+touch.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>JDI’s
latest “Pixel Eyes” hybrid in-cell/on-cell embedded touch is shown here in a
7-inch display with 1,200 x 1,920 pixels, which is 323 ppi. The circles on the
screen (drawn as fast as possible with a 1 mm-tip passive stylus) demonstrate
quite good performance, with only a couple of lost points. </b>Photo by author.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Japan
Display, Inc. (JDI) demonstrated the latest iteration of “Pixel Eyes”, its
branded hybrid in-cell/on-cell embedded touch. This embedded touch architecture
was first described in the </span><a href="http://informationdisplay.org/IDArchive/2012/September/DisplayWeek2012ReviewTouchTechnology.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Information Display article</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> covering Touch at Display Week 2012,
and then updated in the </span><a href="http://informationdisplay.org/IDArchive/2013/SeptemberOctober/Touch.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Information Display article</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> covering Touch at Display Week 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Hiroyuki Ohshima, JDI’s Chief
Strategy Officer and Deputy Chief Technology Officer. During our conversation,
Ohshima-san made the following comments:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">JDI
plans to stick with the hybrid in-cell/on-cell construction rather than moving
to on-cell or true in-cell. Hybrid construction has high sensitivity, it works
well with a fine-tipped stylus, the manufacturing process has been perfected,
it can be produced with high yield, and it can be scaled easily. [This answer
of “we’re sticking with what we know” is the same reason that many discrete
touch-panel manufacturers give for sticking with a particular stack-up such as
GFF, G1F, or GG. Once one gets good at something, there’s a lot to be said for continuing
to leverage it even though other alternatives are available.]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">JDI
is definitely going to use Pixel Eyes in a 10-inch tablet. There are no
technical impediments; all the engineering and manufacturing problems have been
solved so it’s just a matter of business strategy. JDI is currently delaying introducing
a product in order to make sure that that it has a fully differentiated
solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">JDI
believes that it could definitely produce a 13.3-inch display with Pixel Eyes
(i.e., for use in an Ultrabook), but doesn’t participate in that market and doesn’t
know the market requirements. Plus, JDI also views the touch notebook market as
being too small. So even though it’s technically possible, it’s unlikely that
JDI will use its hybrid in-cell/on-cell embedded touch technology in displays
larger than 10 inches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">JDI
believes that ALL display makers are working on some form of embedded touch
because of the revenue and profitability that it brings. While I characterized
the battle between the display-makers and the touch-panel makers as a “war”, Ohshima-san
wasn’t willing to go quite that far. <i>–
Geoff Walker</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-11838089358408097782014-06-06T07:33:00.002-07:002014-06-06T07:34:31.997-07:00Water-resistant Algorithms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OUL20dWrS7vwxfEotCc_5J9LQMWgTfPgDx_djfa0JBBG_RZ5ERPnuOXNscO1iV_44pnoRPAAAxXcjuxCyp8vpMpeImTs0gO7Z57bzs0Hl0MxN6dAtq49vgyU-EHuexggJo9kr6B9pKs/s1600/Sol+Sys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OUL20dWrS7vwxfEotCc_5J9LQMWgTfPgDx_djfa0JBBG_RZ5ERPnuOXNscO1iV_44pnoRPAAAxXcjuxCyp8vpMpeImTs0gO7Z57bzs0Hl0MxN6dAtq49vgyU-EHuexggJo9kr6B9pKs/s1600/Sol+Sys.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Solomon Systech
demonstrated water-resistance on a 4-inch, true single-layer, mutual-capacitance
smartphone touch panel. Note the spray bottle of water on the left and the
large number of water droplets on the screen. </b>Photo by author.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Demonstrations of
touch-panel water resistance can be seen in a number of booths at Display Week
this year; it’s part of the trend of enhancing projected-capacitive (p-cap)
touch to make it more environmentally resistant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Most often,
water-resistance is achieved by operating a touch-panel in two modes and
switching back and forth between them: self-capacitance (using only the top
electrode layer) and mutual capacitance (using both electrode layers). Self-capacitance
is unaffected by water, while mutual capacitive sees water as a touch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.solomon-systech.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Solomon Systech</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">,
a Hong-Kong-based touch controller supplier, demonstrated water resistance
using only algorithmic support on a 4-inch, true single-layer, mutual-capacitance
p-cap touch-panel. This is an achievement because it’s very difficult to
distinguish water droplets from touches using only mutual capacitance. I asked
if perhaps the Solomon Systech controller was using only a portion of the
single-layer electrode in self-capacitance mode, and the booth representative
insisted that the water resistance was accomplished purely via mutual-capacitance
algorithms running on the touch controller.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">True single-layer
mutual-capacitance touch-panels have rapidly become the configuration of choice
for low-end smartphones due to their low cost; Solomon Systech’s ability to
support more advanced functionality such as water-resistance purely through
mutual-capacitance firmware provides an interesting illustration of how the
capability of p-cap touch is continuing to expand even at the very low
end. <i> --Geoff Walker</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-76372001216883048312014-06-05T15:40:00.000-07:002014-06-09T20:48:12.208-07:00Silver Nanostructures Create Versatile Transparent Conductor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcatyBRXkaVLoaS0L8tGqPIeVfNXrSV5tM4Y7eKlQLLvsLsHQ9ORPxRWlA9X6jF9IIdfv7EIc_QBK0LJ2HgZqIfHawEEYa_vFCkJROrN8vcpVhqWHUJ34mnD8WQbhwFsWqPQiUC9b06M/s1600/Cima+Toaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcatyBRXkaVLoaS0L8tGqPIeVfNXrSV5tM4Y7eKlQLLvsLsHQ9ORPxRWlA9X6jF9IIdfv7EIc_QBK0LJ2HgZqIfHawEEYa_vFCkJROrN8vcpVhqWHUJ34mnD8WQbhwFsWqPQiUC9b06M/s1600/Cima+Toaster.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tucked away on a table at the end of a booth in the far left
part of the Display Week 2014 Exhibit Hall sat a glass toaster. This is an incongruous device to be put on
view at a display technology show, but it was an intriguing part of the larger
story about a new transparent conductor material from <a href="http://www.cimananotech.com/">Cima NanoTech</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The company produces a material that it calls “SANTE,” which
is based on a self-organizing silver layer that forms random nanostructures
that are so small that they are effectively transparent. The high conductivity
of the sliver layer makes it well suited for a variety of applications,
especially in creating projected capacitive touch panels for displays. In fact,
Cima NanoTech had demonstrations that did not even require that you touch the
surface of the display; the panel could detect the presence of a finger
hovering above it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The silver material creates random nanostructures that are
similar to the patterns left behind when soap suds dry on a surface. The random
nature eliminates the moiré artifacts that can appear when the touch panel has
a grid structure. The high conductivity delivers high performance even with
large displays. The company showed a 42-inch panel created in partnership with <a href="http://www.sis.com/">Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. (SiS)</a> that
supported 10-point touch operating at 150 Hz.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The conductive layer is deposited as a wet coat that
self-assembles on the substrate. It can be placed on glass or plastic film.
Using plastic film, it creates touch screens that are lightweight, durable, and
flexible.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The silver layer has other applications, however. If you run
enough current through it, it heats up. This means that you can put a
transparent conductive layer on anything from a car windshield to ski goggles,
and the heating can defrost and defog the device. And that leads us back to the
glass toaster. Initially created as a technology demonstration, engineers
wanted to show that the material could get hot enough to cook toast. And it
works. In fact, some manufacturers have expressed interest in actually creating
a production version of the design. <i>–
Alfred Poor</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-50681735109246837282014-06-05T14:55:00.000-07:002014-06-05T15:00:21.739-07:00Wheels of Progress: The Lure of Automotive Displays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyftn8I_u0zH4iBJL_ojw9OVDiI5n37wtAjy3NjXcArKkzehhZHgOZw97tsdg58i0gSpGYFWXgQ1uffLAtIwrqGLcQsKWmm_eogrHGVkftug0geS0APq_4FFIGflnhw2zWy578xANlCsI/s1600/curved+dashboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyftn8I_u0zH4iBJL_ojw9OVDiI5n37wtAjy3NjXcArKkzehhZHgOZw97tsdg58i0gSpGYFWXgQ1uffLAtIwrqGLcQsKWmm_eogrHGVkftug0geS0APq_4FFIGflnhw2zWy578xANlCsI/s1600/curved+dashboard.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<b><i>JDI’s curved touch panel is designed to harmonize with
automotive interiors. </i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the themes that rose to the top at this year’s
Display Week was the proliferation of displays in cars. There are many more
displays in automobiles than there used to be, and there are going to be many
more in years to come -- not just in high-end vehicles, but in everyday ones
too. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Almost every display maker I visited who had
industrial/medical panels to show had a line of automotive displays as well.
This was somewhat true in past years as well, but this year there were simply more,
and the subject came up more. Obviously this trend is good news for display
makers, who are constantly on the lookout for new uses for their products. (On
the downside, at least one panel maker told me that airlines may eventually
discontinue the use of individual displays for each passenger, because everyone
will just use their own devices to display content provided by the airlines.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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An oft-mentioned aspect of this automotive display
phenomenon is how ungainly flat panels can look amid the curved interiors of cars.
Obviously it behooves display makers to work on making those auto panels in
curved formats. Some are already at work on it, including JDI, which was
demoing a curved automotive display that also had touch! <i>– Jenny Donelan</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-4129488600906243452014-06-04T17:42:00.000-07:002014-06-04T17:43:09.100-07:00The Most Impressive Notebook Screen You've Ever Seen<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">At Display Week today, 3M and Nanosys showed ASUS notebook PCs
with 15.6-inch, 4K, quantum-dot-enhanced screens with a gamut of 100%
NTSC.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">This is the first high-volume
product using 3M's QDEF, and 3M sees the product's introduction as a milestone. The
ASUS PC appeared in the Nanosys booth because Nanosys supplies the quantum dots
that are used in the QDEF.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We are not used to seeing images like the ones the ASUS displays
at such a short distance, and the effect is so striking it's hard to look away
from it. This is a display that could easily sell the product of which it is a
part, and it's a fine example of the remarkable ability of quantum dots to
provide dramatic increases in a display's impact at a very small increase in
cost. </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">–-</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Ken Werner<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-54105630034296043182014-06-04T17:39:00.002-07:002014-06-04T17:39:29.163-07:00The Femtosecond Solution for Cutting Glass<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The folks at Raydiance believe that femtosecond lasers will
transform glass-cutting display applications, much as they have made
significant contributions to micromachining solutions in the medical and
automotive industries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Raydiance Chief Scientist Michael Mielke told me this morning that
his company's "R-Cut" solution can perform free-form cuts in Gorilla
Glass and other materials, as well as drilling micro-holes and other precise
features, and can produce cover-glass parts at half the cost of mechanical
singulation methods. The cost savings are due in large part to the fact that
femtosecond-laser cuts have an excellent finish and require no further
polishing or smoothing steps, said Senior VP of Marketing Stefan Zschiegner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Raydiance had held off introducing its process to the display
community until it had prepared a complete solution. The company formally introduced
the system today at Display Week. The solution includes sophisticated software
control of the laser that makes it easy for operators to define new shapes and
features. The system, said Mielke, is suitable for rapid prototyping as well as
production. Zschiegner added that the system has been developed in cooperation
with manufacturers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Until now, conventional mechanical glass-cutting has stubbornly
refused to give way to laser separation. Raydiance tells a convincing story
that this state of affairs may soon begin to change. <i>-- Ken Werner</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-55956290502115949842014-06-04T17:32:00.001-07:002014-06-04T17:33:12.874-07:00Curved OLEDs Hit SID - Why They Are Better TVs<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbZQykDMOxaW1w6IFMJTvO6ZGcWBVDsLtPVmHUvDwZ1pBQTVt3kZ1o208RHt2lteYQhzY3EmXJCTKtSptjmXCiIbeS8qx7U25cvRfex-kpJ507R8M0dnfjW50RJXmR43cc5-RlWtS1AQ/s1600/curved+oled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbZQykDMOxaW1w6IFMJTvO6ZGcWBVDsLtPVmHUvDwZ1pBQTVt3kZ1o208RHt2lteYQhzY3EmXJCTKtSptjmXCiIbeS8qx7U25cvRfex-kpJ507R8M0dnfjW50RJXmR43cc5-RlWtS1AQ/s1600/curved+oled.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="Body">
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<div class="Body">
On opening day of Display Week, crowds rushed in to see the
record number of component display suppliers at this year’s
event. One of the most notable booths just at the entrance was LG Display,
welcoming visitors not with one, but three curved OLED sets in full UHD
resolution glory in 77-, 65-, and 55-inch diagonal sizes.</div>
<div class="Body">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
The first question we had for the LG team, led by Hong Jae Shin,
Chief Research Engineer on OLED TVs, was why? Why is curved better than flat
displays? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
Answers to this question have been all over the map since the
first big screen curved sets appeared. They’ve ranged from the
curved screen matches the curve of the eye (found in the Samsung booth today!)
to speculation that companies are doing it simply because they can. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
But in that first morning analyst meeting with LG, Dr. Shin told
us the curved screen offers viewers the same distance from the edge of the
image to the eye as the distance from the center of the screen to the eye. “It’s
curved because that screen offers a better immersive experience,”<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">
</span>he told us. Adding to the point, that same distance helps make vivid
color (at any part of the screen), they told us. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
Interestingly, LG said it used extensive customer research to
find that the optimal radius for the curved set is 5000 mm radius, or simply
5000R for its curved TV. By way of
contrast, Samsung said its curve is 4200 mm so one may speculate there may be a
new spec war of the curve on the horizon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
We found the Samsung curved LCD equally impressive, and perhaps
because it was LCD based, it was nice to see how this is breathing new life
(extending the runway) for LCD yet again.
<i>-- Steve Sechrist</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-11274809831245592632014-06-04T17:05:00.000-07:002014-06-04T17:25:02.223-07:00Hints of the Future: Quantum Dots <div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsQTq4f5TXXX0LAcJZB-8l63t8NcrhJ2iTlo-VJcXH78wspKkZOlnFzbbzIy8Xlza2Rmx5i0HLnwWoo8qx0OeoiYFDheM36FCTGgSlGk4RU1Ps_etXBwa7czUUkmJ7XrtOjTpp500Uqw/s1600/SS_QD-Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsQTq4f5TXXX0LAcJZB-8l63t8NcrhJ2iTlo-VJcXH78wspKkZOlnFzbbzIy8Xlza2Rmx5i0HLnwWoo8qx0OeoiYFDheM36FCTGgSlGk4RU1Ps_etXBwa7czUUkmJ7XrtOjTpp500Uqw/s1600/SS_QD-Blog.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">We’ve all
been amazed at the color saturation improvements made in LCDs using quantum dots.
But one of the most inspiring talks given at the Monday Session at Display Week
gave us a peak at the future and potential applications of this new nano
science.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Vladimir
Bulovic of MIT Organic and Nanostructured Electronics Laboratory spoke on this
unique technology, with some compelling, thought-provoking ideas. First he
asked the audience to consider the trade-off between manufacturing traditional
wafer technology with its complex fabrication processes, albeit using a
relatively simple material (silicon), versus nano materials that by contrast
are rather complex, but can use a simple thin film (roll to roll) process
method with relatively few steps. In short -- a complex process with many steps
to manufacturing using a simple material vs. a complex material using
relatively few steps in manufacturing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">It’s the
latter that Bulvoic likes, and he showed the group the potential of this
thought shift that looks to offer dramatic production cost reductions by
limiting the number of complex steps. Bulvoic said fewer than six synthetic
manufacturing steps would achieve significant gains in cost efficiencies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">To make the
point, he showed an application of this low-cost manufacturing of a complex
nano material by creating solar cells on paper. They created vapor printed
organic electrodes from nano materials applied to newspaper, with the result of
an ITO-free flexible solar cell made of layers and substrate that were
completely flexible. The photo voltaic device was made by simply coating films
on a piece of paper from an organic polymer layer coated with two additional
layers of organic dyes, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">These low-cost
solar cells on paper have limitless applications, with some examples that
included secure documents, packaging, ads and entertainment, and more. The discussion then shifted to making a solar
cell invisible with the idea of placing the material on an e-book reader that
would never need conventional recharging again. The possibilities can easily be
extended to wearable devices that gain huge benefits from such functionality. <i>-- Steve Sechrist</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-70876710090463824232014-06-03T21:21:00.001-07:002014-06-03T21:22:57.998-07:00Light Pipes Put Images Where You Want Them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pAcP3KX3HeWFfUkA0AlWIk1hAFB_cfBlRD0p50JVNy9rB7yMh2v4DXguiS8B8mKZd6F3Po_5WEm0tezhy9j925Nwq4oZ2AWnHKehv0-KRH5f62vnzu8RasUAVycLozYRp6wFyjBP6wM/s1600/Incom+fiber+optic+panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pAcP3KX3HeWFfUkA0AlWIk1hAFB_cfBlRD0p50JVNy9rB7yMh2v4DXguiS8B8mKZd6F3Po_5WEm0tezhy9j925Nwq4oZ2AWnHKehv0-KRH5f62vnzu8RasUAVycLozYRp6wFyjBP6wM/s1600/Incom+fiber+optic+panel.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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Everybody knows about fiber optics; that’s the glass
technology that can bring high-speed broadband Internet access to your home or
office. But why would you find it in the Exhibit Hall at Display Week 2014? The
answer is that images are information, too, and the same fiber optic features
that carry bits of data also make it possible to deliver images where you want
them. <a href="http://www.incomusa.com/">INCOM</a> has some interesting
demonstrations of its fused fiber optic technology on display in its booth.<o:p></o:p><br />
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For example, consider the control panel created by one of
the company’s partners: <a href="http://fairlightus.com/">Fairlight</a>.
Fairlight makes controllers for use in professional audio and video editing.
The software used for these tasks is very complex, and the controllers have
keys that provide quick access to the different commands. It would take an acre
of buttons, however, to cover all the different choices.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The solution is to provide context-sensitive keys; each key
takes on a different function depending on the type of task you’re doing. The
problem with this is that it would be confusing to mark all the possible
functions on each key. What is needed is a way to change the content of the
individual keycaps on the fly. And that is what INCOM’s technology makes
possible.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The trick relies on a simple, low-cost LCD panel mounted
inside the control panel. INCOM’s fused fiber optics blocks channel the light
from the panel to the keycap. Then by changing the image displayed by the
panel, the image on the key cap changes. And you get an instantly changing
control panel without the cost and complexity of creating separate displays for
each key.<o:p></o:p></div>
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INCOM has used this technology to create controls and
display panels for everything from flight simulators to slot machines. The
company originally made the materials out of glass but has since added polymer
products that reduce weight and cost. INCOM can make just about any shape or
size button or display that a client would need. And it makes it possible to
get your image from here to there in a flash.<i> -- Alfred Poor</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-29478460719547746292014-06-03T10:31:00.001-07:002014-06-03T10:31:33.256-07:00The Return of the Pen, and Much More<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
At Display Week the best way to get started is the Monday
seminars , which provide a technical foundation on a wide variety of subjects
that are also featured prominently in the symposium and exhibitions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I started my day at
the seminar titled "Issues, Insights, and Interactions on Touch HMI,"
jointly presented by Gary Barrett from Touch International and Geoff Walker
from Intel. Both Gary and Geoff are well known and highly experienced
experts in the field of touch technology, and lately both have been on the
forefront of the projected capacitive (p-cap) wave, making bold predictions on
the commercial advancement of the technology as well as acting as keen observers
and contributors to its success. This year they provided us with their
insights on several key topics such as ITO replacement materials, the return of
the pen/stylus and the potential value of "hover" mode, the future
direction of coatings and the possibility of plastic top glass layers
returning, limitations that still exist in p-cap today, and what the future
holds for p-cap applications. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On the subject of pens and hover, there is a lot of interest
in returning to pen-based interactions, because of the very high information
content on today's portable devices, and I was surprised to learn that today's
latest p-cap systems are so well tuned that they can be activated in many cases
by an actual lead tipped pencil, which means that the opportunity for a wide
family of narrow-tipped, low-cost passive styluses is back again. Of course pen
computing is not new, having first come on the scene back in the 1990s, and
anyone who has owned a PDA is familiar with this style of interaction.
But lately the iPhone led the way in the 'finger-not-pen' debate and pen-based
UIs seemed to fade away. However, I've always found pointing devices more
useful and accurate than finger touch myself, and my wife uses a passive stylus
on her Surface tablet most of the time, so I welcome the return of the pen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What struck me as part of this discussion is how dynamic
this technical area continues to be, with many key areas for research and
development still open, including ITO replacement materials and harsh
environment performance. While p-cap is good, it continues to prove
Geoff's old adage that no touch solution is ever perfect. There are
several good areas for innovation and competitive differentiation due to both
performance and cost. During the audience questions, I asked specifically
about the future for salt spray/water immunity in commercial large screen p-cap
applications and was pleased to hear Gary answer that today this vulnerability
can be effectively managed through firmware and may be eliminated in the near
future. We've already seen at least one company commercially advertising
salt water-immune p-cap, so, between this performance area and the return of
the passive stylus we may be closing in on the "perfect" touch
technology after all -- OK, not quite yet but I'm just sayin'... . <i>– Stephen Atwood,
Executive Editor</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-15302157923401745132014-06-03T10:28:00.002-07:002014-06-03T10:28:26.246-07:00SID Announces 2014 DIA Winners<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today, the
Society for Information Display (SID) announced the winners of its
19th annual Display Industry Awards. The six winners, two in each of three
main categories, were chosen for their degree of technical innovation and
commercial significance, in addition to their potential for positive social
impact. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Display of the Year <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Gold Award
Winner: Samsung Display's 5.68-in. Curved (Flexible) AMOLED Display<o:p></o:p></div>
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Silver Award
Winner: LG Display's 55-in. FHD Curved OLED TV Panel<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Display Component of the Year: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Gold Award:
UDC's Green Phosphorescent UniversalPHOLED® Emitter Material<o:p></o:p></div>
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Silver Award:
Canatu Oy's Carbon NanoBud (CNB) Film<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Display Application of the
Year: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Gold Award:
LG Display's G Flex<o:p></o:p></div>
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Silver Award: Google Chromebook
Pixel<o:p></o:p></div>
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A more
comprehensive description of the winners is included in the Display Week 2014
Show Issue of Information Display magazine, available <a href="http://informationdisplay.org/IDArchive/2014/MayJune/2014SIDDisplayIndustryAwardWinners.aspx">here</a> or
in the show issue of the magazine, available outside the exhibit hall at
Display Week.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-70008329560804942392014-06-03T09:07:00.002-07:002014-06-09T20:50:42.219-07:00The Display Industry Shifts to Mobile<br />
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The success of the display industry used to rise and fall
with the fortunes of the TV industry, but this is no longer strictly true, as industry
analyst Paul Semenza from NPD DisplaySearch made clear in his Monday seminar
presentation, “The Display Industry Shifts to Mobile.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Revenues are growing in displays but not in large-area
displays. In 2010, mobile displays represented 10% of the total display market;
by next year, they will make up 50%. “The industry is shifting away from bigger
and bigger displays,” said Semenza, adding that he believes fabs will top out
at Gen 10.<o:p></o:p><br />
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In an apparent contradiction, at the same time that smaller
mobile devices are gaining momentum, the size of mobile device displays is
getting bigger. More smartphones with displays larger than 4 inches are coming
in 2014, and larger iPads (12.9-in.) are due out soon. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition, 4K smartphones are on the way. “It’s hard to
say what you would actually do with a 4K smartphone,” said Semenza, to
laughter in the audience, “but it indicates the drive toward higher resolution.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last, he noted that larger screens and higher resolutions in
mobile devices increase power consumption. New backplane technology is needed in
order to support these features. LTPS and oxide are possible solutions, but getting
it right is a high priority for the industry right now. <i>-- Jenny Donelan</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-25578163690948423242014-06-02T16:40:00.001-07:002014-06-02T16:41:54.745-07:00Where e-Paper Is HeadedDisplay Week has begun! Monday featured 16 technical seminars on topics ranging from oxide TFT fundamentals to light fields, and more, including,"A Critical and Current Review of the Present and Future Prospects for e-Paper," by the University of Cincinnati's Jason Heikenfeld. (Heikenfeld is also a frequent contributor to Information Display and a roving reporter covering flex and e-paper for ID.)<br />
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One of his central points was that no single e-paper technology has the potential to answer all needs. He contrasted the current situation with e-Paper is to that of silicon in the chip industry, noting that for chips, the silicon solution is "good enough" in terms of performance, whereas for e-Paper, unmet market needs will continue to drive the emergence of new technologies (though E Ink will continue to dominate.)<br />
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Other predictions made by Heikenfeld were that e-paper technologies that are different in how they work but not in performance will rapidly disappear, and also that the inherent advantages of e-Paper will continue to differentiate it from other products, even as those products evolve. e-Paper is, for example, highly readable, even in sunlight, as well as foldable, rollable, and low power.<br />
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One of his more intriguing predictions was that the Amazon/Liquavista acquisition (May 2013) is "a major wait and see." Heikenfeld said "they are doing this for the video, not for color." In other words, there should be some interesting announcements from the tablet/e-Reader space sometime in the not-too-distant future. <i>--Jenny Donelan</i><br />
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Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274882584245667114.post-11013792561184444182014-05-21T07:37:00.002-07:002014-05-21T07:37:58.552-07:00Coming soon: daily updates from Display Week 2014 in San Diego, California, June 1-June 6.Information Displayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14310735370279024648noreply@blogger.com0