Consumer Applications Archives - E3 Displays

SID Display Week in Los Angeles

Ray Damper — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 19:11:00 +0000

Hosted by the Society for Information Display (SID), the International Display Week Symposium, Seminar, & Exhibition, will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 21-26, 2023. Don’t miss the leading display experts’ technical sessions, short courses, seminars, and business conference showcasing the latest technology advancements in electronic displays and imaging.

The six-day event features nearly 400 technical presentations, numerous tutorials and short courses, a seminar series, a business conference addressing the display market outlook, an Imaging and Vision Special Event, the I-Zone, and over 100 exhibitors. While you’re planning your conference schedule make sure to reserve an in-person meeting with E3 Displays Co-Founder and Executive VP, Rob Tomasek. E3 will be in meeting room #44.

E3 Displays designs and manufactures custom display, touch, and electronics solutions for its customers in the automotive, aviation, commercial, industrial, medical, and military markets, delivering high-reliability performance in the human-machine interface (HMI) function, every time and everywhere.

If you have any questions about E3 Displays and the value and solutions they provide, please contact Rob through LinkedIn to schedule a meeting at the SID Display Week 2023. Rob enjoys networking with others and will demonstrate how his resources and connections can bring value to you, your products, and your business.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Los Angeles Convention Center!

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How Medical Wearables are Saving Patients Lives

E3 Displays — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:03:11 +0000

Remote care, which became an important aspect of healthcare operations during the Coronavirus pandemic, is projected to remain a useful tool for both doctors and patients. Telehealth, on the other hand, is not behind in this. Healthcare wearables, such as smartwatches and biosensors, now allow doctors to track and manage their patients’ development from a distance. Wearables provide detailed medical information, which goes beyond traditional measures. As these devices become more sophisticated and capable of monitoring their users’ vital signs, the lines between consumer and patient are beginning to blur. Not only are digital health tracking technologies being utilized for general ‘wellness’ objectives, but also illness management – connecting people with healthcare practitioners and proactively alerting any difficulties. As one would expect, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend. According to a new study by Stanford Medicine and Rock Health, the pandemic accelerated digital use, both in terms of wearables and other telemedicine tools. Mainly the electronic displays are playing a vital role in medical wearables right now.

Types of Electronic Displays in Medical Wearables

Wearable technology in healthcare refers to electronic devices that people can wear that are designed to collect data about their health and fitness. These devices can even convey a user’s health information in real-time to the user, a doctor, or other healthcare providers. Wearable demand is expected to increase in the coming years as more consumers express an interest in sharing their data with their providers and insurers. As these medical devices evolve, most include a display and touch screen for user input and interaction. These displays play a vital part in enhancing the user experience. The ideal display depends on the application’s demands and user needs. Several display types can be used – both transmissive and reflective LCD technology, memory displays, and OLEDs.

Importance of Touch Screen Functionality in Medical Wearables

Regulatory requirements are just one component for medical device manufacturers. However, incorporating emerging and constantly evolving technologies requires device manufacturers to step up their game to stay ahead of the competition. Displays are one of the ever-evolving technologies included in this medical device mix. Consumers have grown accustomed to features such as touch displays and apps in everyday gadgets such as cell phones and smartwatches, and they want the same ease and features in other medical equipment, such as ECG monitors, as well. Manufacturers may find it difficult to deliver these display elements while simultaneously adhering to the stringent regulatory regulations that apply to medical equipment. Therefore, manufacturers are now more determined to create devices with better display functionality. It is helping medical care centers in various ways, as you can check through the examples mentioned below.

Examples of Medical Wearables With Electronic Displays

Manufacturers of healthcare devices and touch screens are attempting to make the jobs of health care professionals more convenient by having devices or wearables with improved displays. Some of the next examples are already used in the market.

Smart Health Watches

Smartwatches, which were once only used to count steps and tell time, have evolved into clinically viable healthcare tools. In 2017, Apple released the Apple Heart Study app, which monitors users’ heart rhythms and alerts them if they are experiencing atrial fibrillation. In 2020, the company released the most recent Watch iteration. The Series 6 Watch from Apple includes a new blood oxygen saturation monitoring feature, native sleep tracking capabilities, a faster FDA-approved electrocardiogram sensor, and improved heart health monitoring.

Wearable Blood Pressure Monitors

HeartGuide, the first wearable blood pressure monitor, was introduced by Omron Healthcare in 2019. HeartGuide is an oscillometric blood pressure monitor that can measure blood pressure and daily activity, such as steps walked, distance traveled and calories burned. HeartGuide may store up to 100 readings in memory, and all of them can be uploaded to the HeartAdvisor mobile app for comparison, analysis, and therapy optimization. Users of HeartAdvisor can keep, track, and share their data with their doctor and receive insights into how their daily behaviors affect their blood pressure.

Medical Wearable Electronic Display Features

Antimicrobial Film Lamination

According to ISO 21702:2019, these films have antiviral characteristics. After 2 hours of exposure, the virus on the surface of the films has been reduced by 65 percent (tested on corona-virus type virus). These one-of-a-kind novel laminating films include antibacterial capabilities that target the dreaded Escherichia coli (E. Coli) bacterium as well as Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (staph infection). Some of the products also claim to have destroyed 99.9% of test bacteria that came into contact with the surface area.

Physiological Parameters

Physiological parameters focus on monitoring the normal functioning of the body and include tracking of the heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, body temperature, and respiratory rate. These parameters are critical in the assessment of the patient’s welfare. Wearable devices monitoring them are worn on the patient’s wrist. The devices work on the principle of Photoplethysmography (PPG). They feature LED optical sensors that shine a light on human skin and photodetectors to record reflected signals in the case of blood pressure and heart rate. While measuring oxygen, the devices use red and infrared sensors. Highly oxygenated blood reflects more red light signals, while low saturation is marked by more infrared light reflection. These devices have integrated algorithms to process the recorded signals to make useful interpretations about the patient’s body. The devices provide continuous real-time monitoring of the physiological parameters at a personal level. The real-time data provides critical statistics that can inform the course of action to remedy a medical situation such as an imminent heart attack. Wearable devices focusing on Physiological parameters are suitable for patients struggling with heart-related illnesses, High-blood pressure, Anemia, Acute Respiratory Distress, and Pneumonia among other diseases linked to heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate.

Provide Real-Time Assistance Based on Sent Data

Wearable devices collect, analyze and store data in real-time. The incorporation of the Internet of Things (IoT) provides for data transmission to cloud servers accessed by physicians. The real-time nature of the data invites doctors into the patients’ loop for prompt assistance when the need arises. Other than patients having the luxury of real-time attention from medics, they can benefit from data-driven alerts retrieved from medical repositories. Wearable devices could benefit patients under critical care and those struggling with lifestyle conditions like diabetes.

ECG Monitoring

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a medical test that relies on the heart’s electrical signals to detect heart conditions. The signals are outputs from cardiac rhythms, breathing behavior, and rapid pulses. Apple pioneered the development of wearable ECGs through its smartwatch. The device is worn on the wrist and comes with an electrode that completes the chest-heart circuit. It can continuously monitor one’s heart signals and in case of any deviation from the normal, advise the wearer to visit a doctor for a full ECG. Cardiovascular patients and those living with related risks should consider having the device.

Mobile App Ecosystem

Wearables leverage the mobile app ecosystem to promote their usage convenience. Apple’s smartwatch, for instance, is part of Apple’s ecosystem. The wearer can receive a call or a message through them, much the same as they were using their mobile phones. Besides, their data can be displayed on the iPhone, Mac, or on iCloud. This boosts convenience as the user’s medical history could be preserved in the cloud for instance and that they can view these data using different platforms connected to the wearable device.

Why Are Medical Wearables Beneficial To Users?

The market size for wearable healthcare technology is growing, and more work on these technologies will give consumers and US companies improved wearable technology. According to Insider Intelligence research, users’ health and fitness applications will stay above 84 million by 2022. This upward trend in wearable fitness influences insurers, healthcare providers, and enterprises’ decisions to profit from the benefits of wearable healthcare monitors. U.S. users of wearable products increased in just four years from 9% to 33%, and this figure will continue to increase. Moreover, smarter devices under a process will certainly cultivate a healthy lifestyle culture, making it easy for users to keep track of their health.

Bottom Line

COVID-19 has forced us to find more solutions to monitor health and form a better healthcare industry for the future. The simple medical wearables save lives as doctors can now have more accurate vitals, sense the pulse, and diagnose problems faster than before. As manufacturers of these wearable devices are constantly working on their devices better, we hope to have more facilities in the healthcare industry working towards this as well. So, be it the evaluation of body movement, heart rate, blood pressure, or anything else, it is all possible with the wearables available in the market and through the ones in the process right now.

About E3 Displays

We’re a global design and manufacturing company that helps the world’s most innovative companies define the future of their business display needs. With over 20 years of combined experience in display technology, E3 Displays has everything you need to develop and manufacture your custom touch display all in one place. With customer-centric solutions featuring strategic planning, competitive pricing, longevity, and support, we ensure the best products on the market to help you scale. In the end, displays are a centerpiece in any hardware that provides a very important visual message in your product. We want to ensure that the visual entity exceeds your optical and performance requirements.

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Transparent and Flexible OLED Displays are Transforming Traditional Viewing

E3 Displays — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:22:08 +0000

Many transparent and flexible displays are based on the new display technology which is Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology, and they are going to be used often in future displays. Today, consumer electronic devices are using two major display technologies: LCD and OLED displays. Although most LCD TVs are equipped with backlit LED technology, recently LG and Sony are taking the technology one step further and have started manufacturing TVs/displays with OLED technology. OLED displays offer better picture quality, brighter, and true black color that enables better contrast and more vivid colors. These enhanced features compared to LCD displays have increased their popularity over the years. Even Samsung is majorly using active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) displays in their mobile phones to provide an excellent picture and color quality.

What are OLED Displays?

OLED stands for “Organic Light-Emitting Diode.” An OLED Display does not need any light source for backlighting because OLED itself emits light, it is an emissive display thus eliminating the need for backlighting and thus minimizing the number of material layers in a display stack thus making it much thinner than a conventional LCD. It is a light-emitting technology that is made by placing two thin organic films between conductors. When an electrical current passes through, it emits a bright light. Conductors are materials that allow for the electrical current to flow through them. Each small OLED pixel in the screen creates light depending on how much current flows through it. OLED displays not only provide excellent picture quality, but due to the reduced number of layers in the display stack OLEDs can be printed on flexible substrates an thus enabling novel features in the display such as simplicity of it is said that they can be transparent, foldable, flexible, and stretchable displays in the future. OLED displays are the future of display technology.

What is an LED LCD Display?

LCD (liquid crystal display) display technology is widely used in televisions. The display consists of pixels that are not visible but play a great role in creating pictures on the TV display. The display also consists of LED backlighting that shines through pixels and is responsible for pictures and colors on the TV screen. The LED is not a display technology, but it provides backlighting for the LCD.

Difference between LCD and OLED:

There are some differences between LCD and OLED Displays. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Light Output:

Both LCD and OLED have brighter displays in a sunny environment and provide excellent quality pictures. OLEDs are overall slightly brighter than LCD because of their dynamic range and no backlight function. OLED displays have a unique property of producing colors and light from a single diode when they are fed electricity. It is the reason that OLEDs don’t need a backlight. Each pixel you see on the screen is a self-contained source of color and light. Each pixel then combines to make a picture and produce a brighter display without a backlight.

Blackness Level:

The blackness level is very important for any display. It correlates with the quality and contrast of the image on the screen. The deep black levels are responsible for providing a picture that is rich in colors and has high contrast. OLED displays can turn off the individual pixels completely to produce truly black imagery. LED displays are unable to do this because there is always some minor amount of light in LCD due to the electrical nature of LCDs.

Contrast Ratio:

Contrast ratio is another important aspect of picture quality. A display with high-contrast will look more realistic than a display with low-contrast. The contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest and darkest pixels in a display. OLED displays have a clear advantage in contrast because they have true black pixels.

Resolution:

Both LCD and OLED displays can provide Ultra HD 4K resolution, so there is no difference when it comes to display resolution. Some old LCDs are still available in 1080P resolution, but modern displays are all 4K.

Refresh Rate:

The refresh rate is important in terms of motion blur. Motion blur means blurring of anything that moves on the screen. Unfortunately, both OLED and LCD have motion blur right now. OLED displays and all other 4K TVs have a refresh rate of 120Hz. Some lower-cost LCDs have 60Hz while other 1080p resolution displays have a refresh rate of up to 240Hz, but it is rare since most of the OLED and LCDs are offering a 120Hz refresh rate, so there is no difference in the refresh rate between the displays.

Viewing Angle:

OLED displays can be curved to display a wider viewing angle than LCDs. LCD viewing angles are very limited and can only be enhanced by using in-plane switching mode (IPS) rather than twisted nematic (TN). To learn more about IPS and TN click here.

Energy Consumption:

The energy consumption in OLED displays depends on the screen brightness: the more screen brightness, the more energy consumption. While on the other hand, the energy consumption in LCD varies depending on the backlight setting. So, the lower the backlight, the lower energy consumption. If you consider overall power consumption, OLED displays consume less energy than LCD displays. The reason is that since OLEDs don’t require a backlight they can turn off each pixel individually when they are black, unlike LCD where those pixels are still illuminated.

Screen Size:

Both LCD and OLED displays come in various sizes depending on the consumer electronics application. Most handheld consumer products like phones, smartwatches, and tablets have OLED displays. Both LCD and OLED displays can be manufactured in any size depending on the application needs.

Types of OLED Displays:

There are several types of OLEDs, however, we are going to discuss the following:

– Transparent OLED
– Flexible OLED

Transparent OLED:

Transparent OLED displays only consist of transparent components, and when they are turned off, they are up to 85% transparent. When it is turned on, it allows light to pass in both directions. Samsung used transparent OLEDs in 2015 for the first time and started supplying to customers in early 2016. Some of the present examples are Samsung 55” mirror and LG Transparent Display Digital Signage. LG now aims to use a Transparent OLED display in TVs to make an invisible bedroom TV. There are many benefits and applications of the Transparent OLED display.

Benefits:

– Transparent OLED displays can provide high-quality imagery as they have no backlight and have a larger viewing angle than other displays, which means you will get the same excellent quality view from wider angles. These displays are ideal for present and future high-tech environments to provide stunning visual effects.
– Being able to see through the screen when it is off, means that it can be placed in high traffic locations without disturbing the design of the space or obstructing important views.
– The interactive aspect provides a memorable user experience. Transparent OLEDs have multi-touch capabilities that can help increase the customer’s engagement and efficiency when used in retail settings.

Applications:

– Samsung launched the world’s first Transparent OLED display 55 inches mirror in June 2015.
– Retail stores utilize transparent OLEDs over product displays to present valuable product information to their customers.
– Hotels, restaurants, and cafes utilize this display type for an enhanced customer experience, as well as seamless check-in and ordering.
– The transparent displays can be utilized in public transit systems to enable riders to purchase tickets and view departure/arrival times. They could also be a source of revenue when utilized for advertisements. The transparency feature allows for all of this without obstructing the surrounding architecture.
– These displays are also found in jewelry shops, museums, visitor attractions places, health clubs, gyms, and more!

Flexible OLED Display:

Since OLEDs do not require a backlight, they can be curved during the manufacturing process to mold to a particular environment and increase their viewing angle. The flexible OLED display is the only display technology currently that can produce foldable smartphones and rollable TVs.

Benefits:

– Flexible OLED displays are useful for producing non-bezel designs of mobile phones with curved edges. These displays are providing excellent overall viewing experiences to users.
– The use of a plastic substrate and the ability to flex locally makes the display more durable, and there are fewer chances of any cracks when it drops.
– Like transparent OLED, flexible OLED displays consume low energy.
– Flexible OLED displays can be used in curved TVs to provide a clear and wide view to the audience. The quality and reliability of the flexible curved screen make the lifespan much longer than other displays.

Applications:

– Flexible OLED displays are used in the production of curved display TVs.
– Another application is foldable smartphones. We have seen that Samsung and Huawei already launched their foldable phones in 2019, many other companies are working on this technology.

– The next application is rollable devices. LG introduced a rollable TV prototype in 2018.
– As wearable devices are in demand now, flexible OLED displays can be used in curved edge devices like smartwatches or fitness trackers.

Conclusion:

The OLED displays are the future of technology. We see OLED displays in TVs, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. Transparent and Flexible OLED display technology is going to be used in next-generation electronic devices and it will make people’s life much easier, smoother, and efficient. These displays can engage users for a long time.

About E3 Displays

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Experts Agree: Face ID Is Not The Answer, In-Display Fingerprint Sensors Are

E3 Displays — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 08:00:05 +0000

Technology is evolving day by day. We have seen a period from password to pin code and now fingerprint and face unlock for device protection. Companies are still working to enhance security and provide a safe environment to their users. The in-display fingerprint sensor is the latest technology being added to mobile phones with custom OLED displays. It was available on very few smartphones until last year, but now there is a larger market for the technology. Soon, we may see improvements in this technology and watch it become more common in mobile phones.

Mobile Phones & Security Evolution:

Physical Fingerprint Scanner:

Before in-display fingerprint scanner technology, mobile devices were using both front and rear-mounted fingerprint scanners. Both in-display and physical fingerprint sensors are continuing to develop and grow. They provide a secure and efficient way to unlock a user’s phone which is why many phone manufacturers started opting for this feature on new smartphones over a password or pin unlock.

Face Unlock Technology:

We were then introduced to the face unlock feature, which is another security feature added to smartphones, along with a fingerprint scanner. The security in face unlock compared to a fingerprint scanner is not as good since someone who looks very similar to you can easily unlock your mobile phone. The reason is that there is an algorithm behind face unlock technology that creates and matches facial features. So, when the algorithm runs, it unlocks the phone if it finds a similar face pattern saved in the memory. Major tech companies quickly found that Face ID was not as secured as manufacturers were claiming. “Although face recognition is better than no protection at all, it’s not relatively more secure than Touch ID,” written by Forbes.

In-Display Fingerprint Technology:

In-display Fingerprint technology only works with a custom OLED display. The first mobile phone that came with an in-display fingerprint sensor was Vivo X21. Vivo became the first company that took the risk and introduced this technology to the world. The device came with a custom OLED display which allowed the use of in-display technology. Initially, Apple was supposed to use this technology on their iPhone X, but they went with Face ID. Later, Samsung also postponed using this technology to Samsung S10. After Vivo’s first in-display device, this technology is being used by many mobile phone companies, and demand for this technology is growing day by day. We are now seeing the use of this technology even in mid-range smartphones coming from Samsung, Vivo, Xiaomi, Oppo, and many others. There are still some issues with the technology like slow scanning process etc. that we are hopeful will be resolved soon in the coming devices. Today, we are going to discuss in-display technology in detail. We will see how it works, its advantages and disadvantages, and more importantly, its role in helping people and making their lives easy. First, let’s have a glance at the history of fingerprint readers and how it all started.

History:

The story of fingerprint readers all started in 2004 when Pantech GI100 introduced this technology. It was the first kind of mobile phone which came with a fingerprint reader. In 2007, Toshiba launched G900 and G500, which followed the same trend. Later, other manufacturers, including HTC, Motorola, and Acer, also joined the party, which Pantech GI100 started. In 2013, Apple used a fingerprint reader for the first time on iPhone 5S. They called it Touch ID.

How Do In-Display Fingerprint Sensors Work?

The basic working and scanning process between the physical fingerprint and in-display fingerprint scanner is the same. In simple words, we can say that there is a specific position under the custom touch screens where you can place your finger for the scanning process. It will unlock the device only if it matches with the saved biometric data. There are three types of fingerprint scanners. They are the following:

– Optical Scanners
– Ultrasonic Scanners
– Capacitive Scanners

We will only discuss the first two types here. Capacitive sensors are used widely, but they are not yet used for in-display custom touch screens.

Optical Scanners:

The first type is Optical Scanner and works only with custom OLED displays. It has been here for quite some time now and is one of the oldest fingerprint scanners for biometric verification. The in-display fingerprint sensor is embedded under the custom touch panel. It illuminates the sensor’s functioning area so a user can understand where to place a finger to unlock the device. When you touch the illuminated area of the custom OLED display, there is a camera under the custom touch panel that takes your illuminated finger’s image and compares it with the stored biometric data. The image will then be compared with the already stored biometric record, and it will unlock the phone after biometric verification. It is mostly used in budget devices like Meizu 16s. The Vivo X21 used Synaptics’ Clear ID sensors for fast, efficient, and high-resolution fingerprint scanning. Since it captures 2D images when it detects the finger on the illuminated functioning area, many people think it is less secure than ultrasonic scanners because creating fake 2D images is easy. Optical scanners are fast, and depending on software optimization, they can unlock the device as fast as a physical fingerprint scanner. Today, many custom LCD display manufacturing companies are using optical scanners for their mid-range mobile devices.

How Do Optical Scanners Work?

A charge-coupled device (CCD) is placed at the optical sensor’s heart, which is the same sensor used in digital cameras. CCD is an array of light-sensitive diodes known as Photosites that can generate electrical signals in response to light photons. Once you place fingers on the custom touch panel, an array of LEDs light up to illuminate the ridges and gaps, and then the CCD camera sensor can take pictures quickly and compare them with registered biometric data. It is not very secure because you can easily beat this technology with high-quality 2D fake fingerprint images and possibly break the security. This technology only works with OLEDs where there are gaps in the backplane. Experts are working hard to improve this technology more and more and provide stronger security.

Ultrasonic Scanners:

The ultrasonic scanner is the newest technology compared to the optical scanner and provides greater security. Instead of making 2D images, the ultrasonic scanner uses sound waves to capture an accurate 3D map or image of your fingerprint. The ultrasonic scanners are mostly used in high-range devices by custom LCD manufacturing companies. Samsung has a partnership with Qualcomm to bring their very first in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner device, which is Samsung S10 and S10+. Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic sensor was also first used by the same Samsung device. Qualcomm’s latest ultrasonic scanner technology works through the glass that is 800 microns thick. The company also claimed that there is a 250-millisecond latency between a finger touching the screen and unlocking the phone. Other than security, they are more reliable than optical scanners. You can use an ultrasonic scanner under custom touch panels with wet fingers and they work perfectly in a dust environment as well.

How Do Ultrasonic Scanners Work?

The hardware of the ultrasonic scanner consists of an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver. As soon as the finger touches the custom touch panel, the scanner starts processing and creates a 3D image of the fingerprints. When the finger touches the screen, an ultrasonic pulse is passed by a transmitter, which collides with the ridges and valleys on the fingertip. Some of the pulse pressure is absorbed during this process, while some are bounced back to the sensor. When the ultrasonic scanner detects a finger touch, the sound waves have to go through a custom touch panel’s backplane, glass, protective cover, and then reach to your finger. It is recommended and ensured by custom display manufacturers that the cover glass is thinner to provide a more accurate reading. It is also recommended not to use a screen protector on touch screens that utilize in-screen fingerprint sensors as it can affect the scanner’s capability to accurately read the print.

Advantages and Disadvantages of In-Display Fingerprint Sensor:

There are some advantages as well as some disadvantages of in-display fingerprint technology. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Advantages:

– They are best when we talk about security. Unlike face unlock, fingerprint technology is more secure.
– It is easy to use. You don’t need to remember passwords, pin codes, or patterns. Just place your finger, and it will unlock the phone.
– It is cost-effective. We are seeing that optical scanners, along with physical fingerprints, are coming in low and mid-range devices.
– They are fast. There is no match to the physical fingerprint scanner’s speed, but now experts are doing their best to make optical and ultrasonic scanners fast as well.
– It is non-transferable, which means unlike passwords and pin codes, you cannot share your fingerprint with anyone.
– The illuminated functioning area on custom touch screens for in-display technology can help the user realize where to place their finger to unlock the device.

Disadvantages:

– Optical scanners are not as secure because someone can easily capture a fake 2D image and breakthrough security.
– Ultrasonic scanners are more costly than optical scanners. That’s the reason they are only used in high-end premium smartphones like Samsung S10.
– Depending on the technology used, the fingerprint scanner may not recognize your fingerprint due to dust or a wet finger.
– The in-display fingerprint scanner only works with OLED displays right now, which means it is very difficult to find this technology in lower-end devices. Companies are beginning to develop technology that will allow in-screen fingerprint sensors in LCDs.

How does the pandemic help in growing fingerprint technology?

Using face unlock is a very efficient, convenient, and fast way to unlock your phone, but facemasks make this process slower. Face unlocking technology works on an algorithm that creates and matches the pattern on the face, and then if the pattern matches, it unlocks the phone. Masks on the face can prevent the algorithm from detecting the face correctly since it cannot match all the patterns. In this situation, fingerprint sensors are always in great demand, especially the in-display and side-mounted fingerprint scanners. Although the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner is fast, people are now looking for a more convenient way to unlock the device. Sometimes, the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner is placed in such a position and place that it is difficult for us to place a finger correctly. For example, the Samsung S8+ fingerprint scanner is small and positioned under the camera, which is difficult for the user to naturally detect and can end up putting their fingerprint on the camera lens instead of the scanner. The in-display and side-mounted fingerprint scanner help users in this situation. With a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, their finger naturally detects the scanner as there is also the power button. In comparison, the in-display fingerprint scanner is slower but still helps users unlock the phone more efficiently and naturally.

Conclusion:

The in-display fingerprint scanner was considered impossible because of its complexity, but it is finally here and used by thousands of people. The in-display fingerprint technology is rapidly growing and developing. We are seeing optical scanners in more mid-range smartphones, and will hopefully start seeing ultrasonic sensors in smartphones as the technology develops. Ultrasonic scanners are much better than optical scanners in terms of security and speed but at the same time, can cost more. Due to the pandemic, there is a significant increase in the demand for fingerprint scanners as compared to face unlock technology.

About E3 Displays:

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How Touchscreens Are Impacting Buyers’ Shopping Decisions

E3 Displays — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 17:35:07 +0000

In recent years, one of the most fundamental changes in our computer-oriented devices is the input. We have seen an evolution in the input style from mouse to stylus and now touchscreens. Some studies now show the impact of touch display technology on people’s buying behaviors. This study has examined the underlying mechanisms between the buyer’s decision-making process and the device’s input environment. It has investigated the influence of input devices over the buyer’s product information recall, engagement, product choice, buying intention, and decision timing. Touch displays have a surprising impact on buyers’ shopping behavior. The study shows a slight comparison between touch displays and other input devices on the buyer’s journey from product information recall to decision-making. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Product Information Recall:

Product information recall is defined as how often buyers can remember information about a particular product. It is a process that initiates when users start browsing and exploring products on the devices and in-store. The study shows that buyers who used touch displays are less likely to recall product information as compared to users who used other physical input devices like a mouse. Using a touch panel is more convenient, and a user can operate a device much faster than a mouse user. Due to the increased efficiency, users are more likely to explore more content on a website, therefore increasing their physical engagement, but lowering their mental engagement. Since users are exploring at a faster rate, it is less likely for them to remember all the product information that they encounter.

User-Engagement:

User-engagement refers to how the user experience is while interacting with the device and how often the user interacts with the display. The higher the comfortability with a device, the higher the engagement. Touch displays have a positive impact on users’ engagement with devices. With the increase in users using touchscreen devices, the e-commerce industry saw improvements in sales volume. The reason is that touchscreen devices provide a smoother, more efficient, and convenient experience to users which results in enhanced user-engagement. The in-store use of touch panels also increases the customers’ accessibility and opportunity to engage, find more products, view extended product information, and order out-of-stock products directly to their homes. In places like the U.S. and U.K., it is said that mobile traffic is dominant, and mobile users make most purchases via e-commerce. Since users are familiar with the touch screen buying process, implementing touch screen kiosks inside brick-and-mortar stores can help blend the two experiences, which cognitively places a higher value on an in-store shopping experience.

Product Choice:

Product choice is another important factor while discussing touch displays’ impact on buyers’ behavior. The study shows how touchscreens place a higher value on content to the user. It is said that people using touch panels are more likely to choose hedonic products as compared to mouse users. Hedonic products are those which provide fun, pleasure, and excitement to buyers. For example, clothes, flowers, luxury watches, sports cars, and many others are considered hedonic products. This is because most people have touchscreen devices like mobile phones, which allows them to browse social media and Google for things related to their interests. Considering that, companies have introduced themselves as e-commerce businesses and target users and show them luxury items through advertisements, which results in that touchscreen users are more likely to choose hedonic products than mouse users.

Buying Intention:

Buying intention is a very crucial stage for buyers as well as for sellers. The research shows that users with touchscreen displays have more buying intention as compared to other input users. The reason behind this is quite similar to the one we discuss for product choice, with the recent growth in people’s interest in mobile and tablet apps also helping to increase the buying intention. It is obvious that people who installed shopping/e-commerce apps on their mobile phones also have higher buying intentions. So, apps and their notifications along with ads help in increasing the buying intention. Another reason is the quick checkout process, which allows touchscreen users to have high buying intentions as compared to others.

Decision Timing/Purchase Decision:

The study shows that buyers that use touch panels make quicker purchasing decisions as compared to other physical input devices. Since it is quick, easy, simple, and convenient to use touch displays, users are highly likely to purchase products on their touch devices. It is also found that browsing products on touchscreen displays led to higher product valuation than on personal computers. It concludes that users’ perception of online products is filtered by the lens of interfaces that are used to explore products.

Final Research Results:

The final results of the research include the following: – The buyers who used touch displays to browse products ultimately have low product/brand name recall and high product engagement than buyers who used a mouse. – The touchscreen users are more likely to purchase hedonic goods as compared to mouse users. – The touchscreen users are less likely to defer purchase decisions than mouse users.

Multi-Touch Technology:

Multi-touch technology detects multiple touches to the surface and allows the users to interact with the device using multiple fingers. With multi-touch technology, product presentation has been improved with the ability to allow users to manipulate the image in real-time rather than just viewing a static image. For example, we can interact with product images with single and multi-finger touch gestures like pinching or flicking images on touch displays with multi-touch technology.

Touch Panels:

Touch Panels are the same as touch displays. It has built-in sensors that detect the user’s finger or stylus position and pass instructions to the device to perform certain actions. There are four types of touch panels.

1. Resistive Touch
2. Projected Capacitive Touch
3. Infrared Touch
4. Optical Imaging Touch

Resistive Touch: They can detect the commands when pressure is placed on the screen. This pressure sensitivity is usually limited to single-point touch with 20 inches maximum screen. It ranges from the stylus to the fingertips. If used properly, then resistive touch panels will work even after a drop of waterfalls on the screen. Resistive touch panels are not very durable. They don’t have multi-touch support. These touch panels are mostly found in grocery stores where it is used for signatures by shoppers with the stylus. Projected Capacitive Touch: These touch panels are known for their high precision and high response times. They have electrical-based touch detection. They have multi-touch functionality and can also be used in small and compact devices. Capacitive touch panels are used in smartphones, tablets, and GPS devices. Infrared Touch: These types of touch panels are durable and have multi-touch functionality. Infrared touch panels are not good performers in direct sunlight. These touch panels are mostly used in ATMs, factory automation, ticketing machines, medical equipment, Point of Sale (POS), and other large-size applications. Optical Imaging Touch: These types of touch panels are made to detect touch through infrared cameras and disruption of light strips. One of the biggest advantages of these touch panels is they can detect touch through gloves as well. They are durable and have the support of multi-touch functionality.

Optical Bonding:

All cover lenses are bonded to the edges of a custom LCD display. There is a gap in the center, which is called the “air gap.” The air gap is filled with liquid optically clear adhesive (LOCA). This process is called optical bonding. Optical Bonding helps in improving the viewing experience, performance, and touch experience. It makes the touchscreen sturdier and protects against dust and moisture.

Why Touchscreens Are Preferred:

Touchscreen devices are mostly preferred by buyers/users over non-touchscreen devices. There are several reasons behind this. Touchscreens make navigation easy and convenient. In other words, a simple, more efficient, and straightforward journey. Touchscreen devices are generally brighter, more vibrant, and have better color accuracy as compared to other devices. They are also lightweight and portable. In terms of shopping and researching online, they are easier, quicker, more engaging, and more responsive. The touchscreen kiosks used by businesses allow users to accelerate self-service. This allows for buying tickets, paying bills, accessing private account information, etc., to be done more efficiently.

Conclusion:

Touchscreens positively impact buyers’ shopping decisions by increasing their engagement, encouraging them to purchase more high-value products and create more serious buying decisions in a shorter amount of time. They can also interact with product content in a more dynamic and engaging way, due to multi-touch technology. Consumers can also use touch displays while wearing gloves because of advanced touch panels installed on the custom LCD display. Overall, touchscreen technology is the key to positively stimulating consumer buying habits.

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Frustrated By The Small Touch Screen on Smartwatches? Here Is The Solution

E3 Displays — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:29:31 +0000

In recent years, smartwatches were introduced to provide users instant access to digital activity. Smartwatches have built-in computing devices that can perform almost all the basic mobile phone functions. They are light-weight which allows the user to wear a smartwatch all the time to get access to digital data 24/7. Since smart-watches have made their way to the market, the demand for them is continuously increasing due to their touch screen capabilities, features, weight, reliability, quality, and durability. With the latest smart-watches, users can control music, answer phone calls, and check notifications all without taking out their mobile phones. The list does not end here as now smart-watches have built-in sensors that are continuously tracking your blood pressure, heart rate, walking distance, and other health metrics. Many also have sleep monitor sensors that encourage users to not only wear their smart-watch during the day but also at night.

Limitations:

Mobile phones and smart-watches fundamentally interact through touch panels. Mobile phones have comparably larger touch screens which makes them more comfortable to operate. However, some might have reservations about getting a smartwatch due to the small and limited interactive touch screen. The good news is, there is a solution to overcome the issue some users may have with smart-watches. The issue can be solved by expanding the touch area to the back of the user’s hand.

Solution:

A recent study found that the solution is for the user to be able to make gestures on the back of their hand and have those gestures translate to on-screen actions. With the help of compact IR (infrared) line array sensors embedded on one side of the smart-watch, it can detect fingers’ positions when they interact with the back of a hand. Using a finger position sensor around the smart-watch to detect the position of fingers is a new revolution in this industry. The infrared sensor is an electronic device that can detect and measure the radiations in its surroundings. It provides output in digital and analog form.

Around Device Interface (ADI):

Around Device Interface (ADI) is the device that helps sense the finger gesture and position at the back of the hand. It will make interactions with the smart-watch by sensing the finger positions and reflected IR intensity. Around Device Interface is an efficient way to expand the interaction space on small devices like smart-watches.

System:

Now let’s understand the ADI System, how it is developed, and how it will work. While sensing the finger position when it touches the hands’ back, there are two IR emitters and sensors located along one side of the smart-watch. These are sensors with lenses placed along one middle side of the smart-watch. Simultaneously, there are two emitters used on the left and right sides of the lenses so they can cover the hand’s back. To measure the fingers’ position and gestures, image sensors and a 128×1 array photodetector are used so they can detect the light reflected by fingers and emitted from IR light-emitting diodes. There are wide-angle IR LEDs used to cover the large interaction surface within a short distance. This short distance will help to reduce the LED power consumption. There is an IR band-filter used to eliminate the external light.

Evaluate Performance:

When a user interacts with the back of their hand, IR intensity will be high at the finger’s position because it is very close to the emitter. It determines the two-dimensional coordinates from pixel intensity relative to the IR line image sensor in each frame. There are six degrees of freedom (6-DoF) industrial robots used to detect and measure the peak position and IR intensity at each position. The module’s power consumption is measured when the robot interacts every second, 10m having a screen off. There is a sense resistor applied between the power supply and the developed system to measure the developed module’s power consumption. For performance evaluation, there is a mock test performed by taking a robot tip and controlling it on the back of the hand, and then check the performance of click motion at different positions. After 50 repetitions, the maximum intensity error was 11.7%, while the maximum pixel error was 8.2%

Finger Touch Recognition:

Since the smart-watch is worn on the wrist, there are high chances that the system will detect the unwanted motions as well. For example, you may unintentionally touch your hand’s back, and the smart-watch starts performing unwanted actions. For this, the system must know the user’s touch status to recognize if a user intentionally interacts with the smart-watch. There are inertial motion signals from a gyroscopic sensor embedded in the smart-watch to measure the time series similarity between the template signal and incoming signal with a dynamic time warping algorithm. To get accurate operation of the algorithm on the smart-watches, there is a Sakoe-Chiba Band constraint used to have a width of 10% template signal length.

Implementation of Smartwatch AID Touch:

There is a developed graphic user interface (GUI) based on the expanded module and around the touch panel for a smart-watch to implement the smart-watch AID touch. When IR sensors sense finger movements and detect the actions through gyroscopic, click and swipe gestures can be read through the smart-watch interface. Users can control smart-watch UI and applications through the developed touch interface. A user can swipe or make gestures to interact with the smart-watch interface. So if a user swipes rightward or leftward, smart-watch GUI will show the user screen display moving horizontally. For example, to access the menu, you can swipe leftward. Similarly, upward/downward is assigned to scroll in a vertical position. It is similar to mobile phone touchscreen controls where you use the mobile phone’s contact list and scroll upward/downward to explore the contacts. A click on the hand’s back allows you to select a particular option. Image Courtesy Of https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/15/7/16642/htm

Displays:

While we are talking about AID touch and GUI, the display of the smart-watch is also very important. There are different types of displays and each has its specifications and benefits.

Types:

There are many display technologies available today in the market. Some of them are: -Electroluminescent display (ELD) -Liquid crystal display (LCD) -The light-emitting diode (LED) backlit LCD -Thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD -Light-emitting diode (LED) display -Active Matrix Organic Light Emitted Diodes (AMOLED) display -Plasma display (PDP) -Quantum dot display (QLED) -Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLED) display -Smartwatches are traditionally manufactured with OLED displays.

OLED:

OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes. It is a flat light emitting technology that is made by placing a series of organic thin films between two conductors. A bright light will emit when there is an electrical current applied. OLEDs do not require any backlight as there are emissive displays and are more efficient than LEDs. Emissive displays are those displays that emit light from each pixel. A combination of this light that emits, with different colors and intensity, makes an image that users see. Some of the benefits of the OLEDs are the following: -OLED does not face any motion lag or blur issues because they are built on technology that has the fastest response time rate. They have a faster response time than LCDs. -Most of the OLED displays feature Ultra High Definition UHD or 4K options. -Unlike Custom LCD Displays, OLED has very thin and flexible touch panels that reduce their screens’ weight and thickness. -OLEDs are built on the most energy-efficient technology. They need a very low power to operate. -OLED TV and monitors will have the benefit of no screen burn-in. -OLEDs have almost a perfect viewing angle. OLED pixel colors appear correct and unshifted even though the viewing angle moved from normal to 90 degrees.

Conclusion:

There is a solution of ADI where users can interact with smart-watch without actually touching the touch panel, which can ultimately solve many small OLED screen problems that users are currently facing. The ADI technology is new and innovative and will take some time to make its entry into the market. Once this technology does hit the market, it will change the smart-watch space for the better. This unique and innovative technology will only increase the user experience.

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Smart Homes: How Electronic Displays Are Taking the Guesswork And Stress Out Of Cooking And Doing Laundry

E3 Displays — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:52:42 +0000

As the concept of smart homes becomes more mainstream, appliances throughout the home will find new and innovative means by which to take advantage of the internet. Nearly every appliance in the house can have additional functionality once it is connected to the internet, and it is from here that the concept of the Internet of Things arises.

As the functionality of these appliances continues to expand users require an effective and efficient means of interacting with them and taking advantage of the features that the internet opens them up to. This is where touch screens come in.

Touch screens have been a staple in technology for the longest time now. They manage to stick around because of how refined the user experience is. With LCD touch screens, you can easily see the content you are interacting with, and input is straightforward for anyone, even individuals who are not well-versed with technology.

The internet-based functionality that these appliances are now being manufactured with makes interaction uncomplicated as well as being able to add a more high-tech appearance to the appliance. Manufacturing touch screens have become a cost-effective process, so even inexpensive appliances can be bundled with LCD displays that allow for a better user experience.

How Are Displays Used in Appliances?

With the level of innovation that manufacturers are achieving, LCD displays and touch screens can find their way into nearly any appliance in the home. One place where smart products are being rapidly developed is in kitchen appliances.

A toaster can come with internet connectivity and a touch screen. This will allow the user to toast their bread to their perfect taste, save the setting, and allow the toaster to do the rest the next time they want to use it. This way, users don’t need to worry about choosing the wrong setting. With the different things that can be heated in a toaster, manufacturers can include different settings to achieve the perfect finish to anything.

A smart fridge can put a display to many uses. Fridge magnets can be replaced by digital images on the screen. The consumer can easily bring up recipes on the display so they know exactly what they need to bring out from the fridge. In addition to this, if a user ever realizes that they are running low on certain groceries, they can order straight from the fridge, thanks to internet connectivity.

A coffee maker can easily be set to download recipes that a user selects via its touch screen. They can also set your perfect cup as a preset and tap an icon on the screen whenever they want to get their quick morning cup of coffee. With a display, a user can easily set a timer so that their coffee is already brewing before they even get out of bed.

However, as displays find their way into new parts of the home, they must be able to deal with the peculiarities of the environment in which they now reside. The technology behind the average touch screen is sufficient for the typical touch screen, but for displays in locations like the kitchen, for instance, they must be able to detect input through a thicker glass, or through kitchen mittens. Luckily, displays have a new technology that takes care of this.

How Do Touch Screens Work?

There is a lot of work going on behind a touch screen that helps to accurately detect your touches. The major components in a touch screen are an array of electrodes (indium tin oxide being one of the prominent materials used) and a touch IC controller.

A touch panel has a charge distributed across its surface. By using a conductive material, such as a finger, to contact the screen, there is a change in the charge of the panel at a specific spot. The IC controller is able to determine exactly where the change in charge happened and converts that into input data for the device.

The change in charge is minute, so the IC controller must be extremely sensitive so as to detect it. The signal from the charge can be amplified to an extent, to allow for a more sensitive screen, like one that can detect touches through gloves. However, amplifying the signal will also amplify signal noise in the traditional touch panel. Signal noise will result in erroneous touches, and while this can be a mere annoyance in some appliances, it can be potentially disastrous in others.

Luckily, a new technology known as differential mutual technology is able to overcome this hurdle and provide a better user experience with touch screens.

What Is Differential Mutual Technology?

Differential mutual technology is an advancement in touch screen technology that allows for increased sensitivity with better accuracy and less noise. The technology is able to cancel out signal noise similar to the manner that noise-canceling audio equipment does.

Differential mutual technology is able to cancel the noise through a brilliantly thought out mechanism. The sense lines in a touch screen that use differential mutual technology come in pairs. The signal and a negative signal are both passed through these pairs. Due to the fact that the signal noise that passes through each pair is identical, when the signals are subtracted from one another, the noise cancels out. This will allow only the actual signal information to be left behind, free of any noise. Thanks to this, the signal can then be amplified significantly as there is no noise to cause erroneous touches.

With an amplified signal, the IC controller will be able to detect touches more sensitively than before without false touches getting in the mix. This provides advantages in that touches can be detected through gloves, thick glass or plastic coverings, or airgaps in the touch panels that are not optically bonded.

What Are the Applications of Displays with Differential Mutual Technology?

With an increased signal gain, screens are more sensitive to actual touches while reducing the chance for false touches which is something that typically can’t be achieved with regular touch panels. The following are some of the advantageous situations where differential mutual touch screens can be applied in home appliances.

1. ) Displays on appliances can be interacted with through thick gloves. This is particularly useful for kitchen appliances. Oven gloves or mittens are very thick to protect the wearer from hot kitchen utensils and cookware. Interacting with a display through the material of an oven mitten tends to be impossible for regular displays. Differential mutual touch panels will be able to sense touch input through the material of a glove, improving the user experience. This can apply particularly for displays on stovetops or ovens.

2.) Appliances can incorporate thicker protective layers. Whether glass or plastic, there is a limit to how thick the layer on a regular touch screen can be. This implies reduced durability. With thicker cover lenses, appliances are more durable. This is particularly important for appliances that may bear weight such as cookers. Previously, touch panels would not be able to detect touches through such thick cover lenses, but this technology makes it a possibility.

3.) Allows for multi-touch support in previously unsupported conditions. Displays that previously allowed input with gloves were usually not able to support multiple touches, as a caveat. In this case, multi-touch input can work just as well through thick cover lenses or with gloves on. This allows for gestures such as pinching to zoom, rotate, and more.

4.) Improved touch input for optically bonded touch screens. Optically bonded touch screens are clearly superior to touch displays with air gaps. This process provides added value in many ways, including superior readability and visual quality, better heat dissipation, and removing the chance for condensation below the cover lens. In addition to all of this, differential mutual technology will improve the already stellar touch sensitivity. This gives users the absolute best user experience, which is something manufacturers want to achieve with their LCD displays.

With the patent for differential mutual technology in touch screens already in place, manufacturers of home appliances can start thinking of how to apply this technology to their products. It will allow for an improved user experience, expanded functionality, and more innovative designs. It also opens up the potential for reduced production and repair costs, which transfer to the consumer.

Giving your customers a flawless experience with your products, and at a reasonable cost, is essential. This builds brand loyalty and improves your reputation. By giving your customers products that react to their touch the way they should, they will definitely stick with you and your company.

We can provide cutting-edge LCD displays and touch screens for your products to enable them to stand out from the competition. Together, we can keep your customers loyal and satisfied.

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