URGENT: Best Display Tech For My Product

[quantass]

In the future we're hoping to build/sell a product that's basically a color display on a surface. There's still a number of problems to overcome before it's a reality, firstly the underlying display technology, and so my question is in regards to what display technology will best suit our minimum requirements.

From a scarce number of books to the plethora of internet websites we've gathered names like: OLED, Ferroelectric, Twisted Nematic LCs, Electronic Ink/Gyricon, Field Emissive Display, etc. There really is no shortage of display technology types. We'd like to incorporate one of these display types (or perhaps a hybrid) in order to satisfy our future product's display capabilities. However, which of these display technologies "comes closest" to matching our needs is the unknown.

Our product's minimum requirements are as follows:

% % % % % % % % %

++ Display Type: Ambient light reflective >= 40% reflective, Multistable - It makes use of ambient light to be viewed and is multistable so that once power is applied to change the display no additional power is required to sustain the static, color image, at least not for a long period of time. No backlighting required.

++ Color: >= 256 Colors per pixel, thus >= 8 shades/intensities per subpixel. OR, if its affective, something similar to Inkjet Color Printing using the CYMK model and dithering, thus 4 specific colors per pixel. Graphical display.

++ Resolution: >= 40 pixels/inch | Display Area Dimensions: <= 2"W x 5"L ==> 80 x 200 display resolution.

++ Speed: For the aforementioned Resolution, animation display rates would be nice but not essential. >= 1 frame/10sec

++ Thin Profile: <= 3mm thick that includes substrate, and addressing technology.

++ Surface Type: If possible, the display technology and enclosing substrates can be permanently placed onto a small, gently curving surface. Segmentation of the display may be necessary as a uniform rectangular display is not likely due to some areas being broken by 3mm plateaus/holes spaced by 5mm gaps.

++ Availability: The display technology is available in production quantities within the next 2 years

% % % % % % % % %

At the moment the display technologies we think "come closest" to matching our aforementioned needs are: Electrochromics, Cholesteric LCs, Fast-response Multistable Liquid Crystals (FMLC), PDLC, Electronic Ink/Gyricon, and Guest-Host techniques.

What existing display technologies would you consider as top picks for further investigation?

Also, we're always open to book recommendations, URLs to explore, company names, and email addresses. Any additional information provided would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Mday]

seems like you want to save $$$ by asking here instead of having a real r&d department... just so you know, your first requirement knocks out most of the ones you listed. and the last one knocks out the rest.

 

[FrankSchwab]

Hey, if you find any product remotely close to these specs, let me know. I'd love to make my millions distributing it, because just about everyone in the world wants it.

/frank

 

[Harabecw]

Multistable - It makes use of ambient light to be viewed and is multistable so that once power is applied to change the display no additional power is required to sustain the static, color image, at least not for a long period of time. No backlighting required.

Is this even possible without some fancy $$$$$ future tech?

 

[AEB]

this makes me ask how thick is the display on the tablets PC's since it eleiminates the need for two seperate peices like a laptop would have, but apple makes the best LCD's to date IMO

and if memory serves me correctly the thinest LCD to date was one sony made but it had its guts in a seperate box, and it was no where near 3mm

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: Harabecw

Multistable - It makes use of ambient light to be viewed and is multistable so that once power is applied to change the display no additional power is required to sustain the static, color image, at least not for a long period of time. No backlighting required.

Is this even possible without some fancy $$$$$ future tech?

electronic paper is "multistable"

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: AEB
this makes me ask how thick is the display on the tablets PC's since it eleiminates the need for two seperate peices like a laptop would have, but apple makes the best LCD's to date IMO

and if memory serves me correctly the thinest LCD to date was one sony made but it had its guts in a seperate box, and it was no where near 3mm

the LCD is very thin, all the rest is the protective frame and the back light.

 

[AEB]

mday i know this is off topic but can i get your email so i can ask you some questions without having to search teh thread

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: AEB
but apple makes the best LCD's to date IMO

Negative. Apple uses the best LCDs, but they do not make them.

 

[quantass]

"seems like you want to save $$$ by asking here instead of having a real r&d department"

Hahahaha, save money. Absolutely, especially when I have none or even an R&D dept. Getting other people's thoughts is always a good idea, though. Trust me.

As for it being possible, I'm leaning towards E-Ink, Gyricon technology. It seems to best suit my needs. Though color seems to be a year or so off. The liquid crystal route doesnt seem too practical.

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: AEB
mday i know this is off topic but can i get your email so i can ask you some questions without having to search teh thread

my email is in my profile, and i dont know that much, so i doubt i can answer all your questions...

anyway, in my opinion, samsung makes the best LCDs. stupid apple contracted MOST of samsung's supply a few years back. i was a little pissed, more if i was in the market at the time. i think apple purchased all of samsung's LCD for one production cycle.

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: quantass
"seems like you want to save $$$ by asking here instead of having a real r&d department"

Hahahaha, save money. Absolutely, especially when I have none or even an R&D dept. Getting other people's thoughts is always a good idea, though. Trust me.

As for it being possible, I'm leaning towards E-Ink, Gyricon technology. It seems to best suit my needs. Though color seems to be a year or so off. The liquid crystal route doesnt seem too practical.

as i stated (though not really forthwith), the availability pretty much took electronic ink off the list.

 

[Mingon]

I thought OLED's were quite close to what you require - but I have seen something else somewhere might have been focus