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LCD Screen With Embedded Optical Sensors

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the the-screen-that-looks-back dept.

dk3nn3dy writes "Sharp has developed a LCD display with optical sensors built into the displays pixels, without requiring a touch-sensitive film to be bonded on top of the regular screen. The optical sensor is similar to that used in scanners, allowing for notes or business cards to be scanned by the screen itself. As the optical recognition technology is built into the pixels it also simplifies tactile recognition based on simultaneously touching multiple points. Future uses include fingerprint authentication on the screen of your mobile phone or PDA, or iPhone style touch recognition. Volume production will start next spring."

10 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Is it true? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Future uses include fingerprint authentication on the screen

    I heard development was funded almost entirely by Windex.

    1. Re:Is it true? by Hucko · · Score: 4, Funny

      You got a monkey pic ...?

      --
      Semi-automatic amateur armchair Australian philosopher; conjecture ready at any moment...
  2. Queue the Big-Brother/Orwell freaks in..... by B5_geek · · Score: 3, Funny

    Aside from the obvious concerns; this sounds like a great tech that could allow ....

    shit everything I can think of is evil..

    sorry. =)

    --
    "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
    1. Re:Queue the Big-Brother/Orwell freaks in..... by suv4x4 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Aside from the obvious concerns; this sounds like a great tech that could allow ....
      shit everything I can think of is evil..
      sorry. =)

      Right, just like your keyboard allows you to share your most personal and private info to the world. But you just won't, how about that.

      Also: it works as a scanner, not a camera. It sees in focus only what's directly placed on top of the screen.

      Good for barcode scanning, touchscreens, or portable scanner. As well as a bunch of other quite cool and "non-evil" uses.

  3. But... by Unique2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    How do I see the screen to click the 'Scan' button when I've got the document in front of it?

    --
    No trees were harmed in the posting of this message. However, a great number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
  4. monkey by Inmatarian · · Score: 5, Funny

    This reminds me of that old 1995 email joke about having a scanner in your screen, and you could hold your face up to it and it would take your picture. Of course, all it did was load a picture of a monkey and said this was you.

  5. Re:Focus length? by hedwards · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Unlikely, the lens technology is almost assuredly limited to focusing just a mm or so beyond the front glass. This might be the start of that ability, but I would expect for the video phone to arrive before that does. People by and large just don't want to have to worry about their appearance when calling or emailing.

    I would be very curious to hear how they are planning to deal with the fingerprints and scratching that will almost assuredly occur.

  6. Most screens already have this feature by davidc · · Score: 4, Funny

    All you need is the right software to access it. Fortunately, there are several websites out there that allow you to do this - e.g. amazingcamera.com

  7. Apple patent on "Integrated sensing display" by wal9001 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The patent:
    http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=P TO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2F srchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060007222%22.PGN R.&OS=DN/20060007222&RS=DN/20060007222

    It definitely seems like a similar concept.

  8. All OLED screens can do this already by maokh · · Score: 5, Informative

    All LEDs inversely function as light detectors, even while emitting light. All that is really needed is a display controller that is designed to detect this reverse current flow. It would be interesting to see such an application. The only thing I have seen so far is a traditional LED matrix that works like a touch screen to turn each individual LED on and off.

    Don't believe me? Here is a primer:

    http://mvh.sr.unh.edu/mvhinvestigations/light_inve stigations.htm