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Sharp's Tiny LCD Doubles As Scanner

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the where's-my-can-opener dept.

morpheus83 writes "It's all of 3.5-inches but this LCD screen from Sharp features an integrated optical scanner that could be used to scan business cards, but also be used as a method for multi-touch input. The prototype was seen at the Ceatec exhibition. Possible uses include the ability to recognize fingers or other objects and as biometric lock on your phone. And since each pixel has a scanner it may as well be a multi-touch screen."

5 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Apple Patents? by strredwolf · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Didn't Apple already patent something similar, in which the screen was also the camera or scanner? In Apple's case, it uses the dead space between each LCD pixel to be a camera.

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    # Canmephians for a better Linux Kernel
    $Stalag99{"URL"}="http://stalag99.net";
  2. More fingerprint snake oil? by Sub+Zero+992 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    The use of this LCD screen as a fingerprint scanner will most likely suffer from the same problems as all fingerprint locks. They rely on the "something you have" principle as an authorization token. Until, that is, someone removes your finger from your hand.

    Also, fingerprints are per se not exactly unique. Ask the lawyer who was misidentified as a terrorist for having similar fingerprint features.

    And of course, it is not exactly difficult to copy and fake someone else's fingerprint.

    BTW: the Chaos Computer Club rocks.

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    They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security - Ben Franklin
  3. Planar Patent by feyhunde · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Actually Apple doesn't have the patent. Planar Systems owns it. They've built up to 19 inch versions to my knowledge. But this tech is flawed as P-Si works best at receiving light in wavelengths either dangerous to human health in a display, or get absorbed by the polarizers.

    Here's a link to a 2003 white paper for the Society of Information Displays that explains the tech completely and much more than the article http://www.planar.com/advantages/whitepapers/docs/Planar-AMLCD-Optical-Touchscreen.pdf

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    I'd say more, but my guild is raiding.
  4. 1984 is one year closer by 9gezegen · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From the article And since each pixel has a scanner it may as well be a multi-touch screen. Am I the only one who remembers TV screens that provide the surveillance video back to the big brother?

  5. In Soviet Russia LCD screens YOU by skeptobot · · Score: 1, Interesting

    If you were to put these touchscreens as the primary UI on vending machines, ticket machines, ATMs and the like, you could harvest hundreds of thousands of fingerprints without anybody realizing it. I bet that we'll see more and more companies trying to con people into "use your fingerprint to make calls, pay for your shopping, access your ATM" type of deals. I also bet that these screens will wind up in cellphones as a "standard" feature. You'll be told that you can switch scanning off and use it only as a touchscreen if you like, but who knows whether the scanning function is on or off and whether the phone is sending your biometric data places without your consent or not. This tech is a definite threat to privacy.