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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."

14 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Don't bother RTFA by jpaz · · Score: 5, Informative

    The summary is the entire article.

    1. Re:Don't bother RTFA by Procasinator · · Score: 5, Funny
      It is not! You forgot:

      Sharp's optical scanning LCD screen will be ready for commercial use by the first half of 2008.
      There, now it is the full article.
    2. Re:Don't bother RTFA by Atzanteol · · Score: 4, Informative

      There's a *bit* more info here (from slashdot, to slashgear, to MacOS rumors, etc.):

      http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=10894

      --
      "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

      - Charles Darwin
    3. Re:Don't bother RTFA by inviolet · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Is this really all that useful? How many of you scan business cards? I never do.

      This particular implementation of the idea, may not be all that useful. However, it's the first step towards a computer monitor that can 'see'. At that point, we'll be able to have real videoconferencing, rather than what we have now, where eye contact is impossible. You can't make eye contact if you have to look offscreen at a camera.

      Eye contact is a very big deal -- its significance is woven deeply into our brain hardware. When the other party is forever looking away from you (i.e. they are watching their screen instead of their camera), it makes everything they say seem untrustworthy.

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      FATMOUSE + YOU = FATMOUSE
    4. Re:Don't bother RTFA by foobsr · · Score: 2, Funny

      You miss the subtlety hidden deep within the blurb: "... And since each pixel has a scanner it may as well be a multi-touch screen."

      CC.

      --
      TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
    5. Re:Don't bother RTFA by jack455 · · Score: 3, Funny

      You mean it's the first step toward a telescreen

    6. Re:Don't bother RTFA by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Is this really all that useful? How many of you scan business cards? I never do. If I need to email somebody who's given me a business card, I type in the email address, and then it's in my address book...probably takes less time than scanning and OCR'ing the thing...on the occasion that I need their phone number too, I type it into my phone and hit 'store'. I can't imagine wanting to scan every business card that I get... The article says the card can be scanned in one second. That's significantly faster than the methods you mentioned. Also, from personal experience, I'd rather that data stayed with the card than filling up my address book with numbers from people I won't remember a week later.

      Killer? Nah. Useful? Well, if they keep their promises, sure.
      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  2. Oblig by Pap22 · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, LCDs watch YOU!!

    1. Re:Oblig by PingPongBoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In Soviet Russia, LCDs watch YOU!!


      Might be anywhere, in the coming times.

      Someone has a cellphone without a camera, but is it really? Business's may be well advised to ban personal electronics, but who can do business without a cell phone and still rub shoulders with people with valuable secrets?

      --
      Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.
  3. 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";
  4. Old support joke anyone? by Ailure · · Score: 4, Funny

    This so reminds me about the old support joke about a user trying to send a document, by holding it up in front of the screen. :)

  5. 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.
  6. 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?

  7. Re:Apple Patents? (correction) by siberdog · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sorry, that didn't work. I know I should have checked it but hey, it was my first post. Here it is again:
    patent