low power mobile or PDA for bright environments
posted by Coddie on 29 August 2007 14:30 Go to the market place Go to forum
Problem context :
Anyone that takes a mobile phone, laptop computer or PDA outside in strong sunshine, and anyone who works in an office near a window that is exposed to direct sunlight will occassionally battle with screen glare. In some cases it is impossible to see what is being displayed rendering the device useless.
The problem is that the light being emitted by the display is far weaker than the light being cast onto the display itself, and then reflected back at the user.
Proposed Solution :
electronic ink would actually be more visible in strong light conditions. So that challenge is to make a laptop or PDA or mobile phone that uses electonic ink or similar display technology.
Submissions (10)
Public survey
answered by ovejaElectrica on 29 August 2007 15:09
Regarding the uses this device might have, I believe that the office situation proposed regards more on office ergonomics, and should be approached by a different layout.
The situation is completely different in an outdoors work.
What I'm thinking about is an electronic ink tablet to be used for surveyors. The control over the work environment is a lot more reduced and this device could improve the situation.
Another positive aspect is that the amount of information that can be collected wouldn't be limited by the number of sheets the surveyor has (adding more would be cumbersome). Obviously the data collected in digital form takes close to no amount of space, no to mention that it could be analyzed in real time via a wireless link.
what about dark enviroments
answered by bean123 on 31 August 2007 22:46
This just trades issues. Now we will need a pda for dark environments. The need is real. and like others have suggested some kind of compromise is in the works.
New LCD lighting, transreflective
answered by maxschouten on 6 September 2007 0:12
i just found this on the internet. Scroll down to about half of the page http://eng.mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=3694
According to AUO, reflective LCD utilizes external light to display image. Though this type of display saves power, the image can not be viewed clearly when external light is insufficient. By contrast, Transflective type display is a more appropriate device to get a balance between power consumption and brightness. It replaces the reflective plate with a reflector which enables the device to exploit external light source to save power, increase brightness and reduce weight.
This is already being manufactured
answered by wmcleod on 20 September 2007 17:37
Check E-ink's website. They have a few devices, including the sony e-reader that are going to use thier product. I mean this is WHY E-ink exists...
Samsung in the works
answered by Siafu_Snafu on 29 August 2007 17:16
I don't really think this is necessarily a risk, but I wanted to mention it nevertheless as I've been clamoring for something of this nature for a long time; Samsung has been working on this problem for a little over a year now. They are using a variety of different substances and reflective surfaces to amplify the brightness of mobile phone screens against sunlight while still retaining low power consumption. Here's the link:
I realize the original poster's proposed solution is not necessarily the same idea but the overall problem is.
May already have been done
answered by IrishMark on 29 August 2007 17:10
I think this technology may already have been developed. The latest spec's released for the $100 laptop project includes a screen with a monochrome (grayscale) mode, where the display is lit only by ambient light such as the sun.
IMOD, E-ink, OLED
answered by TJM2007 on 29 August 2007 17:49
This is an opportunity and major manufacturers and OEMs are already addressing the issue -Qualcomm aquired and are developing the Interferometric Modulation (IMOD) technology Link: http://www.qualcomm.com/qmt/ Motorola have already released their low cost handset for emerging markets - Link: herehttp://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/motofone/experience/experience/index.html I work on the design of a lot of mobile devices and see a several technologies emerging that are both low energy consumption and excellent for extreme conditions.My question is "Is this a big enough hook or USP to engage users ??"
that would improve battery life
answered by Coleman on 15 September 2007 19:52
i think you implied this already, but an e ink display increases battery life a lot, which is especially important in a mobile device. with the increased battery life, you could add something like evdo connectivity.
Blackberry 7290 has a screen that makes it easier to see in the sun
answered by JordanCronin on 31 August 2007 1:29
I know the Blackberry 7290 has a screen that is easier to read in the sun, and also has a backlight.
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Alternative = OLED screens?
answered by Damoon on 29 August 2007 17:22
OLED screens are not supposed to resolve this problem? Even if OLED screens are still very expansive for big sizes, compare to electronic ink the OLED technology is certainly closer to offer a solution to this problem, no?