CONTENTS

♣ INTRODUCTION

♣ TECHNIQUE BEHIND DISPLAY SYSTEMS

♣ CLASSIFICATION OF DISPLAYING DEVICES

♣ TYPES OF DISPLAY SYSTEMS

♣ CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION:

Newer display technologies continue to evolve, in synchronism

with modern-day convergence devices and systems. However, the general
awareness and knowledge about display systems are on a lower level,
compared to the hype of related developments in the convergence arena. A
concerted port is needed by the diverse fields to develop effective, efficient,
and economical display systems.

WHAT ARE DISPLAY SYSTEMS?

Display systems are the focal point of any human-machine

interface. Applications range from digital watches, finger tops, palmtops,
laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, PC monitors, and TV’s to public
scale hoardings and air-base displays. Related innovations have enabled
display systems to synchronize the corresponding advances in micro
electronics, IT, and telecommunication fields. The role of electronic displays
is becoming increasingly crucial consumer electronics, office automation,
information processing, entertainment, intelligent offices/homes, interactive
services, teleshopping/conferences, trade-fairs/exhibitions, etc.

Display techniques form an essential component of any

industry, be it any manufacturing, process control, education,
advertising/marketing, automobile, chemical electronic, nuclear, publicity,
public information, or any other area can conceptualize. Trade shows,
executions, seminars, etc effectively use electronic displays to highlight their
product innovations. Thousands of visitors stroll through the exhibit halls, of
which most flock around those booths that offer moving-image display.

Display form a crucial link in the functioning of convergence

systems. Product manufacturers can easily capitalize on these systems. All it
takes is a little more bragging on their part.

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TECHNIQUE BEHIND DISPLAY SYSTEMS:

Electronic devices convert electronic signal information to

specific locations on display screens. Each location must adjust to the
requisite brightness and colour for that portion of the image. Display systems
use a wide range of modalities categorized mainly into direct view and
projection systems. Direct view systems enable the users to view the display
screen directly. Projection systems first create the image on an internal
screen, subsequently using optical devices to magnify and project images
onto a larger external screen.

These displays can also be classified as light-emitting and non-

light-emitting devices. Light-emitting devices include cathode-ray tubes
(CRT’s), electroluminescent (EL), plasma display panels (PDP’s), vacuum
fluorescent displays (VFD’s), field-emission displays (FED’s), and light-
emitting diodes (LED’s). Non-light-emitting displays include liquid crystal
displays (LCD’s) and electro chromic displays (ECD’s).

INDUSTRY SCENARIO:
A sampled interaction with the display industry reveals
interesting aspects about this seemingly innocuous and taken-for-granted
field.

S.K.Garg, president, Super-Vu International, a leading domestic

player and exporter, emphasizes that the display technology is changing very
fast. Obsolescence is very fast. For instance multimedia data projectors
marketed by Indian companies get outdated in only 3 to 6 months. An SVGA
model is outdated in six months, since it can be upgraded using technology
available, Plasma displays, developed by America and Japan, are expensive.
These support only VGA video inputs, and cost Rs. 5,50,000 per unit. Super
Vu has developed a 114cm Plasma Vision display system that costs only Rs
75,000. This simple system integrates flexibility of up gradation and
transportation.

India is a vast untapped market for display systems. Mr.Garg is

of the opinion that, both in terms of quality and cost, we can complete with
imported versions. We have the capability to design and manufacture large
video walls at half the cost of imported models. The company has a
development facility to design and fabricate sophisticated optical systems for

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any application. Based on the feedback and techoeconomic requirement,
display systems have been developed for various applications.

‘Plasma Vision’ (compact, portable rear-projection monitor),

‘Display Vision’ (standalone large-screen, rear-projection monitor),
‘Movision’ (portable, powerful, high-resolution display), ‘Media Vision’
(large-screen interactive multimedia presentation tool), and ‘Video wall /
Video cube’ (large screen display) are some display products that have good
demand in the domestic and global markets. Applications include
showrooms, corporate presentations, simulators, command and control
centers, large drawing-rooms, halls, exhibitions, heavy-traffic public places,
and training sessions.

There are few Indian companies with the requisite infrastructure

to design and develop, or even assemble, a complete range of projection
systems. R.D. Vaghela, CEO, Infra Control Systems, reveals that the trend
worldwide is to use smart display systems that can be activated by pager
networks at specified time for advertisement booking time-slots. In European
countries displays depict news flash of important events, weather
information, etc.

These are used in factories for production data analysis and

display of MIS (Managerial Information Systems) information pertaining to
number of parts to be produced per day, actual production, and rejected parts.
In the assembly line, time taken by technicians in each zone is displayed. If it
is longer than the stipulated time, reason for the efficiency or any mechanical
problem of the assembly is found and rectified. Common usage areas include
stock and commodity exchange update, manufacturing / warehouse data
management and employee and safety communications in large facilities.

Corporates use displays with RS48 interface, enabling 255

displays to be attached to one computer. Centralized computers transfer data
to various locations, according to ID number given to each display. Same
message can transmitted to all displays in emergent situations. Displays can
accept pager situation data. Display messages can be entered by wireless
remote control keyboard, computers using dedicated software, and paging
date receivers.

Personal priority display (PPD) is popular abroad. Specifically

designed for high-priority desktop messages, it communicates critical, time

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sensitive information to workstations. It is statically placed inside helpdesks
in customer service workstations / cells, office and lobbies, so that critical
data is immediately and easily available.

In India, displays are mainly use passing general and online

information. Power utility companies display online production data and
related crucial parameters. Mr.Vaghela explains that Indian industry is
installing silent message displays and studying their impact on viewers.
Displays are ideal communication tools.

Jayant Shah, partner, Automobile Industries, leading

manufacturer electronic displays, feels that there is need to increase public
awareness usage of this technology. Since 1999 electronic displays have
been a vital display communication media over the world. Automotive
Industries has developed innovative LED displays, signs and calendar
clocks.

Indian electronic display industry is growing. Industries use

displays for production and safety signs. Displays on roadways communicate
civic messages and advertisements. Sunil Shah, partner, Jaydeep Industrial
Corp., reveals that companies prefer to install LED displays that are more
economical than LCD and plasma, Mr.Shah laments that the sales of display
products are affected by high sales tax. As more corporates and government
organizations are using display systems, there is a scope for growth. The
display industry should take care to develop quality products, to sustain this
growth.

TOUCH-SCREEN DISPLAY:

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 Touch systems as GUI(graphical-user interface) devices for
computers continue to grow in popularity. For many applications such as
ATMs POS (Point-of-sales) systems, industrial controls, and handheld
computers, touch screens are an essential user interface, not just a keyboard
alternative.

The touch system comprises touch sensor (to receive the touch
input), electronic controller (to read and translate the sensor input into a
conventional bus protocol; for example, serial USB), software driver (to
convert the bus information to cursor action), and system utilities, Vacuum-
deposited transparent conductors serve as the primary sensing element in
both capacitive and resistive touch sensors- the two most common touch
sensors.

Touch systems using resistive sensors account for 56 per cent of

the touch market, with 43 per cent going to high volume consumer
applications. These applications predominantly utilize ‘pen input’; for
example, PDAs. Premium applications, such as retail POS, or those where
glove input is most frequent, such as medical and clean-room displays, make
up the balance of the resistive market.

Capacitive touch systems account for 25 per cent of the global

touch market sales. Known for their durability, reliability, and fast response,
those sensors service public-access touch-screen applications, such as
information kiosks, ATMs, and casino gaming. These systems activate with
either human finger touch or an electrically active tethered pen.

Touch systems represent a rapidly growing subset of the display

market. Palas Software and Micro touch, USA, have pioneered usage of
state-of-the-art ‘Micro touch’ screens in India. Micro touch, Boston, is a
world leader in touch technology. Its patented ‘ClearTek’ touch-screen is
sensitive. It registers the lightest touch, with high resolution, and requires the
shortest touch contact. It is the only technology unaffected by dust in the
world, which makes it ideal for Indian conditions.

Other touch-screen innovations include intelligent pen-and-

touch input with ‘TouchPen’, ‘Tek resistive’, and ‘Thru Glass’ systems. Use
of touch-screen installations is increasing in India. Applications include

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games / entertainment, industrial / medical instrumentation, financial trading,
ATMs, POS terminals, retailing kiosks, multimedia kiosks, etc.

Micro Touch has a major share of the global touch-screen

market. Rajiv Srivastava, director, Palas Software and Micro touch India,
predicts touch screens will be the future input interface for computerized
systems. The worlds over these systems are being utilized as user friendly
interfaces, obviating the need for computer and keyboard skills. In the Indian
context, people with low literacy levels can benefit from the system.

Public information systems, such as railways, use these systems

for booking offices. Travelers can confirm reservation by touching the ‘PNR
number’ location on the screen. Even illiterates can use and benefit from the
system. Touch screen can be sued for accessing information in any language.
Bill Gates, chairman, Microsoft, predicts that it will emerge as a vital
computer interface.

‘ClearTek’ touch-screen uses analogue capacitive technology- the only

touch technology based on sensing electrical signals. It has a resolution of
1024 x 1024 touch points. The controller averages the entire area of finger
contact to a single point, giving users pixel by pixel control.

ClearTek also provides the fastest response of any touch-screen,

with a minimum touch contact requirement of 3 cms. This performance
offers virtually instant response and makes it ideal for various applications,
including gaming and kiosks, where environmental robustness is a necessity.
Most public access kiosks in India use ClearTek.

Thru Glass is a revolutionary concept in computer input

devices, based on a patented projected capacitive touch technology. It can
detect a touch through 2.5cm thickness of glass, plastic, or non-conductive
protective materials. This versatile technology can be used with multimedia
system installed in environmentally controlled kiosks to create vandal-proof,
unattended, outdoor application.

For the rigid demands of a factory floor, Thru Glass is the

perfect solutions capable of being activated with any conductive input device

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including glove hands and metal tools. Impervious to rain, snow, chemical
and sunlight, brings the power of touch into new environments.

‘TouchPen’ is a proprietary capacitive digitizer using Micro

Touch’s analogue capacitive touch technology. It is only technology that can
distinguish between touch and pen input. It works by generating a uniform
low-voltage field over the sensor and determines the touch location in the
same way as the analogue capacitive screen does. A pen location is
determined when the pen injects current onto the conductive surface. The
touch contact requirement 3 cms. The response speed is 8 to 15 cms and 200
points per second in pen model.

With a resolution of 2048 x 2048 touch points, the digitizer is

fast and precise enough for signature capture, image manipulation, and
annotation. It is offered as a standard option with an analogue capacitive kits
and monitors.

Shonkh Technologies has developed information kiosks with

LCD/CRT touch screens, adding power to interactivity. Basically, a kiosk is
an information centre. It can be a standalone system connected to a server, or
to the Internet, enabling users to access the information bank. Kiosks have
bridged the gap between the computer-literate and the non computer-literate
individuals.

LASER IMAGING:

A German company has developed laser imaging technology,

endowed with best colour properties. Laser display projections obviate the
need to focus the protector to adjust for the distance between the projector
and the screen. These provide clear, non-reversed images on the screens of
any size. Laser beams travel over the screen incredibly impact, creating on it
a succession of images made up of pixels and lines. The pixel and frame
rates are the same as of the common video standards.

The laser imaging method can use signals from all standard
norms, included analogue, digital, and HDTV, readies of whether these are
received an aerial or video recorder.

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 The multisync and multimedia capabilities of laser projections
make them for events, shows, exhibitions, and conference rooms. A small
projection head attached to the ceiling in a domestic living room can beam
life-like video images measuring 1.5 m (diagonal) at an angle from one of
the walls of the room.

ORGANIC EL DISPLAYS:

Most flat panels in the market are LCDs. But LCDs are essentially non
light-emitting devices. This imposes technical limitations on the quality of
ability they offer. So, the display industry is forced to continue R&D efforts
for displays that emit their own light. Such displays include PDPs, FEDs,
and EL displays.

Organic electroluminescence (EL) displays, in addition to

emitting their own light, provide wide viewing angles, feature a strong
contrast, and deliver a quick response speed. These possess strong
characteristics in areas where LCDs are weak. These use fluorescent organic
compounds as luminescent materials.

Researchers at Tohou Pioneer Corp., Japan, experimenting with

compounds having low molecular weights, developed element technologies
necessary to create organic EL displays. They brought out an organic EL
display for car radios. To form devices made of low molecular weight
compounds, vacuum evaporation techniques are used to deposit organic
compounds with different carrier transport factors between electrodes
possessing different work functions. Glass or plastic film substrates use
indium-tin oxide (ITO) as the positive electrode, with a high work function
of 5.0 eV, performing as a hole injection electrode. The EL devices basically
consist of cathode (Li-Al or Mg-Ag), electron transport layer (Alg3),
emission layer with dopant (Alg3, quinacridone, or coumarine), hole
transport layer (amine-based compound), anode, and substrate.

The advanced organic EL dot-matrix device developed by the

company has green monochrome display section with 265 x 64 dots and
single-matrix drive structure. The displays have panel and drive circuit
sections. The resulting display, with superior brightness, contrast, and
visibility, can be viewed at any angle. To take full advantage of the self-
emitting characteristics of EL devices, the external light is blocked,
preventing it from entering the panel and reducing contrast.

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 Researchers continue to seek ways of making organic LEDs
more efficient and longer lasting. They have succeeded on both counts by
using new materials and by combining materials is new ways, creating
displays lasting 10,000 hours and delivering a luminous efficiency of 12
lumens per watt.

Organic EL displays find usage in the display section of

Pioneer’s vehicle use FM teletex receivers. Demands are on the increase
from manufacturers of car stereo systems. These displays will also be
supplied for various other devices, including PDAs.

LEPs:

LEPs are flat, wall-hanging displays that are produced using

plastic layers. These were invented by Richard Friend, University of
Cambridge, in 1989. Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) demonstrated
the first LEP-based monochrome flat TV screen in 1998.

LEPs operate on supply voltages of 3V and less, with wide viewing

angles. This light-emitting device is a layer structure deposited on a
transparent substrate. The substrate is coated with a transparent conducting
layer, ITO, which is used as a hole injector. ITO has a rough surface relative
to LEP. It is coated with a conducting polymer. The second electrode (a film
of calcium over laid with another film of aluminium) is deposited on the LEP
layer, completing the sandwich structure of the device. Electrons and holes,
injected into the LEP from cathode and anode, recombine to form excitons
that radiate photons during decay. The band-gap and colour emission can be
varied through the visible light spectrum (from blue through the red).

CDT has linked up with Seiko-Epson, Philips, Hoest, Seiko, and

DuPont, to undertake development work on various aspects of LEP-based
display. Philips is introducing multi colour displays for mobile phones, while
Seiko is working on a large-area flat screen with full-colour video display.

VIDEO DIGITAL INTERFACE

An industry working group, led by Intel and backed by

Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NEC, Microsoft and Silicon

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Image is developing a digital interface technique. This technique will
eventually link consumer electronics, PCs, or any host system to digital
display.

Unlike CRTS, flat-panel displays are inherently digital. Every pixel is

individually addressed. The display requires matrix-addressing circuitry.
Unfortunately, most flat-panel monitors in the market today are connected to
the PC via the VGA video monitor port. The VGA analogue outlet socket at
the back of every PC delivers analogue colour RGB signals, which in turn,
drive a CRT. For flat-panel displays, the signals are, however, reconverted
into digital format through A/D conversion process. This double conversion
process degrades image quality and ads cost. A better solution is to keep the
video signal in digital format throughout.

The superior image quality of active matrix LCDs in the latest

notebook computers is due to the use of a digital link between the PC
motherboard and the display. But notebooks are closed integrated systems
where compatibility between manufacturer’s motherboard and display is not
an issue. Before the same image quality is achieved in the desktop PC, the
industry needs a digital video interface technique that permits operation in an
open system environment. By combining the digital video interface standard
with the latest generation of digital displays, system designers can enjoy the
benefits of super image quality, lower system cost, increased ease of use, and
the ability to transmit images over long distances.

LCDs:
LCD is a passive device that manipulates existing light to
produce an image, whereas active displays (CRT, plasma, and LED) emit
light. Consequently, it consumes low power and, therefore, is the preferred
choice in portable and other battery-powered applications.

Touch-screen LCD (TSLCD) modules incorporate drive

electronics and touch panel logic to display data, scan touch panel, sense
operator inputs, and output digital data to a control program. The touch-panel
portion of LCD can be programmed to display a variety of data, such as
alphanumeric, ‘QWERTY’ keyboard, icons, and other graphics. Touch
panels use capacitive or resistive sensor technology. Increased display
luminance, increased viewing angle by using better aperture ratio, new
substrates, better backlights, etc are the current trends.

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 PCs equipped with thin-film transistor (TFT) LCDs were the
first to be noticed. Subsequently, TFT colour LCDs helped stimulate the
widespread use of notebook computers incorporating such displays.
Advances in TFT LCD manufacturing techniques further contributed to the
spectacular spread of notebook computers. These modules continue to
develop for use as monitors for desktop computers and workstations. These
are appearing as terminal displays in banking institutions, stores, desktop
publication, and computer-aided applications.

The demand for LCD panels for use in cell phones is expected
to raise sharply after the launch of 3G mobile services, providing data and
full-video transmissions. Japanese electronic giants are beginning to produce
LCD panels for use in cellular phones, to cash in on their rapid demand
fueled by 3G cellular phone services. Toshiba, Sharp, Seiko Epson, NEC,
Casio Computer, etc are some of these.

Hitachi started producing colour power-saving STN (super

twisted nematic) LCD panels for cells phones and is now developing TFT
LCD panels that can display full-motion video. The global market for TFT
LCDs will continue to expand, boosted by Philips Electronics NV and LG
Electronics. The two companies formed a successful joint venture last year,
to pool their CRT activities. The venture will combine all CRT activities and
key components, as well as the glass activities and plasma technologies of
both the firms.

VFDs:
Invented in 1966, VFDs have been in the market for 34 years.
These versatile displays have gone through continuous improvements in their
technology, and are used in many devices and systems. Application area
includes automation, telecom, medical, home appliances, vending machines,
point of sale, public information systems, and calculators.

VFDs are amenable for small-size production and reused widely

as chip on-glass displays, especially for automotive applications. Super VFD
tubes consume low power and obviate the need for backlighting. Tube
structures are being improved to offer better viewing angles. Multicolour
displays use modular techniques and apply strips of different phosphors.

FLAT DISPLAYS:

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 The three flat-panel displays active matrix LCDs (AMLCDs),
plasma-addressed liquid crystal (PALC) display and PDPs-can be classified
into light modulators or light emitters. AMLCD and PALC displays are
examples of the former, in which the functions of light generation and light
modulation are separated. Light modulation is accomplished via a voltage-
controlled change in the polarization of light passing through a liquid crystal.
A separate backlight provides the illumination. PDPs, light generation and
modulation functions are combined by mechanisms whereby variable
amounts of UV light are produced, which stimulate the phosphor to emit
visible light.

The AMLCD is a mature technology, with a large

manufacturing base and established production infrastructure.

POLYSTER PANELS:

Polyster is the likely choice for future flat-panel displays.

Researchers have developed thin-film transistor displays out of polyethylene
terephthalate thin, flexible and rugged plastic can be rolled up, folded, or
bent it practically any shape desired.

The concept holds promise for a future generation of ultra-light,

flexible, cost-effective displays. Applications include notebooks, desktops,
video-games, machines, and non-conventional displays. Roll-up displays,
displays set into clothing, paper-thin electronic books, and newspapers are
some of novel innovations.

3D DISPLAYS:
Unfortunately, 3D displays have not measured up to
expectations. In some cases, viewers must wear special glasses to have their
viewing system restricted. However, improvements are in the office, with
medical and business devices consisting glassless technologies.

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 Splitter system is used in amusement applications, and will find
more applications as LCD price falls and picture quality improves. Double-
image splitter system is used in business applications, binoculars, and
stereoscopic emission tests. Medical field is considering the use of 38 cm
display as monitors for brain surgeries and endoscopic operations. This
display uses head-tracking technology that detects the viewer’s head and
displays optical image accordingly.

‘Stereoscopic Vision’ technology for presenting 3D images

incorporates an inversion technique called modified difference. Another
system computed-image depth, effectively converts still 2D images to 3D.
This system separates each subject using colour components of the screen,
and then estimates the depth of each section of images, depending on the
contrast, sharpness of each subject, and structure of the scene.

The imaging technology department at Sharp Laboratories of

Europe has developed ‘twin-LCD’ display concept. It is based on two TFT
LCDs. The images of these LCDs are superimposed by a half-mirrored beam
computer. The optical arrangement creates laterally displaced images at the
nominal observer position. Each LCD panel displays one of the stereo pair
images, enabling the observer to view the images without wearing special
glasses. Twin-LCD concept, using TFT LCDs with a controllable
illumination system, has been used to show high reality auto-stereoscopic 3D
images with observer tracking over a wide angle and image look-around.

OPTICAL FIBRES:

Optical fibre, widely known as a telecommunications

transmission medium, can be used for large displays in public places. Such

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display systems consume relatively little power and deliver high contrast,
non-glare visuals in lighted settings.

As multimedia techniques progress, the market requirement of

information displayed at public locations tends to shift from communication
of data using characters to that using images. To communicate information,
the image should be large with full colours. The multi screen method is
widely used to produce a large display. A number of display units (LCDs,
CRTs, or projectors) having a certain size are assembled to form a large-
display screen. However, the drawback of these display systems is that
seams are present between the display units.

Advantages of optical fibre display systems include large

seamless screen, high design flexibility, and easy installation and movement.
These are best suited for public facilities, conference halls, ongoing games at
stadia/gymnasiums, advertisements, airports, and railway stations.

DMDs:

Invented in 1987 by Texas Instruments, USA, digital micro

mirror display (DMD) is a reflective optical conversion device that features
bright projected image, with high contrast, narrow beam between pixels,
high resolution, and excellent colour reproduction. It uses digital light
processing (DLP) technology.

DMD is fabricated on CMOS SRAM, using micro machine

technology based on conventional 0.8 um wafer processing. This display
integrates electrical, mechanical, and optical functions on a single chip.
Thousands of 16 um2 Al mirrors are formed on a chip, at a chip, at a pitch of
17 um. The mirrors reflect light in one of two directions, +100 or -100 relative
to the substrate surface, depending on memory outputs. DMD is combined
with a light source and projection system. When it is applied in a DLP
optical system, light enters the DMD at 200. In ‘on’ state, the mirror
projects the light to projection lens and the pixel projected
onto the screen appears bright. In ‘off’ state, the mirror
reflects lights at 400, missing the projection lens. The pixel
then displayed is black. The system employs binary pulse-
width modulation (PWM) technology. The DMD switches the
micro-mirrors ‘on’ and ‘off’ at switching speeds of 10 us to

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generate bursts of optical digital pulses that appear to the
viewer as a level of brightness between fully bright and
totally dark.

DMP technology can be used in business,

consumer, or commercial applications. Business applications include front
projectors for conference room and workgroup presentations. Consumer
applications include rear-and front-projection TVs.

CONCLUSION:

The display field is vast. Newer display technologies continue

to evolve, in synchronism with modern-day convergence devices and
systems however, the general awareness and knowledge about display
systems are on a lower level, compared to the hype of related
developments in the convergence arena. In order to capitalise on
displays that match modern devices, a concerted effort is needed by the
diverse fields to develop effective, efficient, and economical display systems.

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