Sunlight Readable Display Technology

What is this technology?

Transflective LCD technology can be applied to certain selected regular TFT LCD to introduce the LCD with a reflective function. With the imposed reflective function, the modified LCD can reflect the ambient light passing the LCD cell and utilize the reflected light beams as its illumination. The stronger the ambient light is, the brighter the LCD will appear. As a result, the modified LCD is viewable under lighting conditions including direct sunlight. The advantages of transflective LCD technology are as the comparison table below.

How does this technology work?

Transflective LCD modules hold both transmissive and reflective properties, and the method of image display depends upon the conditions of the ambient environment. The display uses a backlight with a transmissive property in dark environments, and uses external light with a reflective property in bright environments. Our improved transflective method allows for better color performance, which provides excellent color characteristics similar to the transmissive mode. The net Reflectance rate of our Transflective LCD solution is from 0.9% to 1.3% varied from panels selected. For example, with 1.3% net reflectance rate and under 10,000 ambient sunlight conditions, the brightness gain is around 130 nits added to original backlight brightness.

Technology/Function Diagrams

Handling Cautions

Keep temperature at 0~50XC (32-121XF) and Avoid direct sunlight on the display.

Although transflective LCD is mainly used in outdoor environment and can increase the effective lights under sunlight, it is suggested that user should keep the LCD in proper temperature for operation and storage. To ensure the transflective LCD work stably, it is needed the thermal solution in order to ensure display can work stably on 0~50XC.

 

Arrange proper contrast ratio to ambient light

Contrast ratio is a critical factor that can influence the readability. For example, if you put the LCD in very high ambient light environment; even the brightness of display is pretty high; the contrast between the ambient and the display is too low. Therefore, we might not be able to see the clear LCD screen image. In order to be sunlight readable, the contrast ratio to the ambient light need to be in proper range.

 

Use SAW/ IR touch or Low reflectance rate Glass

If you demand for built-in protection glass, it is needed to use the material whose reflectance rate is less than 1%. It should be careful when using protection glass. Generally, the reflectance rate of protection glass can be as high as 4~6%, but we can provide the reflectance ration glass which is less 0.6%, so that the sunlight readability performance can work very well

 

Benefits

• Readable under all lighting conditions to include direct Sunlight
• Enhanced contrast ratio for both indoor and outdoor conditions
• Utmost indoor color saturation, brightness, and viewing angle
• Full mechanical and electrical compliance with the existent system
• Power saving and backlight life preserving in outdoor applications
• No extra heat generation even when viewed at higher brightness

Applications

The market demands for outdoor LCD applications are expanding, such as mobile navigator/video systems, table PC, KIOSK, POS, LCD TV. Transflective LCD truly offers a most convenient and affordable solution for your various outdoor LCD applications.

Products use this technology

Winmate provides full range of sunlight readable LCD display products from 6.4 to 42, including transflective, high brightness(CCFL) , high brightness(LED) and other Panel PCs.

Operation & Storage Temperature Caution

Although transflective LCD is mainly used in outdoor environment and can increase the effective lights under sunlight, it is suggested that you should keep the LCD in appropriate temperature for operation and storage. To ensure the transflective LCD work stably, 0~50°C (32-121°F) operation and storage temperature is suitable.

Case1 : Capacious Space

In order to improve the thermal issue, we add a thermal conductive dielectric sheet behind the LCD panel to gather thermal. There are fans to exhaust the thermal current, so it can be kept the temperature inside of the mechanical stably.

Case2 : Airtight space

If the LCD panel set up in the customer’s console or system, like cabinet, in order to improve the thermal issue, it is necessary to use more fans or other thermal design on the system to exhaust the thermal current and have good ventilation, so it can be kept the temperature inside of the mechanical stably.