Semitransparent Display Using Cholesteric Liquid Crystal and Electroluminescent Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch-sensitive displays in portable electronic devices suffer from reduced user interaction efficiency due to the need to move hands or fingers over the display, obstructing visibility and requiring frequent hand movement to access controls and icons.
Innovation Solution
A semitransparent display combining a cholesteric liquid crystal display layer with a translucent electroluminescent layer, allowing users to see objects beneath the display while interacting, using capacitive touch sensors and adjustable light emission to maintain visibility and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a touch-sensitive display is used to present multiple icons and controls, then user interaction capabilities are improved, but visibility of the display is reduced when the user's hand covers the display during interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The display surface is segmented into multiple touch-sensitive zones or regions, each associated with specific icons or controls. This allows the user to interact with different segments of the display without needing to cover the entire display area with their hand, maintaining visibility of non-active regions while enabling comprehensive interaction capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the user moves their hand back and forth to access different controls and icons, then all display features become accessible, but user interaction efficiency is reduced due to frequent hand movements
Solution Approach 1:
The display enables interaction from multiple spatial dimensions or angles. By allowing touch input from different positions and orientations across the display surface, users can access all controls and icons without moving their hand back and forth in a single plane, thereby improving interaction efficiency while maintaining full feature accessibility.
3Illumination intensity
If a conventional opaque display is used to ensure clear visibility of icons and controls, then display clarity is improved, but the ability to see objects beneath the display is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The display employs dynamic control of its optical properties, allowing it to switch between opaque and transparent states as needed. The display can become opaque when displaying icons and controls to ensure clarity, and transparent when the user needs to see objects beneath the display, such as when using the display as a touch-sensitive overlay on a photograph or document.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances user interaction efficiency by enabling continuous visibility of objects and controls during use, improving usability in both high and low ambient light conditions through the cholesteric liquid crystal display's reflective and transparent modes.
Implementation Method 1
A semitransparent display combining a cholesteric liquid crystal display layer with a translucent electroluminescent layer
Implementation Method 2
A semitransparent display combining a cholesteric liquid crystal display layer with a translucent electroluminescent layer
Data Source
AI summary
A semitransparent display (100), suitable for use with an electronic device (700), is provided. The semitransparent display (100), in one embodiment, includes a cholesteric liquid crystal display layer (101) and a translucent electroluminescent layer (102), such as an organic light emitting diode device. Control circuitry (109) is coupled to each layer, and is configured to selectively actuate each layer. The cholesteric liquid crystal display layer (101) can be operated in any of a planar mode (201), a focal conic mode (202), or a homeotropic mode (203). Segments of the cholesteric liquid crystal display layer (101) can be selectively actuated so as to hide and reveal user actuation targets. Capacitive sensors (620,621) can be included so that the semitransparent display (100) works as a touch sensitive user interface. A user can see an object, such as a hand (105) or stylus, from above the semitransparent display (100) when the hand (105) or stylus is placed beneath the semitransparent display (100).