Thanks to sharp and clear images that minimize eyestrain, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are increasingly deployed in mobile phones, PCs, digital cameras, TVs and many other appliances. An LCD itself does not produce light, but it can project text and images when lit. This is where OMRON's optical display devices come in. Micro lens arrays (MLAs), designed to control light wave directivity, and a flat light source are two core technologies for optical display devices. These are instrumental for realizing clear and easy-to-see LCD screens. Aiming for continued improvements in quality and performance, OMRON is concentrating @its R&D endeavors on further advancing its MLAs engineered for mobile phone LCDs, as well as its flat light source for large-sized LCDs.

As people become accustomed to exchanging a diverse range of information such as emails, photos, color pictures and movies between mobile phones, the need for bright and clear displays is obvious. Most mobile phone displays currently use a backlight that allows light to pass through the LCD panel from its back.

While a typical backlight unit uses three or more light sources, OMRON has achieved nearly two times the brightness using just a single light source for a backlight. OMRON's MLA technology was key to realizing this achievement. A micro lens array comprises micron-order (one micrometer is one-thousandths of a millimeter) lenses. OMRON's MLA-based backlight is built with millions of high-precision micro prisms concentrically arranged on a glass sheet according to the distance from the light source. Called "Vector Radiation Coupling," this method enables smooth and efficient light travel without divergence, thereby spreading all the light from the light source uniformly throughout the entire LCD panel. Moreover, only one light source is used, enabling a significant cut in power consumption by the backlight, which among all mobile phone components is the heaviest power consumer. Thanks to MLA technology, the OMRON backlight unit requires fewer components to deliver the same or even higher brightness, thus realizing slimmer and lighter phones. With a solid reputation as the industry leader,

With OMRON's vector radiation coupling process, several millions of micro prisms are fabricated concentrically in relation to the light source. By altering the prism pitch in micron-order precision according to the distance from the light source, light can be spread throughout the LCD panel.

Optical Display Devices Bring LCDs Closer to Consumers

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