New-Generation Mobile Devices Will Need Optimized Displays

Jan. 11, 2007

Expectations for power consumption are straining the capabilities of existing technology. Meanwhile, the convergence of feature-rich handsets requires brighter displays along with even more power-depleting processing. Visually oriented interactive mobile

Roger Allan

Visually oriented interactive mobile applications such as games, Internet browsers, GPS, and media players will experience explosive growth in 2007—especially mobile video and television. But this growth needs the support of low-power, high-brightness displays.

That’s because mobile displays need at least double the brightness levels to handle high-dynamic-range content like video. They also contain data-centric content such as Web pages and text messages that require the displays to remain always on. The continuous power drain for such devices will greatly impact already tight power budgets.

Clairevoyante’s PenTile RGBW subpixel rendering technology increases luminance by improving the display’s aperture ratio and contrast levels. It also adds a clear (white) subpixel that attenuates (or absorbs) little if any light relative to conventional RGB displays. This doubles the display’s luminance levels without increasing power consumption.

PenTile RGBW-driven displays come much closer to matching the dynamic range of typical video images to provide an acceptable viewing experience. The technology can reduce the backlight’s power consumption and help stretch a power budget while still producing superior-quality images, all without lowering critical brightness levels.

Unlike legacy devices such as cell phones where the display is usually illuminated momentarily, data-centric applications like video, games, Web browsers, and GPS require the display backlight to be powered continuously. Today, it isn’t unusual for the backlight to consume more than half of the device’s total power.

Thanks to this subpixel rendering technology, display manufacturers in the coming year will introduce third-generation mobile displays that easily satisfy the stringent brightness and always-on requirements of advanced applications—without compromising battery life.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.