Transflective technology comes to the handset

Transflective IPS LCD module improves visibility in bright outdoor conditions to meet increasing demand for mobile phone applications including TV reception.

Hitachi Displays has commenced commercial production of a transflective IPS LCD module for mobile phones.

The aim was to develop a thin panel with improved outdoor visibility, plus high picture quality and a wide viewing angle.

To achieve this, Hitachi employed the world's first transflective IPS-Pro system.

The new product improves visibility in bright outdoor conditions to meet increasing demand for mobile phone applications including TV reception.

The transflective IPS LCD module developed on this occasion and now in commercial production provides improved visibility in bright outdoor conditions using a reflection unit fitted to the picture element structure, so that reflections from bright outdoor lights lighting up the LCD can also be used for displaying images.

As a result, images are generated in the usual manner by transmissive lights from the backlight in indoor environments where the brightness is comparatively low, and illuminated by reflective lights in bright outdoor conditions.

To date Hitachi has developed medium- and small-sized IPS LCD panels for applications from LCD TV sets and digital cameras to mobile phones and onboard equipment, based on the belief that IPS technology is a viable means of achieving high quality pictures.

In the course of this development work, Hitachi learned that customer demand for transflective IPS was high and decided to develop a commercial product.

This product is a result of Hitachi's endeavours to improve brightness and its research on reflection structures using IPS-Pro technology, as well as the improved manufacturing precision of micro fabrication.

By separating optics of the reflection and transmission units of picture elements, wide viewing angle and high quality picture equal to transmissive IPS are achieved, while a thinner panel (0.4mm thinner than previous models) allows a reflection mode.

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