Sharp's New System LCD with Embedded Optical Sensors to Provide Input Capabilities Including Touch Screen and Scanner Functions

JCN Newswires, August 31, 2007

Osaka, Japan, Aug 31, 2007 - (JCN Newswire) - Sharp Corporation has successfully developed a new System LCD equipped with touch screen and scanner functions. An optical sensor is built into each pixel of the LCD panel, eliminating the need to bond a film to the panel for touch screen functions, and providing beautiful images without losing display image quality.

Today, touch screen functions are becoming indispensable on displays for mobile devices such as smartphones, digital cameras, PDAs[1], and UMPCs[2]. However, conventional methods to provide such functions mainly involve laminating or bonding a film on top of the LCD panel, leading to problems with reduced display image quality and increased thickness for the display section.

In this light, Sharp developed its proprietary System LCD technology to successfully embed an optical sensor used in devices like scanners in each pixel of the LCD panel. This technology eliminates the need for films, resulting in a thinner, beautifully clear screen display compared to conventional touch screens. In addition, tactile recognition based on simultaneously touching multiple points on the screen is now possible, a feature previously difficult to implement. For example, users can easily tap the screen with two fingers to enlarge or reduce a displayed map. Also, the scanner function can be used to scan in a business card placed on top of the screen, and further improvements to this function are expected to enable fingerprint authentication in the future.

Sample shipments will begin in September of this year, with volume production slated to start next spring.

As a leading LCD company, Sharp will continue to develop new proprietary LCD technologies in the small and medium-sized LCD field as well as in the area of large-screen LCDs for TVs, and will be contributing to further advances in mobile devices in the future.

Newly Developed System LCD

Screen size           8.9 cm (3.5-inch) on the diagonal
Pixel count           320 V x RGB x 480 H (half-VGA)
                      (Note: Optical sensor built into each pixel)
Applications          Smartphones, digital cameras, etc.
Functions             Touch screen (with simultaneous recognition of ]
                      multiple touch points), scanner
Sample shipments      Starting September 2007

[1] PDA = Personal Digital Assistant

[2] UMPC = Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer

About Sharp Corporation

Sharp Corporation (TSE: 6753) is a worldwide developer of innovative products and core technologies that play a key role in shaping the future of electronics. As a leader in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and digital technologies, Sharp offers one of the broadest and most advanced lines of consumer electronics, information products and electronic components, while also creating new network businesses. Sharp Corporation employs about 56,600 people in the world (as of April 30, 2007) and recorded consolidated annual sales of 3,127,771 million yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. For more information, please visit www.sharp.co.jp.

Source: Sharp Corporation

Contact:

Sharp Corporation
Public Relations Division
http://sharp-world.com/index.html
 81-6-6621-1272

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