Low-Power Color Display Technology for Mobile Phones

By Veronica Hendricks
iApplianceWeb
(04/25/01, 01:31:06 PM EDT)

Philips Mobile Display Systems has added low-power, color TFT-LCD technology for mobile phone applications to its mobile display portfolio. When operating in stand-by mode, this color module offers a full screen display and requires less power than other color mobile phone displays, enabling longer battery life. Featuring video capability, this display technology has good front-of-screen performance under both bright and dark conditions, thereby delivering the sharp image quality and resolution needed for leading-edge telecommunications devices.

Philips Mobile Display Systems can serve full viewing capabilities on stand-by mode with just 1.5mW of power because they optimize the power consumption for the total system, including the driver and panel, instead of optimizing the driver and panel separately. In addition, Philips' display technology utilizes proprietary and patented addressing schemes and integrated drivers to further reduce power consumption.

This technology can be customized for telecommunication providers' specific design and utilization requirements with the production of a 1.6-inch module. Philips is currently working with major telecommunications OEM customers to integrate this low-power technology into new mobile phone platforms, which are expected to be commercially available by 2002.

Key specifications for the 1.6-inch reflective amphorous silicon TFT-LCD display module include:

• Power consumption: 1.5 mW (standby mode with full screen), 5 to 6mW (normal mode with full screen)
• Reflectivity: 40 percent typical
• Contrast ratio: 40:1 typical
• Number of pixels: 20,480 (128 x 160)
• Pixel pitch: 0.198 mm x 0.198 mm
• Dot number: 61,440 (160 x 384)
• Filter: RGB stripe
• Color: 4,096 colors (4 bit)