Specifications and main technical about mini projectors

1. Technical Specifications
a). Dimensions
b). Optical efficiency: Unit power consumption (per watt) to the output of the luminous flux (lumens)
The index is an indicator of micro-projection is very important, as an ordinary projector, because supply is very important for the general brightness indicators, micro-projectors, both due to the brightness, battery life, heat and so on system problems, and therefore not simple brightness and the luminous efficiency will be as key indicators.
c). Resolution: The resolution of chips, such as VGA (640 * 480), QVGA (320 * 240) and so on.
d). color purity: color performance indicators, often internationally to measure the scope of NTSC color gamut
e). Contrast: easy to measure the image resolution indicator (a simple definition of state of dark state light display ratio)

2. DLP technology
As a Pocket Projector (mini-projector) of the main promoters, TI handheld projector in (pico-projector), also under the foot of the intensity, since 2008, the latest DLP also introduced its latest generation of the DMD chip.
Currently, in the world, only Texas Instruments (TI) DMD chip can provide the commercialization of products, mainly through the principle of the micro-mirror control to light to switch to achieve the right color scale and gray scale of that in the small DMD chip, with nearly 1 million than a human hair fine type of small mirrors.

3. LCoS Technology
DLP technology from TI with a company than monopoly, LCoS chip business, relatively speaking, more and more, such as Himax, Displaytech (Micron), Syndiant so. In addition, DLP LCoS technology platform open than many, relatively speaking, a greater development potential. LCoS technology as its main imaging principle similar to liquid crystal LCD, is controlled by micro-circuit voltage to liquid crystal torsion, polarized light through the LCD on the control, hitting the light to switch to achieve the color scale and gray scale. LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) and the LCD itself is different in that its reflectivity for light control, and LCD is the transmission of light control, so in theory LCoS technology itself from the opening rate would more than LCD.
As the LCoS technology, began to develop from 2008 to the present, there are the original color filter type (Color Filter) development for the current color sequence type (Color Sequential), its color performance and light use efficiency have been significantly improved current Sequential Color LCoS has become a mainstream technology.
Speaking LCoS technology and had to refer to the 3M Company, as the world's first release 3M, the optical engine is also a Fortune 500 company, its corporate culture is known for innovation in display technology field, from the projector Faming to the 2008 launch of the world's first optical engine, 3M Company has also become a big banner LCoS technology. In addition, 3M, liquid crystal polarization control in long-term technological leadership, which itself control the development of a polarization film, the film made use of PBS (Polarizing Beam Splitter) Polarization-controlled optical components, can make the same performance The LCoS light engine more than 30% volume reduction, process complexity greatly reduced, in addition, compared with the general LCoS light engine, can also contrast sharply.

Are pico projectors the next big cellphone trend?

While commercial products with so-called pico projectors are still relatively rare, Microvision and rivals such as Texas Instruments Inc and 3M Co were promising strong prospects for pico at the Las Vegas show which ends on Sunday.

Microvision showed off a stand-alone projector that looked like a big bar of soap and projected crisp video images using laser technology. Its big hope is to embed the technology in a range of consumer electronics including cameras and phones.

"My feeling is that ultimately the phone is the largest opportunity," Microvision's director of communications Matt Nichols said, adding that his company was talking to dozens of potential customers including phone makers.

Nichols sees the first prototypes of gadgets with embedded Microvision pico projectors later this year, and expects the first commercial products some time next year.

After that, he expects the market to explode -- in the same way that cameras have quickly become a must-have component in cellphones.

"We believe that in a five-year forecast, your phones will all have projectors," Nichols told Reuters.

Texas Instruments, a major supplier of application chips for phones, has its pico projectors embedded in several commercial devices including dedicated mini-projectors and two phones from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the latest of which was demonstrated at CES.

"Everybody is just completely jazzed about" pico projectors, said Frank Moizio, manager for Texas Instruments' pico business. "I don't know what that translates into in volume. We hope it will be high."

Since phones already have so many bells and whistles, such as multitouch screens, cameras and music and video players, some analysts question how much room there is to add more components.

But Ovum's Jonathan Yarmis says pico technology has a huge potential because it solves the problem of video viewing on tiny cellphone screens.

"When you liberate the display from the device, you've the opportunity to make the experience more immersive," the analyst said when asked about the next big cellphone trends.

Others like wireless industry consultant Cheetan Sharma see the mini-projectors turning up in cameras, allowing photographers to share snapshots, before becoming popular in cellphones.

"I think the camera is the first thing and then of course it will migrate to smartphones," Sharma said, adding that electronics makers also expect demand for pico projectors in laptops for business travelers. "Some people are looking to integrate it into a laptop so they can do presentations."

Article resource: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6091TO20100110