LCD Screen With Embedded Optical Sensors 113
dk3nn3dy writes "Sharp has developed a LCD display with optical sensors built into the displays pixels, without requiring a touch-sensitive film to be bonded on top of the regular screen. The optical sensor is similar to that used in scanners, allowing for notes or business cards to be scanned by the screen itself. As the optical recognition technology is built into the pixels it also simplifies tactile recognition based on simultaneously touching multiple points. Future uses include fingerprint authentication on the screen of your mobile phone or PDA, or iPhone style touch recognition. Volume production will start next spring."
Focus length? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Queue the Big-Brother/Orwell freaks in..... (Score:5, Interesting)
shit everything I can think of is evil..
sorry. =)
Right, just like your keyboard allows you to share your most personal and private info to the world. But you just won't, how about that.
Also: it works as a scanner, not a camera. It sees in focus only what's directly placed on top of the screen.
Good for barcode scanning, touchscreens, or portable scanner. As well as a bunch of other quite cool and "non-evil" uses.
Apple Patent (Score:3, Interesting)
Hopefully these sensors only work up close like a scanner, rather than like a webcam.
Re:Focus length? (Score:4, Interesting)
I would be very curious to hear how they are planning to deal with the fingerprints and scratching that will almost assuredly occur.
Re:Smile! You're being filmed! (Score:3, Interesting)
We'll have to stop with the "In Soviet Russia computer monitors YOU!" jokes.
Schizophrenics will finally be able to say "See - it IS watching me!"
Of course, since they're more sensitive to IR than to visible wavelengths, you can defeat them by pointing a heat lamp at them. You'll still be able to see the picture, but "they" won't be able to see you.
Apple patent on "Integrated sensing display" (Score:4, Interesting)
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=
It definitely seems like a similar concept.