Projector in a mobile phone

Always thought there was a global conspiracy on the part of manufacturers of projectors to keep the price up.

Consider the fact that the pricing points only recently came down, despite the fact projectors have far less parts, no software, or any of the sophistication than say the average digital camera or notebook has -- and the technology behind what the thing hasn't really progressed in any dramatic way. It's just light and mirrors really, and now with some digital add-ons.

South Korean company Iljin Display has now finally shown that it's possible to squeeze all of that dumb parts into a mobile phone.

The mini LCD projectors can cast a seven-inch full colour display. The company expects the projector-embedded mobile phones will hit the market next April, probably from manufacturers Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

"Traditional projectors are usually bulky, as they contain three separate LCD glass panels, one each for the red, green, and blue components of the video signal. But Iljin’s new technology reduced it to a single panel, by switching the light signal between three colors within one millisecond.

"Though the projected images continually change between the three base colors, human eyes only recognize them as one natural-color image as the speed they change is so fast.

"The new method dramatically decreases the size the projectors, as well as the manufacturing cost. The smallest of the demonstrated prototypes was about the size of a packet of cigarettes, and the company explained that it could be reduced to the size of a matchbox by the end of the year. The LCD panel itself is only 0.24-inch wide, which can easily fit into mobile phones."

[Via Geekologie]
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