As consumers increasingly adopt Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to connect home devices to external and internal networks, smart speakers will become ubiquitous in more and more homes. In fact, the smart speaker market is likely to continue its high growth trajectory; Juniper Research predicts that by 2022, devices such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod, and Sonos One will be present in most American homes.
Conventional smart speakers use audio for feedback, but the next generation of products, known as smart displays (or smart speakers with integrated displays), can enrich the user experience with visual content such as instructional videos, recipes, and photos. However, large LCD displays are difficult to pack into compact home speakers. DLP technology replaces conventional LCD screens with projection, thus opening up more possibilities for designers.
How do smart displays and virtual assistants work together?
Similar to how cars use center console displays, consumers are demanding more visual content from their home information and entertainment centers.
A simplified visual interface enhances the content offered by today's smart speakers. The displayed images need to be simple, with minimal need for touch interaction, as users typically view them from a distance of at least several feet. For example, when you say, "Alexa, what's on my shopping list?", the smart display should show large, bright text for easy reading from a distance.
Unique requirements of intelligent displays
The specifications of a projection will depend on factors such as the ideal display size, the type of display surface, the form factor required for integration into the terminal device, and the distance between the projection unit and the display surface. Let's explain these trade-offs in detail:
Projection Surfaces: Not all surfaces in your home are ideal for displaying projected images. Color, pattern, and surface curvature (such as kitchen countertops or wallpaper) can distort or obscure the image. Higher brightness and algorithms like TI DLP IntelliBright can help overcome the effects of surface geometry, color, and pattern on the display.
Module size: Speaker size is a major system design consideration. Projection modules need to be integrated into uniquely shaped and aesthetically pleasing designs. The size of the optical engine depends primarily on its brightness, resolution, and throw ratio. DLP Pico optical engines are very compact and can be integrated into smartphones or tablets, while some existing 100-lumen designs are as small as 50 cc.
Brightness: Since smart display devices are typically located in high-traffic areas (such as the kitchen or living room), they need to be both aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive. Integrated tablet-sized or larger flat-panel displays generally do not meet this standard. However, DLP technology addresses this challenge well with its ability to project large images from very small chips; for example, a single DLP chip can generate a sharp 30-inch image from a module of approximately 45 mm × 75 mm × 15 mm (just over 50 cc).
Resolution: The required resolution depends primarily on the information to be displayed and the size of the image needed. Resolutions as low as nHD (640 x 360) can be used for simple graphics and video, while qHD (960 x 540), 720p (1280 x 720), or higher resolutions are preferred for a sharper display.
Throw ratio: The required throw ratio depends on the product's position relative to the image surface. Long-throw projection lenses typically have a throw ratio greater than 2:1. Short-throw projection lenses typically have a throw ratio of 0.8:1 to 1:1, and ultra-short-throw projection lenses have a throw ratio less than 0.5:1. Short-throw projection and short-throw lenses are ideal for devices where the projection surface is very close to the projection module.
DLP Pico chipset for smart display applications
The DLP Pico chipset is available in various sizes and resolutions to accommodate different display sizes, brightness requirements, and resolutions. Micro-projectors offer a range of intelligent display options, including:
Ultra-short throw projection
Standard focal length projection
Surface projection
Free surface projection
interactive
These options offer flexibility in the types of surfaces on which images can be displayed and can be designed for dual purposes, such as surface projection and ultra-short-throw projection in a single device.
