As consumers continue to use Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to connect home devices to external and internal networks, smart speakers will be widely used in more and more homes. In fact, the smart speaker market may continue to maintain a high growth trend; according to Juniper Research, devices such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod and Sonos One will be popular in most American homes by 2022.
Conventional smart speakers use audio for feedback, but a new generation of products called smart displays (or smart speakers with display functions) can enrich the user experience through visual content (such as explaining videos, recipes, and photos). However, it is difficult to pack large LCD displays into compact home speakers. DLP technology replaces conventional LCD screens through projection, thereby bringing more possibilities to designers.
How smart displays and virtual assistants work together
Similar to the use of a center console display in a car, consumers require their home information and entertainment centers to provide more visual content.
Having a simplified visual interface can enhance the content provided by today's smart speakers. The displayed images need to be simple, and there is less demand for touch interaction, because users usually view them from a distance of at least a few feet. For example, when you say "Alexa, what's on my shopping list?", the smart display should display large, bright text for easy reading from a distance.
Unique requirements for smart display
The specifications of the projection will depend on such factors 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 us elaborate on these trade-offs:
Projection surface: Not all surfaces in the home are ideal for displaying projected images. Colors, patterns, and surface curvatures (such as kitchen countertops or wallpaper) may distort or obscure the image. Higher brightness and TI DLP IntelliBright and other algorithms can help overcome the influence of surface geometry, color and pattern on the display effect.
Module size: The size of the speaker is the main system design consideration.
The projection module needs to be integrated into a uniquely shaped and beautiful design. The size of the optical engine mainly depends on its brightness, resolution and throw ratio. The DLP Pico optical engine is very compact and can be integrated into a smartphone or tablet, while some existing 100-lumen designs are as small as 50 cc.
Brightness: Since smart display devices are usually located near areas that move around (such as the kitchen or living room), they need to be aesthetically pleasing and not obtrusive. Integrated tablet size or larger flat panel displays usually do not meet this standard. However, DLP technology solves this challenge well through the ability of a small chip to project a large screen; for example, a single DLP chip can be generated from a module of approximately 45 mm×75 mm×15 mm (just over 50 cc) Clear 30-inch image.
Resolution: The required resolution mainly depends on the information content to be displayed and the required image size. Resolutions as low as nHD (640 x 360) can be used for simple graphics and video, while resolutions of qHD (960 x 540), 720p (1280 x 720) or higher are the first choices for clearer display.
Throw ratio: The required throw ratio depends on the position of the product relative to the image surface. The throw ratio of a telephoto projection lens is usually greater than 2:1. The throw ratio of the short-throw projection lens is usually 0.8:1 to 1:1, and the throw ratio of the ultra-short-throw projection lens is less than 0.5:1. Short-throw projection and short-throw projection lenses are very suitable for devices where the projection surface is very close to the projection module.
DLP Pico chipset for smart display applications
The DLP Pico chipset has a variety of sizes and resolutions, which can adapt to different display sizes, brightness requirements and resolutions. Micro projection provides a variety of smart display options, including:
Ultra short throw projection
Standard focal projection
Surface projection
Free surface projection
interactive
These options provide flexibility in the type of surface that can display images, and can be designed for dual purposes, such as surface projection and ultra-short throw projection in one device.