URL:https://www.reshine-display.com/light-guides-for-automotive-applications-effective-illumination.html

Mechanical buttons may soon become obsolete due to capacitive touch technology, particularly in automotive lighting solutions. To perform key actions, capacitive touch design relies on the electric properties of our light touches, flicks, and scrolls.

This technology is now so common that we probably take it for granted. Capacitive touch has permeated our daily lives, from mobile devices and watches to retail kiosks, thermostats, and security systems.

With our lighting solutions, we always strive to take established technology to the next level. Continue reading to learn about how we innovate light guides for automotive applications where safety and communication are essential.

Capacitive Touch in Cars

You've probably seen capacitive touch screen used in car consoles to control HVAC, navigation, and radio functions, but it's not as common as it is in other industries. Why?

One reason for the slow adoption is long design cycles. Concerns have also been raised that drivers rely on the sensation of pushing buttons to determine whether an action has occurred. The first touch sensors on the market provided minimal tactile feedback, forcing users to divert their attention and wait for screens to visually change to determine whether their interactions were successful.

Touch Feedback Enhancements

As more car manufacturers adopt capacitive touch, our lighting experts have improved light guide technology to provide better sensory feedback. Here's how we innovate in automotive lighting:

1. Light guides within capacitive touch assemblies allow for the illumination of icons, text, logos, and graphics. When these elements are touched, they light up, alerting the user that an action has been detected. This is especially important when driving at night.

2. Ultra-thin components: Traditional buttons are illuminated by LEDs placed directly beneath the button, whereas capacitive touch technology necessitates a more nuanced solution. For effective illumination, the touch sensors must be placed directly beneath the icons on the overlay. Fortunately, our ultra-thin edge-lit light guides (as thin as 0.2mm) can be used to bridge the gap between the overlay and the touch sensor, improving the device's detection capabilities.

System efficiency is increased because our light guides allow manufacturers to use fewer high-efficiency LEDs to achieve the desired illumination. This reduces production and assembly costs while also lowering the overall power consumption of the device.

Impact of Capacitive Touch for Automotive Lighting Solutions

To have the greatest impact on automotive vehicles, this design style and sensory feedback must be intuitive and reliable. Our light guide technology not only improves color, uniformity, and efficiency, but it also allows users to complete tasks faster and safer, making the in-car experience even better.

Contact our team of experts if you need light guides for automotive applications, custom lighting solutions, or assistance with a new lighting challenge.

Four Control Keys for LCD Backlight Brightness

The brightness of an LCD backlight is determined by several factors. To achieve the best results and optimize the lighting and display for the intended application, it's critical to understand each factor and how it affects the other. Let's look at four of the most important factors to consider when controlling backlight brightness with LCD lighting.

Power

The amount of power supplied is perhaps the most obvious factor. This is the simplest way to increase or decrease the brightness of an LCD backlight. Increasing the power to the LEDs within the manufacturer's allowable forward current range increases brightness while decreasing power decreases brightness.

LED Efficiency

Even if the power source remains constant, the efficiency of the LEDs and the system as a whole influence how bright the LCD lighting is. More brightness can be squeezed out of the same power source by using superior components and technology with superior efficiency. The quality of the die, the chemical makeup of the LEDs, and even the color temperature of the LEDs can all have an impact on LED efficiency.

Transmissivity of LCD

Different types of LCDs have varying degrees of transmissivity, which refers to how well a medium allows something like electromagnetic radiation, or in this case, visible light, to pass through it. LCDs may allow less than 1% of light from the backlight to be transmitted to the user, whereas others may result in almost no loss. As a result, when choosing an LCD, it's critical to consider whether or not a backlight is required, and then choose an LCD with good transmissivity.

Lightguide Effectiveness

The light guide should not be overlooked. The final brightness of the LCD backlight will be greatly influenced by the quality and efficiency of the light. The reason is straightforward: light directs light from the LED to the LCD, and much can be lost along the way. High-efficiency light guides, such as those with optical lens-based light extraction patterns, can increase efficiency by 20 to 30 percent.

Any DIY LCD lighting project can be made more successful by taking these four key factors into account. Contact us here for more information on a wide range of LED and LCD lighting products and technologies. Global Lighting Technologies is a global leader in the development of efficient, innovative, and customized lighting solutions, in addition to offering LCD backlight products.