Rain Technology, creator of the world’s most advanced directional display technologies, announced that partner Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (Tianma) will showcase its Passenger Infotainment Display (PID) innovations, combining No-Driver-Distraction™ and Display Screen Branding™ for the automotive industry, in Booth 516 at SID Display Week in San Jose on May 14-16, 2024.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed 3,308 lives and injured an estimated 289,310 people in 2022 in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Transportation has taken note and is currently driving the adoption of guidelines which would disable the use of many electronic capabilities installed by automotive manufacturers while the vehicle is in motion, unless they are intended for use by the passenger and cannot reasonably be accessed or seen by the driver. Similar regulations are under consideration in the European Union as well.

“Driver distraction is a significant challenge that is accelerating because vehicles have more, larger displays that deliver rich content for all occupants,” stated Robert Ramsey, CEO at Rain Technology. “Solutions that address driver distraction are no longer just ‘nice to have.’ This is the year that automakers will need to figure out driver distraction prevention to meet regulations and also provide the richer experiences that consumers are demanding. Rain Technology’s No-Driver-Distraction solution delivers exactly that.”

Added Feng Qin, general manager-R&D center at Tianma, “Beyond meeting the urgency for safe driving, this technology improves the driver experience by reducing reflected light and allowing passengers to engage more fully with infotainment systems. For manufacturers and brands, the design options for the cockpit view while in No-Driver-Distraction mode — or even when the display is off — offer a unique opportunity for a compelling brand impression. Displays within automotives no longer need to appear blank when not in use. Now, a passenger screen in a car is both a passenger entertainment system and a brand engagement system for the driver.”

At Odds: Driver Safety and Passenger Experience

Automotive display is becoming increasingly important as manufacturers endeavor to balance driver safety — driven by heightened regulations — and the increasing demand for passenger experience. These experiences and brand interactions encompass all stages of interaction with a vehicle, not just the in-motion experience.

Building on more than 30 years of developing a robust portfolio of proprietary intellectual property (IP) optical technologies from 3D cinema to VR to micro LED, Rain Technology is now revolutionizing the automotive industry. With two key innovations that can be integrated independently or together and function across both flat and curved displays, Rain Technology is meeting the requirements of traditional PID displays as well as modern pillar-to-pillar displays.

No-Driver-Distraction

No-Driver-Distraction is a switchable display solution for automotive safety. Passengers want to enjoy infotainment on the larger display screens of modern vehicles, while safety and regulatory requirements dictate minimizing screen distraction for the driver.

In an automotive setting, Rain Technology’s embedded screen technology electronically switches between:

• No-Driver-Distraction mode, in which the light output from the display is precision engineered to provide infotainment to the passenger but is not viewable by the driver.
• Share mode, in which both driver and passenger can enjoy the display when the vehicle is stationary, displaying map data, or in an approved self-driving mode.

Display Screen Branding

Display Screen Branding is a switchable display solution for branding by marketers in retail, ATM, POS and consumer electronics segments — and especially automotive settings with multiple screens for different purposes and audiences. Consumers are expecting more from their screen experiences, while manufacturers want to maximize their brand experience.

In an automotive setting, Display Screen Branding provides benefits in multiple modes:

• Privacy mode, in which the driver will see the automotive badge, branding or messaging, while passengers will have an unimpeded view of content.
• Display off mode, during which a design can be shown when the screen is off, allowing for a brand impression before the automobile or passenger infotainment is turned on.

Technically Speaking

No-Driver-Distraction and Display Screen Branding are IP innovations from Rain Technology that entail a proprietary active layer within the display that enables capabilities to be switched on and off by a software trigger.

In automotive scenarios, this capability is often asymmetric to account for differing requirements for driver versus passenger. The optical design can account for varying display types, sizes, locations, brightness, and driver side (right or left). Due to the switchable nature of the capability, automotive displays leveraging Rain Technology easily adapt to future requirements that may arise, such as those associated with autonomous driving, via remote software update. This provides a future-proof capability and ultimate adaptability.

For Display Screen Branding, the reflective design is determined during the panel manufacturing process. The layer may be activated by any hardware or software trigger as dictated by the product manufacturer. When activated, the design will be displayed only to those viewing angles determined to be obscured by privacy mode.

No-Driver-Distraction and Display Screen Branding solutions are available today. For more information on Rain Technology’s automotive solutions, please visit www.raintechnology.com/automotive-solutions.