Rain Technology has taken its expertise in directional displays and privacy to solve a major challenge in the automotive industry - driver distraction.
PID Privacy Solution
Rain’s patented No-Driver-Distraction is a directional display solution that electronically switches between Privacy Mode to Share Mode preventing driver distraction from passenger infotainment displays (PID).
Passengers want to enjoy entertainment content on the large display screens found in modern vehicles. But safety and regulatory requirements dictate that the driver must not be distracted by this content while driving.
Displays featuring the No-Driver-Distraction™ solution electronically switch between
Privacy Mode where the light output from the display is precision-engineered to provide a bright and immersive infotainment experience to the passenger that cannot be discerned by the driver, and Share Mode where both driver and passenger can view and interact with the display, for example when the vehicle is stationary, displaying map data, or in an approved self-driving mode.
How it works
Rain Technology holds the patent for creating a thin, embedded proprietary layer within the liquid crystal module of a display screen. The patented approach involves controlling and directing the light coming out of displays. The design parameters are determined during panel manufacturing to the specific geometry of the cabin and requirements of the automotive use case including consideration for ambient light and reflections.
Switching between Privacy Mode and Share Mode is activated by a hardware or software trigger which controls the viewing angle. This solution is available for flat and curved displays including pillar-to-pillar, and partial privacy is also available.
No-Driver-Distraction is compatible with touch screens and all standard display types including LCD, OLED, Micro-LED and Nano-LED.
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.
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.
Human Factors and Display Controls
Over more than a decade of research, our team of scientists has developed a rigorous understanding of image perception. We use these insights to invent, innovate, and control the world’s leading IP in advanced directional displays. That said, our technologies do not stop at privacy in a business context. In fact, they are proving to be critical in applications such as minimizing automotive cabin distractions for driver and passenger safety. We anticipate that this breakthrough use case of our IP will help provide the basis for a legislative framework that supports safe passenger infotainment displays which are becoming increasingly prevalent in the automotive industry, especially within the EV segment.
Security Factor Analysis
We use a combination of display brightness, contrast, and reflectivity to quantify the underlying behavior of any particular build. Our laboratory studies have provided us with human factor limits above which an image will appear invisible. These analysis techniques are used extensively for display simulation, innovation roadmap development, competitive analysis, and manufacturing support.
Security Factor Analysis
We use a combination of display brightness, contrast, and reflectivity to quantify the underlying behavior of any particular build. Our laboratory studies have provided us with human factor limits above which an image will appear invisible. These analysis techniques are used extensively for display simulation, innovation roadmap development, competitive analysis, and manufacturing support.
