Taxi Tablet for Card Processing, Advertising and Cab Security

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The Revosys V5 Interactive Taxi Tablet is a multi-purpose, state-of-the-art taxi cab “hub”. This single tool helps guarantee passenger safety, loyalty and satisfaction by providing a dynamic range of entertaining and interactive multimedia content, advertisement, taxi security and full taxi card payment processing.The V5 Taxi Tablet hardware comprises of a powerful, fanless dual core processor coupled with a bright, crisp, high resolution 10.1 inch LCD Screen. All of these features are compacted inside a slick tablet and fitted to the taxicab seats through a secure mounting mechanism.

In addition to displaying engaging advertisements in the cab, the Revosys V5 Interactive Taxi Tablet functions as a GPS navigation system with taxi fleet tracking and fleet management. The taxi tablet is also equipped with 2 high resolution taxicab CCTV cameras to provide security for drivers and passengers, as well as to prevent fare evasion. This is an especially valuable feature in every country where taxi cab crimes are a real threat. The taxicab CCTV videos can be broadcasted to a secure server over the 3G or LTE network and shared with the local law enforcement personnel. All digital recordings are secure and use embedded watermarks as required in many countries as proof of authenticity.

Taxi CCTV cameras help taxicab companies fulfill their responsibility of providing a safe journey to their passengers. The Taxicab CCTV footage acts as vital evidence for the law enforcement agencies in cases as serious as armed robberies or as simple, but widespread as Taxicab fare evasion. This is an ideal way to prevent and legally pursue cases of battery, asset destruction and even terrorism.

Another valuable feature of theTaxi Interactive Tablet from Revosys is its embedded payment processing system.The Revosys V5 Interactive Taxi Tablet is a fully integrated, EMV (Europay, Mastercard and VISA) and PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant payment processing system. A recent industry survey concluded that by providing a convenient and quick means to conduct a transaction for taxi passengers,there was a rise in the amount of tips that the taxicab owner received. The Interactive Taxi Tablet can accept Triple DES Secured, Magnetized Stripe Cards and other Smart Cards such as the American Express, VISA, JCB and M/Chip integrated MasterCard. It also offers contactless payment mode for contactless cards and NFC enabled phones.

Powering the state-of-the-at Taxi Tablet is a completely silent Intel dual core processor and a powerful SGX PowerVR Graphics Processing Unit. All the components used to build this tablet, including its internal power supply, are high grade and specifically designed for the harsh vehicle environment. The power supply can handle voltage fluctuations in the range of 5 to 38 volts.The boot up and shutdown of the tablet is linked to the taxicab’s ignition system, which safely boots up or shuts-down the system without any driver intervention, as well as preventing the driver from disconnecting the system.

 

Taxi payment options

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The V5 Taxi Interactive Tablet from Revosys offers taxi passengers debit and credit Taxi Card Processing, including the now popular Taxi Loyalty Cards. These solutions are free to operate, simple to use and easy to set up. The hardware used is state-of-the art, yet very cost-effective for its value in use.

To add to these conveniences, it is expected that such taxicab payment methods will soon become a legally necessary part of most taxicabs, especially in the New York area. This groundbreaking step is an initiative of the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and its T-PEP(Taxicab Passenger Enhancements Project).

In this article, we will have a look at the various taxi payment systems that can be used with the help of the V5 interactive terminal.

Taxi Loyalty Cards:

A taxi loyalty card is a smart card that looks a lot like any credit or debit card and can be used with a monthly billing, or pre-paid taxi payment system. Taxi loyalty cards are generally operated by the taxicab companies and used as a marketing tool to retain more customers and offer financial as well as other related incentives.  This allows the customer to track his or her traveling expenses and also makes it easier for companies to reimburse their employees’ traveling allowances.This system has been designed to facilitate the needs of small companies, large multinational holdings, government departments, and private taxicab owners alike to give them a well appreciated control over automated accounting, record keeping and expenditure, all while increasing customer loyalty.

Contact-less taxicab payment processing system:

The V5 Taxi Tablet from Revosys system allows customers to pay for their fare by tapping their contact-less credit or debit bank card over the taxi interactive tablet screen. The 10.1”digital high contract LCD screen reads the taxi card and allows the passengers to send their taxi fare receipt to their cell phone via SMS or email. The taxi passenger also has the option to pay using their NFC-enabled cell phone.

Recent surveys conclude that 70 % or more of taxi passengers at one point or another carry less $20 in cash and would definitely use the taxi service that gives them the convenience of using their bank card. Additional research indicates that an overwhelming majority of taxicab drivers admire such a Taxi Card Processing system. This convenience has also shown to increase the frequency of “low fare” taxi fares.

By the end of this year, a large number of credit and debit bank cards will incorporate the contact-less technology. Using the V5 Taxi Interactive Tablet provides a convenient way for taxi fleets to take advantage of this new market trend.

Other Smart Cards:

The V5 Taxi Interactive Tablet incorporates capability of processing conventional smart cards. These smart cards include M/Chip-MasterCard, JCB, American Express and the Visa card. The V5 Interactive Taxi Tablet uses a secure PCI PTS 3.0 approved touchscreen for PIN entry that allows for a hassle-free taxicab Payment Processing experience.

As an increasing number of taxicab customers choose to forgo carrying sufficient cash at all times, equipping your taxicab with the Revosys V5 Interactive Taxi Tablet ensures an endless stream of loyal customers. Please contact Revosys today and never miss an opportunity with another customer again.

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Taxi Tablets for Taxicab Interactive Advertising

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Industry officials are excited about the possibilities of taxi interactive digital signage. However, one of the main issues that have always plagued this growing market is an inability to dynamically update the taxi media. There are currently two (2) options on the market: one is to use a taxi headrest that could be updated using a USB drive, which has proven to be a logistical challenge as well as a cost-wasteful, time-consuming method of updating taxi media, or the new method of updating using the wireless 3G network. Optionally, the 3rd method is using taxi WiFi to update advertising and content media when all the cabs are at the taxi stand.

Taxi Headrests:

Typical taxi headrest screens come in two small sizes: a 7″ taxi headrest or an 8″ taxi headrest. Both headrest types typically use a thin touchscreen and the unit may have an integrated speaker. These taxi screens are typically built into within headrests, none of which are approved by car manufacturers or safety regulation agencies like TUV.

These taxi headrests commonly require an SD card, thumbdrive or other removable storage media which contains the updated advertisements. In some of these taxi headrests, an external 3G modem could be used, but it must be connected somewhere underneath the seat.

Such taxi headrests are typically designed without the use of rugged power supplies, rugged electronics or rugged hard drives, and are not safety-approved in various countries.

GPS Location Based Advertising:

Newer technologies like the V5 Taxi tablet provide GPS location based advertising, putting an intelligent twist on taxi interactive advertising. This taxi advertising system is contained within a familiar tablet, and allows the passenger to observe precisely where they are on the GPS map as well as distance to their destinations.The V5 Taxi Tablet uses GPS technology to highlight the advertisements along the route and display relevant content to the passengers. This is one of the innovative new ways that the driver’s route could be followed, while providing the taxi passenger with more than just an interactive experience. The customer is involved in the journey and becomes excited to know more about the new upcoming advertisements and deals relative to their location.

Download Coupons via SMS or Purchase Local Deals:

Unlike traditional taxi headrests, the V5 taxi tablet provides one of the most engaging and effective features for taxi interactive advertising. This advertising method directly engages your prospective customer, exactly when they are really in search of your service. Suppose you have just climbed into the back of a taxi cab and are on your way from the airport. You may be new to the area, and have some time grab a meal or a drink before you arrive at your hotel. The taxi cab begins to display several local advertisements and deals for an appetizer with a drink. You’ll can download the coupon to your cell phone, or purchase the appetizer and drink deal right from the V5 taxi tablet. Now, your time in the cab has been used effectively to purchase a deal from a local restaurant for a meal and a drink, a deal that you may not have received if you had not been in the taxi cab.

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Industrial LCD monitors usage in varied environmental conditions

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Industrial LCD Display

The prices of LCD panels have been on a steady decline all over the world. This may not be exciting news for the manufacturers,but buyers are only too happy to make the most of the situation. If you are planning to utilize long-life Industrial LCD Display Panels in your device, the market’s currently low pricing of LCD panels make this a great time to make the purchase.

LCD screens are very much in the modern workplace. They typically are embedded with an Open Frame LCD display, and finally assembled into an LCD monitor. In fact, it is now very rare to find a computer without one of these displays, although the cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors are still widely used in older systems on boats, hospital equipment and control rooms.

LCD displays have several important advantages over CRT monitors in that they take up far less space, they power-up almost instantaneously, and they use around 70% less power than a similar sized CRT monitor.LCD monitors are in fact so prevalent in the market place that almost every new computer purchased comes with a monitor that has an embedded LCD screen.

There are several reasons for the increased popularity of LCD displays:

Firstly, most computer monitors that are purchased are designed for use at home or in an office environment.

The LCD monitors are designed to sit in the same place for years, and not be moved.

They are designed for normal environmental conditions. They are not designed to be used in environments that are extremely hot, cold, damp or dusty. Such environments are ideal for a more rugged open frame LCD display solution.

These consumer-grade LCD displays are not designed to be particularly scratch resistant. Also they are not designed to withstand 24/7 constant operation or environments where there are vibrations.

If your LCD display’s environment falls outside of these categories then an industrial LCD monitor would be an ideal display solution.Industrial LCD displays are designed to withstand far more stringent environments. For industrial LCD displays that are suited for sunlight readability, harsh environments, vibrations or long-life operation, please contact Revosys with your requirements.

Industrial LCD screens are commonly used in the oil industry, in hot climates and in very cold climates, often well below freezing conditions such as used by the military.The industrial LCD displays can be used in harsh environments such as areas where large amounts of dust may be present that could potentially affect the electronics of a regular LCD display.Industrial monitors are designed to work in any environment as described above.

Industrial monitors are also designed to be shock and often scratch resistant. They come in different models that can be bolted down, making them ideal for use in marine display applications. These LCD displays are robust and designed to be moved and deployed in various locations frequently if needed.

If you are looking for an LCD display solution that is being deployed in a harsh environment, please contact Revosys for suggestion on finding your ideal industrial LCD monitor.

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Sunlight Readable Technology: An Innovation

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Several mediums and ways were opted from time to time to check the effectiveness of the ad for the mass publicity. Many traditional advertising and marketing concepts are now outdated and a new trend and innovation is welcomed and taken hand to hand.

In the changing arenas of advertising and publicity, the business and industry have recognized the need and potential of digital screen display.  A large number of companies upgraded to Sunlight Readable Industrial LCD Display from the conventional and traditional signage which shows the rising popularity of acceptance to high end technology in OOH (out of home) advertising. In-spite of acceptance to the high end technology, this should not be considered as a sudden, unexplained change, as there are several remarkable reasons why sunlight readable Transflective LCD displays reached such attention from conservative loyalists. A few of the reasons are mentioned below.

1)      Rising demand for OOH (Out-of-Home) Advertising

From the beginning in advertising world, Outdoor advertising has its own importance and hence it has gained ground with the technology ascend especially with digital screens. This has offered more flexibility and attention to the potential consumer base. The conventional screens can be dimmed down in the evening, after the campaigns. Sunlight readable LCD screens have helped to significantly increase profits and hence also the customer attention span.

2)      Lower Power Consumption

Sunlight readable LCD screens, in particular Transflective LCD displays significantly reduce the cost of energy consumption and thus increase the potential profit in comparison to conventional LCD screens which can be readable in daylight, if the brightness and contrast is increased significantly. The costs and power consumption of enhanced high brightness LCDs tend to negate their profit margins, as compared to transflective LCDs.

3)      Increase in Mass Usage

The implementation of sunlight readable LCD screens are wide-spread in various outdoor public places like airport terminals, bus terminals, traffic warning signs, road and railway signs, as well as advertisement displays in retail stores as well as other public spaces. This transition from traditional LCD to sunlight readable LCD display technology was an important event and a profound step in the field of advertising, because these digital screens have become the main medium for advertisements and displaying information.

4)      Backlight Technology

Enhancing backlight strength by increasing the LED or CCFL count is a common way to improve the readability of conventional LCD screens in direct sunlight. However, the additional overall costs and increased power consumption may not be the most cost-effective solution. Using a transflective LCD ensures that even a standard backlight will suffice for direct sunlight readability due to the reflective properties of the transflective LCD display.

5)      Low Reflectance Rate Glass

AR or anti-reflective glass is implemented in Sunlight Readable LCD Displays, where SAW and IR touchscreens are used due to the significant reduction in reflectivity. Although using AG Anti-Glare glass with conventional LCD displays helps with sunlight readability, this type of glass is not an ideal solution for this application.

Taxi Payment Systems

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When paying for their fares, taxicab customers are not only using traditional credit and debit cards, but many customers are now moving on to Taxi Loyalty Cards. Fleet cards are cards created specifically for fleets that want combined payment systems. Revosys’s V5 Interactive Terminal allows you to use your fleet card or Taxi Loyalty Card to attract and retain more Taxicab customers through the V5 Taxi Payment Processing system. The V5 Interactive Terminal’s Taxi Payment Systems offers unique Fleet Card Processing methods, including contactless Taxi Card Processing.

A Taxi Loyalty Card is the same size as a normal credit card and can be used to promote a specific taxi fleet or brand. These cards can be pre-paid or used like debit cards. The customers are able to book their journeys as usual and some companies may even allow priority bookings or cheaper fares to the customers using their Fleet Card Processing systems. Such cards can be swiped or used as contactless Taxi Payment Systems depending on the merchant bank involved and their payment systems. Most cards also require a PIN to be entered to verify the ownership of the card, while some allow PIN-less usage. The customers can still use cash to balance out the payments or pay tips.

How do Taxi Payment Systems help?

  • By eliminating costly and time-consuming handling and accounting of receivables
  • By providing automatic bank reconciliations instead of bulky paper checks
  • No paperwork, no manual billing
  • Helps the client build a strong relationship with the Taxi Loyalty Card and taxi fleet
  • Hassle-free client dealing

Such Taxi Payment Systems free the customers from the worries of carrying cash for their next taxi ride. They can simply touch the Revosys V5 Interactive Terminal with their taxi loyalty card. The Taxi Payment Systemalso allows the customer to leave a tip along with the payment. Revosys’s Taxi Card Processing system leaves the customers satisfied from a hassle-free taxi ride experience and encourages tipping to drivers for a job well done on their taxi interactive touchscreen. Studies have shown that taxi passengers increase the average tip amount with an automated Taxi Card Processing system.

Taxicabs have historically been the last places to utilize a good Taxi Payment Systems. Revosys’s Taxi Card Processing systems are bound to change this trend with their superior and secure V5 Taxi Interactive Tablet Terminal. There is no need for external pin pads or additional, bulky terminals. The Revosys V5 Taxi Interactive tablet boasts a PCI PTS 3.0 security approved touchscreen for PIN entry, and can process magnetic (swipe) cards, smart cards and contactless cards.

This Fleet Card Processing system is convenient, efficient and integrated within the V5 slim tablet.

The Revosys V5 Interactive Terminal is an all-in-one Taxi Card Processingsystem that allows effortless and swift Taxi Loyalty Card, credit and debit card processing.

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Sunlight Readable LCD and High Brightness LCDs

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Sunlight Readable Monitorsor High Brightness LCDs are displays that can be comfortably viewed in the outdoors and even indirect sunlight. To be considered truly direct Sunlight readable, such LCD displays typically musthave a brightness of at least 1000 nits and a contrast ratio of 5:1 or higher.Although some 500 nit (2:1 contrast ratios) displays are somewhat visible in the daylight, they cannot be referred to as transflective LCDs or sunlight readable. High Brightness LCDs are especially vivid in outdoor shades.

A nit (in terms of brightness) is a measure of luminance used to judge the working effectiveness of sunlight readable displays or open frame high brightness LCDs. A nit means the amount of candelas /m2 that the backlight is giving off.Scientifically speaking, the human mind is drawn more to an object that has a higher luminance. While a 250 nits LCD might look good indoors,Sunlight Readable LCDsor High Brightness LCDs must have a luminance of around 1000 nits to be effectively seen in the outdoors.

A Sunlight Readable LCD or  does not only have to be very bright at its highest brightness and contrast ratio, it must allow for a wider brightness range. The brightness range in a normal LCD is around 10% to 100%, but most Sunlight Readable LCDsor High Brightness LCDs come with a 0.5% to 100% brightness range to allow healthy indoor and outdoor viewing.

The contrast ratio of the LCD tells us of the difference in the brightness between the blackest and the whitest elements of a LCD Display pixel, thusa Sunlight Readable LCD or High Brightness LCD must have a sharp contrast ratio to counteract the bright sunlight. Whilst a normal indoor LCD has a 300:1 contrast ratio in a dim room, this falls down to 2:1 when the LCD Display is taken outdoors. On the other hand, a Sunlight Readable LCD or a Transflective LCD display will have a contrast ratio of 8:1 when taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

Some Sunlight Readable LCD or High Brightness LCDsdo carry the risk of having an inadequate viewing angle. A viewing angle is the angle at which the image quality of a display deteriorates to the point that it stops fulfilling its intended purpose. This is because of a drop in luminance, contrast ratio and the shift in colors. Revosys’s Sunlight Readable LCD, High Brightness LCD and Transflective Displays do not carry this viewing angle risk because of their superior technology and proven field tests.

A Sunlight Readable LCD or High Brightness LCD commonly requiresa CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) that in turn require inverters. An inverter is a device that converts DC voltage into AC voltage. All of this heat dissipation coupled with the heat of the sun, may require a more robust thermal management system.

Please contact Revosys today to discuss your Sunlight Readable LCD, Transflective Displayand High Brightness Monitorrequirements and the related thermal management systems available.

Taxi Advertising: Taxi Headrest Screens vs. The Revosys V5 Taxi Tablet

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Taxi Cab advertising, in-taxi advertising and taxi digital signage has recently grown into a highly sought-after advertising platform by digital media and digital signage companies alike. Virtually no other advertising method in the world is as effective as in-taxi advertising if using the correct technology for the job. These days it is difficult for most start-up or well-established digital signage or digital media advertising companies to find the right taxi advertising hardware and software solution, a platform that can not only offer video advertisements, taxi cab touchscreen interactivity and directories, but also effective geo-locations based advertising and engaging, relevant content on-screen as well as being securely mounted and built for 24/7 operation in the hostile taxi cab environments.

Taxi Advertising, Digital Media Advertising and Digital Signage software companies often will be faced with the difficult challenge of finding reliable, secure and well-supported taxi advertising systems for deploying into taxi cabs or taxi shuttle fleets. In their research, they will commonly come across Taxi headrest advertising screens, which are usually manufactured in China. The taxi headrest player market in China has had a recent manufacturing boom starting in 2008.

It is common to find 7” Taxi Headrest players or 10.4” Headrest PCs for taxi cabs in the search for the ideal taxi advertising system. However, most digital signage and advertising companies are not aware of the typical pitfalls and common issues of these advertising technology platforms.

Many of the taxi LCD headrest screens that are in the market are typically low-end, very simple systems that do not offer a full range of features that advertisers are looking for. 7” taxi advertising LCD screens typically offer very little viewable “real estate” for advertisers. These headrests are typically at least 2.5 feet (nearly 80 centimeters) from the passengers’ eyes, as the passenger rests comfortably on the backseat of the taxi cab. It requires the passenger to move up much closer to the 7” taxi LCD screen, as well as try to concentrate on the text on the screen, which is usually at a low 800×480 resolution. This is a dangerous and uncomfortable position for most passengers. Any sudden stops by the taxi cab could result in injury to the passenger from their face being so close to the LCD.

Commonly found 7” taxi headrests and taxi headrest players from China simply do not offer enough space to comfortably fit multi-zone advertisements, RSS tickers, or restaurant directories on the small LCD. Due to the explosion of this market, it is common to find low-quality Chinese made taxi headrest players or taxi headrest PCs that use sub-standard parts. Due to their very low costs, manufacturers are forced to use low-quality data storage such as SD cards or Compact Flash. Neither storage technologies are fast enough for running all of the demanding applications needed in an in-taxi advertising system (video advertisements, GPS, taxi payment processing, facial audience measurement, etc.) They are also not designed for in-taxi 24/7 all-day use, such as the true Solid State storage inside of the Revosys In-Taxi Advertising tablet and taxi payment system.

Typical taxi headrest screens offer almost no protection from scratches or impacts to the LCD. Most taxi headrest players, especially from China use very thin (less than 1.5mm) resistive touch screens. Not only is this resistive touchscreen technology prone to mechanical failure, it also significantly reduced the LCD brightness, making taxi advertising content on-screen more difficult to read, and nearly impossible in high ambient light. Some 10.4” taxi headrest PCs now offer thicker touchscreens, but this is often at the cost of lower touch sensitivity. These thicker touchscreens commonly use SAW touchscreens which take more touch force than resistive touchscreens. This is an inconvenience to the passengers, which may get frustrated from having to press down several times on an advertisement to download a coupon or find out more information due to the touchscreen not sensing their touch selection. This can truly be a detrimental mistake for digital signage companies and advertisers, as passengers simply stop using the taxi headrest screens because of the frustration caused by these SAW touchscreens which require more pressure from their fingers.

Most headrest taxi advertising screens in the market are highly vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Despite the common misconception by Taxi Advertising and Digital Signage Media companies that assume the headrest is harder to steal from a taxi cab, the reality is that most taxi headrest LCD screens do not offer means of securing the headrest to the seat. A thief can easily pull the taxi headrest out of the seat, cut any wires or disconnect them, and take the headrest with them. There is virtually no way to stop this threat. To combat this very real threat, Revosys has developed a unique, but simple method for securing their taxi advertising system.

The Revosys V5 In-Taxi Advertising, Cab Security and Taxi Payment system offers an industry-standard locking mechanism using Aircraft Grade cable. The lock is attached to the back of the tablet, without the lock protruding from the back cover and the cable end of this aircraft cable is attached to the bottom of the taxi seat, where the seat bolts into the bottom of the taxi cab. The thief would have to remove the entire taxi seat, to be able to remove the V5 tablet. The thick aircraft cable deters a thief from even attempting to remove the Revosys V5 system, because it would require heavy-industrial cutting tools which would make the thief more visible and very likely to be caught in his criminal act.

Taxi advertising headrests for taxi cabs or taxi shuttle vans with safety partitions such as NYC New York cabs, Boston, Chicago and other taxi cab markets cannot use taxi advertising headrests. Taxi advertising headrests are only meant to replace the factory stock headrests in the taxi. They cannot be mounted inside the partition, nor can the taxi LCD screen be mounted inside a taxi van from the ceiling. The Revosys V5 in-taxi tablet offers many versatile mounting methods, including off-ceiling mounting, in-partition mounts, off-headrest mounts and even mounting the tablet in between both front seats for optimal viewing for passengers.

One of the most common problems plaguing taxi headrest PCs and taxi screen players is their safety hazard to passengers and occupants in the taxi cab. There are currently no aftermarket taxi headrests screens in the world which have been approved for replacing factory-stock headrests. These taxi headrests (especially those from China) have not undergone any safety crash-testing ensuring that the passengers or front seat occupants are safe in the event of an accident or crash. This is not a liability to be taken lightly, and must be carefully considered. Currently, the European Union (EU) requires TUV testing of headrests, if they are placed inside of taxis. These tests are cost-prohibitive for most manufacturers, which try to stay under the radar and avoid such tests, while putting thousands of passengers at risk. None of the taxi headrest PCs are designed to the auto-industry standards, nor are they safety approved. It is common to find taxi cab advertising headrests from China using very primitive and unsafe internal headrest pole mechanisms. Such poorly-thought out designs are what enable these taxi headrests to be sold at very cheap prices, while making the advertising or digital signage company liable for any injuries or damages caused by these un-approved headrests.

Taxi headrest PCs and taxi advertising headrest screens are often found in the market for very low prices. It is common to see low-end parts, unreliable power supplies, low-brightness LCD screens as well as underpowered processors being using inside of these systems. Using storage mediums such as SD cards and Compact Flash cards allow the manufacturers to produce the taxi headrest players for cheap, as these parts are not intended for 24/7 in-taxi long-life use. Taxi headrest PC and LCD screen manufacturers commonly sacrifice on the LCD screen quality, very often using 250nits brightness and low contrast (500:1 ratio) LCD panels. Such LCD panels are low-cost, as well as offer a sub-par viewing experience for taxi cab passengers. Advertisers are not advertising effectively is they are displaying their static or video ads on screens which blend the ads and background together (low contrast), as well as low brightness screens where the LCD image is “washed-out” and virtually non-readable due to sunlight. The V5 In-Taxi advertising tablet counteracts all of these issues by displaying vivid, crisp advertisements to passengers using a high contrast and high-brightness (sunlight readable) LCD display panel.

The reliability of the power supply design and components are crucial in the selection of an in-taxi advertising system. Typically, taxi headrest PCs and taxi advertising headrest screens use low-cost components, as well as a design that is not intended to function in a taxi environment. These low-cost power supplies inside of the taxi headrests can lead to many issues for the digital signage or advertising company that has deployed these headrest screens in a large fleet. Firstly, the taxi’s electrical environment is a harsh place for electronics. Proper protection filters and regulation must be used to deliver smooth operation inside of the taxi cab 24/7. During engine cranking, the driver starts the vehicle, the power levels in the car drop to very low levels, and suddenly spike to very high levels. This takes an enormous toll on electronics that are not designed to take this punishment. The Revosys V5 In-Taxi advertising tablet offers an industry leading 5 Volt to 38 Volt power input range, even suitable for buses using 24 volt systems. This robust power supply is specifically designed to provide smooth, noise-free power to the taxi advertising system, which ensures long-life operation in taxi cabs as well as a clean, crisp image on the LCD display, free of any electrical noise or “crosstalk”.

Digital signage and taxi digital advertising companies seek an interactive taxi advertising platform that provides a smooth and seamless display of all content on the screen. Most taxi headrest PC and headrest LCD screens are powered by a low-end CPU such as an ARM or Intel 1.6GHz CPU first generation ATOM CPU. Neither of these solutions can offer smooth transitions within directories and on-screen menus, especially while playing Rich Media advertisements and high definition video ads. These CPUs are typically maxed-out as far as their performance capability well before any additional services are activated such as facial audience measurements, payment processing or taxi rooftop digital display or geo-location based advertising.  The Revosys V5 In-Taxi Advertising and Taxi Card Payment Processing system provides an industry-leading Dual Core 1.86GHz Intel CPU with high-end, next generation graphics engine. Advertising inside the taxi cab, as well as taxi rooftop advertising and even mobile data terminal/taxi dispatch is all controlled from a single V5 in-taxi tablet.

If deciding between typical taxi headrest PCs and a state-of-the-art Revosys V5 Interactive Taxi Advertising, Cab Security, and Taxi Payment system, the decision is clear. The V5 tablet offers secure, yet versatile mounting, a design that does not interfere with stock-factory crash-tested headrests, a robust power supply designed for harsh electrical environments, true Solid State Storage for long-life data retention and aversion to shock/bumps in the road, as well as a powerful industry-leading Dual Core processor which provides Digital Signage and Taxi Advertising Digital Media companies with the ability to drive applications such as facial audience measurement statistics that can provide the most beneficial advertising capabilities in the taxi advertising world.

 

 

 

Touch Screen LCD Panels – Types and Applications – Part 3

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This is the final article in a series of 3 articles brought to you by Revosys, and will focus mainly on capacitive touch screens and newly emerging touchscreen technologies.

Capacitive Touchscreen LCD Panels

A Capacitive touchscreen LCD panel uses a touchscreen overlay that is made up of an insulating material that is then coated over with a thin layer of a suitable, transparent conductive element such as indium tin oxide (ITO). A touch by a conductive object, such as a human finger or a capacitive stylus results in a disruption of the screen’s electrostatic field. This distortion is measured as a shift in capacitance and sent off to the touch screen controller for location processing.Capacitive touch screens can only be touched effectively with a conductive object, and will not work well with insulators such as a regular stylus or a gloved hand. There are two main types of Capacitive Touchscreens:

1.    Surface Capacitance Touchscreen Panel

In a surface capacitance touchscreen, one surface of the insulation layer is coated with a conductor. A small, uniform current creates an electrostatic field that forms a dynamic capacitor when a conductor touches the screen. The position of the touch is determined by the shift in capacitance across the corners of the touchscreen. Surface Capacitive touchscreens, however have a limited number of uses due to their low resolution. Their durability and the need for calibration make them a suitable touchscreen panel for kiosks, industrial controls and industrial automation.

2.    Projected Capacitive Touchscreen Panel

Famous for its use in the Apple IPhone and iPad, the Projected Capacitive Touchscreen technology permits accuracy and flexibility through a two-layer etched X-Y electrode grid. An alternative to the standard grid is the perpendicular conductive grid which allows coating and embedment into insulated or protective outer layers, such as the decorative bezel used in the iPhone. The sensitivity of the touchscreen makes a lasting impression when used in devices such as the IPhone, but on the other hand, they do not work well in rugged settings. Although a weather and vandal proof decorative cover lens offers some protection, the Projective Capacitive touchscreen has few outdoor or military applications.

To be able to function properly a Projected Capacitive touchscreen can only tolerate a limited amount of smudges, and no amount of water on the surface.

Optical Imaging Touchscreen Panel

This is a fairly new technology which operates by using image sensors (cameras) placed on the corners of the screen. Infrared backlights on the other side of the screen detect a touch by mapping its shadow. This technology is still being developed, but it promises a lot of applications due to its stability and versatility.

Dispersive Signal Touchscreen

This touchscreen technology works by detecting the Piezoelectricity in the glass that occurs when it is touched. The sensor then employs complex algorithms and programs to identify the location of the touch. Although this technology boasts clarity and scratch resistance, its reliance on mechanical vibrations means that it cannot detect a stationary touch and is susceptible to mechanical failure over time.

Touch Screen LCD Panels – Types and Applications – Part 2

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This is the second article of a series of 3 articles brought to you by Revosys. These articles will aim to educate our readers more on the science and application of customized Open Frame LCD panels including those with a touchscreen.

SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave)Touchscreen LCD Panels

The Surface Acoustic Wave or SAW touchscreen technology employs surface ultrasonic waves to detect the touch pattern. Whenever a relevant object touches any portion of the screen, a portion of the waves are absorbed by the glass. The device uses this change in the wave level to calculate the location of the touch point via 3 or more separate ultrasonic transducers.

The last 20 years have turned over a lot of useful research on the use of SAW touchscreen sensors, and recent applications include industrial, military, optical, chemical and biological devices. SAW technology is now readily used in portable devices, marine/boat displays, military displays, and PID (Public Information Displays).

Such touch screens are however vulnerable to external damage. If left unclean, the dust can interfere in the accuracy of the touch detection by absorbing some of the sound waves required for proper touch-point determination. Due to these issues, the success of SAW touchscreens has been relatively modest in comparison to other forms of touchscreens for Open Frame LCD panels. Commercial LCD panels are however readily available and used in a host of devices including devices that need a multi-touch LCD Panel.

Infrared Touchscreen LCD Panels

An infrared touchscreen detects a touch by processing a corresponding disruption in an array of X-Y photo-detectors and LED pairs along the screen’s edge. These pairs are crisscrossed in vertical and horizontal patterns. Such touchscreens can detect a disruption by any physical object, including a stylus or gloved finger. Their major uses are in outdoor devices such as marine/boat displays, military displays, and PID (Public Information Displays) and places where the user cannot rely on a conductor (i.e. a bare finger) such as in Point of Sales terminals and industrial applications where the devices may be subject to frequent wear and tear. Since the screen does not require a substrate or an overlay, it almost never gets worn out and has a long operational life.

Infrared touchscreens do not require any patterning on the screen’s surface, hence providing full-scale 100% light transmission and overall durability. They can also adjust to changing light conditions. Infrared touchscreens do not face sensor drift since the photo-detectors are all fixed into their places. It does not require a minimum Touch Activation force and it centroid accuracy is typically 2.5mm, with a response time as low as 10ms. Infrared touchscreens operate in extreme climates and can be sealed to meet IP65 and NEMA standards.

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