What Display Daily thinks: A dual-touch display might be an interesting addition to the plethora of console concepts the display industry keeps putting out. JDI may have found a USP here that opens up a range of possibilities and is certainly bullish with expectations of 100 billion yen ($693 million) of business starting in 2025, although it is not clear on what schedule or timeline those revenues will be achieved.
Nevertheless, the ambition is laudable and the only question that remains is how truly valuable is the unique nature of the display technology.
There are some other questions that have to be raised about conceptualizing automotive displays of the future, one that applies not only to JDI but all display makers, is the industry expecting too much from car makers? There are regulatory considerations which have yet to rear their ugly head to the extent that they may change attitudes and designs, and there is the acknowledged value of knobs and dials, which impacts safety and driver engagement. How far will automakers want to go in addressing all these issues to integrate the latest, brightest display or will they revert to a more cautious, traditional approach?
Tesla, which caught the imagination of consumers with its big display, hasn’t really made any drastic changes to its cockpit designs which may mean something. Does that mean that once a display vendor is in with an automaker then they’re in for a long haul? Or, does that mean that the industry may change course, and revert to a mix of old and new with center console displays getting bigger, but the traditional knobs and dials remaining as a central approach to dashboard design?
The optimism among display makers suggests that the automakers are going to be adventurous and there is plenty of opportunity for new concepts. If that is truly the case, and not just a calculated strategy by companies looking to find a transition to safe revenue havens from traditional display product lines, then companies like JDI are looking at resurgence after reinvention.
JDI Making Progress on Recovery
JDI’s most recent financials for FY24 1Q show solid performance across several key areas when compared to FY23 1Q. The company’s total revenue increased by 6%, rising from approximately ¥530 billion ($3.71 billion) in FY23 1Q to ¥559 billion ($3.91 billion) in FY24 1Q. This growth was largely driven by the core business sectors, such as automotive displays and wearables, which saw an 11% increase in revenue, from ¥449 billion ($3.14 billion) to ¥500 billion ($3.50 billion). In contrast, the non-core business, particularly the LCD smartphone segment, experienced a 27% decrease in revenue, dropping from ¥81 billion ($0.57 billion) to ¥59 billion ($0.41 billion), as the company strategically reallocates resources towards more profitable growth areas.
| JDI Financials | FY23 1Q (¥) | FY23 1Q ($) | FY24 1Q (¥) | FY24 1Q ($) | YoY Change |
| Revenue | ¥530 billion | $3.71 billion | ¥559 billion | $3.91 billion | 6% |
| Core Business Revenue | ¥449 billion | $3.14 billion | ¥500 billion | $3.50 billion | 11% |
| Non-Core Business Revenue | ¥81 billion | $0.57 billion | ¥59 billion | $0.41 billion | -27% |
| EBITDA | ¥122 billion | $0.85 billion | ¥139 billion | $0.97 billion | 51% |
| Operating Profit | ¥60 billion | $0.42 billion | ¥70 billion | $0.49 billion | 49% |
| Net Profit | ¥122 billion | $0.85 billion | ¥65 billion | $0.46 billion | 53% |
| Fixed Asset Sale Profit | – | – | ¥17 billion | $0.12 billion | N/A |
JDI’s profitability metrics also showed significant improvements. The EBITDA increased by 51%, from ¥122 billion ($0.85 billion) in FY23 1Q to ¥139 billion ($0.97 billion) in FY24 1Q, reflecting better product mix, cost reductions, and more efficient inventory management according to the company. Operating profit saw a similar positive trend, growing by 49%, from ¥60 billion ($0.42 billion) to ¥70 billion ($0.49 billion). Moreover, the net profit improved by 53%, although this includes a one-time gain of ¥17 billion ($0.12 billion) from the sale of fixed assets, specifically the old Higashiura plant.
The 2DV Does Dual-Touch
The financial release in Japan coincided with the announcement by the company of an updated 2DV display featured on Display Daily. The intent seems to be to leverage the technology beyond the initial target in automotive displays, and there seems to be some merit to this approach because of the unique nature of the design.
JDI is leveraging proprietary IP here by using by using active-matrix thin-film transistor arrays to address the critical issue of crosstalk in under-screen touch sensors, The company is employing active-matrix (AM) technology and leveraging thin-film transistor (TFT) arrays to achieve ultrafine tactile imaging with high resolution and accuracy, which traditional passive-matrix (PM) technologies struggle to deliver because of inherent crosstalk issue.
In PM-based tactile sensors, crosstalk occurs due to leakage and bypass currents, which flow through unintended paths, especially when neighboring pixels have significantly different resistance levels. This phenomenon leads to erroneous pressure readings, severely limiting the sensor’s accuracy, particularly in high-resolution arrays where maintaining adequate isolation between electrodes is challenging.
To overcome this limitation, JDI is using AM technology and the TFTs are integrated at each pixel intersection within the sensor array. The AM array consists of gate and source lines connected to the gate and source terminals of the TFTs, respectively, while the drain terminal is connected to the pixel electrode and a pressure-sensitive resistor (PSR).
The key advantage of this configuration is that the TFTs selectively control the flow of current to individual pixels, effectively isolating each pixel from its neighbors. When a particular pixel is selected for measurement, the corresponding TFT is activated by applying a voltage to its gate line, allowing current to flow through the PSR to ground. All other pixels remain electrically isolated due to the high resistance of the off-state TFTs, thereby preventing any unintended current paths that could cause crosstalk.
The sensor array is fabricated using standard display processes, including chemical vapor deposition and photolithography, on a polyimide-coated glass substrate. The circuit layer, consisting of TFTs and electrodes, is lifted from the glass substrate using laser liftoff (LLO) techniques and laminated onto a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film for flexibility. The resulting sensor is thin (approximately 250 µm), flexible, and unbreakable, making it suitable for various applications requiring precise tactile sensing over large areas.
