In a technical release published this month, HP explored a Micro LED monitor concept that would allow users to easily use different multi-monitor configurations through the use of “Lego-like building blocks.” HP has no immediate plans to make what it called “stackable micro LED monitors,” but their discussion explored a potential way to simplify multitasking with multiple displays.
The HP paper [PDF]written by HP scientists and technical architects, discusses a theoretical monitor that supports the easy addition of more flat or curved screens to its left, right, or bottom (the authors note that top extensions may also be possible, but they are “trying maintain the number of manageable configurations”). The setup will use one 12 x 12″ “primary” monitor that is wired to the connected system. The computer’s operating system (OS) will be able to view the display setup as one, two, or multiple monitors, and physical switches will allow users to quickly disable displays.
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The illustration shows a monitor made of a base unit and two extension panels viewed as three monitors (left), two monitors (middle), and two monitors with different orientations (right).
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This illustration shows two base units and two extensions used to create dual, triple and quad display setups.
Not a genuine product
The HP document is just a technical disclosure that companies often publish to support potential patent applications. So it’s possible we’ll never see HP release “foldable micro LED monitors” as described. An HP spokesperson told me:
HP engineering teams are constantly exploring new ways to use the latest technologies. The composable Micro LED monitors in the technical disclosure are conceptual, but HP has turned past concepts like this into commercially viable products and solutions.
There is also growing interest in making it easier to set up and navigate multi-monitor workspaces, including through faster connectivity, improved port selection, improved docking stations and thinner displays. In January, Samsung unveiled a concept called The Link, which showcases thin, 32-inch, 4K LED monitors daisy-chained together “without a separate cable.” Samsung originally said the monitors would connect via pogo pins, but I later edited that.
As you’ll see, there’s a lot more that needs to be worked out than what’s in HP’s concept to make a real product.
Adjustable settings for multiple monitors
HP’s report goes into more depth on how monitors connected via pogo pins or RFID readers and tags can enable different single and multi-monitor setups depending on the user’s needs.
HP’s concept connects extensions to the main monitors “in a mosaic-like fashion” and also uses magnets to help with alignment. The authors explain:
The core-to-expansion connection includes an electrical connection allowing seamless connection to the main unit. They will only physically connect in ways that will function properly as displays. The magnets in the passive link covers and the edges of the extenders are strong enough to hold adjacent displays together, but not strong enough to support the weight of the extender.
The authors provide various examples of how users could construct different sized monitors with different panels. Suggested users include a video editor who can use a larger screen for video with a smaller one for editing tools. The paper also touches on additional potential innovations, such as the use of different types of technology, such as eInk, for augmented displays.
As with any multi-monitor setup, bezels or visible seams where the displays connect can be distracting to users. The paper proposes an ideal solution as one that uses “rays originating from pixels near the border between adjacent panels” to “propagate across the border without any distortion caused by reflection or refraction.”
