MIPI Alliance developing MIPI Touch for mobile devices

The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, has introduced MIPI Touch, a forthcoming specification that leverages current and new MIPI specifications to provide an innovative, comprehensive touch interface. MIPI Alliance invites industry participation in the development of the touch specification.

MIPI Alliance is developing MIPI Touch to optimize the integration and performance of touch technologies in mobile phones, tablets, automotive dashboards and infotainment displays, and other devices and applications.

Natural evolution of the Alliance’s strong heritage of advancing interface specifications

“MIPI Touch is a natural evolution of the Alliance’s strong heritage of advancing interface specifications that improve component integration in mobile devices. It underscores our ongoing commitment to help manufacturers support more applications with their mobile designs,” said Joel Huloux, Chairman of the Board of MIPI Alliance.

MIPI Alliance encourages manufacturers and OS providers to contribute to the MIPI Touch specification first draft, scheduled for completion in 2017. MIPI Alliance member companies and other organizations interested in sharing perspectives can join the MIPI Display Working Group, which is specifying the MIPI Touch specification, and the MIPI Software Working Group, which is investigating the architecture of a supporting software framework.

Versatile Architecture: High Performance, Low Power, Low Cost for Multiple Use Cases

The new touch specification will help designers respond to the increasing importance of touch-capable displays and the market’s demand for increasingly innovative touch features in mobile devices. The specification will also make it easier to integrate touch features into current designs.

“Integrating touch capability in mobile devices has been challenging to date because traditional touch interface technologies have been fragmented, proprietary and complicated to integrate,” said Dale Stolitzka, principal engineer, Samsung Display Company and chair of the MIPI Alliance Display Working Group.

MIPI Touch will help overcome time-to-market and integration challenges in mobile devices that have both display and touch features. Manufacturers will be able to use the solution to support single touch, multi-finger touch and stylus capabilities in mobile phones, tablets, automotive and other applications.

Help overcome time-to-market and integration challenges in mobile devices

“With MIPI Touch, manufacturers will be able to source components from multiple vendors,” said Stolitzka. “The interface contains a standard command set and standard interface between the application processor and other touch components that will deliver the high bandwidth and low latency needed to provide a responsive user experience, while operating at low power to preserve battery life. The solution’s conveniences will streamline integration to shorten time to market for new products and help manufacturers reduce costs.”

MIPI Touch will leverage current and future MIPI Alliance specifications under development, including a standard command set and MIPI I3C, the forthcoming sensor and control interface specification that includes backward compatibility with I2C bus devices.