Micro LED monitors connect like puzzle pieces in HP multi-monitor concept

In a technical disclosure published this month, HP explored a Micro LED monitor concept that would enable consumers to easily use various multi-monitor configurations through the use of "Lego-like building blocks." HP has no immediate plans to make what it has called "composable Micro LED monitors," but its discussion explores a potential way to simplify multitasking with numerous displays.

HP's paper [PDF], written by HP scientists and technical architects, discusses a theoretical monitor that supports the easy addition of more flat or curved screens on its left, right, or bottom sides (the authors noted that top extensions could also be possible but they were "trying to keep the number of configurations manageable"). The setup would use one 12×12-inch "core" monitor that has a cable to the connected system. The computer's operating system (OS) would be able to view the display setup as one, two, or multiple monitors, and physical switches would let users quickly disable displays.

The illustration shows a monitor made of a core unit and two extension panels viewed as three monitors (left), two monitors (middle), and two monitors with different orientations (right).

HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

The illustration shows a monitor made of a core unit and two extension panels viewed as three monitors (left), two monitors (middle), and two monitors with different orientations (right). HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

This illustration shows two core units and two extensions used to make dual, triple, and quadruple-display setups.

HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

This illustration shows two core units and two extensions used to make dual, triple, and quadruple-display setups. HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

The illustration shows a monitor made of a core unit and two extension panels viewed as three monitors (left), two monitors (middle), and two monitors with different orientations (right). HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

This illustration shows two core units and two extensions used to make dual, triple, and quadruple-display setups. HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

Not a real product

HP's paper is only a technical disclosure, which companies often publish in order to support potential patent filings. So it's possible that we'll never see HP release "composable Micro LED monitors" as described. An HP spokesperson told me:

HP engineering teams are constantly exploring new ways to leverage the latest technologies. The composable Micro LED monitors within the technical disclosure are conceptual, but HP has turned past concepts like this into commercially viable products and solutions.

There's also growing interest in making multi-monitor workspaces easier to set up and navigate, including by speedier connectivity, enhanced port selection, improved docks, and thinner displays. In January, Samsung teased a concept called The Link that showed thin, 32-inch, 4K LED monitors daisy-chained together "without a separate cable." Samsung originally said the monitors would connect via pogo pins but later redacted that.

As you'll see, there's a lot more that would need to be worked out than what's in HP's concept in order to make a real product.

Adjustable multi-monitor setups

HP's paper goes deeper into how monitors, connected via pogo pins or RFID readers and tags, might enable different single and multi-monitor setups depending on the user's need.

HP's concept connects extensions to the core monitors "in a similar way to a jigsaw" and also uses magnets to help alignment. The authors explain:

The core-to-extension connection includes an electrical connection, allowing seamless connectivity to the core unit. They will only physically connect in ways that will function correctly as displays. The magnets in the passive connection covers and extension edges are strong enough to hold adjacent displays together, but not strong enough to support the weight of an extension.

The authors provide various examples of how users might be able to construct different sized monitors with different panels. Suggested users include a video editor who might use a bigger screen for video with a smaller one for editing tools. The paper also touches on further potential innovations, like using different types of tech, such as eInk, for extension displays.

An illustration depicting the backside of connected core units (dark gray) with display extensions (light gray).

HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

An illustration depicting the backside of connected core units (dark gray) with display extensions (light gray). HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

Different-sized configurations.

HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

Different-sized configurations. HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

An illustration depicting the backside of connected core units (dark gray) with display extensions (light gray). HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

Different-sized configurations. HP/Technical Disclosure Commons

Like with any multi-monitor setup, bezels or visible seams where the displays connect could distract users. The paper suggests an ideal solution as one that uses "rays originating from pixels near the boundary between adjacent panels" to "propagate across the boundary without any distortion caused by reflection or refraction."

To avoid distortion, the authors suggest using "materials with continuously variable refractive index in a way to compensate for distortion caused by the boundary." To further prevent visible distortion, the authors suggest using software to distort the image displayed on the monitor in such a way that the final, complete image looks normal to the user:

In this case a solid computation engine would need to be added to adjust displayed image along the edges in a way that takes out physical image distortion with the adjusted image. This would not be an easy computation. This could be done by overlapping the original image with the appropriate image of rays along the edges obtained from the calculation.

The pixels around the edges where the monitors connect could also be altered in order to try to hide the monitors' connection points, per the authors:

"For example, the LEDs along a connected edge may be assigned a higher brightness to compensate for light lost due to the joint, or the image near the edge may be distorted to precompensate for any distortion introduced by the edges."

The authors also suggest that visible seams might not be a problem for a potential product that uses panels featuring "high enough accuracy and a mechanical design which aids alignment."

Doesn’t have to be Micro LED

I asked HP why it chose Micro LED for this concept. A company representative told me:

The method of Lego-like attachment outlined in the technical disclosure can be applied to any panel type technology without a backlight. LCD panels traditionally have a [backlight], which means they could only be attached horizontally and in limited orientations.

That should mean that this concept could theoretically work with ODEL or, if made available as a consumer monitor, QDEL, or direct-view quantum dot displays.

In the meantime, for consumers, Micro LED is only available as 89-inch-plus TVs with six-figure price tags. Regarding the tech, the paper claims that technological advancements will soon make smaller Micro LED displays possible. This month, panel supplier AUO showed a hint of that by demoing a 31-inch Micro LED panel (500-nit brightness claim, no resolution disclosed). However, the panel is expected to be too expensive for consumer products.

With all this in mind, it seems like it could be years before finer details and kinks would be worked out for a version of HP's concept that consumers could realistically afford and use. There are also many questions remaining, like how much this would cost, how companies would go about selling and repairing panel extensions, and if building for this sort of flexibility would impact other display aspects.

But a new way to connect monitors that would be quicker, simpler, and look cleaner than a bunch of monitors daisy-chained together could have great appeal to multitaskers.