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Wednesday, June 06, 2012

#DISPLAYS: "E Ink Targets New Display Niches"

E Ink pioneered the zero-power display for the eReader market, but has had to scramble to find new application in a post-iPad world where readers are willing to recharge their eReader overnight just to get backlit color. This week at the Society for Information Display (SID) conference, E Ink is showing a wide variety of new applications for its flexible displays which require zero stand-by power: R. Colin Johnson


E Ink smartcards let users input personal identification number to unlock information stored in the card.

Here is what EETimes says about its E Ink's zero stand-by power displays: E Ink Corp. is branching out into a wide variety of reflective displays which it is showcased this week at the 2012 Society for Information Display (SID) conference.

E Ink's Vizplex electrophoretic displays uses microcapsules containing white and black pigments that are attracted to the surface with electrical potentials to form paper-like white, black or grayscale pixels. Color versions use filters for red, green and blue. Most of E Ink's new displays, however, are monochrome models. The big advantage is that E Ink's displays require no power once information has been written.

At SID, E Ink is highlighting a small display on the back of a smart card (see photo above). Users can enter a personal identification number which the small display will show along with anti-theft authentication codes and other information. The smart card is identical in size to a standard credit card including a battery with a three-year lifetime.

E Ink also is showing an auxilliary display for smartphones to show status information without waking up the main LCD display. The auxilliary display is built into an iPhone case and shows time, battery power status and the number of pending messages and emails and works even when the phone is turned off.


By converting the black back of the iPhone into an auxiliary display, battery life, waiting emails and messages can be displayed without having to enter a security code and turn on the main display.


E Inks bike display shows speed as well as heart rate read through the handle grips.

E Ink also has developed a traffic light that combines its reflective technology with conventional LEDs to create an ultra-low power signal that can be read under all lighting conditions.
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