Leading global ePaper display vendor PVI will announce new product Touch EPD in the 2008 Society of Information Display Exhibition in Los Angeles. “Touch Reader combines innovative touch panel technology and PVI’s existing e-paper product.” says PVI Chairman and CEO Scott Liu, “By humanizing e-paper’s user interface, we expect this new product to spur demands for e-books and solidify PVI’s leadership position in the global ePaper market.” 

PVI is now the leading vendor for all the available e-book products in the world. Until now none of the major e-book reader products targeting on consumer electronics marker has combined the touch technology with e-paper. One of the strengths of ePaper is that, as a reflective display, reading it does not strain the eye the way reading a traditional computer screen would. However, because e-paper emits minimal backlighting, when combined with traditional resistive touch panels (which has the light throughput of only 80 – 85%), the book becomes too dark to read. Combining capacitive touch panels is also not ideal either, as the cost is too high and stylus handwriting recognition does not work.

PVI’s new Touch EPD uses the innovative “force sensing” touch technology. In this technology, several force sensors are placed under the e-paper display. When a user touches the display, proprietary software calculates the location and intensity of the touch with input from the sensors. There is no additional layer of materials on top of he display as there is in traditional touch technologies; as such, there is no impact to the reflective qualities of the display. This technology requires no ITO (the most fragile component in traditional touch panels), hence exhibits superior robustness. Unlike capacitive touch panels which requires the touch medium be conductive (such as a finger), this force sensing technology works with either stylus or fingers. The cost of the technology is competitive with resistive and lower than capacitive touch panels. In other words, the force sensing technology is highly competitive against all existing touch technology in the market, especially for the e-paper application.

“PVI’s market leading position in the e-paper product category allows it to gain first hand market insights and capitalize on emerging trends before its competitors”, said Scott Liu, “Gaining exclusive use of this force sensing technology for the e-paper segment is PVI’s most recent strategic move”. Previously, PVI has also developed Flexi-e, the flexible e-paper product. With these strategic maneuvers, PVI enables its customers to launch e-books with more humanized user interface, hence solidifying PVI’s own market position. 

 

PVI’s Touch EPD product is co-developed by PVI and US leading force sensing touch technology vendor F-Origin, in which PVI owns close to 20% stake. In addition to the e-paper project, prior to year end 2008, the partners plan to launch a touch panel LCD product. “Strategically, PVI has turned its focus to developing high margin markets,” summarizes Mr. Liu. “While our competitors are still focusing on ITO-based traditional touch panel technologies, we’ve chosen to go down the path less traveled and free ourselves from the problematic ITO supply chain. The upcoming touch LCD product from PVI will be a product that exceeds market expectations in every way.”