E Ink patent hints that colored e-paper is on its way

[Alexander Turcic]

Because we all are just dying for E Ink to hurry up and deliver us a full-fledged colored e-paper displays, we can't help but mention this patent the company has been recently awarded. Patent US 7075502 was originally filed in 1999 and describes "a full color, reflective display having superior saturation and brightness" which is achieved "with a novel display element comprising multichromatic elements."

One embodiment of the display employs three sub-pixels, each sub-pixel comprising a capsule including three species of particles which differ visually. Another embodiment of the display employs color filters combined with an encapsulated electrophoretic display to provide different visual states. In still another embodiment, the display employs display elements capable of more than three visual states. In yet another embodiment, the visual display states are selected from specific colors, for example, the primary colors red, green and blue, or their complements, and white and/or black. The display element presents a visual display in response to the application of an electrical signal to at least one of the capsules.

Unlike today's displays from E Ink, which are all based on bichromatic electrophoretic elements capable of displaying various shades of gray, the invention described here could deliver us full-color with the same sweet attributes: flexible, bistable, high brightness and high contrast ratios.

Related: E Ink goes color with new advanced electronic paper

[yvanleterrible]

This is exactly the proportions and shape a reader should be. Color is optional, but being able to show pictures is good. Will $1200.00 be what they ask for?

[deadite66]

wonder how long the refresh times are for that, 1 second for each R/G/B?

[bingle]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

This is exactly the proportions and shape a reader should be. Color is optional, but being able to show pictures is good. Will $1200.00 be what they ask for?

The E-ink demo readers are exactly what I want in a reader, too. Sadly, they're just proof-of-concept prototypes - E-ink isn't planning on making their own reader.

For another look at what one of their engineers has designed: http://www.positron.org/projects/h2/

And my personal favorite, the ebook reader I would want if I had the money to get one custom-designed and built:
http://www.positron.org/projects/A51/

They're the best-looking readers out there, IMHO.

[yvanleterrible]

KOOOOOL!

Thanks for the pics!

[drachasor]

Originally Posted by bingle

The E-ink demo readers are exactly what I want in a reader, too. Sadly, they're just proof-of-concept prototypes - E-ink isn't planning on making their own reader.

For another look at what one of their engineers has designed: http://www.positron.org/projects/h2/

And my personal favorite, the ebook reader I would want if I had the money to get one custom-designed and built:
http://www.positron.org/projects/A51/

They're the best-looking readers out there, IMHO.

Yeah, I'd love that with a pen interface.
Going through the sciences, I'd save hundreds of sheets of paper a QUARTER if I could something like that for notes and studying (taking notes and doing problems as I went through the books).

-Drachasor

[yokos]

This prototype looks nice. Colored e-paper will be the next step.
But having a patent isn't the same as selling a buyabe product for real.