Quarterly Question

Q- What is a liquid crystal writing tablet?

A- A liquid crystal writing tablet, like the e-Note from Kent Displays, allows the user to write on its surface and then electronically erase it with the push of a button. To write, a stylus or any object that will create appropriate pressure (e.g., a finger) can be used. The tablet quickly captures writing from the pressure input. The written image is preserved on the screen until the erase function is performed.

The primary use of liquid crystal writing tablets is an environmentally-friendly, versatile replacement for standalone paper memo and notepads. Lightweight and thin, they can also be integrated into a wide range of other products including:
• office/room entrance signs
• ID tags and labels
• books/binders/organizers
• refrigerator magnets
• toys and recreational products
• vehicle visors and dashboards
• electronics cases (e.g., laptop keyboard)
• large appliances (e.g., refrigerator door)

If you have a question or suggestion regarding Kent Displays' products or technology please submit here. We will select a question from those submitted and publish it along with the answer in a future newsletter.

Calendar

Notes from the Editor

Welcome to Volume 5, Issue 1 of Kent Displays, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter: The Liquid Crystal Twist. As the world leader in the research, development and manufacture of Reflex™ display technology, it is our hope to bring you interesting and useful information regarding technology advancements, new/upgraded products, featured applications, customer success stories and distributors/representatives.

In the News

• First Roll-to-Roll Production Line in the World
• Capabilities Enhanced to Meet Custom Display Needs

First Roll-to-Roll Production Line in the World Commissioned in Kent, OH

In the futuristic movie Minority Report, John Anderton (played by Tom Cruise) utilizes display technology with visual and functional characteristics unavailable in today’s world. Information appears to float in front of him, right before his eyes, and he can manipulate it with hand gestures and arm movements.

The displays featured in the movie don’t actually exist except in the make believe world of the computer that simulated them for the movie. But will they exist in reality by 2054, the time in which the movie is set?

While no one knows the answer for sure, Kent Displays has designed and commissioned a new roll-to-roll production line that represents a benchmark achievement in LCD manufacturing technology that could ultimately lead to the type of displays featured in the movie.

Even though we may need to wait for Minority Report-type displays, our new production line will enable myriad new and unique display applications that will change things right before your eyes – just as they do for John Anderton!

What if you could dynamically change the outside appearance of your cell phone to match your shirt, hat, purse – or mood? What if your credit card could dynamically generate a random account number every use to better protect your financial and personal information? What if you could write and draw on a surface without the need for power or paper, and erase the image at the touch of a button?

Our new manufacturing line will mass produce the display technology that will make it happen!

Built in the U.S.A. and in installed in our Kent, Ohio, U.S.A. facility, the new production line has gone through extensive testing during the recently completed commissioning process to validate its design and operation. The production line produces flexible, no power LCDs (branded as Reflex) by converting a roll of plastic film to a finished display assembly that is thinner than a human hair. This continuous process is much faster (up to 1 display/sec), efficient (automation requires minimal human interaction) and environmentally-friendly (no waste water or chemicals) than typical batch processes that manufacture LCDs on large, separate sheets.

The mass production capabilities of our roll-to-roll line will significantly increase the supply of flexible, no power displays for the ever expanding list of new and unique applications including smart credit cards and electronic product skins, note pads, ID tags, and labels.

Ready to become part of the future? Contact us with your application idea today at sales@kentdisplays.com.

Development/Manufacturing Capabilities Enhanced to Meet Custom Display Needs

Do you have a display module application with special requirements? Kent Displays can help. We have enhanced and improved our development and manufacturing capabilities to produce custom designs on both glass and flexible substrates based on your specific needs.

Have a project with special display requirements? Contact sales@kentdisplays.com.

Quarterly Question

Q - What is an electronic skin?

A - An electronic skin is a Reflex™ display on the surface of a product permitting personalization of the device by the user.  Reflex™ Alter-eGo electronic skins are based on the same technology that is the basis for all Kent Displays products. The attributes of “No power”, sunlight readability, wide viewing angle remain and are now combined with thin, rugged, and lightweight on flat or curved surfaces. A wide range of colors are possible including hue variations of black, blue, green, cyan, red, magenta, yellow and white. As with all Kent Displays products high contrast and bistability are the hallmarks. For more information contact sales@kentdisplays.com.
  
If you have a question or suggestion regarding Kent Displays' products or technology please submit here. We will select a question from those submitted and publish it along with the answer in a future newsletter.

Announcements

Notes from the Editor

Welcome to Volume 4, issue 2 of Kent Displays, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter: The Liquid Crystal Twist. As the world leader in the research, development and manufacture of Reflex™ display products, it is our hope to bring you interesting and useful information regarding Reflex™ technology, products, distributors/representatives and customers each quarter..

In the News

• New 132 x 64 Reflex™ display module announced
• Google Radish features Kent Displays’ Reflex™ display

132 x 64 Reflex™ display with embedded controller and serial interface is added to Kent Displays' list of standard products

The addition of the 132 x 64 Reflex™ display with embedded controller and serial interface to the list of standard products represents an innovative combination of a “No Power” Reflex™ display with its inherently superior optical characteristics and a simple interface. The end result is a product that reduces display integration time and thus product time to market. It is one of the most compact and cost efficient bi-stable graphic displays available.
The display solution features a Chip-on-Flex (COF) driver IC with LCD controller that generates the unique ChLCD drive waveforms and a DC/DC charge pump. System integration requires only an external microcontroller for sending commands to the LCD controller and external capacitors for use by the built-in charge pump.
Available immediately, the Development Kit is $199.00 and consists of a 132 x 64 display module with onboard controller and development platform module. The JTAG port can be used to program the Development Kit controller for other applications. All cables, AC adapter and battery pack are included.  The 132 x 64 Reflex™ module is $12.60 each at 1,000 pieces and at 10K the cost is $10.80.  Both development kit and modules are available now.

Google Goes Green with the Radish.

Aaron Spangler, an engineer in the Seattle office of Google, got to thinking that his company must be consuming reams and reams of paper everyday. As part of the “20% projects” program for Google engineers, which allows Google employees to spend 20% of their time working on innovative projects, Spangler decided to do something about the problem. With the help of a few of his coworkers the Radish was planted, nurtured and harvested.
The Radish is a portable solar-powered calendar device that resides outside conference rooms and features a Kent Displays 320 x 240 (QVGA) display. The “No Power” Reflex™ QVGA display permitted Spangler and team to eliminate the battery, a major environmental disposal concern, from the Radish as the energy required to power the Radish is harvested by a photovoltaic cell charging a “super capacitor.” The Radish has helped Google reduce the amount of paper consumption as well providing a very convenient and attractive  signage for calendar posting outside conference rooms.
For more about the Radish using KDI’s ReFlex technology see Spangler’s video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyHaImmmkGs

Contact sales@kentdisplays.com to find out how Kent Displays' ReFlex™ displays can help your products become "green."

Quarterly Question

Q- What are the advantages of Reflex™ displays?

A- The six primary advantages are:
Thin – as thin as 30 microns.
Flexible – can be used on most curved surfaces.
Rugged – designed and built to last.
No power – no power is required to maintain images.
Sunlight readable – no need to shade your display to get a good view in direct sunlight.
Wide viewing angle – like viewing ink on paper.
  
If you have a question or suggestion regarding Kent Displays' products or technology please submit here. We will select a question from those submitted and publish it along with the answer in a future newsletter.

Announcements

Embedded Systems Conference – Silicon Valley 2008

Kent Displays will be exhibiting at the Embedded Systems conference. Meet us there at booth #2531 from April 14 -18, 2008, at the San Jose Convention center in San Jose, California.

Radtech UV & EB 2008 Technology Expo and Conference

Kent displays will be presenting a technical paper at the Radtech 2008 from May 4-7, 2008, at the Lakeside Center in Chicago, Illinois. • UV Cured Flexible Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Displays, Schneider et al.

Society for Information Displays International Symposium 2008

Kent Displays will exhibit at SID 2008 and also be presenting three technical papers.

• Novel Pulsed Drive Scheme for Improved Gray-Level Uniformity of Large-Area Cholesteric Displays,
  Marhefka et al.
• Novel Optically Addressable Photochiral Displays,
  Montbach et al.
• A Flexible Touch-Sensitive Writing Tablet,
  Schneider et al.

Meet us there! Find us in booth #243 from May 18-23, at the Los Angeles Center in Los Angeles, California.

Notes from the Editor

Welcome to the latest edition of The Liquid Crystal Twist, official newsletter of Kent Displays. In this issue, we are proud to announce the launching of Reflex™, a new brand that represents 15 years of innovative technology. Accompanying this new brand is an updated web site at kentdisplays.com that reflects the company’s continuing innovation and creativity as we move toward a new era of more commercial applications.

Kent Displays remains the world leader in the research, development, and manufacture of cholesteric liquid crystal display products. We invite you to read about our accomplishments and also receive information about our technology, products, representatives and customers. You will learn that the applications of our Reflex™ displays are endless.

In the News

• Launch of Reflex™ displays
• Recent awards
• Reflex™ displays used in healthcare products
• Dr. Asad Khan appointed to the Technology Leaders’ Group at Nortech
• Reflex™ displays and high technology fashion

Launch of Reflex™ displays

Kent Displays recently launched Reflex™, a new brand to its long proven cholesteric liquid crystal displays (ChLCD). Successfully used in a variety of display applications for 15 years, this new direction signals the company’s vision to bring its Reflex™ displays to broader commercial and advanced display applications. The new brand name is derived from the fact that all Reflex™ displays are reflective and inherently flexible in nature. They are ideal for portable devices that demand long battery life, a wide viewing angle, and paper-like viewing in all ambient lighting conditions. These displays operate on virtually no power, and can be as thin as 30 microns. Read the complete news release here.

Recent awards

Kent Displays is proud to be the recipient of State and federally funded research program awards.

• Kent Displays was awarded a $100,000 grant from Nortech for the research and development of flexible printed conductors. This work will involve the use of novel materials deposited in numerous ways to increase the flexibility of our Reflex™ based products. Kent State University will be a close collaborator in this work.
• Kent Displays was awarded at $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for Small business Technology Transfer Research (STTR Phase II) for development of optically switchable chiral materials and their use in and applications to Reflex™ display products. Kent State University will be a close collaborator in this work.

Reflex™ used in healthcare products

Kent Displays is aggressively pursuing healthcare markets with the recent launch of its Reflex™ brand of displays for use in metered drug delivery devices. This unique application will dramatically improve the drug delivery and efficiency of such devices. With large legible digits conforming to the curved shape of such devices, the displays are clearly visible and easy to read by most patients. This and other such unique products are being introduced in the healthcare industry.

Dr. Khan appointed to the Technology Leaders’ Group at Nortech

Dr. Asad Khan, Vice President of Technology at Kent displays was recently appointed to the Technology Leaders’ Group at Nortech. Nortech is a local economic development organization focused at shaping Northeast Ohio’s technology future. The Technology Leaders’ Group focuses on technology development through investment from the Fund For our Economic Future. It is the only regional group focused on multiple technology areas. The group continues to be a collaboration of the leaders of the most promising technology areas of Northeast Ohio.

Reflex™ and high technology fashion

Senior Kent State University Fashion and Technology course students are working with Kent Displays to incorporate the latest Reflex™ display technology into advanced fashion products. These exciting new fashion concepts will debut at the Kent State Fashion Show on April 25, 2008.

Quarterly Question

Q- What is the operating temperature range of ChLCD products?

A- In general the operating temperature range of Kent Displays’ ChLCD products is 0 to 60C. Image retention without power is possible to temperatures below -20C however, the update rate below 0C is slow. The storage temperature specification is -30 to 80C. Other operating temperature ranges are possible, consult Kent Displays sales for additional information.
  
If you have a question regarding Kent Displays' products or technology please submit your questions . We will select a question from those submitted and publish it along with the answer in a future newsletter.

Announcements

Beyond SBIR Phase II Conference Arlington, VA

Kent Displays will exhibit (Booth 222) at the Beyond SBIR Phase II Conference: Bringing Technological Edge to the Warfighter at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, VA August 21st to 23rd 2007.

Embedded Systems Conference 2007 Boston, MA

Kent Displays will exhibit (Booth 813) at The Embedded Systems Conference Symposium at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA September 19th to 20th.  Exhibit Hall hours are 2 to 7 PM on Wednesday September 19th and 11 AM to 6 PM on Thursday September 20th. Our standard products as well as our latest innovations will be on display. Stop by and register to win a USB Flash drive with a “No Power” ChLCD. Winner need not be present.

Editor's Notes

Welcome to Volume 3, issue 3 of Kent Displays, Inc. Quarterly Newsletter: The Liquid Crystal Twist. As the world leader in the research, development and manufacture of Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Display products, it is our hope to bring you interesting and useful information regarding ChLCD technology, products, distributors/representatives and customers each quarter.

In the News

• Dr. Albert Green named CEO of Kent Displays.  
• Kent Displays inaugural FlexMatters Accelerator partner.

Kent Displays Names Dr. Albert M. Green as Chief Executive Officer.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Green join the Kent Displays team and provide additional leadership to our company,” said Joel Domino, president of Kent Displays.  “Dr. Green’s experience and knowledge will help Kent Displays advance our technology and provide innovation and technology solutions to exploit our exciting advances in flexible displays for a variety of commercial and government customers.”

“The talented leadership team and superior technology produced by this company makes the decision to join Kent Displays an exciting one,” said Dr. Green.  “I look forward to working with my new colleagues to expand the business into areas that match the exciting potential of KDI’s liquid crystal display technology.  As the information explosion continues, the display industry is challenged to provide more and better ways to display that information.  KDI is ideally positioned to meet these challenges and I intend to provide strong, focused leadership that will exploit the technical advances and continue the company’s expansion into the rapidly growing flexible and conformal display market.”

Prior to joining Kent Displays, Dr. Green was vice president and manager of the Applied Sciences Division at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).  SAIC’s Applied Sciences Division is focused on assessing leading edge technology and innovation for government and commercial customers in a variety of areas such as advanced materials, nanotechnology, energy, and space sciences.  During his tenure of 13 years at SAIC, Dr. Green held several key positions including senior scientist, program manager and business unit chief scientist.  Dr. Green holds a PhD in physics from Stanford University and a BS in physics from the University of Chicago.  He also holds over 25 patents in the areas of display technologies and advanced materials. 

New Ohio Research Park Features FlexMatters Accelerator – Kent Displays, Inc. inaugural partner.

As the anchor tenant of the Kent State Centennial Research Park the FlexMatters Accelerator will work with local Ohio companies to develop and produce devices that are typically rigid on flexible polymer substrates. This collaboration will lead to production of liquid crystal-based flexible displays, eyewear, electronics and other devices.

The initial phase of this project is funded by a portion of the Ohio Third Frontier Research Commercialization Project for the Flexible Liquid Crystal Film Manufacturing Alliance. Led by Kent Displays, the alliance joins AlphaMicron, Akron Polymer Systems and Sheldahl with Kent State and the University of Akron to develop and produce flexible liquid crystal displays and eyewear. For further information see: http://www.flexmatters.org/category/general/ .