The Electronic Ink Watch

Description

A New Generation Innovation in Watch Display Technology SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION is pleased to announce the creation of a 'Future Now' watch, which incorporates an entirely new kind of display technology, 'Electronic Ink'.This new watch opens up a whole new horizon of future design possibilities as the display technology is remarkably versatile; it offers ultra-high contrast, superb legibility, low power consumption, unrestricted size and even physical flexibility!The watch incorporates a microcapsule-type Electrophoresis display module which is the result of a joint development effort, combining 'Electronic Ink' technology developed by E Ink Corporation in the USA and SEIKO Epson's advanced display manufacturing and electronic circuitry techniques.This new generation of timepiece is part of a wider initiative of SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION to develop 'Future Now' timepieces that express SEIKO's commitment to its vision of Innovation Refinement, and push forward the boundaries of watch design and functionality.This new generation watch offers the following advantages.Ultra high contrast: The display is made up of pure black and pure white particles which allow the same contrast as on a printed page; twice the contrast, in fact, of a LCD panel.Ultra thin: The display is much thinner than is possible with any conventional watch technology, analog or digital. The display is also flexible, so `wrist bracelet' or bangle designs are possible.Low power consumption: The display is readable under very low light conditions, so no backlighting is required. The display also has an inherently stable `memory effect' that requires no power to retain and sustain the image. For these reasons, battery life is extended.Unrestricted size: Because of its flexibility and other properties, the display can be of virtually any size and shape. In this first design, the display area covers over two thirds of the total surface area of the watch.Because of these unique properties, this new technology opens up a wide range of design and functionality possibilities, demonstrated in this first watch by the portrayal of time of day not only in numeric form but also with a day/night graphic background.By spring 2006, this 'Future Now' watch will be commercialized in Japan. Plans for the international launch are under consideration, along with other design interpretations.This 'Future Now' watch demonstrates SEIKO's leadership in watch technology and design and it joins the 120-year tradition of 'world-first products from SEIKO, including the first analog quartz watch, Astron, the first quartz LCD watch, SEIKO Kinetic, and Spring Drive.Technology of 'Electronic Ink' by E Ink CorporationElectronic ink is a proprietary material that is processed into a film for integration into electronic displays. Although revolutionary in concept, electronic ink is a straightforward fusion of chemistry, physics and electronics to create this new material. The principal components of electronic ink are millions of tiny microcapsules, about the diameter of a human hair. Each microcapsule contains positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles move to the top of the microcapsule where they become visible to the user. This makes the surface appear white at that spot. At the same time, an opposite electric field pulls the black particles to the bottom of the microcapsules where they are hidden. By reversing this process, the black particles appear at the top of the capsule, which now makes the surface appear dark at that spot.La Montre Encre ElectroniqueUne Nouvelle manire d'afficher le tempsSEIKO WATCH CORPORATION est heureux d'annoncer la cration d'une montre qui incorpore une toute nouvelle technique d'affichage, l'Encre Electronique .Cette technologie offre des possibilits infinies de futurs designs car ce type d'affichage est remarquablement mallable ; il permet un contraste incomparable pour une lisibilit optimale, une faible consommation d'nergie, aucune contrainte de forme, que l'on peut m\xeame imagine physiquement souple!La montre est le rsultat d'un dveloppement commun, entre l'expertise de SEIKO Epson en matire de fabrication d'crans ultra perfectionns et de circuits lectroniques et la technologie de l'encre lectronique dveloppe par la Socit E lnk Corporation aux USA.Cette nouvelle gnration de montre fait partie du programme de dveloppement de SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION, montrant ainsi son engagement pousser toujours plus loin les limites du design et des fonctionnalits.Cette nouvelle gnration de montre offre les avantages suivants.Contraste optimum: L'cran est compos de particules noires et blanches pures qui permettent le m\xeame contraste que sur une page imprime; contraste deux fois plus lev que pour un cran LCD.Ultra plat: Aucune autre technologie de montre conventionnelle, analogique ou digitale ne permet une finesse comparable. L'cran est galement flexible, d'o\xf9 une infinit de designs possibles.Faible consommation d'nergie: L'cran est lisible sous de faibles conditions de luminosit, de sorte qu'aucun rtro clairage n'est ncessaire. La dure de vie de la pile est ainsi prolonge.Aucune contrainte de forme: Par sa flexibilit et autres proprits, l'cran peut littralement \xeatre de n'importe quelle taille ou forme.Avec cette premire cration design, l'cran couvre les deux tiers de la surface totale de la montre.L'affichage de l'heure ne se fait pas seulement en format numrique mais aussi avec des arrires plans graphiques jour/nuit.Au printemps 2006, cette montre sera commercialise au Japon. Les projets de lancement sur les marchs internationaux sont en considration, ainsi que d'autres designs.Cette montre dmontre l'expertise de SEIKO en dveloppement de nouvelles technologie et nouveaux designs et rejoint la tradition de 120 ans de premires mondiales par SEIKO, incluant la premire montre quartz, la premire montre accumulation d'nergie : SEIKO Kinetic, et Spring Drive : la premire montre mcatronique .Technologie de l'Encre Electronique par E lnk CorporationLes principaux composants de l'encre lectronique sont des millions d'infimes micro capsules, environ le diamtre d'un cheveu humain. Chaque micro capsule contient des particules blanches charge positive et des particules noires charge ngative suspendues dans un fluide transparent. Lorsqu'un champ lectrique ngatif est appliqu, les particules blanches se dplacent au sommet de la micro capsule o\xf9 elles deviennent visibles l'utilisateur. Cela fait appara\xeetre la surface blanche cet endroit. En m\xeame temps, un champ lectrique oppos entra\xeene les particules noires au bas de la micro capsule o\xf9 elle sont caches. En inversant le procd, les particules noires apparaissent au sommet de la capsule, qui maintenant font appara\xeetre la surface fonce cet endroit.\xa0

Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.