Fujitsu

E Ink Holdings announced a new collaboration with Fujitsu Semiconductor to co-develop a reference design board for battery-less e-paper labels. The new board will be based on Fujitsu's UHF FRAM RFID LSI. Toppan Printing will also be a partner in this project.

The design board will use energy-harvesting technologies that will enable it to connect over distances of up to 20 cm without a power source. The companies target applications such as badges, ID cards, electronic shelf labels and logistics tags.

Fujitsu is showing a new color e-paper eReader prototype - with a 4096 colors, 8" display (157 PPI that offers 8:1 contrast ratio. This is a linux-based system with a new fast processor (refresh rate of 0.7 seconds) and ePub and PDF support. It weights only 220 grams.

This new prototype probably uses Fujitsu's "improved" e-paper technology announced back in May 2010.

Fujitsu and Sapporo Shirakaba-dai Hospital announced that it jointly developed a clinical appointment guidance system that uses color e-paper. The system has began full operation at the hospital. The new system guides patients to examination rooms or diagnostic testing rooms and is wirelessly connected to an electronic medical record system. Patients can view in real-time their place in queue when waiting to see their doctor.

We're guessing Fujitsu is using their own color e-paper technology. Fujitsu announced a hospital registration system back in July 2010, which used monochrome E Ink, but the new one uses color e-paper.

 

Fujitsu says they have developed a new color e-paper, that's brighter, has a better contrast and refresh rate compared to their previous technology. Fujitsu utilized a redesigned panel structure and image re-write methods to create these new e-paper displays.

DisplaySearch forecasts that total e-paper display market will grow to 1.8 billion units and $9.6 billion in revenues in 2018, from 22 million units and $431 million in revenues in 2009, for a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 41% for revenues and 64% for units.

E-book displays currently account for the majority of e-paper revenues. Nearly all e-book devices currently in the market use E Ink's electrophoretic display technology, with a small number--such as Fujitsu's FLEPia--using cholesteric LCD (liquid crystal display) technology. Other electrophoretic display suppliers SiPix and Bridgestone have announced that they will also commercialize e-book displays.

Fujitsu released a new color e-book reader called the 'Flepia', selling for around 1,000$ in Japan.

Fujitsu Fpedia e-book reader

The Flepia has a touch 8" display, capable of 1024x768 resolution with 260K colors. Fujitsu has developed their own color e-paper technology .

Other features include Wi-Fi and bluetooth, SD card slot, and 40 hours of work. It runs Windows CE 5.0