Electronic reading device

Philips, Sony, and E Ink Corporation have announced what is claimed to be the first consumer application of an electronic paper display module.

The Sony e-Book reader called LIBRI'e uses a Philips' display which is portable, with a size and design similar to a paperback book.

The Philips' display uses E Ink's electronic ink technology. It is reflective and can be easily read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments while being able to be seen at virtually any angle - just like paper.

Its black and white ink-on-paper look, combined with a resolution in excess of most portable devices at approximately 170 pixels per inch (PPI), gives an appearance similar to that of newspapers.

It allows users to download published content, such as books or comic strips from the Internet and can store up to 500 downloaded books.

Because the display uses power only when an image is changed, a user can read more than 10,000 pages before the four AAA batteries need to be replaced.

The commercialisation of this display technology is a result of a strategic collaboration started in 2001. E Ink Corporation supplies electronic ink to its manufacturing partner, Toppan Printing, who in turn processes the ink into a thin film. Philips integrates E Ink's film with an active matrix backplane and adds the driving electronics component. Philips works with Sony to co-develop and customise the mobile display device.

The product is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in late April.