Gyricon, LLC (Ann Arbor, MI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox, was spun out of Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) to commercialize SmartPaper™ technology in December of 2000. PARC, the birthplace of many of the key elements of modern computing, including PCs, bitmap displays, and Ethernet-networked computing, nurtured the technology. The company currently employs about 70 people, and is focused on addressing the commercial applications of this patented display technology in the electronic signage market.

Pricing-sign systems for retail stores, controlled by software linking the signs to the in-store pricing databases, were one of Gyricon’s initial products. Others included dynamic-message boards for hotels, conference centers, and distributed campuses for wayfinding and meeting identification and large-format tiles -- as large as 3 x 6 ft. -- for display environments.

SmartPaper offers a low-cost alternative for many forms of existing electronic displays, such as LEDs, LCDs and plasma screens, as well as a dynamic substitute for paper signs. Because of its low power requirements -- they run on C- or D-cell batteries, with power consumption comparable to a flashlight -- many SmartPaper signs are battery-operated and suited to distributed, wirelessly-networked applications. The tiles run on AC current because it’s more efficient than batteries in this case. The technology

SmartPaper consists of a sheet of flexible, polymeric material that includes millions of tiny embedded beads. Black on one side and white on the other, each bead sits in its own cavity, surrounded by silicone oil that allows free rotation. Because the beads are electronically charged -- the black side is positively charged, the white side negatively -- the beads turn under the influence of an electric field. Thus, one side always faces forward. To make a sign, Gyricon laminates the sheet to a backplane, which can generate electric field patterns causing a programmed message to display on the sheet. Because the beads are only 90 microns in size -- half the diameter of a human hair -- a person viewing the sign sees only the aggregate effect of many beads of white or black, rather than each individual bead.

There are two features of SmartPaper that make it ideal for battery-operated operation. First, it’s bi-stable, which means that after rotation by an electric field, the beads tend to stick to their cavity wall and become stable in that position. This means that power only needs to be provided for a fraction of a second to change the sign’s image or message. Further, no power is required once the beads have rotated into position until a change is needed.

Second, it’s reflective. Since existing light conveys the image, no power is needed for its maintenance. By contrast, power is required in many LCDs. Since light reflects off the surface of the beads, these signs are visible at any angle, making them highly readable. Gyricon’s goal is the application of this technology to an array of signage applications that can be remotely controlled and highly viewable at a reasonable price.

SyncroSign™ Merchandiser FreeStyle signs comprise wireless, double-sided, battery-operated displays that replace paper, retail-pricing signs. Retailers gain the ability to improve POP price integration, optimize their merchandising activities and leverage electronic-display infrastructure for applications such as planograms and restocking information. SyncroSign Message Tiles are designed for changeable-message environments.

All of these signs are managed with either Gyricon’s SignSync™ or SignSync Enterprise message scheduling and control software.

What the future holds

These displays can serve as electronic replacements for static, battery-operated or inexpensive electronic signs, and open a whole new world to distributed networked signage.

Future applications of such “electronic paper”, however, will enable even broader applications. Not only will it function as indoor or outdoor signage, but also rollout displays, electronic blackboards, fully electronic books, and e-newspapers could become a reality in this decade.