IMMR has brand new haptics technology for flexible displays

from the IV MB, by cellodude:

>>IMMR has brand new haptics technology for flexible displays
Huh? Memory metal? Flexible actuators, power supplies, even controller chips?

Just proves that IMMR stays ahead of the curve regarding new technologies. I've read of several companies doing research on flexible displays; Xerox is mentioned specifically in this patent app.

[United States Patent Application 20080303782
December 11, 2008

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HAPTIC ENABLED FLEXIBLE TOUCH SENSITIVE SURFACE

Assignee Name: IMMERSION CORPORATION

[0027]An example of rollable display, which can be employed in the present invention, is a Gyricon.TM. sheet, which is a type of electronic paper developed at the Xerox PARC.TM. (Palo Alto Research Center). The Gyricon.TM. sheet has similar physical properties as a traditional sheet of paper except that it can be rewritten many times. The Gyricon.TM. technology is essentially a technique of manipulating millions of small toner particles in a thin layer of transparent plastic wherein the toner particles are arranged in response to an application of voltage patterns. The image displayed by the Gyricon.TM. sheet will be maintained until new voltage patterns are applied. It should be noted that other flexible display technologies for manufacturing rollable displays may be available, such as organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and/or organic/polymer TFT (Thin Film Transistor), which may be used to manufacture flexible displays.

In addition to traditionally mechanical based actuators, the present invention also employs a flexible actuator or flexible actuators. A flexible actuator may be a fiber (or nanotube) of electroactive polymers ("EAP"), a strip of piezoelectric element, and/or a fiber of shape memory alloy ("SMA"). For example, EAP, also known as biological muscles or artificial muscles, is capable of changing its shape in response to an application of voltage. The physical shape of an EAP may be deformed when it sustains large force. EAP may include Electrostrictive Polymers, Dielectric elastomers, Conducting Polyers, Ionic Polymer Metal Composites, Responsive Gels, Bucky gel actuator or any combination of the above-mentioned EAP materials.

[0033]Piezoelectric elements are another type of flexible actuators that can be used in the present invention. Piezoelectric element may be manufactured in a fiber-like device, a strip-like device or a film-like layer. The dimension of piezoelectric element can be expanded or shrunk depending on the applied voltage.

[0034]SMA, also known as memory metal, is another type of a flexible actuator wherein SMA could be made of copper-zinc-aluminum, copper-aluminum-nickel, nickel-titanium alloys, or a combination of copper-zinc-aluminum, copper-aluminum-nickel, and/or nickel-titanium alloys. Upon deforming from SMA's original shape, it regains its original shape in accordance with an ambient temperature and/or surrounding environment. It should be noted that the present invention may combine the EAP, piezoelectric elements, and/or SMA to achieve a specific haptic sensation.

[0035]Device 100 further includes a flexible battery 104 and a flexible chip 106. Because flexible battery 104 can be manufactured in an ultra-thin structure, it should have similar physical flexibility as the rollable display thereby they can be rolling up and/or unrolling without difficulty. Alternatively, instead of using flexible battery 104, device 100 includes a power supply, which is capable of generating sufficient power for device 100 to operate. In one embodiment, the power supply includes an array of solar cells or photovoltaic cells, wherein solar cells, for example, are capable of converting light energy into electrical energy. Flexible chip 106, also known as flexible electronics and/or flexible circuitry, may be used in device 100, and it can be rolled up like a window shade, a tube, or a scroll. While flexible chip 106 provides data processing capability for electronic interactive device 100, flexible battery supplies the power to device 100.]