AMI Semiconductor and Tyco Electronics' Elo TouchSystems enter joint development agreement
AMI Semiconductor (AMIS) and Tyco Electronics' Elo TouchSystems have announced they have entered into a joint development agreement to create an integrated circuit (IC) solution. The solution will enable Elo to port its Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) touch technology to small, hand-held and mobile devices commonly found in consumer electronics (including cell phones, PDAs, UPMCs), industrial hand-held devices, hand-held medical devices, NAV devices, white goods, portable gaming devices, and signature capture devices.AMI Semiconductor is a leading designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art mixed-signal and digital products, and a widely recognised innovator in ultra-low-power audio signal processing solutions. Elo TouchSystems has selected AMIS design services to develop an audio chip for its APR technology. Elo has applied its APR sound-in-surfaces technology to launch a new touch capability in its already extensive line of touchscreens, touchmonitors and touchcomputers, reinforcing the company's global leadership in this market.
APR touch technology is based on the physical principle of recording the unique characteristics of a sound generated by a touch on a surface and comparing that to a pre-measured value, thus determining the location of that touch on the surface. Durable and scalable, APR technology already combines the best features of all currently available touch technologies into a single comprehensive solution. Ken North, Elo's Director of Engineering, believes that the partnership with AMIS will enable the best to get even better. "Elo is excited about working with AMI Semiconductor," says North. "It allows us to extend the boundaries in which our technologies operate."
According to North, the new integrated circuit will extend a singularly successful solution into a new market. Manufacturers of mobile and hand-held devices will now be given a third option over the existing capacitive and resistive technologies they currently use. "The advantage of APR in this arena," confirms North, "is that it can overcome such shortcomings as finger-only input (capacitive) and limitation of stylus and lack of durability (resistive). The development of an APR IC will provide manufacturers of mobile and hand-held devices with a more durable touchscreen that works with a finger or any stylus. Such an APR IC has the potential to enable Kanji writing and to scale screen size more effectively than other touch technologies - potentially accommodating displays from 1.8Ë to over 65Ë."
"We are excited to work with Elo TouchSystems on this opportunity," said Michel De Mey, senior director, hearing and audio solutions at AMI Semiconductor. "The combination of our design and audio expertise and Elo's breakthrough APR touch technology provides an innovative, ultra-low-power, reliable solution for the expanding touch screen market."
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