14 DAY TRIAL // Here’s something interesting, immediately after Sony announced it had withdrawn its presence from the eReader business in the States, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a new application filed by Google.
This particular filing shows the search giant’s intention of slipping itself in the eReader market, as the device outlined in the documents seems to be an eBook Reader with Dual E-Ink Display & Camera (via PatentBolt).
The new gadget will seemingly offer improved refresh rates and will allow users to connect peripherals like keyboards or a mouse, which indicates the Reader will be able to run all kinds of apps. This is certainly something we haven’t seen with any eBook Readers available on the market until now.
Worthy of attention is the fact that the eReader envisioned by Google will be capable of supporting two E-Ink displays. The second display will be used to reflect ambient light in order to create a desired image.
A mode module may be used to detect when the device has changed from a flipping mode to a non-flipping mode, thus issuing a trigger to deactivate the first electronic-ink display.
Furthermore, when in flipping mode the two electronic-ink displays will be refreshed in an alternative fashion.
Moreover, Google might embed the Gryicon electronic paper (with polyethylene spheres) technology in the screen of the upcoming device.
Another display technology, the search giant might turn to, is the Electro-wetting display tech. This system implies voltage controlling the shaped of a confined of water or oil interface.
Without any voltage applied, the oil will create a film between water and an insulating coating of an electrode (which is hydrophobic). And the result of these complicated procedures will be one colored pixel.
We don’t tend to see a lot of innovation in the eReader business, but Google’s dual-screen eReader might bring an end to that era.
