Battery charge indicators revolutionized by Toronto company

Using their groundbreaking P-Ink Technology Platform, a Toronto based company has invented a low-cost battery charge indicator that provides a constant reading of the charge and health of a battery in a bright, accurate, and easy-to-read colour display format.

 

With a single-use battery, Opalux's charge indicator changes colour as the charge decreases. Rechargeable batteries of all kinds degrade over time, reducing the total charge that the battery is capable of holding. The Opalux charge indicator not only shows the current charge, but also displays information about the charge capacity of the battery. As illustrated below, the indicator is always on and displays state of charge and health at all times; it does this without requiring any action on the part of the user and without draining any charge from the battery.

 

 

Not only can the charge and capacity indicators be used in batteries found in virtually any product such as laptops and mobiles phones but also in industrial products including automobiles and large UPS systems.

 

The integration of a clear, reliable charge indicator on all kinds of batteries will benefit the environment by discouraging their premature disposal. By getting the maximum use out of each battery, consumers will ultimately use fewer batteries and reduce the huge number of units going into landfills every year.

 

"This product offers ready and significant benefits to the consumer, the environment and battery manufacturers," says Mr. Chan, CEO of Opalux Inc. "We are excited by its broad application and expect a speedy rollout and ready adoption wherever batteries of all kinds are used."

 

P-Ink technology utilizes structured photonic crystals to produce pure colors that are electronically tunable across the entire visible spectrum and beyond. Competitive advantages include low power consumption, high brightness, substrate independence, durability, easy scalability, and cost effectiveness.

 

For more attend Printed Electronics Asia 2008 or Printed Electronics USA 2008.