Neonode Inc. develops and licenses user interfaces and optical interactive
touch solutions. Our patented technology offers multiple features including
the ability to sense an object’s size, depth, velocity, pressure, and
proximity to any type of surface. We license our multi-touch technology to Original
Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”) and Original Design Manufacturers
(“ODMs”) who incorporate it into devices that they develop, manufacture
and sell.
Neonode Inc., formerly known as SBE, Inc., was incorporated in the State of
Delaware on September 4, 1997. As a result of the merger, the business and operations
of Neonode AB became the primary business and operations of Neonode Inc. Our
principal executive office is located in Stockholm, Sweden. Our office in the
United States is located in San Jose, California.
We develop and license user interface and touch technology. We also are developing,
and intend to manufacture and sell, hardware solutions incorporating our interface
and touch technology.
We offer a patented family of optical touch solutions under the zForce and MultiSensing
brands . Our optical touch technology is capable of projecting a full plane
of light beams in free air or over any flat touch surface. Our technology can
also send light into a fluid or a glass to achieve a flush design without a
bezel. An object touching the touch surface obstructs a portion of the projected
light beams. This small variance of signal is detected with sensitive light
sensors connected to our touch controllers that process the analog signals and
produce touch object coordinates.
Automotive
Touch interface displays are becoming standard equipment in vehicles. Display
sizes are increasing and curved displays are appearing on the market. Our touch
technology is able to support size and shape in a cost-effective manner. We
develop our touch technology to meet stringent operating requirements for automotive
environments, including electrical, temperature, moisture and vibration standards.
Unlike competing technologies such as resistive and projected capacitive, our
optical touch solutions does not require an additional layer to be placed in
front of the screen which otherwise would reduce the readability of the screen
and causes glare and reflections. We believe our technology delivers the highest
performance and the highest reliability in the market.
In 2015, our ten automotive OEM customers had a total of twenty automobile models
in the market. The majority of these are in China and include SUVs (Boojun 560
and Haval H6 ) and the two top-selling sedans (Chevrolet Cruize and Buick Excelle).
In the fourth quarter of 2014, Volvo launched their new XC90 incorporating a
9.7 inch display using our touch technology. In the fourth quarter of 2014,
the new MG GT was launched also using our technology.
We believe that our optical touch solutions are positioned to make further inroads
in the global automotive market by providing brighter, more readable displays,
with a full operating temperature range that are easily usable while wearing
gloves. The Volvo XC90 and S90 infotainment systems have received awards citing
properties such as responsiveness and gloved operation. These properties are
based upon our zForce touch technology.
In addition to infotainment displays, our zForce AIR technology is adaptable
to other automobile components:
our zForce DRIVE technology enables high fidelity detection of hands and fingers
positions on the steering wheel. This helps create a safer and more natural
interaction with the automobile’s systems and the driver’s smart
phone to decrease driver distraction.
In 2015, we entered into an agreement with Autoliv Development AB, a leading
supplier of safety products for the automotive industry, to explore and industrialize
our zForce technology for the steering wheel.
our zForce AIR technology is being deployed in door handles and other exterior
parts of the automobile to enable keyless entry and automation of door functions.
We estimate that the first systems will be available in early 2017.
We currently are engaged with several global automotive OEMs and their tier
one suppliers developing automotive Human Machine Interface (“HMI”)
infotainment and entry systems. These projects typically have long development
cycles that can take as long as four to five years before any meaningful production
and license fee generation will occur.
Printers and Office Equipment
Photo printers and printers combining printer/scanner/fax functions typically
require feature-rich menus and settings to deliver the best user experience,
and printer OEMs are increasingly replacing mechanical buttons with interactive
displays. We have signed agreements with five of the leading global printers
and office equipment OEMs including Hewlett Packard (“HP”) and Samsung.
HP started shipping the first consumer printer with our touch technology integrated
in early 2014 and today the majority of their printer models with interactive
displays are using our technology.
E-Readers and Tablets
Our touch technology is widely used in e-readers and tablets. Since 2011, over
23 million e-reader and tablet units have been shipped containing our touch
technology by customers such as Amazon, Kobo, Deutsche Telekom, Barnes &
Noble and Sony. Sony is currently shipping a 13.3 inch writing tablet named
“Digital Paper” that integrates our technology. Customers such as
LeapFrog Enterprises and LG are shipping tablets with our technology.
Computers and Monitors
Our touch technology is suitable for laptops, all-in-one computers and stand-alone
monitors. Our technology provides for a state of the art modern looking industrial
design with no bezels and a flush edge to edge design optimized for the new
generation of LCD panels with only a few millimeters of black frame. Because
it does not require any expensive and brittle glass in front of the LCD to carry
the touch sensors, our touch solution can result in more reduction in the cost
to implement touch functionality, and in a glare free product with less weight
and more usage time on the same battery.
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