Cirque and ART Will Co-Market Touchpad Input Solutions That Recognizes Handwriting in Auto Applications
ATLANTA & SALT LAKE CITY--Dec. 8, 2004--| Input Device will Combine ART simpliWrite Recognition Software with GlidePoint Touchpad Technology from Cirque |
Two of the leading developers of input technology for computer and handheld devices announced today that they are working together to provide a unique touchpad solution for automotive applications.
ART Advanced Recognition Technologies, a global leader in voice and handwriting solutions for mobile devices, and Cirque Corporation, a leading provider of customized touchpad products, have signed an agreement to provide touchpad solutions that can be embedded in an automobile dashboard or console. This technology will provide the driver with a simple method of character input with the tip of a finger. The project will bring together Cirque's advanced GlidePoint touchpad technology and ART's simpliWrite(R) handwriting recognizer.
"We have worked closely with Cirque for a number of years," said Yakov Shulman, acting CEO and vice president sales for ART. "The two technologies have proven to be both compatible and complimentary. Building an application that can be customized for the unique environment of an automobile seemed to be a natural evolution for us. The Cirque touchpad technology is second to none and we look forward to creating new products together."
Cirque's single-chip GlidePoint technology is well known for instantly tracking finger motion at any speed with no lag time -- as responsive as a computer mouse. It uses a two-layer grid of electrodes connected to a custom chip or ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). As the user passes a finger over the grid, the capacitance between the electrodes changes, causing the computer to follow the motion of the finger. The sensor can be exposed to the environment or embedded within the dash materials.
"The automobile can clearly benefit from touchpad technology," said Doug Moore, Cirque's VP of Input Solutions. "The ability to control various interior and comfort system functions and to enter data or commands with the motion of a finger promises to open up a wide range of new applications. That's the goal we've set for ourselves on this project."
The simpliWrite software engine is a natural character recognizer designed for "on-the-fly" recognition of each character with minimal writing-area requirements. This makes it ideal for any small form-factor platforms, such as among the tight space of a car's console or arm rest. Users do not need to learn a special set of characters because the simpliWrite software recognizes uppercase and lowercase letters and supports rapid writing. It is also designed to use very little processing power and low memory consumption.
About ART Advanced Recognition Technologies
Established in 1990 and recently acquired by ScanSoft, Inc. , ART is the acknowledged market leader in embedded speech and handwriting recognition software for mass-market mobile devices. With a decade of award-winning innovation behind it, ART develops and markets technologically superior solutions for the control and command of mobile devices through the human voice and natural handwriting. The company's proprietary technologies provide next-generation user interface solutions for cellular handsets, smartphones, mobile communicators, PDAs and handhelds, and automotive systems.
Today, ART's embedded software-only solutions are deployed in dozens of product lines from industry leaders such as Motorola, LGE, Xelibri by Siemens, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, NEC, BenQ, Pogo, Logitech, Emblaze mobile, GVC, Capitel, Quanta, Compal, Inventec, Casio, Maxon, RAKS, Siemens Automotive, Franklin, PaceBlade, Hitachi, Sierra Wireless and others. ART has strategic and technological partnerships with industry leaders including: Texas Instruments, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, Freescale, Intel, Infineon, Agere, ADI, TTPCom, DSPG, Ceva, Microsoft, Symbian, UIQ, Series 60, SVOX, Accelent Systems, Renesas, Persay, e-sim, Broadcom, Clarity, Teleca, Pegasus and others.
Based in San Diego ,CA with sales offices on the East and West Coasts, ART maintains a wholly owned subsidiary in Tel Aviv, Israel. Additional information about ART is available at: www.artcomp.com
About Cirque Corporation
Cirque Corporation is the leading provider of customized input technology solutions for both consumers and digital device manufacturers. The company's award-winning GlideTechnology offers a broad range of input solutions to meet the needs of handheld devices, keyboards cell phones, as well as laptop computers, industrial controls and kiosks. Founded in 1991, Cirque remains dedicated to the research, development and production of advanced input devices. More information is available at www.cirque.com.
simpliWrite is a registered trademark of ART Advanced Recognition Technologies, Inc. Names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.