Chip vendor Qualcomm Inc. said Friday (Nov. 16) it acquired certain assets of EPOS Development Ltd., a developer of ultrasound technologies for input solutions, including pen, stylus and gesture recognition. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
EPOS (Hod Hasharon, Israel) has developed digital positioning technology that enables device manufacturers to integrate advanced user input capabilities into a wide range of consumer devices, according to Qualcomm (San Diego).
The EPOS technology is based on the digital transmission of ultrasonic waves, enabling precise tracking by a receiver to enable multiple applications, according to Qualcomm. The firm said it intends to provide digital pen/stylus reference designs to help accelerate adoption of this technology in the consumer, enterprise and education markets.
"As computing evolves beyond the PC, consumers are looking for intuitive new ways to interact with their mobile devices," said Raj Talluri, senior vice president for product management at Qualcomm Technologies Inc., the Qualcomm subsidiary responsible for the company's R&D activities.
Talluri said EPOS' technology goes beyond the PC-era mouse and keyboard to enable touch-free gesture and pen interactions as user input mechanisms. "Enabling this technology on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor will allow devices that accommodate a more mobile and multimedia-centric lifestyle," Talluri said.
EPOS employees who are joining Qualcomm will be integrated into Qualcomm Israel's R&D team and will be focused on delivering new mobile device and service capabilities, Qualcomm said. The firm did not say how many of EPOS' employees would be joining Qualcomm.
EPOS' ultrasound technology works on screen and off screen, as well as in three dimensions, Qualcomm said.