Microvision - DER Durchbruch ( Seite 20)

Laser-scanning HUD requires little power

Sunny Bains

At the 2004 Society for Information Display meeting (May 23–28, 2004; Seattle, WA), Microvision Inc. (Bothell, WA) unveiled a prototype of a new head-up display (HUD) for use in cars. This latest system—in its final package—could take up as little as half the volume of displays based on light emitting diodes (LEDs) and liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). It also has a dynamic range of millions to one, offers a power advantage, and can produce bright images without a cooling system. The system uses the windshield as an optical combiner without image distortion or the need for custom optics. Prototypes have been installed in BMW and Audi test vehicles, and Microvision is now working with partners to get the HUDs into car showrooms by 2007 or 2008 (see figure).

A prototype laser-scanning head-up display projects full-color information onto an automobile windshield. As well as having advantages in size and weight, the new system can be used in different car models without modifying the basic optics.

Head-up displays were first discussed as car components in the 1980s, but failed because optoelectronic technology was insufficiently advanced. In particular, light sources took up too much space and power, and required cooling. The development of high-brightness LEDs in red, green, and blue solved this problem to the extent that BMW now offers a HUD with its new 5 and 6 Series models (the image is produced using LCDs). With scarce dashboard space and thin profit margins in the automobile industry, however, systems will have to get smaller and cheaper for the LCD-based systems to make it into mainstream vehicles.
Efficient use of light

Microvision`s technology, the core of which has been used for imagers and personal displays (see Laser Focus World, August 2003, p. 50), has several advantages. First, because the image is produced by just three laser diodes—each of which is scanned by a single biaxial micromechanical mirror—the device is inherently lightweight; adding pixels does not increase bulk. Second, the lasers are modulated so they produce only the light required for a specific pixel at any particular moment. Not only does this mean that the laser diodes require little power, but more important, when they are off, they are completely off. In contrast, with LCD-based systems, small amounts of light can get through completely black pixels, producing a glow on the windshield that can be noticeable—and distracting—in low-light conditions.

Other issues have been overcome to ready the technology for this new application. Most critical was the problem that windshield optical qualities vary not only for different makes of cars, but also for different models of the same make. This issue has been tackled in two ways. First, the resolution the display can provide is higher than the driver can see, meaning that a tradeoff can be made by using some of the resolution to predistort the image. The warping is produced electronically and is based on the shape of the windshield. To ensure that the image is fully calibrated for each individual car before it leaves the factory, Microvision engineers plan to develop an optical-feedback system, using an inexpensive camera to capture the windshield shape to help select the proper predistortion algorithm.

Engineers say one of their biggest challenges was to produce a highly uniform, easy-to-view, virtual color image with a simple set of optics. First, the natural view zone of a scanning display is very small; if the light is not directed into the eye, the image is invisible. This problem has been solved through careful design of the microlens array that acts in the system as an exit-pupil expander, widening the field of view of the device to around 15°.

Another problem is that focused-spot sizes for the red, green, and blue components are different, producing pixels that naturally take up different amounts of space and prevent the formation of a fully white image. Third, with a conventional Gaussian beam, pixels are brighter in the center than at the edges, producing a grid pattern on the display. Both problems have been solved by shaping the laser beam on entry to the system so that it has a tophat distribution. In conjunction with the spreading of the microlens array and following projection lens, the viewer sees the resulting pixel as an entire hexagonal lenslet, evenly illuminated. These lenslet pixels tile to produce a uniform, artifact-free image.

Because lasers are used as the light source for the HUD, speckle caused by interference of coherent beams diffracting from a rough surface had to be eliminated in the optical design. The Microvision team has shown that one of the advantages of the beamlet-based system (a beamlet being the beam that emerges from a particular microlens) inherently prevents speckle. Though interference does still occur, the pattern produced is on a scale that would normally not be visible to the driver.

SUNNY BAINS is a scientist and journalist based at Imperial College, London; e-mail: sunny@sunnybains.com.
Laser Focus World July, 2004

Microvision Reports Second Quarter of 2004 Revenue of $2.4 Million

Company Cites Production and Contract Delays Resulting in Lower Revenue; Expects to Get Back on Track in Current Quarter

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2004--Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS), a leader in light scanning technologies, today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2004. Revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2004, was $2.4 million compared to $4.5 million for the same period in 2003. Contract revenue was $1.8 million for the second quarter of 2004 below the company`s expectation of approximately $2.5 million and compared to $4.4 million for the same period last year. Contract revenue in the second quarter of 2004 was negatively impacted by the delay in the $3.85 million VCOP award by the U.S. government, less than expected progress on certain contracts at both Microvision and Lumera and delays in the timing of new contract awards. Product revenue was $587,000 for the second quarter of 2004 compared to $147,000 last year. Product revenue for the second quarter of 2004 was comprised of $169,000 from sales of Nomad and $418,000 from sales of the Flic scanner. Product revenue was lower than expected due primarily to production issues with Nomad that resulted in significantly lower than expected unit sales and shipments and lower than expected sales to OEM distributors for the Flic scanner.

Revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2004, was $5.4 million compared to $8.0 million for the same period in 2003. Contract revenue was $4.1 million for the first six months of 2004 below the company`s expectation of approximately $4.5 million compared to $7.8 million for the same period last year. Product revenue was $1.3 million for the first six months of 2004 compared to $281,000 last year. As of June 30, 2004, backlog totaled $5.1 million of which $4.9 million was for development contracts, $106,000 for Nomad units and $127,000 for the Flic laser bar code scanner and accessories.

The company reported a consolidated net loss of $8.5 million or $0.40 per share for the second quarter of 2004 compared to $6.7 million or $0.38 per share in the same period in 2003. For the six months ended June 30, 2004, the company reported a consolidated net loss of $15.2 million or $0.71 per share compared to $14.1 million or $0.83 per share for the same period in 2003.

The company, including Lumera, ended the quarter with $6.7 million in cash, cash equivalents and investment securities. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, Lumera (Nasdaq:LMRA) completed an initial public offering of 6 million shares. Microvision owns approximately 5.5 million shares of Lumera.

"We are very disappointed in our second quarter financial results," said CEO Rick Rutkowski. "Contract revenue was adversely affected in the second quarter by a delay in the timing of contract orders, most notably a $3.85 million contract from the U.S. Army. Also, we delivered only one scanning system prototype to Canon in the second quarter but had planned to ship a second as well. We intend to deliver two more prototype hardware systems during the current quarter.

"We believe that our contract backlog of $4.9 million plus expected new development contract bookings of up to $3.0 million during the second half of this year will allow us to bring our contract revenue back to satisfactory levels in the current quarter and through this year. We are also encouraged by two new line items in the defense appropriations bill for 2005 that total $6.4 million. We have additional funding activities pending in this arena as well.

"Production of our Nomad display product was constrained during Q2 due predominantly to poor packaging yields of our scanner assembly. We have replaced this assembly with an improved part that no longer requires the package and will be overall lower in cost, more reliable and more power efficient. We have recently completed our final tests with this part and are making rapid progress toward our production target of 50 units per week for the balance of this quarter. We have capacity for substantially more, but this level is consistent with our current sales plan and our inventory and purchasing plan for the current quarter. Our current capacity would allow us to scale production to 150 units per week in a single shift.

"While we were unable to deliver a sufficient number of Nomad displays during the quarter to fully initiate our rollout, we did make some important strides toward bringing Nomad to market. We also developed key OEM distribution channels for the Flic scanner and achieved important milestones on development projects for our pipeline of OEM products.

"To date we have built in excess of 200 Nomad systems and have taken orders for 95 systems. In the second quarter we delivered 47 Nomad systems to customers. We have Nomad systems in a number of different dealers throughout the country and across all brands, including Honda, Volvo, Saab, Lexus, Ford and General Motors. We have had Nomad systems in the field for as long as 45 days and we are receiving strong positive feedback from many of the users. We now have 35 independent sales representatives in place that are trained, equipped with Nomad systems and taking orders. We are actively continuing to build the direct channel and expect to add a number of additional sales reps in the coming months. We are seeing increased direct sales and we expect unit sales to pick up significantly in the third and fourth quarters.

"We previously announced that Honda has certified the Nomad system and endorsed it as a recommended tool to its dealers. Subsequent to that we completed a demand survey with Honda dealers around the U.S. and we were encouraged by the results. In the coming weeks, we expect Honda to kick-off a 3 month promotion of the Nomad Expert Technician System targeting all 1,200 Honda and Acura dealers nationwide. In addition to Honda, we continue to progress on a number of other OEM and aftermarket channel distribution opportunities.

"We have launched a Reference Account program whereby we will place Nomad systems in key dealerships throughout the country in order to increase the product`s visibility in key markets. We plan to have 8 reference accounts by the end of the quarter. One account has been up and running for about 3 weeks and we are very pleased with the results to date.

"The second Stryker Brigade is now scheduled to deploy in October. We believe that the near term opportunity for sales to the Stryker brigade is in the range of 100-200 units.

"Our second quarter revenue for Flic was lower than we had anticipated primarily because certain orders that we were expecting in the second quarter were pushed into the third quarter. We also had a lower average selling price for the Flic scanner due to an interruption in product availability of the higher-priced Flic cordless scanner. The cordless scanner is now back in production.

"While sales of the Flic scanner for the second quarter were below expectations, we continue to be encouraged by the product`s progress in the market and are looking to resume growth in the current quarter. July has been one of our strongest months in bookings for the product and we have made some significant progress in developing the distribution channel and applications for the scanner. During the second quarter we focused on building OEM relationships and integrating the Flic scanner into supply chain solutions. We announced a 2,500 unit order from Utilitran, a Canadian software developer of supply chain applications targeting the top 200 convenience store chains and wholesalers in Canada and the U.S. We have continued to build out that channel and expect to be able to report additional progress soon. We are seeing several supply chain solution providers chose the Flic scanner to replace similar product offering by Symbol. Our Flic scanner strategy is to continue to build the OEM channel, develop a retail sales channel and develop a mobility providers sales channel.

"While contract revenue for the quarter was weak, we have continued to make good progress on a number of development projects related to potential OEM products in our pipeline, including automotive displays, the development of a high-speed laser print engine and the development of a 2D bar code scanner prototype and our work with Canon on microdisplays for digital cameras and consumer electronics. In July, we delivered a 2D bar code reader prototype and it is now undergoing customer evaluation. We believe that we will have follow-on development opportunities. We are also nearing the end of the development contract on the laser print engine and expect to complete a series of deliverables during the third quarter. We have been pleased with the results to date and are encouraged about the prospects for additional development work in this area.

"Clearly we did not achieve the results we expected and we are committed to improving our performance. We remain optimistic for of the company`s near-term and long-term outlook. We fully expect to see meaningful progress in the third and fourth quarters for both Nomad and Flic while continuing work on our OEM product development activities."

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miserabel, katasrophal

Tscha, alles schon mal mit anderem Namen gesehen. MK trotzdem immer noch über 90 Mio. USD. Noch reichlich Luft nach unten.

seh ich auch so, v.a. wenn sie wieder Aktien ausgeben müssen. Werden einige Mio werden, da können sich dann die Hedges eindecken. Diesen Wert (und eigentlich die seisten) darf man eben nur traden...

Press Release Source: Microvision Inc.

Microvision Launches Nomad Expert Technician System Reference Account Program with Nation`s Fourth Largest Chevy Dealer
Tuesday August 10, 8:30 am ET
Wireless Computer With Head-Worn See-Through Display is Increasing Repair Revenue and Technician Retention at Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, TX

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2004-- Microvision Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS - News) announced today that its Nomad Expert Technician System is in use at Classic Chevrolet, Grapevine, TX, the 18th largest auto dealer in the country. The Nomad System is the world`s first wearable, wireless computer with a head-worn, head-up display, providing automotive technicians and service advisors with hands-free access to online vehicle history and repair information while they work on vehicles or consult with customers. Service personnel can provide faster, more accurate service and repairs with critical information superimposed in their vision as they work. With 70 service bays, Classic is the fourth largest Chevrolet dealership in the United States and one of seven large dealerships owned by the Durant family in the Dallas, TX area.

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According to Tom Sanko, Microvision VP of Marketing, the auto dealers participating as Nomad Reference Accounts have agreed to share their experience with the Nomad Expert Technician System with other dealers and the media. "We are also getting `before and after Nomad` productivity and quality metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Nomad installation," Sanko said. "Classic Chevrolet is the first reference account for the Nomad System. Classic is strategically important to us because of their size, their reputation for innovation and service quality, and because of their visibility and influence with other dealers in an important market. The Dallas metroplex has the ninth largest population of any metropolitan area in the country and is a major automotive market. Microvision is in the process of standing up seven additional reference accounts in other major automotive markets throughout the U.S. over the next two months."

Mike Zorn, Service Director for Classic Chevrolet stated, "We started about a month ago with five technicians, to see how the Nomad Expert Technician System would work in our shop. We were able to connect very quickly to General Motors` TIS 2000 web-based service information system. All five techs picked up on very quickly on the Nomad system, and have been using it since that time on a regular basis. Now the other technicians want one. We have been able to improve our production time and we believe the Nomad system will actually help us retain quality technicians. So far Nomad has proven very useful and we`re still discovering new ways to use it. Anything we can do to help our technicians increase their earning potential and provide better service - like adopting the Nomad System - will help us keep a leg up on the competition."

The Nomad Expert Technician System enables automobile dealerships to increase service revenue and profitability as well as improve service quality and customer satisfaction - equally important, as more than 50% of a typical dealer`s gross profits come from service operations while high customer repair satisfaction is directly correlated with customer retention.

"In the typical automobile dealership, service techs and service managers spend a lot of time commuting from their service bays to computer terminals for repair information and printouts," stated Chris Johnston, Microvision Marketing Manager. "The Nomad Expert Technician System eliminates this wasted time by instantly providing the information the techs need where they need it while they work," said Johnston. "Our customers are also finding additional uses for this versatile information tool, such as interfacing with diagnostic testers, ordering parts and checking order status, picking repair parts in the warehouse, and enabling service advisors to talk with customers at their vehicles."

According to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association the service portion of the automotive aftermarket is estimated at $132 billion in 2003, with roughly $59 billion of that coming from labor. Sales of tools used in aftermarket service and maintenance were estimated at $7.9 billion for the year.

There were 25,200 separate new car dealer franchises listed in the 1997 U.S. Economic Census. Worldwide there are an estimated 73,000 new car dealerships, 3,200 heavy truck dealers, 448,000 Repair Shops, and 48,000 tire dealers. In total these enterprises employ more than 1.37 million technicians, with 875,000 technicians employed in the U.S. by new car dealers and aftermarket repair shops.

lag mit den 4$ nicht ganz falsch... meiner Meinung nach müßte demnächst eine Finanzierungsrunde anstehen, bei der einige Millionan Aktien ausgegeben werden müssen. Wir nochmal für Preisdruck sorgen.

finanziell sollte MVIS grade wieder aus dem letztem Loch pfeifen.

binnen der nächsten 4-6 Wochen muss finanziert werden.

Microvision Reports Sale and Installation of Nomad Expert Technician Systems to the Stearns Automotive Group`s Four Auto Dealerships

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 2004--Microvision Inc., (Nasdaq:MVIS) a leader in light scanning technology, announced today the sale and installation of 9 Nomad Expert Technician Systems to the Stearns Automotive Group in North Carolina. The family owned business owns two Ford dealerships, as well as a Chevrolet, and a Chrysler Jeep dealer in the central area of the state.

Stearns Automotive has 75 service bays and 35-40 service technicians. Nomad Systems have been installed in all four of the dealerships. Stearns Automotive Group founder and owner, Carroll Stearns, said, "We are focused on attracting and retaining high quality service technicians and they are hard to find and it is a competitive market. We want to get the most up-to-date tools and technology in the hands of our technicians to provide our customers with the best service possible while allowing technicians to be more productive. We believe the Nomad System will enable us to do this." The four dealerships are well known in the state where Dale Stearns is the immediate past president of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association with a membership of more than 800 dealerships.

"Stearns Automotive is one of the most respected dealer groups in North Carolina," said Gary Mitchell, Area Sales Director for the Southeast. "We`re delighted to support their goals of continuous improvement in service bay productivity and service quality with the Nomad Expert Technician system. We`ve had a very successful trial followed by this install, and it`s a terrific opportunity for us to showcase the Nomad in use with the electronic service systems of GM, Chrysler and Ford. We look forward to making a difference here and to growing our relationship with The Stearns Automotive group."

The Nomad Expert Technician System is a wireless computer with a head-worn, see-through display. The System enables automobile dealerships to increase service revenue and profitability as well as improve service quality and customer satisfaction by giving technicians instant, hands-free access to service manuals, work orders and other information. About 50% of a typical dealer`s gross profits come from service operations and high customer repair satisfaction is directly correlated with customer retention.

According to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association the service portion of the automotive aftermarket is estimated at $132 billion in 2003, with roughly $59 billion of that coming from labor. Sales of tools used in aftermarket service and maintenance were estimated at $7.9 billion for the year.

There were 25,200 separate new car dealer franchises listed in the 1997 U.S. Economic Census. Worldwide there are an estimated 73,000 new car dealerships, 3,200 heavy truck dealers, 448,000 Repair Shops, and 48,000 tire dealers. In total these enterprises employ more than 1.37 million technicians, with 875,000 technicians employed in the U.S. by new car dealers and aftermarket repair shops.

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Microvision Demonstrates Breakthrough 7.6 Million Pixel Microdisplay

Multi-zone scanning technique unlocks potential for brighter, higher resolution displays with wider field of views

BOTHELL, Wash., Aug 18, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS), a leader in light scanning technologies, today announced a new, scalable, architecture for its microdisplays in which a single scanner is used to direct multiple beams simultaneously into separate zones of an image. The new architecture has the potential to deliver a bright, high resolution, image over a very wide field of view creating an immersive "big-screen" effect that is highly desirable for applications such as personal theatre and gaming. Because the display utilizes conventional "surface emitting" LEDs as light sources, it holds the promise of achieving very low cost relative to display resolution and brightness.

The engineering prototype uses a few tens of LEDs to write approximately 7.6 million red, green, and blue spots that integrate to form a single high-fidelity image. In the current prototype, the company uses an existing scanner and drive electronics to deliver all 7.6 million pixels into a 1.4 million-pixel frame, to create increased brightness and enhanced image quality. The array architecture can alternatively be configured to provide increased spatial resolution. The resulting color fields are overlapped in a series of zones using a third generation MEMS scanner that no longer requires the bulk and cost of a vacuum package. The display delivers an image with a full 30-degree horizontal field of view and has the potential to be significantly brighter than earlier microdisplay prototypes with narrower field of views.

"This is a major milestone in the development of color microdisplays for consumer products," said Steve Willey, President of Microvision. "With our earlier single channel architecture, we are approaching a practical limit in field of view of around 25 degrees. Now we have the flexibility of increasing display performance by adding inexpensive LEDs and writing multiple zones. This architecture gives us the potential to achieve much wider fields of view and higher resolution necessary for the higher performance imaging and consumer products we are targeting.

"The architecture evolved from our earlier work with multi-line image writing that used conventional laser sources. It`s very scalable and allows us to take advantage of the benefits of declining costs of memory, processing power and most significantly, inexpensive and increasingly bright LEDs. Patent applications that cover many of the basic elements of this approach are among the most recent additions to Microvision`s IP portfolio, which now numbers 102 US patents, plus over 90 pending U.S. patents and more than 300 invention disclosures. We believe the new architecture has tremendous market potential, particularly for those microdisplay applications that flat panel suppliers find difficult to address."

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Microvision Receives Initial 1,000 Unit Order of Flic Laser Bar Code Scanners for Retail Store Loss Prevention Applications

Company signs distribution agreement following successful field tests with major retailer

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 2004-- Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS) announced today that Trax Retail Solutions will add Microvision`s Flic Bar Code scanner to its loss prevention products as a data capture tool of choice. Trax placed an initial order of 1,000 Flic scanners. Microvision, a leader in light scanning technologies, manufactures the low cost, high performance Flic Bar Code Scanner and delivers the product to customers globally. Trax currently offers a full list of business process improvement audits for loss prevention, store operations control, safety, and sanitation audits. Now with the addition of the Microvision Flic(R) Laser Bar Code Scanner, retailers will be able to enhance audit compliance, through physical proximity or through an auditor, and receive a full compliment of web-enabled reports, automated alerts, all from a centralized management console.

Under the terms of the agreement Trax will market and support Microvision`s Flic Laser Bar Code Scanner for supermarkets, C-Stores, drug stores, and general merchandisers for loss prevention applications.

The Flic Laser Bar Code Scanner replaces competitive laser bar code scanners in a broad range of retail applications due to its unique combination of performance, value, and ergonomics. The scanner technology enables retailers to check on advertised item availability, examine customer loyalty and customer satisfaction levels, review OSHA compliance, and perform slip and fall aisle inspections. The simplicity and low cost of ownership enables its use in applications where cost or ease-of-use have been barriers to adoption of other bar code scanner technologies.

According to Ron Southard, Trax Retail Solutions, Executive Vice President, "Trax is very pleased to bring its industry-leading loss prevention and store operations solutions, along with Microvision`s scanning technology, to the retail industry. The Flic Laser Bar Code Scanner is well suited for price-sensitive retail industries, where real-time wireless bar code data input to a host computer is extremely desirable."

"This distribution agreement, and the initial order from Trax, is another example of our successful push toward the automotive workflow and supply chain solution providers that require scanning to collect data as part of a whole solution," stated Don Davis, Microvision, Director of Image Capture Sales. "Our low-cost scanning technology allows Microvision to deliver breakthrough pricing, opening up new applications in the retail industry that previously could not justify automatic data collection. The Trax and Microvision team brings together two great organizations that are committed to delivering value and innovative solutions to the retail industry. Our collective customers will really benefit from our team`s ability to provide extremely low cost products that have proven to enable dramatic increases in productivity and accuracy."

About Microvision

Headquartered in Bothell, Washington, Microvision, Inc. is the world leader in the development of high-resolution displays and imaging systems based on the company`s proprietary silicon micro-mirror technology. The company`s technology has applications in a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer products.

About Trax Retail Solutions

Trax Retail Solutions is the market leader in loss prevention, store operations control and profit optimization solutions for the retail industry and list the following other companies among its clients: Albertsons, Winn-Dixie, Ahold USA, OSCO Drugs, SUPERVALU Stores, Harris Teeter, CUB Foods, Farm Fresh Markets, Quick Chek Stores, Wesco Convenience, and dozens of other fine food, drug and convenience companies. The company`s flagship SmartStore(R) Suite of loss prevention and store operations control solutions have helped over 22,000 retailers worldwide improve profits by empowering store managers with education and training, world-class technology and industry best practices for store operation.

White papers on various loss prevention and store operations control topics are available to retailers for a limited time. To request yours, call 480.948.0001 or visit www.traxretail.com.

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haben mal wieder etwas auf die PR gedrückt. Lag ganz gut mit meinen 4$. Waren nette Kurse für sehr schnelle 50%...
LMRA hält sich auch ganz schön wacker. Gibt einige Millionen Aktien, die geshortet sind und nun beim offensichtlichen Erreichen des Bodens wollen alle covern...
Finanzierung müßte anstehen, bin gespannt wie sie es anstellen. War in der Vergangenheit aber nicht immer mit fallenden Kursen verbunden.
Gerade die adhoc vom 18.8. zeigt, dass MVIS schlicht und ergreifend die beste Displayechnologie weltweit hat.