ELAN Microelectronics
ELAN Microelectronics Corporation is an IC design house founded in May of 1994 to embark in the R&D of integrated circuit and offers touchpad module solutions. ELAN's headquarters is located in Taiwan Hsinchu Science Park, and has its touchpad module factory located in Chung Ho City, Taipei County. It also has branch offices and customer service centers in the USA, Shenzhen (China), Shanghai, and Hong Kong. ELAN is listed in the Taiwan Stock Exchange since September 2001 and as of this date, its capital has accumulated to NTD 4332M.
As an expertise in Smart Human-Machine Interface applications development, ELAN has its core technology devoted in Capacitive Touchpad. Since the release of the Apple iPhone in mid-2007, followed by the introduction of iPod Touch, MacBook Air, and the up coming release of Windows 7.0, the Multi-Finger touch interface has fast grown to be the focus and trend of Human-Machine Interface (HMI) development. As of this date, ELAN's Capacitive Touchpad products include Illuminative Touchpad, Transparent Touchpad, and Virtual Keypad with Dome Touchpad. All these products provide Multi-Finger touch applications for clicking, zooming, scrolling, cursor control, and other gesture mode functions. The Multi-Finger touch solutions from ELAN are smarter, intuitive, user-friendly, reliable, and are fast gaining popularity with reputable consumer electronic products, while the solution is becoming a market trend's smart choice.
ELAN's eFinger® ("e" for enchanted) technology integrates the Capacitive Touchpad Multi-Finger solution with handwriting recognition, allowing user to directly input Chinese and English characters by writing with fingertip on Capacitive Touchpad in lieu of the less convenient keyboard or keypad input. eFinger is ideal for a wide range of applications, including notebook computers, Smartphone, feature Phone, MID, MP3, GPS, PMP, keyboard, etc.
Recently, ELAN has made a breakthrough in Capacitive Touchpad technology by developing the world first Ghost free Multi-Finger solution, which efficiently eliminates recognition of accidental Multi-Finger input. Furthermore, ELAN has also successfully released the world first capacitive stylus, eStylus™ which can easily pinpoint tiny Qwerty keypad icon display in Capacitive Touchpad for input. It also allows user to input signature on the touchpad. This has further diversified the Capacitive Touchpad functions and offers more convenient options to users.
ELAN's eFinger® and eStylus™ products have provided the Capacitive Touchpad market with a perfect total solution. Aside from being applicable to handheld consumer electronic devices, these products are expected to be popularly embedded with future notebook computer and PC keyboard that support Multi-Finer touch functions. Currently, ELAN holds 126 local and international patents on Capacitive Touchpad related technology.
CMOS Sensor with Pattern Recognition is ELAN's second core technology. It is an integration of ELAN's MCU and DSP for digital audio/home appliance applications and pattern recognition algorithm. The technology is used in the development of optical mouse, interactive game console, interactive TV, computer games, optical identification device, etc.
ELAN's smart human-machine interface (HMI) solution applications are projected to include future advanced digital gadgets, such as Smart Remote Control device for Multimedia PC and Digital Home. By incorporating the Capacitive Touchpad for notebook and CMOS Sensor with Pattern Recognition technologies into a remote control device, an integrated Smart Remote Control device is created. The single device is capable of functioning as remote mouse and remote interactive joystick at the same time. By adding the Chinese/English Handwriting Recognition feature, the Smart Remote Control could further act as a remote PC keyboard allowing users to surf the internet or play computer games while comfortably lying on the couch. This could further promote family convenience in enjoying Digital Home lifestyle. ELAN's enterprising goal has always been to deliver highly intuitive human-machine interface (HMI) products that could improve mankind livelihood.
ELAN places great emphasis in maintaining a strong and self-reliant R&D team. Hence, 55% of its total manpower is made up of R&D engineers, 43% of its employees have doctorate and master degree, and it allocates more than 13% of its annual revenue to R&D for new products. ELAN has earned an extensive number intellectual property (IP) patents. Its comprehensive proficiency in digital, analog, embedded memory, and mixed signal & hi-level design flow technology, has enable ELAN to swiftly respond to the rapid changes in technology and market trend. ELAN R&D efforts have been notably recognitions by winning several gold and silver medals in the annual "Taiwan National Best Invention Award" sponsored by the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs. It also received quite a number of "R&D Accomplishment Awards" from the Hsinchu Science Park Administration. The company is also listed as one of the "Best Under a Billion 200 Companies" worldwide by Forbes Global Magazine.
