Powercast Sees Record Customer and Revenue Growth in 2020 as Demand for Wireless Power Gains Momentum

Industry Leader in RF Wireless Power to Showcase New Wirelessly-Powered RFID Temperature Scanning System and More at CES Virtual 2021

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Powercast, the established leader in RF wireless power, today announced a record year in customer, partner, and revenue growth as the Company continues to innovate RF-based wireless power solutions to meet industry and consumer needs. This momentum has been driven by the continued expansion of IoT, AI and the global demand for wireless power innovation across various industries – a market that is expected to reach $29.23 billion by 2027.

In 2020, Powercast shipped new RF wireless power products for more than 10 new industries, including sensors, automotive, retail, consumer electronics, and entertainment. Most recently, the Company launched a wirelessly-powered RFID Temperature Scanning System that enables businesses to easily and safely monitor employees’ temperatures in support of COVID-19 monitoring protocols. Powercast will showcase this product, its wireless charging grip for Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers, and more at CES Virtual 2021.

“This year was extraordinary for many industries and wireless power was no exception. We fully expect wireless power’s popularity to continue its rapid growth and adoption with main drivers being low-to-no-touch technologies, amid the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the growth in usage of remote sensors for AI-driven solutions,” said Charles Goetz, CEO of Powercast. “We’re seeing increased requests for wireless power capabilities as both industrial and consumer markets want to cut wires and eliminate batteries in the pursuit of truly wireless solutions. We’re excited to see what the next few years bring for the wireless power industry.”

Powercast solutions are unique in their ability to support commercially viable wireless power products that work at distances ranging from inches to 80 feet. The Company’s technology touches millions of users across 15+ industries, including IoT, consumer electronics and RFID. Powercast’s collaborative approach and deep expertise in all aspects of product design, from vision through prototyping and commercialization has resulted in dozens of applications and millions of units shipped.

CES Virtual 2021
Powercast will be exhibiting at CES Virtual 2021, from January 11-14, 2020, and will be showing its wireless power technology in action. To book a meeting with a Powercast executive, please visit: https://www.powercastco.com/contact/.

About Powercast
Powercast is the established leader in RF wireless power. Since its founding in 2003, Powercast has led the industry in RF wireless power innovations and applications that meet FCC and other global standards. Powercast’s wireless power technologies eliminate or reduce the need for wires and batteries, working at distances up to 80 feet. With millions of units shipped, Powercast is led by a team with deep expertise in design, engineering, and prototyping, and with extensive commercial success in both industrial and consumer applications. With more than 100 customers and partner companies around the world, Powercast leads the RF wireless power market with 63 early and fundamental patents worldwide and 34 patents pending. For more information, visit www.powercastco.com.

Contact:
Lindsay Hull
Zer0 to 5ive for Powercast
lindsay@0to5.com
508-963-1356

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Powercast Launches Wirelessly-Powered Temperature Scanning System to Support Businesses’ Return to Normal

Fast, easy-to-install system supports employee safety and health; employees use personal, battery-free fob to quickly scan their temperature for touch-free entry and contact tracing on large corporate campuses

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Powercast Corporation, the leader in radio-frequency (RF)-based, over-the-air wireless power technology, today announced the launch of a new wirelessly-powered RFID Temperature Scanning System that enables businesses to easily and safely monitor employees’ temperatures as businesses work to re-open and get back to normal.

The new system is comprised of a wirelessly-powered temperature-scanning fob for each employee, an RFID reader, and a TV monitor. Employees receive a fob small enough to fit onto their keychain that is personalized to them. The fob quickly charges when held near an RFID reader at the entrance to the business using Powercast’s patented power harvesting technology. Employees scan their own forehead using the fob to read their temperature, and are permitted to enter or are denied entry based on the reading, which appears on the monitor.

For larger organizations and those on corporate campuses, multiple readers can be used to keep a record for contact tracing if issues arise. Once employees take their temperature when entering the building, they can return the fob to their pocket and do not need to remove it again for location tracking. In the case of COVID-19 exposure, timestamped information can be automatically gathered from the readers to ensure that all potentially exposed employees are notified.

According to a recent COVID-19 Return to Work Survey Report from Littler, an employment law practice, more than half (58%) of employers surveyed plan to conduct testing or health screenings on employees, with most referring to temperature checks (89%) and symptom screenings (72%).

Powercast’s Temperature Scanning System is already in use at Powercast’s headquarters in Pittsburgh’s RIDC Park. The RFID reader antenna is integrated into the company’s check-in counter, enabling fast, hands-free screening. During the first 12 days, the system took a total of 300 readings, which were as accurate as a traditional handheld thermometer. The new Powercast Scanning System has a distinct advantage over handheld devices that are shared and hard to maintain germ-free, or other modes that require employees to stop and write down their information, potentially sharing pens and creating a blockage at entry points.

In the wake of COVID-19, businesses are eager to get back to normal as quickly as possible, while ensuring the safety and welfare of their employees. A COVID-19 Returning to Work Survey of 1,000 U.S. employees by Eagle Hill Consulting found that 54 percent of employees are worried about exposure to COVID-19 at their job. Most employees (71 percent), however, felt their employers will be prepared to safely bring employees back to the workplace.

“We designed this new Temperature Scanning System to take advantage of proven technologies that can be quickly and easily implemented by companies of all sizes so that they can get back to work, safely and without a huge imposition to workers,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., chief operating and technical officer of Powercast. “This is one of many ways we are applying wireless power to solve real-world problems and eliminate some of the limits of other alternatives.”

Wireless Power Makes Scanning Fast, Easy, and Affordable

The RFID Temperature Scanning System uses RAIN RFID readers as its source of RF wireless power. The System’s over-the-air RF harvesting technology can harness RF energy from Powercast’s own PowerSpot® or Powercaster® RF wireless power transmitters, or from industry standard UHF RFID readers.

The enabling technology behind the system is Powercast’s tiny, embeddable Powerharvester® receiver chip, which harvests RF automatically when it’s within range of an RF power source, and then converts it to direct current (DC) to power the application. The chip is highly efficient and effective in deriving power from even very small amounts of RF and is currently being used in a number of consumer and business applications where wireless power provides a distinct advantage.

How the RFID Temperature Scanning System Works

Each battery-less fob contains an RFID chip, which identifies its owner; a Powercast Powerharvester receiver chip; a Microchip Technology PIC24F04KA201 microcontroller (MCU); and a temperature sensor. The employee simply holds their fob device in a designated power area equipped with an RFID reader antenna and a TV screen. The fob harvests the RF to power up the temperature sensor. After recording the temperature, the data is sent to the RFID reader to read. The TV screen then displays the employee’s name, temperature, and either a green or red light to indicate if they may enter.

Powercast chose Microchip’s PIC24F04KA201 MCU because of its minimal power consumption and ability to incorporate I2C and an analog-to-digital converter into a very small package, enabling a car fob-like size. In addition, Microchip’s MPLAB® Code Configurator sped up the concept-to-prototype process, resulting in a commercially-available system in less than 2 months.

“The PIC24F microcontroller family is a perfect fit for the Powercast temperature scanning fob due to the extreme low power consumption, flexible peripheral set and small form factor. Microchip’s toolchain enables rapid development and commercialization as demonstrated by this product,” said Joe Thomsen, vice president of Microchip’s MCU16 business unit. “Creative designers are able to quickly develop low-power solutions like this temperature scanning key fob, ensuring employees return to work in a safe environment.”

Powercast will be exhibiting at the RFID Journal Virtually Live! event, September 30^th – October 1^st, and will be conducting demos of the Temperature Scanning System throughout the course of the event. For those interested in a demo, please contact Hank Gasbarro at hgasbarro@powercastco.com or visit us at https://powercastcorporation.rfidvirtual.com/ .

About Powercast

Powercast, established in 2003, is the leading provider of RF-based wireless power technologies that work in the far field (up to 80 feet) to provide power-over-distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and power or charge devices without wires and connectors. Founded with the vision of enabling untethered devices powered over the air, Powercast continues to create the most efficient, safe and highest power harvesting technology achievable while complying with the FCC and other global standards. Powercast’s IP portfolio includes 63 patents worldwide (32 in the US) and 34 patents pending. www.powercastco.com.

Contact:
Colleen Martin
Zer0 to 5ive for Powercast
colleen@0to5.com

SOURCE Powercast

Powercast Releases Over-the-Air Wireless Charging Grip for Nintendo Joy-Con Controllers on Amazon

Enables carefree wireless charging where gamers don’t have to dock their Joy-Cons to charge

PITTSBURGH (PRWEB) AUGUST 25, 2020

Powercast Corporation, the leader in radio-frequency (RF)-based over-the-air wireless power technology, has released first production units of its Wireless Charging Grip for Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers, the world’s first gaming product that charges over the air without wires or charging mats. Developed to deliver carefree wireless charging where gamers don’t have to dock their Joy-Con controllers, Powercast’s grip automatically recharges them over the air when placed within one foot of Powercast’s PowerSpot® wireless power transmitter. Powercast’s Wireless Charging Grip and its companion PowerSpot transmitter are now available on Amazon initially for Nintendo Switch gamers in the U.S. and Canada for a bundled price of US$149.99: https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Charging-PowerSpot-Transmitter-Bundle/dp/B08FTJPDBS/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=wireless+charging+grip+powerspot&qid=1598271782&sr=8-2

Most grips simply make Joy-Cons easier to hold, while Powercast’s grip also wirelessly charges two Joy-Cons and doubles as a backup battery pack. It keeps batteries topped off when out of the transmitter’s range for about 26 hours of gameplay on one charge. Most gamers can achieve a full charge over a 24-hour period by simply leaving their Wireless Charging Grip near the front of their PowerSpot transmitter between gaming sessions. Daily usage and battery level will determine charging range and rate.

The LED on the grip guides gamers where to place their grip to optimize charging. When fully charged the LED double blinks green, and when the grip needs charging the LED double blinks red. It blinks green when fast charging, yellow when moderate charging, and red to tell users to place their Wireless Charging Grip closer to the PowerSpot transmitter for faster charging. A new PowerSpot app (iOS and Android) provides a hub for monitoring the charging status of the grip and other PowerSpot-enabled devices, downloading firmware updates, and more.

“Over-the-air wireless charging is perfect for most of us gamers who play a few hours per day,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., chief operating and technical officer of Powercast. “Without having to plug in or position it on a charging mat, users can simply set their Wireless Charging Grip down in front of their PowerSpot transmitter and it will wirelessly recharge until they’re ready to game again.”

Greene continued, “Our grip is great for gamers who want the convenience to ‘set it and forget it,’ but we also included a standard USB-C port for wired charging if needed.” He explained, “Wired charging delivers high power for a fast charge, while over-the-air charging delivers more convenient, lower power over an extended period of time. Powercast’s highly efficient RF harvesting system optimizes power delivery over the air for a high performance, easy-to-use alternative to wired charging.”

Powercast’s embedded Powerharvester® receiver harnesses RF energy sent over the air from the U.S. FCC- and Canadian ISED-approved PowerSpot transmitter, and converts it to direct current (DC) to charge the Wireless Charging Grip’s embedded battery. This embedded battery then charges the connected Joy-Cons, and can act as a backup battery pack once the Joy-Cons are fully recharged. Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the grip requests power from the transmitter when its batteries are low, and signals it to stop when charged.

“While our focus remains helping our OEM customers design in our wireless power technology and deliver their products to market, we’ve really enjoyed developing our own wirelessly rechargeable consumer product as well,” continued Greene. “Many of us are Switch gamers, so we can’t wait to leave our Joy-Cons in the grip and just set it down to recharge without having to dock them.”

“We’re very excited to start shipping our Wireless Charging Grip even amidst the pandemic that caused manufacturing delays, and we plan to continue to ramp production as the global situation allows,” continued Greene.

Powercast’s future vision is for consumers to be able to place all their PowerSpot-enabled devices in front of a PowerSpot transmitter to enjoy far-field (up to 80 feet, or 24 meters) over-the-air wireless charging. Thirty or more enabled devices in the charging zone will automatically connect and receive power, sharing the transmitter’s three-watt (EIRP) output emitted in the 915 MHZ band. A device’s power consumption determines its charging range and rate; power-hungry products charge best at close range, while low-power devices such as sensors can operate at the maximum distance. Each device’s instructions will recommend its charging distance and time.

Editorial note: Visuals are available at: https://www.powercastco.com/grips.

About Powercast
Powercast, established in 2003, is the leading provider of RF-based wireless power technologies that work in the far field (up to 80 feet) to provide power-over-distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and power or charge devices without wires and connectors. Founded with the vision of enabling untethered devices powered over the air, Powercast continues to create the most efficient, safe and highest power harvesting technology achievable while complying with the FCC and other global standards. Powercast’s IP portfolio includes 57 patents worldwide (32 in the US) and 29 patents pending. https://www.powercastco.com.

Note: Nintendo, Switch, and Joy-Con are registered trademarks of Nintendo.

Powercast Joins RAIN RFID Alliance

Collaboration brings over-the-air wireless power to UHF RFID systems by harvesting RF from existing RFID infrastructure to power EPD tags, retail ESLs, sensors, logistics and location tracking, and LED illumination

PITTSBURGH (PRWEB) JUNE 02, 2020

Powercast Corporation, the leader in radio-frequency (RF)-based long-range over-the-air wireless power technology, announced that it has joined 160 other organizations in the RAIN RFID Alliance who share the goal of promoting the universal adoption of ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID technology. This global alliance aims to emulate the same success for RFID that the Wi-Fi Alliance and Bluetooth SIG have had in achieving universal adoption for their wireless standards.

RAIN RFID is a wireless technology that uses both handheld and fixed UHF RFID readers that are prevalent in industries around the globe to connect billions of everyday items to the internet. It enables businesses and consumers to identify, locate, authenticate and engage each item bearing an RFID tag or label.

Powercast’s Powerharvester® RF-to-DC converter chips harvest RF from 10MHz to 6GHz, and bring new functionality to RAIN RFID systems. The Powerharvester PCC110 and PCC114 chips can harvest RF from existing UHF RFID readers and very efficiently (up to 80% efficiency) convert it to direct current (DC) to power applications over the air. RFID readers emit a similar RF signal to Powercast’s PowerSpot® and Powercaster® RF wireless power transmitters, enabling RAIN RFID to be another reliable source of RF wireless power.

A Powerharvester receiver chip embedded in an electronic paper display (EPD) tag such as a retail electronic shelf-edge label (ESL), an environmental sensing or logistics tag, or a secure ID card can harvest RF when it comes within range of a UHF RFID reader. That range is application dependent; most can function up to 30 feet (9 meters) from a reader, while some can work up to 80 feet (24 meters) away. RFID tag or label devices can be designed with batteries that Powercast either recharges or manages, or without batteries because an embedded Powerharvester chip can harvest enough power from UHF RFID readers to operate perpetually.

Several applications developed with partner E Ink and deployed over the last two years enable companies to use RFID infrastructure to wirelessly update E Ink’s ePaper screen over the air. These include ViewTag’s electronic bag tag, launched by British Airways in 2019 as TAG, which harvests RF from airport RFID equipment to refresh the ePaper screen with the passenger’s itinerary; and Powercast’s UHF RFID Retail Price Tag, a batteryless ESL launched in 2018 which harvests RF from retail RFID readers to send over-the-air price updates to its ePaper screen. More details are in E Ink and Powercast’s white paper, “Integrating wireless power technology into ePaper devices for carefree wireless charging:” http://go.eink.com/whitepapers

Other UHF RFID over-the-air wireless power applications include environmental monitoring, such as Powercast’s RFID Sensor Tags launched in 2017 which measure temperature, light and humidity; smart packaging with wirelessly illuminated LEDs; smart ID cards which electronically verify user credentials; logistics and advanced location tracking devices; and on-product sensing devices.

“We are delighted to join the RAIN RFID Alliance and look forward to a mutually beneficial collaboration,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., chief operating and technical officer of Powercast. “RAIN provides an industry forum to promote the benefits of RFID technology and is driving awareness to accelerate growth and adoption across many industries.”

“The alliance welcomes Powercast to our growing membership,” said Steve Halliday, president of the RAIN RFID Alliance. “Powercast brings deep experience in defining and executing wireless power solutions to benefit our members, and will contribute to our mission of promoting RFID technology.”

Editorial note: Visuals are available from the links in this release, or from https://www.powercastco.com/visuals/.

About Powercast
Powercast, established in 2003, is the leading provider of RF-based wireless power technologies that work in the far field (up to 80 feet) to provide power-over-distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and power or charge devices without wires and connectors. Founded with the vision of enabling untethered devices powered over the air, Powercast continues to create the most efficient, safe and highest power harvesting technology achievable while complying with the FCC and other global standards. Powercast’s IP portfolio includes 62 patents worldwide and 38 patents pending. https://www.powercastco.com.

About RAIN RFID Alliance
The RAIN RFID Alliance is an organization supporting the universal adoption of RAIN UHF RFID technology. A wireless technology that connects billions of everyday items to the internet, enabling businesses and consumers to identify, locate, authenticate, and engage each item. The technology is based on the EPC Gen2 UHF RFID specification, incorporated into the ISO/IEC 18000-63 standard. For more information, visit http://www.RAINRFID.org. The RAIN Alliance is part of AIM, Inc. AIM is the trusted worldwide industry association for the automatic identification industry, providing unbiased information, educational resources, and standards for nearly half a century.

CES 2020: Powercast Showcases Over-the-Air Wireless Power Products from Partners and its Own Product Team

ViewTag Chooses Powercast Wireless Power Technology for Electronic Bag Tag

Embedded Powerharvester chipset preserves battery life so tag can be reused over 3000 times

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Powercast Corporation, the leader in radio-frequency (RF)-based long-range wireless power technology, announced that ViewTag, the pioneer of the electronic bag tag, has selected its Powerharvester^® Chipset for battery management so that the ViewTag Electronic Bag Tag (EBT) can be reused over 3000 times.

The digital ViewTag snaps onto luggage and allows customers to tag their own bags, reducing their airport check-in experience to a simple bag drop. British Airways is the first to roll ViewTag out to its customers (http://www.ba.com/tag), with more airlines expected to launch in 2020. Passengers use their Bluetooth-enabled phone and the airline’s app to check-in, get their boarding pass and synchronize their itinerary to their tag. Passengers can also easily transfer the tag between bags.

ViewTag is equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a digital display, a lithium battery, and Powercast’s Powerharvester Chipset, which is comprised of a wireless power RF-to-DC converter chip and boost converter IC. Powercast’s technology preserves the battery by keeping the tag dormant until it detects and harvests RF energy over the air from nearby airport RFID scanning equipment, at which time it updates the screen with the passenger’s itinerary. The tag is capable of over 3000 itinerary updates.

Powercast will display ViewTag at CES 2020 in its booth #42161 at the Sands Expo.

About Powercast:
Powercast is the leading provider of RF-based wireless power technologies that work in the far field (up to 80 feet) to provide power-over-distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and power or charge devices without wires and connectors.  Founded with the vision of enabling untethered devices powered over the air, Powercast continues to create the most efficient, safe and highest power harvesting technology achievable while complying with the FCC and other global standards.   Powercast’s IP portfolio includes 50 patents worldwide (25 in the US) and 29 patents pending. www.powercastco.com.

About ViewTag:
ViewTag^® is a permanent, electronic bag tag (EBT) that securely attaches to luggage for convenient itinerary information writing and airline check-in. Equipped with RFID, Bluetooth LE, and a digital display of flight information, it fits seamlessly into the scanning sortation equipment used in every airport around the world. Headquartered outside of Philadelphia, PA, ViewTag pioneered the EBT for the airline industry. Viewtag.com.

Note: Visuals are available: https://www.powercastco.com/visuals/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a5d0f3d1-ce79-42c4-ae8c-afb418de4dc5

Contact:
Michelle Moody

+1.214.363.3460

Powercast to Unveil Over-the-Air Wireless Charging Grips for Nintendo Joy-Con Controllers at CES

Contactless wireless power gains momentum at CES with these grips, digital luggage tags, wirelessly illuminated printed electronics products and more

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Powercast Corporation today announced that it would unveil at CES Wireless Charging Grips for Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers, the world’s first gaming product that charges over the air without wires, plugs or charging mats. These grips automatically charge when within feet of Powercast’s FCC- and ISED-approved PowerSpot^® radio frequency (RF) wireless power transmitter, so users never have to dock their controllers, plug into power, or stop playing due to a low battery.

Grips on the market today are simple plastic accessories that Nintendo Joy-Con game controllers snap into that make them easier to hold.  Powercast has added contactless wireless charging functionality to create intelligent grips (left, right and double-controller versions) that charge Joy-Cons and double as a backup battery pack.

Powercast’s Powerharvester^® receiver and a battery are embedded in the grips. The Powerharvester harnesses power sent over the air to charge the embedded battery, which then charges the batteries in the Joy-Cons until they are fully charged. The grips also act as a backup battery pack, keeping the Joy-Con batteries topped off when out of the transmitter’s range for about 38 hours of gameplay on one charge.

Gamers never have to dock their Joy-Con controllers and instead can leave them inside the grips for carefree wireless charging.  The grips receive power when placed within about two feet of the PowerSpot transmitter, achieving a full charge between gaming sessions. An LED illuminates when the grips are charging and turns off when they’re done.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enables intelligent wireless charging where power is only sent as needed. The grips request power from the transmitter when their batteries are low, and tell it to stop when charged.

Powercast’s focus remains helping its customers develop their own power-over-distance wireless charging consumer devices. Demonstrations are planned in Powercast’s CES booth, and the company expects multiple product releases in 2019.

Charles Greene, Ph.D., chief operating and technical officer of Powercast, explains the company’s inspiration for also bringing its own wireless charging device to market. “Many of us at Powercast are Nintendo Switch gamers, and we often found that we’d let our batteries die by forgetting to dock our controllers,” said Greene. “Realizing our technology could solve the problem, we developed a product that lets the Joy-Cons charge without docking when you walk away from a gaming session.”

Greene continued, “Our vision is to enable long-range, true wireless charging where consumers simply place all their PowerSpot-enabled devices within range of a PowerSpot transmitter in their home or a public place.” Up to 30 enabled devices in the charging zone will automatically connect and receive power, sharing the transmitter’s three-watt (EIRP) output. Instructions included with enabled devices will show their recommended charging distance and time.

“We are proud of our track record of delivering practical wireless power products that work, safely and responsibly, under FCC and other global standards,” said Greene. “We’ve developed the most efficient power harvesting technology that’s permitted within today’s standards. Our robust technology also has capabilities beyond that, so look for our product releases to evolve as regulations do.”

More information, visuals and videos about the Wireless Charging Grips: www.powercastco.com/grips

At CES 2019:
Powercast will be in booth #41767 at the Sands Expo in the Smart Home Marketplace. The company will showcase first versions of its Wireless Charging Grips, which it plans to bring to market in Q3 2019. Powercast will also feature its PowerSpot transmitter, FCC- and ISED-approved in late December 2017, which began shipping in Q3 from distributors Arrow, Digi-Key, and Mouser Electronics.

Powercast will also demonstrate wirelessly rechargeable headphones, a keyboard, smart card, and various sensor devices along with development tools that facilitate wireless power designs.

Powercast will also showcase several wirelessly powered consumer products developed with partners. The first example is ViewTag’s reusable, updateable digital luggage tag, which British Airways is expected to make available to its passengers beginning early 2019. Passengers can check their bag in from anywhere via their Bluetooth-enabled phone, and then simply drop it off at check-in. The embedded technologies enable swift check-in with future bag-tracking capabilities built in as well. Batteryless printed electronics products jointly developed with PPG (NYSE: PPG) will also be on display, including LED-based wireless illumination solutions for smart consumer packaging, smart identification (ID) cards, and reconfigurable retail price tags. For more information on this partnership, please visit: www.powercastco.com/PPGTeslinDemo

About Powercast
Powercast, established in 2003, is the leading provider of RF-based wireless power technologies that work in the far field (up to 80 feet) to provide power-over-distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and power or charge devices without wires and connectors.  Founded with the vision of enabling untethered devices powered over the air, Powercast continues to create the most efficient, safe and highest power harvesting technology achievable while complying with the FCC and other global standards.   Powercast’s IP portfolio includes 50 patents worldwide (25 in the US) and 29 patents pending. www.powercastco.com.

NOTES:
ViewTag is a registered trademark of ViewTag LLC. Teslin and the PPG Logo are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. Nintendo, Switch, and Joy-Con are registered trademarks of Nintendo.  Powercast, Powerharvester, PowerSpot and the Powercast Logo are registered trademarks of Powercast Corporation.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c595f90-79d8-42a4-955a-3e44c967f754

A video accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2622aa3a-19ac-46ad-bdc1-2eee1dc9c33d

Contact:
Michelle Moody

+1.214.363.3460

PPG, Powercast announce partnership to develop ultra-thin, wirelessly powered printed electronics

Applications include illuminated consumer product packaging, smart identification cards

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PPG (NYSE: PPG) and Powercast Corporation today announced a joint development agreement to produce ultra-thin and wirelessly powered printed electronics products. The advanced solutions combine PPG TESLIN® substrate, PPG conductive inks and Powercast’s POWERHARVESTER® receiver technology for delivering over-the-air wireless power.

Powercast and PPG will introduce LED-based wireless illumination solutions for smart consumer packaging and smart identification (ID) cards, which enable enhanced security. With this technology, smart consumer packaging lights up to showcase products on a shelf. Smart ID cards also illuminate to permit or deny access to restricted areas or to verify user credentials.

The companies’ combined technologies allow developers to seal electronics into packaging and cards via lamination to provide indefinite illumination without wires, batteries, charging ports or direct contact with a power source.

“Powercast is excited to partner with PPG to deliver differentiation to the product packaging and secure credential markets,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., chief operating and technology officer, Powercast. “PPG Teslin substrate and the company’s conductive inks have great radio frequency (RF) characteristics, which complement Powercast’s long-range wireless power technology.”

The illuminated products are created by printing graphics or information on one side of PPG Teslin substrate using conventional or digital print technologies. The electronic circuitry is printed directly onto the opposite side of the substrate using PPG’s conductive inks. The ultra-thin (1 millimeter or less) Powerharvester wireless power receiver chip and other components are then attached to the substrate using conductive epoxy, and the label is laminated to seal in the electronic circuitry.

Powercast’s embedded Powerharvester receiver chips harness RF energy wirelessly from a Powercast POWERSPOT® transmitter or other RF source. The harnessed RF is turned into useable direct current (DC) energy to power embedded electronics and LEDs.

The two companies will showcase wireless illumination applications for smart packaging and ID cards at the IDTechEx Show, Nov. 14-15 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California. PPG will be in booth P27, and Powercast will be in booth A24.

The first showcased application, a PPG Teslin label affixed to the front of a six-pack of beer (courtesy of Straub Brewing, Inc., St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania), will illuminate the package and draw attention to the Straub brand. The second application is a smart ID card that authenticates a user based on proximity to an ID reader.

“A smart illumination solution using Powercast technology is a perfect complement to PPG’s current offering for secure credentials and label and packaging applications,” said Greg Terchick, PPG business director, Teslin substrate products. “The products we are developing with Powercast will enable our customers in these segments to create highly differentiated, value-added solutions for their customers.”

“The technology sharing between PPG and Powercast is an excellent example of the type of collaboration that continues to strengthen PPG,” said John Yundt, PPG global market manager, electronic and conductive materials. “We see this partnership as an ideal way to use the unique synergies of our broad portfolio of coatings and materials technologies to help our customers find solutions.”

Durable, flexible and water-resistant, PPG Teslin substrate is a microporous synthetic paper with the unique ability to cushion printed electronic circuitry while withstanding the handling and abuse typically associated with credential and packaging applications. PPG Teslin substrate provides an ideal surface material for enhancing the functionality and extending the service lives of illuminated and smart consumer packaging and identification cards.

PPG’s state-of-the-art polymer thick film conductive inks are uniquely formulated to meet a wide range of printed electronic circuitry applications, including printed radio-frequency identification (RFID) and mobile antennas, membrane switch and capacitive touch panels, flexible OPV solar panels, printed sensors and medical biosensors.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Visuals are available at https://www.powercastco.com/PPGTeslinDemo

About Powercast
Powercast, established in 2003, is the leading provider of RF-based wireless power technologies that provide power-over-distance, eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, and power or charge devices without wires and connectors. Founded with the vision of enabling untethered devices powered over the air, Powercast continues to create the most efficient, safe and highest power-harvesting technology achievable while complying with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other global standards. Powercast’s intellectual property portfolio includes 46 patents worldwide (21 in the U.S.) and 30 patents pending. To learn more, visit www.powercastco.com.

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD™
At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $14.7 billion in 2017. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

We protect and beautify the world is a trademark and Teslin and the PPG Logo are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
Powercast, Powerharvester, PowerSpot and the Powercast Logo are registered trademarks of Powercast Corporation.
Straub is a trademark of Straub Brewing Inc.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3cc2d1d5-399f-469e-8208-850ebaaede76

PPG Media Contacts: 
Brande Juart
PPG TESLIN Substrate
+1 412-325-5203
 
www.ppgteslin.com

Jamie Cowden
Industrial Coatings
+1 412-434-3082
 
www.ppgmetalcoatings.com 

Powercast Media Contact:
Michelle Moody
+1 214-363-3460