TIR's LightMark Slated to Replace 1,600 Neon Lights in Petro-Canada Gas Stations

August 26, 2004...TIR Systems Ltd., of British Columbia, Canada, is one of those quietly understated shakers and movers in the solid state lighting world. They're a systems integrator with significant breadth and depth of talent and technology and have been a leader in LED systems integration since the mid-1980s. We'll be covering TIR routinely now in LIGHTimes and recapping for our readers their various product families, most interesting applications, and general corporate news. For starters, we report here that TIR recently signed a three year Purchase Agreement with Petro-Canada, one of Canada's largest petroleum retailers, which has a network of over 1,600 retail and wholesale outlets. The program will see TIR's red LightMark product replacing neon as the design standard for contour lighting on all new build Petro-Canada gas station canopies across Canada. Revenue for TIR will be recognized as shipments are delivered over the next 24 months, with the first shipments taking place during the fourth quarter of 2004.

Color Kinetics Now Controls Fairy Lights

August 26, 2004...Color Kinetics of Boston, Massachusetts USA has staked claim to yet another LED application area. String Lights...which to many of us is better known as "fairy lights." In a news release issued this week, CK said that, on Aug 17th, they were issued US patent number 6,777,891 relating to "miniaturized, integrated, intelligent solid-state string light, whereby individual LED nodes in a string configuration have the capability to be independently controlled." (That sounds like, what... smart fairy lights?) The patent revolves around CK's iColor Flex SL product as introduced by Color Kinetics in September 2003 and represents the 32nd patent for CK, with more than 120 others pending. We read a lot of patents here at CompoundSemi Online and SSLighting.net, and this one appears to be noticeably extended, the patents proceeding it extensive, dating back to the 1950s. No wonder it took two years for the USPTO to dig through it.

Lumileds Revealed as Power Behind Sony's New LED-Based TVs

August 26, 2004...On Aug 19, Sony Corporation announced the introduction of eight new flat screen televisions, which elevate three fundamental elements: picture clarity, audio fidelity and easy user-operation-all of which are targeted at providing users/viewers to see "all that is possible within the new High Definition TV era." Lumileds' LEDs are backlighting Sony's QUALIA and TRILUMINOS models which measure in the ranges of 40 inch and 46 inch screens. Sony is billing their new TVs as the world first LED backlit systems. The first at that large size, probably, and undoubtedly the first in many other ways... such as built in compatibility with formats such as Blu-ray Disc recorders. But in May of this year, NEC-Mitsubishi Electronic Display of America Inc. announced their 21.3 inch displays using HB-LEDs, and that introduction appears now to have been a prelude to Sony's. And the common denominator in both cases are Lumileds' Luxeon LEDs.

Agilent Optimizes InGaAs LED Technology for High Speed IR Emitters

August 26, 2004...Agilent Technology Inc. of Palo Alto, California USA has introduced a new high speed LED infrared (IR) emitter that offers radiant power up to 180 mW/sr. The new emitter, from Agilent's Semiconductor Products Group, is targeted as a higher performance, cost-saving device in consumer and industrial products. Its compound semi LED technology is AlGaAs based, which has been optimized for high radiant intensity, speed and low forward voltage. Called the HSDL-4261, the new IR emitter provides manufacturers with a low-cost illumination source suitable for a broad range of applications, from communication devices and IR LANs to consumer products such as optical mice, IR headphones, microphones and keyboards. It features 15 ns rise time and 45 ns fall time (10 percent to 90 percent), with intensities of up to 180 mW/sr (typical) at ILED=100 mA at a 26-degree viewing angle. It operates at the 870 nm optical wavelength and is supplied in an industry-standard 5 mm (T-1 3/4) form-factor package. Further, it is built with iron lead frames that dissipate power efficiently over a wide range of currents. The forward voltage is a low 1.40 volts at 20 mA, which, in some applications, allows two or more of the emitters to be connected in series without exceeding the supply-voltage capability. The Agilent HSDL-4261 is priced at $0.12 each in moderate volumes and is available now through Agilent's direct sales channel and worldwide distribution partners. More details are in the company news release.

Densen Cao
CAO Group, Inc.
8683 South 700 West
Sandy, UT 84070
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801-256-9287 (fax)
www.caogroup.com (web)