Color
Kinetics Awarded Core Patent for Controlling LED-Based Illumination
September 9, 2004...Color Kinetics of Boston, Massachusetts USA can
put another major notch in its gun having just been awarded a key USA
patent that they applied for in October of 2001 which extends their
coverage of core methods for controlling LED-based illumination, including
use of standard DMX512 protocol. "This is a particularly significant
addition to Color Kinetics' patent portfolio, given its added protection
of our fundamental control technology," said George Mueller, Chairman
and CEO, Color Kinetics. "This innovation underlies nearly all
of Color Kinetics' intelligent lighting systems, and we believe the
additional coverage strengthens our competitive position while fueling
potential for OEM and licensing relationships across diverse markets
where the capability for intelligent control is increasingly valuable."
This particular patent covers an area of LED assembly of special note
to our readership in that it includes the topic of heat dissipating
housings. LIGHTimes SecondPage members can read more about this patent,
including the heat dissipating housing, and provides links to the patent
text...
Rubicon
Scores Another Major Press Victory for Solid State Lighting
September 9, 2004...Scoring a in-depth article, complete with sidebar,
in the Chicago Sun-Times is almost as much of a coup as getting coverage
on CNN's Lou Dobbs Show. Maybe even better as it has a longer shelf
life, and Rubicon has done just that. The article is a refreshing outside
view of what our SSL industry is all about, and the source of the expertise
is Rubicon, which can now chalk up another PR win along with its Lou
Dobbs feature, which we covered as our July 8th headline news. The article
is titled Let There Be Higher Tech Light and it's bylined by Chicago
Sun-Times Business Reporter, Howard Wolinsky. It's a great read and
highly recommended.
Samsung
Helps Explain Importance of LED Backlit Displays
LIGHTimes Staff
September 9, 2004...Samsung LCD Business unit of Seoul, Korea, a division
of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and one of the world's largest providers
of TFT-LCD display panels, recently unveiled a wide range of display
components and technologies at the International Display Research Conference
(Asia Display '04) and the 4th International Meeting on Information
Display (IMID '04) which were held in conjunction in Daegu, Korea in
late August. Samsung's newest technologies were applied to 17¡± and 21¡±
LED backlight displays for for LCD monitors, plus an innovative one-piece
2.32¡± touch screen panel for mobile LCDs and a 46¡± portrait LCD panel.
There's a great deal of focus right now on the emerging role advanced,
SSL LEDs play in display technology and by taking a close look at what
Samsung is providing... and why... we see not only the marketing words
worth following, but the words between the lines that strategic planners
look for. SecondPage members can read more about Samsung's market and
design strategy...
Microsemi
Introduces Ambient Light Sensor Auto Brightness Control IC
September 9, 2004...Microsemi Corporation of Irvine, California USA
has introduced the third member of its new portfolio of automatic brightness
control ICs. Dubbed the LX1972 ambient light detector, this little low
cost number is a simple 2-lead device that mimics human eye response
which is tailor-made for portable consumer display designers. The new
sensor is based on Microsemi's patent-pending architecture that emulates
the spectral response of the human eye and largely ignores both ultra
violet and infrared wavelengths that often confuse conventional light
sensors (which aren't all that smart). The circuit design is geared
to optimize the control of backlighting displays in portable consumer
product lines including digital still cameras and notebook computers,
desktop monitors, and LCD TVs. According to Paul Bibeau, VP and GM of
Microsemi's Integrated Products Group, "We made the LX1972 the
easiest-to-use device in the market. No optical filters are needed,
and its output current can be used directly, or converted to a voltage
simply by placing the LX1972 in series with a single resistor at either
of its two pins." Packaged in a 2-pin 1206 Standard Carrier that
measures only 3.25 millimeters long by 1.6 millimeters wide and 1.0
millimeters high, the LX1972 is unit priced at $0.60 in 10K quantities.
Samples and production quantities are available immediately. Company
news release
Demand
for Blue LEDs in Taiwan for Handsets Fell 15-20% in Q-3
CompoundSemi Staff
September 8, 2004...Rationale for second-thoughts and perhaps even "consolidation"
are apparently continuing to gain in popularity as Taiwan blue LED manufacturers
report a continued downturn in demand for handsets using their devices.
According to another helpful DigiTimes article Sept. 8th by Kathryn
Chiu and Jessie Shen, complete with reported numbers, price pressures
credited to high inventory levels in China and increasing competition
in the industry have led to unit prices for handset LCD panel-use blue
LEDs falling sequentially from 15-20% in the third quarter, which is
down from NT$3-3.5 in the second quarter. It appears the prices started
dropping from NT$3.5-4 in the first quarter. Epistar, Formosa Epitaxy,
UEC and Arima Optoelectronics were named in particular, with UEC and
Arima having started ramping their capacity for high luminance chips
in Q2 and Q3.
Veeco
Catches Another Piece of China GaN Build-Up
CompoundSemi Staff
September 7, 2004...Veeco Instruments Inc.'s TurboDisc group in Somerset,
New Jersey USA has grabbed another piece of China's GaN build-up with
the sale of a D180 GaN MOCVD tool to Beijing Changdian Zhiyuan Optoelectronics
Co., Ltd. A subsidiary of Changjiang Electronics Technology. According
to a company spokesman, Professor Guang Di Shen of Beijing Changdian
Zhiyuan Optoelectronics, "We believe the D180 GaN is the ideal
platform to help us pursue new innovations for our packaged GaN devices.
The precise control provided by this equipment will enable us to fine-tune
our processes and speed the transition from device development to end-product."
It was added that the equipment will help them to develop novel applications
for gallium nitride (GaN) materials, although "how novel"
was not specified. Veeco's D180 GaN platform is designed for both material
development programs and small-scale production of advanced GaN-based
devices, including UV LEDs and blue spectrum lasers.
Color
Kinetics Takes the "Fairy Lights" Underwater
September 7, 2004...In a coincident follow-on to the awarding of their
"smart fairy lights patent" (our words) reported on August
26, "miniaturized, integrated, intelligent solid-state string light,
whereby individual LED nodes in a string configuration have the capability
to be independently controlled," Color Kinetics has scored another
patent, this time relating to intelligent pool and spa lighting systems.
Issued on August 24, 2004, the patent covers Color Kinetics' core methods
of controlling LED-based illumination in pool and spa environments.
One aspect relates to illumination in a pool or spa generated by a microprocessor-controlled,
LED-based light. Another aspect relates to the adaptation of a light
source to generate different colors without requiring the use of colored
filters, which reduces the complexity and increases the reliability
of the lighting system. In the words of George Mueller, Chairman and
CEO, "The issuance of this patent represents another important
step in our strategy to propagate the use of Color Kinetics' technology
across vertical markets beyond the traditional lighting space."
SecondPage members can read more about the patent portfolio with links
to the patents text...
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. LIGHTimes charter member subscribers can
read more about the comparisons with neon...
Densen
Cao
CAO Group, Inc.
8683 South 700 West
Sandy, UT 84070
801-256-9282 (tel)
801-256-9287 (fax)
www.caogroup.com (web)
