Patents - Page 20

Global Technology Transfer Group (GTT) has announced the availability of a patent portfolio dealing with improved OLED illumination stability and improvements to AMEL technology. This portfolio is entitled 'Display Technologies Patent Portfolio' and consists of six US patents, one that relates to OLED technology and five that relate to AMEL technology.

The OLED patent relates to an improved passive matrix OLED device that provides for a control mechanism to maintain uniform light output from individual pixel elements throughout the illumination period. The invention additionally claims a passive matrix OLED device that provides for a control mechanism that prevents overshoot and undershoot illumination.

I recently had the chance to interview Mr. Corey Hewitt and Dr. James Buntaine from Kodak OLED Systems. Kodak is where OLEDs were first discovered, and they are still in the fore-front of the technology. This is going to be a long article - these guys have given me a lot of background info, even before answering my questions. But first let's introduce Corey and James:

Mr. Corey Hewitt, Operations Manager & Vice President, Kodak OLED Systems
Mr. Hewitt's responsibilities include worldwide operations, finance, marketing and business development. Corey has traveled and worked closely on a worldwide basis with Dr. Buntaine in determining the future strategy for OLED technology and how it relates to Eastman Kodak Company. Corey received his Business Administration/Finance degree from the University at Buffalo and subsequently completed his Masters of Business Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Corey has joined Kodak in 1999, and held several positions before becoming the Operations Manager and VP of Kodak OLED Systems.

"This patent creates a promising new approach to creating 3D images, which to our knowledge is not currently being pursued by any of our competitors. This technology is a truly unique avenue to creating 3D displays and has evolved from our multidisciplinary research strategy at OU," stated 3DIcon President Vivek Bhaman.

Inventor and Co-Principal Investigator at OU, Dr. Gerard Newman added, "Our innovation represents a completely new technology avenue for creating high resolution, low-energy 3D images while bypassing several of the technology challenges facing existing strategies for creating 3D displays."

3DIcon's research team at OU considers this invention to be groundbreaking in that it integrates technological advances across five areas, including: 1) photo elements, 2) light emitting elements, 3) circuits, 4) material synthesis through combination, and 5) light scanners and modulators.

"We believe that the potential applications of this patent create an opening for 3DIcon to enter significant new markets in the rapidly growing display area that includes 2D and 3D," added 3DIcon chairman and CEO, Martin Keating. "With each new patent, we further fortify our IP strategy and advance our commercial goals in the areas of 3D displays. Our research continues to provide new opportunities for the company."

In addition to its use for creating 3D displays, this patent also covers the creation of unique two-dimensional displays that would be wafer-thin, flexible, and most importantly free of connector cables and belts.

According to Dr. Jim Sluss, Principal Investigator for the project at OU, "When applied to 2D displays, we envisage flex screens as thin as a few millimeters that could literally be rolled up and put in your pocket."

Samsung Electronics has acquired the IP assets of Clairvoyante Inc, an IP licensing company responsible for the development of PenTile subpixel rendering display technology and associated gamut mapping algorithms. The IP includes extending the lifetime of high-resolution mobile OLED displays.

Apple has filed a patent for a dynamic-keyboard - where each key is lighted up by a LED. It's an interesting development considering Art.Lebedev is working on such a keyboard for a long time (the Optimus Keyboard).

Competitive Technologies and Articulated Technologies today announced that they have signed an agreement for CTT to license and commercialize Articulated's patented OLED technology for adaptation to solar power. The agreement provides for revenue sharing between CTT and Articulated of royalty and licensing payments.

In addition to the solar panel technology, Articulated is the innovative leader in logical, yet truly disruptive, technologies for roll-to-roll LED solid state lighting, OLED manufacturing, and device structures of thin film, flexible, light emissive materials in ILED (Inorganic Light Emitting Diodes) and OLED applications. These applications include lighting, signage, displays, and backlighting, and medical, automotive, architectural and safety products. Articulated also holds IP on new methods of packaging microelectronics and semiconductors, and on printed electronics.

Vitex was granted six new patents recently. These new patent grants bring Vitex's owned or controlled patents to a total of 127. This solidifies the company's IP portfolio following its successful reinvention as a licensing and technology development company-a move achieved by leveraging its leadership position in thin-film encapsulation for flexible substrates and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays.

The recently granted patents are directed at protecting the unique technology Vitex has developed for edge sealing on OLED displays and other electronic devices, as well as for unique tool apparatus needed for the deposition of the proprietary thin-film encapsulation. The six patent wins comprise two each in Europe and China, and one each in the United States and Taiwan.

While the display market continues to be Vitex's primary focus, the company is applying parallel applications to the rapidly emerging thin-film photovoltaic market, which has a strong need for a superior low-cost, thin-film encapsulation.

Cambridge Display Technology entered into a patent license agreement with a major Japanese chemical company. The scope of the License encompasses certain light emitting polymer ("LEP") devices.

The Licensee will pay an upfront fee to CDT within sixty days of the effective date of the agreement (which fee has already been received) and will also pay royalties based on its sales revenues for products which incorporate LEP technology. The Licensee will be obligated to pay CDT a minimum royalty after a period of time after commercialisation by the Licensee of products which incorporate LEP technology. The License is terminable by the Licensee on 12 months' notice.

eMagin assigned to Kodak all rights, title and interest to a patent entitled "Serially-connected Organic Light Emitting Diode Stack Having Conductors Sandwiching Each Light Emitting Layer" (the "Patent"). In consideration to the Company for the transfer of the rights to the Patent, Kodak agreed that:

(1) Each of the Company's quarterly royalty payments owed to Kodak under the certain Nonexclusive Field of Use License Agreement Relating to OLED Technology for Miniature, High Resolution Displays, dated March 29, 1999 between the Company and Kodak, as amended(the "License Agreement") for the second half (from July 1 through December 31) of calendar year 2007 shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%); and

(2) Each of the Company's quarterly royalty payments owed to Kodak under
Section 4.2 of the License Agreement for the calendar year 2008 shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%).

According to the market research company OLEDNet on 21th, the number of OLED international patents registered, including Korea, the U.S, and Japan, by Korean companies and researchers, such as Samsung SDI and LG Electronics, is 1364 cases out of 2613 cases total, which is 52.2% of entire patents last year.

During the same period, Japan came in the 2nd place with 912 patents, which is 34.9%, followed by the U.S. with 185 cases.

Sorted by companies, Samsung SDI was No. 1 with 748 cases registered, followed by LG Electronics (270 cases), Japan`s Seiko-Epson (175 cases), Japan`s Semiconductor Energy Laboratory (SEL, 109 cases), LG.Philips LCD (96 cases) in order.