Patents - Page 22

AU Optronics and Samsung Electronics have signed a broad patent cross-license agreement to allow expanded access to the patent portfolios each company holds. The agreement is a significant expansion of the companies' relationship to enhance the development and delivery of innovative digital consumer electronics products by sharing each other's respective technologies.

The coverage of the cross license includes patents in the area of TFT-LCD and OLED, especially the technology for LCD TV application. AUO and Samsung expect the agreement to bolster the development and deployment of TFT-LCD technology in the LCD TV, giving a new catalyst to strengthen the competitiveness of the two companies.

Sony announced that it will jointly develop OLED materials with Japanese oil company Idemitsu Kosan. The two companies will also cross-licence OLED-related patents as part of the joint development plan, which was spelled out in a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in Tokyo today.

Sony and Idemitsu are expecting to sign a formal deal by the end of January. The deal will (initially) cover a 5-year development effort.

NanoHorizons, a developer of applied nanoscale materials and solutions, announced today that it has received a notice of allowance from the US Patent Office for its innovative nanoscale photovoltaic cell design. NanoHorizons' design enables dramatic improvements in solar cell efficiency and breakthrough reductions in fabrication costs. Brighter, more efficient OLEDs are also made possible.

The new technology will be available via NanoHorizons' new Technology Licensing Program.
NanoHorizons' design utilizes a single nanoscale-engineered structure to perform both absorption and collection: An array of efficient vertically- aligned collector "nano-spikes" (made of nanofibers, nanowires, nanotubes, or nanoparticle chains) rise throughout a layer of light-absorptive material. By integrating vertical nano-spike collectors into the absorption material itself, energy collection now occurs at 90 degrees to the absorption process.

eMagin Corporation has received notification of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for an anode design that features improved stability. The design effectively extends the lifetime of eMagin's OLED microdisplays.

eMagin scientists developed a single-layer, semi-transparent capable anode with efficient hole injection properties. The approach can improve the overall stability of the anode and OLED life by simplifying both the manufacturing process and the device structure.

"As more commercial and military users are attracted to the excellent performance and durability of our OLED microdisplays, we are continuing to incrementally improve upon the technology to make it more broadly useful," said Susan Jones, eMagin's chief marketing and strategy officer. "This new patent represents an important method to make high efficiency, long life OLEDs that should be compatible with a wide range of OLED materials. Aspects of this invention are already proving its worth in our products."

The agreement paves the way for Samsung SDI to integrate Universal Display's proprietary OLED technologies into Samsung SDI's active-matrix OLED display products.

Samsung SDI said it intends to introduce Universal Display's phosphorescent materials and associated technology in Samsung SDI's initial active-matrix OLED products. According to the company, PHOLEDs have been shown to be up to four times more efficient than traditional fluorescent OLEDs, which is key for lower power consumption, less heat generation and longer operating lifetimes.

"The worldwide market for OLED displays is estimated to grow to $5.2 billion in 2008. We also expect that [Universal Display's] PHOLEDs having more saturated colors and cost saving advantages over the traditional fluorescent OLEDs would lead the OLED manufacturers to introduce OLED displays into the market quickly," he continued

Univison said the patent technology is common among OLED makers and it demonstrated a grayscale OLED panel in a 2001 exhibition. However, RiTdisplay stated the court has ruled that the case should be investigated and Univision has not received a patent license from Kodak.

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Among the patents now allowed in the US is a patent relating to OLEDs which comprise hole transport, electron transport and emissive components, using type II interfaces, contained in the same molecule. This is believed to be of considerable importance in the context of the printing of OLED devices. Molecules containing 'type II' interfaces are believed to be important in achieving high efficiency display devices.

Other new US patents allowed include a patent relating to the use of a dielectric barrier layer over the key emissive layer to protect it from damage due to sputtering of a conductive layer. This is expected to have important application in top emitting devices in which the light does not have to pass between the transistors but, more efficiently, through a transparent cathode structure.

Luxell announced today that in has expanded its IP portfolio in the area of Flat Panel displays. Luxell also further re-enforced its exclusive rights to its revolutionary Black Layer contrast enhancement technique by advancing its most recent filing (PCT/CA03/00904) into the national phase.

This latest disclosure relates to various methods whereby the Black Layer advantage may be realized in both top and bottom emission OLED displays.

Samsung and Sony announced an extensive cross-licensing agreement that will help them fill gaps in their patent portfolios and potentially avoid lawsuits.

The deal includes many patents - but doesn't include OLED related patents.

eMagin were granted a new patent (#6,809,710) covering an innovative gray-scale pixel driver for electronic displays. The circuit effectively allows variable brightness in gray-scale OLED displays, enabling greater utility in bright sunlight applications.

emagin says that this technology will greatly facilitate systems design integration by providing an integrated solution removing the need for adding external circuit components.