Patents

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:

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(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

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.

OLED-T today announced a new patented host material for OLED displays that delivers significant performance benefits compared with existing materials. The host layer is a crucial layer in the make-up of an OLED display as it impacts its performance including efficiency and lifetime. The new OLED-T material, called E746, is targeted as a direct replacement and upgrade path for aluminium quinolate (Alq3), the host material most commonly used throughout the OLED industry.

OSRAM and Philips have signed a patent crosslicense agreement covering optoelectronic semiconductors. The agreement involves the mutual licensing of patents for all inorganic and organic LED. The agreement relates to patents held by Philips, including the US subsidiary Lumileds, and by OSRAM including its subsidiary OSRAM Opto Semiconductors.