news archive
CDT
Acquires Opsys' Dendrimer OLED Business
Cambridge,
UK, October 28 - Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) today
announced the acquisition of Oxford, UK-based Opsys's
business related to the intellectual property (IP),
commercialization, and technology development of organic
light-emitting-diode (OLED) display technologies.
Under the
terms of the agreement, CDT receives ownership of all rights
to Opsys' dendrimer OLED technology. CDT also assumes
management of the commercial and technical development of
Opsys' Oxford, UK business, which includes facilities and
staff dedicated to dendrimer OLED technology. Financial
terms of the agreement include an immediate payment in cash
and deferred payment in CDT shares to Opsys. Additionally,
Opsys' US business, which is not part of the agreement, will
retain privileged rights to use dendrimers and other
technologies developed by Opsys.
"We
believe that the dendrimer technology developed by Opsys has
excellent potential as a basis for future generation
materials for OLED displays," said David Fyfe, CEO of
CDT. "This agreement with Opsys is in line with our
strategy of consolidating IP in the OLED space in order to
enhance the attractiveness of our technology offering to
existing and prospective licensees. Of equal importance, we
are adding over 25 highly skilled scientists from Opsys to
our team."
Michael
Holmes, CEO of Opsys, said of the deal, "We believe
that this transaction will combine the strengths of two
dynamic teams, which are working together with the UK's two
leading universities, to further advance display technology.
The terms of the deal also present the prospect of a very
satisfactory return for our shareholders."
Toppan
Printing Limited of Japan, which had previously invested in
Opsys as part of a joint dendrimer-development agreement,
will invest in CDT as a major corporate shareholder and
partner. Toppan will also convert its existing shareholding
in Opsys into an equivalent holding in CDT. The joint
development work begun with Opsys will be transferred to
CDT.
CDT's OLED
technology is based on light-emitting polymers that can be
deposited using solution-based processes, such as ink-jet
printing, which CDT believes can lead to higher throughput
and yield, and lower-cost manufacture of high-resolution
electronic displays. Opsys' dendrimer technology can also be
solution-processed. The companies believe that combining
their respective technologies to produce displays that can
be further optimized for high efficiency and low-voltage
operation will provide improvement over current
display-technology offerings.
Information: www.cdtltd.co.uk,
www.opsysdisplays.com.
Luxell
Sues CDT for $25 Million; CDT Says Luxell Misrepresented
Black Layer Technology
by Philip Hill
Luxell
Technologies of Toronto, Canada, has filed a $25 million
lawsuit against Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) of the UK
for breach of Luxell's "Black Layer" licence and
has terminated the agreement.
The licence
was granted in November 2001, giving CDT exclusive rights to
the contrast-enhancement technology for the worldwide
polymer OLED market. CDT paid $1 million, but did not make
the next scheduled payment of $1 million in August of this
year on the grounds that it had not succeeded in replicating
the application of the technology to commercial polymer OLED
production. "The Luxell suit is completely without
merit, and we will aggressively defend CDT's position,"
said CDT CEO David Fyfe.
Luxell claims
that CDT's actions have impaired Luxell's licensing program,
which has harmed its revenues and reputation in the OLED
industry. CDT says that it had been offering since June to
work with Luxell to sort out manufacturing problems,
proposing that the agreement be suspended pending
resolution, but that the offer had been refused. Stewart
Hough, CDT's VP of business development, told Displays
Europe that CDT has no choice now but to counter-sue on the
basis that Luxell had incorrectly represented Black Layer as
a mature technology ready to be licensed to CDT's
manufacturing partners for commercial production.
Kennedy says
that the high damage claim is based on the fact that CDT has
had an exclusive licence for the whole polymer industry for
a year. "We ceased to have any contact with polymer
manufacturers. Now we have to start again and re-establish
all those relationships," he said. Before the Luxell
announcement and CDT's response in mid-October, Luxell had
already revealed there were problems with the company's
other major OLED licensee, Tohoku Pioneer. Luxell said that,
taken together with the delays in implementing the Black
Layer technology in CDT's polymer product, this was having
an overall impact on the company's licensing efforts. It
predicted that licensing revenues would be substantially
lower in 2003 than in 2002. Luxell's stock price, which had
been trading at $4 at the beginning of the year, fell
overnight from over $1 to less than 30 cents, where it has
remained.
(This article was adapted
from Displays Europe Newsletter, with permission.)
Samsung
Designs Genesis FLI2310 into Tantus™ DLP™ HDTV
Monitor-TVs
San Jose,
California, October 22 - Genesis Microchip Inc. today
announced that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. designed the
combination of the Genesis FLI2310 digital video format
converter and Jag-ASM display processor into three new
Tantus models of DLP HDTV monitor televisions. Featuring
patented and Emmy-award-winning video processing technology
from Faroudja, such as Film Mode and Directional
Correlational Deinterlacing (DCDi™), the DLP HDTVs are
designed for simultaneous, high-quality viewing of movies,
sports, and other programs. The three Tantus models
featuring this technology can be identified by the "DCDi™
by Faroudja" logo on their faceplates.
"Samsung
is introducing a new generation of digital television that
addresses high-efinition performance," said Mr.
Chang-Wan Hong, Vice President of Digital Television
Research And Development for Samsung. "By incorporating
[DCDi™] technology into our DLP televisions, Samsung is
offering significant advancements in video quality. Our
Tantus models produce smooth images free of motion
artifacts."
The Tantus
models, the 61-inch HLM617W, 50-inch HLM507W, and 43-inch
HLM437W will be available in October at select retail
locations, including Tweeter, Ultimate Electronics/Sound
Track, Sound Advice, and Magnolia HiFi stores.
The FLI2310
is a single-chip digital video format converter that
incorporates Faroudja's deinterlacing and video enhancement
technologies with highly flexible scaling and aspect-ratio
conversion to convert standard interlaced and
high-definition video signals into formats compatible with
flat-panel displays. This is required in flat-panel products
such as LCD and Plasma TVs because of the fixed pixel format
of these panels.
The Jag-ASM
is a highly integrated display processor with advanced
analog and digital signal processing. It enables processing
of text and graphics from a PC input and simultaneous
viewing of two programs. Available functions include the
display of two TV and/or video sources, either in
side-by-side two-picture mode or in second screen
picture-in-picture (PIP) mode with flexible positioning and
size.
Information: http://samsungelectronics.com,
www.genesis-microchip.com.
InFocus
ScreenPlay 7200 Wins 2002 Cedia Award For Best Video Product
Wilsonville,
Oregon, October 7 - InFocus® Corporation today announced
the InFocus ScreenPlay 7200 DLP™ home cinema projector has
received The Custom Electronic Design & Installation
Association (CEDIA) 2002 Manufacturer's Excellence Award for
Best Video Product.
"In
order to be considered for 'Best Video Product of the Year'
entries were judged on custom installation, performance,
ease of use and value for money," said Matt Baker,
Chairman of the CEDIA Awards committee. "The ScreenPlay
7200 is a great product and it is refreshing to see
manufacturers pay attention to the custom installation
industry."
The
ScreenPlay 7200 is a true 720p high-definition projector
optimized for home cinema use. It is intended for home
cinema owners and home cinema installers who value video
performance and a true HD experience. The projector is
equipped with eight video inputs, uniquely-created optics
from Carl Zeiss™, and new technology from innovators Texas
Instruments and Faroudja™.
The InFocus
ScreenPlay 110 was also recognized as a finalist in the Best
Video Product category. This is the third award that the
InFocus Home Entertainment division has won in 2002. Earlier
this year the ScreenPlay 110 won both the PC World World
Class Award and Audio Video Interiors Excellence in Design
Award.
Information: www.infocus.com
NEC-Mitsubishi
Sharply Reduces Prices of LCD Monitors
Chicago,
Illinois, October 14 - NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of
America, Inc. today announced that it has dramatically
reduced the U.S. estimated street prices (ESP) of its NEC
MultiSync LCD monitor line, including a wide range of 15-,
17-, 18-, 19-, and 21-inch units.
"These
latest price cuts underscore our determination to bring LCD
flat panel desktop monitors further into mainstream consumer
and corporate markets," said Chris Connery, director of
product line management for the company. Reductions in ESP
are $90 for main-line 15-inch units (price reduced from
$449.99 to $359.99); $100 to $150 for 17- and 18-inch units,
with the least expensive 17-inch now expected to sell for
$579.99; $350 for the 19-inch LCD 1920NX, with the new ESP
at $949.99; and $850 for the 21-inch LCD 2110, which is now
expected to sell for $2799.99. $850.00
"For
many mainstream users who have been weighing the benefits of
LCD monitors, the significant price reductions that are now
occurring will be the catalyst to justify a monitor
upgrade," said Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor
research at iSuppli/Stanford Resources. "The lower
prices are expected to increase demand, particularly for
larger 17, 18, and 19-inch LCD displays that are now priced
comparably with 15-inch LCD monitors a few years ago."
Information: www.necmitsubishi.com
Fujitsu
Selects Genesis Processor for WXGA TFT LCD Monitors
San Jose, California, October
8 - Genesis Microchip Inc. announced today that Fujitsu has
incorporated the Genesis s9255 into its WXGA TFT LCD
Monitors that will be sold as part of certain PC bundled
solutions, available October 12.
The Genesis s9255 is a highly
integrated, feature-rich DVI-input LCD-monitor controller
that offers five-zone variable scaling, which Fujitsu feels
is well suited for WXGA panels. It inputs DVI-compliant
signals and will perform advanced image processing to enable
high-quality display on a TFT LCD Monitor.
"After carefully
evaluating the Genesis s9255, we selected this controller
based on its technology and features that ensure excellent
viewing quality for both static and dynamic images,"
said Shoji Takahashi, general manager of Display
Engineering, of Fujitsu's Personal Computer Peripherals
Division. "In addition, the s9255 has an integrated
timing controller and a microprocessor which reduces the
overall BOM (bill of materials) for the system solution,
making our LCD monitors more cost-effective."
Information: www.fujitsu.com,
www.genesis-microchip.com.
Helmet-Mounted
Display System for Formula One Drivers
TAUNTON,
Massachusetts, September 30 - Kopin Corp. and the BMW Group
today unveiled a Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) that will help
Formula One drivers race faster, safer, and with a definite
competitive edge. The HMD is part of an advanced telemetry
system approved for installation by the Formula One racing
committee and is to be used by the BMW.Williams F1 racing
team - perhaps as early as next year to communicate to the
driver wirelessly from the heart of the race pit.
When a Formula 1 driver uses the Kopin-BMW-Schuberth
helmet-mounted display, he sees a clear image that is well
out of his sight lines to the track and car mirrors.
The HMD
system uses a Kopin CyberDisplay imaging system that enables
drivers traveling at speeds exceeding 200 mph to communicate
visually with the race crew and monitor all of their
critical race data while continuing to focus on the road.
Kopin teamed
with the BMW Technology Office in Silicon Valley,
DesignWorks USA - which is the BMW Group's design firm in
Los Angeles - and Schuberth Helmets in Braunschweig,
Germany, to develop and certify the HMD. The imaging system
supports full-motion video and is visible in near-blinding
sun. Pit crews control the data and messages their drivers
see through a two-way wireless link that also allows the
crew to monitor extensive data about the car's performance.
Drivers receive information more quickly than by radio, and
are not subject to eavesdropping or track-noise problems.
Because it's mounted just below their line of sight, the
display is easier to view than a conventional instrument
panel.
The Kopin
display module in this Schuberth racing helmet is literally
a "helmet-mounted display." System development was
done in conjunction with BMW and the BMW.Williams F1 Racing
Team.
Dr. John C.
C. Fan, Kopin's chairman, founder, and CEO: "Certifying
this high-tech solution for Formula One Racing, combined
with the association we've developed with BMW and Schuberth,
provides us with potential opportunities in some interesting
markets such as automobile and motorcycle systems. We look
forward to building on this relationship and identifying
additional collaboration opportunities with these technology
leaders."
The principal
technology engineer in BMW's Silicon Valley office and
manager for this project, Juergen Bruegl, said, "The
Formula One HMD system represents a significant advance in
racing technology. Kopin's CyberDisplay-based imaging system
allowed us to integrate this new capability into a
lightweight, aerodynamically designed helmet without
compromising safety or performance. In fact, we improved
those measures. The quality, durability, and performance of
the CyberDisplay are superb, and we're eager to explore
additional possibilities for the Kopin technology beyond
Formula One racing.
Oliver
Schimpf, Schuberth's managing director of research and
development, agreed: "The challenge for us was
integrating an imaging system into the helmet without
sacrificing helmet performance. It is imperative that the
driver can safely communicate with his crew without taking
his eyes off the road. Kopin's small, lightweight system was
pivotal to solving these problems, and this new head-mounted
display system will likely improve overall driver
safety."
BMW.Williams
F1 driver Ralf Schumacher confirmed the improved safety.
"The HMD was comfortable and easy to use," he
said. "I can respond to information presented on the
HMD faster than any other instrument in the car. The system
is designed to be viewable with my eyes fixed on the track.
There is no need to glance inside the cockpit any longer,
and this means we can race with even more confidence and
safety."
Information: www.kopin.com.
