After Osram agreed to waive the standstill agreement with AMS, the Austrian company made a counter offer with the price of EUR 38.5 per share in cash to take over the German firm on September 3, 2019. Shareholders of Osram have an acceptance period until October 2019 to decide on the acquisition plan. The offer of AMS raised a bidding war with Bain Capital and The Carlyle Group, who proposed a takeover offer of EUR 35 per share to acquire Osram. AMS underlined that “our offer and the combination of Osram and AMS represents a better option to all sta...

In 2018, Signify announced that it has completed the world first bat-friendly LED lighting installation in a Dutch town, Zuidhoek-Nieuwkoop. Now on a way A4440 in the UK, LED lights that provide bat-friendly light source are set up by Worcestershire County Council, according to the report of Lux. The red light emitting LED lights a wavelength that does not affect a bat’s fly, providing a bat friendly crossing across the A4440 which is close to Warndon Wood nature reserve. (Image: Signify) The bat-friendly lighting switch project was a collaboration...

Mini LED has been viewed as the technology to confront OLED in display applications. Industry players from Taiwan possessing expertise in LEDs and LCD see the opportunity and are accelerating their technology development, aiming to boost the LED industry. Chip maker Epistar and vertical integrated LED company Lextar both demonstrated a wide range of Mini LED products including Mini LED backlit displays for gaming notebook, monitors, automotive panels and large sized Mini LED RGB displays for outdoor signage. Automotive applications are the targe...

Several exhibitors attending Touch Taiwan 2019 showcased their latest Micro LED displays and applications at the show including Taiwan-based panel manufacturer AU Optronics (AUO) presenting a 12.1-inch Micro LED automotive display. Paul Peng, chairman of AUO, indicated that commercialized Micro LED products will hit the market in one to two years. The panel market showed decline in 2019 due to soft global economy and the U.S.-China trade dispute. Despite that AUO has also been impacted by the slow growth, the company is pushing high value products deve...

Leveraging connected lighting technology from Signify and network expertise from Cisco, Norwegian IT systems integrator Atea has redefined the meaning of “smart office” with its office building in Stavanger, Norway. The office, named “living lab,” demonstrate the integration of connected technology on a single converged network. Key to smart office capabilities at Atea is Interact Office from Signify — a suite of connected lighting monitoring and management software — and connected sensors and luminaires from Signify. In addition to hig...

A research team from the University of Waterloo published their result of a successful demonstration which integrates amorphous silicon TFTs and Micro LED on large-area flexible substrates. With the approach, manufacturing of flexible Micro LED for wearables and large size displays with lower cost could be achieved. Researchers combined conventional low-temperature amorphous silicon TFT fabrication process with a laser lift-off transfer process to integrate blue GaN-based Micro LEDs with flexible TFT pixel circuits. According to the study, the selective l...

Micro LED and Mini LED technologies and applications created a sensation at Touch Taiwan 2019. Exhibitors from the supply chain presented key materials, components, equipment solutions as well as products applications following the Micro LED and Mini LED waves. eLux and Epileds jointly demonstrate a 12-inch full color Micro LED automotive display. The display adopts Micro LED RGB chip sized 40-50µm by Epileds and active LTPS backplane drive solution, reaching 42 ppi and brightness over 1,000nits. The full color and high contrast display performan...

On August 30, 2019, EPISTAR filed a patent infringement lawsuit against GMY Lighting Technology (GMY), Lightinthebox Holding, Light In The Box, Lightinthebox International Logistic, and LITB, (collectively, LITB) in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint asserts that GMY’s LED filament bulbs sold and offered for sale on GMY and LITB’s website infringe seven EPISTAR patents, and seeks injunctive relief to halt further sale of the infringing products. EPISTAR’s complain...

LiDAR companies continuously extend their partnerships with autonomous driving technology developers to speed up self-driving applications. Canadian LeddarTech announced the collaboration with the Flodraulic Group for autonomous applications. Velodyne Lidar, on the other hand, is providing its LiDAR sensors to Optimus Ride’s self-driving vehicles. Flodraulic is a mobile system integrator specialized in creating full machine control and monitoring systems. The company selected LeddarTech's LeddarTM IS16 LiDAR sensors for the feature of distance and a...

Polaris PowerLED Technologies, a U.S. based LED technology company and licensor of display brightness control functionality, announced that it has agreed to enter into a settlement and license agreement with Samsung Electronics for resolving patent infringement litigation brought by Polaris PowerLED against Samsung. "We are delighted to have resolved these litigations and that Samsung has become a licensee to Polaris' patented technologies," said Ralph Brandi, chief executive officer of Polaris PowerLED. (Image: Pixabay)...

Taiwan-based LED packager Everlight announced that the High Court of Australia has rendered the final judgment on August 7, 2019, denying Nichia’s appeal request. The Court has decided that the asserted claims of Nichia’s Australia patent 720234 are invalid. The Court has affirmed that Everlight’s products of Arrow did not infringe Nichia’s patent. Everlight affirmed the result of judgment and won the final victory by defending its customers' rights and interests. Earlier in March, Everlight reported that the Federal Court of Austral...

Touch Taiwan closed on August 30. Visitors at the show could find a wide range of display applications from wearables panel below 1 inch to large TVs up to 120-inch based on Mini LED and Micro LED technologies. One of the eye-catching products showcased by panel manufacturer AUO is the 12.1-inch Micro LED automotive panel that delivered vivid colors, high contrast and smooth display performance. At the same time, an AM Mini LED display flaunted an astonishing screen quality. According to AUO, since automotive verification takes long time, the company see...

Austria lighting company Tridonic under the Zumtobel Group announced the appointment of new CEO, Hedwig Maes, who will take the position starting September 1, 2019. (Image: Tridonic) The previous CEO, Guido van Tartwijk, left the company at the end of last year. Hedwig Maes will take over the tast and report directly to Alfred Felder, CEO of the Zumtobel Group. Maes, who was born in Belgium, gained 32 years of professional experience in the areas of electronics, industrial automation and industry systems with companies such as General Electric and AB...

LG Innotek announced the launch of its “Nexlide-HD”, a flexible three-dimensional lighting for cars that emits bright and uniform light from five directions. LG Innotek attached numerous LED onto a thin substrate to product the automotive lighting module. It is a hexahedron that gently curves like a rubber and mounted on the exterior lamps, such as daytime running lights (DRLs) and tail lights. The product, “Nexlide-HD,” emits uniform light from five directions except the substrate contact surface. The company applied the LED packages, wh...

Intellectual properties are crucial for technology developers and manufacturers. As a result, the disputes for patented technologies continue to go on. This week, Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) announced its victory of patent infringement litigation and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has begun investigation for the patent infringement case raised by UC Santa Barbara. MCC reported that on July 31 it obtained a judgement recognizing the infringement of its patent for red phosphor in China by the defendants, U.S.-based Intem...

MEAN WELL unveils the new linear type SLD series with both mechanism and specification strengths. The 12V/24V models are the constant voltage and current mode for any 12V/24V LED strip application in the market. As for the 56V model, it applies the constant power mode, which downsizes the model numbers. The 56V model is suitable for any LED luminaires design with output forward voltage between 30V to 56V. The built-in potentiometer design is kept for the user to flexibly adjust output driver current from minimum 700 mA to maximum 2100 mA. (CP mode full power ...

Touch Taiwan 2019, the major business fair for the display industry, kicked off on August 28 at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan. The event attracted around 300 suppliers from the supply chain to show their latest display technologies and products. AUO exhibited varios high-end displays Micro LEDs and Mini LEDs are definitely the spotlight of the show this year. Event organizer particularly arranged a zone for Micro LED and Mini LED products and solutions which attracted companies including Epistar, Lextar, Macroblock, TOPCO, ASM Paci...

As a driver IC design house with a special focus on power management and optoelectronic applications, Macroblock is not only devoted to LED display driver IC development, but also enthusiastic in new markets with innovated applications, such as: LED backlight driver ICs (Direct type LED full-array local dimming, called FALD), mini-LED backlight driver ICs and modules, Micro-LED backlight and display modules, and gaming keyboards. These are demonstrated at  at Touch Taiwan 2019.  Get Ready for HDR Macroblock demonstrates ‘Display&...

Facing the difficulties in the industry, global LED companies developed their strategies trying to keep their business prospering. LEDinside analyzed the different approaches of worldwide LED manufacturers. For Taiwanese LED manufacturers, Micro LED and Mini LED technologies have directed them into a new field where they have a better chance to rival with competitors from China and Korea. Korean and Japanese LED suppliers, on the other hand, target niche products for novel applications such as UV LEDs and LEDs with wavelengths that are similar to natu...

Visible light communication, or LiFi, has provided a high speed internet connection for residents on Graemsay, an island in Scotland. The LiFi network trial project was developed by The University of Edinburgh and pureLiFi. The LiFi trial project began in June 2019 with project named 5G RuralFirst. Before the trial, residents of the island often stock in a connection below 2Mbps. The LiFi network completely improved the connectivity by providing connection which is four times faster. Both outdoor and indoor systems are included in the LiFi trial network. Th...

Sony announced the partnership with Yamaha Motor for a joint development of the SC-1 Sociable Cart, an autonomous vehicle that delivers a new mobility experience. Sony and Yamaha Motor plan to launch services using this model in Japan in fiscal 2019. The vehicle was developed solely for the purpose of providing a new mobility experience, and it will not be made available for sale. The SC-1 is designed to transform what was a mere means of mobility into an all-new opportunity for entertainment. Sony and Yamaha Motor will deploy it to provide fun new diversions at venues s...

In December 2018, Seoul Semiconductor announced that it has won a patent infringement lawsuit against Mouser Electronics for selling LED products that infringe Seoul’s patent. Everlight later responded in January 2019 that it would continue to guard its right and claim patent invalidity against Seoul Semiconductor. However, Seoul’s latest announcement reported that the District Court of Düsseldorf in Germany issued a permanent injunction against the sales of the accused products manufactured by Everlight and ordered the distributor to recall the pr...

The annual Display International Touch Taiwan is taking place this week with exhibitors from all over the world showcasing their latest developments in display technology. Taiwan-based panel makers AUO and Innolux are both showing their innovative display products at the show including Mini LED backlight display, Micro LED displays and more. (Image: AUO) AUO announced that it will unveil several new display technologies covering Mini LED backlit 8K TVs as well as gaming monitors, notebook panels and VR wearable displays adopting Mini LED backlig...

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) announced that LEDVANCE has joined the Light and Health Alliance which aims to enhance human health and wellbeing with indoor lighting. The mission of the Light and Health Alliance is to bridge the science of light and health to practical applications, and to provide objective information grounded in basic and applied research. The Alliance works to generate and disseminate new knowledge on the topic of light and health via outreach and education. (Image: LRC/LEDVANCE) LEDVANCE will join other members of ...

As LED technology develops continuously and LED die-size shrinks gradually, the product application has become more and more diversified. Because of the saturated general lighting market, the display market seems to be the next main battlefield for LED makers. The well-known LED technology for display includes Mini LED backlight unit, Mini LED RGB and Micro LED. This year, most of the LED display makers try to show their advanced technologies by making fine pitch display with Mini RGB LED. At InfoComm 2019 in Orlando, US, most of top companies e...

Based in the U.S., Black Dog LED was founded in early 2010. The company focuses on indoor gardening, has various serious of LED grow lights, and is continuing its research in latest plant grow lighting technology. LEDinside recently had the honor to interview Black Dog LED’s CEO Noah Miller, to get a deeper insight of the product development and market potential of horticultural LED lighting. LED light has obvious advantages in gardening compared to HID Talking about the advantages of LED grow light, Miller gave us an example of LED VS. H...

A research shows that birds exposed to artificial light at night might increase the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV). West Nile Virus that infects birds and other animals including humans. The virus can cause West Nile fever for people and sever disease in horses. The virus is transmitted by birds and mosquitos. The study led by Meredith Kernbach, a PhD student in the University of South Florida College of Public Health, suggested that wild birds who carry the virus would remain infectious two days longer if exposed to artificial light at night time, leading to h...

The International Symposium on Automotive Lighting 2019 will take place from September 23 to 25 in Darmstadt, Germany. Inova Semiconductors, a member of the ISELED Alliance, is going to present its innovative solutions for automotive lighting with a focus on interior lighting during the event. Inova will exhibit the first available products and applications based on ISELED technology. A "Carbox" demonstrator illustrates the interaction between dynamic light and image content, opening up new possibilities for driver assistance and infotainment systems. A...

Lextar will present Micro LED display and its Mini LED series products at Touch Taiwan during August 28 to 30. The vertical integrated LED company is also releasing a new series of Mini LED ready for mass production. The products include I-Mini Blue and UFP I-Mini RGB display with a pitch size of 0.7mm. Lextar will exhibit its latest development, a 5.1-inch transparent AM Micro LED display. According to Lextar, the Micro LED display can achieve a brightness of 30,000nits by assembling flip chip Micro LED on the transparent glass. Meanwh...

Being an important component in display technology, LEDs have been continuing the improvement in power-saving and display capabilities. Mini LED backlights, Mini LED RGB and Micro LED also appear on the stage to meet various requirements of products targeting different applications. Mini LED backlights, which have been officially introduced into the market in 2H18, will be facing off OLEDs soon and become a new opportunity in the panel industry, according to LEDinside’s 2019 Mini LED and HDR High-Class Display Market Report. EPISTA...