Wavien & Osram JV to Develop RGB LEDs
Wavien Inc. is collaborating with Osram Opto Semiconductors to develop RGB LEDs for projection applications. The joint effort will combine Osram's LED technology with Wavien's proprietary LED recycling (RLT) to provide low cost, high output LED solutions for pocket projectors and pico-projectors small enough to be integrated into cell phones. Wavien's RLT technology recaptures light lost in standard optical systems and recycles it back to the system output, transforming it back into useable light. An output improvement, as high as 100%, can be achieved. Besides providing greatly enhanced screen brightness, the unique recycling technology extends battery life for portable systems, and reduces the heat load for ease of cooling. This performance improvement is provided by either adding a simple reflector with an aperture to standard LED packages or by adding a unique imaging light pipe with an aperture. The dimensions of the apertures, which determine the amount of recycling, and the total size of the reflector or light pipe can be scaled to meet the user's needs. "Wavien's LED light recycling technology offers outstanding brightness by recovering and recycling high angle light from the LED that is normally wasted with traditional LED coupling systems," stated Kenneth Li, President and CEO of Wavien, who is also the inventor of the recycling technology. Li added: "This unique design enables LED-based projectors to have increased total brightness by up to 100%. Clearly, with such improvements in cost and performance, projectors will be used in locations that were previously not feasible." Wavien, based in Valencia, California, is a technology licensing company developing long-life, high-performance light sources and engine prototypes for the projection and general lighting industries. Wavien currently offers its unique "Dual Paraboloid Reflector" ("DPR") technology using ultra-high-pressure arc lamps. Wavien also offers the LED illumination market improved brightness improvements with its RLT recycling and non-imaging optical technology. These technologies improve lamp life, brightness, and efficiency when teamed with applications in the projection display, fiber optics, entertainment, and general lighting markets. Osram is part of the Industry sector of Siemens and one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. Its subsidiary, Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH in Regensburg (Germany), offers its customers solutions based on semiconductor technology for lighting, sensor and visualization applicationsThe firm has production sites in Regensburg (Germany) and Penang (Malaysia). Its headquarters for North America is in Sunnyvale (USA), and for Asia in Hong Kong.
