Rambus Inc. has acquired a portion of Uni-Pixel Inc.’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio relating to dynamic backlighting, field sequential color displays, and Time Multiplexed Optical Shutter (TMOS) display technology. In addition, Uni-Pixel has entered into an engineering services agreement with Rambus providing the ability for future collaboration and technology development. Rambus will pay Uni-Pixel $2.25 million for these display and backlighting patents.
TMOS display technology can provide LCD panel manufacturers with a better means of building displays by reducing material costs and delivering superior performance. The technology is targeted to leverage a subset of the current LCD manufacturing process, offering the potential of lowering the bill-of-materials and manufacturing costs by as much as 40-60 percent, while improving display performance characteristics including lower power consumption. Furthermore, backlight technology based on TMOS display technology can be applied to current LCD display panels to create a more efficient and cost-effective device.
Reed Killion, President and CEO of Uni-Pixel, noted, “Rambus has a long and rich history of creating and licensing industry-leading solutions, and we are pleased to enter into this agreement with a company of their caliber and significant expertise. The alignment with Rambus, specifically its Lighting and Display Technology group, leverages strong business and technical synergies around the licensing, development and manufacturing of advanced micro-optics (MicroLens technology), edge illumination systems (backlights) and display technologies. Rambus has demonstrated that its extensive system and integration expertise is core to its success in becoming one of the premier licensing companies in the world. We look forward to further leveraging our technological capabilities in support of this agreement.” Uni-Pixel is a production stage company delivering its Clearly Superior Performance Engineered Films to the lighting and display, solar, and flexible electronics market segments.
“This acquisition recognizes the significant contributions Uni-Pixel’s innovative technology can make to our solutions for LCD displays for HDTVs, mobile devices and PCs,” said Jeff Parker, Senior Vice President of the Lighting and Display Technology group at Rambus. “In combination with our design expertise and patented innovations, such as MicroLens optical technology, our goal is to greatly advance the performance and cost-effectiveness of displays incorporating dynamic backlighting, field sequential color, and TMOS technology.”
Uni-Pixel’s business model is significantly optimized by focusing its efforts on the development and manufacturing of its Clearly Superior Performance Engineered Films for the display and backlighting, general lighting, solar and flexible electronics market sectors. To date, the company’s commercialization approach had centered on licensing the TMOS display and backlight technology to existing panel and backlight manufacturers, while supplying those licensees with its Clearly Superior Performance Engineered Film as one of the subcomponents in those technologies.
Uni-Pixel
Rambus
