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Global MicroLED Displays Intellectual Property Landscape 2018 - ResearchAndMarkets.com

[April 19, 2018]

Global MicroLED Displays Intellectual Property Landscape 2018 - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "MicroLED Displays: Intellectual Property Landscape" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report has identified close to 1,500 patents filed by 125 companies and organizations relevant to the microLED display field. Among these are multiple startups, display makers, OEMs, semiconductor companies, LED makers, and research institutions. The overall corpus is relatively young, with an average age of 3.2 years across all families. The first patents were filed in 2000 - 2001, but the bulk of activity started after 2012. Thus, only a minority of patents have been granted so far.

Pioneers include Sony, Sharp (News - Alert), MIT, and others, although the bulk of initial developments were conducted by a variety of research institutions including Kansas State University, University of Hong Kong, Strathclyde University & Tyndall Institute (which spun-off mLED, InfiniLED, and X-Celeprint), University of Illinois, and startup companies like Luxvue and, later on, Playnitride and Mikro Mesa.

The study also reveals a number of companies that have not yet been identified as players in the microLED display field. Moreover, our study confirms the commitment of many more companies, i.e. Intel (News - Alert) and Goertek, which are not typically associated with display technology.

On the flip side, various companies known to be active in the field, i.e. Huawei (News - Alert), have yet to publish any patents in the field. Overall, the field is led mostly by startups and research institutions. With the exception of Sharp and Sony, display makers and LED makers are relative latecomers. Many companies started ramping up their microLED research and development activities after Apple (News - Alert) showed faith in microLED with its acquisition of Luxvue.

As of December 2017, Apple appears to have the most complete IP portfolio, covering almost all key technology nodes. However, many Apple patents pertain to the technological ecosystem developed around the company's MEMS transfer technology. Other companies like Sony, with a smaller portfolio but which had a head start, might own more fundamental design patents with strong blocking power.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Methodology And Terminology

2. Executive Summary

3. Introduction To MicroLED Displays

4. Microled IP Landscape: Overview

5. Time Evolution Of Patent Applications

6. Company Analysis

7. Pixel & Display Architectures, Driving

8. Transfer & Interconnect

9. Chip Structure And Manufacturing

10. Light Extraction And Management

11. Color Generation, Conversion And Management