U.S. Patent No. 7,934,841, issued on May 3, 2011 to Luminus Devices, Inc. of Billerica, MA, discloses a method of illuminating a microdisplay using multiple LEDs.
According to the ’841 patent, microdisplays, such as digital light processors (DLPs) or liquid crystal displays (LCDs), used in various types of projectors (e.g., rear projection TVs, portable projectors) can be illuminated with multiple high-intensity LEDs. To enhance light extraction from the LED, the surface of the LED can be patterned to spatially vary its dielectric function. The ’841 patent discloses that a non-periodic pattern (e.g., aperiodic pattern, quasicrystalline pattern, Robinson pattern, or Ammann pattern) can be used to good effect.
According to its website, Luminus uses its “Big Chip LED” technology to produce high-performance LEDs for various applications, including lamp-free projectors with lifetimes in excess of 60,000 hours. The company is purportedly considering going public sometime in 2012. According to the USPTO database, Luminus has received two U.S. patents in 2011 (including the ’841 patent), and received 12 U.S. patents in 2010. Luminus has received a total of 52 U.S. patents, 12 of which are U.S. design patents.
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