LED chip, lamp and lighting fixture maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has signed a non-exclusive worldwide license agreement with China's Hangzhou Najing Technologies Ltd (NNCrystal US Corp) that provides access to Cree's remote-phosphor patent portfolio.
The licensed family of patents addresses the fundamental combination of a blue LED and a remote-phosphor element to produce white light, as well as the manufacture, design and placement of the optical element, enabling lighting manufacturers that use NNCrystal's remote-phosphor optical elements to manufacture remote-phosphor-based LED lights without taking a separate remote-phosphor patent license from Cree. Product time-to-market can be shortened by using Cree's patented technology and by using NNCrystal's licensed remote-phosphor optical elements to access the technology, it is reckoned.
"Cree is committed to developing innovations that support our customers and help drive LED adoption," says George Brandes, Cree's director of intellectual property licensing. "Licensing of Cree's remote-phosphor patent portfolio to NNCrystal is further proof that our intellectual property strategy is working," he adds. "By providing access to Cree patents in this manner, Cree is facilitating the LED industry by providing an additional path for lighting OEMs to take in the production of high-quality, energy-efficient LED lighting," Brandes continues.
"NNCrystal and our customers respect the intellectual property of others and we recognize the value of licensing this important set of patents as the LED lighting market grows," says NNCrystal's chief technology officer Kai Su. "The Cree remote-phosphor patent portfolio includes patents that address main concepts of remote-phosphor-based light conversion and were originally filed by Cree more than ten years ago. The license includes rights to various patent families that are issued in many countries around the world, giving NNCrystal and our customers access to this important segment of Cree's patented technology."
