Power modules play a key part in power saving. TM Technology's MSI sales department senior manager Alex Hor introduced their power module solutions and analyzed its technical challenges in the future.LED lighting marketHor first explained LEDs' characteristics and the history of lighting. He stated that LEDs save energy and enable long battery life; moreover, LEDs are mercury-free, small, rich in colors, sturdy, easy-to-control, and efficient. Hor also noted that the concept of lighting emerged in the 1800s. The candle lamp was invented in 1810. Sixty years later Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent lamp, which was popular for the next 60 years before fluorescent lights became available in 1938. In 1996, the need for next-generation lighting technology gained more attention due to the issue of global warming. Additionally, incandescent lights will be prohibited in 2012, and white light LEDs will be the mainstream, with OLED being another option.The advance of LED technology has allowed LEDs to penetrate the lighting market. Red lights, yellow-green lights, and orange lights had been commercialized by 1990. GaN blue lights and green lights were commercialized in 1993 and 1994, respectively. White LEDs were commercialized in 1996. Commercialized white LEDs reached 100 l m/W in 2008. In 2009 Nichia displayed white LEDs with 249 lm/W.According to Strategies Unlimited's estimates in 2009, the luminous efficacy of cool white and warm white LEDs will reach 120 lm/W and 100 lm/W, respectively, in 2010, and 150 lm/W and 130 lm/W in 2013.Current LED lights can replace regular bulbs, candle lamps, PAR lamps, reflector lamps, mercury lamps and fluorescent lamps. Strategies Unlimited estimated its CAGR from 2008-2013 to reach 146%, 211%, 92%, 119% and 45%, with overall CAGR of 134%.Some catalysts are driving LED lights' growth. Lighting is an elementary need of human beings, but it consumes a lot of energy. The huge costs mean significantly low energy efficiency. Moreover, lighting creates a lot of carbon dioxide. Therefore, governments all over the world have announced plans to ban incandescent light bulbs during 2010-2015, and may prohibit fluorescent lights that contain mercury. But there is an issue: we are not certain whether LED lights are good enough to replace fluorescent lights.IEK has provided the reasons for robust sales of LED light bulbs in Japan. First, the luminous efficacy of warm white LEDs has increased to 97 lm/W from 83 lm/W, and cool white LEDs to 147 lm/W from 132 lm/W. Moreover, the price of LED lights has dropped from 9,000 yen to 2,000-3,000 yen. Additionally, the rise of environmental consciousness, higher electricity rates, (2.5 times that of Taiwan), recognition of LED lighting's advantages, and government support have all helped drive sales of LED light bulbs.LED lighting power solutionsWhen we analyze LED lighting's cost structure, we will find thermal components make up 30%, power supply 20%, assembly 5%, and LED components 45%, the most expensive of all. The US Department of Energy expects the price of LED light bulbs to decline 15%-20% yearly, or even faster, so that they can replace conventional lighting devices in 2012-2015.Power modules play a key role in LED lighting's power-saving. The basic requirements concern the difference in input and output voltages, maximum output voltage, efficiency under different power sources, load and temperatures. The HV LED is a possible trend; its working environment is related to its life cycle (decided by the environment) and operating temperatures. Related technologies include the measurements of PFC and driver systems. Its protection functions address power surge and over-voltage, as well as extra protection. Compatibility involves special dimming systems and ambient light sensors.There are two kinds of power module solutions: linear and switching. The advantages of linear solutions are: free from the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problem, fewer external components, higher current stability and smaller size. Its disadvantages are: lower efficiency, heat problems, and more restrictions on design. The advantages of switching modules are: higher efficiency and higher current stability; and its disadvantages are more external components, difficult to design, larger in size and problem with EMC. TM Technology has combined the advantages of linear and switching modules to provide four solutions: mobile solutions, switching solutions, isolated solutions and non-isolated solutions for different LED lighting markets.The challenges of LED lighting technologyLED lights have encountered many challenges, including higher prices, difficulty in designing its power management and driver ICs, temperatures, product reliability, quality and education of clients.LED lighting power management also faces a lot of challenges in terms of EMC, and the efficiency and size of power modules. For example, LED lighting modules with built-in PSR and power MOS will effectively reduce the adoption of peripheral parts and the size of the circuit. LED lighting module makers also need to consider dimming technology. Designers should weigh the pros and cons and see how they can integrate the different dimming technologies of TRIAC, ON/OFF, and PWM.Passive power factor adjustment can now reach 0.8 from the previous 0.9. The structure is simple, the price is low, and the operating frequency is the same as power supply. But passive components are big and heavy, and they have to be designed according to specific input voltage and load conditions. TM Technology can provide passive valley-fill filter to adjust its overall power factor, so that the LED driver's power factor can reach beyond 85%, in order to achieve the goal of energy saving. TM Technology's upcoming driver will adopt active power factor adjustment, with its overall power factor to surpass 95%. TM Technology expects its latest products to be more environmentally friendly.TM Technology's MSI sales department senior manager Alex Hor Photo: Digitimes, October 2010

Traditionally, LEDs are packaged on ceramic substrates, but with more and more demand for high-power LED applications, solving heat dissipation is a new challenge. That is why Visera Technologies Company is devoted to the development of silicon substrates for better heat dissipation. Yu-Hua Lee, R&D director of Visera, analyzed the heat problem and solutions for LED packaging in the DTF forum, explaining the advantages of wafer-level lens and phosphor coating technologies.Heat dissipation is critical for LED packagingLee emphasized the packaging demand for LED lighting application. The most important issue of LED packaging for next-generation lighting is heat dissipation, said Lee, estimating the heat problem could be here to stay for the next five years. And he noted another important issue in the need for a robust structure and stable materials. In addition, light performance is also important, such as the strength of the light and lighting efficiency. The last issue is the management of costs and mass production.Over the past 30 years, the evolution of LED package technology has been characterized by the shrinking of the size. However, the thermal effect is more obvious when the driving current is higher.Compared with traditional incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, LEDs produce 20-25% radiant energy, and all is visible light. But heat conduction is up to 75-80%. The incandescent light bulb produces 95% radiant energy, of which 90% is infrared, but heat conduction is only 5%. Heat conduction of the fluorescent light bulb is 41%. Obviously LED has a more serious heat problem than the other two.The demand for high-power LEDs is rising. Heat will be produced as soon as one little LED chip is powered on. In order to reduce heat, the light's brightness has to be reduced. But at the same time, in order to increase the brightness, it needs the inputting of a higher current. However, the higher current produces more heat. And it is a circle, with heat continuing to increase.LED light efficiency drops 5% with the rise of every 20 degrees Celsius. In other words, when the temperature rises one degree Celsius, the efficiency drops 0.25%. When the temperature is at 100 degrees Celsius, YAG phosphor light efficiency would drop 20-40%. Also, the life of LED applications decreases significantly at high temperatures. With the rise of every one degree Celsius, their life would decrease 1,000 hours. Higher junction temperatures will also increase the failure rate.Generally, 90% of the heat that conventional LEDs produce moves downwards. Therefore it is a critical issue to solve the heat problem in LED packaging technology. The following data analysis reveals the importance of heat dissipation. Usually, heat conduction is the way for the internal cooling of connected surfaces at a power density of 3W/mm2. As for the external cooling, heat moves down to the heat sink through convection. If it is free convection, the power density will be 750W/m2, and if it is forced convection, the power density will be 7,500W/m2. Free convection flow may need a heat dissipation area 4,000 times as large, and it may be 400 times for forced convection. Hence, we can understand the importance of heat transfer.LED life cycle is highly related to thermal resistance. According to data from Cree, when the junction temperature rises one degree Celsius, the life of an LED will reduce 1,000 hours. If an LED works five hours per day, then the rise of one degree Celsius will reduce its life by six and half months.MaterialsMaterials for high-power LEDs sub-mount include ceramic (Al2O3, AIN) and silicon. However, silicon is the best choice for LED sub-mount materials because of its properties of thermal conductivity and thermal expansion. The thermal expansion coefficient of silicon is only at 2.6-4.0 ppm/K, which is smaller than ceramic. The thermal conductivity coefficient of silicon is 140 W/m-K, which is much higher than Al2O3 and a little bit lower than AIN. Hence, compared with ceramic, silicon is the better material for LED packaging.The thermal resistance of silicon substrates can be as low as five degrees Celsius/W, and 10-15 degrees Celsius/W for Al2O3. It seems that the resistance of silicon substrates is at least four degrees Celsius/W lower than ceramic substrates, that is to say, using silicon materials can prolong the life of LED applications by 4,000 hours.Wafer level packaging technologyThe sequence of the silicon-based LED packaging process is: isolation and metal scheme, chip/wire bond and phosphor coating, lens assembly, dicing and testing. With silicon wafers, TSV technology (single or multiple cavities) can be used to enhance light extraction efficiency, and that is what cannot be achieved with ceramic substrates.VisEra's proprietary wafer-level conformal phosphor coating technology can put a thin extraction layer of highly efficient phosphor on top of LED chips. With the innovative technology, it can improve the yellow rings phenomenon. Conformal phosphor coating can also control the consistency of color temperatures.The hemispherical lens designed to enhance light extraction is also another of VisEra's achievements. It can meet the need of every kind of light extraction.By using the phosphors compensation process to achieve tight control of color temperatures, the yield can be improved from less than 70% to above 95%.VisEra's LED lighting applications packaged with silicon-based technology have already been installed in many places, including the company's headquarters at the Hsinchu Science Park (HSP), the National Tsing Hua University campus, as well as in China's Qinhuangdao and along the JingShen Expressway.Still, many technological obstacles need to be overcome. For example, silicon materials are fragile, and mechanical strength is also a challenge. The reflection rate and the heat stability of lens - all of them are challenges for researchers. As for the structure, the isolation layer and metallization layer also pose challenges. As for the manufacturing process, phosphor coating technology and lens design are also key points that need to be addressed.Yu-Hua Lee, R&D director of ViseraPhoto: Digitimes, October 2010

Epistar was one of the pioneers that worked together with Samsung to apply LEDs in mobile phones. It is eager to expand its share in lighting market. The company's vice president, Carson MH Hsieh, gave an in-depth analysis on the trend of LED lighting, and he also discussed issues concerning LED lighting's commercialization and breakthroughs. LED lighting is the trend, but technical problems need to be overcome ETP pointed out in 2008 that if global carbon emissions have to be lowered from 62 billion tons to 14 billion tons in 2050(BLUE Map scenario). To eliminate 48 billion tons of emissions, the key point would be to improve the energy efficiency at the end-user side, which would account for 47% of the emission reduction target. Supply of renewable energy would come in second, accounting for 21%. LED lighting approaches the issue at the end-user side in line with the low-carbon economy trend. How efficient is LED lighting? In terms of luminous efficacy, incandescent and halogen devices are around 20-30 lm/W; energy-efficient light bulbs are about 70 lm/W; and HID lamps can go up to 100 lm/W; and fluorescent lights luminous efficacy has slightly improved to 120 lm/W. Although the luminous efficacy of LED and OLED lights remain at 80 lm/W and less than 30 lm/W respectively in 2010, they are improving quickly and within a few years time, LED lighting is expected to surpass conventional lighting in luminous efficacy. In lab development, we have seen luminous efficacy of LED lighting approaching 200 lm/W. Fiber to the home (FTTH) was once the talk of the town in 2000, promising opportunities for the optical communications industry. But wireless communications came along and quickly replaced FTTH, and shortly after the optical communications industry lost its momentum. We believe LED lighting is repeating wireless communications' history and will soon become the lighting for the new generation. As incandescent bulbs produce light through heat, which increases the temperature of the surrounding environment, they are not very ideal for lighting. For 20-40W lighting devices, LED has gained momentum in the market. As for 60W lighting devices, the heat issue needs to be solved first, and on top of that, LED glare remains an issue. As for lighting devices' product life, it may not need to be very long. If a product can last for 10 years or more without the need to be replaced, it would mean an end to the industry. Luminous efficacy in lm/W may not mean much to the consumers, as what really is more important is lm/$. This is the key issue, and we are aiming at 800-1,000 lm/$ to begin with. In addition, the current design for multiple light sources is very different from traditional ones. We may have to concentrate multiple light sources into one. If it is a design of lights emitting in all directions, the qualities of light - including color rendering, color temperature, lumen and the type of light - must be at least as good as traditional ones or similar to them. In practice, energy savings must be translated into money savings in 1.5 years, but there are technical hurdles to overcome. GE has recently closed its last major factory making incandescent light bulbs in the United States, a victim of a 2007 law banning sales of such light bulbs by 2014, because conventional incandescent light bulbs cannot meet the energy efficiency requirements. Furthermore, Philips also said that LED is becoming the main growing engine for lighting industry. It estimated that the market penetration rate will be more than 50% in terms of revenues in 2015. The pioneer Japanese market has already reached 50%. Technology trend for commercializing LED lighting There is no doubt that LED lighting is the future, but making LED lighting devices can be difficult, because there is no universal standard and technology is still being developed. Moreover, the optical communications industry and LED lighting industry are two different sectors, and it takes time and effort to put them together. For example, in the world of lighting, family run businesses are common and usually passed down from one generation to the next, and the proportion of in-house production is high. It is an eco-system with many "local kings" who are still reluctant to enter the LED lighting market, or have invested minor sums to test the waters. LED lighting devices form a very competitive market, and there is room for improvement regarding different standards and sales channels are still limited. Most of the producers have yet to make profits. The popularity of LED lighting definitely hinges on pricing. The current retail price of an LED bulb may stand at US$20, but an incandescent light bulb only costs US$1.5. We expect the penetration rate will be 4% when the price is cut to US$15 per bulb, 10% at US$7.5, and 25% at US$3.75, which is 2.5 times the price of an incandescent bulb. Epistar believes LED applications have no boundaries. We were the first company to work with Samsung and introduced LEDs in mobile devices. Nowadays, we can find that 50% of the notebooks on the market have adopted LED technology. Epistar was the leading company in adopting LED technology in TVs, when Korean peers were still lagging behind. Lighting will be our next focus. Why does LED lighting cost so much? The answer is in the cost structure. Cooling and metal bonding have the highest shares of the costs, while LED drivers come in second, followed by LED bin sorting. People may usually attribute the high costs to the high prices of LED chips, but LED chips in fact do not cost a lot. Their share of the production costs is even smaller than that of phosphor, whose prices are increasing. Take 800 lm light bulbs for example. The luminous efficacy is 100 lm/W in 2010, with 0.5 in luminous efficiency (0.5 for heat); driver and optical efficiency is both 80%; and Delta T is 106.3. Based on the above data, the input power is 12.5 W. If all the factors above are to be improved year by year, by 2015 the luminous efficacy will be 150 lm/W and luminous efficiency will be 0.75 (0.25 for heat). The input power will be 6.6W, and the heat it generates is less than 2W (6.6x25%), which means that cooling will not even be an issue in the future. Another concern for LED lighting devices is the actual use. For consumers, all they need to do is switch on or off the lights. Therefore, the development of AC LED technology is crucial. However, the bridge rectifier for AC LEDs is more costly, so we transform the integrated single-chip to a single chip with an external bridge rectifier diode, making it an HV LED which can endure high voltage and low current (no adopter needed). On top of that, without the internal bridge rectifier, the emitting area has increased. It suits both AC and DC. Not only does it save energy, but it is also more economical. It also supports the original design for dimming current. Epistar's high brightness blue HVLED is an InGaN LED, whose brightness has improved by 20%. The high brightness red HVLED is an AlGaInP LED which can greatly narrow the gap between warm and cold lights from the original 30%. Epistar's goal is to reach 130 lm/W in 2010, and over 150 lm/W by 2012. We believe that cooling will not be an issue by then. Epistar vice president Carson MH HsiehPhoto: Digitimes, October 2010

LED-backlit LCD TV (LED TV) shipments have seen a ten-fold increase in 2010, and growth is estimated at 2.4 times in 2011. Massive demand has driven down LED costs, and as LED luminous efficacy is expected to reach 150 lm/W in 2012, a further slide in cost is widely anticipated. Meanwhile, as the problem of heat dissipation will soon be effectively resolved, reliability and product life of LEDs will also increase as a result.While LED technology is maturing, its application market will also expand gradually with the LED lighting segment getting most attention. As global warming has become the hottest issue and energy conservation an irreversible trend nowadays, adoption of high-efficiency lighting equipment will help save massive amounts of energy since lighting accounts for 19% of all electricity consumption. Meanwhile, major countries' decision to phase out incandescent bulbs will also trigger a replacement cycle for bulbs.LED lighting prices are still much higher than those of conventional lighting now, but according to estimates by Japanese experts, LED lights will become more economical than incandescent bulbs in 19 months (electricity fees included). A further slide in prices will bring more advantages to LEDs on its way to replace traditional lighting.Besides an upgrade in technology, another crucial link necessary for LEDs' application in the lighting market is standards. This is why the DTF's Taiwan LED Supply Chain Technology Forum 2010 invited Jay-san Chen, director general of the Ministry of Economic Affairs' (MOEA) Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, as the opening speaker addressing the progress of Taiwan government's promotion of LED standards. Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association Chairman David Chang also made a speech in the forum, offering insight into the competition and cooperation between the island's conventional lighting sector and LED industry from a lighting vendor's point of view.On the technical front, heat dissipation remains the biggest bottleneck for LED packaging. Therefore, VisEra Technologies Company, Polytronics Technology Corporation and TeamChem Company were invited to present their optimized heat dissipation solutions in the forum. Meanwhile, TM Technology and Chroma ATE Inc shared their expertise on power module and testing, respectively, with forum participants, while Epistar Corporation, Taiwan's leading LED chip manufacturer, explored the commercialization of LED lighting and presented its state-of-the-art solutions.Taiwan steps up pace to establish LED lighting standardsTaiwan's LED industry has become the world's number-one in terms of output, and its output value also ranks second around the world. Due to a lack of common standards, however, lighting vendors still have no basis to rely on when developing products, so the government is accelerating the pace to decide on a set of standards. The standard CNS 15233, made public by the MOEA in December 2008, became the world's first set of standards for street lamps, and the AC LED national standards is also expected to become the first of its kind around the world this year. With cooperation and promotion among the industry, the government and the academic community, it will not be long before LED lighting grows into a full-fledged market.Among all its number-on titles for different industries, Taiwan was dubbed "the kingdom of lighting" 30 years ago. An integrated supply chain composed of both upstream and downstream vendors was the main reason for the fast development of the island's lighting industry back then. As Taiwan's LED industry is also equipped with an integrated supply chain now, lighting vendors are looking forward to another round of boom for the industry.However, lighting and photonics are two totally different industries where scores of cultural differences exist. For example, lighting companies are mostly family businesses supported by apprenticeship or father-to-son succession that is rare in the photonics industry. Therefore, there is still a long way to go for the two industries to achieve further integration.Moreover, LED applications in lighting still need to conquer the problem of conflicting characteristics. For example, the characteristics of LEDs include lower beam and higher luminance of point sources, lack of unified standards, fast development of products, premature performance and higher costs. However, lighting requires comfort, reliability and standardization, with higher demand for illuminance and uniformity but lower lost.Progress in LED TCB technologyLEDs face serious heat dissipation problem whether they are used in display backlighting or general lighting. Demand for high-power LEDs is rising, and high-power LEDs mean that more heat will be generated.As traditional heat dissipation tools such as fans or heat sinks are not suitable for backlighting or lighting, the development of LED thermal conductive board (TCB) technology has become an important issue.Generally speaking, ceramic substrates are the most common TCB and work well with low-power LED. Due to poor thermal conductivity, however, such substrates will suffer serious heat dissipation problems and need to be improved or simply replaced by materials with better thermal conductivity.For example, Polytronics Technology uses MCPCB substrates as its mainstream technology for applications in edge-lit LED TVs. Such Substrates are manufactured with a dry process for lesser solvent consumption, and its high thermal conductive film is made with a roll-to-roll process.TeamChem said the technological focus has been mostly on heat conductivity solutions instead of heat dissipation, which is actually the key issue. The surface of substrates is actually uneven in the microcosmic sense and needs to be filled by fluid. It may be a problem to achieve an even surface on the TCB using the traditional MCPCB technology. But it can be solved by using FPCB, a new type of flex board with great thermal conductivity.VisEra analyzed that silicon will be a better choice in terms of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusion, as aluminum substrates often suffer warpages. In addition, the thermal impedance of silicon substrates can be as low as 5 degrees Celsius/W while that of aluminum oxide is 10-15 degrees Celsius/W. As its thermal impedance is 4 degrees Celsius/W lower than ceramic on average, silicon will have an additional 4,000 hours of life in comparison.DTF Taiwan LED Supply Chain Technology ForumPhoto: Digitimes, October 2010

Micro-Star International (MSI) has announced the new 17.3-inch FX700 and FR700 notebooks featuring Intel's Core i5 processor and MSI's exclusive TDE Turbo technology.The FX700 is equipped with a discrete graphics card along with MSI's GPU boost technologies to enhance performance. The model also adopts Creative's THX high-end cinema-class wrap around sound technology to boost the audio experience.The MSI FX700 and FR700 also feature MSI's Cinema Pro technology, with which users can simply click a hotkey to instantly switch to film mode for higher resolution and richer colors. MSI FX700 and FR700 notebook specifications Model FX700 FR700 Processor Intel Core i5 Processor Intel Core i5 Processor Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 7 Home Premium Memory DDR3 1066MHz up to 8GB DDR3 1066MHz up to 8GB Display 17.3-inch HD+ LED backlight (16:9) 17.3-inch HD+ LED backlight (16:9) Graphics Nvidia GeForce GT 425M -1GB Intel integrated HD graphics Hard Disk Drive 320/500/640GB 320/500/640GB Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, October 2010MSI new 17-inch notebookPhoto: Company

In 2010, Epson Toyocom has introduced the AH-6100LR, which is a 6-axis motion sensor, ushering in a new era of portable consumer electronics. The AH-6100LR, specialized for precise motion tracking, comprises a 3-axis QMEMS quartz gyro-sensor, and an extremely stable 3-axis accelerometer within a single packageTakeshi Miyazawa, general manager of Epson Toyocom, remarked that the company in 2004 launched its XV-3500CB angular velocity gyro-sensor that has been applied largely to digital cameras, handsets and in-car navigation systems. The AH-6100LR was developed by leveraging these technologies for high-integrity motion tracing and motion tracking applications.The new 6-axis sensor packs critical application performance features into a small package (10.0 x 8.0 x 3.8t mm). Among these features are 5,000 g of shock resistance and current consumption of just 6.1 mA, a more than sufficiently low power draw to meet the requirements of low power systems.Compared with other materials, quartz shows a high degree of stability while consuming very low power. In addition to angular rate sensors and accelerometers, Epson Toyocom continues to make better use of the characteristics of quartz material by introducing an absolute pressure sensor, the XP-6000CA.The XP-6000CA employs an innovative new QMEMS pressure-sensing structure that allows it to squeeze into a tiny 7.0 x 5.0 x 2.0t mm package yet still provides excellent total pressure accuracy (±30 Pa) and high resolution (0.3 Pa).Both the AH-6100LR and XP-6000CA have been applied to a wide variety of applications. When built into bicycles, cyclists are able to access different information as they ride such as time, speed, distance, energy consuming, route tracking, and so on. Cyclists are allowed to monitor their physical conditions during their training, and work out better solutions to avoid the impact of other external factors and reduce accident risks. Epson Toyocom will continue its dedication to developing a variety of highly accurate motion sensors that satisfy the needs of customers.The portable Seiko Crystal Chronometer QC-951, developed as a backup timer for marathon events in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games, influenced the later development of quartz crystals and devices used for measurement and sensing. Quartz device is increasingly regarded as an essential component in electronic products where precise frequency control is necessary.Epson Toyocom Corporation was formed by integrating the operations of the Quartz Device Operations Division of Seiko Epson Corporation and Toyo Communication Equipment Co.,Ltd. in October 2005. The merged entity stays to strengthen on development of quartz components for consumer and industrial electronics applications, with products that include timing devices, sensing devices and optical devices.Manufacturing of electronics products toward weight-reduction, thin-wall and minified-size is now an inescapable trend, and constituent components need to fit in with their miniaturized designs. Therefore, the need for compact and high-precision quartz devices is increasing, and Epson Toyocom has responded to this trend with its QMEMS technology.QMEMS is a combination of "Quartz," a crystalline material with excellent characteristics such as high stability and high precision, and "MEMS" (micro electro mechanical system). QMEMS quartz devices are created using quartz material instead of the semiconductors used by MEMS. We perform precision microfabrication on the quartz material to offer high performance in a compact package.QMEMS is a registered trademark of Epson Toyocom.Takeshi Miyazawa, general manager of Epson ToyocomPhoto: Digitimes, September 2010

Up until recently, motion sensors have been used mainly in automotive and specialized industrial applications. However, new applications and broader market opportunities for motion sensors have emerged since 2006 when the devices were first utilized in the Nintendo Wii console. The market for motion sensors has now grown to include a much broader set of applications including sporting equipment, home appliances, industrial solutions, security monitoring systems, medical rehabilitation and clinical devices.A forum, "2010 Motion Sensing Technology," was organized by Digitimes and sponsored by Epson on September 16, 2010 to discuss the growing market for motion sensors and their new applications. Industry experts and academic researchers were invited to present their views of the market and technology trends at the forum, which took place at Grand Victoria Hotel in Taipei.There are many types of motion sensors available in the market, mostly used to detect changes in external conditions. In terms of detection technology and applications, they can be divided into inertia sensors, optical sensors, environmental sensors, pressure sensors, and so forth.Inertia components consisting accelerometers and gyro sensors are an essential part of the three major game consoles on the market. Accelerometers measure 3D acceleration, while gyro sensors detect changes in altitude by measuring angular velocity. The latter has been applied to smartphones and consumer electronics requiring hard drive protection and image stabilization system, reaching beyond their traditional focus on automotive and military applications. Now many companies have begun to adopt inertia sensors for activity monitoring in medical and sports devices, inertial navigation systems and others.Apple's iPhone, for instance, is equipped with a considerable number of motion sensors including inertia sensors, pressure sensors, as well as optical sensors, such as distance sensors and image sensors, commented Digitimes Research analyst Age Yeh. Consumers are allowed to experience physical motion-based gaming through the iPhone, which breaks traditional restrictions on mobile phones and provides a new user experience.The decline in prices for inertia sensors has not only pointed to a new direction for developing game consoles, but also enabled the development of other applications such as motion sensing systems for sports training, inertial navigation systems and remote healthcare monitoring solutions. For example, golf training equipment with built-in sensors can collect data concerning athletes' motions. Arm, wrist and body movements are captured, along with heartbeat/pulse rates and blood glucose levels, and these data can serve as references for designing training programs and diets.Broader applications for motion sensors especially in sport marketWith stressful routines in the office and at home, most people do not exercise regularly. Many studies have noted that moderate exercise can help reduce the risk of diseases and further save money on health care and medical expenses. But people in Taiwan still do not have enough exercise or outdoor activities, as the country's educational system emphasizes more on academic performances than on sports and physical activities, and the island is densely populated.Taiwan's leisure and health market has a size of NT$60 billion (US$2 billion), and a wide variety of fitness and sports centers can be found. The number of members working out at these fitness and sports centers in Taiwan has reached 450,000. When compared to the proportion of the US population that exercise regularly, Taiwan's health and leisure market has potentials to climb over 10 times. The integration of motion sensors into sports training equipment is likely to encourage more people in Taiwan to exercise, introducing a "Blue Ocean" to the market.Tony Chang, secretary-general of the Taiwan Healthy Sports Alliance, believes that a lack of proper exercise, coupled with bad eating habits, has increased the chances of people contracting chronic diseases in Taiwan. Heart diseases and diabetes are now the country's biggest killers. In 2009, Taiwan's total medical expenses exceeded NT$788.5 billion (US$ 25 billion), equivalent to almost half of the country's tax revenues.In recent years, the Taiwan government has been active in monitoring and supporting the development of the country's sports services industry with stimulus packages and incentives. The Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) has unveiled plans to invest a total of NT$11.6 billion (US$370 million) in building 50 national sports centers over the next three years, and setting up 15,000 sports clubs nationwide.A project, "AGOSS Minigym," submitted by AGOSS Health Business that aims at developing simple but efficient and time-saving exercises to provide an excellent full body workout, has won a subsidy package from the Assist Service Sector Technology Development (ASSTD) program under Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). The AGOSS project model is based on the circuit-training concept raised by two professors in Britain.For instance, 20 people in an 18-square-meter room are able to exercise simultaneously and achieve adequate and effective workouts during a 30-minute session. With sensor-based training devices and equipment, members' physical conditions can be kept track of for their personalized health profile reports.Fifteen years ago when motion sensors were still costly, they were specifically used in sports training. Take a 3-axis accelerometer for example, the price 15 years ago was as high as more than NT$120,000 (US$3,870). Only well-funded training units could afford such a device that featured only basic functions. At the end of 2006 when Nintendo's Wii console hit store shelves and ushered in a new era of gaming, the market for motion-sensing applications and solutions also started to shift from a niche segment to the mass market. Extensive adoption has also allowed prices for inertia sensors, a key component featured in consumer games console, to drop substantially.Launched in 2009, Nintendo's MotionPlus add-on sensor has taken the motion-sensing control of the Wii console to a new level of precision, sensing game players' movements with greater sensitivity and accuracy. The addition of the multi-axis gyroscope solution to the Wii MotionPlus can track a player's arm position and orientation. The motion sensors have changed the games console market, and there are also more sports equipment using motion sensors to facilitate workouts.Mars Chen, a professor at the Graduate Institute of Sport Science at National Taiwan Sports University, pointed out that sports equipment with built-in motion sensors help consumers customize their own exercise programs, and even monitor their physical conditions, such as heartbeat rate changes, postures and movements, during training. That helps avoid sports injuries and accidents, Chen said.Improper postures lead to improper movements, which could cause injuries, as well as muscle or joint problems. Tennis elbow, for example, is a common cause of elbow pains for tennis players with incorrect postures. Video cameras that have motion-sensing capabilities can identify the differences between players' postures and proper ones, acting as a virtual coach to help avoid unnecessary injuries and improve players' physical fitness.Inertia sensor combined with 3D sensing technology to create new era of sports entertainment technologyNintendo's Wii has not only introduced a new trend in the gaming market, but also advanced human-computer interaction technology. In 2010, Microsoft and Sony both introduced new games consoles that combine inertia sensors with 3D-sensing technology.According to a statistical report, the sports game market generated US$6.4 billion in value in 2008, with annual growth of more than 10% projected in the future. Results from a clinical trial also show that the use of motion sensors in sophisticated equipment for medical and diagnostic tests has made significant contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, asthma and diabetes.Kevin Lin, deputy director of the Human Computer Interaction Technology Center at ITRI South, commented that governments worldwide are now actively involved in promoting health and fitness through sports games to encourage their citizens to do exercise and ultimately cut their health care costs.Major games console suppliers have been aggressively developing products designed to assist exercise programs and fitness training through the presence of virtual coaches. Under the guidance of virtual coaches, consumers are able to correct poor postures and meet their desired outcomes.The main purpose of incorporating motion sensors is to collect and analyze individual motion and physiological data, according to Spencer Wang, general manager of Epson Taiwan's Components Business Group. Motion sensor-based sports equipment can customize parameters that affect performance, and therefore assist users in monitoring their health.Due to environmental and health concerns, cycling is becoming a global trend for exercising. In many cities, people are encouraged to use bicycles as their main form of transportation. In recent years, Taiwan's bicycle industry has kept setting records in export values, with the ASP of Taiwan-made bicycles exceeding US$290 - almost seven times the ASP of China-made ones. However, the development of Taiwan's bicycle industry still has its bottleneck in terms of patents and development of key components.Taiwan-based bicycle manufacturers focus more on the mid tier of the market, and have difficulties in tapping the high-end segment. Jason Chen, R&D chief of the Cycling & Health Industry R&D Center (CHC), suggested that Taiwan players in the bicycle industry consider bringing the motion-sensing technology to their next-generation products. Such an approach could allow them to continue leading the worldwide bicycle market without worrying about shortages of key components and price wars waged by competitors.Joanne Chien, a senior analyst and director at Digitimes Research, stated that in the global fitness equipment manufacturing industry, Taiwan has already grabbed a fair share of the pie. However, domestic suppliers should consider bringing significant added-value to their traditional fitness equipment in order to move toward sustainability, Chien said. Combining emerging motion-sensing technology, the Taiwan fitness equipment sector could head for another boom, Chien believes.Spencer Wang, general manager of Epson Taiwan's Components Business Group, at the 2010 Motion Sensing Technology forumPhoto: Digitimes, September 2010Almost 200 participants from the industrial, academic and research sectors at the forumPhoto: Digitimes, September 2010Epson's demo of motion sensor-based products at the forumPhoto: Digitimes, September 2010

CORNING, NY, - Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) has announced that the company has been awarded the Corporate Technical Achievement Award by The American Ceramic Society. Corning was honored for its development of Gorilla® glass, an environmentally friendly alkali aluminosilicate thin-sheet glass designed specifically to function as a cover glass for high-end display devices such as mobile phones, notebook PCs, and televisions. This award recognizes outstanding, commercialized technologies that improve our society."Gorilla glass enables manufacturers to make devices that are thin, lightweight, durable, and damage-resistant," said James R. Steiner, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Specialty Materials. "We are honored to accept this award on behalf of the Corning employees that brought this product into the market and are responsible for its rapid growth over the last few years."Corning's scientists and engineers have a comprehensive understanding of the physics behind glass breakages in various applications. They used this knowledge to produce Gorilla glass, which is better able to survive the real-world events that most commonly cause glass failure.Gorilla glass is produced with Corning's proprietary fusion-draw process, which enables the production of uniform thin sheets with a pristine surface and is also adaptable to scalable sheet sizes for optimal throughput. During finishing, Gorilla glass undergoes a chemical strengthening process that gives it the unique properties which make it especially suited for use as a durable, scratch-resistant liquid crystal display (LCD) cover. These benefits allow Corning customers to optimize their device design and fabrication efficiencies. Gorilla glass is currently used by more than 22 major brands and is designed into more than 225 devices.This is the seventh time Corning has been honored with this award. It will be presented at The American Ceramic Society's annual meeting in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 17. For more information on the ceremony, visit http://ceramics.org/.About the American Ceramic SocietyACerS is a non-profit, independent membership organization for the ceramics community that represents more than 6,000 scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, students, marketing and sales professionals from more than 60 countries.

NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced today the availability of the NC3240S, its first 4K DLP digital cinema projector, which joins the Digital Cinema Projector Series models NC1200C, NC2000C and NC3200S.The NC3240S can be seen at ShowEast 2010 (NEC Display Solutions Suite K) on October 11-14 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.Equipped with the new 1.38-inch 4K DLP Cinema Chip from Texas Instruments, the NC3240S is fully Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) Compliant. The projector provides a brightness of 31,000 ANSI lumens and offers exceptionally bright images on screens sized up to 105-feet wide. The NC3240 projector provides users with a modular design that simplifies servicing and minimizes downtime. Its clear electronic layout and wiring, easy prism replacement and custom DMD shielding gaskets with patented reflector design help reduce maintenance costs and enable quick parts replacement."NEC's industry-leading full service and support is what sets us apart, from financing to installation to maintenance," said Jim Reisteter, general manager for digital cinema projectors at NEC Display Solutions. "The NC3240S is a prominent example of NEC's unrivaled Digital Cinema Series Projectors as it combines ease of use for operators with bar-setting reliability in its feature set. Uniquely designed functions, like its cooling system, and continued excellence in technologies, like its support for all major suppliers of 3D accessories, is what exhibitors expect from the NEC brand. As such, we anticipate working with the other leading providers of 2K/4K IMB and local storage servers as we test for compatibility."The NC3240S offers the following features:Newly designed cooling system, which creates positive air pressure internally to prevent contaminates from entering the main chassis4 KW variant for smaller screensCustom DMD shielding, which protects the projector from dust and oil, thereby providing optimal picture qualityOne-Touch Operation and Memory Functions, which store eight projector configurations such as lens shift position, zoom and focus, and lamp power settingsAuto Lamp Brightness Control, which continuously monitors the lamp's brightness and maintains a consistent level by adjusting the lamp power as it agesTrouble-Free Lamp Replacement, which allows maintenance personnel to replace lamps from the back of the projectorIntuitive keypad3D capabilities with special 3D control connector and optional automatic turret to mount polarizers in front of the lensOptional 2K/4K Integrated Media Block (IMB) and Local Storage Server, making NEC the only manufacturer in the market to offer a DLP cinema projector/server solution developed completely in-house. The IMB's internal design allows for content management, screen management and higher securityThe powerful 7KW version of the cinema projector will be available from the beginning of 2011 together with the 4KW variant for smaller screens. NEC will also be offering a convenient 4K upgrade option for its current NC3200S 2K model.

Furthering the company's leadership in the connected TV space, Sony today introduced Sony Internet TV, powered by Google TV, the world's first TV with the ability to watch HDTV, enjoy apps, and browse the Internet seamlessly on one device.The combination of Sony's hardware and engineering expertise and Google's understanding of open software provides a unique user experience, merging multiple content sources in one easy-to-use interface. From broadcast to streaming video from the Internet, Sony Internet TV offers the ability to quickly search and watch content from wherever, whenever."Sony Internet TV is the world's first HDTV that combines the big-screen impact of TV and full Internet search to deliver an unrivaled entertainment experience," said Mike Abary, senior VP of Sony's Home Division. "Finally, you can seamlessly search your favorite TV programs and web sites on the same screen, at the same time.""We are very proud to be the pioneers of this new entertainment category by delivering the world's first true Internet TV experience," added Bob Ishida, senior VP, corporate executive, and president of Home Entertainment Business Group, Sony. "Sony Internet TV creates value by introducing new and compelling ways to enjoy a variety of content."Featuring both integrated TV models and a Blu-ray Disc player, Sony Internet TV is powered by Google TV. It is built on the Android platform, runs the Google Chrome browser and includes a powerful Intel Atom processor offering the ability to quickly search across Internet and TV content for easy access to entertainment and information.The models also feature Dual View, allowing users to watch TV while tweeting about what they're watching, checking their fantasy football scores, or finding related content on the web.They also deliver a truly personalized entertainment experience with the ability to bookmark content for easy access and add applications from the Android Market (coming in early 2011). The models feature Sony's premium streaming service "Video On Demand powered by Qriocity" as well as pre-installed apps including CNBC, Napster, NBA, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, and YouTube.The intuitive hand-held RF QWERTY keypad remote incorporating an optical mouse makes it easy to navigate content, type in search terms, and control the TV's user interface. Additionally, select mobile devices such as an Android phone, can control the TV with an app that will be available for download from the mobile Android Market later this fall.Built-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to connect to home broadband networks to access web content. Additionally, Sony Internet TV is ready for the future and is fully upgradable through system updates.Sony Internet TV easily connects to select HD DVR devices from Dish Network to include previously recorded content in the search results and control DVR functionality from the set's user interface.Sony Internet TV lineFeaturing four LCD HDTVs with Google TV built-in, the Sony Internet TV line includes the 24-inch class NSX-24GT1 (US$599.99), the 32-inch class NSX-32GT1 (US$799.99), the 40-inch NSX-40GT1 (US$999.99), and the 46-inch NSX-46GT1 (US$1,399.99).Sony Internet TV blu-ray disc playerThe Sony Internet TV blu-ray disc player with Google TV built-in, NSZ-GT1 (US$399.99), also allows users to enjoy all of the powerful features of Google TV on their existing HDTV.Sony Internet TV and the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player will be available for purchase at Sony Style on October 16 and at Best Buy shortly after.Product specifications include:Sony Internet TV NSX-46GT1. Available in October for US$1,399.9946-inch Full HD 1080p display with Edge LED backlightGoogle TV built-inSeamlessly search across your TV & Internet for contentSurf the web while watching TV using Dual ViewUpgradeable Google TV platformDownload apps from Android Market (coming in early 2011)Superior processing power with Intel InsideEasy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouseLink to select mobile phones (coming this fall)Built-in Wi-FiFour HDMI inputs and four USB inputsSony Internet TV NSX-40GT1. Available in October for about US$999.9940-inch Full HD 1080p display with Edge LED backlightGoogle TV built-inSeamlessly search across your TV & Internet for contentSurf the web while watching TV using Dual ViewUpgradeable Google TV platformDownload apps from Android Market (coming in early 2011)Superior processing power with Intel InsideEasy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouseLink to select mobile phones (coming this fall)Built-in Wi-FiFour HDMI inputs and four USB inputsSony Internet TV NSX-32GT1. Available in October for about US$799.9932-inch Full HD 1080p display with Edge LED backlightGoogle TV built-inSeamlessly search across your TV & Internet for contentSurf the web while watching TV using Dual ViewUpgradeable Google TV platformDownload apps from Android Market (coming in early 2011)Superior processing power with Intel InsideEasy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouseLink to select mobile phones (coming this fall)Built-in Wi-FiFour HDMI inputs and four USB inputsSony Internet TV NSX-24GT1. Available in October for about US$599.9924-inch Full HD 1080p display with CCFL backlightGoogle TV built-inSeamlessly search across your TV & Internet for contentSurf the web while watching TV using Dual ViewUpgradeable Google TV platformDownload apps from Android Market (coming in early 2011)Superior processing power with Intel InsideEasy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouseLink to select mobile phones (coming this fall)Built-in Wi-FiFour HDMI inputs and four USB inputsSony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player NSZ-GT1. Available in October for about US$399.99Google TV built-inSeamlessly search across your TV & Internet for contentSurf the web while watching TV using Dual ViewUpgradeable Google TV platformBlu-ray Disc playback capabilityDownload apps from Android Market (*coming in early 2011)Superior processing power with Intel InsideEasy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouseLink to select mobile phones (coming this fall)Built-in Wi-FiOne HDMI input, one HDMI output and four USB inputsSony 24-inch full HD Internet TV, the NSX-24GT with remotePhoto: CompanySony 40-inch full HD Internet TV, the NSX-40GT1Photo: CompanySony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player, the NSZ-GT1Photo: Company