Let's compare the Nippon Signal device with the MVIS device:
SEATTLE - July 28, 1998 - Microvision (NASDAQ:MVIS, MVISW) announced today that it has demonstrated a microminiature scanner that represents a breakthrough for a wide variety of next-generation display and imaging products. The development is significant because of the degree of system miniaturization it enables, and because it has the potential to afford significant production economies through the use of highly automated batch fabrication techniques. The patented device, in which optical surfaces and small hinges are formed on silicon wafers using semiconductor fabrication techniques, is an example of a technology known as microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS. Sounds similar to the Nippon Signal device.
The entire component is fabricated from a small sliver of silicon - roughly half the size of a dime. The tiny scanning mirror itself is less than one square millimeter in area - smaller than the head of a pin. The microscanner is designed to scan in both horizontal and vertical directions, so that a single beam of light can be precisely steered at very high speeds to project a complete video image. While the technology will initially be used in the company's Virtual Retinal Display™ (VRD™) system, the device can also be used as an optical sensor or camera by rapidly scanning light reflected from the surface of an object onto a photoreceptor. Sounds smaller and more efficient than the N-S device.
"This is a great example of how a company that is highly focused can consolidate and extend a position of technological leadership," said Todd McIntyre, vice president of business development. "We believe that this technology truly represents the leading edge in precision micro-optical scanning. We're not aware of anything in the field that approaches this level of advancement. This could have an impact on all manner of display and imaging products." Wonder if the next-to-last statement is still true.
Rick Rutkowski, Microvision's president and CEO, stated, "This is a watershed development for the company. We believe that this development has placed us many months ahead of our technology development schedule. The potential to move rapidly to new levels of miniaturization and lower cost structures will enable us to develop new applications, open new markets and compete more effectively in emerging markets for personal displays, where cost sensitivity is high. As you can imagine, this type of development will continue to drive the interest level way up among prospective partners and customers. Thus far people are impressed with how dramatically we have advanced our core technology in a very short time. Our success in this endeavor is further evidence that we've assembled a world-class team of professionals."
In order to complement its growing portfolio of patents relating to microscanners and scanner-based imaging systems, Microvision has acquired rights to three issued patents and 11 pending patents relating to the design and fabrication of such micro-mechanical devices. Microvision has secured exclusive rights to the patents for all display applications, barcode scanning and several other imaging categories including certain medical imaging applications. For confidentiality reasons, the company did not identify the source of the technology licenses or comment on their terms.N-S said nothing about patents.
"We have already begun to generate significant amounts of new intellectual property around these new additions to our technology portfolio," said Casey Tegreene, the company's in-house intellectual property counsel. "We have relationships with three leading universities and one small company relating to our work in this field. We expect to create additional relationships and to see a lot more come out of those already in place."
The scanner has been tested at horizontal scanning speeds greater than 19,000 cycles per second. Combined with a vertical scan rate of 60 cycles per second, a single microscanning mirror can project nearly 30 million pixels per second, enabling SVGA resolution of 600 pixels by 800 lines. Microvision plans to reach even higher levels of resolution, possibly achieving HDTV within the next year.
Seems to me that Nippon Signal may be a day late and a dollar short. MVIS' device appears to use the same "fatigue-free" property of micromachined silicon, it scans at a higher rate, it is smaller, it may use less power if it runs at the mechanical resonance frequency of the mirror/suspension assembly, and then there are issued patents covering much of the MVIS device, including its use in bar-code readers, according to the release.
Still, one would be foolish to reject out of hand the possibility that the Nippon Signal device might compete with MVIS'. |
