Case study: led lighting control
Background
In many situations where a new function or feature is to be integrated into a product, the Intellectual Property situation can be the most important factor in controlling the technologies that can be incorporated. If a patent protecting an enabling innovation cannot be licensed, for example because it is held by a competitor, the only solution is to work around the existing IP. As well as bringing a non-infringing product to market, this approach frequently develops new IP of its own, since the work around itself may be novel.
The opportunity
The field of LED lighting has been developing rapidly, and many of the more obvious avenues for controlling the brightness of arrays of LEDs are now covered by patents - in particular, the use of Pulse Width Modulation. With such key patents owned by competitors, the obvious routes for Sentec's client to create a controllable, variable-colour, high-efficiency LED light appeared to be blocked off. In this case study, not only did the client wish meet a set of detailed and challenging technical and cost requirements, and avoid infringing their competitor's IP, they also wished to develop their own IP position to establish a competitive advantage.
The client's requirements:
- Power control module to drive coloured LEDs in complex combinations
- Work-around of existing patent
- High power density
- Very tight mechanical design
- High power efficiency (very little cooling available)
- Low cost
- UL safety approval
- Fast turn-around
Our approach
- Brainstorm of possible control methods
- Laboratory assessment of proposed solutions
- Top level Intellectual Property search
- Selection of preferred solution
- Development of high efficiency control electronics
- Firmware development
- Bill of materials cost estimate
- Alpha prototype and initial testing
- Beta prototype development
- Support for client's qualification tests
- Cost model and documentation pack
- Transfer of design to CEM
- Patent filing on new control method
Results
This is a crowded field, but Sentec managed to develop some new protectable intellectual property for their client which met their cost and efficiency targets. The novel development in LED brightness control gave the client a new product range with greatly increased functionality.
