Video holography patent licensed to Light Blue Optics

by Peter Clarke

LONDON — Light Blue Optics Ltd., a startup company developing a color projector suitable for inclusion in mobile phones and other portable equipment, has agreed to license a key patent from Cambridge Enterprise Ltd., the University of Cambridge's technology commercialization service.

The patent is a method for real-time, full-color holographic laser projection, and was invented in 2003 by Edward Buckley, director of business development at Light Blue Optics (LBO) and Adrian Cable, while they were PhD students at the University of Cambridge.

The university had previously announced that it had granted an exclusive license to a core patent for holographic video projector technology, developed in the Department of Engineering, to Alps Electric Co. Ltd.

As well as signing a license to access the patent LBO has raised an additional $1 million as an extension to its seed funding round of $2.5 million announced in July 2006. Venture capital firm 3i led the round which also included investment from the U.K. National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, the Cambridge Capital Group and business angels.

Founded in 2004, LBO has developed a projection system that uses laser light sources and diffractive techniques to deliver full-color video images in focus at all distances — even on curved or angled surfaces.

"The efficiency, robustness and cost advantages of our technology make it ideally suited for deployment in multiple markets; including automotive, digital signage and consumer electronics," said Buckley, in a statement.

"At 3i, we invest in cutting-edge technology companies that have the potential to be market leaders. LBO is realizing that potential and we're pleased to support its accelerated product development program by providing this additional funding," said Laurence Garrett, a partner at 3i, in the same statement.

"We now have a strong, clear IP position, and are ideally placed to become the world's leading supplier of miniature laser projection systems," said Chris Harris, chief executive officer of LBO.

(c) www.videsignline.com

University Researchers Develop Multi-Terabyte DVD-size Disc

Technology shows great promise but still under long term research

Researchers at the University of Central Florida announced this week that they have developed a way to store massive amounts of data onto a disc roughly the size of a typical DVD. This sounds like another competitive format to Blu-ray or HD-DVD, but in fact, the new technology can store thousands of times that of a DVD.

The technique, say researchers, is called 3D multi-layered storage technology. Although this sounds similar to holographic storage, the technology relays on stacking ultra-thin recording layers on top of each other in a typical disc form factor. Using two lasers of different wavelengths, information can be recorded at ultra-high densities. While multi-layered discs are available today, there's an issue of cross-talk, which is when reading layer interferes with the reading or writing of another layer. According to the report:

The challenge scientists faced for years was that light is also used to read the information. The light couldn’t distinguish between reading and writing, so it would destroy the recorded information. Belfield’s team developed a way to use light tuned to specific colors or wavelengths to allow information that a user wants to keep to stay intact.

Professor Kevin D. Belfield and his research team at the university claim that they are able to solve the fundamental issue of layer interference by using two lasers of varying wavelengths (color). This way, interference is avoided, and multiple layers can be used on the same disc, allowing for massive amounts of data to be written in a small space.

Belfield and his team have received roughly $270,000 in grants for the research project. The team is busy trying to reduce the size of the device as well as make the system more economical. There's no word however on when the developing 3D technology will show up as a marketable prototype.

[original post: http://dailytech.com]