January 5, 2005... Industry-First Technology Combines Color Management Controller, RGB Color Sensor with Luxeon High-Power LEDs to Backlight LCD Televisions
LAS VEGAS, International Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 5, 2005 -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced a breakthrough color management system for backlighting LCD (liquid crystal display) flat-panel TVs that delivers 25 percent more brilliant colors The color management controller IC (integrated circuit) and color sensor module combine to produce a complete hue (color) and intensity (brightness) control system.
The Agilent illumination and color management system works with high-power Luxeon? red, green and blue LEDs (light-emitting diodes) from Lumileds Lighting. Lumileds is the joint venture between Agilent and Philips Electronics.
For years, manufacturers have struggled with how to provide a sharper, more natural color tone for their LCD TV displays, said Soo-Ghee Lee, vice president and general manager for the Optoelectronic Products Division in Agilents Semiconductor Products Group. Agilent has solved this technology Problem. Now consumers watching flat-panel TVs will be able to see all colors of the rainbow brighter and more clearly for a more exciting viewing experience.
The innovative Agilent solution solves past problems LCD television display manufacturers have had with RGB LEDs by providing a closed-loop optical feedback system. The system enables plug and play for OEMs and maintains a set color point over the life of the TV display.
Initially, the primary application for this technology is to control RGB LED backlighting for LCD flat-panel televisions. This color management capability may also be used to FPGA adjust the color and brightness of mood lighting in homes and businesses, interior lighting, infotainment and instrument Panels in automobiles and context-sensitive colors for signs and other types of displays.
Currently, most flat-panel LCD television displays are backlighted using cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). While efficient, CCFLs gradually degrade in brightness and change color with time, and offer a lifetime in the range of 15,000 to 25,000 hours. , the CCFL light source only covers 75 percent of the color space defined by the National Television System Committee (NTSC), which is responsible for setting television and video standards in the United States. RGB LEDs with Agilents illumination and color management solution exceeds 100 percent Of the NTSC color space, providing sharper, more brilliant colors. The use of LEDs also aids European manufacturers who are seeking to eliminate the small amount of mercury used in fluorescent backlighting.
The Agilent illumination and color management solution enables white backlighting (using the combination of red, green and blue LEDs with feedback control) and makes it possible to maintain constant color and brightness over the lifetime of the display. This level of control combined with the increased Color spectrum is not possible with any conventional technology.
Agilent Illumination Color Management System
The Agilents HDJD-JB01 illumination and color management system consist of the HDJD-J822-SCR00 color management controller and the HDJD-S831-QT333 tri-color photo sensor. The color management controller is a CMOS mixed-signal optical feedback controller IC; By using Agilents color management feedback system, the light output produced by an RGB LED array maintains its color over time and with variations in ambient temperature. The HDJD-S381-QT333 color sensor is a monolithic CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) IC solution. Desired color can be specified using a standard CIE (Commission Internationale de lEclairage or International Commission on Illumination) color space.
An important advantage of using an RGB LED array and color management is that the white point in a television can be set to, and will maintain, a wide range of color temperatures (whether the white tends toward a bluish or yellowish tint). Studio monitors in the United States and televisions in Europe are set to a color temperature of 6,500 kelvins (K), typically US televisions are set for a color temperature of approximately 7,100 K (a bluer tint), and Japanese televisions and most worldwide computer monitors Are set to 9,300 K (even bluer).
A typical system consists of an array of red, green and blue LEDs, LED drivers, Agilents HDJD-S831-QT333 tri-color photo sensor that samples the light output, and the HDJD-J822-SCR00 controller. The controller interfaces directly to the Photo sensor, processes the color and brightness information and adjusts the light output from the LEDs until the desired color is achieved. Agilents HDJD-J822-SCR00 integrates a high-accuracy, analog-to-digital converter front-end, a color data processing Logic core and a high-resolution 12-bit PWM (pulse-width modulation) output generator. The output pulse width modulation (PWM) signals are connected directly to the LED drivers, controlling the on-time duration of the red, green and blue LEDs. That duration is continually adjusted in real-time to match the light output from the LED array to the specified color.
US Pricing and Availability
The Agilent HDJD-JB01 illumination color management system is available now and is priced at less than $35 in low volume quantities. The Agilent HDJD-J822-SCR00 color controller and HDJD-S831-QT333 color sensor are also available individually through Agilents direct sales channel And worldwide distribution partners.
Further information about Agilents illumination and color management system is available at Information about Luxeon LEDs and their use in backlight systems for televisions is available at
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The companys 28,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $7.2 billion in fiscal year 2004. Information About Agilent is available on the Web at
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