GE Lighting and Rambus Sign License Agreement to Create LED Lighting for Global Markets

Led lighting solutions are taking center stage as interest and demand grow for energy-efficient Lighting innovations and as governments around the world enact strict energy standards. To accelerate Led product development, GE Lighting, a unit of the General Electric Company's Appliances & Lighting business, and Rambus Inc., one of the world's premier technology licensing companies, have signed a broad licensing agreement for the use of Rambus' patented lighting innovations, including its product reference designs and manufacturing process know-how. The initial focus will be to create a flat-panel led lighting system for architectural and commercial lighting for global markets.

According to the International Energy Agency, approximately 19 percent of electricity consumed globally is used for lighting. LED lighting, also referred to as solid-state lighting, is among the most energy-efficient lighting technologies of the 21st Century with great promise for general lighting applications that could reduce energy consumption worldwide. It is essentially a semiconductor-based light source that provides long operating life and high energy efficiency, making it superior to many traditional light sources.

Michael B. Petras, Jr., president and CEO of GE Lighting, says, “One of our objectives as a lighting innovator is to quickly launch leading-edge products that can accelerate the adoption of quality LED lighting solutions around the world in commercial and residential settings. We want to provide customers with more unique LED innovations, and this agreement helps us get there faster.”

Commenting on the agreement with GE Lighting, Jeff Parker, SVP & President of Lighting and Display Technology at Rambus, says, “As an acknowledged leader in solutions for a full range of lighting products, GE is an excellent fit with Rambus. Working together, we will create a new generation of advanced LED-based lighting products with unique form factors that are cost-competitive and energy efficient.”

Rambus launched its Lighting and Display Technology business in 2009, taking advantage of a technology-licensing platform that the company has developed over the past 20 years. During that time, Rambus has licensed its patented inventions to industry-leading electronics companies for computers, HDTVs and gaming systems that have enriched the lives of millions of people around the world. Using this licensing platform, GE has access to breakthrough Rambus lighting technology for a broad range of compelling new LED-based illumination products.

Rambus' suite of advanced lighting solutions is based on patented innovations, including LED edge-lit optical designs, MicroLens? light distribution features, and high-volume, low-cost light guide panel and multi-function film manufacturing technologies. These innovations allow manufacturers to harness all the benefits of LEDs in affordable general lighting products, using fewer or lower-cost LEDs, while delivering excellent light quality and output.

A proven expert in the LED category, GE offers its global base of customers an extensive line of high-performance LED products for architectural, retail display, signage, outdoor, roadway and transportation lighting applications and solutions. GE earned more awards than any other company in this year's Next Generation Luminaires? Competition, including a Best-in-Class award for the GE Evolve? R150 LED Cobrahead Luminaire, a new LED street and roadway light sold globally. In Europe, the 4W GU10 LED from GE is the first retrofit led lamp to gain approval by the Energy Saving Trust, an independent UK-based organization that promotes actions that can lead to the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions.

Aside from products and lighting systems solutions, GE is a leader in addressing global industry issues of LED quality and reliability by pushing for a universal set of LED performance standards. Much of this work with organizations such as the European Lamp Companies Federation, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the U.S. Department of Energy/ENERGY STAR, ANSI, Intertek and IESNA centers on the development of measurement, efficiency and performance guidelines that clarify LED standards.