Kopin® Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), the largest U.S. manufacturer of microdisplays for mobile consumer and military electronics, and Solomon Systech (International) Limited (SEHK: 2878), a global fabless semiconductor company specializing in display driver integrated circuits (IC), announced today that Solomon Systech will sell Kopin's plug-and-play Binocular Display Module (BDM) products for mobile video eyewear in China under a marketing agreement between the companies.
"Solomon Systech's established customer base in the mobile display IC market and strong sales channel will enable us to accelerate penetration of our microdisplay solutions for mobile video eyewear into this fast-growing market," said Dr. John C. C. Fan, Kopin's president and CEO. "By freeing video eyewear manufacturers from the technical complexity of the display system, our BDM products will substantially shorten the time to market and lower the cost of the video eyewear."
The BDM is a complete video subsystem for eyewear that integrates Kopin’s Cyberdisplays, Solomon Systech’s Microdisplay Controller IC, and other electronics and optics for mobile video applications into a lightweight, self-contained unit. The BDM-230K with a QVGA (320 x 240) resolution weighs less than 1 oz, but provides a large image equivalent to a 35-inch TV at a distance of 7 feet. The pre-production BDM-922K with a VGA (640 x 480) resolution provides an image equivalent to a 48-inch TV at 1 oz.
“Solomon Systech already is a controller IC partner to Kopin, and we are excited to work more closely with the company to develop and apply new system ICs into display modules for the mobile video eyewear market,” Dr. Fan continued. “Our joint efforts should also drive rapid adoption of our Digital iVision™ technology in the consumer market.”
Kopin’s Digital iVision™ technology offers big pictures on the go in the compact BDM form. It compresses the full-screen image into tiny microdisplays. The image is then enlarged using optical elements that enable the eyes to perceive a much larger image. The key enabler for Digtital iVision™ technology is Kopin’s CyberDisplay® microdisplays which are the industry’s smallest light-transmitting liquid crystal displays for the resolution — in sizes ranging from a grain of rice to a postage stamp, which has better than high-definition (HD) TV resolution. Kopin’s transmissive displays allow thin, simple optics, which translates into lightweight, compact, and comfortable eyewear.
Humphrey Leung, president and managing director of Solomon Systech added, “Solomon Systech has the low power and high integration IC technology to enable Digital iVision™ technology. With Solomon Systech’s 20% share in the global cellular phone driver IC market, we have already very strong customer relationships and a deep understanding of the mobile applications market. Our experience, strong relationships and well-established marketing channels in the region will allow us to develop and support this new business.”