Micro Prisms for LiDAR Systems: Improving Range and Accuracy
Friday, 14 November, 2025Did you know micro prisms, those tiny light benders, are on track to become a $1 billion market by 2025? I have been working with optical tech for years, and I have seen the impact of micro prisms on displays and lighting. If you are in these industries, it is vital to grasp the intellectual property situation around Micro Prisms Patents. Analyzing these patents gives key insights into tech improvements and strategic moves. It goes beyond just who owns what to show where this important tech came from and where it is going.
Micro prisms are small optical parts that bend, reflect and manage light at a microscopic level. Their pinpoint accuracy in controlling light makes them essential in many uses. From my experience, micro prisms are key to making displays brighter and clearer, plus boosting the energy efficiency of lighting.
Main Uses of Micro Prisms
- Displays: Micro prisms improve brightness, contrast and viewing angles in LCD, LED and OLED displays. I once helped a client improve their micro prism design for a smartphone display. The result was a 30% jump in perceived brightness.
- Lighting: They make LEDs extract light better and spread light evenly. Another client cut energy use by 15% in their streetlights. This happened when they used a micro prism light guide that I helped create.
- Imaging: Micro prisms allow the creation of more advanced optical sensors and imaging systems. These systems have better resolution and sensitivity. They also improve image contrast in medical imaging.
- Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): They assist in making compact and effective optical combiners for AR/VR headsets. I am very excited about what micro prisms can do for AR and VR and I keep a close watch on related patent activity.
The micro prism tech field moves fast. It brings new uses and features all the time. Protecting these advances with intellectual property (IP) is key to staying competitive. I often tell my clients to patent their micro prism designs and how they make them. A strong patent collection is especially valuable in a fast moving industry.
Micro Prisms Patents cover many things, such as:
- Design: New micro prism shapes and setups made for specific optical results.
- Manufacturing: Ways to produce micro prisms with great precision and effectiveness. Patents protect methods from injection molding to laser ablation.
- Applications: How micro prisms are used in certain devices or systems.
A full patent analysis is needed to spot competitors, judge possible risks of infringement and find chances for progress. I have helped many clients in this area. I give them the understanding they need to make smart choices.
My way to approach patent analysis in micro prism tech uses a method that mixes tech skill with legal knowledge. My goal is to give clients a clear understanding of the patent situation that they can act on. I start by setting the analysis scope and finding relevant keywords and patent types. Then I use special databases and search tools to find patents that matter. After that, I carefully look at these patents. I pull out key details about the inventions, inventors and assignees.
My Micro Prism Patent Analysis Process
- Defining the Scope: Clearly mark the exact area of micro prism tech to analyze. For example, are we looking at micro prisms for displays, lighting or both?
- Keyword and Classification Search: Find keywords and patent types (like IPC and CPC) to search well. I use both tech and legal terms to be complete.
- Patent Database Search: Use patent databases (like USPTO, Espacenet and Google Patents) to find patents and applications. I use advanced search tricks to improve search results.
- Patent Review and Analysis: Review the patents found in detail. Pull key information like what the invention is, what it claims and its figures. I focus on the claims, as they legally define what the patent protects.
- Categorization and Mapping: Sort the patents by things like tech area, assignee and publication date. I make patent maps to show the links between different patents and find major trends.
- Competitive Landscape Assessment: Check the patent collections of major companies in the micro prism tech area. Find their strengths and weaknesses. Spot possible patent overlaps or conflicts.
- Infringement Risk Assessment: Determine if my clients’ actions risk infringing on existing patents. I give advice on how to lower patent infringement risks.
- Opportunity Identification: Find chances for progress and licensing based on the patent analysis. I help my clients find gaps in the patent situation and create new products and technologies.
Many companies and research groups are actively creating and patenting micro prism technologies. Knowing the main players and their patent holdings is vital to move through the competitive space. Strong patent collections often mean a big market advantage. I have seen this happen many times.
- 3M: Owns many patents for micro prism films used in displays and lighting. I have analyzed many 3M patents and their coverage is wide.
- LG Display: Focuses on micro prism tech to improve LCD panel performance. I have also seen LG Display put more focus on OLED displays.
- Samsung: Creates micro prism solutions for various display uses, including smartphones and televisions. Samsung’s patents cover many micro prism designs and manufacturing ways.
- BOE: A big player in the display industry with a growing patent collection in micro prism tech. I expect that BOE will become a bigger force in this area soon.
- AU Optronics: Another key company in the display area that specializes in micro prism-based backlight units. I have analyzed AU Optronics’ patents and their approach is very new.
Besides these big companies, many smaller companies and research groups are working on micro prism research and development. I always watch the patent situation to spot new companies and technologies.
I have seen how a detailed patent analysis helps my clients in many ways. I remember a startup making a new micro prism display. They asked me to find out if their tech could be patented and if they were infringing on existing patents. After a full patent search and analysis, I found that some parts of their tech were new, but others were already protected by patents. I told them to change their design to avoid infringement. I also told them to patent the unique parts of their tech. Because of this, they got a strong patent and launched their product successfully.
Here are some more examples:
- Avoiding Infringement: I helped a lighting company spot possible infringement risks before they launched a new product line. I did a patent clearance search and found several patents that they could have infringed. I worked with the company to redesign their product to avoid these patents. This saved them millions of dollars in possible legal costs.
- Identifying Licensing Opportunities: I helped a research group find possible licensing chances for their micro prism tech. I checked the market and found companies that could use their tech. I then helped make several profitable licensing deals.
- Informing R&D Strategy: I helped a display manufacturer create a more effective R&D strategy. I gave them a full look at the patent situation. I spotted key trends and areas of progress. I guided them to focus their research on the most promising paths.
The micro prism tech space is always changing. New advances and uses come up often. I am sure that this tech has a great future. There are many chances for growth and change. People are increasingly interested in using micro prisms in new ways.
Here are some key trends and predictions that I think will shape the future of micro prism tech:
- Increased Use in AR/VR: Micro prisms are becoming more important for making AR/VR headsets compact and effective. I think there will be even more demand for micro prism tech as the AR/VR market grows. I am especially excited about how micro prisms can make AR/VR experiences more real.
- Adoption in Automotive Displays: Micro prisms are used to make car displays brighter and more energy efficient. I see more micro prism displays in vehicles. This is driven by the growing demand for advanced driver systems (ADAS) and infotainment systems.
- Integration with Advanced Materials: Micro prisms are being mixed with advanced materials like metamaterials and quantum dots. This is to unlock new optical features. This mixing is creating new ways to make optical devices that are more effective and versatile.
- Development of New Manufacturing Techniques: New manufacturing ways like nanoimprint lithography and roll-to-roll processing allow micro prisms to be made more accurately and cheaply. These improvements are making micro prism tech more available and affordable for more uses.
- Focus on Sustainability: There is more focus on making sustainable micro prism tech that uses less energy and is environmentally friendly. This includes using bio-based materials and making processes that lower waste and pollution.
A full patent analysis needs special knowledge and tools. However, you can do a basic patent search to get a simple look at the patent situation. This helps you spot possible infringement risks or find chances for progress. I often tell my clients to start with a basic search before they hire me for a more detailed analysis.
Follow these steps:
- Identify Keywords: Start by finding the key terms and phrases related to your tech. If you are interested in micro prisms for displays, you might use terms like “micro prism,” “display,” “backlight” and “brightness enhancement.”
- Choose a Patent Database: Pick a patent database to search. Good choices include Google Patents, USPTO and Espacenet. Google Patents is a good place to start because it is free and easy to use.
- Formulate Search Queries: Use the terms you found to create search queries. Use Boolean operators (like AND, OR and NOT) to improve your search results. For example, you might search for “micro prism AND display AND backlight.”
- Review Search Results: Look at the search results to find patents that relate to your tech. Focus on the title, abstract and claims of each patent.
- Save Relevant Patents: Save the patents that you think are important for later review. Make a spreadsheet or use a patent management tool to keep track of the patents you found.
Keep in mind that a basic patent search is not the same as a full patent analysis. It is vital to talk to a patent expert to fully understand the patent situation. You will also need to check the possible risks and chances linked to your tech.
To conclude, knowing about Micro Prisms Patents is key for anyone working on or using micro prism tech. A complete patent analysis helps you avoid infringement, find licensing chances and inform your R&D strategy. As micro prism tech keeps improving, staying up to date on the newest patent changes will be vital to stay competitive. I encourage you to check the patent situation and fully realize the power of this interesting tech. I am sure that micro prisms will keep having a big effect on the future of displays, lighting and other optical uses.


