Newsletter 1 - City University of Hong Kong

Technology Licensing Team
Associate Vice-President
(Knowledge Transfer)
Mr H Y Wong
Tel: 3442 6428
Email: hy.wong@cityu.edu.hk
Associate Director
Mr David Cheung
Tel: 3442 6733
Email: david.cccheung@cityu.edu.hk
Senior Technology Transfer Officer
Mr Tomson Lee
Tel: 3442 6441
Email: thmlee@cityu.edu.hk
Technology Transfer Officer
Dr Eric Chan
Tel: 3442 6822
Email: bhechan@cityu.edu.hk
Technologies for Licensing
Database
Browse our database to find a
technology that suits your needs
www.cityu.edu.hk/kto/
techforlicensing.htm
Enquiries / comments on this
newsletter
Eliza Chan
Email: elizac@cityu.edu.hk
Tel: 3442 6442
Rm 401, Festival Walk Office Tower
80 Tat Chee Ave
Kowloon Tong
Hong Kong
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Knowledge Transfer Office
Newsletter
Transforming Knowledge Into Practice
Nanocomposite Coatings for
Industry
Nanocomposites are made
by mixing components at
the nanometre scale but the
potential of nanocomposites often
extends beyond the sum of the
strengths of the components. This
is due in part to the fact that the
morphology and interface reactions
of the components also play a
role in shaping the characteristics
of nanocomposites. In industrial
applications, nanocomposites
are used to increase the hardness of coatings to
improve the durability and overall performance
of tools or surfaces. Wear-resistant cutting tools,
powerful sensors of minuscule sizes, and surgical
tools that can coagulate blood after excision –
they are just a few examples of super tools made
available by nanocomposite coating.
The latest advances in the field had been presented
by three CityU scientists in a forum held on
February 5 which attracted a 90-strong audience.
The three scientists speaking at the forum were Dr
Wenjun Zhang of the Physics and Materials Science
Department, and Dr Sam Shum and Dr Lawrence Li
of the Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering
Management Department.
Dr Zhang, a member of CityU’s Centre of Super
Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), is
recipient of several patents relating to cubic
Dr Wenjun Zhang
www.cityu.edu.hk/kto
No.3, June 2010
boron nitride (cBN), a material which has extensive
application potential. According to Dr Zhang, cBN
was structurally similar with diamonds, and it was
only second to diamond in terms of hardness and
thermal conductivity. Despite that, cBN surpassed
diamonds in terms of chemical inertness; for
example, cBN did not react with ferrous materials
including iron. Such a unique combination of
physical and chemical properties made cBN an
ideal material for making cutting tools, and thermal,
optical, high-temperature and high-frequency
electronic devices. Dr Zhang reported recent
Table of Contents
Nanocomposite coatings for . . . . . . . . . . . 1
industry
Advances in 3D technologies forum . . . . 2
IP workshop boosts awareness . . . . . . . . . 3
Sharing session on promotion of . . . . . . . 4
knowledge transfer
CityU research showcased in . . . . . . . . . . . 6
international trade show
ICTC awarded a RMB¥3 million grant . . . 7
CityU fish technology displayed in . . . . . 8
Science Museum, earned
international award
Licensing deals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Entrepreneurs discuss new product . . . . 9
development
Cancer treatment and veterinary . . . . . . 10
research

2
advances in synthesizing high-quality,
thick, non-delaminating cBN films by
a new method developed by his team,
and demonstrated several examples of
cBN-based nanocomposite structures in
mechanical and electronic applications.
The technology is patented in the US.
Both Dr Shum and Dr Li are members
of the Advanced Coatings Applied
Research Laboratory (ACARL), a facility
set up with government funding and
industrial sponsorship. As research
fellow of the Centre, Dr Shum was
responsible for the development of
a multi-functional physical vapour
deposition (PVD) system for producing
nanocomposite superhard coatings.
While a similar PVD system made in the
US or Europe could fetch HK$4 million or
more, the production cost of the ACARL
system could be half that price or even
lower. Another advantage of the system
was that the hardness of coatings could
be significantly increased from 20 to 50
GPa or higher. On top of provision of
hardware, Dr Shum and his team also
planned to provide aftersales services
and technical support to users based
in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta
region.
Hydrophobic (or water-repellent)
Dr Sam Shum
Prof Horace Ip
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
treatment of surgical tools is
a good example of applying
surface engineering technology
for biomedical manufacturing.
Dr Lawrence Li has succeeded
in developing improved
surface treatment methods
tailored for advanced radio-frequency
(RF) electrosurgical tools, such as RF
scissors, forceps and scalpels, that
could coagulate blood to minimize
Dr Lawrence Li
Advances in 3D Technologies Forum
In another Technology Transfer
Forum held on 14 May, Prof Horace
Ip and Dr Peter Tsang shared their
experience in applying and developing
3D technologies. About 130 business
executives, industrial leaders, and CityU
staff and students attended the event.
Creativity and sensory experience
through 3D technology
Prof Horace Ip, Acting Vice-President
(Research and Technology) and Director
of the AIMtech Center, is an expert on
multimedia and pattern recognition. He
gave an interesting account of how, with
the help of multimedia technologies,
users can interact with 3D content to
create novel sensory experience.
Given the advent of 3D technology
and the availability of high-quality
3D content, the focus of future
development of 3D technology, as
well as its business potential, lies in the
provision of novel user multi-modal
experience through interacting with
3D content. A good example is Prof Ip’s
Smart Ambience Therapy (SAT) system
for use in art therapy and psychotherapy.
By using 3D body gesture recognition
and real-time graphics technologies,
SAT creates an environment of virtual
reality with which users can interact. The
system was designed in collaboration
with the Hong Kong Association of
Art Therapies with an aim to help
emotionally and physically abused
children articulate themselves. Social
damage to patients. The electrode at
the tip of the tool was usually coated
with Teflon to avoid picking up human
tissues during operation. However,
possible carcinogens in Teflon had
raised concerns over its suitability as a
coating material used in surgical tools at
elevated temperatures. Dr Li’s method
offered a useful alternative to Teflon
coating by implementing micro patterns
on surfaces through laser ablation. It
served to reduce the adhesion between
the surgical tool and human tissue,
and a thin film of carbon coating was
applied on top to enhance the non-stick
performance.
services organizations such as
Against Child Abuse and Caritas
have adopted SAT, which is now a
semi-permanent exhibition at the
Hong Kong Science Museum.
An earlier 3D interactive media
system called Body Brush,
also pioneered by Prof Ip in
collaboration with local artists and
contemporary dancers, captures
3D body motion and transforms it into
3D paintings projected by a stereo
projector. Body Brush even attracted
the attention of the world-renowned
artist Wu Guanzhong, who once used
the system to create “motion paintings”.
Video recording of Mr Wu creating
3D paintings with Body Brush was
broadcast in a recent exhibition of
Mr Wu’s paintings in the Hong Kong
Museum of Art.
Prof Ip’s 3D technology, developed with
the help of his students, does more than

3
just rendering body motion into visual
representations. It also translates body
motion into music, as manifested by
CyberComposer and Body Baton, which
was covered in a CNN documentary
broadcast worldwide.
CityU’s pioneering work on the
exploitation of 3D technology, according
to Prof Ip, provide a glimpse of the
vast potential of 3D technology in
transforming and extending the realm
of users experience in diverse areas that
range from health-care to edutainment.
Lens-free 3D display
In the presentation and real-time
demonstration sessions to follow, Dr
Peter Tsang of the Electronic Engineering
Department enlightened the audience
with his leading edge research on
3D technologies, in particular the
production, display and distribution of
3D video and TV content.
The multimedia industry and the general
public at large are keen to explore
Dr Peter Tsang
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
effective approaches to view 3D content
without using coloured or polarized
glasses. One available technique is to
adopt the static N-tile methodology.
Multiple views of the same object are
fed into a multiplexer which in turn
generates a 2D image for broadcast via
existing TV channels and for storage
in current video standards. Despite its
convenience in display and storage, the
aforementioned technology may lead to
degradation of image quality.
To address the shortfall of the N-tile
IP Workshop Boosts Awareness
To capture and realize
the commercial
value of knowledge,
universities and inventors need
to manage and protect their
intellectual properties (IPs).
Without proper IP protection,
opportunists are given free rein
to appropriate novel designs,
works of art, and inventions,
reaping the benefits of IPs due
to the rightful creator. To raise
awareness in IP management,
the KTO organized a three-day
workshop at the Hong Kong
Productivity Council, which was
attended by 30 CityU staff members
and students.
The IP course, first of its kind in CityU,
is part of the KTO’s strategic plan to
strengthen knowledge transfer and
technology licensing. “Effective IP
protection helps us make the most of
our intellectual resources and empower
CityU’s knowledge transfer (KT)
endeavours,” remarked Mr H Y Wong,
Associate Vice-President of KT.
Dr Keeson Shum
The workshop gave a brief walkthrough
of the various means of IP protection,
but more weight was given to patenting.
On top of protection, patents also offer
valuable business intelligence essential
to applied research and product design.
For example, to maximize the chance of
success in new product development,
one should “design around” the
patented technologies or designs owned
by competitors. To avoid infringing on
valid patents, one would have to draw
format, Dr Tsang has developed
the dynamic-tile format, which is
capable of yielding images with
higher resolution. This invention
can be implemented by both
software and hardware means.
Most important of all, this unique
technology is compatible with
existing video chains, meaning
that the storage, distribution,
and display of 3D content do not
require overhauls of the existing video
infrastructure.
Concerning the future development
of 3D display technology, Dr Tsang
has embarked on the research of
computer generated holography.
Digital holograms derived from 3D
computer graphic models can be used
to reconstruct 3D images, but it involves
heavy computation in the process. Dr
Tsang has developed a fast method of
generating holograms and his findings
have been recently published in
international journals.
on patent search and analysis,
as well as the basic skills of
interpreting and writing a
patent.
Feedback from participants
was overwhelming, reflecting
the demand for more
education programmes in IP
management. Dr Keeson Shum,
Senior Engineer of the State
Key Lab of Millimeter Waves,
admitted that the workshop
inspired him to see his research
in a new light.
“ I realize now that as an engineer
working with industrial partners, I need
to pay more heed to IP.
“I had reservation about the usefulness
of IP, thinking that it wasn’t necessary
to seek IP protection unless you were
certain of the commercial value of your
research work. But in most cases if you
only seek protection then it is usually
too late. Now I am beginning to see my
research in a different light — that it is
indeed worth patenting.”

4
Dr Shum found patent analysis especially
useful to formulating research design
and business strategies. Patent analysis
can yield important information about
specific categories of patents. For
instance, you can find out how many
patents in OLED have been filed over
time, the profile of their owners, and
the expiry dates of patents. With a
good grasp of patenting trends, both
researchers and their industrial partners
can benefit from better planning.
Dr Zhou Zhifeng, Senior Research
Fellow of ACARL, also shared Dr Shum’s
appreciation for patent search and
analysis. Specializing in advanced
coating, Dr Zhou was aware of the
intense competition in his field in the
Pearl River Delta region. Patent analysis
would help him keep abreast with the
latest advances in coating.
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
Pre-mature disclosure was another
issue that concerned Dr Zhou. In
most countries, inventions previously
disclosed in public or in publications
are not patentable because only novel
inventions are to be patented. Although
some countries such as the US allow
research results published within 12
months to be filed for patents, it makes
good sense to file applications as early
as possible.
“Observing discretion is crucial to
patent application, in spite of the fact
that inventors are always expected to
publicise their research achievements,”
Dr Zhou said.
The restriction on disclosure is often
regarded as a discouragement to
academics who need to “get published”.
Dr Chan Cheung Fat of the Electronic
Engineering Department did not agree,
however.
Sharing Session on Promotion of
Knowledge Transfer
On top of classroom teaching
and basic research, universities
are also expected to transfer or
commercialize the results of publiclyfunded
research for the benefit of the
community. In a seminar organized
by CityU on February 26, leaders of
distinguished universities and research
institutes were invited to share views
on the obstacles of implementing
knowledge transfer and their possible
solutions.
The seminar was chaired by Prof Horace
Ip, Acting Vice-President (Research and
Technology) of CityU. Also on the panel
were Chancellor Robert Holub of the
University of Massachusetts Amherst,
Professor Thomas Mason, Director
of Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
President G P Peterson of the Georgia
Institute of Technology, and President
Zhang Jie of Shanghai Jiaotong
University.
“I can always file my patent application
first and publish later. Inventors
shouldn’t underestimate the commercial
value of their inventions,” Dr Chan
added.
CityU staff and students who wish
to apply for patents should contact
the KTO. Applications are subject to
preliminary assessment by the KTO
and reviews by external assessors.
Assessment is based on patentability
and commercial application. Patents
arising from university funded research
are normally owned by the university.
However, the royalty income derived
from the licensing of patented
technologies is shared among the
university and inventors according to
university policy.
The IP training workshop will be run on a
regular basis.
Bridging the gap between research
and product
Modern living is replete with products
and services whose humble beginnings
can be traced to university campuses.
However, the path linking academia and
the marketplace can be at times bumpy.
Prof Mason of Oak Ridge National Lab
pointed out that the gap between
research and product is due in part
to inadequate funding, or rather the

5
(From left to right) Prof Zhang; Prof Peterson; Prof Horace Ip;
Prof Holub; Prof Mason
lack of will to fund “ideas”. Real estate
and tangible assets tended to find
favour more readily with investors than
intangible knowledge, in spite of its
potential impact or value.
“Public funding always stops before a
technology reaches a point that interests
industry and venture capitalists,” he said.
To solve that problem, some institutions
formed companies and used proceeds
from initial public offer to push through
commercialization. He recommended
that universities and research institutes
should refrain from managing venture
capital themselves; rather, they should
leave the work to professionals who
made a living out of the venture capital
business.
Prof Peterson of Georgia Tech
acknowledged the importance of
venture capital to technology transfer.
“To move from invention to a business
that creates jobs requires investment…
and that mandates some levels of
venture capital.” He referred to Richard
Florida’s Rise of the Creative Class which
attributed the rise of metropolitans such
as Austin, Boston, and San Francisco to
the presence of venture capital.
Measuring knowledge transfer
Commercialization is a costly endeavour,
and should the generation of revenue
be the ultimate yardstick of success? On
this question, the panelists concurred
that the objective of knowledge transfer
was to effect positive changes, create
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
Prof Horace Ip
jobs, and train up talents to fill those
jobs. Revenue was a “by-product” rather
than an end in itself. In fact, very few
universities could generate profit from
knowledge transfer, but there existed
a strong expectation on universities to
make knowledge transfer profitable.
Just like any business endeavour,
knowledge transfer also involved risks
and liabilities. Technologies successfully
commercialized were in fact consumer
products whose application entailed
as many opportunities as liabilities.
Legal risks aside, “bad press” was also
a major issue besetting knowledge
transfer. Disputes on profit sharing and
“scandals” on misuse of funds were more
likely to be covered by the press than
success stories. Universities therefore
should devise effective public relations
strategies to promote its knowledge
transfer achievements.
All panelists acknowledged the
importance of more traditional modes
of knowledge transfer, eg academic
paper publication and teaching.
Performing arts programmes and
archival materials for public access
were also useful ways of transferring
knowledge to the community. The ways
knowledge transfer should be done
depended greatly on the circumstances
of individual universities.
Increasing incentive for knowledge
transfer
As an extension of research, knowledge
transfer offered an alternative means
by which faculties could contribute to
society while giving their inventions
their full expression. But good intention
alone was rarely sufficient to foster
committed engagement on the part of
faculties. Income sharing was so far the
most popular way of encouraging staff
to participate in knowledge transfer.
In some cases, more coordinated
efforts and greater vigour were called
for. Prof Zhang of Shanghai Jiaotong
University explained how the university
encouraged its faculties to engage
in specific research areas that stood
a good chance of commercialization.
About two years ago, the University set
up an academic committee to identify
10 problems of pressing concern to
humanity. Research projects targeting
the problems were entitled to 10 years
of funding at most. With the support of
the local government, about 17 working
groups on technology transfer had been
set up.
At the end of the panel discussion,
the panelists fielded questions that
concerned the evaluation of knowledge
transfer, the role of government in
promoting knowledge transfer, and the
regional variations in knowledge transfer
practices, among others.
The sharing session was made possible
by the visit to CityU of distinguished
academicians at the invitation of
President Kuo.

6
CityU Research Showcased in
International Trade Show
At the CityU booth
Research projects conducted by
CityU scientists were on display
at the International ICT Expo 2010
held at the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 April.
At the exhibition, Dr K F Tsang’s ZigBee
metering infrastructure and Dr Peter
Tsang’s 3D technology were featured in
a demonstration session and a forum
respectively.
Below is a summary of the 11 research
projects showcased at the Expo.
Dielectric resonator antennas
(DRAs)
by Prof Leung Kwok Wa (EE)
DRAs are gaining popularity owing to
their wide bandwidth, compactness,
lightness, low cost, and ease of
excitation. Another important feature of
DRAs is their suitability for millimeterwave
applications. To further promote
the application of DRAs, Prof Leung
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
has developed methods for fabricating
transparent DRAs. Made of crystal or K9
glass, the DRA can be integrated with
solar cells or be used as lamp covers.
The shapes of DRAs can be modified for
decorative purposes.
Digital watermarking chip
by Dr Cheng Lee Ming (CS)
Digital watermarking reduces the risk
of tampering by embedding a robust
secure message into multimedia content,
such as video images, digital documents
and photocopied documents.
Watermarks can either be invisible or
visible. The technology can protect the
copyright of digital images, photocopied
documents, and surveillance systems.
I-Energy solution for Zigbee
advanced metering infrastructure
by Dr K F Tsang (EE)
Rising levels of electricity consumption
worldwide will exacerbate
environmental pollution and global
warming. To raise awareness on energy
consumption, Dr Tsang has developed a
wireless system that generates real-time
readings of energy consumption and
expenses. With an operating frequency
of 2.4 GHz, along with low power
consumption and low data rate, the
system can effectively reduce the cost of
energy consumption monitoring.
Dr K F Tsang presents his invention at the
demonstration session

7
IT and artificial intelligence (AI)
by Dr Andy Chun (CIO)
Dr Chun is an international expert in AI,
specializing in scheduling, optimization,
rostering, data mining, text mining,
and search engine technology. The
AI technology created by Dr Chun
has helped many large organizations
and government agencies improve
efficiency and effectiveness. These
systems have won numerous prestigious
IT awards, including the Asia Pacific
ICT Award, HK IT Excellence Award,
Innovative Applications of AI Award,
etc. In recognition of his work, the HK
Computer Society awarded Dr Chun the
2009 Outstanding IT Achiever Awards
for IT Research and IT Professional
Competency.
Power amplifiers for mobile phones
and consumer electronic appliances
by Dr Xue Quan (EE)
Dr Xue’s power amplifiers are capable of
boosting transmission efficiency without
compromising linearization, a feature
essential to the overall performance
of amplifiers. The new amplifiers help
reduce the power leakage of adjacent
channels, and that the amplitude and
phase distortions can be compensated.
The circuitry of the amplifier consumes
power of less than 1mW. Its small size
makes easy its installation in a wide
range of integrated circuits.
Professional mobile video system
for 3G
by Prof Jia Weijia (CS)
The system supports mobile
surveillance, video calls between 3G
phones and other electronic devices,
video conferencing, and news feed to 3G
phones. The system is easy to use and
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
its building cost is low, compared with
similar products.
RFID developments and its
applications in libraries
by Prof Edward Yung (EE) and
Prof Steve Ching (LIB)
The research team has developed an
EasyCheck machine that allows users
to check out and return library items
on their own. EasyCheck is driven
by Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RFID.
Multiple items in a stack can be read
simultaneously and that signals from
nearby items will not be picked up. The
RFID technology is applicable not only to
libraries, but also to logistics and supply
chain management, access control,
auto tolling, asset control and fleet
management.
Secure mobile messaging
by Dr Duncan Wong and
Mr Xiong Xiaokang (CS)
Secure mobile messaging allows users
to send encrypted multi-cast SMS
messages to multiple recipients without
establishing any pre-shared secret keys
with recipients, and that no digital
certificates are required. Once installed
in a mobile phone, users can opt for
plain SMS mode or secure SMS mode.
The software tool is ideal for individual
and corporate users such as banks.
U-Box: a platform for network
education and instant practice
by Prof Jia Weijia (CS)
U-Box aims to support teaching and
learning in networking, offering an
instant, highly configurable, and easy-touse
platforms for teachers, researchers,
and students. U-Box covers “Research
U-Box”, “Laboratory U-Box” and
“Teaching U-Box”.
Wezoom-3G mobile video
surveillance system
by Prof Jia Weijia (CS)
By installing the WeZOOM software
tool in one’s personal gateway, users
can access the WeZOOM-3G mobile
surveillance system via cell phones
and the internet. Upon detection of
strangers, the surveillance camera
will alert users through 3G phones.
The system is empowered with
ZigBee remote sensing technology for
monitoring home temperature, lighting
and heating from different locations.
3D video display system
by Dr Peter Tsang (EE)
The 3D video display system promises
economical solutions for the recording,
transmission, distribution, and viewing
of 3D content. Through the technology,
3D content can be processed by existing
video chains, and that no polarized
glasses are needed when viewing 3D
content. On top of user friendly 3D
video production, the technology also
supports the fabrication of 3D display
panels and consumer products, such as
digital photo frames.
Dr Peter Tsang speaks at the exhibitors’ forum
ICTC Awarded an RMB¥3 Million Grant
The Shenzhen government
awarded an RMB¥3 million
grant to the CityU Information
and Communication Technologies
(ICT) Centre to establish a Shenzhen
Municipal Key Laboratory dedicated
to the development of green wireless
communication technology.
The grant is a tribute to the ICTC’s
commitment to excellence in wireless
communication research. With the
opening of the Lab, the Centre is set to
further strengthen its presence on the
mainland, and build stronger ties with
enterprises and research institutes across
the border.
Housed in the Shenzhen Research
Institute in the Shenzhen Virtual
University Park, the ICTC and the
Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory
will focus their efforts on satellite
communications and energysaving,
high-performance wireless
communication solutions that minimize
power consumption and radiation.
The diverse research areas covered by
the ICTC and the Lab include terahertz
wave research, passive and active
microwave circuits, high-speed laser
dynamics, microelectromechanical

8
systems for frequency control, multiantenna
communication technology,
and system integration.
At the helm of the Lab is Dr Xue Quan
(Director). Other key members include
Prof Luk Kwan-man and Prof Chan
Chi-hou. All three academicians are
members of the State Key Laboratory of
Millimeter Waves.
Dr Xue Quan attributed the Lab’s
foundation to team work and support of
the University.
“The University has offered us
ample assistance in building up a
comprehensive software and hardware
infrastructure, which is key to our
funding success.”
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
(From left to right) Prof Luk Kwai-man, Dr Xue Quan, and Prof Chan Chi-hou
CityU Fish Technology Displayed in
Science Museum, Earned International
Award
A
CityU technology for detecting
the intensity of estrogenic
pollutants in marine environment
is currently on show in the Science
News Corner of the Hong Kong Science
Museum until 11 July. The inventor, Dr
Cheng Shuk Han, is also the Executive
Director of the CUBIC.
Estrogen pollution is a dire problem
caused in part by the extensive use
of estrogenic chemicals in food and
pharmaceuticals. The estrogenic
chemicals or disruptors will ultimately
enter the marine environment or
rivers through sewage disposal.
Such estrogenic chemicals are billed
disruptors because they can upset
the hormonal balance of humans and
organisms. Worse still, some of them are
carcinogenic.
Dr Cheng’s invention provides a quick
and easy-to-administer method of
detection suitable for a wide range of
industries, including food production,
cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and
environmental monitoring. Fish larvae
with genes engineered to give off
green fluorescence are exposed to
sample solutions for 12 to 24 hours. The
concentration of estrogenic disruptors in
the sample can be measured by studying
the intensity of the green fluorescence.
The project not only attracted the
attention of the local community but
also won wide acclaim in an international
exhibition in Korea. The project team was
awarded the Gold Prize and Federation
of Korean Industry Special Prize at the
third Korea International Women’s
Invention Exposition held in early May,
Fluorescence reflects concentration levels of estrogen
Representatives of the research team –
Dr Chen Xueping and Ms Li Li – at the expo
beating contestants from about 20
countries. The exposition showcased
inventions created by women, building
a platform for collaboration between
women inventors and the business and
industry.

9
Licensing Deals
In the first quarter of 2010, three
licensing deals and one invention
agreement were closed. The
technologies licensed were in the
fields of mobile communication, power
electronics and RFID.
Invention agreement and patent
purchase agreement
According to the agreement signed with
an international intellectual property (IP)
acquisition firm, the firm is permitted
to discover patentable IPs from papers
published by CityU staff within 12
months and lodge patent applications
in relation to those IPs at its own
expense. The firm also enjoys the right to
purchase the filed patents from CityU.
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010
Video surveillance system licensed
to national security company
A major security company based in
China licensed the 3G mobile video
surveillance system developed by Prof
Jia Weijia of the Computer Science
Department. The system facilitates video
surveillance via 3G mobile phones, PDAs
and notebooks by supporting seamless
network connection.
Energy-saving ballast design for
better lighting
The single passive ballast design
developed by Prof Ron Hui of the
Electronic Engineering Department
is licensed to a Hong Kong company
specializing in lighting products. Prof
Entrepreneurs Discuss New Product
Development
Two seasoned industrialists were
invited to share their views
on product development and
the challenges facing the Hong Kong
industry in a gathering organized by
the CityU Business and Industrial Club
(CUBIC).
Currently managing director of
TechWorld Industries Limited, Mr Peter
Ho is a veteran entrepreneur who has
extensive experience in fields such
as textile, garments, printing, and
electronics. Mr Ho is witness to the
emergence of a vibrant industrial base
in Hong Kong, its relocation to the Pearl
River Delta region, and more recently
the repercussions of intense global
competition, tougher government
regulations and spiralling costs. To
companies hoping to ride out the rough
waves, Mr Ho suggested that they
should avoid vertical integration. That
means instead of owning all phases of
manufacturing, a company should aim at
higher flexibility in its use of resources.
Hui’s invention is applicable to T5
fluorescent lamps with power ratings
from 14 W to 35 W.
Library system and software for
self-service fine payment
A local company providing smart
card services licensed the automated
library fine payment system and its
application software invented by the
staff of the university library. The system
helps library users pay fine without the
assistance of library staff.
(From left to right) Mr H Y Wong, Associate Vice-President (Knowledge Trasfer);
Mr Chan Fung; Mr Peter Ho; Prof Horace Ip, Acting Vice-President (Research and Technology)
Mr Chan Fung, Chief Technical Officer
of Shinhint Industries Limited, also
stressed the importance of new product
development, adding that enterprises
should pay more heed to the creation
and management of intellectual
properties if they planned to launch new
products or services. The burgeoning of
Original Design Manufacturing (ODM)
also focused more attention on research
and development.

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Cancer Treatment and
Veterinary Research
A
specialist in cancer medical equipment and a veterinarian from the
Hong Kong Jockey Club were invited to speak in another CUBIC
gathering organized for the CUBIC life science group.
Dr Stephen Cheung, Director
of Microwave Systems, Accuray
Inc, talked in length the
latest advances in radiation
technology, and how it was
used for cancer treatment, cargo
scanning, and security.
Dr Christopher Riggs, Head of
Veterinary Clinical Services of the
Hong Kong Jockey Club, gave an
interesting account of how racing
horses were purchased, cared for,
and retired.
Dr Stephen Cheung
Dr Christopher Riggs
Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010

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Knowledge Transfer Office Newsletter – No.3 June 2010