Patents Examined by Xu-Ming Wu
  • Patent number: 5786800
    Abstract: The data signals retained in the data latch circuit are captured securely in the line latch circuit. The data latch control circuit sequentially creates data latch control signals DLC having timing values shifted from one another by one period of a data latch clock signal DLCK. The first n-bit display data DA is retained in the D latch circuits at the first stage of the data latch circuit in accordance with the first signal DLC and then retained in the D latch circuits at the second stage in accordance with the second signal DLC. Furthermore, the second display data DA is retained in the D latch circuits of the data latch circuit. The display data DA for one scanning electrode is retained in the line latch circuit by a capture signal LPS delivered between the termination of the delivery of a horizontal synchronizing signal LP and the termination of the delivery of the first signal DLCK to the next scanning electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seijirou Gyouten
  • Patent number: 5786809
    Abstract: The method includes the steps of transferring onto a screen a required set of symbols, which is positioned relative to the output position; their mutual allocation is fixed; the set is moved over the screen on the display to the predetermined positions synchronously with the output position while keeping their mutual space allocations; the predetermined symbol is entered into the computer system, after said set has been fixed, thereby performing the entry of symbols into the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Inventors: Vladimir Alexandrovich Ryzhov, Sergei Viktorovich Trofimov
  • Patent number: 5786802
    Abstract: A circuit and method for vertically expanding a display image in an image processing apparatus. The circuit includes a section for generating a signal for classifying a field of a color signal as an even field or an odd field; a multiplexer for multiplying lines of data output from a first memory and a second line memory by coefficients according to the signal for classifying the field as being an even field or an odd field; and a line of data output section for outputting a new line of data by adding the two lines of data corresponding to the lines of data output from a first memory and a second line memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Se-Woong Park
  • Patent number: 5784045
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and memory embodying detailed logic direct a computer system to automatically shift a window substantially off a display screen using a pointer and user controls (e.g., mouse). The display screen has at least one edge, but typically is rectangular in shape having four edges. The first step of the method includes moving the window on the display screen in a direction consistent with the movement of the pointer. To do so, the user positions and activates the pointer over the window using the user controls. The second step includes automatically scrolling the window substantially off the display screen such that only a portion of the window remains visible at the edge of the display screen. This step occurs when the user has activated and positioned the pointer over the window and then moved the activated pointer to one of the edges of the display screen for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., two seconds).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Troy Lee Cline, Scott Harlan Isensee, Ricky Lee Poston, Jon Harald Werner
  • Patent number: 5771037
    Abstract: A controller for controlling a computer display cursor includes an arena having a predefined optical grid. A puck handle is configured to move a puck on the optical grid and to reflect optical signals to the grid regarding the position of the puck on optical grid. The optical grid defines the resolution of the puck movements and positions that can be ascertained. Gratings formed by undulations in transparent walls provide an optical puck position signal in response to the puck position. A processor is coupled to the optical grid and is configured to receive the puck position signal and to generate a cursor position signal. To generate the cursor position signal, the processor may perform a conversion function based on predetermined criteria. The processor transmits the cursor position signal to a computer having a predefined display size, which displays the cursor at a respective position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Altra
    Inventor: Robert E. Jackson
  • Patent number: 5767844
    Abstract: A remote power key function is implemented between a remote input device having a power key and a host computer system using a four lead USB interface. Normal functioning of the USB interface and of the input device are not affected. An input device includes a remote logic circuit comprising a transistor, a diode, and a low voltage battery. The remote logic circuit and MPU receive a first input from the power key and battery and receives a second input from the host-computer provided power supply that is "1" if the host computer is powered-up, and is "0" otherwise. Remote logic circuit output is coupled to the D+ USB interface line, and MPU output is coupled to the D+ and D- interface lines. Clamping latch logic within the host computer has a first input that is the D+ line, and a second input that is the power supply "1" or "0" signal. Latch logic output is input to the latch input port of the host computer power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems Inc
    Inventor: Donald A. Stoye
  • Patent number: 5760755
    Abstract: A reflective deformable conductor (40) is separated from a transmissive electrode (60) to form a capacitance transducer (C2) and separated from a second electrode (18) to form a modulator pixel (66). The pixel (66) and transducer (C2) are series coupled capacitors. Transmissive electrode (60) and deformable conductor (40) are electrically connected to a feedback control loop (68) which sums an input signal and a negative feedback signal related to the deformations of conductor (40) to control the potential difference applied between the second electrode (18) and the conductor (40). Varying the input signal varies the deformation of the conductor (40) thereby phase modulating a wavefront incident on the transmissive electrode (60) traversing the capacitance transducer (C2) to impinge on and be reflected by the conductor (40) and exit the transducer (C2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Craig D. Engle
  • Patent number: 5760760
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the brightness level of an LCD based on the ambient lighting conditions of the environment in which the LCD is being operated are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a photodetector located proximate the front of the LCD generates to brightness control circuitry signals indicative of ambient lighting conditions. These signals are correlated to predetermined automatic brightness control values for use in controlling the brightness level of the LCD. Once the ambient light signals have been used automatically to set the brightness level of the LCD, user-selection of a different brightness level, either higher or lower, will override the automatic brightness control setting. In an alternative embodiment, a first photodetector is located proximate the front of the LCD and a second photodetector is located proximate the back of the LCD. In this embodiment, the brighter ambient condition is used to control the brightness level of the LCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Dell USA, L.P.
    Inventor: Frank P. Helms
  • Patent number: 5754170
    Abstract: A graphics controller overlays a movie window over the graphics pixel data. Movie pixels are from a movie source and are muxed into the pixel path by a pixel mux near the end of the graphics pipeline. A comparison of the current pixel count to the pixel address of the start and ending boundaries of the movie window controls the pixel mux, which selects either graphics pixels or movie pixels for display to a screen. Since the graphics controller is pipelined, the pixel compare near the end of the pipeline does not restart the graphics pipeline early enough for it to pre-process the graphics pixels. The graphics pipeline does not stop during the movie window but instead performs dummy fetches from the graphics memory to a CRT FIFO in the graphics pipeline. Dummy fetches are fetches of graphics pixels that are not displayed. Since these fetches contain non-displayed pixels, they are not needed except to keep the fetch count counting even during the movie window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: NeoMagic Corp.
    Inventor: Ravi Ranganathan
  • Patent number: 5754163
    Abstract: An LCD controlling apparatus wherein a horizontal filter and a vertical filter, which are digital filters, are independently constructed, which can improve a resolution by horizontally and vertically processing input image data to enhance the edge portion thereof, includes a main block for synthesizing or generating clocks necessary for internal operation and wholly controlling the internal operation, an image edge processing block for receiving image data from the main block and horizontally processing pixels of to-be-processed-image data and their horizontally adjacent pixels, receiving the horizontally processed image data and vertically processing pixels of to-be-processed image data and their vertically adjacent pixels, and an LCD interface block for rearranging pixels of image data horizontally and vertically processed in the image edge processing block to be suitable for pixel structure, linearly processing light transmission characteristics of the rearranged pixels and performing compensation accordin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Byong-Hunn Kwon
  • Patent number: 5754161
    Abstract: A graphic scrolling apparatus comprising a unit for storing image data; an image display device having a screen for displaying a first predetermined-sized area of the image data stored in the image data storing unit; a buffer memory for temporarily storing a second predetermined-sized area of the image data stored in the image data storing means, the second predetermined-sized area being larger than the first predetermined-sized area; a first depicting unit for retrieving, from the image storing means, at least image data corresponding to a third area of the first predetermined-sized area, which protrudes from the second predetermined-sized area and for depicting the at least image data corresponding to the third area on a fourth area of the second predetermined sized area, which is in the outside of the first predetermined-sized area as the first predetermined-sized area scrolls on the second predetermined-sized area; and an image display controlling unit for controlling the apparatus such that an image is d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Electric Semiconductor Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadayuki Noguchi, Akihiko Ishimoto, Koji Hirano
  • Patent number: 5748183
    Abstract: A highly portable information processing apparatus projects a hand-written input image in real time while the projected image is not hindered by the hand-writing operation. An image to be projected is displayed on a transmission type liquid crystal display provided in a main control unit and a light beam is projected from the bottom thereof. The light beam passes through lenses and is projected to a coordinate input plate and reflected thereby, passes through lenses, is reflected by a reflection plate and then projected to a screen. The coordinate input plate allows the viewing of the projected image from a plane opposite to the projection plane so that an operator may point a desired coordinate while watching the image. The pointed coordinate is displayed by a main control unit on the liquid crystal screen as an image. The projected light is not intercepted by an obstacle in a path to projection on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichiro Yoshimura, Atsushi Tanaka, Ryozo Yanagisawa, Katsuyuki Kobayashi, Masaki Tokioka, Hajime Sato
  • Patent number: 5748160
    Abstract: A matrix of light emitting devices including a voltage source constructed to repetitiously supply a multi-step voltage waveform and a matrix of rows and columns of pixels, each pixel being connected to the voltage source. A method of driving the matrix including addressing each of the pixels of the matrix by supplying scan and image data activating signals to each of the pixels, the image data activating signal being used to activate a pixel by completing a current path from the pixel to a return for the voltage source, and activating the voltage source to repetitiously supply multi-step waveforms of voltage and sequentially supply each step of each of the multi-step voltage waveforms to the pixels, and addressing each of the pixels in the matrix for each step supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Mororola, Inc.
    Inventors: Chan-Long Shieh, Hsing-Chung Lee, Franky So
  • Patent number: 5721559
    Abstract: A plasma display apparatus designed to prevent the luminance level from dropping, thus ensuring excellent emission-oriented display. The quantity of high-luminance pixel data whose luminance levels become equal to or higher than a predetermined level is detected. When the detected pixel data quantity is greater than a predetermined number, the luminance level of the plasma display panel is increased by a predetermined level in effecting a discharge-oriented light emission display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuroh Nagakubo
  • Patent number: 5689284
    Abstract: In a method for direct manipulation of images on a computer monitor using a mouse, the image is divided on the monitor into nine regions. Dependent on the region in which a mouse cursor is located, a different function is executed by moving the mouse cursor. In the four corner regions of the image, displacement of the mouse cursor causes an enlargement or downsizing of the image dependent on the mouse displacement. If the mouse cursor is located in the central region, displacement of the cursor results in a shift of the image. If the mouse cursor is located in one of four middle edge regions, respectively disposed between the corner regions, a scrolling of the image ensues dependent on the mouse cursor displacement. In order to activate the function in each region, activation is accomplished by depressing a mouse key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Martin Herget
  • Patent number: 5668567
    Abstract: An electro-optical display device in accordance with the present invention has a plurality of picture elements arranged in a matrix form, and each of the picture elements is composed of an electro-optical material layer and a switching element which is electrically connected to the material layer in a series form. A data voltage is written on the electro-optical material layer via the switching element for a writing period. A reference voltage is applied to the other end of a connection to which the data voltage is applied, and the reference voltage is inverted alternately together with the data voltage for each predetermined period, by which the electro-optical material layer is ac driven. The value of the data voltage is controlled to coincide approximately with that of the reference voltage for the periods other than the writing period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Iwama