Abstract: To provide a technique required for purifying the interface between an active layer and an insulating film. On a substrate (101), a gate wiring (103) is formed and the surface thereof is covered with a gate oxide film (104). Then, a first insulating film (105a), a second insulating film (105b), a semiconductor film (106) and a protective film (107) are sequentially formed and layered without exposing them to the air. Further, the semiconductor film (106) is irradiated with laser light through the protective film (107). In this way, a TFT may be given good characteristics by completely purifying the interface of the semiconductor film.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 8, 2002
Date of Patent:
April 1, 2008
Assignee:
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Abstract: The underground mining machine (10) according to the invention in known manner comprises a machine body (13) movable along a working face (11) and with at least one cutting and rolling unit (14) connected to the machine body by an extension arm (15) and drivable via a gear arrangement (17) mounted in the extension arm by a drive (16) disposed on the machine body. In order to make the drive system of the mining machine simpler, requiring less maintenance, and less subject to wear, according to the invention the gear arrangement comprises a compensating drive shaft (18) extending through the extension and coupled or adapted to be coupled by a first angular gear stage (19) to the drive on the machine body side and by a second angular gear stage (20) to the cutting and rolling unit on the cutting and rolling side.
Abstract: A method of programming or designing application logic for a highway-rail grade crossing warning system including the steps of providing a set of templates, each template of the set of templates defining a track circuit application for a grade crossing with different characteristics, selecting a template from the set that best corresponds to the track circuit application at the grade crossing, defining a set of default programming parameters for each template to program the controller, and inputting additional parameters into the controller to define other characteristics of the track circuit application. A visual representation of each template may be provided. This invention is also directed to the set of templates for programming the controller.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 18, 2005
Date of Patent:
April 1, 2008
Assignee:
Safetran Systems Corporation
Inventors:
Richard D. Bamfield, Richard V. Peel, Martin Paget
Abstract: Apparatus (20) and methods for segmenting a blood-filled tube (42) into multiple, blood-containing, sealed segment are disclosed. The apparatus (20) includes a tubing locating surface (22) for mounting the tubing and sealing means (24) cooperatively associated with the tubing locating surface (22).
Abstract: A p channel TFT of a driving circuit has a single drain structure and its n channel TFT, a GOLD structure or an LDD structure. A pixel TFT has the LDD structure. A pixel electrode disposed in a pixel portion is connected to the pixel TFT through a hole bored in at least a protective insulation film formed of an inorganic insulating material and formed above a gate electrode of the pixel TFT, and in an interlayer insulating film disposed on the insulation film in close contact therewith. These process steps use 6 to 8 photo-masks.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 15, 2004
Date of Patent:
March 25, 2008
Assignee:
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Inventors:
Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuyuki Arai, Jun Koyama
Abstract: In an active matrix panel, a pixel matrix which includes a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of source lines, and thin film transistors is formed on a first transparent substrate. A second transparent substrate is formed opposite to the first transparent substrate. A liquid crystal material is disposed between the first and second transparent substrates. A gate line driver circuit and a source line driver circuit are formed by a P-type, an N-type, a complementary type thin film transistors (including silicon film) or the like on the first transparent substrate. Also, a data processing circuit for performing mask processing or the like is formed by the thin film transistors or the like on the first transparent substrate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 10, 2004
Date of Patent:
March 25, 2008
Assignee:
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Abstract: A method of driving a liquid crystal display device is provided which can decrease the hysteresis of thresholdless liquid crystal and which can, depending on the liquid crystal, improve the response time. By providing a ā0 Vā reset period before or after a gradation display period, the hysteresis of the thresholdless liquid crystal is prevented. With regard to a liquid crystal which has a small spontaneous polarization and with which switching between halftones takes a lot of time, there is an effect of improving the response time by switching via ā0 Vā.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 20, 2000
Date of Patent:
March 25, 2008
Assignee:
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for determining a faulted phase resulting from a fault in a three-phase ungrounded power system. The method includes comparing a phase angle of an operating phasor to a phase angle of a fixed reference phasor. The operating phasor is derived from a digitized signal sample of a plurality of measured signals of the power system. The method also includes comparing a phase angle difference between the operating phasor and the fixed reference phasor to at least one threshold to determine the faulted phase. The fixed reference phasor may be a phase-to-phase voltage or a positive sequence voltage of the plurality of measured signals of the power system. The operating phasor may be a zero sequence current, a zero sequence voltage or a combination of a zero sequence current and a zero sequence voltage of the plurality of measured signals of the power system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 14, 2005
Date of Patent:
March 18, 2008
Assignee:
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
Abstract: A method for the imaging of a particular volume of plant or animal tissue, wherein the plant or animal tissue contains at least one photo-active molecular agent. The method comprises the steps of treating the particular volume of the plant or animal tissue with light sufficient to promote a simultaneous two-photon excitation of the photo-active molecular agent contained in the particular volume of the plant or animal tissue, photo-activating at least one of the at least one photo-active molecular agent in the particular volume of the plant or animal tissue, thereby producing at least one photo-activated molecular agent, wherein the at least one photo-activated molecular agent emits energy, detecting the energy emitted by the at least one photo-activated molecular agent, and producing a detected energy signal which is characteristic of the particular volume of plant or animal tissue.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 5, 1998
Date of Patent:
March 18, 2008
Assignee:
Provectus Devicetech, Inc.
Inventors:
Eric A. Wachter, Walter G. Fisher, H. Craig Dees
Abstract: A voting system for storing voter input data on a voter selection card, which is capable of storing data for a plurality of candidates, and the system, subsequently, prints a ballot marked in accordance with data on the voter selection card. A voter-assist terminal receives a blank voter selection card, and then presents candidate selection options to the voter visually by means of an LCD touch screen menu and aurally by means of a synthesized speech menu. Candidate selections entered by means of the touch screen menu or by means of the audio menu are stored on the voter selection card, and the voter selection card is returned to the voter to take to a reader terminal. The reader terminal sends the stored data on the voter selection card to an attached printer which prints a marked ballot corresponding to the voter's selections. The ballot is inserted in a ballot scanning device, wherein the ballot is tallied and deposited in a locked ballot box.
Abstract: Methods and modules for use in a modular assembly are disclosed for retaining or detaining storm water beneath a ground surface. A module comprises a substantially horizontally disposed deck portion and at least one substantially vertically disposed side portion extending therefrom. The deck portion and side portion have respective end edges, and the side portion has bottom edges. The side portion and the deck portion define a longitudinal channel which is open at least at an end of the module. The side portion has at least one opening therein and defines a lateral channel in the module. The longitudinal and lateral channels are in fluid communication with one another. Each channel has about the same cross section and extends upwardly from the bottom edges to allow relatively unconstrained flow in the longitudinal and lateral directions.
Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for identifying a specific lost current transformer (CT) signal of number of CT signals provided by a corresponding number of CTs coupling a protective device to at least one protection zone. The method includes selectively providing pairs of first and second binary control signals corresponding to each of the CT signals in response to comparisons of RMS current changes of respective CT signals. A third binary control signal associated with a protection zone is provided in response to receipt of the pairs of first and second binary control signals. A first value for only one of the first binary control signals, a second value for all of the second binary control signals and the first value for the third binary control signal for a predetermined time indicates the loss of the CT signal corresponding to the first binary control signal having the first value.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 14, 2005
Date of Patent:
March 18, 2008
Assignee:
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
Abstract: The system is used in a distance-type protective relay which includes a calculation circuit responsive to voltage and current values from a power line to produce a quantity which is analogous to the distance between the relay and a fault on the line, referred to as an m quantity. This quantity is then applied to a distance element/circuit for comparison of said quantity with a setting reach value for a zone one distance protection to determine whether the fault is within zone one protection. The system includes a filter circuit which filters the quantity before it reaches the distance element, resulting in a smoothing of said quantity and rejection of noise therefrom. The system further includes a control circuit which determines whether the filter is to be used in the system in a particular situation, depending upon whether when the value of the quantity is above a selected percentage of the setting reach value.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 29, 2003
Date of Patent:
March 18, 2008
Assignee:
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
Inventors:
Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Joseph B. Mooney
Abstract: The leakage of light and the disclination occur at the ends of the pixel electrodes where the equipotential lines bend toward the pixel electrodes. A dielectric 207 having a high dielectric constant is provided at the ends of the pixel electrodes to lift up the equipotential lines toward the opposing electrode, in order to decrease the leakage of light and the disclination.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 20, 2004
Date of Patent:
March 11, 2008
Assignee:
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Abstract: To provide a driver circuit that is simple and possessing a small surface area. The driver circuit comprises a shift register circuit and a plurality of latch circuits. The shift register circuit is composed of a plurality of register circuits having a clocked inverter circuit and an inverter circuit connected in series. The plurality of digital data latch circuits has a first N-channel Tr and a second N-channel Tr of which the sources or the drains are connected in series, a P-channel Tr, and a data holding circuit. The clocked inverter circuit and the inverter circuit generate a timing signal on the basis of a clock signal and a start pulse to thereby feed the timing signal to the register circuit neighboring a register circuit and to a gate electrode of the first N-channel Tr and the P-channel Tr feeds a first electric voltage to the data holding circuit in accordance with a Res signal inputted to the gate electrode.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 21, 2004
Date of Patent:
March 11, 2008
Assignee:
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.