Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Edward Blocker
  • Patent number: 6570587
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for linking information to and accessing information from a video. A hotspot can be defined in a frame of a video. The hotspot can be tracked in other frames of the video. Also, the hotspot can be linked to a target. When the video is played, the hotspot can be actuated and the corresponding target executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Veon Ltd.
    Inventors: Eliahu Efrat, Avner Peleg, Yossi A. Hermush, Ehud Peleg, Elhanan A. Borenstein
  • Patent number: 6337544
    Abstract: A digital lamp signal processor senses lamp current and lamp voltage in real time. These two signals are sufficient to obtain information, such as real lamp power calculation, necessary to control ballast operation and fault detection. The apparatus measures the phase of lamp current and voltage, the peak current and voltage, and calculates the average lamp current and voltage. The digital lamp signal processor eliminates the effect of parasitic capacitance of power wiring and a signal condition circuit. It may detect and control hard switching and apply over current and voltage protection. The apparatus directly processes AC signals, allowing for simple and easily integrated single chip design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Shenghong Wang, Demetri J. Giannopoulos, Ihor T. Wacyk
  • Patent number: 6300723
    Abstract: An apparatus for power factor control includes a capacitor for producing a substantially DC voltage and a switch for controlling the amount of energy stored in the capacitor in response to a switching signal. The switching signal is produced by the power factor controller and is based on a sinusoidal waveform that is independent of the waveform of an AC supply voltage for energizing an electric load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Shenghong Wang, Ihor T. Wacyk, Demetri J. Giannopoulos
  • Patent number: 6140777
    Abstract: A ballast preconditioner serving as a boost regulator which includes a power factor controller. The preconditioner also includes a capacitor for producing a substantially DC voltage and a switch for controlling the amount of energy stored in the capacitor in response to a switching signal. The power factor controller includes a waveform generator having a look-up table for storing values of at least one waveform. The switching signal produced by the power factor controller is based on the at least one waveform accessed from the look-up table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Shenghong Wang, Ihor T. Wacyk, Demetri J. Giannopoulos
  • Patent number: 6100646
    Abstract: A ballast feedback scheme including a single stage current feedback inverter. To avoid overboosting of the voltage impressed across a buffer capacitor only a portion of the high frequency lamp current is fedback to the buffer capacitor during both ignition and steady state operation of the lamp. Ignition of the lamp is well controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Jerzy Janczak, Adan F. Hernandez
  • Patent number: 6043606
    Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for operating a discharge lamp with a high frequency current comprising a power feedback circuit and a electrode preheater. The circuit arrangement comprises an antiboost switch for disabling the power feedback circuit before the lamp has ignited and enabling the power feedback circuit after the lamp has ignited- In accordance with the invention the antiboost switch is also used to enable the electrode preheater before the lamp has ignited and to disable the electrode preheater after the lamp has ignited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Paulus P. B. Arts, Wilhelmus H. M. Langeslag, Jurgen M. A. Willaert
  • Patent number: 6028397
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for igniting and operating a high intensity discharge lamp including a Buck converter. The Buck converter includes a switch, a rectifier and an inductor having primary and secondary windings. The secondary winding is part of an integrator for controlling the non-conductive state of the switch. A detector responsive to the flow of current through the rectifier produces a signal supplied to the integrator output during the non-conductive state of the switch. The integrator output remains proportional to the flow of current through the inductor regardless of the state of the switch. Consequently, the time duration that the switch is in its non-conductive state can be limited while maintaining the circuit arrangement in a reliable non-self oscillatory mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Hendrik J. Blankers
  • Patent number: 6020689
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp ballast having an integrated circuit driver which avoids lamp flicker caused by momentary dips in mains voltage during lamp turn on. The anti-flicker scheme within the fluorescent lamp ballast driver distinguishes between operating conditions during and after preheat of the lamp electrodes. By maintaining the voltage for powering the integrated circuit driver above its minimum threshold, the driver does not momentarily shut off during lamp turn on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Pawel M. Gradzki, Ihor T. Wacyk
  • Patent number: 6011360
    Abstract: A ballast including an inverter and a circuit having a resonant frequency coupled to the output of the inverter. In one embodiment of the invention, the only discrete type of element substantially affecting the resonant frequency is substantially inductive in electrical character. In this embodiment of the invention, there is also no discrete ballasting element in series with the lamp load. The reduction in discrete elements reduces both power consumption and costs associated with the ballast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Pawel M. Gradzki, Wen-Jian Gu, Ihor T. Wacyk
  • Patent number: 6011357
    Abstract: A triac dimmable compact fluorescent lamp having a low power factor. A power feedback circuit coupled between the input and output stages of the lamp ballast creates sufficient current demand to sustain triac conduction at low dim levels. The power fed back from the output stage to the input stage, which includes a voltage doubler, reflects the voltage across the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Pawel M. Gradzki, Jerzy Janczak
  • Patent number: 6008590
    Abstract: An integrated circuit control device for driving a half bridge type of inverter. The IC control inverter powers a load including a lamp. The device includes at least one pin, which during the preheat cycle of the lamp is at a high logic level resulting in the coupling of an additional capacitor to an unloaded resonant tank circuit. The overall resonant frequency of the unloaded circuit is reduced making it less likely that a high voltage will be applied to the lamp during preheat. Once the lamp filaments have been preheated the pin is at a low logic level. The low logic level at the pin causes the additional capacitor to be decoupled from the tank circuit. The pin when at the low logic level also receives a signal representing the voltage condition across the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: Demetri J. Giannopoulos, Paul R. Veldman
  • Patent number: 5994848
    Abstract: A triac dimmable compact fluorescent lamp including a power feedback circuit. The power feedback circuit helps to maintain the level of current drawn from the triac to at least the level of the triac holding current especially during low dim levels. In one preferred embodiment, the feedback circuit is fed into a junction joining together a pair of fast recovery diodes for converting the high frequency square wave signal into a unidirectional signal supplied to an inverter. Overboost voltages across a buffer capacitor are minimized during low dim levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventor: Jerzy Janczak
  • Patent number: 5982108
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement including a DC/AC converter for operating a discharge lamp. The DC/AC converter includes input terminals for connection of the DC/AC converter to a DC voltage source, and a switching circuit connected to the input terminals and provided with at least one switching element. The switching element has a control electrode and a main electrode and a control circuit between the main electrode and the control electrode for generating a control signal for the switching element. The switching element is conductive when a voltage is present between the control electrode and the main electrode with a first polarity having a value which exceeds a threshold value. A load branch includes at least inductive means and output terminals for connection of the discharge lamp, which load branch is supplied via the switching circuit. The control circuit also generates a DC voltage component between the control electrode and the main electrode with a polarity which is opposed to the first polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Arnold W. Buij, Ronny A. A. M. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 5955813
    Abstract: In an electric motor with a stationary and a movable active motor part, one of the two active motor parts comprising a motor winding and the other a motor magnet, an air gap being formed between said active motor parts. The motor winding (9) is built up on a synthetic resin carrier foil and is formed through local removal of copper material with which the synthetic resin foil (23) had previously been fully coated. The synthetic resin carrier foil (23) and the planar coils (28) adhering thereto are provided with an adhesive filler material (30) such that the adhesive filler material (30) fills up the gaps (26) formed between the individual conductor tracks through the removal of the copper material. The assembly thus stabilized is wound into an evenly rounded cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Ekkehard Bolte, Anton Hammers, Klaus Stips
  • Patent number: 5929573
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switching device for operating a lamp by means of a high-frequency current, which switching device comprises a DC-AC converter whose oscillation frequency is determined by a timer circuit comprising a resistor and a capacitor. In accordance with the invention, the timer circuit also comprises a chain C which includes a switching element and which is used to increase the RC period of the timer circuit during ignition of the lamp, thereby increasing the amplitude of the voltage across the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes A. M. Louwers, Nicolaas H. M. Pol
  • Patent number: 5930210
    Abstract: An information system including a record carrier and a playback apparatus. Information has been recorded on the record carrier in the form of variations of a first physical parameter. The playback apparatus scans the record carrier by means of a transducer which is responsive to the variations of the first physical parameter. An information recovering circuit recovers the information from a detection signal received from the transducer. The record carrier exhibits second variations of a second physical parameter, which differs from the first physical parameter but which second variations are of a type that are detectable by the transducer. A detection circuit detects the presence of the second variations on the basis of a detection signal received from the transducer. A circuit responsive to the detection circuit enables the information recovering circuit when the presence of the second variations is detected causing it to recover the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Jozef M. K. Timmermans, Erik C. Schylander, Johannes J. Mons
  • Patent number: 5925989
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for igniting and operating a high-pressure discharge lamp is provided with a switching device, inductive device and a rectifier which together form a Buck converter, connected to input terminals for connection to a supply source and output terminals for connection of the lamp. The lamp is supplied with a current through periodic switching of the switching device alternatively into a conducting and a non-conducting state by means of a switch-on and switch-off signal, respectively. The inductive device includes a primary and a secondary winding with the secondary winding forming part of an integration network for generating the switch-off signal. The secondary winding also forms part of a voltage divider network for generating the switch-on signal. A very simple circuit arrangement is thereby achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Hendrik J. Blankers
  • Patent number: 5920874
    Abstract: Information of a specific application, such as, CD-ROM or CD-DA is organized according to a specific information structure and also contains application data related thereto. There is disclosed a method of transferring information organized according to one or more information structures with an information signal subdivided into blocks. The header of each block contains an application code and application data, while the structure of the application data depends on the application code. According to a layered hierarchical structure the blocks are organized in groups having a group application code and the groups are organized in a volume having a volume application code. The invention makes it possible to know the information structure at any moment. Furthermore, an information carrier is described on which such an information signal is recorded. Also an arrangement for receiving and an arrangement for transmitting such information signals are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Johannes J. Mons
  • Patent number: 5920272
    Abstract: A series of m-bit information words is converted to a modulated signal. For each information word from the series, an n-bit code word is delivered. The delivered code words are converted to the modulated signal. The code words are distributed over at least one group of a first type and at least one group of a second type. When a code word belonging to a group of the first type is delivered, its group establishes a coding state of a first type. When a code word belonging to a group of the second type is delivered, a coding state of a second type is established which is determined by the information word which is to be converted to the delivered code word. When one of the code words is assigned to the received information word, this code word is selected from a set of code words which depends on the coding state established. The sets of code words belonging to the coding states of the second type are disjunct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Kornelis A. Schouhamer Immink
  • Patent number: 5912515
    Abstract: A motor with reduced radial forces includes a first motor part made up of 2P permanent magnet poles surrounding a second motor part formed by a magnetic yoke having a number T of pole teeth and with an air gap between the first and second motor parts. The first and second motor parts are moveable relative to one another. Exciter coils are mounted on the pole teeth and the pole teeth are separated by pole gaps. For a motor with a number 2P magnet poles and a number T of pole teeth which do not have a common submultiple greater than 1, each of the pole teeth have a centrally located auxiliary slot facing the air gap thereby to reduce undesirable radial forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Ackermann, Leo Honds, Johan C. Compter, Pingh-Shih Wang