Patents Represented by Law Firm Merchant, Gould, Smith, Edell & Welter
  • Patent number: 5920509
    Abstract: By setting full group reversal control gates to a logical voltage "H", memory cells on all bit lines of a memory cell array block are connected to a reversal voltage supply circuit so that a group reversal operation is performed. When one of the group reversal control gates is set to the logical voltage "H", the memory cells on the bit lines having either even or odd numbers of the memory cell array block are connected to the reversal voltage supply circuit so that a partial group reversal operation is performed. When one of column selection gates is set to the logical voltage "H", the selected bit line is connected to the reversal voltage supply circuit. Consequently, a line reversal operation for the memory cell connected to the selected bit line is performed. Thus, the high-speed reversal operation which fully controls the offleak current of the memory cell can be implemented and the low-voltage operation can be realized by changing the operation unit for performing the reversal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshige Hirano, Toshiyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 5920026
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a percussion detecting apparatus, which is excellent in percussion feeling, and the percussion sounds of which are very small, in electric percussion instrumental system. The percussion detecting apparatus is provided with a head prepared from a net-like raw material composed of a first net and a second net, and the net-like raw material being obtained by such a manner that both are nets having been woven in accordance with plane weaving manner wherein the longitudinal and traverse fibers cross at right angles are laminated in such a way that the weave patter directions thereof intersect obliquely with each other; and a head sensor which is in contact with the center position of the under side in the head and detects percussion with respect to the head as electric signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Roland Kabsuhiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yoshino, Kenji Hirano, Masato Katsuda
  • Patent number: 5918644
    Abstract: An air conveying duct has a foam core sealed on the inside and reinforced on the outside. The duct absorbs noise and neither introduces impurities into the air nor collects impurities from the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Inventors: C. William Haack, Michael T. Nixon
  • Patent number: 5920574
    Abstract: A method for an accelerated test of semiconductor devices comprises the steps of determining a relational expression t.sub.1 =t.sub.2.sup.m between an information holding lifetime t.sub.1 at a temperature T.sub.1 and another lifetime t.sub.2 at another temperature T.sub.2, expressing the exponent m as a function of the temperature that is proportional to the Boltzmann's factor, and calculating the information holding lifetime t.sub.2 at the temperature T.sub.2 on the basis of the information holding lifetime t.sub.1 at the temperature T.sub.1 using the relational expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimada, Keisaku Nakao, Atsuo Inoue, Masamichi Azuma, Eiji Fujii
  • Patent number: 5920149
    Abstract: A picture tube device comprises a CRT and a deflection yoke having a terminal board cover, wherein an adjustment tool is not completely extracted from through holes and can be smoothly shifted between through holes, and the position of another through hole can be confirmed and determined without visual confirmation, so that the position among the through holes can be easily determined. A correction circuit comprising variable resistors for correcting misconvergence is employed on a printed board installed on the deflection yoke. The printed board is covered with a terminal board cover made of insulating material and through holes for inserting an adjustment tool for adjusting the adjustment areas of the variable resistors are formed in the terminal board cover. The through holes are connected to each other with guiding grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sugimoto, Katsuyo Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 5917696
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved structure for the connecting seat of a PC mainboard and interface cards and for a computer housing, in particular to an improved connecting seat structure, for fastening a mainboard and interface cards, being detachable/attachable from/to a computer housing. The present invention comprises a connecting seat having a longer plank connected to a shorter plank, where the inner side of the longer plank is connected to the mainboard and the inner side of the shorter plank is connected to interface cards and their input/output ports. One end of the longer plank is provided with a lid and fastening tabs being adapted to fastening grooves formed on the corresponding locations of the computer housing, where an operative insert is provided to couple the connecting seat and the computer housing for convenient locking or unlocking operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Enlight Corporation
    Inventor: Chen-Hsing Peng
  • Patent number: 5918133
    Abstract: Generally, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a dual thickness gate dielectric along the channel and a process of fabricating such a device. By providing a dual thickness gate dielectric, the gate dielectric can, for example, be optimized to the transistor and device performance can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices
    Inventors: Mark I. Gardner, Robert Paiz
  • Patent number: 5915668
    Abstract: A valve actuating apparatus is provided for operating a valve between an open and closed position. The valve actuating apparatus includes an actuator having an output member with the actuator providing reciprocating motion to the output member upon energization of the actuator. A guide member having a detent therein is connected to the output member of the actuator. The apparatus includes a clutch assembly having a housing, an electromagnet assembly, an engagement member, and a housing opening with the engagement member disposed in the housing between the electromagnet assembly, and the housing opening. The housing opening is adapted to receive the guide member therein such that the clutch assembly and a portion of the guide member are slidably connected. The electromagnet assembly is selectively energized to force the engagement member against the guide member disposed in the housing opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Micro-Trak Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Dennis Hodapp, Semor David Tofte
  • Patent number: 5916441
    Abstract: A desalination system using hydrostatic pressure formed in a vertical mine shaft to function reverse osmosis membranes plumbed so that permeate water from the last membrane is input water to the next. The hydrostatic pressure forces the brine water from the first membrane nearly to the earth's surface. The second brine water is likely usable as drinking water. The final product water is pure enough to be agriculturally usable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: D'Sal International, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger J. Raether
  • Patent number: 5915533
    Abstract: A hat having a brim configured to extend substantially around the head of a wearer, wherein a weight increasing means is provided on the brim to increase a radius of gyration of the hat. Typically, the weight increasing means is provided at, or adjacent to, a periphery of said brim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Inventor: Roy Michael Halle
  • Patent number: 5915592
    Abstract: An apparatus for diluting a liquid concentrate with a liquid diluent to form a use solution is provided. The apparatus includes an aspirator having a first inlet port, second inlet port, and an outlet port. A liquid diluent conducting means is connected to the first inlet port and a liquid concentrate conducting means is connected to the second inlet port of the aspirator for supplying thereto the liquid diluent and liquid concentrate respectively. Movement of a shut off valve and actuator valve operator controls both the shut off valve which is in fluid communication with the outlet port and the actuator valve which is in fluid communication with the liquid diluent conducting means to control flow of the liquid diluent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Ecolab Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Jondall Mehus, Royce Dale Johnson, Thomas Craig Thalhuber
  • Patent number: 5918208
    Abstract: A managed care expert system provides a graphical, interactive computer system which accepts user input relating to contract variables for a plurality of alternative contract scenarios, consults a database of national and locality-specific utilization data, performs a utilization and revenue analysis for both commercial and Medicare-age beneficiaries, and provides a synthetic fee schedule for comparing the likely revenue under capitation for a plurality of services to revenue for those services under a current reimbursement scenario. The system of the invention in its preferred embodiment enables a physician or other health care professional to use a broad array of assumptions to forecast utilization of medical procedures and estimated revenue per procedure under multiple capitation scenarios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Ingenix, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan C. Javitt
  • Patent number: 5917998
    Abstract: A method and apparatus that maintains in stable storage an identification of which copies in a mirrored disk system are currently up to date without requiring the use of a logging mechanism. The invention may include a plurality of mirrored disk drives and a processing unit for controlling the writing and reading of data units to and from mirrored disk drives, wherein the processing unit establishes and maintains cohort sets for each mirrored disk drive. The cohort set represents the status of copies of the data units stored on the mirrored disk drives and contains membership information for redundant copies of data units stored in the plurality of mirrored disk drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Luis Felipe Cabrera, Darrell Don Earl Long
  • Patent number: 5917351
    Abstract: A relay-race FLL/PLL high-speed timing acquisition device according to the invention comprises a transition detector, a voltage controlled oscillator, a loop filter of PLL, a first lowpass filter, a 90.degree. phase shifter, a second lowpass filter, and a plurality of multipliers. In addition, this relay-race FLL/PLL high-speed timing acquisition device is characterized by further comprising a frequency delimiter which includes a highpass filter coupled to a first circuit, a second circuit coupled to the highpass filter, a third lowpass filter coupled to the second circuit, a Schmitt inverter coupled to the third lowpass filter, and a switch member coupled to the Schmitt inverter. The relay-race FLL/PLL high-speed timing acquisition device can obtain stable and high speed timing acquisition by means of the frequency delimiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: National Science Council
    Inventors: Muh-Tian Shiue, Chorng-Kuang Wang, Kuang-Hu Huang, Po-Chiun Huang
  • Patent number: 5917116
    Abstract: A method of processing a copper mineral, the method comprising activating the copper mineral by milling the copper mineral to P80 of between 2 and 20 micron, and subsequently subjecting the activated copper mineral to an oxidative hydrometallurgical treatment in the presence of chloride ions in an amount of from 2 to 10 g/L.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Dominion Mining Limited
    Inventors: Gary Donald Johnson, Naralia Streltsova
  • Patent number: 5916628
    Abstract: A cell that is excellent in discharge characteristics and cycle characteristics is provided by filtering an active material paste, which contains an active material, a binder resin solution, and a conducting agent added as required, at least one time by a filter while stirring the active material paste in a stirring apparatus that has a stirring blade, and then coating a current collector with the active material paste. An active material paste is circulated and filtered by a feeding pump and a filter while being stirred in a stirring apparatus that has a stirring blade. Then, the active material paste is fed to another filter by a metering pump and filtered, and then, a current collector (backing) is coated with the active material paste. Then, the active material paste is dried in a dry zone and taken up by a take-up roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ueyama, Kunio Tsuruta, Yorihito Ohana, Toshikazu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5915331
    Abstract: A process for locating an object, in particular a teat of a cow within an operation range using a sensor matrix (10) of a milking robot. This process is characterized in that the location identified using the sensor matrix (10) is checked for plausibility during the locating process and in the event of an implausible location, a separate diagnostic step is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Westfalia Landtechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Kurt Kimm
  • Patent number: 5915529
    Abstract: A joint guard for a knee or elbow joint as a flexible cushioned pad positioned over the front of the joint and sized with upper and lower portions extending around the sides of upper and lower limbs joined at the joint. Upper and lower strap fasteners permit a user to adjust the degree of attachment of the upper and lower portions of the pad to the upper and lower limbs. An abrasion resistant shield includes an upper portion secured to the upper pad portion. The shield further has a lower portion secured to the lower pad portion. The shield has a flexible plate extending from the upper portion to the lower shield portion with the plate being disconnected from the pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Rollerblade, Inc.
    Inventor: Sherry S. Popowski
  • Patent number: 5917727
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a modular printing system has a plurality of modules for processing sheets. One module is a collator module configured to retain the sheets. The collator module has a collator controller and sensors linked to the collator controller. The sensors are arranged to detect erroneously processed sheets. The collator controller is configured to generate an error signal in response to detection of an error. The collator module also includes a feed assembly for presenting the sheets. A printer module is configured to receive sheets presented by the feed assembly. The printer module includes a printer controller and sensors linked to the printer controller. The sensors are arranged to detect erroneously processed sheets and to generate an error signal in response to detection of an error. The module printing system also includes a system controller linked to the collator controller and the printer controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Check Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Michael M. Richardson, Allan C. Brittle, Jr., Kent Gorham, Jay R. Peterson, Chris J. Vetter
  • Patent number: D411736
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Convenience Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas M. Kazale