Patents Represented by Attorney Michael Best & Friedrich LLC
  • Patent number: 6445018
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed, by which the parasitic capacitance of each signal line can be decreased, the time necessary for developing the device can be decreased, and which has a structure for simply and quickly performing the characteristic evaluation of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device comprises a lower-layer signal line provided below one of a main power-supply line and a main ground line via an insulating layer; and an upper-layer signal line provided above said one of the main power-supply line and the main ground line via an insulating layer. A window is formed in said one of the main power-supply line and the main ground line; and the lower-layer signal line and the upper-layer signal line are electrically connected in a space inside the window, without contacting said one of the main power-supply line and the main ground line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Katsumi Okuaki
  • Patent number: 6436740
    Abstract: A simplified tri-layer process for forming a thin film transistor matrix for a liquid crystal display is disclosed. By using a backside exposure technique, the masking step for patterning an etch stopper layer can be omitted. After forming an active region including a gate electrode and a scan line on the front side of a substrate, and sequentially applying an etch stopper layer and a photoresist layer over the resulting structure, the backside exposure is performed by exposing from the back side of the substrate. A portion of photoresist is shielded by the active region from exposure so that an etch stopper structure having a shape similar to the shape of the active region is formed without any photo-masking and lithographic procedure. Therefore, the above self-aligned effect allows one masking step to be reduced so as to simplify the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Hannstar Display Corp.
    Inventors: Tean-Sen Jen, Jia-Shyong Cheng
  • Patent number: 6435938
    Abstract: A toy figure having multiple articulating limbs connected to the torso by pivot joints that are molded in a vertical injection molding step that forms and pivotally interconnects, in situ, one member of the pivot joint to a second, pre-formed member of the pivot joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: C.J. Associates, Ltd.
    Inventors: James S. W. Lee, Chiu Keung Kwan
  • Patent number: 6431910
    Abstract: Disclosed is a contact device adapted to be mounted on a heat-dissipating device for hot swap in a system. The contact device includes a main body having a resilient member protruding from one side thereof, a conductive member disposed in the main body for electrically connecting the heat-dissipating device and the system, and a first engaging member disposed on the resilient member for engaging with a second engaging member of the heat-dissipating device to allow the main body to be detachably mounted on the heat-dissipating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Te-Tsai Chuang, Kuo-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 6431090
    Abstract: A shelving system is provided wherein the shelves can be engaged by support members at a plurality of angles relative to the horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: L & P Property Management Company
    Inventors: Ted Davis, Bruce Havenga
  • Patent number: 6431897
    Abstract: In a connector having a rotary actuator (14) for bringing a sheet-like object (11) into press contact with a contact (13) held by a housing (12), the rotary actuator is engaged with the contact in a predetermined direction parallel to the sheet-like object and perpendicular to a center axis of a shaft portion (22) of the rotary actuator. The shaft portion is rotatably engaged with the housing. The contact has a contacting portion (15) to be faced to one surface of the sheet-like object and a supporting portion (16) to be faced to the other surface of the sheet-like object. The actuator has a cam portion (21) integrally connected to the shaft portion and located between the supporting portion and the sheet-like object. The supporting portion has a recess (17) which receives the cam portion to engage the cam portion with the supporting portion in the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electroncis Industry Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Hashiguchi, Kanji Inoue
  • Patent number: 6430092
    Abstract: When a /RAS (/row address strobe) signal is input to a memory device, a control logic of the memory device issues an internal /RAS signal corresponding to the /RAS signal and then a row decoder drives a selected wordline in response to the internal /RAS signal. A predetermined time internal passes from the issuance of the internal /RAS signal to the drive of the selected wordline, depending upon a circuit layout of the memory device, skew and so forth. The predetermined time interval is utilized for a time of pre-booting at a booting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Nanba
  • Patent number: 6425801
    Abstract: A polishing process monitoring apparatus of a semiconductor wafer is provided, which is capable of monitoring correctly the process independent of various factors affecting optical measurement, such as the configuration, material, and size of a layered structure on the wafer, and the geometric shapes of patterns and their arrangement for respective semiconductor chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Takeishi, Hideo Mitsuhashi, Katsuhisa Ohkawa, Yoshihiro Hayashi, Takahiro Onodera
  • Patent number: 6422406
    Abstract: A number of panels and shelves are formed of wires which are arranged to intersect. These panels and shelves are secured together to form a rack for holding bottles, where by rack is supported by four corner posts. The vertical placement of the shelves is adjustable along the height of the corner posts by use of adjustable support collars which fit around each post and are captured by each corner of a shelf. A plurality of A-frames are removably secured to the shelves to form areas or compartments in which the bottles or the like may be stored. The A-frames are positioned next to each other so as to support an inverted pyramid of bottles between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: L&P Property Management Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Kessel, Peterjohn R. C. Walters, Jerry W. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6423010
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for measuring blood pressure. Both include a first sensor for detecting an instantaneous pulse rate, an inflatable cuff, and a second sensor to monitoring the pressure within the cuff. The cuff sensor adapted to detect oscillometric complexes associated with a patient's pulse. Both the apparatus and the method provide for detecting arrhythmia from the patient's instantaneous pulse rate. A characteristic of the oscillometric complexes is measured, and match determination means provided for determining whether at least two adjacent oscillometric complexes are equivalent. A first set matching criteria are used under normal conditions. A second set of matching criteria are used when arrhythmia are detected. A controller is provided for controlling the pressure within the cuff. At the outset of a blood pressure measurement the cuff is inflated to a pressure greater than the patient's systolic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Critikon Company, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bruce Friedman, Lawrence T. Hersh, Christopher J. Dedyo
  • Patent number: 6421207
    Abstract: In a contact type magnetic disk drive, a suspension spring or a load beam spring has a length smaller than 5 mm inclusive. This successfully reduces the amplitude of vibration to occur during seek. Also, a magnetic head slider has a mass of greater than 2 mg inclusive and is urged against the disk medium by a load of less than 1 g inclusive, so that a mean wear thickness and maximum amount of jump are reduced. For the reduction of the mean wear thickness and maximum amount of jump, the disk medium may include a lubrication layer having a thickness of greater than 5 nm inclusive, or the suspension spring or the load beam spring may have its thickness sequentially reduced from the side adjoining the spring support mechanism toward the slider. The disk drive reduces the wear of the slider and that of a magnetic disk, and achieves durability and reliability as well as high-density recording.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Akinobu Sato
  • Patent number: 6417899
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes at least one polarizer located interior or internally of substrates-of the display. In certain embodiments, the polarizer may be spin-coated onto the interior of one of the substrates, preferably the passive substrate of the display. Such a polarizer may also be located interior of color filters on the copassive substrate. Thus, light being transmitted through the display proceeds through the front polarizer prior to being de-polarized by the color filters. The result is improved contrast ratios in the display due to the minimization of the de-polarizing of color filters. In certain embodiments, the internal polarizer(s) may be photo-patternable by way of ultraviolet photo-imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Guardian Industries Corp.
    Inventors: Michael R. Jones, John Z. Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 6412443
    Abstract: A small animal activity device having at least two play elements at opposite ends of a pivoting arm and a hollow support member which provides access to the play elements for physically and mentally stimulating small animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Prevue Pet Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Miller
  • Patent number: D459702
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventor: Masashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: D459857
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Classroom Safe-T Products, Inc.
    Inventor: J. Bruce Stoneberg
  • Patent number: D459921
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Global Total Office
    Inventor: Zooey Chu
  • Patent number: D459923
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Global Total Office
    Inventor: Zooey Chu
  • Patent number: D460048
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventor: Masashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: D461497
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: World Wide Stationery Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventor: Chun Yuen To
  • Patent number: D462325
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventor: Yuko Nakatomi