Patents Represented by Attorney Sixbey, Friedman, Leedom & Ferguson, PC
  • Patent number: 5942768
    Abstract: TFTs of peripheral logic circuits and TFTs of an active matrix circuit (pixel circuit) are formed on a single substrate by using a crystalline silicon film. The crystalline silicon film is obtained by introducing a catalyst element, such as nickel, for accelerating crystallization into an amorphous silicon film and heating it. In doing so, the catalyst element is introduced into regions for the peripheral logic circuits in a non-selective manner, and is selectively introduced into regions for the active matrix circuit. As a result, vertical crystal growth and lateral crystal growth are effected in the former regions and the latter regions, respectively. Particularly in the latter regions, the off-current and its variation can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Semionductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hongyong Zhang
  • Patent number: 5937807
    Abstract: An exhaust valve system for an internal combustion engine including a turbocharger is provided for effectively increasing the turbocharged boost pressure at low load engine conditions thereby effectively improving engine transient response. The exhaust valve system includes an exhaust valve control device operable in a normal timing mode for permitting normal opening of one or more exhaust valves at a normal opening crank angle, and in an advanced timing mode for advancing the timing of the opening of the exhaust valve to an advanced opening crank angle prior to the normal opening crank angle while maintaining the timing of normal closing of the exhaust valves at a normal closing crank angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lester L. Peters, David A. Vittorio, P. Douglas Free, Amarjit S. Ghuman, Harold G. Weber, Canden R. Nelson
  • Patent number: 5937812
    Abstract: A high strength, lightweight camshaft for an internal combustion engine, comprising a shaft body having an axially oriented hollow interior extending a predetermined length from between a pair of spaced points, respectively, adjacent the ends of the shaft body. Plural camshaft journal bearings are spaced apart on the shaft body and include a pair of end camshaft journal bearings positioned adjacent the ends of the shaft body, respectively, with at least one inner camshaft journal bearing positioned intermediate the pair of end camshaft journal bearings. Each end camshaft journal bearing has a lubricant transfer means formed therein for receiving lubricant from an external supply and for transferring lubricant into the hollow interior of the camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven W. Reedy, Rand D. Klopfer, Randal L. Myers
  • Patent number: 5939731
    Abstract: A MIS type semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same characterized in that impurity regions are selectively formed on a semiconductor substrate or semiconductor thin film and are activated by radiating laser beams or a strong light equivalent thereto from above so that the laser beams or the equivalent strong light are radiated onto the impurity regions and on an boundary between the impurity region and an active region adjoining the impurity region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuhiko Takemura
  • Patent number: 5940415
    Abstract: A system and method for reliable transmission of information using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) through a noisy transmission path such as a wireless or satellite transmission link. To efficiently adapt ATM to such wireless links requires the ability to discern ATM cell addresses in a high noise environment. The system and method provides multiple redundant addressing to reduce or eliminate misrouting of ATM cells transferred through such a noisy transmission link. The multiple redundancy addressing realizes multiple virtual circuits to the same destination. The multiple redundant addresses for the circuits are within the error space of a principal address used for actual transmission. Thus, the most probable error patterns occurring in the ATM address field will change the principal address to a redundant address to the same destination, thus avoiding misrouting of the ATM cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Kwok-Leung Li, Yung-Lung Ho
  • Patent number: 5934770
    Abstract: An automobile brake control system, which applies braking force commonly to both driving wheels and restrictively controls the braking force when a specified difference occurs between a wheel speed of the driving wheel and a vehicle speed estimated based on wheel speeds of the front and rear wheels, controls, when the vehicle is traversing a split surface road, the braking force based on a wheel speed of a specific one of the driving wheels which is suffering a road surface frictional coefficient greater than another driving wheel, and corrects the vehicle speed to a lower speed according to a difference in road surface friction coefficients at the driving wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Haruki Okazaki
  • Patent number: 5933364
    Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes: a semiconductor chip; and memory and logic sections formed on the semiconductor chip. The memory section includes: an array of memory cells; a sense amplifier circuit; and memory interconnects respectively provided in a number n (where n is a positive integer) of interconnect layers. The logic section includes logic circuits having logic interconnects respectively provided in a number n+m (where m is a positive integer) of interconnect layers. A metal layer is formed in one of (n+1)th to (n+m)th interconnect layers, covers the array of memory cells and supplies a predetermined potential to the memory section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Aoyama, Kiyoto Oota, Kazuhiko Shimakawa
  • Patent number: 5932302
    Abstract: In a process for fabricating a carbon coating, an object such as a magnetic recording medium is disposed on a side of an electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply. Ultrasonic vibrations are supplied to the object. Discharge is generated between the electrode connected to the high-frequency power supply and a grounded electrode to fabricate a carbon coating on the surface of the object. Also, an electrode interval is set to 6 mm or less, pressure between the electrodes is set to 15 Torr to 100 Torr, whereby high-density plasma is generated to form an ion sheath on an anode side. Therefore, a coating is fabricated on the surface of the object by bombardment of ions and the coating contains pin-holes having a density of 30/mm.sup.2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kenji Itoh, Shigenori Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5929961
    Abstract: Techniques for successively fabricating liquid crystal cells at low cost, using two resinous substrates wound on their respective rolls. A color filter and an electrode pattern are formed by printing techniques. Furthermore, an orientation film is printed. These manufacturing steps are carried out successively by rotating various rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nishi, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 5924706
    Abstract: The skate boot construction includes a unitary plastic heel/ankle counter insert which may be secured externally or internally to a soft boot mounted on a skate truck. The insert includes two spaced side portions joined by a U-shaped heel section which extend along the sides of a skater's foot. Above the side portions and the heel section are two forwardly projecting side flaps joined by an arcuate back section which are connected to the spaced side portions by two outwardly bowed hinge sections positioned over a skater's ankle bones. An arcuate slit extends through the heel/ankle counter between the heel section and arcuate back section and runs for a distance along either side of the heel/ankle counter. End slits extend transversely above and below each end of the arcuate slit. Cutaway portions below the side flaps extend inwardly toward the end slits and with the end slits define the edges of the bowed hinge sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Roller Cerby Skate Corporation
    Inventors: Edwin Seltzer, Ross J. Whitehead
  • Patent number: 5924689
    Abstract: A sheet sorter with a stapler includes bins arranged in a vertical direction each of which receives a plurality of sheets discharged from an image recording apparatus to form a stack of sheets. An indexer receives the sheets from the image recording apparatus and is movable up and down along the array of sheet inlet ends of the bins to distribute the sheets to the respective bins through the sheet inlet ends. A stapler is movable along the path of travel of the indexer independently therefrom to staple the stack of sheets on each bin. The stapler is arranged to wait in a waiting position retracted from the path of travel of the indexer in a direction of width of the sheets while the indexer is travelling along the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Fukai, Tsunemitsu Kazama
  • Patent number: 5917225
    Abstract: In a thin-film insulated gate type field effect transistor having a metal gate in which the surface of the gate electrode is subjected to anodic oxidation, a silicon nitride film is provided so as to be interposed between the gate electrode and the gate insulating film to prevent invasion of movable ions into a channel, and also to prevent the breakdown of the gate insulating film due to a potential difference between the gate electrode and the channel region. By coating a specific portion of the gate electrode with metal material such as chrome or the like for the anodic oxidation, and then removing only the metal material such as chrome or the like together with the anodic oxide of the metal material such as chrome or the like, an exposed portion of metal gate (e.g. aluminum) is formed, and an upper wiring is connected to the exposed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hongyong Zhang, Yasuhiko Takemura
  • Patent number: 5913402
    Abstract: The sorting and alignment of welding nuts are conducted with stability regardless of a variation in number with lower noise. A charging chute is provided on its end of obliquely downward slope with a nut-sorting part, and a face plate facing obliquely upward is disposed in a tilted position so as to define the nut-storing part. The face plate is formed with stainless steel of non-magnetic material. A permanent magnet is provided on the back of the face plate so as to move on a specific rotational locus, and moved in rotation by a motor. A posture shift guide is disposed on the front face of the face plate and a specific circumference corresponding to the specific locus to shift welding nuts attracted by the permanent magnet into their lying postures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Seki Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Miura, Kouji Sakota
  • Patent number: 5911443
    Abstract: A quick-coupling device in the form of an insertable cartridge for coupling a tube within a cylindrical housing, the device comprising a tubular insert having external means for anchoring it inside the housing and internal means for retaining the tube, together with a gasket; wherein the tubular insert has a nose of outside diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the means for anchoring the tubular insert and has a protection ring of inside diameter close to the outside diameter of the nose, said ring being mounted on the free end of the nose and being held axially relative to the nose by weak locking means in an axially projecting position relative to the nose for internally receiving the gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Legris S.A.
    Inventor: Philippe Le Quere
  • Patent number: 5911593
    Abstract: A terminal for connecting electrical conductors which cleaves the electrical conductor as it is connected to the terminal without the use of an additional tool. The terminal includes at least one support post having a slot for receiving an electrical conductor, wherein the electrical conductor is lodged in the slot to create an electrical connection between the conductor and the support post. As the electrical conductor is lodged in the slot, the conductor is cleaved on one side of the slot during the same motion by the installer of lodging the conductor in the slot. The terminal also includes a pivotal tab connected to the slot which may be moved by the hands of an installer to release the connection between the conductor and the slot to allow easy removal and replacement of the conductor. The terminal allows electrical conductors to be installed, cleaved, and removed by the hands of an installer without the use of any tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Inventors: Lawrence F. Glaser, Brian E. Stowers
  • Patent number: 5904514
    Abstract: A first pair electrodes consisting of an anode to which a plurality of wiring lines to be anodized are connected and a cathode that is opposed to the anode, and a second pair electrodes for collecting impurities in a forming solution are immersed in a forming solution. A voltage is applied to the plurality of wiring lines in such a manner that at least one of the plurality of wiring lines receives the voltage for a different period than the other wiring lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Konuma, Jun Koyama, Masaaki Hiroki, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 5902212
    Abstract: A torque responsive hydraulic control system for an automatic transmission with a plurality of hydraulically actuated friction control elements. A working hydraulic pressure in the elements is controlled during shifting such that a pressure in a first element is removed after a specific state of the element is achieved. The removal being responsive to the torque of an input shaft of the transmission, the expiration of a specific time period, or a position of the throttle valve of a driving engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kamada, Shigeru Nagayama, Shin Nakano, Kenji Sawa
  • Patent number: 5901812
    Abstract: In a vertical lift for use in exterior locations to raise and lower a person, the lift comprising a support frame, a tower frame mounted on the support frame, a carriage secured to the tower frame so as to be vertically movable with respect thereto, a drive system associated with the tower frame to raise and lower the carriage between an upper and a lower position, and control means to enable a person using the lift to activate and deactivate the drive system as required, the improvement characterized in that the tower frame comprises a plurality of vertically extending guides secured to the tower frame and a carriage guide frame secured to the carriage and movably associated with the guides, and the drive system comprises a vertically oriented drive screw which, when activated, rotates in one direction to raise or in the opposite direction to lower a nut seated thereon so as not to rotate therewith, the guide frame supported by the nut for raising or lowering therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Inventor: Richard A. Meunier
  • Patent number: 5900837
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for compensation of diffraction of beam of an antenna system. In the preferred embodiment, the antenna system is a phased array antenna. The present invention does so by controlling the phase front. The phase front is controlled by distributing frequencies such that the value of the frequency for a given emitter is proportional to the distance of the emitter from the center of the antenna system. In one embodiment of the invention, the value of the frequency for a given emitter is linear, square or otherwise, to the distance of the emitter from the center of the antenna system. A phase front formed by the time spectrum is summed with a phase front created by diffraction divergence compensation. In one embodiment, the phase front is controlled by forming the radius of the time spectrum opposite to and with the same value as the radius of the phase front created by diffraction divergence compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Fourth Dimension Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Frederick N. Petrosian
  • Patent number: 5897345
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a thin film transistor, and a process for fabricating the same, the process comprising: a first step of forming an island-like semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film covering the semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode comprising a material containing aluminum as the principal component formed on the gate insulating film; a second step of introducing impurities into the semiconductor layer in a self-aligned manner by using the gate electrode as the mask; a third step of forming an interlayer dielectric to cover the gate electrode, and forming a contact hole in at least one of source and drain; a fourth step of forming over the entire surface, a film containing aluminum as the principal component, and then forming an anodic oxide film by anodically oxidizing the film containing aluminum as the principal component; a fifth step of etching the film containing aluminum as the principal component and the anodic oxide film, thereby forming a second layer interconnection cont
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Uochi