Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm William J. Burke
  • Patent number: 6379584
    Abstract: A long persistence, orange-red emitting phosphor has the formula AS:EumTrnOxXy wherein A is an alkaline earth metal ion, Tr is one or more trivalent rare earth metal ions, X is a halide, m is an integer in the range 0.01 to 0.5 atomic percent, n is an integer in the range 0.3 to 0.5 atomic percent, x is an integer in the range 0.01 to 2.0 atomic percent, and y is an integer in the range 0.01 to 0.5 atomic percent. These phosphors are made by reacting an alkaline earth metal sulfate to form the corresponding sulfide, mixing with europium oxide and one or more trivalent rare earth metal oxides to dope the sulfate, mixing the doped alkaline earth metal sulfate with a hydrocarbon and powdered sulfur, heating to form the corresponding phosphor sulfide and mixing with a halide compound to form the corresponding oxyhalide sulfide phosphor. The persistence time of the phosphors can be improved by grinding the phosphor and refiring it in the presence of an ammonium halide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Perry Niel Yocom, Diane Zaremba
  • Patent number: 6373894
    Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method is disclosed for recovering or adjusting quantized coefficients by using a nonlinear method. The method operates by fitting the received signal into one of several predefined classes, and adjusting the signal as appropriate to better fit the best suited class.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignees: Sarnoff Corporation, Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Dinei Afonso Ferreira Florencio, Iraj Sodagar
  • Patent number: 6374280
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently computing an Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform (IDCT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignees: Sarnoff Corporation, Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Shipeng Li
  • Patent number: 6369512
    Abstract: A projection tube has a phosphor-coated faceplate at one end of a vacuum envelope and a plural-beam providing electron lens structure at the opposite end thereof. The electron lens structure includes four electrodes having axially-aligned apertures defining parallel channels for the plural electron beams to pass through to be focused and converged onto a small spot on the faceplate. The first and second electrodes of the electron lens structure shape the electron beams and the third and fourth electrodes thereof converge and focus the electron beams toward the same location on the faceplate. The potential applied to the fourth electrode is at or close to the potential at the phosphor, and is substantially higher than the potential applied to the third electrode. The lens structures of the third and fourth electrodes may each include an inner electron lens structure and an outer electron lens structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Casanova Alig, Dennis John Bechis
  • Patent number: 6369857
    Abstract: A receiver requiring only a single IF SAW filter and IF amplifier receives signals in both analog format and in digital format, such as the NTSC, PAL and SECAM analog television signal formats and the ATSC and DVB digital television signal formats. IF signals from the IF amplifier are sub-sampled to digital signal form and are processed by respective analog format and digital format processors. Control circuitry responsive to the presence of certain unique components of the signals in analog format and digital format determine which of the analog format and digital format processors is producing valid data and selects the valid data to be utilized. In a television receiver, the unique components of the signals may include carrier signals, synchronization signals, pilot signals and symbol timing, and valid data is applied to a television display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Alvin Reuben Balaban, Michael Louie Low, Edward Coley Fox
  • Patent number: 6370019
    Abstract: A plurality of sealing methods may be used either alone or in combination with each other to seal an electronic display structure. The display module includes a first substrate having a plurality of column electrodes. Each of a plurality of portions of a display material are coupled to one of the plurality of column electrodes and to one of a plurality of row electrodes. A pixel seal may be formed over the display material to encapsulate the display material. An area seal may be formed upon the first substrate to encapsulates the row electrodes, the column electrodes, and the portions of display material. A bead seal may be formed around the perimeter of the first substrate to couple it to a second substrate while sealing the internal display material. An edge seal may be formed by a banded structure spanning from the first substrate to the second substrate and extending around the perimeter of the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis Lee Matthies, Zilan Shen, Roger Green Stewart, James Harold Atherton
  • Patent number: 6368674
    Abstract: Provided is a method of fabricating a solid support with two or more separated regions of a first solid layer of a non-volatile compound deposited thereon, the non-volatile compound required to maintain a chemical proces conducted in a first solution. The method comprises (1) creating an electromagnetic force for attracting charged, solid particles to a surface of the solid support, (2) contacting the surface with the charged particles of non-volatile compound, and depositing the charged particles in an amount effective to provide the non-volatile compound in an amount effective maintain the chemical process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Zvi Gerald Loewy, William Ronald Roach, Bawa Singh
  • Patent number: 6366018
    Abstract: An apparatus, comprises an active region, a phosphor layer and a reflective layer. The active region is configured to emit light having a first band of wavelengths from a first group of wavelengths. The phosphor layer is disposed between and in contact with the active region and an exterior medium. The phosphor layer is configured to convert the first band of wavelengths of light emitted from the active region to a second band of wavelengths. A center wavelength of the second band of wavelengths is greater than a center wavelength of the first band of wavelengths. The reflective layer is optically coupled to the active region. The active region is disposed between the reflective layer and the phosphor layer. The reflective layer is configured to reflect at least the first band of wavelengths and the second band of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignees: Sarnoff Corporation, Emcore Corporation
    Inventors: Dmitri Zalmanovich Garbuzov, John Charles Connolly, Robert Frank Karlicek, Jr., Ian Thomas Ferguson
  • Patent number: 6366701
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for implementing object trajectory segmentation for an image sequence. Specifically, block-based motion vectors for a pair of adjacent frames are used to derive optical flow, e.g., affine, motion parameters. The object trajectory segmenter applies the optical flow motion parameters to form a new prediction or method for predicting the positions of all the points on an object over time within an interval. The new prediction is then applied and the result is compared with an error metric. The results from such comparison with the error metric will dictate the proper intervals (temporal boundaries) of the image sequence at which the motion parameters are valid for various key objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Edmond Chalom, Sriram Sethuraman, Iraj Sodagar
  • Patent number: 6361390
    Abstract: A plasma display device of the type having a composite back plate including a metal substrate and a ceramic barrier rib structure, is formed using a green ceramic tape which is a combination of two glasses, a primary glass which flows back during firing and a secondary glass that has a relatively high thermal coefficient of expansion. These glasses are combined in proportion to match the thermal coefficient of expansion of the metal substrate. Channels are formed on the inner surface of the back panel by laminating a green ceramic tape to the metal substrate and then soaking the laminated tape in a solvent before embossing the green tape to form the ribs. This soaking step enhances the flow of the green ceramic tape during the embossing process. The ceramic components of the green tape are formulated with a particle size 15 &mgr;m or more to enhance particle flow when the green tape is embossed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Attiganal Narayanaswamy Sreeram, Ashok Narayan Prabhu, Les Hozer, Kalipada Palit
  • Patent number: 6363377
    Abstract: A tool to be used with a search engine for a information management system includes methods for refining, filtering, and organizing search queries and search results. A query tuner in the tool allows a user to automatically reformulate a query in order to find a reasonable number of matching documents from the search engine by selectively modifying individual search terms to be weaker or stronger and concurrently requesting a plurality of searches, each with a respectively different modified query. The tool also uses a dynamic filter which employs a dynamic set of record tokens to restrict the results of an arbitrary search query to selectively include or exclude records which correspond to the set of record tokens. The tool also includes a results organizer which aids the user in understanding and visualizing a large number of matching documents returned in response to a search query by clustering like items returned from the search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Dina Kravets, Liviu Chiriac, Jeffrey Esakov, Suz Hsi Wan
  • Patent number: 6363088
    Abstract: An optical system for generating light includes a doped fluoride fiber which is used to convert energy of light at a first frequency, supplied by an optical pump, to light at a second frequency. The second frequency may be lower (down-conversion) or higher (up-conversion) than the first frequency. The optical pump is coupled to the doped fiber. A reflector may be placed at each facet of the doped fiber to form a laser cavity. The reflectors at the facets of the fiber are tuned to a desired emission frequency of the fiber. The laser cavity may be formed either by two substantial reflectors, each positioned at a facet of the doped fiber, or by a substantial reflector, positioned at one facet of the fiber, and a partial reflector, positioned at the other facet of the fiber. When two substantial reflectors are used, other means, such as a wavelength division multiplexer or diffraction grating may be provided in the laser cavity fiber, to provide an output path for the light at the second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Gerard Argant Alphonse, Herschel Clement Burstyn, Leon Shapiro
  • Patent number: 6360022
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for assessing the visibility of differences between two input signal sequences, e.g., image sequences is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a perceptual metric generator having an input signal processing section, a luminance processing section, a chrominance processing section and a perceptual metric generating section. The luminance processing section simultaneously processes at least two image fields, so as to provide spatio-temporal channels whose calibration is independent of pure-spatial and pure-temporal channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Lubin, Michael Henry Brill
  • Patent number: 6360204
    Abstract: A rounding method to increase the precision of an audio decoder during arithmetic and/or shifting operations is disclosed. The most significant bit of the discarded bits is evaluated for a rounding up operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Shipeng Li, Richard Gerald Branco
  • Patent number: 6359795
    Abstract: A converter utilizing a multifilar transformer having its primary and auxiliary windings made simultaneously, a technique known as bifilar winding, provides high efficiency and low noise. The multifilar winding technique yields minimum leakage inductance between the windings and reduces the proximity effect to a minimum achievable using most well-known wires. The converter utilizes an improved soft-switcher topology which advantageously reduces the interwinding capacitance between the primary and auxiliary windings of the transformer. The topology includes a resonant LC circuit interposed in series with one leg of the auxiliary winding and the auxiliary switch. The other leg of the auxiliary winding is at ground. A controller is provided to control switch timing such that the converter optimizes switch loss and resonant pulse loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignees: Sarnoff Corporation, Daewoo Electronics Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Amantea, Timothy Allen Pletcher, Jae-Hong Joo, Min-Sung Yang
  • Patent number: 6356212
    Abstract: A device and method for utilizing a single clock signal to generate a digital data stream signal for transmission in a compressed domain transmission system. The device includes a plurality of packetized elementary stream encoders electronically coupled to a transport stream encoder electronically coupled to an output interface adapted to generate the digital data stream signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Wallace Lyons, Alfonse Anthony Acampora, John Prickett Beltz, Victor Vincent D'Alessandro, Clifford Arthur Pecota
  • Patent number: 6353678
    Abstract: A system and method that detects independently moving objects in 3D scenes which are viewed under camera motion progressively applies constraints to the images to ensure the stability of the constraints. The system first calculates 2D view geometry constraints for a set of images. These constraints are tested to determine if the imaged scene exhibits significant 3D characteristics. If it does, then 3D shape constraints, are applied to the set of images. The 3D shape constraints are themselves constrained by the 2D view geometry constraints. The set of images is then tested to identify areas that are inconsistent with the 2D or 3D constraints. These areas correspond to the moving objects. The 2D view geometry constraints are calculated by computing a dominant image alignment for successive pairs of images and then computing constrained epipolar transformations for the two image pairs. This 2D view geometry is further refined based on a plurality of target point correspondences among the plurality of frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Yanlin Guo, Rakesh Kumar, Harpreet Sawhney
  • Patent number: 6351491
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for recursively optimizing the rate control of a hierarchical subband coding system that offers spatial, quality and/or complexity scalabilities. The rate control method recursively adjusts the quantizer scale for each layer of a subband tree, i.e., a subband decomposed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Hung-Ju Lee, Tihao Chiang, Iraj Sodagar, Ya-Qin Zhang
  • Patent number: 6351293
    Abstract: A decision directed phase detector that uses the quantized data output from a slicer to aid the phase error detection process to determine a phase error of a complex signal such as a vestigial sideband (VSB) signal containing in phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) components (I and Q signals). The phase detector comprises subtractor having one input coupled to the I signal and a second input coupled to the data output of the slicer representing the magnitude of a sample point within a symbol. The quantized signal is subtracted from the I signal to produce &Dgr;I signal. The Q signal is processed to determine its sign and magnitude. The sign and magnitude values are multiplied together and the result is multiplied with the &Dgr;I signal to produce the phase error between the I and Q signals. This phase error signal is used in a digital television receiver to extract a data signal from a VSB signal for demodulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignees: Sarnoff Corporation, Motorola Inc.
    Inventor: Randall Bret Perlow
  • Patent number: 6348906
    Abstract: A row-select circuit for an organic light emitting diode display propagates a gating pulse through a shift register. This gating pulse is synchronized with a system clock signal and is used to selectively apply a plurality of broadcast control signals to a selected row of pixels on the display. The line scanning circuitry is controlled to clear and autozero the pixels in the display either one line at a time or the entire image frame at a time. According to another aspect of the invention, the clearing of a row of pixels in the display is performed over several line intervals before the row is autozeroed and loaded with new values. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the broadcast control signals may be adapted to achieve the best performance for each display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Mark Adrian Dawson, Zilan Shen, Alfred Charles Ipri, Roger Green Stewart, James Harold Atherton, Stephen John Connor