Patents Assigned to Alcor Micro, Corp.
  • Patent number: 7310212
    Abstract: A connector includes a base board having at least four contacts provided on each of two opposite sides thereof. The contacts on the second side of the base board are arranged in the reverse order relative to the contacts on the first side of the base board, and some of the contacts on the first and the second side of the base board are electrically connected to one another to enable the connector to plug in and electrically connect to a corresponding female connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Tung Chang, Ricky Kao
  • Patent number: 7293710
    Abstract: A method of overcurrent protection for multi-slot flash memory card reader mainly includes integrating overcurrent protection circuit and power-supply circuit for the multiple slots of the card reader into one single control chip; and, when the overcurrent protection circuit detects an overcurrent at a particular slot, cutting off power supply to that particular slot of the card reader and enabling an overcurrent state register, so that a signal is provided to firmware in the control chip to display an icon of the card reader on a computer as a state indicating an abnormal condition. Whereby, the card reader and a flash memory card inserted therein, or other apparatus connected thereto would not be damaged when an overcurrent occurs, and a user may clearly know the exact point on the card reader where the overcurrent occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Tung Chang, Hüng-Chou Tsai, Kuan Chia Huang
  • Patent number: 7285023
    Abstract: An ExpressCard device is applied to a computer system, and comprises a USB connector, an ExpressCard interface connector, and a control unit. The USB connector is used to connect with a USB interface provided by the computer system, the ExpressCard interface connector is used to connect with an ExpressCard interface provided by the computer system, and the control unit is used to transmit data to the computer system via either the ExpressCard interface connector or the USB connector at the same time. The ExpressCard interface connector is based on the USB standard so that the ExpressCard interface connector or the USB connector is connected with the control unit via a same USB signal pin. Thereby, the present invention allows a single ExpressCard device without an adapter to be applied to the computer system with different connection interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Tung Chang, Chi-Lei Kao, Shih-Min Lan
  • Patent number: 7127628
    Abstract: A method for automatically regulating an oscillator is applicable to a low-speed USB interface connecting system and includes the steps of (a) providing a voltage-controlled oscillator in a USB interface for generating a controllable oscillating signal to a USB electronic device; (b) feeding back the controllable oscillating signal to a frequency comparing unit for comparing the controllable oscillating signal with a Keep Alive Strobe signal in the USB interface; (c) inputting an output signal of the frequency comparing unit to a frequency regulating unit for changing the frequency of the controllable oscillating signal according to a signal regulating voltage fed back from the frequency comparing unit; and (d) repeating (b) and (c) to synchronize the controllable oscillating signal with the Keep Alive Strobe signal in the USB interface; so that the USB interface connecting system and the USB electronic device may be quickly synchronized for data transmission at reduced cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventor: Chi-Tung Chang
  • Patent number: 7014121
    Abstract: A method of self-detecting and dynamically displaying detected results for a card reader used to read flash memory cards includes the steps of sending out a detecting code to each card slot or any flash memory card inserted therein via detecting circuits provided on and controlled by a control chip in the card reader; storing a detected state code sent back by the detecting circuits in a state register of the control chip; sending the state code from the state register to a computer; comparing and determining the state code in the computer; displaying a current state of the card slot or the flash memory card inserted therein on a screen of the computer; and periodically repeating the self-detecting and displaying to always show the most current state of the card slots on the card reader or the inserted flash memory card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Tung Chang, HUng-Chou Tsai, Chao-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 6980135
    Abstract: A logic circuit uses hardware to process keyboard scanning, more especially, a microprocessing system inputs the signal through a pressed key into a control circuit for conducting operation; since the column input end has electric resistance with higher driving ability than that of the row output/input end, a higher electric potential status is thereby obtained and conducted with the circuit through a pressed key to make the high and the lower electric potentials approach in accordance with each other and generate electric potential change, or through a converting method of automatically driving electric potential, the innovative effect of the present invention is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Tung Chang, Don Chang
  • Patent number: 6657285
    Abstract: A semiconductor anti-interference band distributed on peripheries of partial of regional circuits in an integrated circuit is assembled by an unequal number of PNP structures; two metal bands are disposed on the surface layer of the integrated circuit, wherein one band connects with GND and the other connects with Vcc; to add positive voltage at Vcc increases the charge at P+ tip thereby generating a parasitic capacitance on a poly layer between two P+ tips and limiting a noisy signal within the distributed area; furthermore, the P+ tip and an N well connect to produce a positive voltage zone in a large area to forcefully prevent a noisy signal current from passing through and make it discharge at a ground end with lower voltage so as to achieve the electromagnetic anti-interference function of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventors: Jean-Jen Cheng, Pei-Sung Chuang, Kuan-Chia Huang
  • Patent number: 6653616
    Abstract: A device for processing output signals from a photo-diode uses a comparative conversion circuit to convert an analog output signal generated from a photo-diode to a square wave digital signal; wherein, a reference circuit obtains a reference signal by capturing the analog output signal from the photo-diode, feeds it back to a feedback logic unit for timing the high or low electric potential based on the reference signal; when the low electric potential time is too long, the entire electric potential and the wave crest value time of the output signal are adjusted to make the final output square wave digital signal of the comparative conversion circuit acquire a symmetric wave correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Alcor Micro, Corp.
    Inventor: Pei-Sung Chuang
  • Patent number: 6315609
    Abstract: An improved structure universal serial bus (USB) connector female socket in which a grounding ring is disposed at the lower edge of a metal housing enclosing the connector terminals, with the two sides of the metal housing covered by an insulative integument to form the USB connector female socket. The grounding ring can be fastened by a screw and, furthermore, the metal construction of the grounding ring strengthens signal transmission, while also providing for grounding capability, thereby enabling the present invention to strengthen bidirectional signal transmission as well as effectively prevent the occurrence of electrostatic discharge (ESD) during computer peripheral (such as scanners, digital cameras, and keyboards, etc.) operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignees: North Star Systems Corp., Alcor Micro Corp.
    Inventor: Pei-Sung Chung