Patents Examined by Aaron Midkiff
  • Patent number: 9798339
    Abstract: A technique is provided that reduces dullness of a potential provided to a line such as gate line on an active-matrix substrate to enable driving the line at high speed and, at the same time, reduces the size of the picture frame region. On an active-matrix substrate (20a) are provided gate lines (13G) and source lines. On the active-matrix substrate (20a) are further provided: gate drivers (11) each including a plurality of switching elements, at least one of which is located in a pixel region, for supplying a scan signal to a gate line (13G); and lines (15L1) each for supplying a control signal to the associated gate driver (11). A control signal is supplied by a display control circuit (4) located outside the display region to the gate drivers (11) via the lines (15L1). In response to a control signal supplied, each gate driver (11) drives the gate line (13G) to which it is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Tanaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Takeshi Noma, Ryo Yonebayashi, Takayuki Nishiyama, Mitsuhiro Murata, Yosuke Iwata
  • Patent number: 9760102
    Abstract: A technique is provided that reduces dullness of a potential provided to a line such as gate line on an active-matrix substrate to enable driving the line at high speed and, at the same time, reduces the size of the picture frame region. On an active-matrix substrate (20a) are provided gate lines (13G) and source lines. On the active-matrix substrate (20a) are further provided: gate drivers (11) each including a plurality of switching elements, at least one of which is located in a pixel region, for supplying a scan signal to a gate line (13G); and lines (15L1) each for supplying a control signal to the associated gate driver (11). A control signal is supplied by a display control circuit (4) located outside the display region to the gate drivers (11) via the lines (15L1). In response to a control signal supplied, each gate driver (11) drives the gate line (13G) to which it is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Tanaka, Hidefumi Yoshida, Takeshi Noma, Ryo Yonebayashi, Takayuki Nishiyama, Mitsuhiro Murata, Yosuke Iwata
  • Patent number: 9721495
    Abstract: An electro-optic display having a plurality of pixels is driven from a first image to a second image using a first drive scheme, and then from the second image to a third image using a second drive scheme different from the first drive scheme and having at least one impulse differential gray level having an impulse potential different from the corresponding gray level in the first drive scheme. Each pixel which is in an impulse differential gray level in the second image is driven from the second image to the third image using a modified version of the second drive scheme which reduces its impulse differential The subsequent transition from the third image to a fourth image is also conducted using the modified second drive scheme but after a limited number of transitions using the modified second drive scheme, all subsequent transitions are conducted using the unmodified second drive scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Demetrious Mark Harrington, Kenneth R. Crounse, Karl Raymond Amundson, Teck Ping Sim, Matthew J. Aprea
  • Patent number: 9710078
    Abstract: A touch panel and a method for fabricating the touch panel are presented. The touch panel includes a panel and a conductive border. A touch circuit is formed on a first side of the panel. A conductive border is formed on a circumference of the first side along the touch circuit. A method for fabricating the touch panel is further presented. The touch circuit of the touch panel is integrated onto the panel, so as to reduce the number of substrates that need to be bonded, thereby avoiding problems caused by substrate bonding and effectively decreasing the overall thickness of the touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: WINSKY TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventor: Winston Chan
  • Patent number: 9678595
    Abstract: A touch sensor includes a sensor electrode having an electrostatic capacitance for touch detection, and a touch detection circuit detecting a contact or proximity position of an object on the basis of a detection signal obtained from the sensor electrode by applying a touch sensor drive signal to the sensor electrode. The sensor electrode is split into plural stripe-like electrode patterns. Applying the touch sensor drive signal to part of the electrode patterns forms a drive line at that time. The touch detection circuit performs a detection on the basis of a first detection signal obtained from a first drive line formed in a first period, and a second detection signal obtained from a second drive line formed in a second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Takeya Takeuchi, Koji Noguchi, Koji Ishizaki, Takayuki Nakanishi, Yasuyuki Teranishi
  • Patent number: 9658451
    Abstract: A head mounted display which allows a user to visually recognize a virtual image and external scenery, includes a generation unit that generates a list image by changing an arrangement of a plurality of images of an external apparatus connected to the head mounted display to an arrangement for the head mounted display, and an image display unit that allows the user to visually recognize the generated list image as the virtual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9618783
    Abstract: An improved Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) heating system is provided. Resistor meshes, in particular VCOM resistor heating meshes, in the pixel array improve capacity of the display heater (heating system) so that the display is heated faster from low temperatures. The resistor mesh design provides much lower resistance from one point in the pixel array to an edge than pixel-to-pixel horizontal VCOM resistance, thus reducing horizontal crosstalk. Further, the approach permits the display to be active during the warm-up process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Chompoonoot Anupongongarch, Frederick P. Herrmann, Wen-Foo Chern
  • Patent number: 9612677
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a touch-sensitive device includes a controller, horizontal electrodes, and vertical electrodes. The touch-sensitive device further includes a first plurality of switches that couple the horizontal electrodes to a first plurality of sensors, a second plurality of switches that couple the vertical electrodes to a second plurality of sensors, and a third and fourth plurality of switches that couple the horizontal and vertical electrodes to a shield sensor. The controller is operable to perform simultaneous hovering, touch, and proximity detection by selectively controlling the first, second, third, and fourth plurality of switches. The hovering, touch, and proximity detection includes causing substantially equal voltages to be present on the horizontal and vertical electrodes while measuring capacitances using the shield sensor and either the first or second plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Samuel Brunet, Richard Paul Collins, Luben Hristov Hristov, Steinar Myren, Trond Jarle Pedersen, Paul Stavely
  • Patent number: 9600124
    Abstract: A sensor is arranged to determine the presence of an object from a change in a capacitance of a sensing element. The sensor includes a capacitance measurement circuit operable to perform measurement cycles to measure a capacitance of the sensing element, and a controller circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Harald Philipp, Esat Yilmaz
  • Patent number: 9579690
    Abstract: Apparatus including: a face including a first surface electrode and a second insulated surface electrode; and a controller configured to apply a time varying potential difference between the first surface electrode and the second insulated surface electrode and configured to control at least the time variation in the potential difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Paul Beecher, Chris Bower, Piers Andrew, Zoran Radivojevic
  • Patent number: 9569042
    Abstract: A touch screen panel includes a plurality of first touch electrode serials arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second touch electrode serials arranged in a second direction crossing over the first direction, and electrically insulated from the plurality of first electrode serials. The first touch electrode serial includes a plurality of first touch electrodes connected in serial, and the second touch electrode serial includes a plurality of second touch electrodes connected in serial. The first touch electrode has a first stem portion, and a plurality of first branch portions outwardly extended from both sides of the first stem portion. The second touch electrodes has a second stem portion, and a plurality of second branch portions outwardly extended from both sides of the second stem portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jonghyun Han, Byungkoo Kang, Dongsup Kim, Sohyung Lee, Sungyong Cho, Daewoong Chun
  • Patent number: 9535250
    Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) device according to one embodiment comprises a communication unit configured to transmit and receive data; a display unit configured to display visual information; a camera unit configured to capture an image; and a processor configured to control the communication unit, the display unit and the camera unit, wherein the processor is further configured to: detect an object image from a first image, which includes the object image, the first image being displayed in an external device located in an angle of view area of the camera unit, display information related to the object image, and display the first image in addition to the information when detecting that the first image is switched to a second image, which does not include the object image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hyorim Park, Doyoung Lee, Yongsin Kim
  • Patent number: 9520089
    Abstract: Disclosed are a liquid crystal display device and a drive method thereof. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel having a plurality of pixel areas to display an image, a data driver configured to drive data lines of the liquid crystal panel, a dimming controller configured to generate a dimming value via modulation using any one value within the range from an average gray-level value to a maximum gray-level value of image data input from an external source, and output the image data via modulation and control drive time of a backlight unit based on the dimming value, a timing controller configured to allow transmission of the image data modulated by the dimming controller to the data driver, and to control the data driver, and the backlight unit configured to emit light to the liquid crystal panel in response to a drive signal from the dimming controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min-Beom Kim, Jae-Sung Jeon
  • Patent number: 9516743
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a flexible display. The display may have portions that are bent along a bend axis. The display may have display circuitry such as an array of display pixels in an active area and signal lines, thin-film transistor support circuitry and other display circuitry in an inactive area of the display surrounding the active area. The display circuitry may be formed on a substrate such as a flexible polymer substrate. The flexible polymer substrate may be formed by depositing polymer on a support structure that has raised portions. The raised portions may create locally thinned regions in the flexible polymer substrate. The reduced thickness of the flexible polymer substrate in the thinned regions may help ensure that a neutral stress plane that is associated with bending the display along the bend axis is aligned with the display circuitry, thereby minimizing stress in the display circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung Wook Kim, Young Bae Park, Shih Chang Chang, Byung Duk Yang
  • Patent number: 9477342
    Abstract: Described are methods and devices including a touch sensor layer configured to receive touch input and a force sensor layer stacked with the touch sensor layer, the force sensor layer includes an array of force sensors configured to receive force input. The force sensor array includes individual force sensors. Specific sensors of the disclosed force sensor array are associated with specific locations of the touch screen to add information that can be used to decipher which key is actually being pressed and may avoid falsing. Both a touch signal and a force signal are utilized to determine the validity of a user touch input. In one embodiment each force sensor may operate independently of the others. Particular embodiments are described that utilize a coarse grid to determine valid touch inputs and that make a determination of a centroid location based on a plurality of force sensors to determine valid touch inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Dodge Daverman, Michael Olley
  • Patent number: 9454931
    Abstract: A luminous display includes pixels arranged in rows and columns. Control signals that are used for controlling first switches for measuring parameters of pixel cells in a first row are also used to control second switches for programming pixel cells in a second row. In this way it is possible to use a single control signal for selecting one pixel cell for programming and simultaneously selecting another pixel cell for measuring. Programming and measuring are thus performed in a time staggered manner, while the addressing is moved to the respective next row. The programming is preferably voltage programming. In one embodiment the current through the pixel cell that is currently programmed is interrupted. In another embodiment the measuring is performed only after the transient current into signal holding means coupled to current control means has set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Thomas Schwanenberger, Heinrich Schemmann, Thilo Marx
  • Patent number: 9390659
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for controlling a segmented LED backlight in particular, comprises a generator (50) with a first input (10) to be supplied with a synchronizing signal (SYNC) that comprises image frequency information and/or line frequency information of a display unit, a second input (20) to be supplied with a data signal (DATA) that comprises image information of the display unit, and with an output (30) for providing a modulated signal (MOD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventor: Manfred Pauritsch
  • Patent number: 9367132
    Abstract: A user interface system for a device that includes a first deformable layer that with a first sheet that defines a first surface, a first fluid vessel arranged underneath the first surface, and a first volume of fluid contained within the first fluid vessel that is manipulated to deform a first particular region of the first surface to receive a user input; a second deformable layer with a second sheet that defines a second surface, a second fluid vessel arranged underneath the second surface, and a second volume of fluid contained within the second fluid vessel that is manipulated to deform a second particular region of the second surface to change the shape of the device; and a displacement device a displacement device coupled to at least one of the first and second fluid vessels and configured to manipulate the volumes of fluid to deform particular regions of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Tactus Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Michael Ciesla, Micah B. Yairi, Nathaniel Mark Saal
  • Patent number: 9354724
    Abstract: A stylus used in a computing device includes an elongated shaft, a tip, and a fixing device attached to the elongated shaft. The fixing device is designed to interact with a protrusion on the interior surface of a storage hole of a computing device where the stylus is to be stored. The fixing device can be formed of a deformable elastic material such as a memory foam. As the stylus is inserted into the storage hole of the computing device, the material of the fixing device deforms as it passes the fixing protrusion on the interior surface of the storage hole. Once the fixing device has been inserted past the protrusion, the elastic material of the fixing device resumes its original shape so that it will interfere with the protrusion to prevent the stylus from being accidentally removed from the storage hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kathy Huguenard
  • Patent number: 9344694
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises an array of individually controllable image pixels arranged in a plurality of reset groups. Each of the image pixels in the array of individually controllable image pixels has a one-to-one correspondence with at least one memory cell in an array of memory cells. The semiconductor device further comprises a plurality of sub-pixel sets, wherein each sub-pixel in the plurality of sub-pixel sets is a micromirror, and wherein each of the image pixels comprises a sub-pixel set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sue Hui, Cuiling (Sue) Gong