Patents Examined by Ali Zamani
  • Patent number: 6456276
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for recognizing a pointing position in a video display system with a remote controller are disclosed. A plurality of optical sensors provided in a video display system are utilized to compute a position (on a picture) indicated by output signals of a remote controller, thereby executing a particular menu by the remote controller. The apparatus includes an optical receiving section for outputting different electric current values in accordance with the intensities of incoming optical beams incoming from a remote controller. Further, a switching section receives the different electric current values to output a selected electric current value in accordance with a selecting signal. An A/D converting section receives the selected electric current value from the switching section to convert it into a digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Wook Park
  • Patent number: 6448950
    Abstract: A driving circuit for powering an electroluminescent display using energy recovered from a varying panel capacitance of the display. The driving circuit comprises a source of electrical energy; and a resonant circuit using the panel capacitance for receiving the electrical energy and in response generating a sinusoidal voltage to power the display at a resonance frequency which is substantially synchronized to a scanning frequency of the display. The resonant circuit uses a step down transformer to reduce the effective panel capacitance of the display in order to reduce its effect on the resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: iFire Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Chun-Fai Cheng
  • Patent number: 6448960
    Abstract: A driving method of a plasma display panel which can perform an image display of a high quality in which a pseudo outline is suppressed while suppressing the number of bits of drive data. A display period of one field is divided into a plurality of subfields, and a light emitting state in a subfield of a relatively long light emitting period is also set by a pixel data bit to set a light emitting state of a subfield of a relatively short light emitting period in the subfields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Shigeta
  • Patent number: 6448963
    Abstract: A device for coding an error generated in processing sync signals is adapted to code an error caused the incompatibility between a video card and a display monitor so that the user can analyze the cause of the error in the sync signals more effectively from the error code displayed on an OSD display. The device includes: a microcomputer responsive to horizontal and vertical sync signals generated by a video card for discriminating resolutions, and coding an error signal into an error code during discrimination of the resolutions; and an error code section for saving the error code received from the microcomputer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seok-Joo Han
  • Patent number: 6445379
    Abstract: An improved structure wireless mouse device comprised of a base board connected to a host computer and a mouse device, wherein no physical signal cable is present between the mouse device and the base board. The mouse device and the base board are equipped with internal circuitry that enables electric power from the host computer to be conveyed to the transmit/receive antenna of the base board and after reception by the mouse device, the electrical energy is supplied to its internal circuit. The two-dimension signal generated as the mouse device is moved on the base board is received by the transmit/receive antenna of the base board and transferred to the host computer to thereby enable control of the host system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Inventors: Hsien-Cheng Liu, Hsing-Hua Hsu, Shu-Chen Kuo, Chien-Sheng Lin, Chien-Hsing Liu
  • Patent number: 6441807
    Abstract: A display system includes a sheet member onto which information is input, and a position coordinate detector such as a pressure sensitive touch panel. The position coordinate detector is formed as a body separate from the sheet member and is arranged behind the sheet member. It detects the position of information input on the sheet member. A computer, to which the output data of the position coordinate detector is transferred, processes the information input to the sheet member. When the sheet member is used as a projection screen, the computer connects to a projector to project the input information onto the sheet member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Plus Industrial Corporation
    Inventor: Hidehiko Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6433779
    Abstract: An additive device which improves the function of a computer mouse. More specifically one that appends to the form of a round, or otherwise characteristically non-axial computer mouse, such that the user is afforded the axial tactile registration (between hand, mouse, and by extension, on-screen cursor) associated with the more commonly produced elongated-type mouse. A thin shell, flexible plastic (or other) material is cast into a generally elongated form, and is at least partially hollow on the underside so as to clip snugly over and onto the body of the circular mouse. The shell is held in place by friction and/or by the use of tapes, either adhesive or hook & eye type. The button(s) of the host circular mouse remain accessible to the hand of the user, either directly or through the provision of extensions built into the additive shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Andrew Payne Woolman
  • Patent number: 6426737
    Abstract: A transparent image producing display or receiver which uses a suspension fluid for producing pixels of an image includes at least one image-forming layer having a structure which defines a plurality of pixels, with the structure receiving a suspension fluid having field-driven particles, which move in response to an externally applied field, where, in a first condition, the field-driven particles produce a first level of transmitted incident light and, in an second condition, produce a second level of transmitted incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Steven D. MacLean, William H. Simpson
  • Patent number: 6426742
    Abstract: A method for controlling switch of input mode of keyboard instructions is to provide and load a program to intellectualize an auxiliary keypad without forcing any of or both the keypad and a main keyboard to retain at a specified state. In other words, the program of the keypad will read the present status flag of the keypad and the main keyboard and put them in memory. Hence, when an arbitrary key of the keypad is pressed, the program will compare whether the state of the keypad and the main keyboard are identical or not; if positive, a key code from the keypad is acceptable, otherwise, a Num Lock code will be transmitted to a host frame of a notebook computer for changing the state of the main keyboard into that of the keypad for receiving a key code from the keypad. After transmission of the key code to the host frame, the program will send the Num Lock code again to the host frame for restoring the state of the main keyboard while the keypad remains its state unchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Shin Jiuh Corporation
    Inventor: Jen-Wen Tai
  • Patent number: 6424328
    Abstract: When time-division driving, which allows the number of output pins of a driver IC to be reduced, is applied to an active-matrix LCD apparatus, a time-division number is set to an odd number, preferably to the n-th (n: natural number) power of three, and a time-sequential signal (dot inversion signal) output from the driver IC is time-divided by a time-division switch and sent to signal lines 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, . . . to implement complete dot inversion driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masumitsu Ino, Toshikazu Maekawa, Yoshiharu Nakajima, Hiroaki Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6421045
    Abstract: A snap-on lens carrier for optical pointing devices has retaining legs which structurally affix the lens to the IC to automatically align and register the lens with the aperture plate of the optical sensor. The lens carrier has a body portion which includes the lens and retaining legs arranged on the ends of the body portion. The retaining legs may take various forms, but in general are perpendicular to the body portion with a retaining detent formed at each of their free ends. The retaining legs are configured so that their length between a bearing area on the body portion and the detent corresponds to the thickness of an optical sensor IC. The retaining legs of the lens carrier are resiliently biased to enable the carrier to snap-on to the IC, and thus attached, the IC and lens function as an integral unit when assembled with the remaining components of the pointing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Suresh Venkat, Niel W. Campbell, Kevin J. Calmus
  • Patent number: 6421305
    Abstract: An audio system for playing recordings of audio programming includes a relatively large display device on which contextual information about the audio programming may be displayed. The contextual information is recorded on the same recording medium as the audio programming and may include any textual information or graphic images related to the audio programming or the artists who produced it. Preferably, the audio system is a personal, portable audio system which is battery-operated and which reads mini-discs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Gioscia, Yumi Sonoda, Jan-Christoph Zoels
  • Patent number: 6417839
    Abstract: A system for position and orientation determination of a point in space employs, in a preferred embodiment, three scanning laser beams that rotate at a high rate of speed within a prescribed space. At least two of the beams are polarized and a sensor with two or three detectors is located within the prescribed space. In each embodiment, at least one of the detectors has an unobscured, clear view of all of the scanning light beams at all times and at least another of the sensors is partially obscured. In the preferred embodiments, at least one sensor is polarized as well. Computer means is provided to facilitate calculation of position and orientation of a point within the prescribed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Ascension Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Don Odell
  • Patent number: 6417826
    Abstract: A method of addressing a liquid crystal device having a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of data electrodes defining a plurality of pixels at the intersections between at least one of the plurality of scanning electrodes and at least one of the plurality of data electrodes, the method comprising applying one frame of a scanning signal to one of the plurality of scanning electrodes, applying a data signal to at least one of the plurality of data electrodes, one frame of the scanning signal comprising n strobe portions, where n is an integer greater than 1, for co-operation with the at least one data signal to address one of the plurality of pixels, and at least one blanking portion, the number of blanking portions not exceeding (n−1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Brittanic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
    Inventors: Paul Bonnett, Michael John Towler, Diana Cynthia Ulrich
  • Patent number: 6414670
    Abstract: A gate driving circuit in a liquid crystal display is disclosed which can minimize a power consumption by avoiding unnecessary drive of gate line drivers. The gate driving circuit is used in a liquid crystal display having a liquid crystal panel with thin film transistors and pixel electrodes for displaying an image, a source driving circuit for applying video data to a source line in the liquid crystal panel, and a gate driving circuit for applying a driving signal to a gate line in the thin film transistors. The gate driving circuit includes a plurality of gate line drivers connected in series for applying the driving signal to the gate line, and a plurality of clock generation controlling units corresponding to the plurality of gate line drivers each for controlling a timing of a clock signal to a respective gate line driver, thereby controlling a driving timing of the respective gate line driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: LG Semicon Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Byung Doo Kim
  • Patent number: 6411288
    Abstract: A flat panel display device including a panel unit for displaying an image, a main body unit controlling an image displayed on the panel unit, and a folder connecting the panel unit and the main body unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoon-ki Min
  • Patent number: 6411272
    Abstract: An active matrix LC display device comprising an array of display elements (10), each having a switching device (12) addressed via sets of row and column address conductors (14, 16) connected respectively to a row scanning circuit (30) and a column drive circuit (35) providing data signals. The column drive circuit is operable in a manner such that an output thereof associated with one column conductor becomes high impedance prior to or while a data signal is applied to an adjacent column conductor. Unwanted display artefacts resulting from this kind of operation are avoided by arranging the column conductor (16) associated with a display element to lie inwardly of the edges of the display element electrode (18), for example towards the central axis of the electrode, in order to reduce capacitive coupling effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Martin J. Edwards
  • Patent number: 6407732
    Abstract: A driver circuit can be used to drive a matrix display device, such as a liquid crystal display, that includes a plurality of pixels 16 disposed in rows 12 and columns 14. A first switch 328 has a current path coupled between a high voltage node (e.g., VS) and a group of pixels 16. As an example, the group of pixels 16 can be a row 12 or a column 14. A second switch 326 has a current path coupled between a low voltage node (e.g., ground) the group of pixels 16. A third switch 322 has a current path coupled between an inductive storage element 34 and the group of pixels. The inductive storage element 34 is coupled to an intermediate voltage node (e.g., VS/2) with a voltage between the voltage at the high voltage node and the voltage at the low voltage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Rose Research, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Johan Stiens, Maarten Kuijk
  • Patent number: 6392615
    Abstract: In a drive apparatus of a self-scanning type light emission element array, a first bit light emission thyristor is surely set into an ON state, thereby stabilizing shift of a light emitting operation from the first bit light emission thyristor. In the light emission element array drive apparatus which drives a light emission element array having plural light emission thyristors arranged in array and plural shift thyristors arranged in array (each gate of shift thyristors is connected to each gate of light emission thyristors), the apparatus comprises: a generation unit for generating a shift signal to sequentially shift ON states of the shift thyristors; and a generation unit for generating a start signal to start drive of the light emission element array, wherein a gate voltage of the first light emission thyristor is supplied according to the start signal without setting the first shift thyristor into an ON state according to the shift signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuo Shiraishi, Toshiyuki Sekiya
  • Patent number: 6392632
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for capturing images and for manipulating a cursor. The apparatus can be used for operation in a first mode and a second mode. The apparatus includes an opto-electronic mechanism that is provided for receiving image signals. The apparatus also has a user-selectable trigger that allows a user to assert or de-assert a mode signal that determines whether operation is desired in the first mode or the second mode. The apparatus has a controller that is coupled to the opto-electronic mechanism and user-selectable trigger for receiving the mode signal. When operation is in the first mode, the received image signals are processed and used to control movement of a cursor on a screen or display. When operation is in the second mode, the received image signals are processed and displayed as video images on a PC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Windbond Electronics, Corp.
    Inventor: Wen-Chieh Geoffrey Lee