Patents Examined by Amy Yang
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Patent number: 8593077Abstract: A device includes a direct current power circuit configured to convert an alternating current voltage from an alternating current power source into a direct current voltage, an output unit configured to convert a direct current from the direct current power circuit into a square wave alternating current whose polarity is inverted at a prescribed frequency and to supply the square wave alternating current to a high-pressure discharge lamp, a controller, and an anomaly detector configured to detect an instantaneous voltage drop of the alternating current power source.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2009Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Jun Kumagai, Naoki Komatsu
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Patent number: 8581509Abstract: A driving circuit having a power factor correction (PFC) function includes a power converter, a harmonic wave generator, a voltage divider, and a modify element. The power converter receives AC power to convert to DC power. The harmonic wave generator generates a harmonic wave from the DC power. The voltage level of the harmonic wave is decreased by the voltage divider to generate a comparing signal. The modify element compares the comparing signal and a feedback current signal of the LED to regulate the DC power accordingly for power-supplying the LED stably. Therefore the power factor (PF) of the driving circuit is enhanced.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2010Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: U-Tel Technology Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hsin-Hui Cheng, Claud Gan
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Patent number: 8552664Abstract: In embodiments of the present invention, a method and system is provided for designing improved intelligent, LED-based lighting systems. The LED based lighting systems may include fixtures with one or more of rotatable LED light bars, integrated sensors, onboard intelligence to receive signals from the LED light bars and control the LED light bars, and a mesh network connectivity to other fixtures.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2010Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Digital Lumens IncorporatedInventors: Brian J. Chemel, Colin Piepgras, Steve T. Kondo, Scott D. Johnston
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Patent number: 8531129Abstract: A passive current balance driving apparatus has a circuit topology composed by several simple passive components and is capable of driving a plurality of LED strings simultaneously. The present passive current balance driving apparatus is mainly configured such that each LED string has the identical load characteristics during the positive and negative half cycles of the AC power. As such, the currents flowing through the respective LED strings are basically/substantially equal, thereby achieving the current balance.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2010Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: FSP Technology Inc.Inventors: Chih-Jen Teng, Wen-Sen Hsieh
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Patent number: 8531124Abstract: In an event of switching a DC output voltage of a boost chopper circuit from a first DC output voltage to a second DC output voltage, a boost chopper control circuit operates a boost chopper circuit intermittently. Therefore, a stop period of the boost chopper circuit is shortened as compared with a case where the boost chopper control circuit does not operate the boost chopper circuit intermittently. As a result, it becomes possible to supply a control power also when the DC output voltage of the boost chopper circuit is switched at a starting time of a high pressure discharge lamp while avoiding size and cost increases of a power supply circuit that supplies the control power.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2009Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Naoki Komatsu, Jun Kumagai
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Patent number: 8525419Abstract: A plasma source for processing or imaging a substrate, for ion source for proton therapy, for ion thrusters, or for high energy particle accelerators includes a coolant circuit passing adjacent to a plasma ion reactor chamber and RF antenna coils. In a method for operating the plasma ion source having an induction coil adjacent to a reaction chamber for inductively coupling power into the plasma from a radio frequency power source, the method comprises pumping a dielectric fluid into contact with induction coils of the plasma ion source along the coolant circuit. Use of the dielectric fluid both electrically insulates the plasma chamber, so that it can be biased to 30 kV and up, and efficiently transfers heat away from the plasma chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2009Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Oregon Physics, LLCInventors: Noel S. Smith, Noel P. Martin, Paul P. Tesch
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Patent number: 8508131Abstract: An electrodeless lighting system is disclosed. A rectangular wave guide is bent substantially at a right angle, and a magnetron and a resonator are disposed at one side based on a wave guide space of the wave guide, thus reducing the space between the magnetron and the resonator and removing an unnecessary space within a casing to reduce the size of the electrodeless lighting system. Accordingly, the amount of space required for installation of the electrodeless lighting system can be reduced and the installation process can be simplified.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2010Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventor: Jeongwon Kim
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Patent number: 8487535Abstract: An automotive headlamp apparatus comprises: a lamp unit configured to be capable of forming an additional light distribution pattern that includes an upper area above the cut-off line of a light distribution pattern for low beam and that is divided into a plurality of individual patterns; and a controller configured to control formation of each of the individual patterns in accordance with presence of a forward vehicle. The controller reduces the illuminance of an individual pattern overlapping an area where a forward vehicle is present and increases the illuminance of at least one of other individual patterns.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2010Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kentaro Tani, Noriko Sato, Motohiro Komatsu, Hidetada Tanaka, Hiroyuki Ishida, Naoki Uchida, Takuya Kotajima
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Patent number: 8482205Abstract: Operation of a plasma supply device having at least one switching bridge with at least two switching elements, and configured to deliver a high frequency output signal having a power of >500 W and a substantially constant fundamental frequency >3 MHz to a plasma load is accomplished by determining at least one operating parameter, at least one environmental parameter of at least one switching element and/or a switching bridge parameter, determining individual drive signals for the switching elements taking into account the at least one operating parameter, the at least one environmental parameter and/or the switching bridge parameter, and individually driving the switching elements with a respective drive signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2010Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: HUETTINGER Elektronik GmbH + Co. KGInventors: Thomas Kirchmeier, Michael Glueck, Hans-Juergen Windisch, Hanns-Joachim Knaus
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Patent number: 8471490Abstract: A circuit arrangement (1) for voltage conversion comprises a forward branch (60) with a first load terminal (45) to which an electrical load (47) can be coupled and a feedback branch (61) with a sampling device (30). The electrical load (47) can be operated with pulse width modulation. A method for voltage conversion comprises the following steps: an electrical load (47) is supplied with energy using pulse width modulation. A feedback voltage (Vfb) that can be tapped at a terminal of the electrical load (47) is sampled in a first clock phase during which the electrical load (47) is supplied with energy. The voltage conversion is controlled as a function of the feedback voltage (Vfb).Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2007Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: AMS AGInventors: Thomas Jessenig, Manfred Lueger
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Patent number: 8456104Abstract: A method and system provide for dynamic control of backlighting of a light-transmissive bezel of a display device. A color control signal is received and processed by a processor and control element of the display device to generate a backlighting control signal and transmit the backlighting control signal to the backlighting element of the display device. The backlighting element generates a backlighting color to illuminate the light-transmissive bezel in accordance with the received backlighting control signal; the backlighting control signal adaptively controls the type and the duration of the backlighting color as determined by the color control signal received by the processor and control element.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2008Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.Inventors: Rika Allard, Peter Shintani
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Patent number: 8421369Abstract: The present invention relates to a light emitting diode driver having a protection function that activates hiccup mode for a predetermined period of time when a light emitting diode performs an abnormal operation to thereby protect the light emitting diode. A light emitting diode driver having a protection function according to an aspect of the invention may include: a light emitting unit emitting light; a reference signal generating unit generating a reference signal having pulses with a predetermined period when the light emitting unit performs an abnormal operation; a control unit controlling operating time in hiccup mode according to the reference signal from the reference signal generating unit, the hiccup mode where output is switched on and off at a predetermined period; and a driving unit driving the light emitting unit in the hiccup mode for the operating time determined by the control unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2009Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jeong In Cheon, Byoung Own Min, Yu Jin Jang, Seung Kon Kong
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Patent number: 8410715Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for driving light sources, a device for driving light sources and a display device having the device for driving the light sources. Power information is read based on position information on the light sources to output a light source control signal transmitting the power information. The power information determines a level of power applied to each of the light sources. Externally provided input power is changed into a plurality of driving powers having a level changed based on the light source control signal. The driving powers are applied to the light sources, respectively. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, uniformity of luminance distribution of a display panel may be improved.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2008Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jae-Won Jeong, Yong-Jun Choi, Bong-Im Park, Bong-Ju Jun, Woo-Young Lee
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Patent number: 8410700Abstract: An electrodeless lighting system and its control method are disclosed. When the electrodeless lighting system starts, a larger amount of filament current of a magnetron is applied to stably drive the magnetron, and when the electrodeless lighting system operates normally, a smaller amount of filament current is applied, thus avoiding interference with a wireless LAN, lengthening a life span of the magnetron, reducing noise, and improving an operational efficiency of the electrodeless lighting system.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2010Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Seok Heo, Kyusuk Hwang, Sungkyeom Kim, Jeongwon Kim
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Patent number: 8400068Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, a discharge lamp lighting device comprises a discharge lamp driving section and a control unit. The control unit alternately performs a first DC driving processing and a first AC driving processing in a first portion of the driving current. The control unit alternately performs a second DC driving processing and a second AC driving processing in a second portion of the driving current different from the first portion. The control unit performs the first AC driving processing and the second AC driving processing such that a frequency of a first alternating current and a frequency of a second alternating current have different values.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2010Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Tetsuo Terashima
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Patent number: 8378581Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, a discharge lamp lighting device comprises a discharge lamp driving section and a control unit. The control unit alternately performs a first DC driving processing and a first AC driving processing in a first section of the driving current. The control unit alternately performs a second DC driving processing and a second AC driving processing in a second section of the driving current different from the first section. The control unit temporally changes a length of at least one of: (i) a period for which the first DC driving processing is performed, and (ii) a period for which the second DC driving processing is performed.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2010Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Tetsuo Terashima
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Patent number: 8324819Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention is directed to an electric appliance control for turning off an electric appliance operating in an indoor space, the electric appliance control comprising: a light sensor, for continuously sensing the light intensity in the indoor space; a fall detector, for detecting a fall in the light intensity sensed by the light sensor, wherein the fall being a negative relative change in light intensity during a period of hundredths of second; a switch, for disconnecting the electrical power supply to the electric appliance; and a control unit, for activating the switch to disconnect the power supply upon detecting a fall in light intensity by the fall detector.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2009Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Inventor: Daniela Dahan
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Patent number: 8324832Abstract: A driving circuit for driving a light source includes a power converter, a controller and a voltage-controlled current source. The power converter is coupled to the light source, and receives an input voltage from a power source and provides an output voltage to the light source. The power converter includes a switch coupled in series with the light source. The controller is coupled to the power converter and controls a power of the light source by controlling the switch. The voltage-controlled current source is coupled to the controller and provides a first current. The controller controls the switch based on the first current.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2010Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: O2Micro, Inc.Inventors: Tiesheng Yan, Zhimou Ren, Jun Ren, Ching-Chuan Kuo
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Patent number: 8305006Abstract: A light emitting element control circuit comprising: a variable current generation circuit configured to generate a variable current varying in a direction of increase or in a direction of decrease; a fixed current generation circuit configured to generate a fixed current smaller than a predetermined current of a light emitting element; and a mode setting circuit configured to selectively set a first mode of prohibiting supply of the variable current and the fixed current to the light emitting element, a second mode of supplying the variable current to the light emitting element, and a third mode of supplying the fixed current to the light emitting element, for the variable current generation circuit and the fixed current generation circuit.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2008Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takaaki Ishii, Nobuyuki Ohtaka
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Patent number: 8299723Abstract: An electronic ballast is provided for powering a discharge lamp and suppressing lamp flicker during startup transition. A power converter receives DC input power and converts it into an AC power output. A resonant circuit is coupled with the lamp and also between output terminals of the power converter. A controller controls the power converter with respect to particular modes of operation. The controller in a starting operation sets the output frequency of the power converter to a predetermined start frequency upon lamp startup to make the lamp begin discharging. The controller shifts from the starting operation to steady-state operation by setting the output frequency of the power converter at a predetermined steady-state frequency lower than the start frequency.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2009Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Satoru Nagata, Jun Kumagai, Nobutoshi Matsuzaki