Patents Examined by Anh Tran
  • Patent number: 9227556
    Abstract: A lighting control system and a lighting control method to implement, in an automotive vehicle, external running lights in different available lighting configurations are provided. The lighting control method includes detecting at least one environment parameter, selecting among the different available lighting configurations and depending on the parameter, which lighting configurations can be implemented, depending on the parameter, defining in which order the selected lighting configurations are implemented when an input device is manually actuated, detecting a manual actuation on the input device, depending on a motion of the input device or a motion on the input device, implementing at least one lighting configuration that is chosen among the selected lighting configurations according to the implementation order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Renault Trucks
    Inventors: François Longueville, Philippe Crave
  • Patent number: 9229044
    Abstract: PICA test methods are shown that includes forming semiconductor devices having proximal light emitting regions, such that the light emitting regions are grouped into distinct shapes separated by a distance governed by a target resolution size; forming logic circuits to control the semiconductor devices; activating the one or more semiconductor devices by providing an input signal; and suppressing light emissions from one or more of the activated semiconductor devices by providing one or more select signals to the logic circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Herschel A. Ainspan, Seongwon Kim, Franco Stellari, Alan J. Weger
  • Patent number: 9226374
    Abstract: An illumination light source includes: a light-emitting unit; a disturbance detecting unit which detects a specific disturbance; a timer circuit that times a first period and a second period, the first period starting from when the disturbance detecting unit detects the specific disturbance, a second period immediately following after the first period; and a driving circuit that turns ON the light-emitting unit at a start of the first period, causes the light-emitting unit to emit light during the first period, causes the light-emitting unit to emit light that is different from the light emitted during the second period, and turns OFF the light-emitting unit at an end of the second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Takeda, Kazushige Sugita, Akira Takahashi, Tatsumi Setomoto, Tomohiro Kamitsu
  • Patent number: 9226356
    Abstract: A light emitting device can comprise a light emitter for emitting light at a defined light intensity and circuitry connecting a power source to the light emitter. The circuitry can adjust power provided to the light emitter over time to compensate for inefficiencies due to circuit and light emitter degradation. A more consistent light intensity of the emitted light over a life of the light emitting device and an improved life expectancy of the light emitter can be achieved than what would result if the power was not adjusted over time to offset degradation effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Inventors: Gary K. Mart, Jose Fernandez
  • Patent number: 9222656
    Abstract: A conformal power adapter for insertion into a lighted artificial tree and for converting power received from an external power source to a power usable by the lighted artificial tree. The power adapter includes an elongated housing including a first end, and a second end; a printed circuit board assembly including power-converting circuitry for converting an input electrical power to an output electrical power for use by a lighted artificial tree having a hollow trunk section, the printed circuit board assembly located substantially within the elongated housing; a power cord secured to the first end of the housing and in electrical connection with the power converting electronics, the power cord adapted to transmit power from an external power source to the power-converting circuitry. The elongated housing enclosing the printed circuit board assembly is sized to fit substantially within the hollow trunk portion of the lighted artificial tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Willis Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Johnny Chen
  • Patent number: 9226367
    Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an intelligent lighting system. The intelligent lighting system includes a system-on-chip electronically coupled to N lighting LED arrays. The N lighting LED arrays are configured to operate in light emission mode, light detection mode, and data transmission mode. The system-on-chip is configured to provide lighting with the N lighting LED arrays, to detect ambient lighting intensities and control the N lighting LED arrays based on the detected ambient lighting intensities such that the intelligent lighting system provide sufficient lighting and minimize the energy consumption. The system-on-chip has (a) a high voltage unit configured to control the operation of the N LED arrays in light emission mode and data transmission mode, and (b) a low voltage unit configured to control the operation of the N lighting LED arrays in light detection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: AMERICAN MEGATRENDS, INC.
    Inventor: Clas Gerhard Sivertsen
  • Patent number: 9218049
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a self calibration unit configured to iterate a test on a logic circuit in the integrated circuit at respectively lower supply voltage magnitudes until the test fails. A lowest supply voltage magnitude at which the test passes is used to generate a requested supply voltage magnitude for the integrated circuit. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a series connection of logic gates physically distributed over an area of the integrated circuit, and a measurement unit configured to launch a logical transition into the series and detect a corresponding transition at the output of the series. The amount of time between the launch and the detection is used to request a supply voltage magnitude for the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Vincent R. von Kaenel
  • Patent number: 9215763
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a pulse current light-emitting diode (LED) driving circuit, can include: (i) an AC power supply configured to generate an AC input; (ii) a rectifier circuit that receives the AC input voltage, and generates a DC input voltage; (iii) a sampling circuit that receives the DC input voltage, and generates a DC sense voltage; (iv) a comparison circuit that receives the DC sense voltage, and generates a first comparison signal; (v) a feedback compensating circuit that samples a current that flows through a transistor, and generates a compensation signal; (vi) a signal processing circuit that receives the first comparison signal and the compensation signal, and generates an on signal; and (vii) the transistor having a gate configured to receive the on signal, a drain configured to receive the DC input voltage, and a source coupled to a first terminal of a sampling resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Xiaodong Huang, Chen Zhao
  • Patent number: 9192024
    Abstract: A dimming console serves to store output levels of a plurality of lighting instruments and control the output levels of the plurality of lighting instruments. The dimming console includes an output unit configured to output, to a display, a scene preparation region that displays scenes indicating at least states of the output levels of the plurality of lighting instruments and a scene storage region indicating playback order information regarding a scene playback order; an input unit configured to receive an operation for the scene preparation region and an operation for the scene storage region; and a control unit configured to edit the scenes or the playback order information pursuant to the operation of the input unit and to control the output unit to output the edited scenes or the edited playback order information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Ohta
  • Patent number: 9192011
    Abstract: A bleed circuit is applied to a transformer based on a bleed-on time and a bleed-off time determined by monitoring an output voltage waveform of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: TerraLUX, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Brandt
  • Patent number: 9185656
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip includes an output node, receiver front ends, and control logic. The receiver front ends are configured to receive an input signal. Each of the receiver front ends is configured to receive the input signal and provide an output signal at the output node. At least one of the receiver front ends is configured to selectively consume less power. The control logic is configured to select the number of receiver front ends providing an output signal to the output node based on a received signal strength indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Martin Flatscher, Manfred Greschitz, Thomas Herndl, Markus Dielacher
  • Patent number: 9184750
    Abstract: Digital circuits are disclosed that may include multiple transistors having controllable current paths coupled between first and second logic nodes. One or more of the transistors may have a deeply depleted channel formed below its gate that includes a substantially undoped channel region formed over a relatively highly doped screen layer formed over a doped body region. Resulting reductions in threshold voltage variation may improve digital circuit performance. Logic circuit, static random access memory (SRAM) cell, and passgate embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Scott E. Thompson, Lawrence T. Clark
  • Patent number: 9184749
    Abstract: Impedance calibration circuits are provided. The impedance calibration circuit includes an operation control signal generator and an impedance calibrator. The operation control signal generator receives temperature code signals to generate an operation control signal enabled when an internal temperature is changed from a first temperature to a second temperature. The impedance calibrator receives an external command signal or the operation control signal to generate pull-up code signals for pulling up an output signal and pull-down code signals for pulling down the output signal according to an external resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyun Sik Jeong
  • Patent number: 9179522
    Abstract: An illumination system and method is disclosed. In one example, the illumination system comprises a light source, a controller controlling the power output of the light source, and a light sensor wirelessly communicating with the controller. In a normal mode, the controller controls the light source such that the light level remains substantially constant. In a change mode, the controller controls the light source such that the light level is gradually changed with a predetermined change rate so as to decrease a deviation from a target level. The controller switches from the normal mode to the change mode on the basis of input signals received from the light sensor. The light sensor measures a light level, and decides whether or not to communicate a signal to the controller. The light sensor refrains from transmitting a signal when receiving the signal does not cause the controller to change its control behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Roger Peter Anna Delnoij
  • Patent number: 9166587
    Abstract: A field programmable gate array (FPGA) includes configuration RAM (CRAM) including at least one non-hardened portion and at least one hardened portion having an SER resilience greater than an SER resilience of the non-hardened portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Luiz C. Alves, William J. Clarke, K. Paul Muller, Robert B. Tremaine
  • Patent number: 9167650
    Abstract: A light source drive circuit is disclosed which uses a low withstanding voltage transistor is discussed. The light source drive circuit can enhance price competitiveness. Also, the light source drive circuit can allow a current flowing through an LED portion to be eliminated when a PWM signal is not applied. Therefore, the light source drive circuit can enhance a contrast ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyo Joon Park, Sang Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 9167668
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention a lighting device comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the lighting device to access identification information relating to the lighting device and transmit the identification information to a remotely located system controller automatically upon commissioning the lighting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: THE SOUTHERN COMPANY
    Inventor: Kevin Fitzmaurice
  • Patent number: 9165942
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a programmable logic device which has short start-up time after supply of power is stopped, is highly integrated, and operates with low power. In a programmable logic device including an input/output block, a plurality of logic blocks each including a logic element, and a wiring connecting the plurality of logic blocks, the logic element has a configuration memory for holding configuration data and a look-up table including a selection circuit. The configuration memory includes a plurality of memory elements each of which includes a transistor whose channel region is in an oxide semiconductor film and an arithmetic circuit provided between the transistor and the selection circuit. Configuration data is selectively changed and output by the selection circuit in accordance with an input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuji Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9166589
    Abstract: Method and circuitry for implementing high speed multiple-data-rate interface architectures for programmable logic devices. The invention partitions I/O pins and their corresponding registers into independent multiple-data rate I/O modules each having at least one pin dedicated to the strobe signal DQS and others to DQ data signals. The modular architecture facilitates pin migration from one generation of PLDs to the next larger generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Pan, Chiakang Sung, Joseph Huang, Yan Chong, Bonnie I. Wang
  • Patent number: 9157587
    Abstract: A dual-output power adapter for a lighted artificial tree having a plurality of tree portions with light strings having lighting elements. The dual-output power adapter includes a power cord including a first power conductor and a second power conductor, the power cord configured to transmit an input electrical power; a housing configured to receive the first power conductor and a second power conductor; power-converting circuitry in electrical connection with the first power conductor and the second power conductor, the power-converting circuitry configured to convert the input electrical power to a first output electrical power; a first pair of conductors for transmitting the first output electrical power; and a second pair of conductors for transmitting a second output electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Willis Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Johnny Chen