Patents Examined by Bipin Shalwala
  • Patent number: 8587573
    Abstract: A driving circuit of at least one embodiment includes: m output terminals; m+1 video signal output sections including m+1 output circuits, respectively; a decision section for determining the quality of each of the video signal output sections; and switches for switching connections between the output terminals and the video signal output sections in accordance with a result of determination made by the decision section. When the decision section has determined the ith (i being a natural number of m or less) video signal output section to be defective, the switches connect the jth (j being a natural number of i?1 or less) video signal output section to the jth output terminal and connect the (k+1)th (k being a natural number of i or more to m or less) video signal output section to the kth output terminal. Thus provided is a driving circuit, capable of self-repairing a defective one of the video signal output sections, which has more simplified wires connected to the video signal output sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Watanabe, Shinsuke Anzai, Yoshihiro Nakatani, Hiroaki Fujino, Hirofumi Matsui, Masami Mori, Kohichi Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8587572
    Abstract: In a storage capacitor line drive circuit driving a storage capacitor line of an active-matrix display device and driven by outputs of a scanning signal line drive circuit, at least one (VSS) of a high-potential supply voltage (VDD) and a low-potential supply voltage (VSS) differs from a supply voltage (GVSS) of a corresponding logical level of the scanning signal line drive circuit, the high-potential supply voltage and the low-potential supply voltage being used for generating a signal voltage of a preceding stage to an output stage. This makes it possible to achieve a storage capacitor line drive circuit capable of avoiding malfunctioning even in a case where the storage capacitor line drive circuit receives noise from a scanning signal line, and a display device including the storage capacitor line drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Sasaki, Yuhichiroh Murakami, Makoto Yokoyama, Shige Furuta
  • Patent number: 8581851
    Abstract: A device which has a display, a memory, a processor and a first input and a second input. The device is configured to receive input through said first corresponding to a base character component and to receive input through said second corresponding to a supplemental character component. The supplemental character component and the base character component are thereby combined to form a character input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Seppo Pienimaa, Kong Qiao Wang
  • Patent number: 8581832
    Abstract: An illumination device comprises a plurality of light sources, light sequencing circuitry coupled to the light sources, a light guide structure for directing light from the plurality of light sources over a surface of a display screen to be illuminated, and a user interface for providing control input to the light sequencing circuitry. The light sequencing circuitry comprises a logic state machine responsive to the control input to select one of a plurality of available sequencing modes for the plurality of light sources, a code generator operative to generate output signals controlling respective ones of the light sources responsive to the selected one of the sequencing modes, and timing circuitry for defining timing intervals for processing of the control input by the logic state machine to determine the selected one of the sequencing modes and for generation of the corresponding output signals by the code generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Roger A. Fratti, Joseph Michael Freund
  • Patent number: 8581879
    Abstract: Negative pixel compensation in a touch sensor panel is disclosed. A method can compensate for a negative pixel effect in touch signal outputs due to poor grounding of an object touching the panel. To do so, the method can include determining at least one bound for a negative pixel compensation factor based on touch signal values, estimating the compensation factor within the determined bound based on the touch signal values that are negative, where the negative values indicate the presence of the negative pixel effect, and applying the estimated compensation factor to the touch signal outputs to compensate the touch signal values for the negative pixel effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: William Matthew Vieta
  • Patent number: 8581821
    Abstract: An LCD device includes a display unit including pixels having a multi-pixel structure; first and second driving units that drive scanning and signal lines, respectively; an image acquisition unit, and a control unit. Each of the pixels includes first and second pixels, and first and second pixels of pixels are connected to two corresponding signal lines in a checkerboard manner. The first driving unit is controlled to repeatedly scan a first sub-frame of odd lines and a second sub-frame of even lines, and the second driving unit is controlled in such a manner that the polarity of the first pixel of a pixel differs from that of the second pixel of the pixel, the polarities of the adjacent first pixels differ from each other and those of the adjacent second pixels differ from each other, and a polarity signal is inverted when switching is performed between first and second sub-frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kamada, Toshiaki Suzuki, Kazuhiro Nukiyama
  • Patent number: 8576161
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided of driving an OLED display structure integrated with a touch sensor configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, Steven Porter Hotelling, Brian Lynch
  • Patent number: 8576202
    Abstract: An acoustic touch apparatus is provided that includes a substrate capable of propagating surface acoustic waves, such as Rayleigh-type or Love-type waves. The substrate has a front surface, a back surface, and a curved connecting surface formed between the front surface and the back surface. The apparatus also includes at least one acoustic wave transducer and at least one reflective array, the acoustic wave transducer and the reflective array behind the back surface of the substrate. The acoustic wave transducer is capable of transmitting or receiving surface acoustic waves to or from the reflective array. The reflective array is capable of acoustically coupling the surface acoustic waves to propagate from the back surface and across the front surface via the curved connecting surface. Various types of acoustic touch apparatus with edge sensitive touch functions can be provided, according to specific embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanaka, Ting Gao, Joel C. Kent, Jeffrey T. Haller, Daniel H. Scharff, Timothy O. Avery
  • Patent number: 8576199
    Abstract: Methods for controlling computers using touch input devices such as touch screens and touch pads are disclosed. These methods include several tactile features that allow reliable operation even in situations where the user has trouble seeing the display of an associated device, and are particularly valuable in stress situations such as encountered in vehicles or using certain mobile devices. Several novel methods of displaying and sensing information in these situations are also disclosed, as are many examples of apparatus useful in vehicles and the home.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy R. Pryor
  • Patent number: 8576153
    Abstract: There is disclosed a liquid crystal display device and driving method are provided. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel where pixels are defined by gate lines and data lines that are arranged in a matrix shape. A gate driver is operable to supply a gate voltage to the liquid crystal display panel. A data driver is operable to supply a data voltage to the liquid crystal display panel. The pixels are each independently operable to be driven by drive voltages, which have different polarities from each other, and include first and second liquid crystal cells which realize the same gray level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki Bok Park, Sang Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 8570281
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a computing device including a multi-touch surface. The method comprises: presenting a customer with an application form; transferring data from a customer's portable device (such as a cellphone) placed on or near the multi-touch surface to the application form; communicating with an authorization portable device (such as a staff identification badge) placed on or near the multi-touch surface by an authorized user; and transferring data from the authorization portable device to the application form to complete the application form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan S. Black
  • Patent number: 8564554
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a touch surface control device, including at least one step comprising the generation of sensory feedback corresponding to the detection of a pressure applied by a user on the touch surface, said sensory feedback comprising haptic feedback and acoustic feedback. The invention is characterized in that the generation of the acoustic feedback is initiated after the generation of the haptic feedback once a characteristic value of the haptic feedback has exceeded a pre-defined threshold. The invention also relates to an electric control device having a touch surface, characterized in that it includes means for implementing said method (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: DAV
    Inventors: Patrice Laurent, Aymeric Dunoyer, Bruno Cottarel, Philippe Barathon
  • Patent number: 8564537
    Abstract: A wheel module for an input device includes a circuit board, a wheel swinging member, and a wheel. A plurality of switch elements are installed on the circuit board. These switch elements are arranged between the circuit board and the wheel swinging member. The wheel is disposed on the wheel swinging member. When the wheel is moved downwardly relative to the wheel swinging member by a specified distance, an operating mode of the wheel module is switched from a rotating mode to a swinging mode. When the wheel module is operated in the rotating mode, the wheel is rotatable relative to the wheel swinging member. When the wheel module is operated in the swinging mode and the wheel is tilted in a specified direction, the wheel swinging member is synchronously swung relative to the circuit board to trigger a corresponding switch element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-Ching Peng
  • Patent number: 8564532
    Abstract: A system for controlling a computer is provided. The system includes a position sensing apparatus configured to be disposed in operative proximity to a sensed object and thereby obtain positional data pertaining to the sensed object, and engine software configured to receive the positional data and process the positional data to determine an assessed actual position of the sensed object relative to a neutral reference position and output control commands based on the assessed actual position of the sensed object, the control commands configured to control presentation of a rendered scene, the control commands being scaled relative to changes in the assessed actual position of the sensed object, the scaling of the changes in assessed actual position of the sensed object causing presentation of the rendered scene to be skewed; wherein the engine software is further configured to automatically correct the skewing of the rendered scene by modifying the control commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: NaturalPoint, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Richardson, Harold Parks, Dean C. Wills
  • Patent number: 8564518
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of pixels each including a liquid crystal element of VA mode and a drive section. The drive section space-divisionally or time-divisionally performs a display drive operation so that the operation includes first and second divisional-drive operation groups. The drive section performs an operation in the first or second divisional-drive operation group, or both thereof. In the former, the output voltage exceeds the input voltage in the intermediate luminance range, whereas in a highlight luminance range, exceeds the input voltage but shows a tendency to be lower compared to in the intermediate luminance range. In the latter, the output voltage is lower than the input voltage in the intermediate luminance range, whereas in a lowermost luminance range, equal to or lower than the input voltage but shows a tendency to be higher compared to in the intermediate luminance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Nakahata, Tsuyoshi Kamada
  • Patent number: 8558857
    Abstract: A color Liquid Crystal display (LCD) device for displaying a color image using at least four different primary colors, the device including an array of Liquid Crystal (LC) elements, driving circuitry adapted to receive an input corresponding to the color image and to selectively activate the LC elements of the LC array to produce an attenuation pattern corresponding to a gray-level representation of the color image, and an array of color sub-pixel filter elements juxtaposed and in registry with the array of LC elements such that each color sub-pixel filter element is in registry with one of the LC elements, wherein the array of color sub-pixel filter elements comprises at least four types of color sub-pixel filter elements, which transmit light of the at least four primary colors, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Genoa Color Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Ilan Ben-David, Shmuel Roth, Moshe Ben-Chorin
  • Patent number: 8558765
    Abstract: A method for reducing brightness uniformity variations in an active-matrix electroluminescent (EL) display employing amorphous silicon thin-film transistors, by providing an active-matrix EL display having amorphous silicon thin-film transistors; and deriving a first correction value from a measured or estimated value of light-emitting element performance. Subsequently groups of light-emitting elements are identified, whereupon one or more representative light-emitting elements are selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC
    Inventor: Ronald S. Cok
  • Patent number: 8558770
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display element accommodates a reflective portion provided with a concavo-convex reflecting pixel electrode for reflecting incident light from the display face side and displaying information, and a transmissive portion provided with a transmissive pixel electrode for transmitting light that is output from the backlight. The voltages applied to the reflective portion and the transmissive portion are controlled independently. The reflective portion and the transmissive portion have wide viewing angle characteristics. In a wide viewing angle region greater than a certain angle, the luminance of the reflective portion is greater than the luminance of the transmissive portion, whereas in other angle regions the luminance of the transmissive portion is greater than the luminance of the reflective portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Matsushima, Hiroshi Okumura, Ken Sumiyoshi
  • Patent number: 8558821
    Abstract: A power device capable of improving a flicker of a liquid crystal display includes a direct current (DC) voltage/direct current (DC) voltage converter, a common voltage circuit, and a clamper. The DC voltage/DC voltage converter is used for generating a DC low gate voltage. The common voltage circuit receives a polarity reversion signal generated by a timing control circuit, and generates an alternating current (AC) common voltage according to the polarity reversion signal. The clamper is coupled to the DC voltage/DC voltage converter and the common voltage circuit for receiving the DC low gate voltage and the AC common voltage, outputting the AC common voltage and outputting an AC low gate voltage according to the DC low gate voltage and the AC common voltage. A display panel improves the flicker according to the AC low gate voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Chun Yu, Chia-Yi Lu
  • Patent number: 8552948
    Abstract: The display device includes an output circuit, a threshold control circuit which sequentially selects one of a forward bias voltage and a reverse bias voltage, and a power supply control circuit which applies one of the forward bias voltage and the reverse bias voltage which is selected to a gate of a transistor included in the output circuit. Time in which the reverse bias voltage is applied to the gate of the transistor is determined in accordance with time in which the forward bias voltage is applied to the gate of the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyake, Atsushi Umezaki