Patents Examined by Chuc D Tran
  • Patent number: 6392353
    Abstract: The light output of a lighting arrangement is adjustable at two levels by, for example, “toggling”. During a predetermined time interval immediately after ignition, the lamp is supplied with additional power to heat up. Immediately after stationary conditions have been reached, the light output is automatically adjusted to the lowest of the two levels. During the predetermined time interval, the light output is also controlled so as to be at the lowest of the two levels, so that relatively large changes in the level of the light output during the predetermined time interval, and immediately after it, are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Herman Adrianus Godefridus Severinus Smulders, Johannes Hendrik Wessels
  • Patent number: 6384545
    Abstract: A lighting controller for performing lighting control operations of decorative lighting elements is disclosed. The controller comprises a processor and an electricity supply connector to which a lighting element is connectable. The controller also comprises a switching device for delivering electricity supply to a lighting element connected to the electricity supply connector. The processor calculates the timing and duration for modulating the lighting element brightness and accordingly actuates the switching device to deliver electricity supply to the lighting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Inventor: Ee Theow Lau
  • Patent number: 6369764
    Abstract: An extendible whip antenna assembly (37) is provided with a combination of a helical antenna (39) mounted on an outer surface of a housing of a radio communication equipment, and a whip antenna (41). The whip antenna is movable between a retracted position in the housing and an extended position out of the housing. The extendible whip antenna assembly is further provided with a feeding arrangement for stopping the whip antenna at the extended position and feeding the whip antenna and the helical antenna. The feeding arrangement comprises a stopper (45) formed of an elastic electric conductive material and mounted on an end of the whip antenna for preventing the whip antenna from falling off from the housing, and a holder formed of an electric conductive material and electrically connected to a transceiver circuit within the housing. The holder serves to secure the helical antenna to the housing and is electrically connected to the stopper when the whip antenna is in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Tokin Corporation
    Inventor: Shigekazu Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6366250
    Abstract: A wrist mounted wireless instrument is provided with a wrist strap containing an antenna therein. An electrically conductive shield is disposed in the wrist strap between the antenna and the wrist to shield the antenna from the effects of the body of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: SiRF Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Joseph McConnell
  • Patent number: 6359594
    Abstract: An antenna circuit and matching technique that cancels the inductive reactance of an antenna and thereby reduces the reactive voltage of the antenna are provided. Serial tuning capacitors are inserted along the conductor of the loop antenna as often as necessary to achieve a negligible instantaneous level of reactance on the antenna. The loop antenna is broken up into loop segments, where each segment may or may not have a serial capacitor depending on the desired performance criteria. Each capacitor is selected so as to have a reactance that effectively cancels the inductive reactance of a portion of the loop segment preceding the corresponding serial capacitor. The advantage is that the instantaneous level of reactance on antenna stays nulled, and thus any reactive voltage difference between loop segments remains negligible, even with high current flowing inside the antenna. Parasitics such as ohmic losses, internal capacitive loss and capacitive loss to the external world are all reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventor: Philippe Junod
  • Patent number: 6356246
    Abstract: A dielectric lens antenna includes a dielectric lens, a primary radiator and a dielectric member provided between the dielectric lens and the primary radiator. The dielectric member is formed into a substantially circular cone shape, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric member is reduced continuously in the radial direction of the dielectric lens from the center line passing through the center of the dielectric lens and the primary radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fuminori Nakamura, Hideaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 6346913
    Abstract: An antenna is described that comprises an antenna having a patch element fabricated onto a substrate, a ground plane, and an impedance transformer between the patch element and the ground plane. The patch element electrically connected to a first end of the impedance transformer, and a feed line is electrically connected to a second end of the impedance transformer through the ground plane. The use of the impedance transformer allows impedance matching to be accomplished without being limited by the physical limitations of the patch element. According to a further aspect of the invention, a patch element is fabricated onto a first substrate surface and a ground plane is fabricated onto a second substrate surface, the ground plane separated from the patch element by a plurality of substrate layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Li-Chung Chang, James A. Housel, Ming-Ju Tsai
  • Patent number: 6342870
    Abstract: A system and method for deploying antenna modules to provide communications within selected areas are disclosed. In the preferred embodiment a base structure is deployed which may be populated with a plurality of antenna modules providing directional communication. As demand for communication services increases, antenna modules may be added to the base structure. The base structure provides for the simplified installation and replacement of antenna modules. Additionally, the base structure provides adjustment in both the horizontal (azimuthal) and vertical (elevation) planes. Multiple ones of the base structure may be deployed in order to provide an enlarged communication area and/or to provide increased communication density within a particular communication area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas K. Mehrkens, Steven R. Overton
  • Patent number: 6340953
    Abstract: An antenna device comprising a plurality of directional antennas which are aligned on the same axis in one direction and which are also arranged in a manner that the main radiation directions of the plurality of directional antennas deviate from each other in a direction orthogonal to the direction. Hence, a drop in directivity due to the array factor can be prevented and radiation characteristics in the plane orthogonal to the direction is expanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Teraoka, Toshio Ishizaki, Koichi Ogawa, Tomoya Maekawa
  • Patent number: 6337661
    Abstract: A high frequency communication device which can reduce undesired electromagnetic coupling inside and outside a box thereof in which circuit parts constituting a transmitter-receiver circuit are contained. Periodic structures (6) are provided on at least a part of a wall constituting a box (1, 4, 5) so that the periodic structures (6) serve as a filter which has a non-propagating frequency band corresponding a frequency band covering an undesired electromagnetic emission inside the box. Thus, undesired electromagnetic emission energy from any electromagnetic emission source can be confined locally to prevent a possible problem of electromagnetic interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kondoh, Hiroshi Shinoda, Kenji Sekine
  • Patent number: 6326921
    Abstract: A built-in, low-profile antenna having an inverted planar inverted F-type (PIFA) antenna and a meandering parasitic element having a wide bandwidth to facilitate communications within a plurality of frequency bands is disclosed. The main element is placed at a predetermined height above a substrate of a communication device and the parasitic element is placed on the same substrate as the main antenna element and is grounded at one end. The feeding pin of the PIFA is proximal to the ground pin of the parasitic element. The coupling of the meandering, parasitic element to the main antenna results in two resonances. These two resonances are adjusted to be adjacent to each other in order to realize a broader resonance encompassing the DCS, PCS and UMTS frequency ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Igor Egorov, Zhinong Ying
  • Patent number: 6323605
    Abstract: A multiple discharge tube lighting system has a plurality of gas discharge tubes positioned behind a translucent panel, within a or tube or in close proximity to each other and each tube is connected through a power supply to a dimming control circuit. The control circuit is used to change the brightness and on/off state of each tube to create the appearance of different colors when the tubes are viewed in combination using dimming and/or interleaving. The control circuit can match dimming curves, and stores, retrieves and sends power information for each tube to create displays which can be identically produced repeatedly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: MAF Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Kenneth Greenberg, Alberto Sid
  • Patent number: 6317092
    Abstract: An antenna device comprised of dielectric elements, the device having an array of parasitic director elements which coherently focuses energy across the parasitic array. The parasitic elements are spaced less than or equal to one wavelength from each other to provide the coherent focusing, with the array thereby acting like an artificial dielectric lens. An optimal spacing or elemental length might include one-eighth (⅛) to one-quarter (¼) wavelength. A plurality of feed elements is associated with the array and provides incident energy thereon. Reflector elements might also be used to further reflect incident energy from a feed element back across the parasitic array. The various elements are switchably selectable via a switching network which might consist of diodes. The parasitic elements form a lens which provides the directionality of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Focus Antennas, Inc.
    Inventors: David de Schweinitz, Thomas L. Frey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6313571
    Abstract: An electron source comprises a substrate, at least one row-directional wire, at least one column-directional wire intersecting the row-directional wire, at least one insulation layer arranged at the intersection of the row-directional wire and the column-directional wire, and at least one conductive film having an electron-emitting region also arranged at the intersection. The insulation layer is arranged between the row-directional wire and the column-directional wire and the conductive film is connected to both wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Hasegawa, Yoshiyuki Osada, Hisaaki Kawade, Yuji Kasanuki, Hideshi Kawasaki, Yoshimasa Okamura
  • Patent number: 6300913
    Abstract: An antenna for a mobile communication device, the antenna comprising a housing; a first resonator element with a first feed point having a first resonant frequency; and a second resonator with a second feed point having a second resonant frequency, wherein the housing has an outer portion supporting the first resonator element and an inner portion supporting the second resonator element, the inner portion being positioned within the outer housing such that the first and second feed points are coupled to provide a feed point for the antenna thereby allowing the antenna to operate with the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.
    Inventor: Brian Davidson
  • Patent number: 6285324
    Abstract: An antenna package for use in a wireless communications device. The package includes a metallic leadframe section having a plurality of leads and a paddle shaped as a planar antenna, and dielectric material encapsulating the paddle and portions of the leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya A. Korisch, Louis T. Manzione, Ming-Ju Tsai, Yiu-Huen Wong
  • Patent number: 6281856
    Abstract: A cable antenna includes a circuit board to which first ends of two antenna cables and a coupling cable are soldered. A second end of the coupling cable forms a connector for connection with a signal receiving/transmitting circuit. Each of the antenna cables has a second free end exposed to the atmosphere for receiving/transmitting electromagnetic signals. An outer jacket of each antenna cable is removed along a first predetermined length measured from the free end thereof to expose a braided shield. A second predetermined length of the braided shield measured from the free end is removed for exposing an inner dielectric layer that surrounds a core conductor. The second length is less than the first length thereby leaving a portion of the exposed braided shield on the inner dielectric layer. The braided shield that is cut from the cable is twisted to form an elongate consolidated conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiu-Yu Tang, Johnny Yang
  • Patent number: 6259418
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a compact antenna for use with small, wireless, electronic devices. The antenna is particularly suited for adaptation to thin profile expansion cards such as the PC Card standard card as well as other thin form factor devices. This antenna comprises a ground plane element from which a radiator element protrudes. When the ground plane element occupies a substantially horizontal plane, the radiator element extends upwardly from a centralized location on the ground plane element and bends away from the device in which the antenna is used. The radiator may then bend back to a more vertical orientation in some embodiments. The shape of the radiator element allows the antenna to be retracted into a host device while minimizing the amount of space required to house the antenna in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: 3Com Corp.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Jones, Sy Prestwich, David Andrus
  • Patent number: 6255993
    Abstract: An antenna, system and method for transmitting and receiving RF signals over a first frequency band using a single antenna or two closely spaced antennas. In one embodiment, the antenna is configured to receive first signals in the first frequency band having a first rotational polarization and to transmit second signals in the first frequency band and having a second rotational polarization. The second signals may be transmitted in response to the first signals. The first signals may be preferentially routed to a receiver using signal conditioning circuitry that also routes the second signals from a transmitter to the antenna but not to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy Greeff, David K. Ovard, Dirgha Khatri
  • Patent number: 6252561
    Abstract: A wireless LAN antenna comprises a dielectric substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the dielectric substrate has a rectangular loop. A rectangular grounding copper foil is adhered within the rectangular loop. A signal feeding copper foil is further included. One end of the signal feeding copper foil is connected to the rectangular loop and the grounding copper foil, while another end of the signal feeding copper foil running across another end of the rectangular loop. Moreover, a layer of back surface copper foil is plated to the back side of the printed circuit board. This back surface copper foil covers one half of the loop on the front surface. Adjustment of the transversal dimensions of the grounding copper foil will impedance-match the antenna to the feeding structure of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Accton Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ming-Hsiu Wu, Kun-Fang Wu, Wen-Hsiung Lin, Ji-Hong Hsiao