Patents Examined by David Foster
  • Patent number: 6519161
    Abstract: A packaged electronic circuit using molded plastics, Thick Film, and Polymer Thick Film technology, and achieving shielding of the circuitry and components of the package. In this invention at least one of electronic devices in the package is supported in a molded pocket in the molded substrate, and circuit traces are added to the surface of the substrate and the electronic device, simultaneously creating the circuit traces and making the interconnections with the components at the same time. Shielding, which is optional, can easily be printed over the planar surface of the circuit traces and components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Inventor: William J. Green
  • Patent number: 6510050
    Abstract: A substrate for packaging a storage or server system may include one or more sections of the substrate configured to hold a two-dimensional array of disk drives. Another section of this substrate may be configured to hold circuitry for accessing the array of disk drives. This circuitry may include one or more processors. The substrate also includes a first plurality of ribs positioned in the first access of the substrate. The first plurality of ribs separate the sections from one another. The section configured to hold the control circuitry may also be configured to hold one or more power supplies for supplying power to the array of disk drives and control circuitry. This section, as well as other sections, may be divided in two by one or more additional ribs in a transverse direction. The substrate may be configured to be mounted in a cage or rack and may include an edge connector at one edge of the substrate to provide electrical connectivity to a back plane in the cage or rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Whay S. Lee, Nisha Talagala, Chia Y. Wu, Fay Chong, Jr., Randall D. Rettberg
  • Patent number: 6490166
    Abstract: The present invention involves a method of providing an integrated circuit package having a substrate with a vent opening. The integrated circuit package includes a substrate having an opening and an integrated circuit mounted to the substrate. An underfill material is dispensed between the substrate and the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Suresh Ramalingam, Nagesh Vodrahalli, Michael J. Costello, Mun Leong Loke, Ravi V. Mahajan
  • Patent number: 6477060
    Abstract: A printed circuit board utilizes asymmetric striplines to accommodate a large number of transmission lines on a six-layer board. The asymmetric striplines are formed from two signal layers that are sandwiched between two reference planes such that the traces in each signal layer form asymmetric striplines with the two reference planes. Two additional signal layers are arranged on the outside of the reference planes so as to form microstrips with the reference planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Erik W. Peter, Jeffrey M. Shuey, Ronald Martin
  • Patent number: 6473298
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for storing electronic devices. The apparatus includes an enclosure, a carrier adapted to contain a peripheral device, and a rotatable attachment between the carrier and the enclosure. The carrier may be rotated from an installed position to an open position. When in the installed position, a long axis of the carrier is substantially parallel to a front of the enclosure. When in the open position, the long axis of the carrier is substantially perpendicular to the front of the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: William W. Ruckman, David K. J. Kim
  • Patent number: 6473300
    Abstract: A carrier assembly for a storage device includes a body portion for mounting to the storage device, a side extension of the body portion extending laterally beyond the first lateral side of the storage device, and a light conduit provided on the side extension. The light conduit is adapted to transmit light signals from a first end of the light conduit to a second end of the light conduit. The first end of the light conduit positioned to receive the light signals from a light source positioned laterally adjacent to the first lateral side of the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: David Youngquist, Alexander F. Cruz, David R. Knaub
  • Patent number: 6472771
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a vehicle electronics system. The vehicle electronics system has a personal computer interface for connecting the vehicle electronics system to a personal computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Frese, Richard Aumayer, Hans-Joerg Mathony
  • Patent number: 6469891
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus which provides a part of an additional interface in the power module and makes connection to an external device through the power module. The body of the apparatus is made to be lightweight and miniaturized. If installation of another interface is necessary, this can be realized by changing the power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Takita, Naoko Iwami, Yoshiaki Eguchi, Shin'ichi Sawamura
  • Patent number: 6462944
    Abstract: A computer cabinet cooling system comprising an upright tower cabinet having a front panel with an equipment bay for holding heat producing components, a lower aperture and a plurality of air openings. A fan unit having a fan plenum is mounted within the lower aperture of the front panel below the equipment bay near the air openings. An inner door is provided having a plurality of air inlet ports, a plurality of air outlet ports, a plurality of spaced apart horizontal air ingress slots and a fan shroud. When the inner door is closed against the front panel, the air outlet ports will align with the air openings in the front panel, the air ingress slots will align with the heat producing components in the equipment bay and the fan shroud will contact the fan unit. An outer door is also provided having an air plenum, a lower orifice with air deflector, and a plurality of spaced apart horizontal air ingress slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Macase Industrial Group Ga., Inc.
    Inventor: Chun Hsiung Lin
  • Patent number: 6462939
    Abstract: A computer monitor case (10) having a case front (16) to which is affixed a bezel (20) using a plurality of intermediate attachment devices (28). The attachment device (28) is affixed to the bezel (20) by inserting projections (42) of the attachment device (28) within associated irregular apertures (38) in bezel attachment tabs (24) on the bezel (20). The attachment device (28) is, in turn, affixed to a case front (16) using case attachment tabs (26) and screws (30). Accordingly, the computer monitor case (10) is constructed such that moldings for affixing the bezel (20) to the case (10) are not readily visible through the transparent case (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas L. Heirich
  • Patent number: 6456486
    Abstract: A computer system having electronic components housed in a central unit having a protective enclosure and a cover. The cover is moveable to provide access to electronic components housed in the central unit. The cover allows access to certain electronic components and prevents access to other electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth B. Frame, Gregory C. Franke
  • Patent number: 6456495
    Abstract: A logic controller formed by self-contained device modules plugged onto a DIN rail and onto a backplane contained in the DIN rail, the modules variously comprising a power supply, a logic control, I/O devices and gateways, each I/O device having microprocessor power, and the modules having a sliding lock movable into position adjacent DIN-rail-engaging flexible tabs to block deflection of the tabs and removal of the module from the DIN rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher John Wieloch, Anthony Edward Develice, Michael Thomas Little
  • Patent number: 6456502
    Abstract: In a computer system two integrated circuit devices are operatively mounted on the main system board using a pair of interstitial circuit boards sandwiched between the integrated circuit devices and the system board and having substantially smaller footprints than the system board. Each interstitial board has a series of terminating components, representatively resistors, interposed in its circuitry which interconnects the associated integrated circuit board with system board circuitry that, in turn, operatively couples the two integrated circuit boards. The incorporation of the terminating components in the interstitial boards instead of in the system board reduces the circuit complexity of the system board and the required number of layers therein, thereby reducing the cost of the system board and substantially simplifying its signal trace routing design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph P. Miller, Sompong P. Olarig, Donald J. Stoddard
  • Patent number: 6452807
    Abstract: An interposer for evaluating an electrical characteristic of a ball grid array package or of a semiconductor die thereof. The interposer includes electrically conductive vias positioned correspondingly to bond pads of the semiconductor die and to the electrical contacts or terminals of a carrier substrate of the ball grid array package. Test pads, or contact pads, are disposed proximate an outer periphery of the interposer. Each of the test pads is in electrical communication, preferably by means of electrical traces, with a corresponding electrically conductive via of the interposer. In use, the interposer is aligned with and disposed between the semiconductor die and the carrier substrate such that the test pads of the interposer are at least partially located outside of a periphery of the semiconductor die. Thus, the test pads are exposed around the ball grid array semiconductor die and are, therefore, accessible to electrical testing equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Keith E. Barrett
  • Patent number: 6449144
    Abstract: A friction hinge for a notebook computer having a base and a liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided. The hinge comprises a pair of sleeves each having one end mounted to the base of the notebook computer and the other end pivotal relative to the sleeve, and a bracket member mounted to the LCD, each end of the bracket member fixed to the other end of each sleeve. This can greatly enhance the structural strength for preventing the LCD from deforming or damaging after long time of holding the notebook computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: ASUSTek Computer Inc.
    Inventor: Shih-Ping Yeh
  • Patent number: 6445573
    Abstract: An apparatus is described which includes a frame, a video monitor display mounted to the frame, a torque shaft coupled to the frame such that rotation of the torque shaft causes the frame to pivot along a predetermined arc. The apparatus further involves engaging to the torque shaft to impart rotational motion to the torque shaft, a releasable cam follower slidably disposed on the cam shaft and a spring mounted on the cam shaft exerting a spring bias force directed toward the cam so as to cause rotational motion of the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John Portman, James Schoen
  • Patent number: 6445578
    Abstract: An enclosure for a data storage system comprises at least first and second cast magnesium parts joined by rivets, each of which is made of a suitable material that provides compressive strength superior to that of the cast magnesium. Each rivet is of a height or thickness equal to the sum of the thickness of the parts to be riveted. Each such rivet has flat end surfaces and its body is peripherally concave between its ends. The rivet is embedded in the two parts, and the parts flow radially against the concave body of the rivet. No drilling is required, and the parts are held in carefully defined position while being joined, so that the assembled enclosure satisfies strict dimensional tolerances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Eurologic Systems
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Bell, Grant Edward Carlson
  • Patent number: 6445586
    Abstract: An apparatus for a mainframe having redundant extractable devices is arranged in a mainframe of the IU specification for industrial computers or servos. The apparatus comprises a main body having at least two receiving spaces with respective openings at one end; closing ends of the two receiving spaces is arranged with a circuit board; two extractable units arranged within the receiving spaces and connected; to the circuit board; a front frame and a rear frame being installed at the main body. The two extractable units are extractable from the two openings so as to be connected to the circuit board. Moreover, the two extractable units are mounted to the main body and the main body is extractable in the computer mainframe, and thus an apparatus for a mainframe having redundant extractable devices is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Shin Jiuh Corporation
    Inventor: Chin-Wen Chou
  • Patent number: 6445576
    Abstract: A hinged disk drive bay for a server. The bay is hinged such that it moves between a stowed position in which the bay is vertical, and a tilted position in which the bay is open. When open, the connections are exposed to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Brad R. Wooden, Lane C. Cobb
  • Patent number: 6445589
    Abstract: A method of improving the life expectancy of surface mount components is electronic assemblies wherein a distance between the printed circuit board and the surface mount component is held to a predetermined distance defined as the stand-off height. The relationship between the stand-off height and the life expectancy of the component is directly proportional. A larger stand-off height translates into a longer life expectancy. The stand-off height is limited only by manufacturing constraints, such as process limitations and cost concerns. The stand-off height is set to a predetermined dimension by way of a spacer positioned between the surface mount component and the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mahesh K. Chengalva