Patents Examined by David Hung Vu
  • Patent number: 7772785
    Abstract: Disclosed is a low-cost parallel lighting system for discharge lamps for a surface light source, which reduces nonuniform brightness and static noise, and fulfills a requirement that lamp currents of individual cold-cathode fluorescent lamps should be uniform and stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Inventors: Masakazu Ushijima, Daisuke Taido
  • Patent number: 7768211
    Abstract: A description is given of a method and a circuit arrangement for operating a high-pressure gas discharge lamp with a lamp current superposed with first current pulses, in particular in a system for the time-sequential production of (primary) colors and possibly white segments, from which an image to be displayed is synthesized, in which, in order to change or correct color and/or brightness properties of the image, the first current pulses are adjusted with regard to their amplitude and/or temporal length and/or temporal position relative to the production of the colors and/or white segments. A description is also given of a projection system comprising such a circuit arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Carsten Deppe, Holger Mönch
  • Patent number: 7759875
    Abstract: A backlight module and a current providing circuit thereof are provided. The current providing circuit includes a signal generating unit, a switching unit, a first capacitor, a transformer and an output node. The signal generating unit generates a PWM signal according to a level of a power source. The switching unit determines whether a first signal end and a second signal end of the switching unit are conducted according to the PWM signal received by a control end of the switching unit. Following a switch performed by the switching unit, the first capacitor charges and discharges through a current path provided by a primary coil of the transformer. Thereby, a secondary coil of the transformer generates a corresponding AC voltage by sensing a current change in the primary coil and outputs the AC voltage through the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Shwang-Shi Bai, Hsiu-Na Hsieh, Shu-Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 7760061
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lamp transformer and method of assembling a lamp transformer within an igniter module or housing. The lamp transformer comprising a potted bar core transformer; and a carrier attached to the potted bar core transformer, the carrier adapted to position the potted bar core transformer on a pc board at a predetermined location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Viktor K. Varga, Bruce Roberts
  • Patent number: 7759880
    Abstract: A circuit or combined ballast for driving a fluorescent lamp and at least one light emitting diode (LED) includes an integrated driver circuit having an alternating current (AC) circuit that includes at least one ballast coil for driving the fluorescent lamp and a direct current circuit for driving the LED having a secondary winding inductively coupled with the fluorescent lamp ballast coil for driving the LED. A method of driving a lamp assembly includes at least one fluorescent lamp and at least one light emitting diode (LED) and a combined driver circuit for supplying both the fluorescent lamp and the LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Istvan Maros, Istvan Peter Bakk, Louis R. Nerone, Timothy Chen, Nitin Kumar
  • Patent number: 7759881
    Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) lighting system includes a controller to control current in one or more LEDs in response to a dimming level input. The LED lighting system implements a dimming strategy having two modes of operation that allow the LED lighting system to dim the LEDs using an active value of an LED current less than a full value LED current while maintaining continuous conduction mode operation. In an active value varying mode of operation, the controller varies an active value of the LED current for a first set of dimming levels. In an active value, duty cycle modulation mode of operation, the controller duty cycle modulates an active value of the LED current for a second set of dimming levels. In at least one embodiment, the active value of the LED current varies from a full active value to an intermediate active value as dimming levels decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Melanson
  • Patent number: 7755574
    Abstract: In a plasma display device, a second terminal of a first transistor, whose first terminal is connected to an electrode, is connected to a power source for supplying a first voltage. A first driver is adapted to drive the first transistor to change the voltage of the electrode, and a second driver adapted to sustain the voltage of the electrode substantially at a second voltage differing from the first voltage by intercepting a path between the first transistor and the power source when the voltage of the electrode is changed into the second voltage in a first period, and to change the voltage of the electrode substantially back to the first voltage in a second period. In this way, it is possible to supply two or more voltages having a different voltage level by one power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joo-Yul Lee
  • Patent number: 7755294
    Abstract: A method of manually overriding automatic activation of an automatic headlight control system for a motor vehicle, headlamps operable in a high beam state and a low beam state, a high/low beam switch movable from a neutral position to a latched position and from a neutral position to a non-latched position for controlling the state of the headlamps and a headlamp on/off switch comprising a multi-position switch with at least a selectively automatic headlamp position is disclosed. The system includes forward-facing sensor for collecting light emanating from for instance a second vehicle, and a controller for controlling, when the headlamp switch is detected as being in the automatic headlamp position, the headlamp states as a function of the sensed intensity of the beam of light emanating from said second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Jaguar Cars Limited
    Inventors: Richard Dennis Shelton, Peter Howard Betts, David Philip Smith
  • Patent number: 7750582
    Abstract: When the temperature value detected by a temperature detecting circuit is lower than a previously designated set temperature value, cathode fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are operated to illuminate with a duty ratio of 100% so as to enhance the brightness. When the detected temperature value has become equal to or higher than the previously designated set temperature value, CFLs are operated to illuminate by changing the duty ratio into a user set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Moriyasu, Hideyuki Chikazawa
  • Patent number: 7750576
    Abstract: An LED light string including a first loop, which further includes a first plurality of LEDs in series successively connected by first connecting wires, and at least one first resistor connected to two first resistor wires, the first two resistor wires removably connected to two of the first connecting wires in any portion of the first loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Inventor: Kuo-An Pan
  • Patent number: 7750577
    Abstract: The present application discloses a method and apparatus for providing an isolated set point from an input signal. The set point can control the amount of power applied to a lamp via a lamp ballast. An AC output signal from the ballast powers a dimming circuit. The AC signal is coupled across an isolation transformer and subsequently converted into a DC signal. This DC signal is loaded by a variable resistor, which creates a voltage differential across the resistor. This voltage differential is then seen across DC input terminals of the ballast, and it is across the DC input terminals that the set point is created. By varying the value of the resistor, the ballast set point is varied ultimately changing the power that is applied to the lamp by the ballast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Louis R. Nerone, Laszlo S. Ilyes
  • Patent number: 7746008
    Abstract: A group control type fluorescent, LED and/or halide lighting control system comprises at least a control interface, which generates a main control signal based on user's operation. This control interface is connected to one or more controllable driver to drive corresponding light sources according to the main control signal. The controllable drivers are cascaded to one or more drivers in order. These drivers control the connected light sources to produce corresponding actions according to control signals generated by the controllable drivers. Through a cascading design collocated with several controllable dimmable drivers, unlimited installation and immediate usage after installation can be accomplished without the need of any preset action. Moreover, the advantages of simple operation and easy learning can also be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Inventor: Yu-Sheng So
  • Patent number: 7741786
    Abstract: An outdoor lighting control method and apparatus for use with an outdoor lighting fixture that automatically detects the changing length of the day and provides for automatically turning off the light after a shorter period of illumination during shorter summer nights and after a longer period of illumination during longer winter nights. The control method measures the elapsed time interval over which night sets in, for example, by sensing light levels characteristic of the onset of dusk and the onset of night and measuring the elapsed time between the two sensed light levels, and then automatically turns on the lighting fixture for nighttime operation for a duration that depends on the measured elapsed night-onset time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Illumination Dynamics LLC
    Inventor: Wade Lee
  • Patent number: 7741782
    Abstract: A lighting fixture, such as for street lighting, comprises an external housing (11) which has a radio frequency antenna (26, 26a, 27) integrally formed therewith. The RF antenna enables telemanagement signals to be passed to the lighting fixture, and for the telemanagement signals to be passed between lighting fixtures in a network. The RF antenna is ideally located in or on a translucent dome portion (14) of the lighting fixture which is invariably formed from a dielectric (non-conductive) material and therefore avoids undesirable RF shielding in at least preferred directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Mark Vermeulen, Cornelis J. M. Erkamp
  • Patent number: 7741791
    Abstract: A system for providing a controllable current to a high intensity discharge lamp is provided. The system includes a current controller that is configured to receive input power and to provide an output current waveform to the high intensity discharge lamp. This current causes a discharge of light from the lamp. The output current waveform includes an absolute value amplitude in each half cycle that is generally constant during a first portion and that which increases non-linearly from the generally constant amplitude to a peak amplitude during a second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mohamed Rahmane, Eric Croquesel, Svetlana Selezneva
  • Patent number: 7741785
    Abstract: A method for driving an electronically controlled lighting means operating device, by evaluating an output signal of a motion sensor which is connected to a supply voltage and outputs the supply voltage as an output signal as a function of the detection of a motion, and setting the electronically controlled lighting means operating device to one of a plurality of predetermined dimming levels as a function of an output signal of the motion sensor. At least one of the predetermined dimming levels is programmed or the output signal of the motion sensor is detected at a control input of a digital interface of the operating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: TridonicAtco GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Reinhold Juen, Joachim Maier
  • Patent number: 7733036
    Abstract: For driving one or more gas discharge lamps (2) to conduct or to block at any time and at the same time, a rectangular high voltage is generated from a high DC voltage, an alternating voltage with respect to a reference voltage (V?) is generated from the rectangular voltage, the alternating voltage is supplied to first electrodes (4) of the lamps, second electrodes (6) of the lamps are selectively connected to the reference voltage, a current flowing through each lamp is stabilized (26), the alternating voltage is filtered to provide a filtered voltage, a property of the filtered voltage is measured to provide a control signal, the control signal is used to control the frequency of the rectangular voltage, and the filtering has a response characteristic which is substantially identical to a response characteristic provided by a lamp when conducting and means for said stabilizing of current flowing through the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Arnold Willem Buij
  • Patent number: 7733035
    Abstract: An electronic power supply device is provided for light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which employs electronic control to maintain the LEDs within the rated ranges of current, voltage and temperature and provides the LEDs with extremely stable current, voltage and temperature. Meanwhile, the power supply device is effective in confining the LEDs within the rated ranges of voltage, current, and temperature so that the excellent electronics protection and design of logic device realized by the power supply device effectively overcomes aging/deterioration of LEDs caused by exceeding voltage and current and burning out due to exceeding temperature and also effectively pushes the rated current and voltage of a (low-power) LED module toward the maximum values to provide the greatest luminous efficiency for upgrading the applications of the LEDs to the primary grade of lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Inventors: Hao-Chin Pai, Li-Teh Chen, Siang-Hsiung Chen, Min-Yung Hsu
  • Patent number: 7728797
    Abstract: Provided is an organic EL display apparatus capable of opening and breaking a defective portion without degrading a normal portion of a pixel, and a method of producing the same. The method of producing an organic EL display apparatus in which a plurality of pixels including organic EL devices are arranged includes the steps of: forming an organic EL device formed of a light emitting layer made of an organic compound between a cathode electrode and an anode electrode (Step S1); detecting a defective pixel in which a cathode electrode and an anode electrode are short-circuited (Step 2); and repairing the defective pixel to be opened by selectively applying a voltage between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode with respect to the defective pixel (Step S3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Nagayama
  • Patent number: 7728527
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a power supply input for receiving power from a power supply, a power supply output for supplying power to a load, a voltage reference circuit, and a switch circuit. The voltage reference circuit is connected between the power supply input and the power supply output for regulating voltage of the power supply circuit. The switch circuit is connected to the voltage reference circuit and the power supply output. The voltage reference circuit supplies regulated voltage to the switch circuit. The switch circuit controls current between the power supply input and the power supply output to be changed alternately at a certain frequency, thereby changing power output to the load to save electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ming-Chih Hsieh