Patents Examined by David Hung Vu
  • Patent number: 7701145
    Abstract: An improved solid expellant plasma generator has been developed. The plasma generator includes a support housing, an electrode rod located in the central portion of the housing, and a mass of solid expellant material that surrounds the electrode rod within the support housing. The electrode rod and the solid expellant material are made of separate materials that are selected so that the electrode and the solid expellant material decompose at the same rate when the plasma generator is ignited. This maintains a point of discharge of the plasma at the interface between the electrode and the solid expellant material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: NeXolve Corporation
    Inventors: Nobie H. Stone, Garrett D. Poe, Robert Rood
  • Patent number: 7701149
    Abstract: Multiphase voltage sources are used in driving an AC_LED; different light timing is achieved by changing the relative phase or frequency of the voltage sources. Different light color mixing is also achieved when more than one AC_LED with different colors are combined to use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventor: Ming-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 7701147
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving a backlight includes a controller for driving a lamp; a limiter for preventing the controller from driving the lamp during a contact condition of the lamp; and means for disabling the limiter during a first time of the controller, wherein the controller drives the lamp from a zero condition to the contact condition during the first time of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: ChangHo Lee
  • Patent number: 7701327
    Abstract: A wireless display panel for an electronic system includes a plurality of light status indicators. Each light status indicator includes a first chamber attached to the wireless display panel and having an excitable gas inside an end of thereof and a second chamber attached to a surface of the electronic system. The first and second chambers being formed of conducting material and corresponding to each other, connecting with each other to form a sealed enclosure when the wireless display panel is connected with the electronic system. Each light status indicator also includes a generator attached to the surface of the electronic system and surrounded by the second chamber, outputting alternating current (AC) power inside the sealed enclosure for wirelessly transmitting AC current to excite the excitable gas, as determined by the electronic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Duffy, III, Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Patent number: 7701150
    Abstract: A system creates a desired current level within a traffic signal. A power supply unit receives an external power signal and transforms the power signal to a lamp current. A pulse generator monitors the value of the lamp current and automatically adjust the power usage of the current sink circuit to maintained a predefined current amplitude. A current pulser generates square current pulses at a frequency based at least in part on the frequency of the lamp current. A current sink superimposes the rectangular current pulse onto the lamp current and outputs a combined power signal to the alternating current power line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Lumination LLC
    Inventors: Khoa Nguyen, Vinh Nguyen, Reynald Gelinas
  • Patent number: 7696698
    Abstract: A signal is described herein that provides light output for automotive, rail, ship traffic and/or illumination control that includes a light emitting diode (LED) array, wherein the LED array includes three groups of disparate colored LEDs. A power supply unit provides independent power to each of the three LED groups. Each LED group power supply unit includes an input controlled switch connected to a power line to provide power to the LED array. An input under voltage/over voltage circuit monitors the voltage level of the power line and for enabling and/or disables the input controlled switch according to the voltage level of the power line. A flyback transformer converts the power received from the power line from an alternating or a continuous current signal to a direct current signal output to the LED array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Lumination LLC
    Inventor: Mohamed Ghanem
  • Patent number: 7696702
    Abstract: A transformer includes: a primary winding receiving portion having a primary winding wound around an axis; and a pair of secondary winding receiving portions each having a secondary winding wound around an axis and disposed on the opposite sides of the first primary winding receiving portion with a gap left in the axial direction. The gaps are formed in a size of a value higher than a first predetermined value, and the coupling coefficients between the first primary winding and the two secondary windings are set lower than a second predetermined value by the gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Iwai
  • Patent number: 7692389
    Abstract: The impedance of a variable load is matched to the output resistance of an HF generator by performing a first impedance matching for a first load impedance and by performing a second impedance matching for a second load impedance. The first impedance matching is carried out at a first frequency and the second impedance matching is carried out at a second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: HUETTINGER Elektronik GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Kirchmeier
  • Patent number: 7688006
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp adapted for effecting stepless dimming with a regular SCR dimmer, comprising a filter and rectifier circuit (1), a DC high voltage stabilizing circuit (2), a voltage signal detection and frequency control circuit (6), a lamp load (4), a lamp current feedback circuit (5) and a voltage signal sampling circuit (3) thereby changing the power factor and luminous intensity of the lamp in accordance with the variation of the conduction phase angle of the silicon controlled rectifier dimmer. The present invention solves the discontinuity and instability issues in course of dimming operation and is particularly adapted for use in an integrated compact fluorescent lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Mass Technology (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventor: Onn Fah Foo
  • Patent number: 7688008
    Abstract: A lighting lamp 1 using LED lamps as a light source can include a delay circuit 5, a power supply control unit 6, and a timer circuit 7. The delay circuit 5 can be configured to cause the luminous intensity of the LED lamps to rise along a predetermined slope upon turning on the lighting lamp. The power supply control unit and the timer circuit can be configured to cause the luminous intensity of the LED lamps to fall along a predetermined slope which has an inflection point P at a predetermined time point along the slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Uchida, Osamu Miyata, Toshiyuki Kondo
  • Patent number: 7686456
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to image display apparatus and methods. In one example, an image display apparatus comprises a plurality of light source devices that supply color light components. A spatial light modulation device modulates the color light components from the light source devices according to an image signal. A control unit adjusts a display light emitted from the spatial light modulation device by controlling at least one of the light source devices or the spatial light modulation device. At the time of starting, the control unit adjusts the display light in accordance with an adjustment signal until an amount of light corresponding to at least one of the color light components reaches a predetermined reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Egawa
  • Patent number: 7688000
    Abstract: A gas discharge lamp (2) is operated with an alternating current. A positive lamp current (Ip) is generated with a positive current intensity (Ip) for a positive duration (?p). A negative lamp current (IN) is generated with a negative current intensity (IN) for a negative duration (?N). A duty cycle (D=?p/(?p+?N)) differs from 50%. A current ratio (R=Ip/IN) differs from 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Johan Leopold Victorina Hendrix
  • Patent number: 7688003
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting method and the like that can prevent a lamp temperature of each individual high-pressure mercury lamp from being beyond a proper temperature range of a halogen cycle. The lighting method maintains a discharge of the high-pressure mercury lamp that has a function of the halogen cycle. The control is performed as follows. From when the high-pressure mercury lamp is lighted up to when a lamp voltage Vla reaches a first voltage value V1, a constant current control is performed. When the lamp voltage Vla reaches the first voltage value V1, the constant current control is switched to a constant power control which is performed at a first power value W1. While the discharge of the lamp is maintained, when the lamp voltage Vla reaches a voltage value (second voltage value V2) at which a state of the halogen cycle deviates from a proper state, the constant power control is performed by reducing the first power value W1 to a second power value W2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Go Yamada, Syunsuke Ono, Tsuyoshi Ichibakase
  • Patent number: 7683551
    Abstract: Discharge factors existing on a surface of an electrode or an insulator forming an electron gun are removed efficiently and effectively, thus simply and easily enhancing the withstand voltage property of the electron gun. A conditioning processing device of an electron gun is provided with a voltage supply section, a voltage adjusting section for adjusting the output voltage of the voltage supply section, and a current detection section for detecting a leakage current flowing between the electrodes of the electron gun. Further, there are attached a vacuum exhaust section for adjusting the inside of the electron gun in a reduced pressure condition and a pressure detection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuo Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 7679296
    Abstract: A drive circuit includes a constant voltage circuit to supply a constant voltage to one terminal of a load, a constant current circuit to supply a predetermined constant current to another terminal of the load in accordance with a pulse signal input externally, and a first reference voltage generator to generate and output a first reference voltage in accordance with an output voltage at an output terminal of the constant current circuit. The constant voltage circuit controls so that the first reference voltage is proportional to the output voltage output to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 7679281
    Abstract: A light emitting device capable of emitting light having various color temperatures is disclosed. The light emitting device includes a first light emitting part emitting a daylight color having a color temperature of 6000 K or more, a second light emitting part emitting white light having a color temperature less than 6000 K, and a third light emitting part emitting light in a visible range of 580 nm or more. The second and third light emitting parts are operable independently of the first light emitting part, and realize a warm white color having a color temperature of 3000 K or less with the white light emitted from the second light emitting part and the light emitted from the third light emitting part. The light emitting device realizes white light of various spectra and color temperatures corresponding to desired mood and utility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do Hyung Kim, Hyuck Jung Choi
  • Patent number: 7679295
    Abstract: A driver for a white LED string or a display is provided. The driver includes a boost converter that is arranged to provide an output voltage from a source voltage. Also, the driver includes a sense resistor that is coupled between the output voltage and a feedback voltage. The sense resistor is coupled in series with the white LED string or the display. Further, the boost converter uses the sense voltage across the sense resistor to regulate the output voltage. In one embodiment, the boost converter includes a level shifter that converts the sense voltage into a comparison signal that is referenced to ground. In another embodiment, the converter employs a reference voltage that is referenced to the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Michael J. Collins
  • Patent number: 7675238
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lighting system (1) with a user interface (3) for controlling the lighting color and/or intensity of a lighting unit (2) determining the lighting conditions in a room. The user interface (3) is based on a system comprising a detection device (4) and transponders (6). Bringing the transponders (6) within the detection device (4) so that they will be detected causes the transponders (6) to send a response signal, which signal controls the lighting color and/or intensity of the lighting unit (2). Each transponder (6) is programmed to control a particular color or a specific light intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Hubertus Maria Rene Cortenraad, Elmo Marcus Attila Diederiks, Anthonie Hendrik Bergman, Martijn Adrianus Bernardus Santbergen
  • Patent number: 7675249
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a drive apparatus for a backlight unit (20) in which plural LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements are cascade-connected every three primary colors, which comprises a signal generating unit (44) for generating a signal having an arbitrary amplitude, an adjustment unit (50) for adjusting light emission quantities of groups of LED elements (30) on the basis of the signal which has been generated by the signal generating unit (44), a voltage applying unit (41) for applying a predetermined voltage every the groups of LED elements (30), light emission quantity detecting units (33) for detecting quantities of rays of light which have been emitted from the groups of LED elements (30), calorific value detecting units (32) for detecting calorific values emitted from the groups of LED elements in accordance with the voltage which has been applied to the voltage applying unit (41), and a control unit (50) for controlling the signal generating unit (44) on the basis of light emission qua
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Norimasa Furukawa, Hiroaki Ichikawa, Kenichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 7675241
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a lighting module, a feedback control circuit, and a DC-to-AC circuit. The lighting module comprises a first lighting unit, a second lighting unit, a first transformer, a second transformer and a third transformer. A first end of a first port of the first transformer is connected to a first end of the first lighting unit, a first end of a first port of the second transformer is connected to a second end of the first lighting unit, a second end of the first port of the second transformer is connected to a first end of the second lighting unit, and a first end of a first port of the third transformer is connected to a second end of the second lighting unit. The lighting apparatus uses serial connection of the lighting units to reduce the number of transformers and still have the feedback control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shian-Nan Lin, Yi-Hsun Lin, Cheng-Chia Hsu, Deng-Kang Chang