Abstract: An antenna system for a vehicle including a front windshield glass and a rear windshield is disclosed. The antenna system comprises an antenna unit including a radiating element electromagnetically coupled to an excitation element. The radiating element is coupled to the front windshield glass, and the excitation element is positioned on a passenger compartment interior surface of the front windshield glass. The antenna system also comprises a high-gain antenna unit including first radiating elements, a second radiating element, a 90-degree phase shift circuit, and a low noise amplifier that is coupled to the phase shift circuit. The first radiating elements receive signals through the rear windshield glass. The antenna unit and the high-gain antenna unit may function in a diversity antenna configuration.

Abstract: Systems for providing optical energy comprise an LED, a detector of optical energy, such as a photodiode, that measures the intensity of optical energy emitted by the light-emitting diode, and a controller. The controller adjusts the intensity of the optical energy emitted by the LED based on the intensity measurement provide by the photodiode, to maintain the intensity of the emitted optical energy at a desired level.

Abstract: An LED lighting apparatus can be configured to supply a number of LEDs connected in series with a requisite voltage and power even if an amount of forward voltage of the LEDs connected in series is larger than a supply voltage of a battery. The LED lighting apparatus can include a boosting circuit and an inverted boosting circuit. LEDs can be connected between outputs of the boosting circuit and the inverted boosting circuit. The LED lighting apparatus can also include a current detection circuit configured to detect an LED current, and can include a dual PWM control IC configured to control the boosting circuit and the inverted boosting circuit in accordance with the LED current detected by the current detection circuit so as to keep the LED current substantially constant. The LED lighting apparatus can include a shutdown circuit to stop supplying a power supply when a load that includes the LEDs is in a circuit that is either opened or shorted.

Abstract: A display apparatus having a displaying part on which an image is displayed, includes: a backlight unit comprising a plurality of light emitting elements that emit different color light which illuminates the displaying part, the plurality of light emitting elements being arranged in a predetermined pattern; a driving part that applies driving current to the backlight unit to control the operation of the light emitting elements and the intensity of light emitted from each of the light emitting elements; a sensing part that senses the amount of light emitted from the backlight unit; and a controller that detects a level of driving current applied to the backlight unit by the driving part, and if the detected level of driving current exceeds a predetermined reference current level, controls the driving part to adjust the backlight unit based on the amount of light sensed by the sensing part.

Abstract: A strongly-ionized plasma generator includes a chamber for confining a feed gas. An anode is positioned inside the chamber. A cathode assembly is positioned adjacent to the anode inside the chamber. An output of a pulsed power supply is electrically connected between the anode and the cathode assembly. The pulsed power supply comprising solid state switches that are controlled by micropulses generated by drivers. At least one of a pulse width and a duty cycle of the micropulses is varied so that the power supply generates a multi-step voltage waveform at the output having a low-power stage including a peak voltage and a rise time that is sufficient to generate a plasma from the feed gas and a transient stage including a peak voltage and a rise time that is sufficient to generate a more strongly-ionized plasma.

Abstract: There is provided a backlight driving system for a liquid crystal display that can reduce size and weight of a product because a DC-DC converter is not used when commercial AC power is converted into lamp driving power. A backlight driving system for a liquid crystal display according to an aspect of the invention includes a power supply unit converting commercial alternating current (AC) power into direct current (DC) power having a voltage level set beforehand, an inverter unit converting the DC power from the power supply unit into AC power at a one-to-one conversion ratio set beforehand, a boosting unit boosting the AC power from the inverter unit into lamp lighting power set beforehand; and a lamp group receiving the lamp lighting power from the boosting unit to emit light.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus involving at least two LEDs configured to generate at least two different spectra of radiation that are combined to produce white light. At least one parameter of the at least two different spectra of radiation generated by the at least two LEDs is controlled, based at least in part on at least one lighting control signal received by the apparatus over at least one wireless communication link, so as to control at least a color temperature of the white light.

Abstract: A lighting system with a dielectric barrier discharge lamp (2) and an operating device (1) is connected to a high-voltage flat ribbon cable (6). As a result, the capacitive line losses can be minimized and both the ignition behavior and the power consumption of the lamp (2) can be improved.

Abstract: An improved brightness control apparatus of a light bulb module replaces a portion of a conventional light bulb module brightness control apparatus by a signal receiving circuit, an amplification circuit and a failure protection circuit to maintain an even brightness of light emitted by each light bulb of the light bulb module of a lamp, so that the brightness of the light bulbs in the light bulb module will not be too dark or even not lit. The signal receiving circuit is provided for connecting an external remote control device for controlling the light bulb module. If the control circuit fails, the failure protection device can maintain a temporary illumination and an overall aesthetic look of the lamp. When the control circuit is operated normally, the total power consumption of the light bulbs of the light bulb module can comply with the normal rated standard of illumination equipments.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system (100) for controlling light output of a lighting system. The system (100) comprises a light mixing circuit (116) comprising a plurality of light sources configured to provide a mixed light output (102) and mounted on a heat-sink (202) together with a temperature sensing means and a controller (108) receiving a set-point (110) from a calibration matrix (104) and generating a driving signal (120, 122) for the light mixing circuit (116). The controller (108) comprises a rescale unit (118) configured to measure power of the driving signal (120, 122) and to rescale the driving signal (120, 122) when the power exceeds a predetermined power threshold, and the controller is configured to receive the heat-sink temperature signal (206) and to calculate a junction temperature from the heat-sink temperature signal, and the controller (108) generates the driving signal (120, 122) as a function of the junction temperature.

Abstract: In a modular printed board assembly, a plasma display apparatus including the modular printed board assembly, and a method of fabricating the modular printed board assembly, the modular printed board includes: a frame of plate shape fixed on a chassis base; and a plurality of printed board assemblies, on which a plurality of electronic elements are mounted, installed on the frame.

Abstract: A method for prolonging the life span of a planar light source generating apparatus is provided. The planar light source generating apparatus forms an emitting layer not only on a plurality of cathodes but on a plurality of gates as well. Moreover, an anode of the planar light source generating apparatus is electrically connected to a current sensor for reading out a maximum current density when the planar light source generating apparatus operates. To operate the planar light source generating apparatus, a DC square voltage is applied to the cathodes (or gates) while the gates (or the cathodes) are electrically connected to a ground. Once the current density detected by the current sensor drops to a definite ratio of the maximum value, the external voltage supplying the aforementioned cathodes and the gates are switched. Thus, the life span of the planar light source generating apparatus is prolonged.

Abstract: The embodiment disclosed herein relates to a lighting system that includes an auxiliary lighting circuit for use with an electronic HID ballast. The lighting system comprises a power supply configured to provide power to a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp via an electronic ballast and a ballast power sensing component configured to determine the amount of power drawn by the electronic ballast and to convert this power drawn by the electronic ballast to a scaled voltage that is representative of the power drawn by an HID ballast. A lamp driver component is configured to provide power to an auxiliary lamp via the same power supply when the scaled voltage reaches a triggering threshold. A voltage regulation component is configured to regulate the power delivered to the auxiliary lamp such that the auxiliary lamp power stays within a predefined range.

Abstract: A current source generates, with high efficiency, a current that is substantially constant over a wide range of output voltages. This current is injected into the first end of a series-connected string of LEDs, with the second end of the string connected through a resistor to ground. The voltage developed across this resistor, which is a measure of current flow in the series string, is fed back to the current source, wherein feedback maintains nearly constant current output over a wide range of output voltages. A field effect transistor (FET) is placed in parallel with each LED in the string. A level shift gate driver couples a pulse width modulated control signal to the gate of each FET. With the FET being coupled across a particular LED, the LED can be bypassed when the FET is actuated or receive current when the FET is deactuated. By modulating the duty cycle of each FET, the brightness of each associated LED may be varied smoothly over its full range.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for maintaining a quality of a Raman medium in a Raman conversion cell. In various examples, a flow velocity of the Raman medium is tailored based on a spatial nonuniformity of heat deposition resulting from the Raman conversion in the cell. In particular, in one example, the flow velocity of the Raman medium may be tailored to be higher where the heat deposition/temperature rise is larger and smaller elsewhere in the cell. This type of flow velocity profile reduces the overall required volumetric flow of the Raman medium in the cell without significantly affecting a quality of the Raman medium.

Abstract: A driver circuit or controller flexibly drives either a half-bridge or a full-bridge switching network in a backlight inverter without modification, redundant circuitry or additional components. The driver circuit includes four outputs to provide four respective driving signals that establish a periodic timing sequence using a zero-voltage switching technique for semiconductor switches in the switching network.

Abstract: A vehicular lamp lighting circuit includes a control unit configured to control an electric current that flows to a light source unit. The control unit has an electric current supply section configured to output the electric current to the light source unit, a switching controller configured to compare, with a reference voltage, and to control, by switching, the electric current that is outputted from the electric current supply section, an output current detection section configured to detect the electric current that flows into the light source unit, and a voltage transform circuit configured to transform an electric potential difference that arises from the electric current that flows into the output current detection section into a difference voltage and to output the difference voltage thus converted to the switching controller.

Abstract: When an APC selection signal FA is set to H level to start an APC operation, a monitor voltage VA is immediately generated from a monitor voltage generating circuit 16A, and an error voltage VEA corresponding to the difference between the monitor voltage VA and a reference voltage VP is output from an error amplifying circuit 18A. However, until the monitor voltage VA reaches the vicinity of the reference voltage VP, a S/H circuit 20A is held in a hold mode, and a laser diode LDA is driven at a switching current ISA with the same current value as before the APC operation start. After the monitor voltage VA reaches the vicinity of the reference voltage VP, the S/H circuit 20A is switched to a sampling mode, and a feedback control operation of a closed loop is started.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes an inverter controller, a power transforming part and a connecting part. The power transforming part converts a direct current supplied from the inverter controller into an alternating current to output first and second polarity currents. The connecting part outputs the first and second polarity currents to first and second end portions of a load through first and second terminals, respectively and has a third terminal to receive a sensed signal in response to the first or second polarity currents so as to output the sensed signal. The first terminal is spaced apart from the second terminal by a first insulating distance, and the third terminal is spaced apart from the first or second terminals adjacent to the third terminal by a second insulating distance. Therefore, the sensed signal is independent of the output power, thereby increasing the sensing efficiency.

Abstract: A light emitting element driving circuit, which can achieve accurate/high-speed operation even at low voltage supply voltage, comprises: driving current supply, connected to light emitting element in series between first and second power supplies, to supply driving current to the light emitting element according to the voltage of control terminal; current determiner to determine and output the current according to an output light amount of the light emitting element; current/voltage converter to convert the determined current into voltage and output it to the control terminal of the driving current supply if control signal is in a first state, and to electrically shield its output voltage terminal from the control terminal of the driving current supply if the control signal is in a second state; and resetter to connect the control terminal of the driving current supply to the second power supply if the control signal is in the second state.