Patents Examined by Don Le
  • Controller and receiver for a power line communication system
    Patent number: 9420670
    Abstract: A power line communication system communicates dimming levels to a lighting circuit over AC power lines. A power line controller generates control signals which are inserted on the AC power signal to the lighting circuit. A first series resonant circuit is coupled across the AC lines to bypass high frequency components from the control signals. A power line receiver receives the AC power signal and extracts the control signal to generate dimming level signals corresponding with the desired dimming level. To extract the control signal out of the AC power signal, the power line receiver has a resonant circuit connected in parallel with the AC power line and tuned to transmit the ballast control signal and to filter out the AC power signal. A dimming level sensing circuit then senses the signal pattern on the control signal and generates a dimming level signal corresponding to the desired dimming level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Xiong, Travis L. Berry, John Cavacuiti, Rob Mahaffey
  • Circuit with an LED dimming linear compensation
    Patent number: 9420646
    Abstract: A circuit with an LED dimming linear compensation, which includes: a rectification circuit with two inputs connected to the alternating current and two DC outputs, a positive DC output and a negative DC output; a filter circuit with inputs connected to the DC outputs and a positive output and a negative output to output positive pole and negative pole; a RCC drive circuit with an oscillating circuit to drive the LED light source by RCC mode; and a compensation resistance R1 series connected in the front stage of one input of the rectification circuit. The compensation resistance R1 is disposed in the front stage of the rectification circuit, when the branch current increases, the voltage of the RCC drive circuit in the followed stage decreases, as the RCC drive circuit is similar to a resistant load, it improves the voltage-current characteristic of the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: XIAMEN YANKON ENERGETIC LIGHTING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Senhai Chen
  • Method for addressing light fixtures, light fixture for lighting and system for lighting a room
    Patent number: 9414467
    Abstract: A method for addressing light fixtures, in a system for lighting, and a plurality of light fixtures arranged within a region for lighting. The area around every light fixture is detected by a camera which is associated with the corresponding light fixture. The position of every light fixture within the region is determined with the aid of the data acquired by the cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Boehnel
  • Semiconductor devices and structures
    Patent number: 9412645
    Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor devices, including: providing a CMOS fabric and metal layers, the metal layers including a first metal layer, a second metal layer, a third metal layer, and a fourth metal layer, the metal layers providing interconnection for the CMOS fabric, and constructing mask defined connections between the third metal layer and the fourth metal layer, the mask defined connections are substantially similar to antifuse programmed connections of a programmed antifuse programmable device, where the antifuse programmable device is a 3D antifuse programmable device including antifuses and antifuse programming transistors, where the antifuse programming transistors overlay the antifuses, and where the antifuse programming transistors include a monocrystalline channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC 3D INC.
    Inventors: Zvi Or-Bach, Zeev Wurman
  • LED lighting device
    Patent number: 9408263
    Abstract: Provided is a circuit for preventing an operating current of a TRIAC dimmer from being dropped below a holding current value. In this regard, a light emitting diode (LED) lighting device includes a TRIAC dimmer for controlling intensity of light emitted from an LED, a load connected between an output terminal of the TRIAC dimmer and a bridge rectifier to stabilize operation of the TRIAC dimmer even in low dimming level periods of the TRIAC dimmer, the bridge rectifier connected with the load to supply an operating current to the LED; and the LED for receiving the operating current from the bridge rectifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: LUMENS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Myeong Kook Gong, Hee Jin Jung
  • Lighting-on/off control circuit and lighting-on/off control method
    Patent number: 9408270
    Abstract: Provided is a lighting-on/off control circuit that can increase number of LEDs that can go on/off, without increasing number of control signal lines. It includes a control circuit outputting plural first and second signals, a first push-pull circuit receiving plural first signals, a second push-pull circuit receiving plural second signals, and an LED group capable of being connected in between one of outputs of first push-pull circuit and one of outputs of second one. When first signal has a first value and second signal has a second value, a first current flows from first to second push-pull circuit; when second signal has a first value and first signal has a second value, a second current flows from second to first push-pull circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Minoru Shinba
  • Circuits and methods for driving a light source
    Patent number: 9402286
    Abstract: A circuit includes a bridge circuit, a converter, and a controller. The bridge circuit receives power from first and second power lines of a switch and generates a rectified voltage. The switch is capable of operating in a first state in which the switch conducts power to the first power line but not the second power line, a second state in which the switch conducts power to the second power line but not the first power line, and a third state in which the switch conducts power to both the first and second power lines. The converter converts the rectified voltage to an output voltage to drive a light source, and controls a current through the light source according to a driving signal. The controller monitors the operation state of the switch and generates the driving signal based on the operation state to control brightness/dimming of the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: O2Micro Inc
    Inventors: Yung Lin Lin, Tiesheng Yan, Ching-Chuan Kuo
  • Switching converter
    Patent number: 9401649
    Abstract: When a current detection voltage VCS that corresponds to a voltage drop across a detection resistor RCS exceeds a first threshold value VADIM, a current limit comparator asserts a reset pulse. A zero current detection circuit generates a set pulse configured as an instruction to turn on a switching transistor. A logic circuit generates an output pulse S14 according to the reset pulse and the set pulse. When the current detection signal VCS exceeds a second threshold value VTH, a second comparator asserts a comparison signal. An abnormal state detection period is set to a first time period from a time point at which the switching transistor turns on. When the comparison signal is asserted in the abnormal state detection period, an abnormal state detection circuit judges that an abnormal state has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Sasaki
  • System to control wavelength and method to control wavelength
    Patent number: 9395504
    Abstract: A system includes: a splitter to branch an optical signal output by a wavelength-tunable light source into first to third optical signals; a first photodiode to perform an optical electrical conversion of the first optical signal transmitting a first etalon; a second photodiode to perform an optical electrical conversion of the second optical signal transmitting a second etalon, an FSR of the second etalon being identical to that of the first etalon, peak wavelengths of intensity of a transmitted light of the second etalon being different from those of the first etalon; a third photodiode to perform an optical electrical conversion of the third optical signal; and a controller to control the wavelength-tunable light source with use of a coefficient calculated by following formulas (1) or (2), Coefficient=(PD1?A·PD3)/(PD2?B·PD3) (1) and Coefficient=(PD2?B·PD3)/(PD1?A·PD3) (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Katsumi Uesaka, Eiichi Banno, Hajime Shoji, Hiroyuki Matsuura, Haruhiko Kuwatsuka, Ken Tanizawa, Shu Namiki
  • Light source
    Patent number: 9396924
    Abstract: An electrodeless, microwave lamp has a magnetron as a microwave source and an excitable material lucent crucible in whose excitable material a plasma is established. For coupling microwaves from the magnetron into the crucible, an air wave guide coupling circuit is provided, with an output of the magnetron as an input at one quarter lambda from one end and an output at one quarter from the other end as an input to a connection to the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Ceravision Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Simon Neate
  • Programmable structured arrays
    Patent number: 9397665
    Abstract: A programmable semiconductor device includes a user programmable switch comprising a configurable element positioned above a transistor material layer deposited on a substrate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: CALLAHAN CELLULAR L.L.C.
    Inventor: Raminda Udaya Madurawe
  • Luminaire for road illumination with sensor
    Patent number: 9398663
    Abstract: The invention relates to a luminaire for road illumination, said luminaire (1) comprising a housing (3) containing a light source (5) provided with optics (6). The luminaire further comprising a sensor unit (7) adapted to measure optical properties of the surrounding of the luminaire and a calculation unit adapted to calculate the parameters for controlling the light output of the luminaire based on the optical properties measured by the sensor unit. According to the invention, the sensor unit is adapted to measure specular and diffuse reflection properties of the surrounding of the luminaire. These optical properties allow determining the type of weather or the road condition and adjustment of the light output of the luminaire, thus improving the road safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Ruslan Akhmedovich Sepkhanov, Fetze Pijlman, Siebe Tjerk De Zwart
  • Semiconductor device, display device and electronic device
    Patent number: 9396676
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device which operates stably with few malfunctions due to noise, with low power consumption, and little variation in characteristics; a display device including the semiconductor device; and an electronic device including the display device. An output terminal is connected to a power supply line, thereby reducing variation in electric potential of the output terminal. In addition, a gate electrode potential which turns ON a transistor is maintained due to the capacitance of the transistor. Further, change in characteristics of the transistor is reduced by a signal line for reverse bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasunori Yoshida
  • LED driving apparatus, LED driving method and display apparatus using the same
    Patent number: 9390657
    Abstract: A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a display panel configured to display an image, an LED module configured to provide backlight to the display panel, an LED driving unit configured to apply a driving voltage to the LED module using an external power, an exterior unit configured to support the LED driving unit and the LED module and include a ground terminal provided separately from the external power, and an LED driving control unit which causes an operation of the LED driving unit to be stopped based on a current flowing in from the ground terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae-sung Kim, Yong-joo Lee, Jeong-il Kang
  • Luminescent system and organic EL device
    Patent number: 9386656
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a luminescent system enabling contactless power supply, having a high ratio of light emission region, and securing a desired quantity of emitted light. The luminescent system is constituted by an organic EL device and a fixed-side wall surface. The device is formed by stacking an electrode layer of an anode side, an organic light-emitting layer, and a transparent electrode layer of a cathode side on a substrate and being sealed by a sealing part. Electrodes with a planar expanse are stacked on a face near the wall surface and are arranged so as to overlap a light emitting region where the organic light-emitting layer is disposed. Electrodes with a planar expanse are embedded in the wall surface. A power unit is electrically connected between the electrodes. The electrodes of the device and of the wall surface are opposite each other across a flooring material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Tanaka, Nobuhito Miura, Katsuhiko Hayashi
  • LED lamp, and method of driving at least one LED string thereof
    Patent number: 9380663
    Abstract: The Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamp is adapted for mounting in a fluorescent tube mount having a selectively activatable magnetic ballast powering two pairs of sockets with AC power upon activation. The LED lamp has a body having connectors at both opposite ends adapted to the corresponding pair of sockets, at least one LED string extending along at least a portion of the body, a driver inside the body connecting the connectors to the LED string, the driver including a transistor, an inductor, and a rectifier in a switch mode converter configuration, for converting the AC power of the sockets into a DC power of a voltage adapted to power the LED string; and a pulse mode controller for controlling the transistor in an intermittent manner upon activation of the multiple fluorescent tube mount, until conduction across the at least one LED string is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: BRAMAL LED INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Dionizy Piaskowski, Mathieu Ludovic Malboeuf Joset, Dorian Braun
  • Semiconductor integrated circuit device
    Patent number: 9379100
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprises I/O cells arranged around a core region. Each of the I/O cells comprises a level shifter circuit, an I/O logic circuit, and an I/O buffer circuit. An I/O logic region in which the I/O logic circuit is arranged and an I/O buffer region in which the I/O buffer circuit is arranged overlap with a region in which a pad for the I/O cell is arranged. The I/O logic region and the I/O buffer region are arranged side by side in a direction parallel to a side of the core region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakamoto, Naozumi Morino, Kazuo Tanaka, Hiroyasu Ishizuka
  • Data processing device and driving method thereof
    Patent number: 9379713
    Abstract: In a processor or the like including a reconfigurable (RC) circuit, the RC circuit is used to form a test circuit to test a core, a cache memory, or the like, and then part of the RC circuit is used as an auxiliary cache memory. When a memory can store data after stop of power supply, a startup routine program (SRP) of the processor can be stored therein. For example, after the test, an SRP is loaded to a memory in the RC circuit from an external ROM or the like, and when power is resupplied to the processor, a startup operation is performed using the loaded SRP. When the processor is in a normal operation state, this memory is used as an auxiliary cache memory and the SRP is overwritten. The SRP is loaded to the memory again at the end of use of the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Energy saving OLED lighting system and method
    Patent number: 9380675
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods related to adjusting the intensity of specific wavelengths in an illumination panel based on the presence of a person near the panel. By reducing some emitted wavelengths, such as wavelengths associated with blue light, when such wavelengths are not needed or desired, the lifetime and/or efficiency of the lighting panel can be increased. The systems, devices, and methods can be used to reduce energy costs and also to delay the aging of lighting panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Hack, Emory Krall, Ruiqing Ma
  • Apparatus for treating a gas in a conduit
    Patent number: 9378928
    Abstract: Apparatus for treating a gas in a conduit of a substrate processing system are provided. In some embodiments, an apparatus for treating a gas in a conduit of a substrate processing system includes: a dielectric tube to be coupled to a conduit of a substrate processing system to allow a flow of gases through the dielectric tube, wherein the dielectric tube has a conical sidewall; and an RF coil wound about an outer surface of the conical sidewall of the dielectric tube, the RF coil having a first end to provide an RF input to the RF coil, the first end of the RF coil disposed proximate a first end of the dielectric tube and a second end disposed proximate a second end of the dielectric tube. In some embodiments, the RF coil is hollow and includes coolant fittings to couple the hollow RF coil to a coolant supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jibing Zeng, Brian T. West, Rongping Wang, Manoj A. Gajendra