Patents Examined by Don Le
  • Patent number: 10003326
    Abstract: A pre-driver includes a first inverter, a second inverter, a third inverter, a first amplifier, a second amplifier, a third amplifier, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor. The first inverter has an input terminal coupled to an output node, and an output terminal coupled to a first node. The second inverter has an input terminal coupled to the first node, and an output terminal coupled to a second node. The third inverter has an input terminal coupled to the second node, and an output terminal coupled to the output node. The output node is further coupled through the first amplifier and the first capacitor to the first node. The first node is further coupled through the second amplifier and the second capacitor to the second node. The second node is further coupled through the third amplifier and the third capacitor to the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: SHANGHAI ZHAOXIN SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yeong-Sheng Lee
  • Patent number: 10003338
    Abstract: A threshold comparator block integrated in a programmable logic device (PLD) is disclosed. The threshold comparator block includes: one or more signal comparators configured to receive two analog input signals and provide a digital output signal indicating a comparison result of the two analog input signals; an analog output driver configured to interface with an analog fabric of a programmable fabric of the PLD; a digital input/output (I/O) driver configured to interface with a digital fabric of the programmable fabric of the PLD; and I/O pins configured to provide an interface with a signal wrapper to interface analog and digital signals between the analog output driver and the digital I/O driver and the programmable fabric. The threshold comparator block is configured to interface with one or more adaptive blocks integrated in the PLD via the programmable fabric and the signal wrapper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: AnDAPT, INC.
    Inventors: John Birkner, Kapil Shankar, Herman Cheung, Patrick J. Crotty, Ranajit Ghoman
  • Patent number: 10003342
    Abstract: A compressor circuit includes a plurality of inputs, a sum output, and a plurality of XOR circuits. Each XOR circuit of the plurality of XOR circuits includes first, second and third inputs, and a first output. The XOR circuit is configured to generate a logic value A?B?C at the first output, where A, B and C are logic values at the corresponding first, second and third inputs, and “?” is the XOR logic operation. The plurality of XOR circuits includes first and second XOR circuits. The first, second and third inputs of the first XOR circuit are coupled to corresponding inputs among the plurality of inputs of the compressor circuit. The first output of the first XOR circuit is coupled to the first input of the second XOR circuit. The first output of the second XOR circuit is coupled to the sum output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chi-Lin Liu, Lee-Chung Lu, Meng-Hsueh Wang, Shang-Chih Hsieh, Henry Huang, Ji-Yung Lin
  • Patent number: 9986606
    Abstract: A voltage adaptable driving signal converter is disclosed, including a rectifying device, a pre-stage energy storing device, a DC-DC conversion device, a post-stage energy storing device, a control conversion device and a switch control device. The rectifying device, the pre-stage energy storing device, the DC-DC conversion device and the post-stage energy storing device are sequentially connected. The pre-stage energy storing device is coupled to a positive electrode of a power supply or to a grounding electrode. The post-stage energy storing device is coupled to and adapted to supply electrical power to a load to be driven. The control conversion device is coupled to the control line and the switch control device respectively. The switch control device is coupled to the post-stage energy storing device and the load respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU RISING DRAGON ELECTRONICS & PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhongguo Dai, Ziqin Guo
  • Patent number: 9985636
    Abstract: To provide a memory element where a desired potential can be stored as data without an increase in the number of power source potentials. The memory element stores data in a node which is brought into a floating state by turning off a transistor a channel of which is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer. The potential of a gate of the transistor can be increased by capacitive coupling between the gate and a source of the transistor. With the structure, a desired potential can be stored as data without an increase in the number of power source potentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9980339
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus for a motor vehicle is provided. The illumination device may include at least one semiconductor light source arrangement, and means for regulating or controlling the supply current for the at least one semiconductor light source arrangement, the means having at least one resistance element with a temperature-dependent resistance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: OSRAM GMBH
    Inventor: Juergen Friedrich
  • Patent number: 9980353
    Abstract: Proposed is a device management apparatus and method for use in a device management network including a remote device management system. The device management apparatus comprises a communication interface (6) adapted to receive device management commands of differing nature from the remote device management system and to transmit a feedback signal to said remote device management system if requested by said device management commands, wherein the differing nature of a device management command comprises a differing level of power required to process the device management command, wherein the differing level of power required to process the device management command further relates to whether or not the device management command requires the communication interface (6) to transmit the feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Qi Zhang, Lin Wang, Liwen Zhou
  • Patent number: 9969322
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vehicle, a winch for a vehicle, and a display control device for a winch of a vehicle. The winch includes a motor for driving an operation of the winch, and the display control device includes a display component and a display control panel. The display control panel is provided with a load detector, a processor and a light controller. The load detector detects a load situation of the motor. The processor is connected with the load detector and the light controller respectively, and outputs a light control signal to the light controller according to the load situation of the motor, and the light controller is connected with the display component and controls the display component to display corresponding light according to the light control signal received from the processor. Thus, the actual load situation of the winch can be obtained in real time during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: T-MAX (HANGZHOU) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hangfei Yu, Xing Fan
  • Patent number: 9974140
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes: a first light-emitting element array including one of a single first light-emitting element or a plurality of first light-emitting elements connected in series, and having a first emission color; a second light-emitting element array including one of a single second light-emitting element or a plurality of second light-emitting elements connected in series, and having a second emission color different from the first emission color, the second light-emitting element array being connected to the first light-emitting element array in parallel; and a third light-emitting element array including one of a single third light-emitting element or a plurality of third light-emitting elements connected in series, and having a third emission color different from the first emission color and the second emission color, the third light-emitting element array being connected to the first light-emitting element array and the second light-emitting element array in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Seki
  • Patent number: 9974130
    Abstract: A device for driving several light sources is suggested comprising a shift register comprising at least two cells, wherein an output of each cell controls one of the several light sources; wherein the at least two cells are connected in series and are driven by a clock signal; wherein each cell of the shift register comprises a flip-flop and a register; wherein the output of the flip-flop is connected with the input of the register; wherein the register is arranged to store the output of the register based on an update signal and wherein the output of the register controls one of the light sources; wherein the flip-flops of the at least two cells are filled with a data signal based on the clock signal; and wherein after a predetermined number of cycles of the clock signal the update signal is conveyed to the registers driving the light sources according to the values stored in the flip-flops of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Adolfo De Cicco, Andrea Scenini, Giovanni Capodivacca
  • Patent number: 9967960
    Abstract: A lighting device having an AC/DC or DC/DC power converter, a controller/processor electrically connected to the power converter, a LED current control circuit communicably coupled to the controller/processor and electrically connected to the power converter, and two or more LEDs communicably coupled to the LED current control circuit. The controller/processor determines a first and second number of counts for the LEDs to be ON to produce a blended light having a specified color, and generates control signal(s) based on the first and second number of counts. The LED current control circuit generates a first and second on/off signals having an on/off cycle time and first and second ON times corresponding to the first and second number of counts for the LEDs in response to the one or more control signals. The LEDs produce the blended light having the specified color in response to the first and second on/off signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: ILUMI SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Swapnil Bora, Corey Egan
  • Patent number: 9961728
    Abstract: A driver device (10) for driving a load (22), in particular for driving an LED unit comprising one or more LEDs is presented. The driver device comprises input terminals (12, 14) for connecting the driver device to an electrical power supply (16) for receiving a variable input voltage (V10) from the electrical power supply, a converter unit (25) for converting the input voltage (V10) to an output voltage (V12) including a resonant converter (40) and a switch unit (26), wherein the switch unit is adapted to provide a chopped voltage of the input voltage as a drive voltage (V16) to the resonant converter, and a control unit (34) connected to the switch unit for controlling a pulse frequency (fP) of the chopped voltage, wherein the control unit is adapted to control an input current (I10) drawn from the electrical power supply by controlling the pulse frequency of the chopped voltage on the basis of a measured value of the variable input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Reinhold Elferich, David Llewellyn John
  • Patent number: 9956903
    Abstract: A vehicle spot or floodlight system includes a vehicle rear-mounted light source such as a backup light array configured to emit light at a first intensity and at another intensity that is different from the first intensity. Emission of light at the another intensity is caused by an actuator operatively associated with the rear-mounted light source. A controller selectively allows the actuator to cause the emission at the another intensity. The controller allows the actuator to cause the emission of light at the another intensity only on receiving a signal indicating that the vehicle transmission is in a park or on receiving a signal indicating that the vehicle ignition is set on run, accessory, or off. The controller resets the actuator to off after a predefined time period when the ignition system is set on accessory or off, or when the transmission is placed in drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Srihari Prasad Gondhi, Sleiman N. Abdelnour, Udayakumar Ramasami, Stephen Kenneth Helwig, Li Yan
  • Patent number: 9961748
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vehicle lighting device includes a first circuit portion that has at least one light emitting element and a first resistor connected in series to the light emitting element; a second circuit portion that is connected in parallel to the first circuit portion and has at least a control portion; and a third circuit portion that is connected in series to the first circuit portion and the second circuit portion, and has at least one light emitting element. The control portion measures an input voltage and causes a current to flow through the third circuit portion in a case where the measured input voltage is a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Kosugi, Atsushi Heike
  • Patent number: 9961727
    Abstract: A trailing edge phase control dimmer circuit for controlling alternating current (AC) power to a load, the circuit including: a switching circuit for controlling delivery of AC power to the load by conducting power to the load in an ON state and not conducting power to the load in an OFF state; and a switching control circuit for controlling turn-OFF and turn-ON of the switching circuit at each cycle of the AC to control switching of the ON and OFF states of the switching circuit, wherein the switching control circuit controlling turn-OFF of the switching circuit includes controlling a turn-OFF transition of the switching circuit between the ON state and the OFF state of the switching circuit extending for a selected turn-OFF transition time, and wherein the switching control circuit further includes a dv/dt feedback circuit for controlling a turn-OFF transition profile indicative of a drain voltage of the switching circuit of the turn-OFF transition and the selected turn-OFF transition time by returning at l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Ozuno Holdings Limited
    Inventor: James Vanderzon
  • Patent number: 9961738
    Abstract: A solid state lighting platform comprised of one or more modular lighting instruments each of which are comprised of an enclosure, driver/logic module(s) governed by a microprocessor and a unique array of emitter boards consisting of a multitude of lighting elements. The lighting instruments may joined together using magnets embedded in the enclosure(s) and receive control instructions from a smart device or any other light on the wired or wireless network. A unique algorithm and look up table allow flicker free dimming and highly accurate color temperature tuning from the microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: LIGHTICIANS INC.
    Inventors: Richard P. Ulivella, Timothy P. Duff
  • Patent number: 9955544
    Abstract: A system and method that uses a tag-driven network architecture controlled by one or more central controllers. Unique tags are associated with various system components such as remote switches, sensors and other peripherals. A tag is assigned to a node when the node is first entered into the network. A distributed policy creates relationships between tags of various different equipment. The tag typically defines what the policy is for a particular local node. The node executes the policy that is supplied in its tag by accessing a recipe associated with that tag. If a device is not working, other similar devices can take over its task simply by executing the recipe associated with the failed device's tag instead of their own.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: North American Manufacturing Enterpizes
    Inventors: Hamid Pishdadian, Jr., Thomas A. Spinelli, Akram A. Khalis
  • Patent number: 9954527
    Abstract: A balanced, charge-recycling repeater link is disclosed. The link includes a first set of segments operating in a first voltage domain and a second set of segments operating in a second voltage domain. The link is configured to transmit a first signal over at least one segment in the first set of segments and at least one other segment in the second set of segments. Each segment of the link includes at least one active circuit element configured to charge or discharge one or more corresponding interconnects within the link and a level shifter configured to shift the level of a signal on a last interconnect of the segment from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain or the second voltage domain to the first voltage domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: John Michael Wilson, John W. Poulton, Matthew Rudolph Fojtik, Carl Thomas Gray
  • Patent number: 9949326
    Abstract: A light system is disclosed. The light system includes a light emitting diode (LED) and a shunt transistor having a current path connected to the LED. A ramp generator circuit generates a ramp voltage. An amplifier has a first input terminal connected to the LED, a second input terminal coupled to receive the ramp voltage, and an output terminal connected to a control terminal of the shunt transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Mikael Elo, Ari Kalevi Väänänen
  • Patent number: 9942965
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for performing actions based on a determined relative composition of light. In some implementations, data representing an amount of ambient light detected within the portion of the property by a light sensor located at the portion of the property is initially obtained. Data indicating (i) a shape of an optical spectra for a natural light source, and (ii) a shape of an optical spectra for a non-natural light source is then obtained. A relative composition of the ambient light detected within the portion of the property is determined. An estimated amount of natural light within the portion of the property is then determined. In response, the amount of light output by one or more light sources located at the portion of the property is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventors: David James Hutz, Robert Leon Lutes