Patents Examined by Ephrem Alemu
  • Patent number: 7791569
    Abstract: A light emitting element circuit includes a current minor circuit having two thin film transistors, two current input terminals, and two output terminals, a capacitor for holding voltage in accordance with an electric current to be input from one of the two current input terminals, and a light emitting element connected to the current minor circuit. An electric current is supplied to the light emitting element through the current mirror circuit in accordance with the voltage held in the capacitor. The two output terminals of the current mirror circuit are connected to the light emitting element, and the two current input terminals of the current minor circuit are connected with each other through a switch in a time period other than a time period during which an electric current is input from the one of the two current input terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadahiko Hirai
  • Patent number: 7777567
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) generator for applying RF power to a plasma chamber includes a DC power supply (B+). A radio frequency switch generates the RF power at a center frequency f0. A low-pass dissipative terminated network connects between the DC power supply (B+) and the switch and includes operates at a first cutoff frequency. The switch outputs a signal to an output network which improves the fidelity of the system. The output network generates an output signal fed to a high-pass subharmonic load isolation filter that passes RF power above a predetermined frequency. A low-pass harmonic load isolation filter may be inserted between the output network and the high-pass subharmonic load isolation filter, and a high-pass terminated network may connect to the output of the output network. The high-pass terminated network dissipates RF power above a predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Salvatore Polizzo
  • Patent number: 7772782
    Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) driving device includes a power factor correction (PFC) circuit, a bridge switch circuit, a resonant circuit, a transformer and a feedback circuit. The PFC circuit adjusts an output signal thereof based on a feedback signal. The bridge switch circuit transforms the output signal of the PFC circuit into a pulse signal. The resonant circuit resonates and outputs a sinusoidal signal to a primary-side of the transformer based on the pulse signal. The feedback circuit outputs the feedback signal to the PFC circuit in response to a primary-side current of the transformer. Therefore, an output current of the LED driving device is adjusted through modulating the feedback circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Leadtrend Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yi-Shan Chu, Hsing-Kuo Chao
  • Patent number: 7772780
    Abstract: Disclosed are a lamp igniter module and method of assembling a lamp igniter module. The lamp igniter module comprises a transformer carrier, a slide-in electrical connector, a pc board, and a housing. Assembly of the lamp igniter module is accomplished by initially inserting a transformer carrier assembly within the housing and subsequently installing a slide-in electrical connector which may or may not be attached to the pc board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rajendra K. Pokharna, David J. Kachmarik, Virgil Chichernea, Bruce Roberts, David A. D'Onofrio
  • Patent number: 7768806
    Abstract: A DC/AC inverter and method thereof are disclosed. The DC/AC inverter for driving a load includes a DC power supply for supplying a DC input voltage, a converter circuit coupled to the DC power supply which converts the DC input voltage into an AC signal used to drive the load, and a control circuit coupled to the converter circuit which sets a frequency of the AC signal. The control circuit is further capable of operating the DC/AC inverter in a fixed frequency mode and in a variable frequency mode in accordance with the DC input voltage and the load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: O2Micro International Limited
    Inventors: Yung-Lin Lin, Da Liu
  • Patent number: 7768213
    Abstract: An electronic circuit topology (1) for driving a predominantly capacitive load (2) with a primary circuit with several components, a secondary circuit with a predominantly capacitive load (2), and a transformer device (4) with a primary side (TX Ia) and a secondary side (TX Ib), connecting the primary circuit with the secondary circuit, the primary circuit components comprise: a source device (3), a drain device (5), and a switching device (6), the transformer device (4) is for transforming an input voltage-current-signal to a suitable output voltage-current signal for supplying the predominantly capacitive load (2), wherein the source device (3) is in serial connection with the transformer device (4), the drain device (5), and the switching device (6), whereby the transformer device (4) comprises means for functioning as a resonant tank circuit, as a transformer device (4) in forward mode, and as a transformer device (4) in flyback mode, so that an single-ended forward-flyback circuit is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Marc Maria Alex Bleukx, Wolfgang Schiene, Heinrich Von Busch, Stefan Schwan
  • Patent number: 7764482
    Abstract: An ion generator is provided which includes a discharge electrode, a ground electrode and vitamins housed in the discharge electrode which is adapted to be installed inside a discharge outlet of an air conditioner. A power supply for applying power is connected to the discharge electrode. A reservoir for storing water generated in the heat exchanger of the air conditioner supplies water to the discharge electrode. The water housed in the reservoir is transferred to the discharge electrode. The vitamins housed in the discharge electrode are dissolved in the water, exposed to the surface of the discharge electrode and discharged in the direction of the ground electrode by power applied to the discharge electrode. The discharged vitamin ions are externally discharged from the air conditioner by a ventilator of the air conditioner. The vitamin C ions are coupled with the electrons from the discharge electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sung Hwa Lee, Seong Hwan Lee, Ok Chun Hyun
  • Patent number: 7764027
    Abstract: A dimmable control circuit, having an ac power source; a transformer; a rectifier circuit; a dimmable control chip; a voltage dividing circuit; a dimmable switch; a first resistor; a second resistor; and a half bridge power driving circuit, capable of outputting signals to drive a fluorescent tube, characterized in that the said dimmable switch has a coactive variable resistor connected in parallel with the first resistor and the second resistor, and both the first resistor and the second resistor have the negative resistance temperature coefficient to achieve low temperature startup and high temperature operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Inventor: Ching Chuan Lee
  • Patent number: 7764140
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for delivering power to a dynamic load. The system includes a power supply providing DC power having a substantially constant power open loop response, a power amplifier for converting the DC power to RF power, a sensor for measuring voltage, current and phase angle between voltage and current vectors associated with the RF power, an electrically controllable impedance matching system to modify the impedance of the power amplifier to at least a substantially matched impedance of a dynamic load, and a controller for controlling the electrically controllable impedance matching system. The system further includes a sensor calibration measuring module for determining power delivered by the power amplifier, an electronic matching system calibration module for determining power delivered to a dynamic load, and a power dissipation module for calculating power dissipated in the electrically controllable impedance matching system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Siddharth P. Nagarkatti, Michael Kishinevsky, Ali Shajii, Timothy E. Kalvaitis, William S. McKinney, Jr., Daniel Goodman, William M. Holber, John A. Smith, Ilya Bystryak
  • Patent number: 7759877
    Abstract: A driving system, includes: a power supply unit for providing a first current and a second current; a first transformer having a primary side coupled to the power supply unit and a secondary side coupled to a first current balancing circuit for driving a plurality of first lamps; a second transformer having a primary side coupled to the power supply unit and a secondary side coupled to a second current balancing circuit for driving a plurality of second lamps; a balancing control circuit coupled to the power supply unit for balancing the first and the second current so that the first current and the second current are substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Shwang-Shi Bai, Shu-Ming Chang, Hsiu-Na Hsieh
  • Patent number: 7728528
    Abstract: A ballast circuit for controlling preheating, ignition or performing dimming of a gas discharge lamp such as a compact fluorescent lamp is disclosed. The ballast circuit has an inverter connected to a pair of input terminals for receiving a supply voltage, a base drive transformer connected to the switching transistor inverter to provide a drive signal, a resonant circuit connected to the switching transistor inverter, and a loading circuit connected to the base drive transformer. The base drive transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding set. The loading circuit is adapted for at least temporarily saturating the base drive transformer and thus effecting in the resonant circuit an oscillating frequency different from a natural resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Century Concept Ltd
    Inventors: Cho Sing Chan, Ronald J. Bezdon
  • Patent number: 7719198
    Abstract: A power supply circuit for plasma generation by which a large quantity of generated plasma can be smoothly obtained without increasing the sizes of an apparatus. An electric discharge generating electrode is composed of two or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes. An LC series circuit is provided by connecting a capacitor C and a coil L in series between one of outputs of an alternating high voltage generating circuit which generates an alternating high voltage to be applied between the electrodes of electric discharge generating electrode, and the first electrode. When electricity is discharged in one of the electrode pair, voltage drop is suppressed by the coil, and since electric discharge from the other electrode pair is induced without being disturbed, a large quantity of plasma can be smoothly generated by common use of the alternating high voltage generating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignees: Daiken Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Takikawa, Yoshimi Nishimura, Akio Harada
  • Patent number: 7719204
    Abstract: A method for controlling striations in a lamp powered by an electronic ballast includes the steps of generating an asymmetric lamp current using an unbalanced circuit component in the electronic ballast and supplying that current to the lamp. The unbalanced circuit component may be an unbalanced output transformer or an unbalanced DC choke. The output transformer is unbalanced by offsetting the number of turns on each side of the tap on the primary winding of the transformer. In a similar manner, the DC choke is unbalanced by offsetting the number of turns in each winding of the choke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas M. Poehlman
  • Patent number: 7719200
    Abstract: A plasma generator, comprising a dielectric tube having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is sealed, but for a gas inlet; at least one first dielectric disk located within the dielectric tube, wherein the first dielectric disk includes at least one first dielectric aperture formed therein; a first ring electrode that at least partially surrounds the at least one first dielectric aperture and is electrically coupled to a power supply; at least one second dielectric disk located proximate the second end of the dielectric tube, wherein the second dielectric disk includes at least one second dielectric aperture formed therein; and a second ring electrode that at least partially surrounds the at least one second dielectric aperture and is electrically coupled to the power supply. During use, the plasma generator produces at least one plasma plume that is launched into open air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Old Dominion University
    Inventor: Mounir Laroussi
  • Patent number: 7710044
    Abstract: A flashlamp drive circuit including a storage capacitor which is charged and selectively discharged in order to drive a flashlamp. A capacitor (116) is connected in parallel with each respective flashlamp (106) in a bank of flashlamps. Each capacitor (116) has a comparatively small capacitance so as to be capable of storing only a portion of the total energy pulse required to be delivered to the respective flashlamp (106). A controller, comprising a digital signal processor (118) and a microprocessor (120) is provided to control the operation of all of the flashlamps (106) in the bank via respective switch mechanisms (110). In use, each energy (or drive) pulse delivered to a flashlamp (106) is comprised of a plurality of smaller energy packets resulting from repeated charging and discharging of the respective capacitor (116).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Cyden Limited
    Inventors: Jan Simonsen, Michael Noel Kiernan
  • Patent number: 7710098
    Abstract: A high-side driver circuit for a switching power supply, configured to translate a low-side switching control signal referenced to a first ground rail to a high-side switching control signal referenced to a second, high-side ground rail for driving a switching control connection of a power switching device, the high-side driver circuit including first and second inputs to receive first and second low-side switching control signals; a differential amplifier having a differential pair of inputs coupled to said first and second inputs and having an output, the differential amplifier having a ground connection for connection to said high-side ground rail and a power connection to receive a power supply from a second voltage supply; and an output coupled to said differential amplifier output to provide the high-side switching control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Cambridge Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: David Michael Garner, Niek van der Duijn Schouten
  • Patent number: 7710041
    Abstract: An output power adjusting mechanisms for adjusting output power is provided on a wave guide of a high frequency output section coupled to an output cavity. The output power adjusting mechanisms is located at a position apart away from the output cavity by a distance of ? wavelength or [(? wavelength)×odd number]. The output power adjusting mechanism includes a reflection adjusting part which is provided in the tube wall of the wave guide so as to be displaceable in the inward and outward directions of the output tube. The output power is adjusted by displacing the reflection adjusting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electron Tubes & Devices, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Setsuo Miyake
  • Patent number: 7706164
    Abstract: An inverter device, which has two operation modes including a grid-connected operation mode where the inverter device is interconnected with a commercial power system, and an isolated operation mode where the inverter device is independent of a commercial power system and performs an isolated operation, includes an inverter converting direct-current power received from a direct-current power supply of a solar battery array into alternating-current power, a control unit controlling an action of an inverter device, a plug for outputting the alternating-current power converted by the inverter, and a load-connecting receptacle on a path of a power supply line connecting the inverter and the plug, for outputting the alternating-current power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nishi, Takayoshi Urabe
  • Patent number: 7701153
    Abstract: A lamp includes an arc tube and a lighting unit for lighting the arc tube. The lighting unit includes a rectifier circuit, a smoothing circuit for partial smoothing, and an inverter circuit having a pair of switching elements. The smoothing circuit smoothes portions of the output voltage of the rectifier circuit below the first voltage value and outputs a voltage that falls between the first voltage value and the second voltage value. The discharge sustaining voltage of the arc tube is set to fall between the first and second values of the voltage Vdc output from the smoothing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Itou, Masayoshi Gyoten, Shiro Iida
  • Patent number: 7696703
    Abstract: An exemplary driving circuit for a light-emitting diode having a positive terminal includes a resistor having first terminal and second terminal, a field-effect transistor, and a width-pulse modulation circuit. The second terminal of the resistor is connected to the positive terminal of the light-emitting diode. The field-effect transistor includes a source electrode and a gate electrode, the source electrode being connected to the first terminal of the resistor. The pulse-width modulation circuit is configured for modulating a voltage across the resistor so as to control the grate electrode of the field-effect transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jhy-Chain Lin