Patents Examined by Ephrem Alemu
  • Motion activated and selective light circuit
    Patent number: 7600884
    Abstract: A motion activated light circuit is comprised of a motion activatable switch which effects switch closures upon displacement thereof for connecting a supply voltage to a pulse generator circuit which generates a predetermined pulse length to provide a control signal at an output thereof. An oscillator circuit is coupled to the control signal of the pulse generator circuit to produce light actuating pulses to feed one of two or more independent light circuits through a light source selection switch. The light source selection switch is conditioned by a sensor which senses ambient light intensity whereby the light actuating pulses are directed to a selected one of the two or more independent light circuits to cause the selected light circuit to generate light pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Rallye Footwear Inc.
    Inventors: Pardo Vitulli, Pardo Dino Vitulli
  • Spark management method and device
    Patent number: 7594958
    Abstract: A spark management device includes a high voltage power source and a detector configured to monitor a parameter of an electric current provided to a load device. In response to the parameter, a pre-spark condition is identified. A switching circuit is responsive to identification of the pre-spark condition for controlling the electric current provided to the load device so as to manage sparking including, but not limited to, reducing, eliminating, regulating, timing, and/or controlling any intensity of arcs generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Kronos Advanced Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor A. Krichtafovitch, Vladimir L. Gorobets
  • Lighting control circuit for flash discharge tube and method of use
    Patent number: 7592752
    Abstract: A lighting control circuit for a flash discharge tube can include an IGBT drive circuit and a timer circuit provided in parallel to each other to output a drive voltage to an IGBT device. An OR circuit can be provided for delivering an output to the IGBT device based on the outputs from both the IGBT driver circuit and the timer circuit. Therefore, the IGBT device can be subject to a voltage output obtained by performing the logical sum of the outputs from the IGBT drive circuit and the timer circuit. This can ensure a necessary and sufficient voltage to the gate of the IGBT device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yoneya, Keizo Sekido
  • Inverter circuit for discharge lamps for multi-lamp lighting and surface light source system
    Patent number: 7589478
    Abstract: An inverter circuit for discharge lamps for multi-lamp lighting in which the value of a negative resistance characteristic of a fluorescent lamp is controlled, and an excessively set reactance is eliminated by causing a shunt transformer to have a reactance exceeding the negative resistance characteristic. Two coils connected to a secondary winding of a step-up transformer of the inverter circuit are arranged and magnetically coupled to each other to form a shunt transformer for shunting current such that magnetic fluxes generated thereby cancel each other out. Discharge lamps are connected to the coils, respectively, with currents flowing therethrough being balanced. Each discharge lamp is lighted because a reactance of an inductance related to the balancing operation which is in an operating frequency of the inverter circuit, exceeds a negative resistance of the discharge lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Inventors: Masakazu Ushijima, Koji Kawamoto, Youichi Yamamoto, Kijima Minoru
  • Electronic ballast with lamp type determination
    Patent number: 7589472
    Abstract: The electronic ballast with lamp type determination for an electronic ballast providing power to a lamp filament 208 includes a filament current sensing circuit 220 operably connected to the lamp filament 208 and generating a sensed filament current signal, and a microprocessor U2 receiving the sensed filament current signal and operably connected to control the power to the lamp filament 208. The microprocessor U2 is programmed to heat the lamp filament by applying the power at a first frequency, measure the filament characteristics, and determine lamp type from the measured filament characteristics. The microprocessor U2 can also be programmed to update operating parameters for the electronic ballast to suit the determined lamp type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: William L. Keith, George L Grouev, Kent E. Crouse
  • Circuit and method for the operation of miniature high pressure short-arc lamps using alternating current
    Patent number: 7586270
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is concerned with a circuit and a method for the generation and operation of the plasmas in High Pressure Short Arc Lamps having miniature dimensions using alternating current. In the method, by means of the selection values of particular operating parameters of a half-bridge amplifying circuit and by means of additionally few circuit components, a lamp voltage characteristic is achieved that prevents the extinguishing of the arc under typical operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Nucon GBR
    Inventors: Gert G. Niggemeyer, Jorg Niggemeyer
  • Cold cathode fluorescent lamp, cold cathode fluorescent lamp driving apparatus, cold cathode fluorescent lamp apparatus, liquid crystal display apparatus, control method for cold cathode fluorescent lamp, and control method for liquid crystal display apparatus
    Patent number: 7586272
    Abstract: A cold cathode fluorescent lamp apparatus has a cold cathode fluorescent lamp which can be lit readily and in which leak current is minimized. A pair of internal electrodes are disposed on an inner surface of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp, and a pair of external electrodes are provided on an outer surface of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp. The internal electrodes are driven by a dc driving circuit, and the current flow between the internal electrodes is controlled by a constant current circuit. The external electrodes are driven by an ac driving circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Makio Iida, Norimasa Furukawa
  • Efficient lighting
    Patent number: 7586271
    Abstract: A light source includes a plurality of lighting elements arranged to illuminate different regions of visual perception. Circuitry coupled to the light source is configured to supply power to a first subset of the lighting elements according to a first waveform and to a second subset of the lighting elements according to a second waveform out of phase with the first waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd
    Inventor: Geoffrey Wen-Tai Shuy
  • Collector cooling arrangement
    Patent number: 7586264
    Abstract: A cooling arrangement for an electron collector of an electron beam tube has a plurality of solid dielectric spacers surrounding the corrector with an electrically insulative and thermally conductive dielectric liquid in gaps between the spacers. A water cooling system is arranged in thermal contact with the spacers and the liquid dielectric to provide cooling by water circulation. The cooling arrangement is a hybrid of oil and water cooling systems in which the electrically non conductive oil is arranged in gaps between dielectric spacers, the dielectric spacers provide a support for the surrounding water coolant system and ordinary water may be used to be pumped through the water cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: E2V Technologies (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Michael John Stokes, Stephen William Hurrell
  • Sequentially pulsed traveling wave accelerator
    Patent number: 7576499
    Abstract: A sequentially pulsed traveling wave compact accelerator having two or more pulse forming lines each with a switch for producing a short acceleration pulse along a short length of a beam tube, and a trigger mechanism for sequentially triggering the switches so that a traveling axial electric field is produced along the beam tube in synchronism with an axially traversing pulsed beam of charged particles to serially impart energy to the particle beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: George J. Caporaso, Scott D. Nelson, Brian R. Poole
  • Resonant power LED control circuit with brightness and color control
    Patent number: 7573729
    Abstract: The invention relates to a resonant power LED control circuit for the independent, simultaneous brightness and color or color temperature control of two LEDs (41, 42) or two groups of LEDs, comprising a single resonant converter which is essentially formed from a half or full bridge DC/AC converter (2) with a control unit (21), a resonant capacitor, and a transformer (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Reinhold Elferich, Peter Lürkens
  • Method and system for feedback and control of a luminaire
    Patent number: 7573209
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling the chromaticity and luminous flux output of a digitally controlled luminaire. The luminaire comprises one or more light-emitting elements and one or more light sensors which can provide optical feedback, wherein this optical feedback is filtered to remove undesired frequencies. The method and system comprises a control system which can sample the filtered signals from the light sensors according to a predetermined feedback sampling frequency scheme, wherein this scheme is specifically configured to provide sufficient iterations of the feedback loop to be performed for adjustment of the chromaticity and luminous flux output of the light-emitting elements, without perceptible visual flicker or momentary chromaticity shifts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Ian Ashdown, Shane P. Robinson
  • Display device and method for driving the same
    Patent number: 7570236
    Abstract: A display device for compensating for degradation of a threshold voltage of a driving thin-film transistor (“TFT”) and method for driving the display device includes a light-emitting element, wherein the light-emitting element emits light by a driving current applied thereto, a driving TFT controlling the magnitude of the driving current directed to the light-emitting element, a capacitor which charges a voltage which varies depending on a data voltage and a threshold voltage of the driving TFT and maintains a voltage corresponding to a difference between the data voltage and a gate voltage of the driving TFT, a first switching unit supplying the data voltage to the capacitor in response to a scan signal, and a second switching unit which is diode-connected and supplies the driving TFT with a light emitting signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Seoul National University Industry Foundation
    Inventors: Min-Koo Han, Jae-hoon Lee
  • Discharge tube operation device
    Patent number: 7564197
    Abstract: A time division signal (S2) for instructing a lit period and an unlit period of a discharge tube (23) is input to an error amplifier (41) of an integration circuit (40). The integration circuit (40) charges and discharges a capacitor (42) in accordance with the time division signal (S2). By utilizing this operation, a control circuit (49) adjusts a current flowing through the discharge tube (23) to light and extinguish the discharge tube (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Kimura, Toru Ashikaga
  • DC-AC converter having phase-modulated, double-ended, full-bridge topology for powering high voltage load such as cold cathode fluorescent lamp
    Patent number: 7564193
    Abstract: A phase-modulated, double-ended, full-bridge topology-based DC-AC converter supplies AC power to a load, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp used to back-light a liquid crystal display. First and second converter stages generate respective first and second sinusoidal voltages having the same frequency and amplitude, but having a controlled phase difference therebetween. By employing a voltage controlled delay circuit to control the phase difference between the first and second sinusoidal voltages, the converter is able to vary the amplitude of the composite voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Lyle, Jr., Steven P. Laur, Zaki Moussaoui
  • Electronic ballast with improved inverter startup circuit
    Patent number: 7560874
    Abstract: An electronic ballast (20) for powering at least one gas discharge lamp (30) comprises a self-oscillating half-bridge inverter (200?) having an inverter startup circuit (286,288,290) that does not require a voltage breakdown device, such as a diac. Inverter startup circuit (286,288,290) comprises a first resistor (286), a second resistor (288), and a capacitor (290).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventor: Piyush Gahalaut
  • Electronic equipment
    Patent number: 7561106
    Abstract: The electronic equipment includes a housing accommodating an electronic circuit used in the operation of the device and a high-frequency circuit for wireless communication related to the operation of the device. A dielectric antenna is mounted on the rear surface of the housing near a lateral end thereof. Since the electronic circuit for operation and the high-frequency circuit for wireless communication are provided in the housing, it is not necessary to connect a personal computer and a mobile telephone by a cable thus making the device mobile. Further, since the dielectric antenna connected to the high-frequency circuit is mounted on the rear surface of the housing, the antenna characteristics can be improved and stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Michihiro Konishi
  • Starter for a gas discharge light source
    Patent number: 7560867
    Abstract: A starter for a gas discharge light source is configured to measure an initial resistance of one or more filaments of the gas discharge light source, such as a fluorescent light, each time the gas discharge light source is initially powered via a ballast. The starter may initiate a preheat cycle to heat the one or more filaments. The duration of the preheat cycle may be automatically customized by the starter based on the initial resistance and a target hot resistance that is calculated by the starter based on the initial resistance. The duration of the preheat cycle may be automatically customized by the starter to optimize reliability and the life of the gas discharge light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Access Business Group International, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua K. Schwannecke, Karlis Vecziedins, David W. Baarman
  • Controlling power to light-emitting device
    Patent number: 7557519
    Abstract: A circuit to control power to a light-emitting device connected in parallel to an inductive device switching current to the parallel combination repeatedly between a charge state during which said inductive element is charged and a discharge state during which said inductive element is discharged through said light-emitting device. A method to control power to a light-emitting device to switch current to a parallel connection of an inductance device and a light-emitting device repeatedly between a charge state during which said inductive element is charged and a discharge state during which said inductive element is discharged through said light-emitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Christian Kranz
  • Solid-state, color-balanced backlight with wide illumination range
    Patent number: 7557518
    Abstract: A color balanced solid-state backlight provides feedback control of each color using a single photodetector by imposing a modulation pattern on the solid-state lamps revealing individual colors to the photodetector. The photodetector signal provides feedback controlling color balance over a small range of instantaneous brightness less than larger range of average brightness of the display to provide for accurate color balance throughout a large range of average brightnesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Astronautics Corporation of America
    Inventors: Peter A. Zagar, Frederick C. Ellner, Hans C. Hansen