Patents Examined by Ephrem Alemu
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Patent number: 7446486Abstract: A method of providing power to an electronic circuit in a two wire dimmer connecting a hot line of an AC network to a lamp load, the method comprising obtaining power from the two wire dimmer during regions of an AC waveform formed across a portion of a circuit of the dimmer when a phase cut switching device of the dimmer providing power to the lamp load is substantially off; driving a switching device providing charging current to a charge storage capacitor on in a saturated region of operation of the switching device when a voltage from a voltage source developed in the dimmer from the AC waveform is less than a predetermined level, and turning the switching device off when the voltage is above the predetermined level; and providing a voltage across the charge storage device as an output voltage.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2006Date of Patent: November 4, 2008Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jamie J Steffie, Richard L Black
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Patent number: 7443103Abstract: A method and system to supply current to a high pressure lamp is provided, the method and system comprising an alternating lamp current waveform with a half cycle mean amplitude I1 and a half cycle time duration T, a current pulse waveform including at least one current pulse with a half cycle mean amplitude I2 and at least one current pulse occurring after the trailing edge of a half cycle of the alternating lamp current, the pulse having a half cycle duration of Tp. These waveforms are combined to generate a current waveform including a current pulse waveform, the current pulse waveform starting after a time delay Td from the trailing edge of a half cycle of the alternating lamp current waveform, the time duration Tp of the at least one current pulse lasting less than the remaining time before the leading edge of the second half cycle of the alternating lamp current waveform.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2005Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jianwu Li, Alan G. Chalmers, Viktor K. Varga, Timothy B. Gurin, Gary R. Allen, Anjali Kotkunde, James C. McNamara
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Patent number: 7443351Abstract: A portable terminal, which has an antenna disposed within a housing accommodating a circuit board, capable of securing a clearance between the antenna and parts of the circuit board, etc. within the housing without increasing the size of the housing, whereby the antenna performance can be prevented from degrading when transmitting or receiving, in which the antenna is insert-molded integrally with the housing accommodating the circuit board within it.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2007Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventor: Yasushi Komine
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Patent number: 7439681Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a ballast and a projector. In one embodiment, a ballast comprises an igniter circuit. The igniter circuit is configured to apply a first voltage and a second voltage having opposite polarities to a base electrode and a leading electrode of a high-pressure discharge lamp. At a start of a lighting of the lamp an absolute value of the first voltage applied to one of the electrodes of the lamp is larger than an absolute value of the second voltage applied to the other of the electrodes of the lamp.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2006Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazuo Okawa
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Patent number: 7432664Abstract: A circuit (200) for powering a high intensity discharge lamp (10) comprises first and second input terminals (202,204), first and second output terminal (206,208), first and second inverter switches (SW1,SW2), a transformer (240), first and second buck capacitors (CBUCK1,CBUCK2), first and second low-side capacitors (CLOWSIDE1,CLOWSIDE2), an ignitor (216), and a diode subcircuit (250,260). Transformer (240) includes a primary winding (242) and a secondary winding (244). During operation of circuit 200, primary winding (242) functions as a buck inductor, while secondary winding (244) operates in conjunction with diode subcircuit (250,260) to provide enhanced low frequency open circuit voltage (OCV) during the lamp starting phase and during steady-state powering of the lamp (10). Circuit (200) also allows for a lamp current having a non-zero average value. Circuit (200) is realizable with first and second low-side capacitors (CLOWSIDE1,CLOWSIDE2) having a relatively low capacitance value.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2006Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.Inventor: Warren Paul Moskowitz
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Patent number: 7432652Abstract: A plasma display device having a structure that reduces the probability of breakdown of the signal transmitting unit. The plasma display device includes a chassis base, a PDP supported in front of the chassis base, a driving circuit board that drives the PDP and is supported on a rear side of the chassis base, and a signal transmitting unit that couples the driving circuit board and the PDP by detouring the chassis base, wherein the ratio of H/W of a separation distance H with respect to a distance W between a connection portion and a vertical portion of the signal transmitting unit is 0.075?H/W?0.500.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2005Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.Inventors: Sok-San Kim, Tae-Kyoung Kang
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Patent number: 7427838Abstract: A light source controlling circuit controls a light source outputting continuous light. The light source controlling circuit has a power supply circuit supplying an electric power to the light source, a light source monitoring circuit monitoring a state of the light source, and a control circuit outputting a first control signal to control the light source is controlled. The light source monitoring circuit outputs a second control signal to control the light source in correspondence to a state of the light source. A portable electronic apparatus has a light source outputting continuous light, an image pickup device, and the light source controlling circuit. The light source controlling circuit, for example, controls ON/OFF of the light source in accordance with a temperature of the light source detected by the light source monitoring circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2005Date of Patent: September 23, 2008Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Hideyuki Hosoya
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Patent number: 7420530Abstract: A pixel electrode and a display device capable of lowering power consumption with a uniformity of luminance retained, and realizing a display image having a high contrast and a high image quality, wherein a correction period for correcting a variation in properties of a drive transistor in a pixel during a frame, a write period for driving a first switch by a first control line and writing a data signal from a signal line to the node, and a drive period for storing the written data signal and driving an electro-optical element, are set, and the drive is controlled so that an interval having the correction period, the write period, and the drive period, and an interval having the write period and the drive period without the correction period exist.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2006Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Mitsuru Asano, Akira Yumoto, Hiroshi Fujimura
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Patent number: 7417385Abstract: Systems and methods for ignition and reignition of unstable electrical discharges wherein a secondary electrode positioned is between a set of primary electrodes and a high voltage is applied between the secondary electrode and successive ones of the primary electrodes to produce pilot discharges that ionize a gas there between and thereby reduce the voltage necessary to ignite a primary discharge between the primary electrodes. Power is provided to the secondary electrode by a circuit which is independent of the circuit that supplies power to the primary electrodes and generates voltage pulses which are substantially higher than the voltage between the primary electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2005Date of Patent: August 26, 2008Assignee: Ceramatec, Inc.Inventors: Albin Czernichowski, Bogdan Hnatiuc, Peter Pastva, Albert Ranaivosoloarimanana
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Patent number: 7411358Abstract: In an inverter circuit for a backlight assembly, a first sinusoidal voltage and a second sinusoidal voltage having an opposite polarity to that of the first sinusoidal voltage are applied across terminals of 2n CCFLs. Each of respective primary coils of n first balance transformers are connected in series with corresponding first terminals of a first set of n CCFLs from the 2n CCFLs. Each of respective primary coils of n second balance transformers are connected in series with corresponding first terminals of a second set of n CCFLs from the 2n CCFLs. The secondary coils of the first balance transformers and the secondary coils of the second balance transformers are connected in series with each other to form a loop. Accordingly, the backlight assembly makes it easy to troubleshoot a failure in the CCFLs.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2006Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuhisa Shimura, Takashi Kinoshita
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Patent number: 7410532Abstract: An electrostatic fluid accelerator includes an electrode array including an array of corona discharge electrodes and an array of accelerating electrodes. A detector is configured to sense a constituent component of the fluid as present in an output from the electrode array. A control circuit supplies power to the electrode array, the control circuit being responsive to an output from the detector for operating the electrode array responsive a level of the constituent component.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2006Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Inventors: Igor A. Krichtafovitch, Jacob L. Oharah, Volodymyr A. Bibikov, Christopher A. Martin, Vladimir L. Gorobets, Maciej R. Ziomkowski, Terence Tak-Shing Tam
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Patent number: 7411357Abstract: A device of driving a plurality of lamps is provided, which includes: a transforming unit supplying driving voltages having inverted phases to adjacent lamps; and an inverter controlling the transforming unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2004Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Sang-Yong Lee
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Patent number: 7394203Abstract: A detector circuit monitors the phase relationship between the lamp voltage and the excitation voltage, and if one or more conditions are met, triggers the open lamp protection process in a discharge lamp system. The detection circuit can be incorporated into a lamp voltage feedback circuit and implemented on the integrated circuit level with less cost and circuit complexity.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2005Date of Patent: July 1, 2008Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.Inventors: Yuancheng Ren, Kaiwei Yao, Wei Chen
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Patent number: 7391372Abstract: An integrated communication device having a substrate layer of substantially electrically nonconductive material with two substantially parallel surfaces, an antenna element disposed on one of the surfaces, a ground layer of substantially electrically conductive material disposed on the other surface and having an opening formed therethrough opposite from the antenna element, and a transceiver device mounted to the ground layer to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic energy through the opening.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2004Date of Patent: June 24, 2008Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLCInventors: Jonathan J. Lynch, Peter D. Brewer, Andrew T. Hunter
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Patent number: 7388337Abstract: A fluorescent lamp lighting apparatus according to the present invention comprises an initial illuminance correction control circuit which sets a fluorescent lamp to an initial illuminance correction control lighting mode, a switching portion which changes the fluorescent lamp from the initial illuminance correction control lighting mode to an external control dimming mode when a predetermined external dimming signal is detected, and a control portion which gradually dimming so as to achieve a dimming level of a switched mode when switching the initial illuminance correction control lighting mode and the external control dimming mode, and control so as to achieve a dimming level corresponding to a cumulative lighting time of the fluorescent lamp when the changed mode is the initial illuminance correction control lighting mode.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2006Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology CorporationInventors: Koji Takahasi, Toshiyuki Hiraoka, Noriyuki Kitamura, Naoko Iwai, Kazuyuki Uratani, Shinji Nogi, Toru Ishikita, Isao Yamazaki
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Patent number: 7375475Abstract: A lamp contains a voltage conversion circuit that converts a line voltage to an RMS load voltage and includes a switch and a microcontroller that operates the switch to define the RMS load voltage. The microcontroller senses a load voltage of the lamp, compares the sensed load voltage to a reference RMS voltage, and operates the switch in response to the comparison so that the RMS load voltage is substantially constant at the reference RMS voltage over an operating range of the line voltage and so that the RMS load voltage decreases with decreasing line voltage at line voltages less than the operating range. The operating range of the line voltage is defined to have a minimum that is a non-zero line voltage at which a load current is a predetermined maximum. The voltage conversion circuit may be a phase clipping circuit or a pulse width modulation circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2006Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.Inventors: Ernest C. Weyhrauch, Matthew B. Ballenger, George B. Kendrick, Brent J. Eastwood
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Patent number: 7369090Abstract: An apparatus for an improved Ball Grid Array (BGA) package includes a semiconductor device having a radio frequency (RF) input or output, an antenna pad, and a BGA package structured to house the semiconductor device and the antenna pad. The antenna pad may be coupled to the radio frequency (RF) input or output, and the antenna pad is structured to reduce the inductance of the BGA package. The antenna pad may include a pad disposed above the semiconductor device, a pad disposed to the side of the semiconductor device, or an antenna chip. An antenna may be coupled to the antenna pad. The antenna may include a trace antenna, a staggered antenna, or a helical antenna.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2004Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corp.Inventor: Paul Beard
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Patent number: 7368885Abstract: A lighting controller for a lighting device for a vehicle includes a semiconductor light source; a power source for supplying electric power; and control circuitry for receiving the electric power from the power source and controlling a current supplied to the semiconductor light source. The control circuitry determines an amount of time the semiconductor light source is in a turned on state and an amount of time the semiconductor light source is in a turned off state. The control circuitry controls a value of the current supplied to the semiconductor light source based on both the determined amount of time the semiconductor light source is in a turned on state and the determined amount of time the semiconductor light source is in a turned off state.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2006Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hitoshi Takeda, Masayasu Ito
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Patent number: 7365498Abstract: Electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device. Start circuit 19 sweeps operating frequency of resonance circuit 16 from start frequency to end frequency of resonance frequency side through drive circuit 18 and DC/AC conversion circuit 15, and starts electrodeless discharge lamp 13. Control circuit 10 increases or decreases variable power into circuit 18 so that detection current comes to equal prescribed current for shifting the operating frequency to middle range frequency between the start frequency and the end frequency. The prescribed current is set so that the detection voltage in case of the middle range frequency becomes lower than that in case of the end frequency. Capacitor 106 constituting integration circuit starts suppression of operation of circuit 10 when lamp 13 is started, and holds the suppression during at least start mode. Accordingly, it is possible to stably start lamp 13 and control stress on circuit(s) after lamp 13 is successfully started.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2004Date of Patent: April 29, 2008Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Shinji Makimura, Hiroshi Kido, Shingo Masumoto
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Patent number: 7358682Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes a transformer defining primary and secondary sides; a transformer driving circuit to drive the primary side of the transformer thereby lighting a discharge lamp connected at the secondary side of the transformer; a control circuit to control the transformer driving circuit; a high voltage capacitor formed of a pattern capacitor and disposed between one terminal of the secondary side of the transformer and the discharge lamp; and a discharge detecting pattern disposed close to the high voltage capacitor. In the discharge lamp lighting apparatus, a voltage induced in the discharge detecting pattern is duly detected, and power supply to the secondary side of the transformer is stopped.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima