Patents Examined by Henry N. Tran
  • Patent number: 7782315
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to achieve an improvement in the horizontal resolution of an active matrix semiconductor display device. In accordance with the present invention, by supplying a modulated clock signal obtained by frequency modulating a reference clock signal at a constant period to a driving circuit of an active matrix semiconductor display device or to a driving circuit of a passive matrix semiconductor display device, signal information (the presence or absence of an edge, the extent of nearness) relative to the vicinity of the sampling of video signals (image signals) sampled on the basis of this modulated clock signal can be written to the corresponding pixels of the semiconductor display device as shading information. The driving method of the present invention makes use of a phenomenon which apparently makes the resolution of an image display higher owing to the shading information (visual Mach phenomenon and Craik-O'Brien phenomenon).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Masaaki Hiroki
  • Patent number: 7782284
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a video signal line drive circuit of a display device. An object of the present invention is to, when gradation conversion is performed in the display device using an error diffusion method, provide a display with a smooth gradation change even at boundaries of display blocks. In an error diffusion operation circuit (36) of a source driver unit (302), an error diffusion process is performed for each pixel based on, in addition to image data (Da) for a display block of the source driver unit (302), image data (Da) for areas near boundaries between the display block of the source driver unit (302) and display blocks of source driver units (301, 303) in previous and subsequent stages. A video signal is generated based on error-diffused image data (Db) generated by the error diffusion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Inada, Takuya Tsuda, Toshihiro Yanagi
  • Patent number: 7777691
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for driving multiple tiled displays from a single digital video source can include a plurality of displays arranged in tiled fashion to form a tiled display, a plurality of display drivers corresponding to the plurality of displays, and a video receiver board coupled to the plurality of display drivers via a communication bus. The video receiver board communicates streams of pixel information to the plurality of display drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Nimmer, James P. Henderson, Martin J. Steffensmeier, Jeffrey D. Russell
  • Patent number: 7777711
    Abstract: A display capable of inhibiting a logic composition circuit from outputting a signal to a gate line or a drain line at unintentional timing is obtained. In this display, at least either a first shift register circuit portion or a second shift register circuit portion includes a reset transistor for resetting the voltage supply source of a node outputting a first shift signal or a second shift signal to a second voltage supply source not turning on transistors of a logic composition circuit portion in response to an output signal received from a shift register circuit portion precedent thereto by at least two stages with respect to a scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Epson Imaging Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Horibata, Michiru Senda
  • Patent number: 7768503
    Abstract: A capacitive touchpad provides operational modes including key input, graphical input, handwriting input, and mouse control. The touchpad comprises a panel having several programmed regions thereon, several patterns in the regions are programmed for the operational modes, and a pattern on the panel is programmed as a mode switch to switch the touchpad between the operational modes. In the graphical input mode, the regions include a graphical input region for graphical input. In the key input mode, the patterns include ones for keys to simulate a keyboard. In the handwriting input mode, the regions include a handwriting region for handwriting input. In the mouse control mode, the regions include a cursor control region as well as horizontal and vertical scroll regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yen-Chang Chiu, Yung-Lieh Chien
  • Patent number: 7764250
    Abstract: A plasma display device which comprises a magnesium oxide layer formed on a plane in contact with the discharge space in each display cell of a plasma display panel, having magnesium oxide crystals that perform cathode luminescence light emission with a peak in a wavelength band of 200 to 300 nm as a result of excitation caused by electron-beam irradiation. Each of the display cells is set in a lit cell state or an unlit cell state by selectively inducing an address discharge, and only the display cells set in the lit cell state are caused to perform a sustain discharge by applying a sustain pulse after the selective scanning has ended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Nishimura, Shigeru Iwaoka
  • Patent number: 7760172
    Abstract: A method of driving a transistor, a driving element using the same, and a display panel and a display apparatus having the driving element are provided. The method for driving a transistor comprises: receiving a bias voltage at a first electrode of a driving transistor; outputting a first signal having a first polarity from a first electrode of a switching transistor to a capacitor and a control electrode of the driving transistor when a select line is activated for driving an organic display element; and outputting a second signal having a second polarity from the first electrode of the switching transistor to the capacitor and the control electrode of the driving transistor when the select line is activated for dissipating a charge in the driving transistor and for deactivating the organic display element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Moo Huh, Joon-Hoo Choi, In-Su Joo, Beohm-Rock Choi
  • Patent number: 7760163
    Abstract: A drive circuit of an electro-optical device comprising electro-optical elements of which each gray scale is controlled in accordance with a data signal output to a data line includes a reference current that generates unit generating reference current and a signal output unit that generates the data signal corresponding to a current value of the reference current generated by the reference current generating unit on the basis of gray-scale data and outputs the generated data signal to the data line. The reference current generating unit performs a refresh operation of setting the current value of the reference current to a predetermined value plural times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Jo
  • Patent number: 7755611
    Abstract: A decorative, disguised “mirror” interface apparatus appears to the uninformed as merely a decorative mirror, but includes an audio/visual output, the video display device of which is concealed behind a two-way mirror. So, when the video display is emitting light users of the apparatus can see the images provided by the display device through a two-way mirror material. Also, a transparent touch screen input device is associated with and overlays the two-way mirror material so that users of the interface apparatus may make inputs by simply making touches to selected locations of the “mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Inventor: Craig Barr
  • Patent number: 7755567
    Abstract: An image display apparatus which is capable of optimizing the image quality of a plurality of display devices having different optical characteristics when carrying out processing of an image signal supplied to the display devices, without providing a dedicated display driving circuit for each display device. The image display apparatus comprises a plurality of liquid crystal display panels (10, 11) having different optical characteristics. A liquid crystal driving circuit (2) processes an image signal outputted to the liquid crystal display panels (10, 11). Operative states of the liquid crystal display panels (10, 11) are detected. At least one processing characteristic of the liquid crystal driving circuit (2) is changed according to the detected operative states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7750888
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display and a method of driving the same is capable of for preventing a difference in brightness from occurring between horizontal line blocks. A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel having liquid crystal cells arranged in a matrix pattern; at least one integrated circuit for driving the liquid crystal display panel; a supply line commonly connected to the at least one integrated circuit for applying drive signals to the at least one integrated circuit; and a signal-limiting part formed at an input terminal of the supply line, wherein the supply line has a higher resistance than the sum of the line resistances of the entire supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Moo Song, Sang Rae Kim, Jae Hong Park
  • Patent number: 7746308
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display that is unsusceptible to the effect of a pixel potential during writing of data to a memory, allowing a large margin to be provided against variation in characteristics of transistors forming a pixel circuit, and a portable terminal having the liquid crystal display. In a pixel circuit including a memory circuit (25), separate paths are provided for writing image data from a signal line (16-i) to the memory circuit (25) via a data-write switch (24) and for reading image data held in the memory circuit (25) out into a liquid crystal cell unit via a data-read switch (27). Furthermore, image data are read via a data-read buffer (26). Accordingly, when image data is written to the memory, data held in the memory circuit (25) is not affected by a pixel potential. Thus, a large margin can be provided against variation in the characteristics of the transistors forming the pixel circuit, serving to avoid variation in picture quality due to the variation in the transistor characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Toyozawa, Yoshiharu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7746338
    Abstract: A scanning circuit and an image display device in which the influence of losses in a signal path to scanning wiring and a scanning signal output circuit can be reduced. By considering matrix drive in which one row is driven at a time and two or more of the rows are not simultaneously driven, the 480 rows are divided into six modules and one feedback circuit is provided in correspondence with each module to perform feedback control of the output buffers corresponding to 80 rows. An output from a switch is amplified by an operational amplifier and is input as a compensation signal to all the output buffers by an output voltage compensation circuit. Compensation for a voltage drop is made by using the compensation signal for an increase in voltage such that the apparent voltage drop due to the output current is limited to a small value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Shino, Tadashi Aoki, Aoji Isono, Kazuhiko Murayama
  • Patent number: 7746334
    Abstract: A driving apparatus of a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel display a video signal by use of a liquid crystal cell of a matrix shape. A plurality of data drive circuits generate a polarity pattern of the video signal in accordance with a polarity signal and supply the polarity pattern to the liquid crystal cell through a plurality of output channels. A polarity controller controls the polarity signal and supplies the polarity signal to the data drive circuits on the basis of a first selection signal corresponding to the number of the output channels of one drive circuit and a second selection signal corresponding to a repetition period of the polarity pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: LG. Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Hoon Lee, Juhn Suk Yoo, Chul Sang Jang, Oh Kyong Kwon
  • Patent number: 7742064
    Abstract: Variation occurs in transistor characteristics. The present invention relates to a signal line driver circuit comprising a plurality of current source circuits respectively corresponding to a plurality of wirings, characterized in that: the plurality of current source circuits each comprise capacitor means and supply means; and the plurality of current source circuits each convert a supplied current into a voltage in accordance with a video signal, and supply a current corresponding to the converted voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Hajime Kimura
  • Patent number: 7742017
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a holding capacitor with a first electrode electrically connected to a transistor and a pixel electrode, a second electrode disposed opposite to the first electrode, and a multilayer dielectric film structure disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The multilayer dielectric film structure includes a low dielectric film and first and second high dielectric films. The first and second high dielectric films sandwich the low dielectric film from a first electrode side and a second electrode side, respectively. Both of the first and second high dielectric films have a permittivity that is higher than that of the low dielectric film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryosuke Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 7742034
    Abstract: A color display device comprises a plurality of picture elements (14), at least two light sources, having different radiance spectra and being activated alternately, and color selection means for generating, together with said light sources, primary colors in a color image (P1, P2). Each of a number of image information sets, each set being related to a color image (P1, P2) to be displayed, are divided into a first subframe (A1, A2), being picture element settings to be maintained during the operation of a first light source, and a second subframe (B1, B2), being picture element settings to be maintained during the operation of a second light source. The polarity of the picture elements (14) is, in an alternating manner, shifted between a first polarity (+) and a second polarity (?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Martin Jak, Gerben Johan Hekstra
  • Patent number: 7742065
    Abstract: A controller driver includes an overdrive processing unit generating corrected image data based on image data and image data of one frame previous to the image data, a data line driver generating a liquid crystal driving voltage, a roundabout route bypassing the overdrive processing unit and allowing the one frame previous image data to be input to the data line driver, a second expander outputting the one frame previous image data to one of a connection route to the overdrive processing unit and the roundabout route, a command controller supplying a moving/still image switching signal S1 for indicating switching between moving image display and still image display to the second expander. The second expander selects the connection route to the overdrive processing unit in displaying a moving image and selects the roundabout route in displaying a still image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hirobumi Furihata, Takashi Nose
  • Patent number: 7737942
    Abstract: A computer input device on a glove includes fittings for a user's fingers and adjustable straps for fastening to a user's wrist. A tracking device for controlling cursor movement on a video display is affixed to the glove for positioning next to the end of one of the user's fingers. Pressure plates for controlling the various right and left mouse “clicking” functions are affixed to the glove for positioning next to the ends of the other of the user's fingers. Scrolling/paging buttons are located on the side of the fitting fitted to the index finger for pressing by the thumb. A transmitter is affixed to the glove for receiving signals from the tracking device, the pressure plates and the scrolling/paging buttons, and transmitting those signals to a computer for controlling cursor movement in the x-y plane on a video display and for controlling the various mouse “clicking” controls, which implement the “select” function, the “drag” function, the “scroll” function, the “page” function, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Inventor: Mark B. Bajramovic
  • Patent number: 7737964
    Abstract: An on-screen display system is located externally a KVM switch. The on-screen display system includes a first end, an on-screen display circuit, a switch circuit and a second end. The first end receives a video signal from a computer. The on-screen display circuit generates an on-screen display menu signal. The switch circuit receives the video signal from the computer and the on-screen display menu signal from the on-screen display circuit. The on-screen display system combines the video signal and the on-screen display menu signal, or overlaps the on-screen display menu signal on the video signal to be displayed on the display according to a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Aten International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chien-hsing Liu