Patents Examined by Keith Crawley
  • Patent number: 8941694
    Abstract: A method of driving an electro-optic display comprising providing a current source, digitally modulating the current source and generating a modulated digital signal, and converting the modulated digital signal into an effective analog drive signal so that the display pixels receive an effective analog drive current, wherein the internal capacitance of the electro-optic display smooths the digitally modulated signal and generates the effective analog drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Euan C. Smith, David S. Warren, Richard Alan Page, Stefan Wurster, Barry Thompson
  • Patent number: 8941623
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for determining location of an input on a surface of a device using a plurality of acoustic sensing elements. An exemplary method comprises determining a current support configuration of the device, selecting a device acoustic signature corresponding to the current support configuration, measuring acoustic response corresponding to the input at each acoustic sensing element of the plurality of acoustic sensing elements, and determining the location of the input based on the measured acoustic responses and the selected device acoustic signature for the current support configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: William Alberth, Dean Thorson
  • Patent number: 8907876
    Abstract: A pixel circuit has a light emitting element and a driver electrically connected to the light emitting element. A reverse bias voltage is applied to the driver to reduce a shift amount of a threshold voltage of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taro Hasumi, Yoshinao Kobayashi, Keigo Kanoh
  • Patent number: 8902137
    Abstract: A pixel suitable for constant current operation of an active matrix type EL display device. The pixel comprises a first switch of which one terminal is connected to a source signal line whereas another terminal is connected to a current-voltage conversion element, a second switch of which one terminal is connected to the current-voltage conversion element whereas another terminal is connected to a voltage storage means and a voltage-current conversion element, a pixel electrode which is connected to the current-voltage conversion element and the voltage-current conversion element, and a third switch of which one terminal is connected to the pixel electrode whereas another terminal is connected to the power source line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 8902131
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a configurable LCD driver system having a plurality of configurable LCD drivers. Each LCD driver may be configured as a common or segment driver by selecting a drive voltage from an appropriate set of drive voltages associated with a common or segment driver in accordance with certain parameters, such as whether a user may configure the LCD driver as a common driver or segment driver, a multiplex ratio, and/or bias ratio of an LCD panel. The drive time and drive strength associated with the LCD driver may also be configurable. The selected drive voltage may be provided to a drive buffer to output an LCD drive voltage waveform for driving one or more segments or pixels in an LCD panel. A memory may store appropriate display data for both the segment and common drivers to control the output drive capability of the LCD driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: David Wright, Jason Muriby, Erhan Hancioglu
  • Patent number: 8902154
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for utilizing gestures for navigating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Richard Kahn, Arthur Kinsolving
  • Patent number: 8896572
    Abstract: In a touch sensible display device, a first sensing unit is connected to a row sensor data line and outputs a first sensing signal according to a touch, and a second sensing unit is connected to a column sensor data line and outputs a second sensing signal according to the touch. A sensing signal processor alternately applies a reset voltage to the row sensor data line and the column sensor data line and generates a sensing data signal according to the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and a touch determiner processes a sensing data signal to generate touch information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joo-Hyung Lee, Kee-Han Uh, Man-Seung Cho
  • Patent number: 8896501
    Abstract: The invention relates to a security element for the identification of a security document, in particular a banknote, a valuable paper or a paper document, comprising at least one electrically controllable display element and at least one piezoelectric energy source which controls the at least one display element. The security element is formed by a flexible multilayered film body comprising the at least one electrically controllable display element containing a display layer having liquid crystals that can be oriented in an electric field, and comprising the at least one piezoelectric energy source which controls the at least one display element and has at least one layer composed of piezoelectric material, wherein the security element has a thickness of at most 70 ?m in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the film body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Poly IC GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rainer Stahl, Gerrit Hackl, Steffen Weiss, Klaus Ludwig, Johannes Schad
  • Patent number: 8890842
    Abstract: An eraser is usable in a display system having a display surface. The eraser includes one or more optical detection elements for determining the coordinates of the eraser relative to the display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Wilson, James D. Watson, Peter W. Hildebrandt
  • Patent number: 8878816
    Abstract: A touch panel includes a plurality of active pixel sensors arranged in an array to sense a touch event. Each sensor element includes a photo-sensing element coupled to a single amplifier. The sensor element is arranged to provide a sensing voltage indicative of a light level received by the photo-sensor in a sensing period. The sensing voltage is amplified by the amplifier into an output voltage in the sensing period. Following the sensing period, the output voltage and the sensing voltage are reset to a predetermined voltage level. Following the reset period, the photo-sensor as well as the amplifier is disabled for a period so that the sensing level is caused to drop below the predetermined voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chung-Chun Chen, Yu-Hsuan Li
  • Patent number: 8866717
    Abstract: A display device having a pixel section including a plurality of pixel circuits arrayed in a matrix, a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of capacity lines, a plurality of signal lines, a drive circuit, and a generation circuit generating a small amplitude common voltage signal switching in level at a predetermined cycle, wherein each pixel circuit arranged at the pixel section contains a display element having a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode and a storage capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode, the first pixel electrode of the display element, the first electrode of the storage capacitor, and one terminal of the switching element are connected, the second electrode of the storage capacitor is connected to the capacity lines arrayed in a corresponding row, and the common voltage signal is applied in a second pixel electrode of the display element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Display, Inc.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Itakura, Tomoyuki Fukano, Yoshiharu Nakajima, Tomohiko Sato, Takeya Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8847888
    Abstract: Various embodiments of optical mice are disclosed that facilitate off-surface detection while also providing high-contrast images of a tracking surface. In one embodiment, an optical mouse comprises a light source configured to emit light having a wavelength in or near a blue region of a visible light spectrum toward a tracking surface, an image sensor, and an optical band pass filter configured to pass the light having the wavelength in or near the blue region of the visible light spectrum emitted by the light source while filtering red and infrared wavelengths. Further, the mouse also comprises a controller configured to receive image data from the image sensor and to identify a tracking feature in the image data. The band pass filter prevents ambient light in the filtered wavelengths from reaching the image sensor, and thereby facilitates off-surface detection, while the blue color of the incident light and band pass filter provides a high-contrast image for motion tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: David Bohn
  • Patent number: 8847944
    Abstract: A current matching control apparatus for matching a plurality of current sources and a plurality of current sinks, the plurality of current sinks having a drive current value controlled by a drive processor in accordance with a reference control current and wherein each output of the plurality of current sinks are connected to a common output node; a feedback circuit having an input connected to the common output node and an output connected to the drive processor, wherein the feedback circuit is arranged to match a voltage at the common output node to a reference voltage by communicating a signal to the drive processor to adjust the reference control current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Euan C. Smith, Richard Alan Page, Stefan Wurster, Barry Thompson
  • Patent number: 8836670
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which is allowed to achieve a higher speed of a labeling process than ever before is provided. Sequential scanning is performed on pixels in a picked-up image represented by binarized data Din. Moreover, during the sequential scanning, while label information representing an identification number for each connected region in the picked-up image is, as occasion arises, allocated to a target pixel based on values of pixel data of the target pixel and neighboring pixels thereof, additional information (position information and area information) for each connected region corresponding to each label information is updated as occasion arises. Thereby the label information, the position information and the area information about the whole picked-up image are obtained by one sequential scanning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Display, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Tsuzaki, Soichiro Kurokawa, Tsutomu Harada, Kazunori Yamaguchi, Mitsuru Tateuchi
  • Patent number: 8823630
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for providing a stabilized color management system in a solid state lighting panel. Methods according to some embodiments include receiving, in the microcontroller, a color management reference value corresponding to a color characteristic of the solid state lighting panel and adjusting a control mode of the microcontroller responsive to the color management reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: John K. Roberts, Keith J. Vadas
  • Patent number: 8816967
    Abstract: A capacitive sensor may include a flex circuit, a substrate facing the flex circuit, and conductive electrodes configured to sense an input applied to the substrate. At least one of the conductive electrodes is associated with a surface of the substrate and an at least one of the electrodes is associated with a surface of the flex circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Lyon, Joseph Fisher, Lakshman Rathnam
  • Patent number: 8803922
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to varying the apparent brightness of a display are described. The change in apparent brightness is accompanied by unchanged in relative contrast, rendering a display with higher or lower brightness while maintaining contrast fidelity. In exemplary embodiments, the signals for the middle tone levels are adjusted to increase or decrease the brightness intensity, while keeping constant the gamma correction. This maintains the relative contrast of images while rendering them at a different brightness. Implementations of the present process include an adjusted gamma correction lookup table, incorporated in the video card to modify the video signal before reaching the display. The present invention can be used for matching the brightness of two or more displays or to provide compensation for variations in display characteristics to ensure consistency in display brightness within a data processing model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Gabriel Marcu
  • Patent number: 8786542
    Abstract: A display device is disclosed which is capable of suppressing characteristic changes due to a long period of conduction, thereby achieving high-quality video display, and also to provide a drive method therefor. In at least one embodiment, while sequentially activating n first scanning signal line groups G1(1) to G1(n), a predetermined voltage, which is the same as a voltage for turning off a thin-film transistor included in each pixel formation portion in that the polarity thereof is negative and is at a higher level than that voltage, is applied simultaneously to n second scanning signal line groups G2(1) to G2(n). Thereafter, while sequentially activating the n second scanning signal line groups G2(1) to G2(n), the predetermined voltage is applied simultaneously to the n first scanning signal line groups G1(1) to G1(n). By repeating this, charges accumulated in the vicinity of the thin-film transistors are eliminated, thereby suppressing changes in off characteristics thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8786539
    Abstract: A stereo-image displaying apparatus includes a light-source module and an image displaying device. The light-source module has at least one light-emitting block. A light-source driving unit is coupled with the light-source module and the image displaying device. The light-emitting block is driven by the light-source driving unit to synchronously emit a light according to a displaying frequency of the image displaying device with a reduced light-emitting duty cycle. The cross-talk between stereo images is reduced by using the light emitted from the light-source module, synchronously associating with the image displaying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuen Lee, Kuo-Chung Huang, Chao-Hsu Tsai
  • Patent number: 8773363
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control module that comprises at least one touch control surface (3) made of a sensor (31) sensitive to the pressure applied on the touch surface (3) and of a flexible protection layer (33) covering said sensor (31) and allowing a pressure to be locally transmitted to the sensor. The module further includes a rigid mechanical support (15) in which openings (27) are formed, allowing therethrough the light from at least one light source (25) and defining back-lighting regions of the touch surface (3), and a plate (20) of an incompressible material and transparent to the light which is sandwiched between the mechanical support (15) and the sensor (31) and defines a continuous smooth surface at the touch surface (3), wherein the sensor (31) and the flexible protection layer (33) are made so as to allow the light at least partially through the back-lighting regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: DAV
    Inventors: Patrice Laurent, Xavier Drouin