Patents Examined by LaTanya Bibbins
  • Patent number: 8441419
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes: an edge processing section extracting an edge component of a display data signal; a display data signal processing section changing the display data signal according to a level conversion signal and adding the edge component thereto; a level conversion signal generating section changing the level conversion signal according to the display data signal and a signal output from the display data signal processing section; and a display section performing a display operation according to the signal output from the display data processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Ozawa, Katsuhide Uchino
  • Patent number: 8437232
    Abstract: A high frequency modulator is described. It comprises: a first converter for receiving a constant current signal and transmitting a first converted signal; an adder coupled the first converter and operative for transmitting a summed signal in response to receiving the first converted signal and selectively receiving a triangular signal; a first oscillator coupled to the adder for receiving the summed signal, the first oscillator operative for transmitting a time varying current signal; a second converter coupled to the first oscillator for receiving the time varying current signal and operative for transmitting a second converted signal; and an output device selectively coupled to the second converter and operative for transmitting an output signal in response to receiving either the second converted signal or an offset signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Akihiko Doi, Shengyuan Li, Indumini Ranmuthu
  • Patent number: 8432353
    Abstract: An information display device (10) includes a light source (11), a light guide plate (13) to which light from the light source (11) enters from a side surface and from which the light exits from one principal surface, and a liquid crystal panel (16) disposed adjacently to the light guide plate (13). Outside light is injected into the light guide plate (13) from an opposing surface opposing the one principal surface. The light guide plate (13) includes a light control mirror (19) electrically switchable to transmit light and to reflect light. At least one of the light from the light source (11) and the outside light exits from the one principal surface of the light guide plate (13). The light passes through the liquid crystal panel (16) and a character or an image is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Nagata, Tatsuo Itoh, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8427920
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes generating version information including a first version information and a second version information. At least one of the first version information and the second version information is to determine a backward compatibility with respect to reading or writing of the recording medium. The version information is recorded on a specific area of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc
    Inventor: Sang Woon Suh
  • Patent number: 8427924
    Abstract: An optical-pickup apparatus includes: a three-wavelength-laser diode including first-, second-, and third-laser elements to emit first-, second-, and third laser beams having first, second, and third wavelengths, respectively, the three laser elements housed in the same case; an objective lens to focus the three laser beams onto first- to third-optical-disc-signal-recording layers, respectively; a first photodetector to be irradiated with first-return light reflected from the first-optical-disc-signal-recording layer, a second photodetector to be irradiated with second- and third-return lights respectively reflected from the second- and third-optical-disc-signal-recording layers; a polarizing-beam splitter to reflect the three laser beams toward the lens, and allow the three return lights having passed through the lens to pass therethrough; a semitransparent mirror on which the three return lights having passed through the polarizing-beam splitter are incident, and which guide the first-return light toward th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanyo Optec Design Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tohru Hotta, Ryoichi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 8416191
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a navigation input device, and methods, systems and components corresponding thereto. According to some embodiments, the navigation input device has a large depth of field associated therewith and employs time- and/or frequency-domain processing algorithms and techniques. The device is capable of providing accurate and reliable information regarding the (X,Y) position of the device on a navigation surface as it is moved laterally thereatop and thereacross, notwithstanding changes in a vertical position of the device that occur during navigation and that do not exceed the depth of field of an imaging lens incorporated therein. According to one embodiment, the navigation input device is a writing instrument that does not require the use of an underlying touch screen, touch pad or active backplane to accurately and reliably record successive (X,Y) positions of the writing device as it is moved across and atop an underlying writing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung Gao, Omid Momtahan, Michael John Brosnan
  • Patent number: 8405615
    Abstract: A pair of essentially similarly configured computer input controllers including a first controller and a second controller. Each of the controllers has a front, a rear, an intermediate section, an interior surface, an exterior surface, a top, and a bottom. A hand rest area is formed on the top of each of the controllers adjacent to the front. Each controller is at a lower elevation adjacent to the front and a higher elevation adjacent to the intermediate section. A track ball is rotationally supported in the interior surface adjacent to the intermediate section of the second controller. A keyboard portion is formed on the top of each of the controllers adjacent to the rear. A plurality of buttons is on the top of each of the controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Inventor: Mark A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8391121
    Abstract: A recording and reading system for a multi-layered optical recording medium includes: a multi-layered optical recording medium including a plurality of recording layers and a single servo layer; and an optical head. The optical head includes a recording and reading objective lens of a signal recording and reading optical system and a servo objective lens of a servo signal detection optical system that are disposed on a common actuator. The recording and reading objective lens is mounted on the common actuator through a minute-drive apparatus so as to be minutely driven in a focusing direction relative to the servo objective lens. When the servo objective lens is focused on the servo layer, a reading light beam is quickly focused on a target one of the plurality of recording layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawano, Jiro Yoshinari, Motohiro Inoue, Atsuko Kosuda, Naoki Hayashida
  • Patent number: 8363015
    Abstract: A method is set forth for automatically adjusting keypad brightness on a mobile electronic device having a light sensor, a keypad and a backlight for said keypad, comprising obtaining light level samples from the light sensor, turning the backlight from off to on in the event a current light level sample is less than a threshold value below which backlight illumination becomes necessary in order to read the keypad, and from off to on after a predetermined time period in the event the current light level sample is greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Matthew Broga, Thomas James Crugnale
  • Patent number: 8358282
    Abstract: A device for detecting the presence of an object is provided. The device includes a light source, a current controller coupled to the light source, a sensor and a pattern detection engine. The current controller sets to provide the light source with a drive current having a pattern. The sensor is operable to receive light, notably light reflected from an object at the detection area and subsequently generates a signal in response to the light received. The pattern detection engine receives the signal from the sensor and subsequently reports the presence of the object upon determining the presence of the pattern in the signal. The object detection system is further configured to provide a navigation operation when an object is detected at the detection area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Willie Song, Michael Brosnan, Wei-Liang Chee, Wui Pin Lee
  • Patent number: 8355309
    Abstract: An optical pickup device includes a first optical system and a second optical system. The first optical system and the second optical system each include a mirror member that reflects light from a light source to change a direction of propagation of the light to a direction substantially perpendicular to the information storage surface of an optical disc. The first optical system and the second optical system are arranged such that a direction in which light from a first light source enters a first mirror member is substantially perpendicular to a direction in which light from a second light source enters a second mirror member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignees: Funai Electric Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Tanabe, Daisuke Matsubara, Kenya Nakai
  • Patent number: 8344768
    Abstract: A display device includes a skew compensating type data receiving unit for delaying clocks received in response to a program signal, comparing the clocks delayed thus to compensating clocks, setting an internal delay amount according to a result of the comparison, and delaying and forwarding a low voltage differential signals according to the delay amount set thus, a clock receiving unit for delaying the clock received thus by a fixed delay amount and forwarding the clock delayed thus as a compensating clock, a clock generating unit for generating a data restoring clock by using the clock delayed thus, and a data restoring logic for restoring the low voltage differential signal delayed at the data receiving unit in synchronization with the data restoring clock, thereby compensating for an internal skew taking place at the data channel which receives a low voltage differential signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Seob Kim
  • Patent number: 8339913
    Abstract: A computer readable medium, apparatus, and method for efficiently managing a space bitmap. A computer readable medium includes: a user data area on which user data is recorded; and a temporary disc management area on which a space bitmap indicating a recording status of recording and reproducing unit blocks of the user data area is recorded. The space bitmap includes header information for distinguishing an additional space bitmap from the space bitmap. The additional space bitmap is assigned when a space provided for the space bitmap is insufficient to represent the recording status of the recording and reproducing unit blocks of the user data area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-hee Hwang, Kyung-geun Lee
  • Patent number: 8335137
    Abstract: An optical disk apparatus and a method of performing a lead-in process with respect to an optical disk thereof includes a feature where an optical pickup unit reads out information recorded on a file system area of the storage area of the optical disk, and performs a lead-in process using the read-out file system if information recorded on a lead-in area of a storage area of the optical disk cannot be read out. Further, the optical disk apparatus may perform the lead-in process with respect to the optical disk even if there is a defect in the lead-in area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-wan Kim
  • Patent number: 8335143
    Abstract: A method for inspecting an optical information storage medium includes the steps of: irradiating the storage medium with a laser beam and rotating the medium by a constant linear velocity control technique by reference to the radial location at which the laser beam forms a spot on the medium; changing the rotational velocities according to the radial location on the medium between at least two linear velocities that include a first linear velocity Lv1 and a second linear velocity Lv2 higher than the first linear velocity Lv1; generating a focus error signal and/or a tracking error signal based on the light reflected from the medium; performing a focus control and/or a tracking control on the laser beam that irradiates the medium based on the focus and/or tracking error signal(s); and passing the branched outputs of control loops for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) through predetermined types of frequency band-elimination filters for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) to obtain residual errors
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Nakamura, Kenji Fujiune, Yasumori Hino
  • Patent number: 8334819
    Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for constructing and configuring displays constructed from superimposed display subunits are disclosed. A display may be formed by superimposing two display subunits including multiple display elements or pixels which emit or otherwise modulate light. Display subunits may be optically superimposed with an optical system such that a light emitting element in the first subunit is superimposed with a corresponding light emitting element in the second subunit that emits light in a like wavelength band. A method of producing a display may include superimposing first and second display subunits to form a superimposed display area, controlling the first display subunit to produce a first light pattern; and controlling the second display subunit to produce a second light pattern that when superimposed with the first light pattern produces a desired light pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: W. Daniel Hillis, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8331213
    Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with (i) a first information recording area wherein a first track for reproducing first information based on a first track pitch is formed by a laser beam, and (ii) a second information recording area wherein a second track for reproducing second information based on a second track pitch different from the first track pitch is formed by a laser beam. The groove shape of the first track is different from the groove shape of the second track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Pioneer Corporation, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nishiwaki, Eiji Muramatsu, Michikazu Horie, Kenjirou Kiyono
  • Patent number: 8325572
    Abstract: To provide a simple configuration capable of recording data on an optical disc reliably at high speed even if recording errors occur. Data that is normally recorded on the optical disc is erased from a storing means, and when a recording error has occurred, a predetermined range subsequent to the address at which the recording error has occurred is selected as a skip area, and this skip area is skipped to record the data stored in the storing means from a recording resume address of the optical disc. This makes it possible to avoid repetition of recording errors in the vicinity of the error-occurring location where the possibility of repeating errors is high. Data retransmission at the time of resuming recording can also be omitted to eliminate the time loss for retransmitting the data, and to reduce the storage space of the host unit necessary for storing the data to be retransmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Yorimoto
  • Patent number: 8320221
    Abstract: An optical disc is rotated using a spindle motor of an optical disc device, at no more than 600 revolutions per minute (RPM). The spindle motor has at least three coil groups, where each coil group has one or more coils. While the optical disc is rotating, at least one of the coil groups generates a back electromagnetic force (EMF) signal. The back EMF signal is used to determine marking positions on the optical disc. An optical beam is used to mark the optical disc at the determined marking positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Janssen, Timothy Wagner
  • Patent number: 8315140
    Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser light source configured to emit a laser beam; an objective lens configured to apply the laser beam to an optical recording medium; and a beam splitter including a first reflective film configured to reflect the laser beam so as to be directed to the objective lens, the beam splitter interposed in an optical path between the laser light source and the objective lens, an incidence polarization angle of the laser beam relative to the first reflective film being set such that a P-polarization component is greater than an S-polarization component in linear polarization components of the laser beam incident on the first reflective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Kiyotaka Eizumi, Chiaki Asakawa