Patents Examined by Leo P. Picard
  • Patent number: 6327150
    Abstract: A disk drive test device for performing a test (e.g., power only self test, tests which use a serial interface) on at least one disk drive at a time. The test device includes an electrical connector which is configured so as to be able to provide the necessary electrical interconnections for executing a test on disk drives having different types of drive interface connectors (i.e., the same electrical connector may be used with at least 2 different types of drive interface connectors). There is no need to use an in-line adapter to electrically interconnect a disk drive having a first drive interface connector or to electrically interconnect a disk drive having a second drive interface connector. There is also is no need to change out the electrical connector when performing a test on disk drives which use this different types of drive interface connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventors: Lloyd E. Levy, Duc Banh, Danilo Bueno
  • Patent number: 6324066
    Abstract: A surface mountable electronic device (1) includes a mount (2), an electrical component (3) supported by the mount and two external terminals (5, 5a) electrically coupled to the component, the external terminals being mounted on the mount at diagonally opposite corners. The device is orientation dependent relative to solder pads (6) on a substrate (7) in that the device can be rotated through 90° about a central axis (8) in either direction and still allow alignment between the external terminals of the device and the substrate solder pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Ban Choong Poh, Kean Seong Hooi, Lay Choo Ch'ng
  • Patent number: 6324055
    Abstract: A mobile information processing apparatus of the present invention having a main body and a display unit that opens and closes, attempts to improve heat releasing efficiency by allowing a transfer of heat which is released from a heat generating unit of the main body to the display unit, so that the heat is also spread to the display unit, without making the configuration complex. In order to do so, a thermally conductive material having a flexible property is placed on the main body and the display unit of the mobile information processing apparatus. Further, the thermally conductive material includes a thermally conductive sheet made of a thermally conductive fiber that has a high thermal conductivity and an outer cover such as leather. The thermally conductive sheet will be attached to CPU of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shin Kawabe
  • Patent number: 6324052
    Abstract: A personal computing device, such as a lap-top computer, has a body with a keyboard, a lid with a display screen hinged to the body, a resonant panel loudspeaker carried by the lid and an acoustic waveguide on the lid to direct acoustic output from the loudspeaker. The waveguide comprises a member mounted on the lid, the member being movable on the lid from a retracted/closed position to an advanced/open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: New Transducers Limited
    Inventors: Henry Azima, Martin Colloms, Norman Crocker, Martin Roberts
  • Patent number: 6324054
    Abstract: The shock absorber apparatus for a disc drive is a molded polymeric enclosure adapted to receive and retain a disc drive. One preferred embodiment of the present invention has a shock absorbing material of a first thickness adjacent a critical region of the drive and a second thickness of shock absorbing material adjacent a non-critical region of the disc drive. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness in order to absorb a greater shock load to protect the critical region of the disc drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Wai Onn Chee, Joseph Cheng-Tsu Liu, Niroot Jierapipapatanakul, Choon Kiat Lim, Michael Joo-Chiang Toh, Pow-Hing Yong
  • Patent number: 6324062
    Abstract: A packaging configuration is provided for a computer system that is adapted for operating multiple operating systems in different partitions of the computer system. The packaging configuration includes a main chassis having a main circuit board. The packaging configuration also includes a processor assembly configured for insertion into the main chassis. The processor assembly has a circuit board for connection to the main circuit board upon insertion of the processor assembly. The packaging configuration also includes a processor subassembly configured for insertion into the processor assembly. The processor subassembly includes a circuit board and a processor and is configured for connection with a circuit board in the processor assembly upon insertion of the processor subassembly. The processor assembly is removable from the main chassis without powering down the computer system, and the processor subassembly is removable from the processor assembly without powering down the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: Mark R. Treiber, Peter P. Klein, N. Kenneth Newman, Grant M. Smith
  • Patent number: 6324071
    Abstract: A stacked printed circuit board memory module in which a plurality of daughter circuit boards can be stacked onto a primary circuit board. The primary board and each of the plurality of daughter boards have electronic memory ICs mounted on the respective surfaces. The primary board and each of the daughter boards have mounted connectors so that the boards can be electrically and mechanically interconnected with another board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick Weber, James Howarth, Corey Larsen
  • Patent number: 6324053
    Abstract: A system and method for the electrical interconnection of the devices included in a wearable computer, so that a light cable network can be deployed that does not limit the body movements of a human being. A network is formed by attaching to clothing, as stitches, extremely fine conductive wire that is used to connect devices included in a wearable computer, wherein an I/O device and a computer system main body are separately located. As a result, conventional, complicated cabling is eliminated, which permits the free and natural movement of a human body, and reliable communications, for which a light cable network is used, are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Kamijo
  • Patent number: 6324068
    Abstract: The contours of openings of a solder resist defining exposed portions of electrode pads and the contours of openings of the solder resist defining the contours of register or patterns are simultaneously formed by photolithography using the same mask pattern. As a result, the patterns for registration can be easily formed on a main board or circuit boards. Also, it is possible to increase the positional accuracy of the register or patterns relative to the positions of the electrode pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Shimizu, Yoshihiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 6324057
    Abstract: A compact programmable logic controller provides a floating mounting of circuit cards carried by opposed terminal blocks of the industrial controller the latter only which are directly mounted to the housing. Positioning of the cards between opposed connector blocks prevents torsion on the cards resulting from unbalanced forces on the terminal blocks and provides an extremely rigid structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Baran, Shawn D. Cloran
  • Patent number: 6324056
    Abstract: The heat-critical elements of the personal computer (PC) are arranged such with reference to air intake and air exit openings in the housing as well as with reference to cooling members attached laterally or, respectively, to the outside walls of the housing that an adequate and exclusively passive cooling is achieved by thermal conduction, convection and chimney effects. The device of the invention can be employed for cooling PCs, particularly in flat desktop structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Anton Breier, Werner Luplow, Michael Riebel, Stefan Schröder
  • Patent number: 6320754
    Abstract: A device that reduces the interfacial stress caused by differential thermal expansion in an IC/PC board assembly can be created by attaching an annular part, that has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion, to the IC at an elevated temperature. When the assembly cools the annular part contracts and compresses the IC, increasing the change in size of the IC and reducing the stress in the IC/PC joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J Dauksher, Pedro F Engel
  • Patent number: 6320743
    Abstract: A keyboard engaging apparatus for a notebook PC includes a portable computer main body, a keyboard having one end engaged with the main body, a moveable latch in the main body to retain an opposite end of the keyboard, a slidable switch extending through a surface of the main body with which a user may retract the moveable latch, and a connecting assembly connected to the slidable switch and the moveable latch to transfer movement therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Byoung Yoon Jin, Byeong Duk An
  • Patent number: 6320747
    Abstract: A method is described for producing electric modules, where a power module is attached to a fastening part with an adhesive, with the adhesive first being precured in an edge area, and in another step the power module is encased in a gel. In another step, the gel and the adhesive are fully cured together in one step. This method is cost- and time-optimized for producing a compact electric module with power modules that have a high power loss and are exposed to high mechanical stresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Jahn, Stephan Ernst, Volker Brielmann
  • Patent number: 6320753
    Abstract: Integrated circuit board combining external contact zones and an antenna to receive data transmitted by a terminal, and process for manufacturing such a board. The integrated circuit board in accordance with the invention comprises a single integrated circuit connected both to an antenna by connection terminals and to external contact zones by other connection terminals; the antenna is arranged between a support and a strip; the above-mentioned connection terminals are arranged opposite the corresponding connection ends of the integrated circuit and are respectively connected to them; the integrated circuit is arranged by a process know by the name “flip-chip” in a cavity in which the connection terminals of the antenna and those of the external contact zones are accessible. The board in accordance with the invention may by used both with a reader connected to the external contact zones or with a terminal transmitting data without contacts, by means of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Oberthur Card Systems SA
    Inventor: Francois Launay
  • Patent number: 6320748
    Abstract: A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) has a cut-out that permits a monolithic copper or aluminum heatsink to be mounted flush with the surface of the PCB. Electrical devices can be mounted to the monolithic heat sink. The heat sink is bent to extend out of the plane of the PCB. The heatsink can have parts mounted to connect with either face of the PCB, and can extend from either side of the PCB. The heatsink is stepped to present one surface flush with the PCB and another surface that lies along the face of the PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Celestica International Inc.
    Inventors: Garey G. Roden, Peter G. Heseltine
  • Patent number: 6320750
    Abstract: A line replaceable module (LRM) configured with a plurality of mini-modules, each of which have relatively higher contact densities than currently available LRMs with the same form factor, for example, a Standard Electrical Module-Size E (SEM-E) form factor. The mini-modules are significantly less expensive than an entire module allowing such mini-modules to be disposable, eliminating relatively costly fault diagnostics and repair. Each mini-module includes a printed circuit board which includes a rigid primary portion, a rigid secondary portion and flexible portion interconnecting the primary and secondary portions. The rigid secondary portion may be configured to provide dual-sided interconnection to a backplane data bus. Use of the dual-sided rigid secondary portion provides for generous spacing for contact densities much higher than known contact densities for LRMs with the same form factor. The rigid primary portion carries the components forming the LRM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: Barton G. Shaler, Donald A. Porter, Milton F. Damerow
  • Patent number: 6317331
    Abstract: A wiring substrate with reduced thermal expansion. A wiring substrate, such as a laminated PWB, thin film circuit, lead frame, or chip carrier accepts an integrated circuit, such as a die, a flip chip, or a BGA package. The wiring substrate has a thermal expansion reduction insert in a thermal expansion stress region where the integrated circuit is mounted. The thermal expansion reduction insert may extend a selected distance from the edge or edges of the integrated circuit attachment area, or stop a selected distance from the edge or edges of the integrated circuit attachment area, or be essentially equal to the integrated circuit attachment area. The thermal expansion reduction insert reduces the thermal expansion of the wiring substrate in the region that is joined to the integrated circuit, thus reducing thermal stress between components of the wiring substrate-integrated circuit assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Kulicke & Soffa Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Sundar Kamath, David Chazan, Solomon I. Beilin
  • Patent number: 6317327
    Abstract: A diode cooling arrangement includes a crystal having two end faces and two metal radiating fins respectively soldered to the end faces of the crystal, one radiating fin having two upright flanges at two opposite lateral sides adapted to hold the crystal in the centered position during the soldering procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Inventor: Chin-Feng Lin
  • Patent number: 6317322
    Abstract: A plate type heat pipe having a hermetically sealed container installed so as to face a printed board on which at least one part to be cooled is mounted, wherein a block which passes through at least one main surface portion of the container is arranged within the container in a corresponding portion to the part(s) to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Ueki, Masaaki Yamamoto, Masami Ikeda