Patents Examined by Minh A
  • Patent number: 8242704
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and system are disclosed for supplying power to a load such as a plurality of light emitting diodes. A representative apparatus comprises a primary module, a first secondary module couplable to a first load, and a second secondary module couplable to a second load. The primary module comprises a transformer having a transformer primary. The first secondary module comprises a first transformer secondary magnetically coupled to the transformer primary, and the second secondary module comprises a second transformer secondary magnetically coupled to the transformer primary, with the second secondary module couplable in series through the first or second load to the first secondary module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Point Somee Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: Patrice R. Lethellier
  • Patent number: 8030852
    Abstract: A light driver circuit device for synchronously driving a plurality of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) is provided. The light driver circuit device includes an inverter circuit board and a balance circuit board. The inverter circuit board has an inverter circuit coupled to a driving signal for outputting a driving voltage to drive the CCFLs synchronously. The balance circuit board and the inverter circuit board are installed separately, and the balance circuit board has a balance circuit coupled to a terminal of each CCFL and the inverter circuit. The CCFL driving architecture is designed to install the inverter circuit and the balance circuit individually, thus effectively reducing the space of the driving circuit and the total cost of the circuit design. Furthermore, the balance circuit board can balance the current in each CCFL effectively, and there is no limitation to where the balance circuit board can be disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Neng Liao, Chia-Hung Sun, Huang-Ti Lin, Chin-Chuang Chueh
  • Patent number: 8022643
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lighting network control system and the corresponding control method. The control system consists of controllers, routers and illuminators connected via the serial connecting signal wires. The controller stores the control images and pictures. It transmits the serial control signal to routers and illuminators. The illuminators read in turn the serial control signal to extract the specific segment and transmit the rest to next device. A router reads in turn the specific segment from the control signal for its own stage. According to the requirements of the control signal, it transmits the control signal to different lighting network branches that connect with it. In the present invention, independent control to individual illuminator in the lighting network is implemented with comparatively lower cost. Arbitrary addition or reduction of illuminator(s) causes no affection to the entire system but to modify the signal data in the controller(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Lite Magic (HK) Limited
    Inventor: Mansun Chan
  • Patent number: 7489085
    Abstract: A backlight module actuation method aims to modulate a unsaturated luminance cycle in a dimming cycle for a backlight module in the condition of a saturated luminance. An oscillation amplitude time series of the duty cycle of a transformer at the rear end is set according to the dimming cycle to form a switch kinetic energy in the unsaturated luminance cycle. The switch kinetic energy can eliminate the parasite capacitance generated when the backlight module is in the condition of the saturated luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Zippy Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chin-Wen Chou, Ying-Nan Cheng, Ying-Chang Cheng, Chin-Biau Chung
  • Patent number: 6914579
    Abstract: Each of a pair of antennas for broadcasting has multiple elements arranged vertically on the same tower. The antennas transmit circularly polarized signals of opposite polarization. The opposite circular polarization of the radiated signals increases their mutual isolation and permits broadcast of conventional FM-band signals and digital FM at the same frequency. The polarization technique allows the elements of the two antennas to share an aperture without degradation of function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventor: John L. Schadler
  • Patent number: 6734832
    Abstract: A mobile communication device has a radio contact (110) that has a moveable portion (111) that is located in correspondence with a contact pad (106) of a circuit board of the (104) of the mobile communication device. The moveable portion is biased away form the contact pad. The radio contact is held in place by a boot (116) that is attached to the housing of the mobile communication device. An external connector has a connector contact (206) that has a moveable portion (210) for mating with the moveable portion of the radio contact. As the external connector is attached to the mobile communication device, the connector contact pushes the radio contact until it touches the contact pad, and then the moveable portion of the connector contact move to absorb any further travel of the external connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen F. Danowski, Michael Gardner, Carlos M. Esquivia-Lee, Richard D. Alvarez
  • Patent number: 6667586
    Abstract: An electronic ballasts for a gas discharge lamp. The ballast includes a variable frequency power generator, a tuned driver network, and a valley correction modulation system. The driver network has a first resonant frequency when the lamp is off and a second resonant frequency when the lamp is on. The power generator switches a rectified AC power line signal at a starting lamp frequency corresponding to the first resonant frequency for starting the lamp and at an operating lamp frequency corresponding to the second resonant frequency for operating the lamp. The valley correction modulation system compensates for the cyclic low voltages of the AC power line voltage cycle by adjusting the operating lamp frequency to be closer to the second resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Inventor: David Arthur Blau
  • Patent number: 6493349
    Abstract: A virtual private network infrastructure is provided which enables private network communications over a shared network. The infrastructure includes a shared network partitioned into at least two separate areas. A first router is connected to a first area and configured to distribute first router VPN information across the first area. The first router VPN information includes a VPN identifier which is assigned to the first router. It also includes a second router connected between the first area and a second area which is configured to distribute second router VPN information across the first area. The second router VPN information includes a VPN identifier which is assigned to the second router which is the same VPN identifier assigned to the first router. A method of configuring a virtual private network infrastructure is also provided which enables private network communications over a shared network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventor: Liam M. Casey
  • Patent number: 6414450
    Abstract: An optocoupler circuit includes a pulse generator which supplies a pulsed signal to the light-emitting device, while the pulsed signal has at least two different levels of which at least one of the levels is controllable. The pulsed signal is a combination of an input pulse signal and an input level signal. The light-emitting device produces an amount of light which depends on the levels of the pulsed signal. The photosensitive device supplies an output signal which depends on the amount of light received from the light-emitting device. A separation circuit receives the output signal and separates an output pulse signal therefrom, indicating an occurrence of a pulse of the input pulse signal, and an output level signal corresponding to a value of the at least one controllable level and thus to the input level signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Erik Maria Hendrik De Wulf