Patents Examined by Sandra O'Shea
  • Enhanced LCD backlight
    Patent number: 7278775
    Abstract: A light guide containing substantially aligned non-spherical particles provides more efficient control of light scattering. One or more regions containing ellipsoidal particles may be used and the particle sizes may vary between 2 and 100 microns in the smaller dimension. The light scattering regions may be substantially orthogonal in their axis of alignment. Alternatively, one or more asymmetrically scattering films can be used in combination with a backlight light guide and a reflector to produce an efficient backlight system. The light guides may be manufactured by embossing, stamping, or compression molding a light guide in a suitable light guide material containing asymmetric particles substantially aligned in one direction. The light scattering light guide or non-scattering light guide may be used with one or more light sources, collimating films or symmetric or asymmetric scattering films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Fusion Optix Inc.
    Inventors: Terence E. Yeo, Zane A. Coleman
  • Automotive headlamps with improved beam chromaticity
    Patent number: 7278762
    Abstract: Lenses for lamps can improve the quality of the light emitted through lens by interacting with the light bulb. Photoluminescent dyes as well as non-photoluminescent dyes may be incorporated into a polycarbonate lens in order to shift the chromaticity of the light source. Further, design features such as grooves or protrusions may be incorporated into the lens to allow light produced by the photoluminescent material to escape the lens and be added to the emitted beam to further shift the chromaticity. The emitted beam is of a legal color and intensity as defined per the SAEJ578 and SAEJ1383 standards. The lighting performance may also be improved in such manner as reducing discomfort glare, increasing brightness or producing a beam that enhances road visibility at night to the human eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Phillipe Schottland, Bart Terburg, David S Bryce
  • Light-emitting electronic component
    Patent number: 7278760
    Abstract: A light-emitting electronic component is described that includes at least one light-emitting element intended for the emission of light with a predetermined spectral distribution, at least one filter element arranged in a beam path of the light with the predetermined spectral distribution, the transmission property of the filter element with respect to the light with the predetermined spectral distribution determining the spectral distribution of the light emitted by the light-emitting component, with the transmission property of the filter element being tunable during operation of the light-emitting electronic component. The color of the light emitted by the component can be tuned by tuning the transmission property of the filter element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductor GmbH
    Inventors: Karsten Heuser, Karsten Diekmann
  • Illuminating device, light guide body and liquid crystal display device
    Patent number: 7275853
    Abstract: An illuminating device is disclosed., which is high brightness and able to reduce leaking light and preferably made thin. A front light has a light guide plate, a bar light guide body and a light emitting element. A prism shape for reflecting propagating light within the light guide plate and emitting this propagating light to the side of an emitting face of the light guide plate is formed on the emitting face of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Kano, Hiroyasu Miyata, Tatsumaro Yamashita, Mitsuo Ohizumi
  • Backlight module
    Patent number: 7275842
    Abstract: A backlight module including an extruded metallic carrier, a reflector sheet, a light source and a diffuser plate is provided. Of which, the extruded metallic carrier has a carrier's top-face and plural heat-dissipating tunnels with an accommodation sink being formed on the carrier's top-face; both the reflector sheet and the light source are deposited in the accommodation sink with the former being situated under the latter; the diffuser plate is situated above the light source. The extruded metallic carrier according to the invention not only maintains the overall evenness of the backlight module but also dissipates the heat outside, hence preventing the diffuser plate from being caved in and deformed due to a high temperature and improving the luminance quality of the backlight module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Ming-Fa Wang, Hui-Kai Chou
  • Vehicle Lamp
    Patent number: 7275855
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle lamp having a lamp base, which is equipped with the electrical connections of the vehicle lamp, the lamp base (2) having a plastic base part (20) which has at least one integrally formed stud (21), which serves the purpose of mounting the vehicle lamp in the vehicle headlight and which is provided with reinforcing means (31) in order to increase its mechanical robustness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Inventors: Matthias Protsch, Thomas Schmidt-Lehmann
  • Backlight unit and LCD display apparatus having the same
    Patent number: 7275852
    Abstract: A backlight unit including an LED module including a plurality of LEDs emitting light, and an LED substrate supporting and driving the plurality of LEDs, a diffusion sheet placed over the LED module and diffusing light emitted from the LED module, an optical sheet placed over the diffusion sheet, a module supporter placed on a back of the LED module and supporting the LED module, a chassis assembly supporting the module supporter and the diffusion sheet, and a plurality of support pins supporting the diffusion sheet and the optical sheet against the chassis assembly. Thus, a backlight unit having an improved structure in assembling efficiency is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-nyun Kim, You-sub Lee, Ji-whan Noh
  • Cylindrical irradiance-mapping lens and its applications to LED shelf-lighting
    Patent number: 7273299
    Abstract: A cylindrical irradiance-redistribution lens is positioned over a line of LEDs, and is shaped to redistribute their light for uniformly illuminating a nearby planar target, such as shelves, signs, or walls. The lens shape is calculated via matching the cumulative lateral flux functions of the line of LEDs with that of the uniformly illuminated planar target. Numerous preferred embodiments are disclosed for a variety of illumination geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Pelka & Associates
    Inventors: William A. Parkyn, David G. Pelka
  • Visual display device
    Patent number: 7273305
    Abstract: A lighting device especially suitable for automotive center-high-mounted-stop-light (CHMSL) and brake light applications is provided. The lighting device comprises a display panel having at least two interfaces therein, with at least one interface configured as a light reflective interface and at least one interface configured as a light emitting interface. At least a portion of light from a light source propagates through the display panel into contact with the light reflective interface and is reflected by the light reflective interface towards the light emitting interface using total internal reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Collins & Aikman Development Company
    Inventor: Ching Fong
  • Internal illumination based sign device
    Patent number: 7273308
    Abstract: An illuminating unit (28) is presented for use in an internally illuminated sign device (1) for displaying a pattern indicative of certain fixed information within an indicia area. The illuminating unit (28) comprises a light boundary structure (33) for a light source (38) to be mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Ledi Lite Ltd.
    Inventors: Evan Spero, Menachem Philipovsky
  • Switches for firearm electrical accessories
    Patent number: 7273292
    Abstract: A tail cap assembly for a light beam generator includes a jack, while a remote switch connected by a cable to a plug is removably connectable to the tail cap jack. The tail cap assembly may also include a pushbutton switch. A remote tape switch may be contained in a flexible housing that is removably securable to a rail of a rail mount structure secured to a firearm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Surefire, LLC
    Inventor: Paul Y. Kim
  • Reflector for back light assembly and back light assembly using the same
    Patent number: 7270466
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a reflector for a back light assembly and a back light assembly using the same. A reflector for a back light assembly for use in an LCD device comprises a base film; a protrusion of elastic material provided on a surface of the base film; and a reflecting layer deposited on the base film and the elastic protrusion, for reflecting light. With this configuration, the back light assembly prevents damage or deformation due to friction or impact between a light guide plate and the reflector and enhances the brightness of an LCD device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong-hwan Lee, Byung-woong Han
  • Mobile phone holder
    Patent number: 7270435
    Abstract: A mobile phone holder includes: a bottom plate having a first coupling part; a top plate having a second coupling part; and a light emitting unit mounted on the top plate. The top plate is connected movably to the bottom plate, and is movable between an unfolded position and a folded position, where the top plate is disposed above the bottom plate and cooperates with the bottom plate to confine a receiving space. The top plate is formed with an access hole in spatial communication with the receiving space when the top plate is disposed at the folded position, thereby permitting insertion of a mobile phone into the receiving space via the access hole. The second coupling part is capable of removable engagement with the first coupling part when the top plate is disposed at the folded position, thereby retaining releasably the top plate at the folded position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Beta Emblems & Dies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Lin
  • Compact lighting system attachable to a surgical tool and method of use thereof
    Patent number: 7270439
    Abstract: A compact, self-contained lighting system is attachable to a surgical tool to enable a user to selectively direct light at a site where the tool is to be applied. The system has a power unit that may contain rechargeable power cells, a malleable electrical connection element, and a light-emitting element powered thereby to emit high intensity white light, preferably from an LED. The system ensures against tissue damage due to inadvertent overheating by continuously removing byproduct heat from the light-emitting element, via the connection element, to the power unit with portions of each of these components serving as respective heat sinks and/or as thermal conduits to facilitate this process. The removed heat is dissipated to the ambient atmosphere, the surgical tool and even the user, and permits safe prolonged operations in confined regions of a patient's body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventors: Robin S. Horrell, David Bibelhausen, Mickey M. Karram, John F. Love
  • Luminaire with special ballast
    Patent number: 7270441
    Abstract: A luminaire has a ballasting circuit assembly for a gas discharge lamp, with an input power connector assembly suitable for receiving and connecting with a mating multi-conductor connector assembly. A ballasting circuit in the ballasting circuit assembly is suitable for powering a gas discharge lamp. Output leads suitable for connecting to a gas-discharge lamp socket with the wiring therefore are contained within the luminaire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventor: Dale E. Fiene
  • Lighting system and method and reflector for use in same
    Patent number: 7270449
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices for lighting are provided with a reflector with paraboloidal segments. One lighting system includes a reflector having one or more reflector segments. Each reflector segment is substantially paraboloidal and has a central axis of syrmetry. The lighting system also includes an illumination portion having one or more light sources. Each light source corresponds to one of the reflector segments and has a central illumination axis. The central illumination axis is directed toward the corresponding segment and substantially perpendicular to the central axis of symmetry of the corresponding segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventor: Alan Uke
  • Fiber display device
    Patent number: 7267468
    Abstract: A fiber display device (200) includes a light source (21), a fiber binding (27) for transmitting light beams from the light source and a brightness modulating system (29) for modulating the transmission of the light beams. The fiber binding includes a plurality of fibers (272), one terminal end of the fibers acting as a light incidence terminal for receiving light beams from the light source, the other terminal end of the fibers acting as a display terminal. The brightness modulating system is disposed between the light incidence terminal and the display terminal. This simplifies the structure and reduces the cost of the fiber display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Yu Lee, Ming-Chiang Tsai, Tsung-Wei Chiang
  • Motion-responsive illuminated stocking
    Patent number: 7267452
    Abstract: A stocking is illuminated with flashing lights in response to movement by a wearer and is protected against water damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: E. S. Originals, Inc.
    Inventor: Ezra Esses
  • Cargo lamp assembly for vehicles
    Patent number: 7267466
    Abstract: A cargo lamp assembly for vehicles includes a white light emitting diode having an aperture for emitting a light beam in horizontal and vertical planes of about 120°, and a lens for receiving the beam and reducing the beam in the horizontal plane to about 60° and reducing the beam in the vertical plane to about 60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Valeo Sylvania LLC
    Inventor: Benoit Reiss
  • Illumination push switch unit
    Patent number: 7265307
    Abstract: An illumination push switch unit is provided in which driving units for driving first and second detecting units are formed at side walls other than adjacent side walls of peripheral walls of first and second sliders with a barrier walls of a case interposed therebetween, notch portions are provided at the bottom surface side of the barrier wall and the bottom surface sides of the adjacent side walls of the peripheral walls with the barrier wall interposed therebetween, and a space portion, which becomes an optical path toward the display surfaces of the first and second operation members, is formed between the top surface of the insulating substrate and the notch portions through the notch portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Miyasaka, Jungkil Nam