Patents Examined by Steven Saras
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Patent number: 6650309Abstract: A light modulation element for performing electromechanical operation of generating a first electromechanical force for a needle 15 for displacing the needle, thereby changing a transmission factor of light. The light modulation element has drive means for generating or canceling a second electromechanical force 25 for the needle in a vertical direction different from the horizontal direction of the first electromechanical force 29 and holding or canceling the displacement state of the needle, so that active and stable matrix drive is provided by the first and second electromechanical forces that can be controlled in drive separately.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2000Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventor: Koichi Kimura
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Patent number: 6650307Abstract: A method of driving a display panel, and a panel display apparatus, in which displays do not lack realism even when power control is performed, have been disclosed. In the display panel driving method, the display frame for a screen is comprised of plural subframes, each being assigned a number of times discharge for light emission is performed according to the specified luminance relation, the representation with gray scale is performed by combining the subframes that display according to the intensity of the input image signal for each cell, and the power consumption is controlled by both the control of the total number of times discharge for light emission is performed of the display frame and the control of the gain of the input image signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2000Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display LimitedInventors: Kosaku Toda, Toshio Ueda, Takayuki Ooe
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Patent number: 6650319Abstract: A new touch screen is based upon the mapping of coordinates from an equipotential space defined by a simple set of screen electrodes to some other, more useful coordinates, such as Cartesian. The key idea is that unique coordinate mapping can be achieved with each sensing pair of electronic readings. A new sensor is described with a band of intermediate conductivity framing the sensor area. This sensor can be used advantageously either as a standalone with uniform equipotential distributions or in connection with the mapping concepts discussed herein with non-uniform distributions.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1999Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: Elo Touchsystems, Inc.Inventors: G. Samuel Hurst, Rufus Ritchie, Donald W. Bouldin, Robert Warmack
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Patent number: 6646632Abstract: A tactile force feedback apparatus for an input device comprises an inertial member having a movable portion being movable relative to the input device. A magnetically actuatable member is connected to the movable portion of the inertial member. A magnetic driver is configured to generate a magnetic field to move the magnetically actuatable member and the movable portion of the inertial member with respect to the input device to generate tactile force feedback in response to a user's manipulation of the input device. The movable portion of the inertial member may include a contact member movable to strike the input device. The contact member may comprise an elastomeric material, and may be movable to make contact with the input device at a plurality of different contact locations during movement of the contact member.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2000Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.Inventors: David Wegmuller, Paul Loughnane, David McVicar
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Patent number: 6646651Abstract: In an image displaying field where there is a tendency which will increase the data to be handled in accordance with the high integration of a display device, a CRT controller according to the present invention improves the superposed display and the responsiveness of the display and drawing operations by dividing a unit clock into a predetermined number to function with high speed and a multifunction display. When image data are to be inputted or outputted from a refresh memory corresponding to a display frame, the memory content and the display address are assigned at a ratio of 1:n to effect the processings in parallel. As a result, the time period utilized by the display cycle of the prior art can be assigned to the drawing operation so that the processing can be speeded up while making it easier than the prior art to effect the superposed display of letters, symbols and drawings.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2000Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Koyo Katsura, Hideo Maejima, Hiroshi Takeda
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Patent number: 6642911Abstract: A plasma display panel driving method capable of improving the contrast while preventing spurious borders. Only in the first subfield, a writing discharge is selectively produced only in discharge cells except for those serving to display a luminance level “0” to initialize these discharge cells to a light emitting cell state. Then, only in one of the remaining subfields except for the first subfield, an erasure discharge is selectively produced in the discharge cells remaining in the light emitting cell state in accordance with pixel data, causing the discharge cells to transition to a non-light emitting cell state. Only the discharge cells remaining in the light emitting cell state are driven to emit light the number of light emissions allocated thereto corresponding to a weighting factor applied to the subfield.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2001Date of Patent: November 4, 2003Assignee: Pioneer CorporationInventors: Tetsuya Shigeta, Tetsuro Nagakubo, Hirofumi Honda
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Patent number: 6639590Abstract: The present invention permits quick removal of charge stored in a liquid crystal layer, without depending upon characteristics of individual devices. This is achieved by providing a detector that detects the turning-off of a power supply, and a connection device that, upon detection of the turning-off of the power supply by the detector, connects to a predetermined line either or both of scanning lines to which scanning signals are supplied and data lines to which data signals are supplied, and connecting the predetermined line to a constant potential.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 1999Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kotoyoshi Takahashi, Hisanori Kawakami
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Patent number: 6639606Abstract: A display screen split method for a computer system by which a user can vertically and exactly set two programs on a monitor to the same screen size in a graphic device supporting a wide monitor and a wide function. The display screen split method for a computer system comprises the steps of determining whether a command for setting a split screen exists, and setting the size of the screen to the left half size or the right half size of the entire screen if the command for setting the split screen exists.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1998Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Seung-Bum Choi
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Patent number: 6639579Abstract: A magnetophoresis type display device, according to one embodiment, is provided with a transparent front panel sheet, a back panel sheet arranged with respect to the front panel sheet so as to form a sealed space with it, a partitioning member provided between the front panel sheet and the back panel sheet for partitioning the sealed space into a large number of cells and a liquid dispersion containing magnetic particles and a single-color fluid to be sealed inside the cells formed by partitioning by the partitioning member. The single-color fluid is a white fluid that includes at least titanium oxide and silicon oxide in which when the total weight of the white fluid is 100 wt %, the wt % of the titanium oxide in the white fluid is C, and the wt % of the silicon oxide is D, the weight ratio C/D is in the relationship of 1≦C/D≦2.5.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 1999Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Takara Corporation LimitedInventors: Yoshito Nihira, Takahiro Itou, Kenji Imamura
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Patent number: 6639581Abstract: A flexure mechanism for an interface device that interfaces a user with a computer system. An interface device includes a manipulandum physically contacted by the user. A five-bar closed-loop mechanism is coupled to the manipulandum to provide two rotary degrees of freedom to the manipulandum. The mechanism includes members coupled to each other by flexible couplings allowing rotation of the members. In preferred embodiments, four or five of the members are coupled together by flexible couplings that allow bending, thereby forming a unitary piece, where the couplings are oriented along axes of rotation of the mechanism. A sensor senses a position of the manipulandum outputs a sensor signal, and in some embodiments actuators are coupled to the mechanism to output a force to the manipulandum in particular degrees of freedom. The manipulandum can be a joystick handle or portion of a sphere, where the device in one embodiment can be a handheld gamepad or similar controller.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 1999Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Immersion CorporationInventors: David F. Moore, Kenneth M. Martin, Steve P. Vassallo, Louis B. Rosenberg
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Patent number: 6636202Abstract: Apparatus for converting a visual image into a tactile image. The apparatus comprises imaging means for converting incident light from the visual image into electrical signals that are proportional to the gray scale intensity of the incident light. The apparatus also comprises a tactile display device having a two-dimensional array of variable height pixels, wherein the height of each pixel in the tactile display is dynamically variable in proportion to the electrical signals from the imaging means. Preferably, the height of each pixel is inversely proportional to the gray scale intensity of the incident light so that the maximum height of a pixel occurs when a corresponding pixel in the visual image is black.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2001Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nizamudeen Ishmael, Jr., Kulvir Singh Bhogal, Javid Jameossanaie, Mandeep Singh Sidu
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Patent number: 6636197Abstract: The present invention provides haptic sensations for a haptic feedback device and especially for a rotational device such as a knob. Force effects such as a hill force effect and barrier force effect allow easier selection of menu items, menus, values, or other options by the user. Force models are also described to allow greater selection functionality, such as a scrolling list with detents and rate control borders, a jog shuttle, a push-turn model, a double-push model, and a cast control model.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2001Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Immersion CorporationInventors: Alex S. Goldenberg, Steven P. Vassallo, Kenneth M. Martin, Adam C. Braun
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Patent number: 6636205Abstract: A line parameter detection circuit (70) of this invention includes an active video detector (72) that generates an “active video” signal (102) indicative of a video signal (100) containing video data that exceeds a predetermined threshold level. The line parameter detection circuit further includes three counters (82, 84, 86) that are incremented by a reference clock (110). The counters are reset and start counting reference clock pulses upon receiving an HSYNC pulse (104). A left edge register (90) stores the count accumulated in the first counter upon receiving a rising edge of the active video signal, a right edge register (92) stores the count accumulated in the second counter upon receiving a falling edge of the active video signal, and a line length register (96) stores the count accumulated in the third counter upon receiving the next subsequent HSYNC pulse. Each video signal scan line includes blanking periods (106, 108) between the HSYNC pulses and the active video region.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2000Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: InFocus CorporationInventor: Alan L. Lasneski
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Patent number: 6636192Abstract: In order to provide an electro-optical panel in which the gap between the substrates is precise and is uniform over the entire image display region, a projection display apparatus using the electro-optical panel, and an electro-optical panel production method, a resin, which is elastically deformable even after being set, is applied to surround an image display region 37 on the surface of a TFT array substrate 2, and the resin is set, thereby forming an inner peripheral protrusion 22 and an outer peripheral protrusion 23 having circular portions 24. Subsequently, an unset sealing material 200 is applied in a rectangular area placed between the inner peripheral protrusion 22 and the outer peripheral protrusion 23. An unset conducting member 56 for continuity between the substrates is applied in areas enclosed by the circular portions 24 of the outer peripheral protrusion 23.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2000Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hiromi Saitoh
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Patent number: 6636191Abstract: A persistent emissive display device, includes: a light emitting element; a drive circuit connected to the light emitting element, the drive circuit including a transistor having a gate for controlling the power applied to the light emitting element; a storage capacitor connected to the gate of the drive circuit transistor; a control circuit for depositing charge to the storage capacitor; and a circuit element for reducing charge leakage from the storage capacitor, whereby attributes of the display including the persistence of the display, switching speed, and power can be optimized for a given application.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2000Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Ronald S. Cok
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Patent number: 6636209Abstract: In a period from temporal storage of a video signal to reading and displaying of the video signal, an average value 121 of the brightness levels obtained from a video signal before the video signal is stored in a storage means 3 and a predetermined target value 122 are used to perform a calculation by using a proportionality term and an integration term so that a quantity of limited electric currents is obtained. Moreover, the quantity of limited electric currents is provided with a non-response region or a hysteresis characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2000Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiki Ono, Jun Someya, Yoshiaki Okuno
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Patent number: 6633279Abstract: A touch panel including an upper substrate (4A) consisting of a soft film having an upper resistor film (51) and a lower substrate of a hard plate having a lower resistor film, which are bonded together to face each other. The touch panel provides a detection output representing the position of contact between the upper resistor film (51) and the lower resistor film as two-dimensional coordinate values. Either the upper resistor film (51) or the lower resistor film or both are of a comb shape having a plurality of resistive lines with a common connector (41) at one end.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2000Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masao Kono, Shinsaku Chiba
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Patent number: 6633277Abstract: A data entry system having a base. The base has a plurality of rotatable cylindrical controls. The controls are rotated into a plurality of positions, each of the plurality of positions represent a control sequence. Each control sequence represents one of a plurality of alphanumeric characters. An electrical processor is coupled to the controls and determines the character indicated by the control sequence.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2000Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: 3Com CorporationInventor: Vladimir Ivanov
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Patent number: 6633287Abstract: A power supply circuit is provided for supplying a scanning line selection voltage to an electro-optical device. The electro-optical device includes pixels disposed at intersections between a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines, a voltage generation circuit for generating a selection voltage having a positive polarity (or a negative polarity) with respect to the center voltage of voltages applied to the data lines, a capacitor for storing the selection voltage, and an inverter circuit for inverting the polarity of the voltage stored in the capacitor with respect to the median voltage, and outputting the resultant voltage as a selection voltage having a negative polarity (or a positive polarity if the selection voltage has a negative polarity).Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2000Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Satoshi Yatabe, Suguru Yamazaki, Katsunori Yamazaki
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Patent number: 6633306Abstract: In an active matrix liquid crystal display, pixels are arranged in rows and columns of a matrix and are controllable via row electrodes and column electrodes. To improve and to expand the possibilities of image rendering without increasing the number of rows and columns to be controlled, the pixels are divided into sub-pixels with corresponding sub-pixel electrodes, each of which is connected to the column electrode assigned to the pixel via controllable switches. On the control side, the controllable switches are connected to the row electrode assigned to the pixel via pixel control unit which is common to them. From a control signal supplied to it via the row electrode the pixel control unit generates locally and chronologically different turn-on signals for the various switches so that they switch chronologically successive different gray-scale levels of a gray-scale signal present at the column electrode through to the sub-pixel electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2000Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Michael März, Klaus Wammes