Abstract: In a reverse F-shaped antenna formed on a surface of a printed board, the radiating element has a first radiating conductor, a second radiating conductor, and a chip coil. The chip coil is positioned between the first and second radiating conductors and electrically connects the first radiating conductor to the second radiating conductor. The reverse F-shaped antenna is effectively downsized. A component of current flow in the chip coil in a three-dimensional direction allows sensitivity to some extent to a wave polarized in all directions. By merely changing the inductance in the chip coil, it is possible to easily alter the resonance frequency in the reverse F-shaped antenna.

Abstract: A folded monopole antenna that supports lower and upper frequency bands may be used in CDMA, WLAN, or other wireless communications systems. The folded monopole antenna may be located in a handset next to a vertical ground plane. The folded monopole antenna may be folded at least twice and connected to the ground plane through a reactance. The dimensions of different sections of the folded monopole antenna define lower and upper frequency band characteristics, and an offset location of an input feed affects the bandwidth of the frequency bands. The reactance between the antenna and ground plane can be selected to fine tune the frequency bands. Various input feeds, including a co-planar waveguide, may be employed. Dynamically adjustable reactances may be used in the input feed and ground line for adapting the antenna to various environments.

Abstract: The functionality of electronic convertors for low voltage filament lamp applications, such as halogen lamps, can be increased by including auxiliary circuits. Such auxiliary circuits may include gate drive resistors; a charge pump for sustaining the DC supply; open circuit protection; short circuit protection; thermal protection; extended resetting time; latched shutdown; self-dimming; a digital (DALI) interface; and line voltage compensation.

Abstract: A power supply for plural loads coupled in parallel comprises a voltage regulator, a plurality of current regulators, and an error control circuit. The voltage regulator provides a common output voltage to the plural loads. The voltage regulator comprises a sensor circuit providing a voltage sense signal corresponding to the output voltage, which provides feedback to regulate the output voltage at a selected level. The plurality of current regulators are coupled to respective ones of the plural loads. Each of the plurality of current regulators regulates current drawn by respective ones of the plural loads to within a desired regulation range. The plurality of current regulators each further provide a respective error signal corresponding to an ability to remain within the desired regulation range. The error control circuit is operatively coupled to the voltage regulator and to the plurality of current regulators.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a technique for improving the characteristics of a TFT and realizing an optimum structure of the TFT for the driving conditions of a pixel section and a driving circuit by a small number of photo masks. Therefore, a light emitting device has a semiconductor film, a first electrode and a first insulating film nipped between the semiconductor film and the first electrode. Further, the light emitting device has a second electrode and a second insulating film nipped between the semiconductor film and the second electrode. The first and second electrodes are overlapped with each other through a channel forming area arranged in the semiconductor film. In the case of a TFT in which a reduction in off-electric current is considered important in comparison with an increase in on-electric current, a constant voltage (common voltage) is applied to the first electrode at any time.

Abstract: A mobile light is disclosed that produces a high level of illumination without glare using the DC power of a vehicle's battery and charging system. The mobile light uses a high-intensity discharge lamp with a control circuit that initially ignites the lamp using a voltage multiplier circuit and that maintains illumination of the lamp using an FET switching circuit that applies a lower AC voltage to the lamp. The microprocessor also periodically adjusts the power delivered to the lamp to compensate for adverse conditions, such as high temperatures within the work light, or a high or low DC input voltage. The microprocessor also periodically senses the level of illumination provided by the lamp and adjusts the voltage applied to the lamp accordingly.

Abstract: A particle accelerator system, including apparatuses and methods, for producing a beam of bunched charged particles at high intensities and with minimal energy dispersion comprises a bunching section having a plurality of bunching cavities, an accelerating section having a plurality of accelerating and coupling cavities, and an electromagnetic drive subsystem having a single radio-frequency (RF) generator coupled to the accelerating section at a single location. The accelerating and bunching sections are directly coupled and share a common wall, which may have a resonant coupling cavity therein, such that charged particles bunch in the bunching section and travel through the common wall into the accelerating section where they are accelerated and exit the particle accelerator system as a beam of bunched charged particles. Preferably, a phase shift of one hundred-eighty degrees (180°) (or it radians) is created between the electric fields of successive bunching cavities in the bunching section.

Abstract: An apparatus and method thereof for regulating a light source are described. The apparatus includes a light-to-frequency converter that converts light received from the light source into a signal having a corresponding frequency. A circuit coupled to the light-to-frequency converter uses the frequency to regulate light that is emitted from the light source.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing and controlling power to loads including one or more LEDs. In one example, a controlled predetermined power is provided to a load without requiring any feedback information from the load (i.e., without monitoring a load voltage and/or load current). In another example, a “feed-forward” power driver for an LED-based light source combines the functionality of a DC-DC converter and a light source controller, and is configured to control the intensity of light generated by the light source based on modulating the average power delivered to the light source in a given time period, without monitoring and/or regulating the voltage or current provided to the light source. In various examples, significantly streamlined circuits having fewer components, higher overall power efficiencies, and smaller space requirements are realized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems, equipment and methods that provide emergency lighting and allow the detection of brownout conditions. One aspect of the present invention is an emergency lighting system with an input voltage interface for receiving an input voltage, a brownout detection component for detecting a brownout condition on the input voltage and generating a brownout signal, a switch mode power converter for altering the input voltage; and an emergency lighting control and battery charging component for controlling the charging of a battery pack and receiving the brownout signal. Another aspect of the invention is a method of providing emergency lighting performed by receiving an input voltage; automatically establishing a brownout threshold relative to the input voltage; and detecting a brownout condition.

Abstract: A smart dimmer for controlling the intensity of a lighting load from a source of AC power is operable to replace one of the three-way switches in a standard three-way lighting system without the need to replace the other three-way switch with a unique accessory switch. A simple rewiring is needed in the wallbox of the remaining three-way switch. In the resulting three-way lighting system, the smart dimmer is always coupled between the lighting load and the source and the remaining three-way switch is coupled between either of the load terminals of the dimmer and an accessory terminal of the dimmer. The remaining three-way switch acts to either couple or decouple an AC voltage from the accessory terminal. The smart dimmer is operable to detect a change in the state at the accessory terminal and toggle the lighting load on or off as a result of the change in state.

Abstract: A temperature profile storage unit stores a Vf-Ta table showing a relationship between a forward voltage Vf and am ambient temperature Ta of an LED element, and a Ta-Ifmax table showing a relationship between the ambient temperature Ta and a maximum tolerable current Ifmax. The forward voltage Vf of the LED element driven by a power supply is detected and fed to a feedback point determining unit. A temperature computing unit determines the ambient temperature from the detected forward voltage Vf. A driving current determining unit determines a maximum tolerable current Ifmax from the ambient temperature Ta thus determined, by referring to the Ta-Ifmax table, and supplies a command value defining a current to drive the LED element to a constant current source via a D/A converter. The constant current source adjusts the current to drive the LED element in accordance with the command value.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus including a feed element excited by first and second wireless frequency signals, first non-feed elements for controlling directivity with respect to the first wireless frequency signal, second non-feed elements for controlling directivity with respect to the second wireless frequency signal, second variable-reactance circuits disposed between the second non-feed elements and ground, filters for passing the first frequency band and cutting off the second frequency band, which are connected to the first non-feed elements, and first variable-reactance circuits disposed between the filters and the ground.

Abstract: Circuit arrangement having a free-running half-bridge inverter for operation of gas discharge lamps. A stop device is used to enable the drive to the half-bridge switches only during an on time. The oscillation frequency of the half-bridge inverter can be adjusted by the duration of the on time. This allows control of the lamp operating variables.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting apparatus is provided for lighting a plurality of discharge lamps including one reference lamp and at least one controllable lamp. First variable inductance element and lamp current detecting unit are connected to the reference lamp, second variable inductance and lamp current unit are connected to the controllable lamp, and a lamp current controlling circuit is connected to each of the first and second variable inductance elements. An output signal from the second lamp current detecting unit and also an output signal as a reference signal from the first lamp current detecting unit are connected to the lamp current controlling circuit for the controllable lamp, whereby the lamp current of the controllable lamp is controlled. The reference output signal is also connected to a control circuit, and the lamp currents of the reference and controllable lamps are controlled further by the on/off operation of the switching elements.

Abstract: A magnetron 10 is equipped with a helical filament 39, as an element of a cathode assembly, arranged on a central axis of an anode cylindrical body 13. Assuming that a resistance value of the filament 39 before forming the carbonized layer is R1 and a resistance value of the filament 39 after forming the carbonized layer is R2, a thickness of the carbonized layer 42 of the filament 39 is determined such that a carbonization rate Rx defined by the equation “Rx={(R2?R1)/R1}×100” in a range of from 30 to 50%.

Abstract: A system includes a device for focusing electromagnetic waves, and a multiple-beam antenna. The antenna includes: a photonic bandgap material (20) having at least one band gap, at least one periodicity defect (36) of the photonic bandgap material so as to produce at least one narrow bandwidth within the bandgap material, and excitation elements (40 to 43) for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic waves within the at least one narrow bandwidth, the elements being arranged relative to one another so as to produce overlapping radiating spots.

Abstract: The invention provides a tool to select reliable organic LED devices, where the risk for failure before the end of its lifetime is low. This tool comprises the steps of: i) subjecting the device to a high electric field over the electroluminescent layer. This leads to a division of the devices into two, clearly separated, populations, namely one population with a low leakage current (current through the electroluminescent layer in reverse voltage operation) and one population with a high leakage current. In this step, the first population is selected in accordance with a current criterion. ii) detecting instabilities in the leakage current, referred to as noise. It has been established that these instabilities arise in particular at reverse driving voltages between 1 and 10 Volts. These instabilities are a measure of the occurrence of early failures during operation. In this step, the devices are selected in accordance with a noise criterion.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for measuring cathode fall in fluorescent lamps are disclosed. Together with measurements of cathode temperature, such measurements of cathode fall may inform a determination of cathode heater voltage as a function of discharge current (i.e., a cathode-heating-profile) that avoids both sputtering and excess-evaporation.

Abstract: The dual-polarization, slot-mode antenna includes an array of dual-polarization, slot-mode, antenna units carried by a substrate, with each dual-polarization, slot-mode antenna unit having at least four patch antenna elements arranged in spaced apart relation about a central feed position. Adjacent patch antenna elements of adjacent dual-polarization, slot-mode antenna units include respective spaced apart edge portions having predetermined shapes and relative positioning to provide increased capacitive coupling therebetween. The respective spaced apart edge portions may be continuously or periodically interdigitated to provide the increased capacitive coupling therebetween.