Patents Examined by Vincent E. Kovalick
  • Patent number: 6765563
    Abstract: A monolithic integrated circuit for use in a digital display unit. The circuit may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a scaler and a clock recovery circuit. The present invention enables the integration of at least these components into a single monolithic integrated circuit while maintaining reasonable display quality. Specifically, the monolithic integrated circuit is designed for substantial immunity from noise, which may otherwise result from integration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Genesis Microchip Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Julian Eglit, Tzoyao Chan, John Lattanzi
  • Patent number: 6765599
    Abstract: An image-transmitting-side device comprises: a one-phase to two-phase converter circuit for separating parallel image data, which are to be transmitted, into even and odd data; a first parallel-serial converting circuit; a second parallel-serial converting circuit; means for allowing a user to select, as the resolution mode for the image data to be transmitted, one of a first resolution mode and a second resolution mode that is higher in resolution than the first resolution mode; and switch means for applying the parallel image data, which are to be transmitted, to the first parallel-serial converting circuit when the first resolution mode is selected, and for applying the parallel image data, which are to be transmitted, to the one-phase to two-phase converter circuit when the second resolution mode is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Nagai, Hideki Kasamatsu
  • Patent number: 6762739
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing the intensity output response time of a liquid crystal display is disclosed. A display driver circuit selectively substitutes compensation data words for data words in a data stream, in order to reduce the intensity output rise time of a liquid crystal display. In one embodiment, the display driver circuit includes a buffer and a rise time compensator. The buffer receives and stores a first data word intended to be written to a particular pixel. The rise time compensator, upon receipt of a second data word intended for the same pixel, retrieves the first data word from the buffer, compares the value of the second data word to the value of the first data word, and selectively outputs either the second data word or a compensation data word, depending on the relative values of the first and second data words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Aurora Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew F. Bone
  • Patent number: 6756974
    Abstract: A display control apparatus selectively outputs first image data and second image data to a display device on the basis of a switching instruction to instruct the switching of an image to be displayed by the display device and a result of a discrimination to discriminate whether the image displayed by the display device can be switched or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nakajima, Kenichiro Ono
  • Patent number: 6753854
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having a digital driver is provided, which can realize higher definition and more gradations. A liquid crystal display device having a pixel region in which a plural number of pixel TFTs are arranged in a matrix shape, a source driver and a gate driver for driving the plural number of TFTs, and a circuit for converting externally inputted m-bit digital video data into 2m−n pieces of n-bit digital video data (where m and n are both positive integers greater than or equal to 2, and m>n), and for supplying the n-bit digital video data to the source driver, is provided. The liquid crystal display device is characterized in that the 2m−n pieces of n-bit digital data is outputted randomly, and in that a one-frame image is formed by displaying 2m−n subframes formed by the n-bit digital data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Keisuke Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6750851
    Abstract: A multi-purpose radio transmission/reception (T/R) system includes a radio peripheral (PH200) and a multi-purpose transmission/reception device (H100) for executing one-way radio reception or two-way radio transmission/reception by infrared or RF or ultrasonic. The characteristic of this system is that the radio peripheral (PH200) and multi-purpose transmission/reception device (H100), as required, can be converted to a wired mouse, track ball or touch panel, and may function as a wired mouse, track ball or touch panel in case of insufficient power, power failure, channel interference or radio transmission/reception failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 6750850
    Abstract: A system and method for rendering information on a wireless personal information manager device includes reading viewing control parameters in a dataset stored in memory on the device. The dataset further includes a plurality of records to be selectively viewed. The viewing control parameters are processed to render the records selectively on the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Michael J. O'Leary
  • Patent number: 6750876
    Abstract: A programmable display controller for use in a digital imaging system has a video control register, a data access controller and a programmable modulator. The programmable display control is designed to be used with a digital imaging systems, such as digital cameras, having a variety of display different devices that require respective different control signals, different image signal modulations, and so on. The video control register stores video mode bits indicating the type of video signal to output. The data access controller has a buffer for requesting image data and storing the requested image data in the buffer. The programmable modulator, in response to the video mode bits, generates a video signal from the image data stored in the buffer. In some embodiments, a decoder detects and decodes a link code in received image data. An address generator is responsive to the decoder and outputs a link address corresponding to the decoded link code for fetching image data that is stored at the link address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: ESS Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean R. Atsatt, William S. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 6747628
    Abstract: In conventional liquid crystal display controllers such as for portable telephone sets, the display is reduced in the stand-by state but the liquid crystal display duty is not changed, i.e., even the common electrodes of the rows that are not producing display are scanned, and the consumption of electric power is not decreased to a sufficient degree in the stand-by state. A liquid crystal display controller (2) includes a drive duty selection register (34) capable of being rewritten by a microprocessor (1), and a drive bias selection register (32). When the display is changed from the whole display on a liquid crystal display panel (3) to a partial display on part of the rows only, the preset values of the drive duty selection register and of the drive bias selection register are changed, so that the display is selectively produced on a portion of the liquid crystal display panel at a low voltage with a low-duty drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Yokota, Kunihiko Tani, Gorou Sakamaki, Katsuhiko Yamamoto, Takashi Yoneoka, Kazuhisa Higuchi, Kimihiko Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 6738033
    Abstract: When a gas discharge panel is driven, a voltage is applied between scan and address electrode groups to perform set-up. The voltage waveform has four intervals. In a first interval, the voltage is raised in a short time (less than 10 &mgr;s) to a first voltage, wherein 100 V≦first voltage<starting voltage. Then, in a second interval, the voltage is raised to a second voltage no less than the starting voltage and with an absolute gradient smaller than that for the voltage rise in the first interval (no more than 9 V/&mgr;s). Next, in a third interval, the voltage is lowered in a short time (no more than 10 &mgr;s) from the second voltage to a third voltage no more than the starting voltage. Following this, in a fourth interval, the voltage is lowered still further (for 100 &mgr;s to 250 &mgr;s) with a gradient smaller than that for the voltage fall in the third interval. The time occupied by the whole voltage waveform should be no more than 360 &mgr;s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Hibino, Hidetaka Higashino, Nobuaki Nagao, Masaru Sekizawa, Kanako Miyashita, Masafumi Ookawa
  • Patent number: 6731260
    Abstract: A sealing material is formed to cover a drain driver comprising a horizontal shift register and a sampling portion and its edge lines are linear on the horizontal shift register. Operation characteristics of TFT elements just below the sealing material are changed and are different from those of TFT elements of the area not below the sealing material. However, operation characteristics do not differ between phases of the shift register, and adverse effects for display can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yushi Jinno, Kyoko Hirai
  • Patent number: 6720946
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a display device such as a liquid crystal display including: a horizontal clock counter and a vertical clock counter which count each clock signal every horizontal cycle and every vertical cycle for a valid data period of a data enable input signal; and an input signal generating section for holding a count value and generating an input signal in a driver IC and a driving circuit corresponding to a resolution of the display device which is obtained at that time by utilizing a count value held at a last time for a next horizontal cycle or a next vertical cycle, the display device being applicable to the driver IC and the driving circuit which can be used for the display device having various resolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Display Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Matsumura
  • Patent number: 6717565
    Abstract: A liquid crystal monitor (LC monitor) illuminating apparatus utilizes a fluorescent lamp. The lamp is provided in a backlight portion to illuminate a liquid crystal monitor from behind. The fluorescent lamp is activated by a direct-current (DC) lighting circuit that is provided with a switching circuit which reverses the polarity of the DC lighting circuit. A digital camera with a liquid crystal monitor including an LC monitor illuminating apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Kurosawa, Tetsuya Abe
  • Patent number: 6710767
    Abstract: A first cylindrical lens and a first linear sensor are constructed on the X axis, a second cylindrical lens and a second linear sensor are constructed on the Y axis, the X and Y axes are orthogonal, and the image width of a beam spot formed by each of the first and second cylindrical lenses is larger than each pixel of the corresponding first and second linear sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahide Hasegawa, Kiwamu Kobayashi, Masaaki Kanashiki, Atsushi Tanaka, Yuichiro Yoshimura, Katsuyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6710781
    Abstract: When an image having an aspect ratio of 16:9 is compressed in a vertical direction to be displayed on a display screen having an aspect ratio of 4:3, a gray scale signal is inserted into a top and a bottom of an image signal and a brightness level of the inserted gray scale signal is made to correspond to an average brightness level of the image signal. In addition, when an image having an aspect ratio of 4:3 is compressed in a horizontal direction to be displayed on a display screen having an aspect ratio of 16:9, a gray scale signal is inserted into a right edge and a left edge of an image signal and a brightness level of the inserted gray scale signal is made to correspond to an average brightness level of the image signal. Accordingly, a boundary line between a video image area and a non-video image area due to the difference in luminous characteristics of phosphors becomes hardly recognizable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Seiji Saito
  • Patent number: 6703993
    Abstract: A driving method for a liquid crystal device comprising a pair of electrodes and a liquid crystal disposed between the electrodes includes a sequence of voltage application operations each comprising application of a reset voltage to the liquid crystal for placing the liquid crystal in a reset state in a reset period and application of a data voltage to the liquid crystal for placing the liquid crystal in a desired gradational display state in a writing period subsequent to the reset period. Each reset voltage is set to provide a prescribed difference in voltage between the each reset voltage and a subsequent data voltage, thus preventing an image memory phenomenon without using an additional reset circuit for exclusively applying the reset voltage to the liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seishi Miura, Hirohide Munakata, Hideo Mori
  • Patent number: 6700560
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device capable of independently adjusting gradation for each of RGB. A control circuit outputs a clock signal, an image signal for each of RGB, and an adding circuit control signal. A gradation voltage generation circuit outputs a gradation voltage. A color correction voltage for each of RGB is generated in a color correction voltage generation circuit based on an input signal for color correction. A signal electrode drive circuit receives the clock signal, a control signal, the image signal, the adding circuit control signal, the gradation voltage, and the color correction voltage. A gradation voltage corresponding to a gradation value of the image signal for each of RGB is selected from the gradation voltage. The color correction voltage for each of RGB is added to the gradation voltage, then a sub-pixel data signal is generated and sent to a liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: NEC LED Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takanori Sumiya
  • Patent number: 6697049
    Abstract: A pointing stick device has a substrate, a rectangular-shaped hollow structure installed on the substrate having a central axis substantially vertical to the substrate, at least one strain gauge installed on the rectangular-shaped hollow structure, and a claw structure. The claw structure has at least one claw, and is used to impart a pressure onto the rectangular-shaped hollow structure and curve the rectangular-shaped hollow structure. When the claw of the claw structure imparts pressure on the rectangular-shaped hollow structure, the strain gauge distorts, following the curve of the rectangular-shaped hollow structure, to produce corresponding pointing signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Darfon Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Hsin-Yung Lu
  • Patent number: 6686904
    Abstract: A method and system that monitors movement of a wheel or slider included on a keyboard, and conveys information indicative of the movement and its direction to a host computing device to which the keyboard is coupled, using predefined scan codes or Universal Serial Bus (USB) data signal. State changes and the direction of rotation are detected as the wheel is rotated. Preferably, an elapsed time between state changes is compared to a set of threshold times, and the scan code representing the closest threshold time is selected. Alternatively, a scan code is transmitted that is indicative of the sign and magnitude of a threshold number corresponding to an accumulated number of state changes. The host computing device decodes the scan code or USB data for use in controlling a scroll distance, zoom, etc. as a function of the movement indicated by the scan code or USB data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan C. Sherman, Brian D. Williams, Steven N. Bathiche
  • Patent number: 6683589
    Abstract: Barrier ribs of the second type (50) of the same height and material as barrier ribs of the first type (29) are formed on a second substrate in parallel with each other along a first direction (D1) to which display electrodes XE and YE extend. Further, phosphors (28) adhere to both side surface portions (50W3 and 50W4) of the barrier ribs of the second type (50). This achieves a surface discharge type PDP capable of reducing a loss of ultraviolet rays due to repetition of the self absorption and emission of ultraviolet rays, and preventing the leakage of luminescence and discharge to adjacent display lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ko Sano, Kanzou Yoshikawa, Takeo Saikatsu, Takao Yasue, Toyohiro Uchiumi