Patents Examined by Vincent E. Kovalick
  • Patent number: 7019765
    Abstract: An input device, which is small-sized and inexpensive in spite of being simple in construction and thin, comprises at least one primary electrode and a plurality of secondary electrodes, both electrodes being formed in the same plane. A position of a dielectric is identified on the basis of differences in electrostatic capacity between the primary electrode and the secondary electrodes, which electrostatic capacity is changed by the dielectric positioned on a surface side of the both electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Fujiwara, Masahiro Kinoshita, Yasunari Kitajima, Hiroyuki Iwasaka, Yoshihiro Tanabe, Hideshi Tsugui
  • Patent number: 7019735
    Abstract: In a flat panel display device in which driving circuits and the like are arranged on an array substrate, a technology to realize a compact size and a low cost of an external control circuit is disclosed. At least one pumping circuit included in the external control circuit is arranged on the array substrate, and an output side capacitor connected between an output portion of the pumping circuit and the ground GND and an input side capacitor of a clock input portion are arranged outside the array substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasushi Sasaki, Masaki Miyatake, Hajime Sato, Takanori Tsunashima, Yasuyuki Hanazawa, Hoko Hirai
  • Patent number: 7015908
    Abstract: There are provided an image generation system and information storage medium which can generate an image of a simple object with reduced processing load, the brightness of the simple object being variable according to the amount of light sent from a light source and received by the simple object. The image generation system comprises a light-source simple processing section (114) for performing a light-source simple processing relative to the simple object. The light-source simple processing section (114) performs computation for information relating to at least one of the brightness and color on primitive surfaces constructing the simple object, based on an angle difference between a line-of-sight vector of a virtual camera and a light vector from the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Namco Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Nakagawa, Kazuya Takahashi, Hideki Nakamura, Masato Kanno
  • Patent number: 7012600
    Abstract: A bistable electro-optic display has a plurality of pixels, each of which is capable of displaying at least three gray levels. The display is driven by a method comprising: storing a look-up table containing data representing the impulses necessary to convert an initial gray level to a final gray level; storing data representing at least an initial state of each pixel of the display; receiving an input signal representing a desired final state of at least one pixel of the display; and generating an output signal representing the impulse necessary to convert the initial state of said one pixel to the desired final state thereof, as determined from said look-up table. The invention also provides a method for reducing the remnant voltage of an electro-optic display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Zehner, Holly G. Gates, Karl R. Amundson, Joanna F. Au, Ara N. Knalan, Jonathan L. Zalesky, Alexi C. Arango
  • Patent number: 7012598
    Abstract: A method for operating a liquid crystal display having a panel with a back light includes applying a first gate signal starting a real data period followed by a second gate signal starting a black data period sequentially to gate lines of the panel, applying actual picture data signals to data lines of the panel during the real data period and reset data signals to the data lines of the panel during the black data period to drive cells of the panel during a frame along a gate line and controlling a ratio of the real data period to the black data period for a subsequent frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Jin Park, Hyeon Ho Son
  • Patent number: 7012593
    Abstract: A glove-type data input device and a sensing method thereof. In the data input device shaped into a glove, a sensor unit senses the change of a glove shape or a position change, and the resulting pressure at at least one contact surface, and outputs a predetermined sensing signal according to the sensing. An analyzer determines input data by analyzing the sensing signal. An output port outputs the determination result to an external terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Pyo Yoon, Ki-Tae Lee, Chang-Hwan Hwang, Sang-Jun Park
  • Patent number: 6999071
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for displaying three-dimensional images. In the method light beams (Le) are associated to several different screen points (P) of a screen (20). The light beams (Le) produce different views associated to different emission directions (E). The emission directions (E) are associated to the individual screen points (P). The light beams (Le) are generated by projecting light beams (Ld), according to the angle of the adjacent emitting directions. According to the invention, light beams (Le) without viewing direction information are generated, essentially simultaneously, with pixels (Cd) having different co-ordinates. These pixels (Cd) are pixels of a two-dimension display (50), and they are associated to different emitting directions (E) of the appropriate screen points (P).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Inventor: Tibor Balogh
  • Patent number: 6999047
    Abstract: A method of displaying a video signal (Vs) with m video lines in a video field period on a plasma display panel (1) which has n display lines (Di), includes selecting (2) the n display lines (Di) in an interlaced way to subsequently select a first and a second field of n/2 display lines (Di) to display an interlaced video signal (Vs). For displaying a progressive video signal (Vs), the m video lines are alternately displayed (3) on the first field of display lines (Di) only, or on the second field of display lines (Di) only, both during respective time periods which are longer than the video field period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Antonius H. M. Holtslag
  • Patent number: 6995754
    Abstract: A plasma display panel, driving circuits for driving the plasma display panel, and a power circuit into which an external alternating current is inputted are provided to a plasma display module. The power circuit supplies driving voltages to the driving circuits. The power circuit outputs an external source voltage to be used by an external power circuit and a control voltage for controlling operations of an interface board to which source voltages of the interface board are supplied from the external power circuit. Furthermore, operations of the power circuit are controlled with control signals output by the interface board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suetsugu, Taku Ohzono
  • Patent number: 6992645
    Abstract: It is disclosed that there is a method and an apparatus for driving a plasma display panel that is adaptive for improving brightness as well as realizing a high resolution. A method and an apparatus for driving a plasma display panel according to the present invention displays discharge cells of the (3i?2)th and (3i?1)th rows in use of the first video signal field; and discharge cells of the (3i?1)th and (3i)th rows in use of the second video signal field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Joong Kyun Kim, Jae Hwa Ryu
  • Patent number: 6992663
    Abstract: Gradation is improved in image formation by image-forming apparatus employing a light emitting elements such as organic light-emitting element, and image quality. A light-emitting element is provided in which the emission and no emission of light is controlled by the intensity of the input signal from the scanning line and the signal line by flowing constant electric current to a two-input-differential connection circuit one of which is connected to the light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakamura, Shigeki Kondo
  • Patent number: 6989806
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention pertains to an electronic device such as a passive matrix display, an alpha-numeric display, a detector array, or a solar cell array. The electronic device includes multiple organic optoelectronic devices and one or more of these organic optoelectronic devices are protected from shorts. Each of the one or more organic optoelectronic devices that is protected from a short has one of its electrodes coupled to a first current limiting device and optionally has another electrode coupled to a second current limiting device. Also, one of the electrodes of that organic optoelectronic device, the first current limiting device, or the second current limiting device is patterned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Franky So, Homer Antoniadis, Ian Millard, Vung Vo
  • Patent number: 6970151
    Abstract: A display system is provided that reduces electromagnetic emissions of at least one frequency component of a signal in the display system. A signal that drives a display is modulated so that one or more frequency components of the driving signal are attenuated due to the modulation of the signal. In one embodiment, an LCD controller is adapted to provide a modulated row driving signal to an active matrix LCD. The input data source may be adapted to accommodate the modulated display driving signal. Alternatively, a FIFO buffer is used to buffer input data to accommodate the modulated display driving signal. In a further embodiment, a clock modulating circuit is provided to modulate the display driving signal without modifying the display controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins
    Inventor: Donald E. Mosier
  • Patent number: 6956559
    Abstract: An operation unit is provided with an operation body operated by hand, a first detection unit for detecting the inclination operation of the operation body, and a second detection unit for detecting the pushing-down operation of the operation body. Any of 26 alphabetical characters “A, B, C, . . . , X, Y, and Z” is selected corresponding to the inclination direction of the operation body. The displayed character is changed successively by rotating the operation body in X-Y coordinate plane. The selected character is finalized by pushing down the operation unit in Z-direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Masahiro Soma, Youtaro Sakakura, Hiroshi Nakahama
  • Patent number: 6954199
    Abstract: A three-dimensional position locating system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional position locating system includes a housing including a substantially planar surface. The housing includes a first antenna element under the substantially planar surface. A stylus including a second antenna element is coupled to the housing. A processor is electrically coupled to the first antenna element and the second antenna element, and a three-dimensional structure overlies the first antenna element. An antenna coupling element is associated with the three-dimensional structure and an output device can be coupled to the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorge Soto, Richard Freeman, Eric Shuler, Mark Flowers
  • Patent number: 6954221
    Abstract: A safety structure of a desk-top Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is disclosed. The safety structure has a seat body pivotally mounted to a monitor, characterized in that the monitor is provided with two sections of elevation angle, wherein the first section of the elevation angle complies with the angle of application for human body, and the second section of the elevation angle has a maximum elevation angle in parallel to a base seat of the monitor, and the twisting force of the monitor required to rotate within the scope of elevation angle of the second section is larger than that of the elevation angle of the first section, but the twisting force to rotate within the second section is smaller than the weight of the seat body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Inventor: Alpha Wu
  • Patent number: 6952202
    Abstract: The apparatus for inputting coordinates has a support plate including a coordinate input plane for inputting a coordinate position, an optical unit is formed by integrating a light source and a light receiver. The light source emits light which is substantially parallel to the coordinate input plane. A reflecting section reflects the light emitted from the light source. The optical unit is embedded in the coordinate input plate by the use of a frame, an optical unit retaining plate and a screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6952193
    Abstract: Provided are image display apparatus and image display methods capable of suitably making correction for variation of driving conditions due to an electric resistance of matrix wiring of a display panel by downsized hardware. The apparatus and methods involve a device of calculating voltage drop amounts caused by the resistance of row wires, for input image data, and a device of calculating image data with correction for the voltage drop amounts (corrected image data). An overflow processing circuit is provided so as to prevent overflow of the image data after the correction from an input range of a modulator, and the overflow is prevented by a gain. Since a gradation converter for changing a gradation conversion characteristic by a gain is provided in the stage preceding to the configuration for making the correction for influence of the voltage drop, it becomes feasible to cancel saturation characteristics of phosphors and to display images with high quality thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Abe, Kohei Inamura, Osamu Sagano, Hiroshi Saito, Takeshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6950088
    Abstract: The electrical scan which applies data for one of the red, green and blue colors of a liquid crystal display (LCD) to the pixels of each row of the display and the optical scan of the panel with the color stripe of that color are synchronized to ensure sufficient time for the switching of the pixel from one color value to another. Synchronizing the electrical and optical scans creates a better color rendition of the displayed image without any inter-color mixing artifacts. Arrays or groups of photosensors are positioned laterally adjacent the active portion of the panel and each array is covered by a filter which passes light of only one of the three colors (red, green and blue) used in the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Sandeep M. Dalal
  • Patent number: 6950116
    Abstract: A system for performing interactive virtual reality sessions without constraining the mobility of a user is disclosed. The system allows a user to remain fully mobile while participating in an interactive virtual reality session. The system comprises a handheld computing device having a display, user input controls, a location sensing device and a user sensing device. To conduct a virtual reality session, a software application is loaded from a memory. Then, the computing device determines its position within a space using the location sensing device, and the user sensing device establishes a relationship between the user's eyes and display. This relationship is used to provide the user with the same perspective as would be achieved if viewing the simulated session in real life. User input controls allow the user to control aspects of the session to further enhance the user's experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Noah J. Ternullo