Patents Issued in February 13, 2007
  • Patent number: 7176610
    Abstract: An improved thermionic cathode is provided. The cathode has a carbon-coated cone surface and reduced cone angle (e.g. typically 60 degrees or less) that delivers an electron beam with high angular intensity and brightness and exhibits increased longevity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Toshiba Machine America, Inc.
    Inventor: Victor Katsap
  • Patent number: 7176611
    Abstract: A color CRT is disclosed to improve a production yield of a panel by reducing a damage due to a thermal impact in a furnace in a thermal treatment process in fabricating the panel and accomplish a light-weight product and a cost reduction compared to the same type CRT, for which a following condition is satisfied: ?1.7168*Ln(U)+11.627?(Rh*Rv*Ro/U)*Tc??2.0131*Ln(U)+13.645, where U is a diagonal size of an effective surface of the panel, Rh, Rv and Ro are parameters determined based on dimensions of the panel, and Tc is the thickness of the panel at its center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: LG. Philips Displays Korea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung-Han Jung
  • Patent number: 7176612
    Abstract: An LED device at least including a blue light emitting element having peak emission wavelength of 420 nm to 480 nm, a green fluorescent substance having peak wavelength of fluorescent spectrum in the range of 500 nm to 580 nm with the emission of the blue light emitting element, and a red light emitting element having peak emission wavelength of 600 nm to 670 nm is provided. The device may further include an ultraviolet/violet light emitting element for exciting green fluorescent substance. As a result, an LED device capable of attaining bright white light with good color reproduction characteristic is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatoshi Omoto, Masatsugu Masuda, Masaharu Kitano
  • Patent number: 7176613
    Abstract: A fluorescent display tube is disclosed. In the fluorescent display tube, linear members, such as, for example, wire grids and filament are sustained in a predetermined height, while both ends of each linear member are welded on a metal layer by ultrasonic. The fluorescent display tube includes a metal spacer for fixing the linear member and holding the linear members in an elevated position so that the dead space within the fluorescent display is reduced. The linear members are bonded on an aluminum thin films formed on the glass substrate 111 by way of the aluminum spacer. The aluminum spacer sustains the linear members in a predetermined height. Aluminum spacer acts as a member for fixing the linear member and as a height level holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Futaba Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Yonezawa, Yukio Ogawa, Yasuhiro Nohara
  • Patent number: 7176614
    Abstract: A flat panel display device includes a first substrate, an electron emission assembly formed on the first substrate, a second substrate provided at a predetermined distance from the first substrate and forming a vacuum assembly with the first substrate, and an illumination assembly formed on the second substrate, the illumination assembly being illuminated by electrons emitted from the electron emission assembly. The illumination assembly includes at least one anode electrode formed on a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate, phosphor layers formed in a predetermined pattern on the at least one anode electrode, and conductive layers formed of a carbon-based material on the phosphor layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soo-Joung Lee, Hun-Young Kim
  • Patent number: 7176615
    Abstract: A field emission device including a cathode having an electric field emitter for emitting electrons, a field emission inducing gate for inducing electron emission, and an anode for receiving the emitted electrons. A field emission suppressing gate is interposed between the cathode and the field emission inducing gate for suppressing electron emission, so that problems such as gate leakage current, electron emission due to anode voltage, and electron beam spreading of the conventional field emission device are significantly overcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Yoon Ho Song, Chi Sun Hwang, Kwang Bok Kim
  • Patent number: 7176616
    Abstract: An electroluminescence device, including phosphor particles, which phosphor particles give donor-acceptor type luminescence, and have an average equivalent sphere diameter of 1.0 ?m or more and 12.0 ?m or less and a coefficient of variation of equivalent sphere diameters of 3% or more and 30% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7176617
    Abstract: A film formation device includes a liquid material composition generating device for generating a liquid material composition containing a organic functional material, a solvent, and a surfactant, and a liquid droplet ejecting device for ejecting liquid droplets made therefrom onto a substrate P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ayae Endo, Shunichi Seki
  • Patent number: 7176618
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting display having an anti-reflective and inert cathode is provided. The cathode is made of a diamond-like carbon material to reduce ambient light reflection and increase contrast. The diamond-like carbon material is an opaque and inert material, so the cathode is anti-reflective and inert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: TPO Displays Corp.
    Inventor: Jui-Fen Pai
  • Patent number: 7176619
    Abstract: A self-luminous image display apparatus of the present invention includes an output section for displaying an image, a reflection section provided on a rear side of the output section with a reflective surface thereof facing the output section, and a light-emitting section provided on a rear side of the output section. The output section includes a linear polarization device provided so as to cover a display surface for transmitting only predetermined linearly-polarized light of ambient light, and a retardation film provided closer to the light-emitting section than the linear polarization device for turning the linearly-polarized light transmitted through the linear polarization device into circularly-polarized light. The linear polarization device has a degree of polarization greater than 70.0%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Miyachi, Motohiro Yamahara, Yoshihiro Izumi
  • Patent number: 7176620
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a substrate; an emission control circuit formed on the substrate; an insulating layer covering the control circuit; an organic light-emitting device including a first electrode and a second electrode and formed on the insulating layer; and a contact wiring structure for electrically connecting the emission control circuit and the organic light-emitting device. The contact wiring structure includes a first conductive layer made of the same material as the first electrode; a second conductive layer made of the same material as the second electrode; and a diamond-like carbon film between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignees: Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp., Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoshi Tsujimura, Atsushi Tanaka, Kohji Murayama
  • Patent number: 7176621
    Abstract: An electroluminescence display device including a substrate, a corrugated structure formed on the substrate, wherein the corrugated structure disperses light through diffraction and reflection; and a first electrode layer, a first insulation layer, a fluorescent layer, a second insulation layer, and a second electrode layer sequentially formed on the substrate to follow the shape of the corrugated structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-Rag Do, Yoon-Chang Kim, Ji-Hoon Ahn, Sang-Hwan Cho, Joon-Gu Lee
  • Patent number: 7176622
    Abstract: An organic electro-luminescence (EL) device includes a first electrode formed on a substrate and a second electrode formed to overlap with the first electrode. An organic EL layer is located between the first and second electrodes. A dielectric layer is formed between the second electrode and the EL layer. The dielectric layer contains antioxidative material, formed by a mixture of approximately 50˜75% of an organic material and approximately 25˜50% of an metallic powder. The organic electro-luminescence device demonstrates an increased picture quality and increased luminous efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD., Ltd
    Inventor: Sung Gap Im
  • Patent number: 7176623
    Abstract: A light emitting device, free from change of color even when the wavelength of a light emitting element shifts, includes a light emitting element (106) for emitting primary light having an intensity peak at a wavelength shorter than 400 nm; a silicone resin (111) provided to embed the light emitting element; and a fluorescent element (110) contained in the silicone resin to absorb the primary light and release visible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Nitta, Hiroaki Oshio, Kenji Shimomura, Tomokazu Kitajima, Nozomu Takahashi, Yuji Takahashi, Toshiya Uemura, Koichi Ota
  • Patent number: 7176624
    Abstract: An organic EL display panel has a multi-layered structure in which a first electrode and a second electrode are formed on a transparent panel and an organic EL layer is formed between the first and second electrodes. A method for sealing the organic EL display panel includes the steps of forming a buffer layer of an organic matter such as silicon oxide and silicon nitride on the transparent panel, and locating a shield cover on the buffer layer. Thus, adhesive strength between the panel and an adhesive is enhanced to prevent external humidity and oxygen from being permeated into the panel, thereby increasing life span of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Nam Kim, Jong Geon Yoon
  • Patent number: 7176625
    Abstract: Provided are a photocathode plate capable of stably achieving a high sensitive property, and an electron tube using such a photocathode plate. In a photomultiplier tube 1, an insulating layer 63 is formed between a semiconductor electron emission layer 51 in a photocathode plate 23A, and a first electrode 65 electrically connected to an electron releasing portion 59. This insulating layer 63 permits the photocathode plate 23A to be cleaned by heat cleaning at a high temperature, in a stage before formation of an active layer 61 on an exposed region of the semiconductor electron emission layer 51 in the electron releasing portion 59. This makes it feasible to effectively clean the exposed region of the semiconductor electron emission layer 51 in the electron releasing portion 59 and to stabilize the physical properties of the exposed region. In consequence, a higher sensitive property can be stably achieved in the photocathode plate 23A and in the photomultiplier tube 1 using the photocathode plate 23A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mochizuki, Minoru Niigaki, Toru Hirohata, Kuniyoshi Mori
  • Patent number: 7176626
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting mercury from leaching from a land-filled arc discharge lamp containing a quantity of elemental mercury at least partially convertible to soluble mercury, provides for including within the lamp a quantity of a non-metallic copper-containing compound and an ingredient X, said ingredient X including a noble metal or a noble metal compound selected from the group consisting of silver and compounds of silver, gold and platinum, and a lamp containing same. The inhibiting compound is preferably included with the basing cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Keith A. Klinedinst, Dennis B. Shinn
  • Patent number: 7176627
    Abstract: Fine particles of a phosphor are weighed, mixed, and filled. Provided after this step are at least one step of firing the particles in a reducing atmosphere, and a step of pulverizing, dispersing, rinsing, drying and then treating the particles in an oxygen plasma atmosphere after the last step of treatment in the reducing atmosphere. This method recovers oxygen vacancy in the host crystal of the phosphor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sugimoto, Junichi Hibino, Masaki Aoki, Yoshinori Tanaka, Hiroshi Setoguchi
  • Patent number: 7176628
    Abstract: There is disclosed a process for fabricating a positive column gas discharge plasma display device comprising one or more ionizable gas filled elongated Plasma-tubes. The display may be a dual substrate or a single substrate device. The ionizable gas typically produces photons in the UV, IR, and/or visible range during gas discharge. The photons may excite one or more phosphors located on or in close proximity to one or more Plasma-tubes. The plasma display device may contain at least one Plasma-shell that produces photons in the UV, IR, and/or visible range during gas discharge. Plasma-shell includes Plasma-disc, Plasma-dome and Plasma-sphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Imaging Systems Technology
    Inventor: Carol Ann Wedding
  • Patent number: 7176629
    Abstract: A plasma display panel (PDP) with a novel electrode structure. An integrated bus electrode located outside of the display region is connected to many image display electrodes. This integrated bus electrode is designed to be wider and thicker in order to reduce electrical resistance and thus reduce the generation of Joule heat in the periphery regions of the PDP. This integrated bus electrode is flush with the edge of the display and is connected to a flexible printed cable which connects to drivers. Alignment marks are placed on the integrated bus electrode to locate exactly where the flexible printed cable attaches to the integrated bus electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae-Woong Jang
  • Patent number: 7176630
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-pressure discharge lamp (1) provided with a discharge vessel (2) made of quartz glass which encloses a discharge space (3) having an ionizable filling and an electrode (4). The discharge vessel (2) is provided with a seal (5) which preferably encloses an Mo foil and forms a feedthrough for an electric conductor (6) to the electrode (4). At the location of the foil, the seal (5) has a gastight sealed cavity (10). According to the invention the cavity (10) is free of a capacitive coupling. This improves reliable ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V.
    Inventors: Johan Leopold Victorina Hendrix, Hubertus Cornelis Maria Van den Nieuwenhuizen, Petrus Hendrikus Antonis
  • Patent number: 7176631
    Abstract: A short arc type high pressure discharge lamp has a pair of electrodes disposed inside the lamp and facing each other, a light emitting portion encapsulating more than 0.15 mg/mm3 mercury, and sealing portions that extend to both sides of the light emitting portion, seal part of electrodes respectively, and join the electrodes and metallic foil, wherein a cross-sectional view of the metallic foil is an approximately omega shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Kanzaki
  • Patent number: 7176632
    Abstract: Operation of an HID lamp may be improved by forming a glow generating recess on an exterior side the electrode. The lamp may be of standard construction with a light transmissive lamp envelope having a wall defining an enclosed volume. At least one electrode assembly is extended in a sealed fashion from the exterior of the lamp through the lamp envelope wall to be exposed at an inner end of the electrode assembly to the enclosed volume. A metal halide lamp fill is enclosed with an inert fill gas. The inner end of the electrode is formed with a recess having a least spanning dimension S and a recess depth of D where S is greater the electron ionization mean free path but less than twice the cathode fall plus negative glow distances, throughout the glow discharge phase of starting, for the chosen fill gas composition and pressure (cold).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Alan L. Lenef, Helmar Adler, A. Bowman Budinger, Yan Ming Li
  • Patent number: 7176633
    Abstract: An arc lamp with a filter mounted internally has been disclosed. The arc lamp includes an anode, a cathode, a body defining a cavity, wherein the anode and the cathode are inside the cavity, and a filter mounted within the cavity. Other embodiments are claimed and described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Vaconics Lighting, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy D. Roberts
  • Patent number: 7176634
    Abstract: A plasma generating method generates plasma in a treating chamber by controlling a high-frequency generating unit to generate a high-frequency signal and by feeding the high-frequency signal to the treating chamber through an impedance matching device. The plasma generating method includes controlling the impedance matching device, when the plasma is generated in the treating chamber, so as to satisfy a preset matching condition, and then controlling the high-frequency generating unit to generate and feed the high-frequency signal of the power generating the plasma, to the treating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kitamura, Koichi Rokuyama, Shigeru Kasai, Takashi Ogino, Yuki Osada
  • Patent number: 7176635
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for compensating for lamp lumen depreciation. The method includes operating the lamp under rated wattage for a period towards the first part of operating life of the lamp. Operating wattage is increased at one or more later times. Energy savings are realized. The increases also restore at least some light lost by lamp lumen depreciation. The apparatus uses a timer to track operating time of the lamp. A few wattage changes made at spaced apart times can be made in a number of ways, including changing capacitance to the lamp, or using different taps on the lamp ballast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Musco Corporation
    Inventors: Myron K. Gordin, Timothy J. Boyle
  • Patent number: 7176636
    Abstract: In an electronic ballast circuit equipped with lamp presence detection means that generate a current flowing through one of the lamp electrodes the detection means are periodically switched off. The power dissipated by the lamp presence detection means is thereby reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Marcel Beij, Arnold Willem Buij
  • Patent number: 7176637
    Abstract: When a control unit is operated by a lighting control signal, when a reference voltage source unit outputs the reference voltage, voltage inputted into an error amplifier from a time constant circuit increases gradually with passage of time so as to reach the reference voltage. The error amplifier compares the voltage, which gradually increases with a power to be impressed to a lamp. An inverter circuit controls power to be supplied to the lamp according to the error signal. Thereby, the lamp power is controlled at time immediately after the lamp lighting signal is inputted. In addition, by providing a thermo-sensitive element for detecting circumference environmental temperature, it is possible to reduce influence to the light intensity due to the circumference environmental temperature. Further, the time constant circuit and the thermo-sensitive element may be provided in the detecting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Inoue, Hiroyuki Kushida, Takahiro Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 7176638
    Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit has a structure of a voltage resonance type including a transformer and a switching element to be provided on a primary side thereof as a DC—DC converting circuit for converting a DC input voltage into a desirable DC voltage. The lighting circuit further includes a control circuit serving to ON/OFF control the switching element, thereby controlling an output voltage Vout of the DC—DC converting circuit, and has a function of a current limitation related to the switching element. In the lighting circuit, if the output voltage Vout is raised, a current flowing to the switching element is limited to be decreased. Consequently, a voltage applied to the switching element can be suppressed, and furthermore, the winding ratio of the transformer does not need to be increased. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an electrical efficiency from being deteriorated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Shinji Ohta
  • Patent number: 7176639
    Abstract: An improved electronic ballast for providing an electrical energy to a fluorescent lamp circuit is provided. It includes a pre-heating inductor; a first resonant circuit connected to the pre-heating inductor in parallel and coupled to the fluorescent lamp circuit for pre-heating the fluorescent lamp circuit according to a first resonant frequency; a second resonant circuit coupled to the fluorescent lamp circuit for igniting the fluorescent lamp circuit according to a second resonant frequency; and a driving circuit coupled to the second resonant circuit for continuously providing the electrical energy to the first resonant circuit and the second resonant circuit respectively according to the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiao-Ju Hu, Chen-Yang Liu, Jian-Ping Ying
  • Patent number: 7176640
    Abstract: A control device can stably control the quantity of the emitted light of a backlight unit by means of a simple arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Tagawa
  • Patent number: 7176641
    Abstract: A heat generating portion of a heater which is incorporated in an indirectly heated cathode structure of an electron gun for a cathode ray tube is formed by joining a first winding portion and a second winding portion which differ in the number of coil winding layers and by twisting and winding a joined body in a double helical structure. The present invention allows a cathode temperature to have a high temperature and hence, it is possible to enhance the electron irradiation characteristics even when a degree of in-tube vacuum is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshifumi Komiya, Sachio Koizumi
  • Patent number: 7176642
    Abstract: A CRT electric field shield display apparatus with an FBT having a plurality of high voltage output terminals, includes an offset voltage generator generating an offset voltage to offset an electric field due to high voltages outputted from the plurality of high voltage output terminals; and an electric field shielding member disposed around the FBT and having a conductor to which the offset voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tai-hung Kim
  • Patent number: 7176643
    Abstract: Before an amount of play in a rotation transmitting system is learned, for selecting a gear range, an overshooting control process is performed to cause the angular displacement of a motor to overshoot a target gear range position and then reverse the electric motor. The angular displacement of the motor overshoots the target get gear range position by an overshooting amount that is identical to am amount by which the electric motor is reversed. The overshooting amount is set to a maximum value of a designed amount of play in the rotation transmitting system After the amount of play is learned, for selecting a gear range, a target count is established in view of the learned amount of play and the direction in which the motor rotates, and the motor is stopped at a position where an encoder pulse count coincides with the target count without performing the overshooting control process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Yamada, Shigeru Kamio, Yasushi Kobiki
  • Patent number: 7176644
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus includes an inverter circuit for converting an output voltage of a power supply into a three-phase AC and outputting the same to the brushless motor, a rotor position estimation unit for estimating a rotor position of the brushless motor, and an inverter control unit for controlling the inverter circuit so that the brushless motor is driven by a current based on the estimated rotor position. The inverter control unit determines an advance angle of the current supplied to the brushless motor with respect to the estimated rotor position so as to minimize a deviation between a command rpm and an actual rpm. Therefore, it is possible to perform stable weak field control for the brushless motor, independently from the input voltage of the inverter circuit, without using predetermined control variables such as table values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Ueda, Hideki Nakata
  • Patent number: 7176645
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an electric railcar that provides control so that when rotational speed of a motor decreases below a required value, torque of the motor will decrease at a required rate of change, a current limiter for limiting a torque current command “(A)Iqp” output from a current command arithmetic unit is provided to ensure that when the rotational speed of the motor decreases below the required value, the torque current command will be limited to a command value “(B)Iqp” smaller than that command value, and to ensure that a carrier frequency at which PWM signals are created when switching elements of the electric power converter are controlled by carrier generator is controlled to become lower than a carrier frequency existing when the rotational speed of the motor decreases below the required value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motomi Shimada, Akira Horie
  • Patent number: 7176646
    Abstract: A transformer section transforms a primary voltage and outputs secondary voltage. A control section inputs a first signal indicating a state of electricity supply of a primary power source through an in-vehicle network. The transformer section outputs a second signal indicating a state of electricity supply of the transformer section. When the input of the first signal is disrupted, the control section limits the driving electricity supplied to the steering motor based on at least one of a value of the secondary voltage and the electricity supply state of the transformer section indicated by the second signal. Accordingly, driving electricity is stably supplied with the steering motor with a simple configuration even if the input of the first signal is disrupted due to a failure in the in-vehicle network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignees: Favess Co., Ltd., Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha, Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahide Iwazawa
  • Patent number: 7176647
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling the speed of security gate depending on its length is disclosed. It includes a system for determining the length of a gate that the system is working with and which automatically sets the speed of movement of the gate based on length. The system works automatically so that human intervention is not necessary to set the optimal speed once installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Parsadayan, Wayne C. Hom
  • Patent number: 7176648
    Abstract: An energy management control apparatus for a molding machine that includes a first electrically-driven prime mover configured to drive at least a first molding machine device, and a second electrically-driven prime mover configured to drive at least a second molding machine device, includes a common DC link configured to provide DC energy to the first electrically-driven prime mover and to the second electrically-driven prime mover. A slave axis is configured to supply and absorb energy from to/from the common DC link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Christopher Wai-Ming Choi
  • Patent number: 7176649
    Abstract: When torque of a DC motor is dropped down to zero at a stop position, force is generated by deformation of a member for transmitting the torque of the DC motor. The force moves the driven body which is in the stopped state, which results in a shift of the driven body from the stop position. Therefore, a process for stopping the driven body is performed according to the amount of shift by an encoder which periodically outputs a pulse signal according to movement of the driven body, a unit for acquiring velocity information and position information of the driven body based on the pulse signal, a controlling unit for controlling a moving unit based on the velocity information and the position information, and a unit for calculating the amount of shift, which is caused by the force generated by the deformation of the member for transmitting the torque, at the stop position of the driven body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michiharu Shoji, Hiroyuki Saito, Nobutsune Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7176650
    Abstract: An electrical machine is controlled without using a physical rotor position detector. Rotor position is estimated by an algorithm which receives feedback from a parameter which represents the behavior of a phase of the machine. Before the algorithm estimates position, it checks the value of the parameter to ensure that the phase is healthy. In the event of the parameter indicating that the phase is faulty, the algorithm does not attempt to estimate position from that phase, thereby avoiding the generation of faulty position data. Operation of the machine may be continued using only the healthy phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Switched Reluctance Drives Limited
    Inventor: Peter Richard Mayes
  • Patent number: 7176651
    Abstract: An inverter fault detection system of the present invention is provided with: bus voltage monitor means for monitoring the bus voltage of a three-phase inverter; output voltage monitor means for summing the phase output voltages coming from the three-phase PWM inverter, and for outputting the resulting summed output voltage through a filter having a low-pass characteristic of passing through only the cutoff frequency lower than the PWM carrier frequency; and fault determination means for determining that the three-phase PWM inverter is in the faulty state when the output voltage coming from the output voltage monitor means is almost the same as the voltage value corresponding to 3/2 times of the bus voltage monitored by the bus voltage monitor means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Kifuku, Masaki Matsushita
  • Patent number: 7176652
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a motor control apparatus having excellent harmonic current control performance, that can simplify circuit configuration and circuit processing while, at the same time, achieving improved control accuracy. To achieve this object, detected motor currents are converted by coordinate converters 19 and 20 into an nth-order dq-axis signal and an mth-order dq-axis signal, and their DC components are extracted by low-pass filters 22 and 23; then, the differences of the DC components relative to respective command values are converted back into three-phase AC signals to control the motor currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Wakabayashi, Soichi Yoshinaga
  • Patent number: 7176653
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric motor drive for operating an alternating-current motor. The electric motor drive comprises a frequency converter for controlling the motor, which frequency converter comprises a rectifier and an inverter implemented using semiconductor switches arranged in a bridge, and an intermediate circuit placed between the rectifier and the inverter and comprising a capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Patent number: 7176654
    Abstract: A method and system for battery charging. In some aspects, an electrical combination comprises a first battery having a Lithium-based chemistry, the first battery having a first nominal voltage in a nominal voltage range, a second battery having a Lithium-based chemistry, the second battery having a second nominal voltage, the second nominal voltage being different than the first nominal voltage and being outside of the nominal voltage range, and a battery charger operable to charge the first battery and the second battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Gary D. Meyer, Jay J. Rosenbecker, Kevin L. Glasgow, Todd W. Johnson, Karl F. Scheucher
  • Patent number: 7176655
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a communication port integral with a battery pack assembly is disclosed. The system provides a pathway between an external unit and a host unit via a printed circuit board of the battery pack. The battery pack can include communication ports mounted on the printed circuit board for interfacing with external units. The printed circuit board further includes a substrate(s) formed with a predetermined wiring pattern electrically and/or mechanically joined to the CPU of the host unit, as well as the battery cell(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Eduard Kogan, Vladimir Yakhnich
  • Patent number: 7176656
    Abstract: A handheld tool has an attached position in which the tool is removably attached to a battery pack. The battery pack has an auxiliary battery and output terminals for outputting electricity from the auxiliary battery. The tool includes a load and a primary battery. Input terminals of the tool are configured to connect to the battery output terminals when the tool is in the attached position. A circuit is connected to the load, the primary battery and the input terminals. The circuit is configured to power the load solely from the primary battery when the housing is not in the attached position, and to power the load from both the primary and auxiliary batteries in series when the housing is in the attached position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Campbell Hausfeld/Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: William Mark Feldmann
  • Patent number: 7176657
    Abstract: When a primary winding current increases to an upper limit determined by a reference voltage having a soft-start characteristic, a power switch is turned OFF. When a secondary winding current decreases to a lower limit determined by another predetermined reference voltage, the power switch is turned ON. A minimum ON-time limiting unit prevents the power switch from being turned OFF before a minimum ON-time expires. The minimum ON-time may be provided with a soft-start modulation. A minimum OFF-time limiting unit prevents the power switch from being turned ON before a minimum OFF-time expires. A maximum ON-time limiting unit prevents the power switch from still remaining ON after a maximum ON-time expires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Aimtron Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Rong-Chin Lee, Ching-Kun Lin, Ching-Sung Wu
  • Patent number: 7176658
    Abstract: The invention is a control system that, among other things, controls a permanent magnet alternator and provides relatively accurate voltage regulation. The control system may include one or more of the following: (1) a rectification system to rectify and regulate the output voltage of an alternator, (2) a rectifier/limiter used as an electrical power source to a boost type regulator, (3) a multimode rectifier/limiter, (4) a DC to AC inverter bridge, and (5) power switches employed in the system to minimize the switching energy that would otherwise be dissipated in the power switches as heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Magnetic Applications Inc.
    Inventors: Fazle Quazi, Harold C. Scott, Stewart C. Koch
  • Patent number: 7176659
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrical power supply system for an automotive vehicle with high reliability and small size in which an adequate power is supplied to both a high power load like a blower motor and a conventional load like a battery by using a conventional alternator. The power supply system for the automotive vehicle comprises: an alternator with an armature winding and a field coil, a stepping-up DC/DC converter for applying a stepped up voltage of a battery to the field coil, a regulator for controlling an output voltage of the alternator by changing the output voltage in response to a rotating speed for supplying a power to the high power load, and for controlling the output voltage to be a charging voltage of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihito Asao, Hirofumi Watanabe, Katsumi Adachi, Shirou Iwatani, Kyoji Matsumura, Tuneji Goda