Patents Issued in May 15, 2007
  • Patent number: 7218246
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a map display device that makes full use of historic records of the input addresses of previously retrieved points, thereby simplifying the process for inputting an address of a point near a previously retrieved point and thereby facilitating easy point retrieval. The map display device for retrieving a point at an input address and for displaying a map that covers the retrieved point includes storage means for storing historic records of the input addresses of the previously retrieved points in a hierarchy of administrative district levels, and a control means for displaying an input page through which an address is input on an administrative hierarchical basis as well as for displaying an administrative district name of a previously retrieved point as a hierarchy of administrative levels or item fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wataru Chiba
  • Patent number: 7218247
    Abstract: A brief numerical keypad is constructed to include four number keys aligned in X-axis and Y-axis directions and abutted against one another, each expressing one of the numbers from 1˜9, a plurality of double-bridging operation portions respectively bridging the abutted area of each two adjacent number keys, each double-bridging operation portion expressing a number equal to the sum of the numerals of the respective two abutted number keys, and a plurality of triple-bridging operation portions respectively bridging the abutted area of each three adjacent number keys, each triple-bridging operation portion expressing a number equal to the sum of the numerals of the respective three abutted number keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventor: Chiou-Haun Lee
  • Patent number: 7218248
    Abstract: A system and method for switching input modes is disclosed that includes receiving an input signal from an input device and determining whether the input signal is a data signal or a command signal. A present value of a counter is also determined if the input signal is a data signal. If the present value of the counter is not greater than zero, an output signal having a first value type is produced. If the present value of the counter is greater than zero, then the present value of the counter is decremented and an output signal having a second value type is produced. Additional aspects of the present invention relate to input devices utilized in switching between the input modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yuan Kong, Pawin Suthapong
  • Patent number: 7218249
    Abstract: A hand-held communication device provides navigation key-based predictive text entry. The hand-held communication device includes a housing generally sized to be held in a human hand having a display disposed for displaying characters selectable for entry in a character position of a text string being entered and a navigation key assembly for scrolling through and selecting from the characters displayed by the display. The characters displayed by the display during text entry are arranged according to the probability of selection of each character for entry in the character position so that the character with the highest probability of selection is selected with a single input from the navigation key assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Lovleen Chadha
  • Patent number: 7218250
    Abstract: A method for providing debounce and jog control for a keyboard includes loading a first electronic storage register with a value indicative of a debounce period for the keyboard and loading a second electronic storage register with a value indicative of a jog period for the keyboard. The keyboard is scanned for a pressed key, and a signal indicative of the pressed key is debounced. The method further includes providing electronic signals for key status and jog and asserting an interrupt in accordance with the indicated debounce period and the indicated jog period while the debounced signal indicates the pressed key is down. Keys of the keyboard other than the pressed key are prevented from being scanned until the debounced signal indicates that the pressed key has come up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward Robert Laliberte, William Todd Shelton
  • Patent number: 7218251
    Abstract: It is intended to remove a risk of illegal high quality restoration while enabling trial viewing of contents such as music, to make it possible to reproduce contents with high quality by acquiring a relatively small amount of data, and to make it possible to implement hardware at a lower cost. To generate trial listening data containing dummy data, a pseudo random number R is generated first. A remainder r of R divided by 128 is calculated. The remainder r is coded and incorporated into high sound quality restoration data. A bandwidth limitation region of trial listening data is replaced by dummy data starting from its rth bit. As a result, the head position of the dummy data in the trial listening data varies frame by frame, whereby the safety of the trial listening data can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kyoya Tsutsui, Naoya Haneda, Kenzo Akagiri
  • Patent number: 7218252
    Abstract: A system and method for converting character sets are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes populating a conversion character array based on a character string and a conversion character string, with the character string represented in a first character set and the conversion character string comprising the character string represented in a second character set. A conversion status array is populated for the character string at least partially based on the conversion character array. A dataset is then selected and the dataset is represented in the first character set. The dataset is converted into the second character set based, at least in part, on the conversion character array and the conversion status array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Computer Associates Think, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott A. Fauque
  • Patent number: 7218253
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and system to reduce the area and power dissipation in digital filters or multipliers. Compared to radix-4 Booth coding the proposed method reduces the number of partial products by one, if the input signal has certain limits on its range. One exemplary application is echo cancellation in a full duplex pulse amplitude modulation system with 10 levels (PAM-10). Echo cancellation may be achieved by calculating a digital replica of the echo from the transmission channel. The replica signal may be calculated in a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which multiplies the transmitted signal with estimates of the echo coefficients of the transmission channel. The replica signal may be subtracted from the received signal to create an echo-free receive signal. The disclosed method may reduce the number of partial products between the PAM-10 transmit signal and each echo coefficient from three, when radix-4 Booth coding is used, to two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Christian Lutkemeyer
  • Patent number: 7218254
    Abstract: A coder is fed with precoded data such that the absolute value of the running digital sum (RDS) of the code words as produced by the coder is limited. This is achieved by ensuring that in a group of 2 code words, the RDS of the first code word is compensated by the RDS of the second code word. The RDS at the end of the second code word is then zero and the excursions of the RDS from the start of the first code word until the end of the second code word are limited because there are only a limited number of bits that can contribute to an increase of the absolute value of the RDS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklike Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Josephus Arnoldus Henricus Maria Kahlman
  • Patent number: 7218255
    Abstract: A communications channel includes a buffer that receives symbols of user data including a plurality of M-bit symbols. A seed selector receives the M-bit symbols of the user data, selectively removes symbols of the user data from a seed set, and selects a scrambling seed from symbols remaining in the seed set. A scrambling device that communicates with the seed selector and the data buffer generates scrambled user data using the user data and the selected scrambling seed. A Hamming weight coding device determines a Hamming weight of symbols of the scrambled user data and selectively codes the symbols depending upon the determined Hamming weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Weishi Feng, Zhan Yu
  • Patent number: 7218256
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for decoding a sequence of code words into a sequence of data words. Each code word includes an encoded data word and an indicator bit. The encoded data word is extracted unchanged into a respective unencoded data word if an indicator bit has a first binary value and is extracted into the unencoded data word and then complemented if the indicator bit has a second, opposite binary value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Chandra C. Varanasi, Kinhing P. Tsang
  • Patent number: 7218257
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for variable length coding are provided. The apparatus for variable length coding includes a central processing unit which has a software module programmed in advance for variable length coding in a predetermined method, performs variable length coding of input symbol data by using the software module, and generates variable length code information. The apparatus further includes a bitstream processor which is a separate processor receiving the variable length code information from the central processing unit and generating a bitstream. According to the apparatus and method, modification or addition of a VLC table can be more easily performed through downloading software such that new video data coding standards can be easily supported. Also, by implementing the bitstream processor as a separate dedicated processor and thus implementing variable length coding as a software module, load to the central processing unit is reduced and high speed processing is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-sun Choi, Kang-wook Chun
  • Patent number: 7218258
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide a method and system for a mixed analog-digital automatic gain control. The received analog signal is amplified by the analog amplifier and then converted to a digital value by an ADC. A clamp reference level of the converted signal is removed prior to applying a digital gain to a digital multiplied. Once the digital gain is applied, the clamp reference level is restored to the digital signal. A loop filter determines the system time response from the error between an amplitude parameter of the received signal and an AGC reference level. A gain separation circuit generates the system gain and separates it into a digital gain and an analog gain in a way to maximize the use of the analog amplifier. The analog gain is applied to the analog amplifier and the digital gain is applied to the digital multiplier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Brad Delanghe, Aleksandr Movshovich
  • Patent number: 7218259
    Abstract: A method of operating a digital to analog converter comprising the steps of operating the converter in a first mode to obtain a first conversion result, operating the converter in a correction mode in which one or more correction conversions are made, and wherein each correction conversion takes the result of a preceding result as a valid starting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Peter Hurrell, Gary Robert Carreau
  • Patent number: 7218260
    Abstract: A column analog-to-digital (ADC) circuit for preventing a sun black effect in a CMOS image sensor (CIS) is provided. The ADC circuit includes: a comparator having a signal voltage input port and a reference voltage input port, comparing a reset voltage output from one of a plurality of CIS pixels with a reference voltage in a reset sampling period, and outputting an overflow sensing signal when the reset voltage is lower than the reference voltage; and a digital converter converting the output of the comparator into digital data, wherein the digital converter comprises a first latch storing the overflow sensing signal and outputting a flag signal indicating an overflow in response to the overflow sensing signal in a signal sampling period, when the overflow sensing signal is output from the comparator in a first portion of the reset sampling period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Su-Hun Lim
  • Patent number: 7218261
    Abstract: A method of adjusting a sampling condition to generate a sampling clock in an analog to digital converter includes performing an analog to digital conversion on an analog input signal to thereby produce a digital sampled signal having a plurality of samples; calculating a difference value between two adjacent samples in the digital sampled signal; comparing the difference value with a threshold; adding the difference value into a sum of differences value if the difference value is greater than the threshold; and generating the sampling clock for the analog to digital converter according to the sum of differences value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Jin-Sheng Gong, Yu-Pin Kuo, Yu-Pin Chou, Hung-Jen Chu
  • Patent number: 7218262
    Abstract: A 6-bit output code word is generated in response to every 4-bit input code word by referring to a set of encoding tables. The encoding tables contain output code words assigned to input code words, and contain encoding-table designation information accompanying each output code word. The encoding-table designation information designates an encoding table among the encoding tables which is used next to generate an output code word immediately following the output code word accompanied with the encoding-table designation information. The generated output code words are sequentially connected into a sequence of the generated output code words which follows predetermined run length limiting rules (1, k)RLL, where “k” denotes a predetermined natural number between 7 and 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Hayami
  • Patent number: 7218263
    Abstract: A system (10) and method that generate bit-streams that result in higher compression gains. The system is akin to a normal 1-bit SDM. Internally, the system (10) tries to find the best possible bit sequence by tracing N possible solutions at every time instant. In an implementation, the system has N>I trellis path structures (20). Every path is used to track a possible output bitstream. The quality of a bitstream is determined by measuring the (frequency weighted) difference between input and output; it is this measure that is reduced or minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Erwin Janssen, Derk Reefman
  • Patent number: 7218264
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of analog stages. Each stage produces, in response to analog input, a digital output that corresponds to a most significant bit of the stage's input and an analog output that corresponds to the remainder of the input. The input of each stage except the first stage is the analog output of the preceding stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventor: Mordechai Shefer
  • Patent number: 7218265
    Abstract: A CMOS image capture device includes an array of pixel elements configured to convert an image received as light at a surface thereof into analog output signals. An image processing circuit is also provided. The image processing circuit is configured to generate digital output signals from which the image can be recreated in response to the analog output signals. The image processing circuit has self-adjustable gain characteristics. The image processing circuit includes a ramp signal generator having an integration circuit therein with an adjustable RC time constant. The integration circuit includes an operational amplifier and a resistor array and/or a capacitor array electrically coupled to the operational amplifier. This resistor array and/or capacitor array enables the adjustable RC time constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-seob Roh, Jung-hyun Nam
  • Patent number: 7218266
    Abstract: An electromagnetic wave absorber for use in the high frequency range above 1 Ghz and a composite member are characterized by the fact that magnetic metal grains are covered with ceramic above 20 volume %. Further, a method of manufacturing the electromagnetic absorber and the composite member is characterized by the fact that composite magnetic particles, in which a plurality of magnetic metal grains and ceramic are unified, are formed through a mechanical alloying method applied to a composite powder composed of magnetic metal powder and ceramic powder. The electromagnetic wave absorber can be used in a semiconductor device, an optical sending module, an optical receiving module, an optical sending and receiving module, an automatic tollgate in which erroneous operation due to electromagnetic wave disturbance is provided by use of the electromagnetic wave absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Fujieda, Shinzou Ikeda, Sai Ogawa, Teruyoshi Abe, Yasuhisa Aono
  • Patent number: 7218267
    Abstract: Method and system to identify, verify and remediate subterranean anomalies. Infrared (IR) thermographic scanning [10] of a selected surface area obtains image area data [12, 14] inferring such an anomaly. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is used [22] at predetermined surface locations penetrates subterraneously to a depth including the anomaly, creating vertical dimension radar data [120] showing anomaly depth. Surface image IR data is correlated with GPR data to verify the anomaly and its vertical dimension and finds [124] a central location in the anomaly. Anomaly volume is predetermined from the area data and vertical-dimension data. Grout injected [26, 124] into the central location at first pressure secures the anomaly by surrounding the central location. After verifying centrally securement, more grout is injected [32, 126] into the anomaly region at second pressure at least as great as the first pressure until the total grout injected approximates the predetermined anomaly volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventor: Gary J. Weil
  • Patent number: 7218268
    Abstract: A synthetic aperture radar system uses RF bandwidth and Doppler beam sharpening principles to develop fine altitude and along-track resolutions. To achieve accurate cross-track position measurements the system and method exploit a combination of modes based on a novel antenna pattern combination. The unique arrangement of the antenna patterns allows the radar to process terrain elevation measurements in three independent modes, namely, time-delay response (TDR), amplitude monopulse (AM) and phase monopulse (PM). The additional modes address the interfering scatter problem and the calibration issues required for practical and cost effective operation. The approach also maximizes the number of terrain measurements made per look, thereby reducing the impact of errors and noise through averaging and “voting” (i.e., the comparison of measurements and discarding of “outliers”).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Veridian Systems
    Inventor: Norman VandenBerg
  • Patent number: 7218269
    Abstract: A method for enlarging the interference-free dynamic range of non-linear signal-processing components in receiver systems, in the conversion of input frequencies fin into output frequencies fout. According to the invention, at least one linear combination of at least one input frequency fin,t, fin,b and a fixed, predetermined oscillator fLOn of the components is calculated from the output signal of the component, for at least one output frequency fout,s, fout1,s, fouts,2, which combination is compared with any desired output frequency fout,t of the component, whereby the output frequency fout,s, fout1,s, fouts,2 is then recognized as a spur and eliminated from the output signal of the component, if the calculated linear combination corresponds to any desired output frequency fout,t of the component, within a frequency and power range that can be predetermined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Holger Gottscheber
  • Patent number: 7218270
    Abstract: A-Track is a tracking process that is driven by automatic target recognition techniques (ATR), mobility analysis using digital maps and exploitation of other constraining information. It is structured as an optimization problem amenable to the formalism from classical relaxation labeling algorithm. The novel combination of techniques in A-Track provides a new approach to the temporal problem of establishing and extending target tracks through a sliding time window involving a sequence of multiple data frames. A data frame is a collection of sensor reports taken from one scan of a predetermined surveillance area that is being systematically and repeatedly scanned over time. The relative time differences between reports within a frame are generally much smaller than the time difference between different frames. A-Track is especially designed to handle cases having relatively large time intervals between frames that cause problems for conventional tracking algorithms based on predictive models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Louis A. Tamburino
  • Patent number: 7218271
    Abstract: A system for processing vehicle speed data for a vehicle is provided. The system includes a front antenna assembly of the vehicle generating a front digital signal, and a rear antenna assembly of the vehicle generating a rear digital signal. A fast Fourier transform system converts the front digital signal into front frequency shift data and the rear digital signal into rear frequency shift data. A patrol speed system matches the front frequency shift data and the rear frequency shift data and generates a vehicle speed for the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Aker, Alan B. Mead, Robert S. Gammenthaler, Robert V. Vanman
  • Patent number: 7218272
    Abstract: Reducing antenna boresight error includes receiving radar pulses reflected from the ground, where pulses are emitted from the antenna of a radar system, reflected by the ground, and received by the antenna. The return pulses carry information about the ground. Measurement indices are established from radar and platform parameters, and a clutter spectrum is generated from the return pulse information. The amplitude of the clutter spectrum is measured at each of the measurement indices. Whether there is an amplitude imbalance is established in accordance with the measured amplitudes. An error estimate describing an antenna boresight error is determined if there is an amplitude imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: David L. Steinbauer
  • Patent number: 7218273
    Abstract: A technique for boresighting an antenna mounted on a moving platform is described. The technique uses a concurrently moving calibration target. Target navigation data and platform navigation data are used to compensate for movement of the target and the platform. The antenna pointing direction is biased in a direction which provides a best signal quality, and the bias used to determine antenna boresight calibration factors. The boresight correction factors can be used for open loop pointing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: L3 Communications Corp.
    Inventors: James B. Webster, Jr., LaMar K Timothy, Fred M. Strohacker
  • Patent number: 7218274
    Abstract: System and method for detection and tracking of targets, which in a preferred embodiment is based on the use of fractional Fourier transformation of time-domain signals to compute projections of the auto and cross ambiguity functions along arbitrary line segments. The efficient computational algorithms of the preferred embodiment are used to detect the position and estimate the velocity of signals, such as those encountered by active or passive sensor systems. Various applications of the proposed algorithm in the analysis of time-frequency domain signals are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventors: Orhan Arikan, Ahmet Kemal Ozdemir
  • Patent number: 7218275
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a system for optimizing location-based services by adjusting the maximum antenna range of a wireless base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gyuyoung Han
  • Patent number: 7218276
    Abstract: A positional information determining apparatus capable of reducing power consumption markedly in simple structure in radio transmission of positioning results to a navigation device. Satellite waves S1 to S4 are received from a plurality of GPS satellites 2 to 5 and analyzed at prescribed time intervals, thus obtaining positional data D5 denoting own current position. Only when positional data D5 can be determined, the positional data D5 is transmitted by radio to the navigation device that uses the positional data D5. Thus it is made possible to reduce power consumption with certainty because radio transmission is made only when positional data D5 can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koichiro Teranishi
  • Patent number: 7218277
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus, method, and computer-executable program for detecting antenna failures in directional antennas. In particular, the present invention compares a bearing calculated from received positional data concerning a target to the bearing of the target determined using the directional antenna. If the calculated bearing and the determined bearing differ by greater than a predetermined amount, it is determined that there is an antenna failure. In this way, bearing information determined by the directional antenna is compared against a piece of known data in order to determine if the antenna is functioning properly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Dean Smith
  • Patent number: 7218278
    Abstract: The invention relates to a procedure for guiding an aircraft in the approach phase comprising of receiving information on a predefined approach path, this information being contained in a message M4 originating from a ground beacon transmitting on the same transmission channel as that of a beacon of a GBAS type positioning accuracy augmentation system, receiving differential positioning radio satellite signals, and correction information from these satellite radio signals in the form of a message M1? originating from a ground central station of an SBAS type positioning accuracy augmentation system, via geostationary satellites of this augmentation system, calculating a corrected position based on the positioning signals and correction information, calculating an elevation and horizontal guidance deviation of the aircraft relative to the predefined approach path, based on the corrected position and information on the predefined approach path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: Jean-Pierre Arethens
  • Patent number: 7218279
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for pointing the beams (63–67) of a wind profiler comprising a stationary antenna matrix (61) with several individual antenna elements (62). According to the method an input signal is fed to the antenna matrix (61), and the phase of the input signal is adjusted for the individual antenna elements (62) in order to point the beam (63–67) of the profiler. In accordance with the invention separate feeder lines for each beam are used for feeding the signals to the antenna elements (62), and the phase differences between the individual antenna elements (62) are controlled with hybrid coupler elements (3, 4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Vaisala Oyj
    Inventors: Juha Salmivaara, Petri Haapanen, Pentti Karhunen
  • Patent number: 7218280
    Abstract: A radiating antenna element intended for small-sized radio devices and a method for manufacturing the same. The element (300) is manufactured of a plate comprising a dielectric substrate coated with conductive material on one side. The radiating conductor branches corresponding to the operating bands of the antenna are formed on the plate by removing the conductive coating by laser narrowly from the border line of the area (330) between the designed conductor branches. The conductor area confined by the created border groove can be used as a parasitic additional radiator. If needed, the conductor area confined by the border groove (331) can also be split into a number of small conductor areas (CA1, CA2), in order to make sure that the conductor area does not radiate or have any substantial effect on the coupling between the radiating conductor branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Pulse Finland Oy
    Inventors: Petteri Annamaa, Matti Niemi, Kimmo Antila, Ilkka Niemela
  • Patent number: 7218281
    Abstract: A method for guiding waves over objects, a method for improving a performance of an antenna, and a method for improving a performance of a radar are disclosed. The methods disclosed teach how an impedance structure can be used to guide waves over objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel F. Sievenpiper, Joseph S. Colburn, Bryan Ho Lim Fong, Matthew W. Ganz, Mark F. Gyure, Jonathan J. Lynch, John Ottusch, John L. Visher
  • Patent number: 7218282
    Abstract: An antenna device includes a first radiation electrode having an open end and a short-circuited end connected to ground and being coupled to a feed line at a feeding point. Furthermore, the antenna device has a second radiation electrode having an open end and a short-circuited end connected to ground, wherein a portion of the second radiation electrode is part of an electric circuit. The first radiation electrode, the feed line and the electric circuit are arranged such that an alternating current through the feed line to the short-circuited end of the first radiation electrode, for feeding the second radiation electrode, induces an alternating current into the electric circuit via magnetic coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Harald Humpfer, Rainer Wansch
  • Patent number: 7218283
    Abstract: A flat base plate sits atop a motor-vehicle panel and is formed with a mounting pin extending downward through the panel. A flat antenna circuit board sits on the base plate, and a connector cable extends upward through the pin and through the base plate and is connected to the circuit board. A one-piece mounting element is unitarily formed with an upper face and latch legs projecting upward from the upper face and having barb ends latchingly engageable with the circuit board to retain the circuit board on the upper face. It is further unitarily formed with a lower face and latch legs projecting downward from the lower face through the base plate and roof panel and having barb ends latchingly engageable with the roof panel to hold the circuit board and base plate down against the roof panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Hirschmann Electronics GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Stefan Nagel
  • Patent number: 7218284
    Abstract: An antenna unit includes an antenna module that receives radio waves sent from a satellite or earth, a cover member that has enough inner space to house the antenna module and has an opened bottom surface, and a bottom plate that closes the opened bottom surface of the cover member, and the antenna unit is attached to a resin-made attachment part. A metal sheet is provided on a back surface side of the resin-made attachment part, and the antenna unit is adhesive bonded and fixed on a surface side of the resin-made attachment part correspondingly to an arrangement position of the metal sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Aizawa, Junichi Noro, Kyuichi Sato, Yuichi Saito
  • Patent number: 7218285
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for radiating radar signals, communication signals, or other similar signals. In one embodiment, a system includes a controller that generates a control signal and an antenna coupled to the controller. The antenna includes a first component that generates at least one wave based on the generated control signal and a metamaterial lens positioned at some predefined focal length from the first component. The metamaterial lens directs the generated at least one wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Mark R. Davis, Robert B. Greegor, Kin Li, Jean A. Nielsen, Claudio G. Parazzoli, Minas H. Tanielian
  • Patent number: 7218286
    Abstract: A hollow waveguide group antenna comprises a hollow waveguide extending in a direction in space and a plurality of chambers, each of which has a sending/receiving slit and is coupled to the hollow waveguide by a coupling slit. The sending/receiving slits are distributed at a fixed distance from each other, and the distribution of the coupling slits in the direction in space at the transversal hollow waveguide is selected differently from the distribution of the sending/receiving slits such that a wave propagating at the working frequency excites the sending/receiving slits with amplitudes and phases suitable for realizing a sector direction characteristic. The fixed distance is approximately 0.5?0 for 90° sector direction characteristic and approximately 0.64 ?0 for a 45° sector direction characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventor: Marco Munk
  • Patent number: 7218287
    Abstract: A dipole antenna (1) includes a first radiating trace (21) and a first grounding trace (31) respectively extending in substantially opposite directions, a second radiating trace (22) extending from an end of the first radiating trace in a direction which substantially perpendicular to the first radiating trace, and a second grounding trace (32) extending from an end of the first grounding trace in an opposite direction to the second radiating trace. The total length of the first and second radiating traces are ¼ operating wavelength of the dipole antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Chen-Ta Hung, Wen-Fong Su, Lung-Sheng Tai
  • Patent number: 7218288
    Abstract: An antenna comprising a rectangular reflector; first and second dipole antennae disposed in front of the reflector and aligned parallel to the long edge of the reflector; rod-shaped first metal conductors arranged parallel to the first and second dipole antennae and separated from the dipole antennae by a distance X1 to the outside in the direction parallel to the short edge of the reflector, and separated by a distance Y1 in the direction perpendicular to the reflector; and rod-shaped second metal conductors disposed at a position separated from the dipole antennae by a distance X2 greater than distance X1 to the outside with respect to each other, and separated by a distance Y2 greater than distance Y1 forward in the direction perpendicular to the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuko Kimura
  • Patent number: 7218289
    Abstract: A high-performance portable microwave communication unit, consists of a directional antenna, RF transceiver and high-speed data/video processing unit for use in terrestrial point-to-point communications or as a ground station in a satellite communication system. For transportation, the unit is disassembled, folded down and stowed in two airline-checkable hard-shell cases. Each case can be equipped with shoulder straps such that it can be carried like a backpack, a set of wheels so it can be rolled, attached to a MOLLE frame so that it can be carried as a backpack and which allows attachment of accessories. The cases and their interiors have been designed to provide protection for the communication unit, while the construction of the unit itself involves novel mechanical features that allow for compact stowage as well as for rapid disassembly and assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Norsat International Inc.
    Inventors: Sasa Trajko Trajkovic, Petrus Bezuidenhout, Michael John Schefter, Pervez Rafique Siddiqui, Glen Allan Dwornik, Leonard Albert Russell
  • Patent number: 7218291
    Abstract: A fragment processor includes a fragment shader distributor, a fragment shader collector, and a plurality of fragment shader pipelines. Each fragment shader pipeline executes a fragment shader program on a segment of fragments. The plurality of fragment shader pipelines operate in parallel, executing the same or different fragment shader programs. The fragment shader distributor receives a stream of fragments from a rasterization unit and dispatches a portion of the stream of fragments to a selected fragment shader pipeline until the capacity of the selected fragment shader pipeline is reached. The fragment shader distributor then selects another fragment shader pipeline. The capacity of each of the fragment shader pipelines is limited by several different resources. As the fragment shader distributor dispatches fragments, it tracks the remaining available resources of the selected fragment shader pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Karim M. Abdalla, Emmett M. Kilgariff, Rui M. Bastos
  • Patent number: 7218292
    Abstract: A method of driving a plasma display panel including (A) a first substrate including a first electrode, and a second electrode extending in parallel with the first electrode and defining a display area with the first electrode therebetween, and (B) a second substrate including a third electrode facing the first and second electrodes and extending perpendicularly to the first and second electrodes, includes (a) applying a serrate voltage having an inclined waveform in which a voltage varies with the lapse of time, to the first and/or second electrodes, and (b) applying a preliminary charge-eliminating pulse voltage to the first and/or second electrodes after the a charge-eliminating discharge has been generated due to the serrate voltage, wherein the preliminary charge-eliminating pulse voltage eliminates electric charges only when electric charges have not been sufficiently eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Yukinori Kashio, Mitsuhiro Ishizuka, Shinya Tsuchida, Takatoshi Shoji, Koji Hashimoto, Akihiro Ueki
  • Patent number: 7218293
    Abstract: When the ambient temperature of an organic electroluminescent display device is a low temperature, a capacitive charge driving method is performed to supply a constant current to a column electrode after performing capacitance charge and then apply a constant voltage to the column electrode to turn off a pixel; and when the ambient temperature is room temperature or a high temperature, an electric charge control driving method is performed to supply a constant current to the data electrode and then place the column electrode in a high impedance state. In the electric charge control driving method, a driving section is set in a selection period so as to be shorter than the selection period, and the amount of electric charges supplied to the pixel in the driving section is controlled depending on a required luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: OPTREX Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kato
  • Patent number: 7218294
    Abstract: A light emitting device capable of suppressing drop in luminance or luminance unevenness of a light emitting element due to deterioration of an electro luminescent material and capable of switching an image direction vertically to horizontally without a frame memory additionally provided. The light emitting device of the invention comprises in each pixel first to fourth transistors, a light emitting element, and a signal line. The first transistor and the second transistor control the connection between the signal line and a gate of the third transistor, the fourth transistor controls a current value supplied to the light emitting element, and the third transistor selects whether the current is supplied to the light emitting element or not. Further, the first transistor and the second transistor are switched separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Mitsuaki Osame, Yu Yamazaki, Aya Anzai
  • Patent number: 7218295
    Abstract: A driving method for an active matrix OLED display. In the driving method, a first current is provided to flow through an OLED of a pixel in a first period of one display period, according to a video signal on the data electrode and a scan signal on the scan electrode. Next, a second current is provided to flow through the OLED in a second period of the display period to neutralize carrier accumulation inside the OLED, wherein the first current and the second current flow in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventor: Chao-Chin Sung
  • Patent number: 7218296
    Abstract: A driving circuit of active matrix organic electroluminescence diode is disclosed. Each pixel includes three TFTs and two capacitors. A gate of scan reset TFT is controlled by the scan line of the row where the pixel is located and a drain of scan reset TFT is connected to the data line of the column where the pixel is situated. Detect TFT is controlled by one Threshold-Lock line. One capacitor Cd is used to store data voltage (Vdata) of image signals and the other capacitor Ct is used to store the threshold voltage (Vth) of driving TFT. Therefore, the sum of capacitors Cd and Ct will drive the driving TFT to output the corresponding current to the organic electroluminescence element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Wintek Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Chun Wang, Chien-Chung Kuo, Shin-Tai Lo, Hsi-Rong Han, Wen-Tui Liao