Patents Issued in September 18, 2007
  • Patent number: 7271512
    Abstract: The present invention provides a stator of an outer rotor motor for a washing machine. The stator includes a ring type helical core, an upper insulator having a shape corresponding to a shape of the helical core to enclose an upper part of the helical core, a lower insulator having a shape corresponding to the shape of the helical core to enclose a lower part of the helical core, at least one locking part built in one body of the upper and lower insulators and projected from an inside of the helical core toward a center of the stator to fix the stator to a fixing side of a tub, a locking hole provided to the locking part to fix the stator to the fixing side of the tub via a locking member, and a rigidity reinforcement bracket provided between the upper and lower insulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Deug Hee Lee, Seung Bong Choi
  • Patent number: 7271513
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing and an overmolded mounting base. A plate is provided with mounting surfaces having a range of alignments including a nominal alignment. The plate is overmolded to form an overmolded plate. The overmolding changes the alignment of the mounting surfaces. The overmolded plate is maintained at a creep temperature for a time interval sufficient for creep to restore the alignment toward the nominal alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Mo Xu, Poh Lye Lim, WaiOnn Chee, Niroot Jierapipatanakul
  • Patent number: 7271514
    Abstract: A rotor includes a rotary shaft, a rib provided on the rotary shaft, and a disc-form holding member. The holding member is joined to an axial end face of the rib. The holding member is thereby coupled with the rotary shaft. The holding member is provided with permanent magnets arranged in a circumferential direction. A stator is confronted with the rotor along a central axis of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenta Suzuki, Hirofumi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7271515
    Abstract: A gas-cooled electric machine includes a generator housing, a rotor shaft, at least one axial fan disposed on the rotor shaft inside the generator housing and having a hub, and a pressure boosting apparatus associated with the axial fan and configured to raise an absolute pressure in a generator interior. The pressure boosting apparatus has at least one flow channel between an interior of the hub and the generator interior and is at least partially delimited by the hub. A flow inlet into the flow channel and a flow outlet out of the flow channel are disposed radially at a distance with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Reinhard Joho
  • Patent number: 7271516
    Abstract: A stepping motor for generating vibration is provided and includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor includes a shaft, a ring magnet and a rotor frame, and the rotor frame is formed into a substantial cup-shape including a disk portion having an opening at the center and also including a cylindrical portion continuously arranged at the periphery of the disk portion, and a weight portion is arranged in a portion of the rotor frame so that the gravity center of the rotor frame an be located at a position eccentric with respect to the center of the rotor frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Minebea-Matsushita Motor
    Inventors: Masaaki Matsubara, Kazuaki Sato, Osamu Furuta, Mikio Umehara, Toshiaki Tsuzaki, Chee Poh Chua
  • Patent number: 7271517
    Abstract: A three-phase alternating current generator includes a bowl-shaped flywheel, sixteen permanent magnets provided on an inner circumferential surface of the flywheel, and a stator located in the flywheel. Further, The stator is composed of twelve teeth provided opposite to the permanent magnets and of coils each being continuously wound around every three teeth among the teeth for generating electric power by an electromagnetic induction effect with the magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushika Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumito Uemura, Shinji Baba, Hirohisa Yokota
  • Patent number: 7271518
    Abstract: A motor includes a fixed portion, a rotor, and at least one balancing plate fixed on the fixed portion. The fixed portion includes a stator having a plurality of pole plates that extend to form a plurality of pole faces, with a gap being defined between a pair of the pole faces adjacent to each other. The rotor includes a shaft and an annular magnet facing the pole faces. The balancing plate includes at least two magnetically conductive faces respectively aligned with the pole faces. The magnetically conductive faces are spaced from each other by a space for mounting a sensor. The magnetically conductive faces face at least one face of the annular magnet. When the rotor turns, the annular magnet of the rotor induces the alternating magnetic fields created by the stator and attracts the magnetically conductive faces to thereby maintain rotational balance of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alex Horng, Yin-Rong Hong
  • Patent number: 7271519
    Abstract: A laminated body of a motor includes: a yoke spirally laminated to form a hollow cylindrical shape; a plurality of teeth protruding from one side edge of the yoke disposed along a longitudinal direction of the yoke and being separated apart at a predetermined distance; a plurality of notch portions on an opposite side edge of the yoke, each of the plurality of notch portions being aligned with each of the plurality of teeth; a stopping protrusion extendingly formed at a protruding end of the teeth in the longitudinal direction of the yoke; and an inclined portion having an inclined surface formed by decreasing a width of the stopping protrusion toward an end of the stopping protrusion so as to reduce cogging torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Seung-Weon Lee
  • Patent number: 7271520
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a piezo actuator driving circuit. The piezo actuator driving circuit includes a pulse generator that generates a first voltage pulse with a constant period; a first driver stage that receives the first voltage pulse of the pulse generator and buffers the first voltage pulse to output; a second driver stage that converts the first voltage pulse, buffered and output in the first driver stage, into a first current pulse to output; a driving voltage maintaining section that is connected to the pulse generator and the second driver stage so as to output a second current pulse for maintaining a constant amplitude of driving voltage pulse; and a piezo actuator that is connected to the second driver stage and the driving voltage maintaining section so as to be charged and discharged by the first and second current pulses and that is driven by the driving voltage pulse with a constant amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung Own Min, Chang Woo Ha
  • Patent number: 7271521
    Abstract: When a drive command (S*) is input by a control circuit (3), a drive signal (S) can be emitted to a piezoelectric actuator (Pi) by a drive circuit (1), with the result that the piezoelectric actuator (Pi) is changed over from a zero position to a drive position. When a correction command (I1*, I2*) is input by the control circuit (3), a correction signal (I1, I2) can be emitted to the piezoelectric actuator (Pi) by a correction circuit (2), with the result that the piezoelectric actuator (Pi) is changed over from the zero position to a correction position. The input of the drive command (S*) and the input of the correction command (I1*, I2*) are interlocked with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Volkswagen Mechatronic GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Heinz Lixl, Richard Pirkl
  • Patent number: 7271522
    Abstract: A driving device of the disclosure has an electromechanical transducer that extends and contracts upon application of voltage thereto and a support member that slidably supports a movable body and is displaced with the electromechanical transducer to which the support member is connected. The disclosed device includes a drive circuit that applies the voltage to the electromechanical transducer is such that the voltage which increases or decreases from a first voltage to a last voltage in a stepped manner and in which at least three values sequentially circulate. A period of time for which the first voltage is applied is changeable. By this method, the movable body is moved with respect to the support member by making a difference between an extension velocity and a contraction velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Yuasa, Yasuhiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7271523
    Abstract: A mover assembly (16) that moves or positions an object (12) includes a mover output (226), an actuator (230), and a measurement system (20). The mover output (226) is connected o the object (12), and the actuator (230) causes the mover output (226) to rotate about a first axis and move along the first axis. In this embodiment, the measurement system (20) directly measures the movement of the mover output (226) and provides feedback regarding the position of the mover output (226).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Bookham Technology plc
    Inventors: Andrew Zeigler, David F. Arnone, Evan Drake Harriman Green
  • Patent number: 7271524
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator for actuating a mechanical component in which the piezoelectric actuator is provided with a multilayer construction of piezoelectric layers and can be acted upon by an electrical voltage in a piezoelectrically active region via inner electrodes disposed between the layers. At least one inactive region is present in the layer construction of the piezoelectric actuator, and this region is formed without inner electrodes, of a material whose mechanical and thermal properties match the properties of the active region, including the combination and the interaction of the material of the piezoelectric layers and of the inner electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Bertram Sugg
  • Patent number: 7271525
    Abstract: An electronics filter circuit includes an electromechanical resonator that is mounted directly to the surface of a silicon integrated circuit, rather than being a surface mounted or leaded filter can on a circuit board. This filter circuit allows the integrated circuit electronic package to be significantly smaller than a conventional electromechanical resonator package. The electromechanical resonator may be protected during processing and during use with a protective cover that is made of a material such as titanium. The protective cover is attached to the integrated circuit chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research
    Inventors: Charles L. Byers, Joseph H. Schulman, Gary D. Schnittgrund
  • Patent number: 7271526
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator for actuating a mechanical component, having a multilayered structure of piezoelectric layers with inner electrodes disposed between them and contacting outer electrodes on alternating sides and the piezoelectric actuator has chamfered corners or edges. In the region of the corners or edges, on the sides of the piezoelectric actuator on which the inner electrodes with alternating polarities are routed to the respective outer electrodes, the inner electrodes have a contour that makes it possible to achieve a lower field intensity between the inner electrodes of alternating polarities in the structure of piezoelectric layers. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that on the side that does not contact the outer electrodes, the edge has an obtuse angle (?) or is rounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Friedrich Boecking, Ulrich Schoor, Bertram Sugg
  • Patent number: 7271527
    Abstract: In a converging-type electron-emission source of a field-emission display, a substrate is provided and a silver paste is used to form a first electrode layer on the substrate by the process such as thick-film photolithography or screen-printing. A carbon nanotube is formed on the first electrode layer by thick-film photolithography or screen-printing, and a second electrode is formed on the carbon nanotube. A third electrode layer is formed on the first electrode layer around the second electrode layer by thick-film photolithography or screen-printing. The third electrode layer is higher than the second electrode layer, such that a converging exit is formed around the second electrode layer. A sintering step is performed. When the electron beam is generated, the electron beam is concentrated at the center of the converging exit to impinge a phosphor layer of an anode without causing gamut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Teco Nanotech Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Yen Hsiao, Frank Yang, Kuei-Wen Cheng
  • Patent number: 7271528
    Abstract: An emitter array produced using etch mask and a method for making such an etch mask. The emitter comprises a substrate, forming a conducting layer on the substrate, forming an emitting layer on the conducting layer, forming an etch mask having a controlled distribution of a plurality of mask sizes over the emitting layer, and forming at least one emitter by removing portions of the emitting layer using the etch mask. The method for making the etch mask comprises forming an etch mask layer over an emitting layer, forming a patterning layer having a controlled distribution of mask sizes over the etch mask layer, and forming the etch mask by removing portions of the etch mask layer using the controlled distribution of mask sizes in the patterning layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric J. Knappenberger
  • Patent number: 7271529
    Abstract: An image display apparatus including a rear plate and a face plate disposed opposite to each other, the rear plate being equipped with a plurality of electron-emitting devices, each provided with a pair of electrodes and an electroconductive film including an electron-emitting region disposed between the electrodes, the face plate being equipped with a phosphor for displaying an image and a film exposed on a surface of the phosphor, the film comprising a metal or a metal compound material. A film comprising the same metal or the same metal compound material as the metal or the metal compound material constituting the film exposed on the surface of the phosphor is formed on each of the electroconductive films of the plurality of electron-emitting devices to have a thickness in a range from 0.2 nm to 4.5 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Takeda, Keisuke Yamamoto, Tamaki Kobayashi, Takuto Moriguchi
  • Patent number: 7271530
    Abstract: A filament for an X-ray tube has a varied wire diameter but has a constant coil outside diameter to obtain a good uniformity of the longitudinal temperature distribution of the filament. The filament has a wire diameter d which is gradually reduced from the longitudinal central region to the longitudinal ends while the coil outside diameter D is fixed along the longitudinal direction. The wire is polished at only the inside of the coil to reduce the wire diameter. In order to make the longitudinal temperature distribution uniform as far as possible, the difference ?d between the wire diameter dmax at the longitudinal central region and the wire diameter dmin at the longitudinal ends should satisfy the following limitation: ?d/dmax=0.041 to 0.145.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Rigaku Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Kuribayashi, Masahiro Nonoguchi, Naohisa Osaka, Yoji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7271531
    Abstract: A surface light source device includes a light source body, a partition member, an isolating member and a voltage applying part. The light source body has an internal space into which discharge gas is injected. The partition wall divides the internal space into discharge spaces. The partition wall has a connection hole that connects the discharge spaces with each other. The isolating member is disposed such that the isolating member corresponds to the connection hole. The isolating member seals the connection hole to isolate the discharge spaces from each other. The voltage applying part induces discharge of the discharge gas in the discharge spaces. Thus, current drift is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Corning Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok-Hyun Cho, Ki-Yeon Lee, Jae-Hyeon Ko, Dong-Woo Kim, Hae-Soo Ha
  • Patent number: 7271532
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for reducing color bleed in a flat panel display. The apparatus comprises an anode (30) with a plurality of phosphors (28) of at least two colors sequentially disposed thereon. A cathode (14) is arranged in parallel opposed position to and separated from the anode (30) and contains a plurality of pads (40) of emitters. Each pad (40) is disposed on the cathode (14) in spaced relationship to and aligned with one of the at least two colors, respectively, wherein electrons from each of the plurality of pads of emitters that drift from its intended phosphor (28) are encouraged to drift toward an adjacent phosphor (28) of the same color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Dean, Bernard F. Coll, Emmett M. Howard
  • Patent number: 7271533
    Abstract: A light-emissive device including first and second electrodes, and a light-emissive layer located between the electrodes and containing organic light-emissive material including a plurality of particles spaced from each other by the light-emissive material, at least some of the particles being capable of injecting positive charge carriers into the light-emissive material and at least some of the particles being capable of injecting negative charge carriers into the light-emissive material; whereby electrical charge may pass between the electrodes via at least some of the particles to cause light to be emitted by the light-emissive material between those particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Julian Carter, Stephen Karl Heeks
  • Patent number: 7271534
    Abstract: The invention relates to organic electronic devices and methods of manufacture comprising at least two segments, each segment comprising an organic electronic light-emitting device wherein each segment is defined by peripheral edges; wherein each segment comprises a first electrical contact disposed on a first peripheral edge and a second electrical contact disposed on a different peripheral edge than the first electrical contact and the electrical contacts of each segment are joined in electrical communication with a conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Raghunath Padiyath, Jon E. Ottman, David A. Engler
  • Patent number: 7271535
    Abstract: A transparent cathode electrode technology for an electroluminescent display device having a top emission structure, provides a top emission type electroluminescent display device and a method to manufacture the same. Oxidation of a substrate film can be reduced or prevented during the film formation of a metal oxide. Electronic equipment including this display device is also provided. A first electrode, a function layer including a luminescent layer, and a transparent second electrode made of a metal oxide are laminated on the substrate in that order from the lower surface. At this time, the oxygen concentration in the second electrode is made to vary in the film thickness direction, and the oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the interface between the second electrode and the function layer is made lower than the average oxygen concentration in the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hidekazu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7271536
    Abstract: An organic EL panel is discloses that includes a substrate and a segment display section provided on the substrate. The segment display section includes an organic EL light emitting section and plural kinds of color modulating sections. The organic EL light emitting section has a single reflective electrode, an organic EL layer, a shadow mask having a plurality of openings, and a single transparent electrode. The plural kinds of color modulating sections are arranged adjacent to the substrate, and each of the plural kinds of color modulating sections is divided into a plurality of subsections. Each of the plural kinds of color modulating sections can be composed of either a color filter layer or a laminated structure of a color filter layer and a color conversion layer. Emitting color of the segment display section can be adjusted by the positions and number of the openings arranged in the shadow mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7271537
    Abstract: A display device having a light-emitting element which has a lower electrode, an upper electrode, a functional layer, and a cavity in which light generated in the functional layer is resonated wherein the optical distance of the cavity portion in a first light-emitting element is made equal with the optical distance of the cavity portion in a second light-emitting element, and the optical distance of the cavity portion in the first light-emitting element is different from the optical distance of the cavity portion in a third light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Eisuke Matsuda, Reo Asaki
  • Patent number: 7271538
    Abstract: A plasma display panel having an excellent image display quality and high reliability is provided by preventing deterioration of a phosphor due to hydrocarbon gas remaining in the plasma display panel. The plasma display panel includes front panel (50) and rear panel (60) disposed opposing each other, and front panel (50) is provided with a plurality of display electrodes composed of a pair of scan electrodes (6) and sustain electrodes (7), and rear panel (60) has barrier ribs (10) forming discharge cells (11). In the plasma display panel, rear panel (60) includes data electrodes (9) perpendicular to display electrodes composed of a pair of scan electrodes (6) and sustain electrodes (7) on substrate (2), dielectric layer (13) covering data electrodes (9), reflective layer (20) containing an oxidation catalyst and covering at least a part of dielectric layer (13), and phosphor layer (12) covering reflective layer (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sugimoto, Masaki Aoki, Yuichiro Miyamae, Keiji Horikawa, Junichi Hibino, Yoshinori Tanaka, Hiroshi Setoguchi, Izumi Toyoda
  • Patent number: 7271539
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma display panel where the shape of the phosphor layer within the discharge cell is optimized to enhance the discharge stability and the luminescence efficiency. In one embodiment, the plasma display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, display electrodes formed on the first substrate, address electrodes formed corresponding to the display electrodes, barrier ribs arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate such that discharge cells are formed at the locations where the display electrodes and the address electrodes correspond to each other, phosphor layers formed within the discharge cells, and a porous dielectric layer formed between the phosphor layers and the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Ik Kwon, Kyoung-Doo Kang
  • Patent number: 7271540
    Abstract: A plasma display panel (PDP) can include a front panel with a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes and a rear panel with a plurality of installed barrier walls. In such a PDP, a plurality of first bus electrodes and a plurality of second bus electrodes may be formed on one surface of a front substrate of the front panel. The first bus electrodes may be formed in contact with one surface of the front substrate, and at least portions of the scan electrodes and common electrodes may be formed between the first bus electrodes and the second bus electrodes. Also, the first bus electrodes may include a conductive material that absorbs light from the other surface of the front substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon-Hyeong Kim, Tae-Woong Jang, Eun-Gi Heo
  • Patent number: 7271541
    Abstract: A surface light source device includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a hollow electrode. The second substrate is combined with the first substrate to form a plurality of discharge spaces. The second substrate includes a plurality of recesses. The hollow electrode is disposed in each of the discharge spaces under the recesses of the second substrate, respectively. The surface light source device further includes an external electrode disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate corresponding to the hollow electrode. The external electrodes are on an outer surface of the lamp body, and are partially overlapped with the discharge spaces. The hollow electrode may have a rectangular tube or other suitable shape. As a result of the foregoing construction, the life span of the surface light source device may increase, and the light emitting efficiency may similarly increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hae-Il Park, Sang-Yu Lee
  • Patent number: 7271542
    Abstract: A gas discharge tube 10 of the present invention generates an electric discharge between an anode part 24 and a cathode part 56 disposed inside a sealed container 12 in which gas has been contained. The gas discharge tube 10 comprises an electric discharge path restricting part 28 which is cylindrical and disposed between the anode part and the cathode part, and which has a throughhole 42 for narrowing an electric discharge path between the anode part and the cathode part; and an electric discharge shielding part 50 which is disposed to surround the electric discharge path restricting part so as to restrict an electric discharge from the outer peripheral surface of the electric discharge path restricting part to the cathode part, and which is electrically isolated from the electric discharge path restricting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Ito, Masaki Ito, Koji Matsushita
  • Patent number: 7271543
    Abstract: A bi-level illumination system for power conservation correlated to the needs of a building stairwell, which even during work hours is only nominal functioning as it does as a back-up to elevator-provided access to work areas, and requiring high level illumination during off-hours which also occurs infrequently, by its focused stairwell end use permitting use of occupancy and time clock sensing means control of the high and low levels of illumination without the undue complexity of bi-level illumination systems used in work areas with constantly changing illumination needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventor: Jeffrey Jay Goldstein
  • Patent number: 7271544
    Abstract: In a lighting apparatus for an illumination light source (discharge lamp or the like), a fly-back type DC-DC converter circuit comprises a transformer and a switching element. A control circuit is provided for controlling power supplied to the illumination light source, such that operation is controlled in a current boundary mode by a control signal sent from the control circuit to the switching element. A fluctuation generator circuit is provided for giving fluctuations to a frequency at which the switching element is driven by changing the power supplied to the illumination light source with reference to a target power value associated with the power control for the illumination light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ichikawa, Tomokazu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7271545
    Abstract: A ballast according to the present invention operates in an ignition state, a warm-up state, and a steady state for igniting and powering a lamp. The ballast comprises an igniter that ignites the lamp during the ignition state and a switching power inverter, for example, a full bridge DC-AC inverter implemented with MOSFET switching transistors, that powers the lamp during the warm-up and steady states. The switching power inverter, which drives the igniter, operates at a first switching frequency during the ignition state and operates at a second switching frequency during the steady state. Preferably, the first switching frequency, which in one exemplary embodiment is in the kHz range, is higher than the second switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuequan Hu, Milan M. Jovanović, Yuan Chao Niu, Colin Weng
  • Patent number: 7271546
    Abstract: This invention aims to decrease the leakage current of a dielectric barrier discharge lamp, and to prevent generation of the luminance slope between both electrodes. Electrodes 3 and 4 are formed in the outer surface of the dielectric barrier discharge lamp 1, and the high voltage side of the high frequency power sources 5 and 6 is connected to the electrodes 3 and 4, respectively. The low voltage side of the high frequency power sources 5 and 6 is connected to the grounding voltage GND. The output voltage waveform of the high frequency power sources 5 and 6 have different phases each other and inverted polarities each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Harison Toshiba Lighting Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Nakano
  • Patent number: 7271547
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-pressure discharge lamp having electrodes arranged inside a discharge vessel which define a discharge path of a gas discharge in the discharge vessel, and having a starting device, arranged inside the lamp base for the high-pressure discharge lamp and designed as a pulse starting device, for starting the gas discharge in the discharge vessel, and having, arranged outside its discharge vessel, an auxiliary starting electrode coupled to the pulse starting device, the voltage input of pulse starting device being connected in parallel with the discharge path of the high-pressure discharge lamp, such that according to the invention the voltage across the discharge path serves as supply voltage for the pulse starting device. Also disclosed is an operating method for such a high-pressure discharge lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH
    Inventors: Günther Hirschmann, Bernhard Siessegger
  • Patent number: 7271548
    Abstract: A multi-lamp driver driving first and second lamps and comprising a driving circuit and a transformer. The transformer comprises a winding rack, a magnetic core, two primary winding sets, and two secondary winding sets. One portion of the magnetic core is inserted into the winding rack. The two primary winding sets are wound around the winding rack and receive low-voltage signals from the driving circuit. The two secondary winding sets are wound around the winding rack, and two high-voltage signals are induced to respectively drive the first and second lamps. The primary winding sets have substantially the same number of windings, and the secondary winding sets have substantially the same number of windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Darfon Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Ching-Fu Hsueh, Cheng-Hsien Chien
  • Patent number: 7271549
    Abstract: The present invention uses one or more transformers disposed between an inverter driver to drive a plurality of lamps. Each transformer has a first coil and a second coil magnetically coupled to each other. Each of the first and second coils has an input end and an output end. The input end of the first coil is operatively connected to the input end of the second coil for receiving an input current. Each of the first and second coils has a capacitor connected between the input and output ends. The output ends of the first and second coils are used to provide output current in two separate current paths. As such, the output end of a transformer can be separately connected to the input end of two lamps or two such transformers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chin-Der Wey, Yi-Chun Yeh, Chia-Hung Sun, Yueh-Pao Lee
  • Patent number: 7271550
    Abstract: A dimmer circuit arrangement is disclosed including a second control circuit (40) for controlling the operation of a triac (50) for delivering current to a load (60), and a first control circuit (10) for controlling the operation of an IGBT power semiconductor switch (20) for controlling the rate of rise of load voltage. The first control circuit also controls the operation of the second control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Clipsal Integrated Systems Pty Ltd
    Inventor: James Robert Vanderzon
  • Patent number: 7271551
    Abstract: A driver protection circuit for a push-pull type discharge lamp comprises a discharge lamp with two input electrodes, a driver circuit having two transformer units and two driver units, and a protection mechanism. Two transformer units are respectively connected to the two input electrodes and provide an opposite-phase push-pull type driving power. The front ends of the transformer units are respectively connected to the driver units which are parallel connected to a power source. The combination of the driver unit, the transformer unit, and the input electrode is defined to be a high voltage output section. The protection mechanism has two protection units respectively assigned to the high voltage output sections and can receive an abnormal signal of the corresponding high voltage output section and synchronically transmits the abnormal signal to two driver units and makes the driver circuit simultaneously stop or pause outputting power to the two input electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Zippy Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Ying-Chang Cheng
  • Patent number: 7271552
    Abstract: Ballast circuit for operating a gas discharge lamp, comprising a half-bridge DC-AC converter having a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) for alternately switching the switches (T1; T2) of said half-bridge, said oscillator (VCO) having an input with a control voltage (V vco) which determines the operating frequency of said half-bridge, a resonance circuit connected to said half-bridge for feeding the lamp, and a feedback circuit connected at a first end to said resonance circuit for adjusting the operating frequency of said half-bridge, wherein the other end of said feedback circuit is connected to the input of said voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and designed such that during at least a substantial part of the start-up period of the lamp an equilibrium exists wherein the half-bridge frequency is at least nearly equal to the resonance frequency and the half-bridge voltage is forced to operate at least nearly in phase with the half-bridge current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventor: Arjan Van Den Berg
  • Patent number: 7271553
    Abstract: A horizontal deflection circuit having a horizontal output transistor that receives an input horizontal driving signal and drives a horizontal deflection coil includes a current controlling unit to selectively perform an operation to decrease a base current applied to a base terminal of the horizontal output transistor, and a controlling unit to sense a frequency of the horizontal driving signal and to enable the operation of the current controlling unit when the sensed frequency of the horizontal driving signal is higher than a predetermined level. Accordingly, the horizontal deflection circuit can control the base current of the horizontal output transistor according to a frequency mode, thereby decreasing damage to the horizontal output transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae-wook Jung
  • Patent number: 7271554
    Abstract: A motor-driving circuit drives a plurality of motors of different types. The motor-driving circuit includes a plurality of H-bridge circuits for outputting driving signals to the motors, a controller for controlling the plurality of H-bridge circuits, a setting section for setting up the controller, and terminals for inputting setting data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Aizawa
  • Patent number: 7271555
    Abstract: Apparatus for installation in new motor vehicles or for retrofitting into existing motor vehicles, including an electric motor coupled to a drive shaft and a controller for the motor. The existing vehicle battery and/or an auxiliary storage battery can be used to power the motor to drive the vehicle during certain driving conditions, resulting in greatly increased fuel economy, without interfering with the normal performance of the vehicle. A kit of parts may be provided for simple and economical installation on existing vehicles. A motor vehicle so equipped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Inventor: Gabriel Ciccone
  • Patent number: 7271556
    Abstract: A discrete rotor position estimation method for a synchronized reluctance motor is provided. A d.c.-link voltage Vdc and a phase current Iph are sensed. A flux-linkage ?ph of an active phase is calculated from the sensed d.c.-link voltage Vdc and the sensed phase current Iph. The calculated flux-linkage ?ph is compared with a reference flux-linkage ?r. The reference flux-linkage ?r corresponds to a reference angle ?r which lies between angles corresponding to aligned rotor position and non-aligned rotor position in the synchronized reluctance motor. An estimated rotor position ?cal is obtained only once when the calculated flux-linkage ?ph is greater than the reference flux-linkage ?r.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taro Kishibe, Subrata Saha, Hiroshi Murakami, Kazushige Narazaki
  • Patent number: 7271557
    Abstract: The AC motor driving apparatus comprises an inverter for supplying power to an AC motor, current sensors for detecting current that flows in the motor or inverter, a rotation sensor for detecting the rotation of the rotor in the motor, and a control unit for controlling the driving of the inverter. A current detection value detected by the current sensor and a rotor rotational position are used to estimate three-phase motor current values. The estimated motor current values are used to control the inverter. Thereby, an inexpensive, space-saving AC motor driving apparatus as well as an AC motor controller, electric actuator, or vehicle that can perform highly precise torque control from zero speed to high-speed rotation without depending on the PWM pulse pattern are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ajima, Hideki Miyazaki, Yoshitaka Iwaji, Takao Yanai, Kinya Nakatsu
  • Patent number: 7271558
    Abstract: In rotating systems with angular references, angular- and/or time-based pulses must be generated which can be described in a generic manner to meet various requirements. The parameters for definition of the pulse are assigned as a value pair to permit more flexibility on definition of a pulse for generation, one value of which defines the type of the parameter, in other words, whether an angle, a time, or some other parameter is being defined. A calculation device can correctly assign the size value of the parameter using the additional value, interpret and carry out suitable subroutines to calculate the control values for controlling the relevant pulse generation circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Josef Aspelmayr, Bernd Falke
  • Patent number: 7271559
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring the electrical current used by an electrical device and controlled according to the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) method, such as a DC motor, the system using a Field Effect Transistor (FET) coupled to the electrical device such that the voltage applied to the FET is measured to ascertain in part, the current usage of the electrical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Angelika Peter, legal representative, Cornellus Peter, deceased
  • Patent number: 7271560
    Abstract: An assembly for moving a barrier from one of a closed position and an opened position to the other of the closed position and the opened position. The assembly includes a motor to supply one of a first power and a second power to the barrier. The assembly also includes a controller to control the motor to supply the first power to move the barrier towards the closed position from the opened position. The controller also controls the motor to supply the first power to the barrier to move towards the opened position from the closed position, and to supply the second power intermittently after the barrier has started moving towards the opened position and before arriving at the opened position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: A.O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: William Eugene Blatterman, Paul Steven Mullin
  • Patent number: 7271561
    Abstract: Fan module and control device thereof. The fan module comprises a plurality of fans and the control device. The control device comprises a temperature sensing circuit, and a driving circuit. The temperature sensing circuit detects an ambient temperature of the fans and generates a sensing signal accordingly. The driving circuit is coupled between the fans and temperature sensing circuit, and comprises a fully powered operating mode and a power-saving operating mode, wherein the driving circuit selects different operating modes in accordance with the sensing signal, and generates a fan driving signal controlling the speed of the fans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Delta Electronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Chien Hua Chen, Chun-Lung Chiu, Wen-Chuan Ma, Wen-Shi Huang