Patents Issued in April 8, 2014
  • Patent number: 8692450
    Abstract: A surface light source apparatus with dual-side emitting light includes at least a cathode wire structure, a transparent anode structure, a fluorescent layer and a low-pressure gas layer. The transparent anode structure is a surface structure, wherein the cathode wire structure and the transparent anode structure are parallel to each other. The fluorescent layer is located between the cathode wire structure and the transparent anode structure. The low-pressure gas layer fills the space between the cathode wire structure and the transparent anode structure and functions to induce the cathode evenly emitting electrons. The electron mean free path of the low-pressure gas layer allows at least a sufficient number of electrons to directly impact the fluorescent layer under an operation voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yi-Ping Lin, Shih-Pu Chen, Jung-Yu Li, Lian-Yi Cho
  • Patent number: 8692451
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a light emitting device including a light emitting structure including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer, and a protective layer disposed at a side of the light emitting structure, and a first electrode formed on an outside of the protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hwan Hee Jeong, Sang Youl Lee, June O Song, Kwang Ki Choi
  • Patent number: 8692453
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display device (OLED) and a method of fabricating the same. The OLED includes: a substrate; a thin film transistor on the substrate and including a source electrode and a drain electrode; a first insulating layer on the substrate; a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer and including a trench; a via hole formed in the trench over the first and second insulating layers and exposing a portion of the source electrode or the drain electrode; a first electrode in the trench and connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode through the via hole; a pixel defining layer on the first electrode and having an opening exposing the first electrode; an organic layer in the opening and having at least an organic emission layer; and a second electrode on an entire surface of the substrate having the organic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Choong-Youl Im, Kyung-Jin Yoo, Woo-Sik Jun, Tae-Wook Kang, Do-hyun Kwon
  • Patent number: 8692454
    Abstract: An EL element having a novel structure is provided, which is suitable for AC drive. A light-emitting element of the invention is provided with material layers (material layers each having approximately symmetric I-V characteristics with respect to the zero point in a graph having the abscissa axis showing current values and the ordinate axis showing voltage values) between a first electrode and a layer including an organic compound and between the layer including the organic compound and a second electrode respectively. Specifically, each of the material layers is a composite layer including a metal oxide and an organic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Sakata, Hisao Ikeda, Takahiro Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8692455
    Abstract: A display device having a plurality of driving elements and wiring parts electrically connected to the driving parts, the display device includes: a plurality of first electrodes which are formed in correspondence to each driving element on the driving elements and the wiring parts; a plurality of light-emitting parts which are each formed on the first electrodes; a common second electrode which is formed from a material that transmits light from the light-emitting part and is formed on the light-emitting parts; auxiliary wiring parts with a lower resistance than the second electrodes; and contact parts which are formed in laminate structure from a plurality of conductive layers and which electrically connect the second electrodes and the auxiliary wirings with each other, with at least the lowermost conductive layer of the conductive layers of the contact parts being in direct contact with the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Hayashi, Yasunobu Hiromasu, Hirofumi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 8692456
    Abstract: An organic electro-luminescence diode comprises two electrodes and an organic electro-luminescence structure. The organic electro-luminescence structure is formed between the two electrodes, and includes a red light-generating unit, a green light-generating unit, a blue light-generating unit and a light-compensating unit stacked with each other. The light-compensating unit is selected from the group consisting of a white light-compensating unit, a red light-compensating unit, a green light-compensating unit, a blue light-compensating unit and a structure stacking together one light-compensating unit upon the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
    Inventor: Chung-Yeh Iou
  • Patent number: 8692457
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a light emitting electrical package having a first electrode layer comprising a substantially transparent nonmetallic conductive material, and a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on said first electrode layer. The first electrode layer comprises a peripheral region, and an elongated bus is disposed on at least a portion of the peripheral region and adjacent the first electrode layer. The elongated bus is configured to spread current across a length dimension of said first electrode layer. Also disclosed are elongated bus structure designed intended to reduce the resistive losses along a transparent nonmetallic conductive contact at its edge or periphery. One design for an elongated bus comprises: (1) a conductive adhesive/metal foil/conductive adhesive sandwich structure; (2) another design comprises a vapor deposited bus of one or more materials; and a further design employs (1) and (2) in tandem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Deeder Aurongzeb, James Michael Kostka
  • Patent number: 8692458
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes: a light emitting element including a first electrode, a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, and a light emitting layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; a capacitor having a third electrode formed in a position overlapping the light emitting element and an insulating layer provided between the first and third electrodes; a first drive transistor disposed on a first side of the first electrode and having a gate electrode; and a second drive transistor disposed on a second side of the first electrode and having a gate electrode connected to the gate electrode of the first drive transistor via the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsumoto, Kunihiro Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8692459
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a substrate; a first electrode on the substrate; a particle unit including a plurality of particles that are separate from each other on a top surface of the first electrode; an intermediate layer on the first electrode and the particle unit and including an organic emission layer; and a second electrode on the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Woo Lee, Soo-Beom Jo, Jong-Hyun Choi
  • Patent number: 8692460
    Abstract: An electro-optically active organic diode has anode and cathode electrodes, an electro-optically active organic layer between the electrodes, and a charge carrier organic layer between the electro-optically active organic layer and the cathode electrode layer. The charge carrier organic layer is formed of a highly doped organic semiconductor material. A short protection layer is arranged between the cathode electrode layer and the charge carrier organic layer. The short protection layer is formed of an inorganic semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Michael Buchel, Dietrich Bertram
  • Patent number: 8692461
    Abstract: An organic light emitting diode display includes a panel assembly for displaying an image and a first surface stress enhancing member arranged on a rear surface of the panel assembly. In one embodiment, the organic light emitting diode display includes a second surface stress enhancing member arranged on a front surface of the panel assembly. In anther embodiment, the organic light emitting diode display includes a lower bezel arranged on a rear surface of the first surface stress enhancing member and a shock absorption tape arranged between the first surface stress enhancing member and the lower bezel. The structure of the organic light emitting diode display efficiently prevents damages caused by an external impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuen-Dong Ha, Eui-Soon Lee, Jae-Yong Kim, Young-Jong Park
  • Patent number: 8692462
    Abstract: A halogen bulb for vehicle headlights, comprising at least one filament, which is designed such that it can be used as a light source for generating a low-beam or high-beam and during operation has a lower electric power consumption than the filaments of conventional halogen bulbs used to generate a low-beam or high-beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM AG
    Inventors: Christoph Hoffmann, Jenny Trommer, Gabriele Wahl, Katja Zeller
  • Patent number: 8692463
    Abstract: A protective film (6) having a high secondary-emission coefficient is formed on a dielectric layer (5) so as to lower the discharge voltage of a plasma display panel. When the protective film (6) is exposed to the air, it will transform or become cloudy, or the secondary-emission coefficient will lower. To prevent this problem, an inert film (60) is formed on the surface of the protective film (6). As the inert film (60), a film of a metal oxide such as SiO2 and a film of a metal such as Tb are simultaneously formed. Thus, an inert film (60) excellent in barrier property against oxygen and water in the air and enabling easy sputtering from near the discharge electrode at the aging step can be obtained. With this, a plasma display panel exhibiting a low discharge voltage can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Hasegawa, Shinya Fukuta, Keiichi Betsui, Yasunobu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8692464
    Abstract: A light guiding plate and a backlight module and a display device applying the light guiding plate are provided, in which a structure of prisms on a light emergence surface of the light guiding plate is designed by, for example, adopting a mixed structure of prisms in different specifications, regulating the specifications of the prisms, such as a vertex angle and a corresponding reprint ratio, varying the reprint ratio of the prisms with respect to a distance from a light incident surface of the light guiding plate, or combining the aforementioned design solutions, thereby adjusting a light emitting effect of the light guiding plate, increasing uniformity of backlight, and improving display quality of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chiung-Han Wang, Shau-Yu Tsai
  • Patent number: 8692465
    Abstract: An apparatus for fastening a burner of a discharge lamp to a housing or plug portion including a sleeve clamped around an outer bulb of the burner, an annular base fastened to the housing or plug portion of the electronic ballast unit having tabs that are orientated in the direction of the center point of the annular base and are biased against the sleeve. The tabs are inclined at an angle through an opening of the base, so that in the mounted condition of the burner, they rest against the sleeve below a surface of the annular base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Markus Gerhard, Juergen Gerhard Mertens
  • Patent number: 8692466
    Abstract: Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for igniting and/or sustaining a plasma in a reactive gas generator. Power is provided from an ignition power supply to a plasma ignition circuit. A pre-ignition signal of the plasma ignition circuit is measured. The power provided to the plasma ignition circuit is adjusted based on the measured pre-ignition signal and an adjustable pre-ignition control signal. The adjustable pre-ignition control signal is adjusted after a period of time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: MKS Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Souheil Benzerrouk, Siddharth P. Nagarkatti, Andrew Cowe, Ali Shajii, Jesse E. Ambrosina, Ken Tran, Xing Chen
  • Patent number: 8692467
    Abstract: Plasma processing apparatuses and techniques for processing substrates, which include the use of synchronized RF pulsing of a first RF signal and a delayed-and-shortened second RF signal. The first RF signal may be the primary plasma-generating RF signal and the second RF signal may be the RF bias signal or vice versa. Alternatively or additionally, the first RF signal may be the high frequency RF signal and the second RF signal may be the lower frequency RF signal. Either the first RF signal or the second RF signal may act as the master, with the other acting as the slave signal. Alternatively, an external circuit may be employed as a master to control both the first RF signal and the second RF signal as slave signals. Track-and-hold techniques and circuits are provided to ensure accurate measurement for process control and other purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Neil Martin Paul Benjamin, Arthur H. Sato
  • Patent number: 8692468
    Abstract: A RF source and method are disclosed which inductively create a plasma within an enclosure without an electric field or with a significantly decreased creation of an electric field. A ferrite material with an insulated wire wrapped around its body is used to efficiently channel the magnetic field through the legs of the ferrite. This magnetic field, which flows between the legs of the ferrite can then be used to create and maintain a plasma. In one embodiment, these legs rest on a dielectric window, such that the magnetic field passes into the chamber. In another embodiment, the legs of the ferrite extend into the processing chamber, thereby further extending the magnetic field into the chamber. This ferrite can be used in conjunction with a PLAD chamber, or an ion source for a traditional beam line ion implantation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Kamal Hadidi, Rajesh Dorai
  • Patent number: 8692469
    Abstract: An LED drive circuit connectable to a phase control type light adjuster includes a first reference voltage generation portion that generates a first reference voltage, a second reference voltage generation portion that generates a second reference voltage according to a phase angle of the light adjuster, an input voltage detection portion that detects a size relationship between an input voltage and a threshold value voltage, a current draw-out portion that draws out a current in accordance with the first reference voltage or the second reference voltage from an electricity supply line that supplies electricity to an LED drive portion, and a switch portion that in accordance with a detection result by the input voltage, detection portion, performs switching between an output from the first reference voltage generation portion to the current draw-out portion and an output from the second reference voltage generation portion to the current draw-out portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Shimizu, Atsushi Kanamori, Hirohisa Warita, Takeshi Murata
  • Patent number: 8692470
    Abstract: This patent discloses designs of a controller for a solar powered LED lamp system. The control unit includes a controller that has a switching network and that selectively charges a battery from a solar panel, and selectively discharges the battery to power a lamp. The lamp itself includes a second part of the control unit that prevents over-charge and under-charge conditions of the battery. This may be accomplished using a low power passive network of LEDs and resistors, leaving the controller itself to only perform switching. Thus, the power consumed by the controller, and by the LED lamp system as a whole, may be significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: LT Lighting (Taiwan) Corp.
    Inventors: Geoffrey Wen-Tai Shuy, Wen Ten Chang, Hsin-Chen Lai
  • Patent number: 8692471
    Abstract: A LED driving system and method suitable for driving one or more LEDs or strings of LEDs connected to a common output terminal which is driven with a boost converter. A LED ON signal indicates when the LEDs are to be turned on, with the boost converter nominally operated only when the LEDs are to be on. To enable a lower minimum LED duty cycle without risking boost voltage collapse, the LED ON signal may be delayed such that the LEDs are turned on after the boost converter. A second technique, which may be used in conjunction with the first, adaptively extends the operation time of the boost converter beyond the time at which LED ON turns off the LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Jaegon Seo, Sang-O Jeon, Hyunick Shin
  • Patent number: 8692472
    Abstract: Each of blocks includes an arbitrary number of series connections of LEDs. A current signal for controlling operation of the LEDs in the blocks is divided into plural signal currents. An allowable forward current having a duty cycle corresponding to a division number is caused to flow through the LEDs in one block for an allowable time, using one of the signal currents. A rated forward current that does not cause destruction of LEDs is caused to flow through the LEDs in the other blocks, using the other of the signal currents. The LEDs in the blocks are driven by causing the allowable forward current and the rated forward current to flow periodically. The rated forward current is caused to flow through at least one additional LED, whereby a difference between respective voltages corresponding to the allowable forward current and the rated forward current is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Hayterzlab, Heiwa
    Inventor: Toyotsugu Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 8692473
    Abstract: A portable electronic lighting device and a method for controlling a portable lighting device are described. The device has a switched-mode power supply, a light source, a high frequency switch, a controller controlling the operation of the light source and a user interface for inputting commands to the controller. A DC power source has a negative pole that is connected by only one single electric contact with the lighting device tail. The method for controlling a portable lighting device includes connecting a DC power source, an inductor, a light source, a high frequency switch and a resistor in series, measuring a voltage across the resistor, and controlling the high frequency switch dependent on the voltage measured across the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Mag Instrument, Inc.
    Inventor: Stacey West
  • Patent number: 8692474
    Abstract: An electronic ballast circuit includes a power factor correction circuit, a control and amplifier circuit, a ballast controller circuit and a ballast driver circuit. The ballast driver circuit includes a resonant circuit that connects to a lamp and a strike voltage limiter circuit that regulates the behavior of the resonant circuit. An overcurrent sensor circuit may be included to indirectly the control the ballast controller circuit via the control and amplifier circuit. The strike voltage limiter circuit uses varistors to change the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit to limit the voltage to the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Genesys Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Steve McNay
  • Patent number: 8692475
    Abstract: A PFC LED driver capable of reducing current ripple, comprising: a current source unit, having a control terminal coupled to a control voltage, which is a ratio of a full-wave rectified line input voltage, a first channel terminal coupled to a power line, and a second channel terminal used to generate an output current according to the control voltage; and at least one LED load unit, being in series with the current source unit, wherein each of the at least one LED load unit comprises: a first load, including a first parallel combination of an LED module and a capacitor, wherein the LED module has at least one light emitting diode; a diode, being in a first series combination with the first load; and a switch, being in a second parallel combination with the second series combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Immense Advance Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Yen-Hui Wang
  • Patent number: 8692476
    Abstract: A boost circuit for an LED (Light Emitting Diode) backlight driver circuit is disclosed; said boost circuit includes a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) chip, a second capacitor, and a signal processing circuit. A VCC pin of the PWM chip is coupled to the input node, and the PWM chip is utilized to generate a PWM signal. One end of the second capacitor is coupled to an output pin of the PWM chip, and the second capacitor is utilized to filter out a direct current component of the PWM signal. One terminal of the signal processing circuit is coupled to the second capacitor, and another terminal thereof is coupled to a gate of the switch. The signal processing circuit is used to adjust the filtered PWM signal for generating corresponding high levels and low levels. A regulator is omitted in the present invention, therefore reducing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xin-Ming Gao
  • Patent number: 8692477
    Abstract: A simple, cost-effective and efficient short circuit protection with simple routing of the ground on the PCB is achieved in an asynchronous DC-DC boost converter wherein a voltage sensing controller selectively isolates an input power supply to a load in the event of a short circuit. The controller alleviates need for additional components by utilizing the circuit for under voltage lockout protection and the circuit for overvoltage protection to generate signals for detecting short circuit. A predetermined offset voltage is added to a sensed output voltage to generate a reference voltage that is compared to a sensed input voltage and an output signal having a high state is generated in the event that the reference voltage is less than the sensed input voltage for selectively disabling the source of input power when the output signal is in the high state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Gilbert S. Lee
  • Patent number: 8692478
    Abstract: The invention provides a current balancing circuit, which includes a plurality of light-emitting diode assemblies; an AC power generator for providing currents required by the light-emitting diode assemblies; and a plurality of current-equaling elements connected to the AC power generator, each of which is connected to a common mode connecting two light-emitting diode assemblies for balancing currents of the light-emitting diode assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lizhi Xu, Weiqiang Zhang, Jianping Ying
  • Patent number: 8692479
    Abstract: A method of controlling a ballast in a circuit for a lighting application and connected to a mains power supply is disclosed. The method comprises determining whether a dimmer is present in the circuit; in response to detecting that a dimmer is present, determining a zero-crossing of the power supply and setting a bleeder current through the ballast in dependence on the phase of the power supply within a mains half-cycle; and in response to determining that a dimmer is not present, disabling the bleeder current. A ballast which is controlled by such a method is also disclosed. Additionally, a controller, which may include a digital signal processor, for a ballast and operable according to the above method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Frederic Mercier, Philippe Maugars
  • Patent number: 8692480
    Abstract: A power supply unit is provided which comprises an AC/DC conversion unit with an input to which an input voltage is coupled and an output to which a DC bus voltage is coupled. The power supply unit furthermore comprises a DC bus capacitor which is coupled to the output of the AC/DC conversion unit. The power supply unit furthermore comprises at least one sub-power supply unit receiving the DC bus voltage as input for providing at least one power supply. The power supply of the at least one sub-power supply unit or part of the load is at least reduced or switched off if the input voltage falls below a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Markus Schmid, Thomas Antonius Duerbaum, Gian Hoogzaad, Peter Laro, Johann Baptist Daniel Kuebrich
  • Patent number: 8692481
    Abstract: A flyback controller generates a switching signal for controlling delivery of current into a primary winding of a transformer in a flyback converter. The controller may include an output current monitoring circuit configured to generate a signal representative of an average output current in a secondary winding of the transformer based on a peak input current in the primary winding and a duty cycle of current in the secondary winding. The flyback controller may generate a switching signal that causes a chopped AC voltage from a dimmer control to be converted by the flyback converter into an average output current from a secondary winding of the transformer that is DC isolated from the chopped AC voltage and that varies as a function of the setting of the dimmer control. The flyback controller may not utilize a signal from an opto-isolator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Michael George Negrete, Wei Gu, Zhen Li
  • Patent number: 8692482
    Abstract: In one aspect, a circuit includes a switching regulator configured to provide power to a load, a current regulator circuit coupled to the load and a response circuit configured to provide a control signal to the switching regulator in response to electrical changes of the current regulator circuit. The control signal changes non-linearly with respect to the electrical changes at the current regulator circuit. In another aspect, a circuit includes an adaptive regulation voltage circuit configured to provide a regulation voltage to a first input of an amplifier to maintain operability of a current regulator circuit. The adaptive regulation voltage circuit replicates electrical characteristics of the current regulator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Szczeszynski, Matthew Szaniawski
  • Patent number: 8692483
    Abstract: An intelligent power control system connects with a LED power adaptor and a LED light string and drives the LED light string to emit light. The intelligent power control system comprises a sensing-modulating-setting (SMS) unit and a digital power control unit. The SMS unit detects an infrared signal and generates a plurality of brightness-selection signals. The digital power control unit connects with the SMS unit and regulates the output power thereof according to the infrared signal and the brightness-selection signal of the SMS unit to modulate the brightness of the light emitted by the LED light string. The intelligent power control system can stepwise modulate the brightness of the LED light string to reduce power consumption without using any expensive sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Ginger Technology Co., Ltd., Linsong Weng
    Inventor: Linsong Weng
  • Patent number: 8692484
    Abstract: An automatic light regulating power supply device, connected between an AC power supply and a light-emitting-diode (LED) light string, to drive said LED light string to emit light, comprising: a sensing-and-setting unit, and a digital power control unit. Wherein, the sensing-and-setting unit is used to sense infrared signals, and generate a plurality of brightness selection signal. An AC/DC conversion circuit is provided in the digital power control unit, to convert the received AC power into DC power and output the DC power. The digital power control unit is connected to the sensing-and-setting unit, and regulates its power output based on infrared signals of the sensing-and-setting unit and the brightness selection signals, to vary illumination of the LED light string, in achieving energy conservation and lower power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Ginger Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Linsong Weng
  • Patent number: 8692485
    Abstract: An electrical system for powering electrical circuits has a current varying device electrically coupled to a power consuming device and an exhaustible power source connector. A first microprocessor receives power through the exhaustible power source connector and communicates with a first signal modulator and demodulator. An inductor is responsive to the current varying device from which power is drawn. A second microprocessor receives power from the inductor and communicates with a second signal modulator and demodulator. The second signal modulator and demodulator receive power from the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: George Yao
  • Patent number: 8692486
    Abstract: A control circuit of a DC/DC converter stabilizing driving a current while supplying a driving voltage to a load comprises a current detection circuit for comparing a current detection signal indicative of a current flowing through a switching transistor of the DC/DC converter with a predetermined threshold to generate an OFF signal, a timer circuit for generating an ON signal that is asserted after a predetermined time period has elapsed since an assertion of the OFF signal, a pulse generation circuit for generating a pulse signal, and a driver for driving the switching transistor based on the pulse signal, where the timer circuit includes a first capacitor, a current source for generating a charging current, an arithmetic circuit for generating a threshold voltage, and an first comparator configured to compare a voltage of the first capacitor and the threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mutsumi Mitarashi
  • Patent number: 8692487
    Abstract: An aircraft cabin lighting kit includes: a driving/dimming module generating output signals for controlling illumination of at least one lighting unit according to command signals from a cabin management system; and at least one wire assembly interfacing the driving/dimming module with a power bus for receiving operational power, and a communication bus for receiving the command signals and for communicating the output signals to the at least one lighting unit. The present aircraft cabin lighting kit is certified by a governmental aviation-regulating body for installation in multiple aircraft. An aircraft cabin lighting system, which includes the kit, is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Eckel, Seckin Secilmis
  • Patent number: 8692488
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus for synchronously controlling a master axis motor for driving a master axis and a slave axis motor for driving a slave axis, includes: a master axis position detector which outputs position data of the master axis and a reference signal with a predetermined fixed period; a master axis receiving circuit which receives the position data and the reference signal output from the master axis position detector; a master axis computation circuit which computes a master axis error representing a difference between the position data received by the master axis receiving circuit and the position data acquired at the time of the reception of the reference signal; and a slave axis motor control unit which controls the operation of the slave axis motor by using the master axis error as a command for synchronizing the operation of the master axis motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Takayama, Hiroyuki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8692489
    Abstract: A control system for controlling an electrical device of a nacelle, the device having at least one element that is movable to a closed position and an open position. The control system includes at least one electromechanical member for actuating the movable element, a unit for electrically driving the electromechanical actuation member, and a controlling and monitoring unit for controlling the electrical drive unit so as to move the movable element to the closed and/or open position. The control system further includes a system for recovering braking power from the electrical drive unit during the movement of the movable element to the closed and/or open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Aircelle
    Inventor: Hakim Maalioune
  • Patent number: 8692490
    Abstract: A control system for an actuator including a straight slot direct current motor comprises a position sensor for measuring the angular position (?) of the motor and a current sensor for measuring the current strength (Im) in the motor, but not having a sensor for measuring the angular rotation speed of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Jean-Louis Lebrun, Frédéric Sahliger
  • Patent number: 8692491
    Abstract: The brushless motor driver includes a sample and hold circuit which samples and holds a first value of the first comparison signal in a first case in which a current is forced to flow from a first phase coil of the three-phase brushless motor to a second phase coil and no current is forced to flow to a third phase coil in a first period having a preset setting time and a second value of the first comparison signal in a second case in which a current is forced to flow from the second phase coil to the first phase coil and no current is forced to flow to the third phase coil in a second period having the preset setting time subsequent to the first period. The brushless motor driver includes an addition circuit which adds up the first value and the second value sampled and held by the sample and hold circuit and outputs an addition signal depending upon a result of the addition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shigeki Murai, Masatoshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8692492
    Abstract: A method for setting a lead-angle value of a motor drive control circuit is disclosed. The motor drive control circuit energizes and drives the windings of a motor with an energizing timing based on a stored lead-angle value. The method includes the steps of: rotating a rotor at a given rpm (step S102), energizing and driving the windings during the rotation at the given rpm with the lead-angle value being switched (step S110); calculating an average value of current amount that energizes and drives the windings (step S114); calculating a total value of consecutive multiple average values for each lead-angle value (step S120); finding a smallest total value among the total values, and setting a lead-angle value corresponding to the smallest total value as a stored lead-angle value (step S122).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Sato
  • Patent number: 8692493
    Abstract: A movable partition system includes a movable partition including coupled panels and a lead post engaged with and movable along a track. A motor control system includes a motor coupled to the movable partition and a switching circuit coupled to the motor and for selectively coupling the motor to a positive power source and a negative power source responsive to one or more PWM signals. An encoder is configured for generating one or more rotation signals indicative of operational direction and operational speed of the motor. A motor controller is coupled to the switching circuit and is configured for improving airflow around the panels of the movable partition when the lead post of the movable partition is between a predefined position and a fully retracted position indicative of a billowing effect for the panels by adjusting pulse widths of the PWM signals to control rotational speed of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Won-Door Corporation
    Inventors: Duane O. Hall, E. Carl Goodman, W. Michael Coleman, John G. Garrett, III
  • Patent number: 8692494
    Abstract: A driving circuit for a single-phase-brushless motor includes a driving-signal-generating circuit to generate a driving signal for supplying, to a driving coil of the single-phase-brushless motor, first- and second-driving currents alternately with a de-energized period therebetween, an output circuit, and a zero-cross-detecting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Tsutomu Murata
  • Patent number: 8692495
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roller mill having a grinding table, at least one grinding roller and at least two drives with a rotor winding for driving the roller mill and at least one adjustment device for adjusting the motor torque of at least one drive, the adjustment device being connected to the rotor winding of at least one drive in order to influence the rotor current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventors: Markus Berger, Franz-Josef Zurhove, Ludger Kimmeyer, Carsten Sachse
  • Patent number: 8692496
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electric power flow between a high-voltage battery and an electrically-powered torque machine of a powertrain system includes, upon violating a constraint associated with the electric power flow during operation of the powertrain system, executing a battery power control scheme for controlling the electric power flow including commanding an initial state for a parameter of the electric power flow, the initial state for the parameter of the electric power flow including a maximum estimated state for the parameter of the electric power flow occurring during one of a plurality of selected ones of previous timesteps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Sean W. McGrogan, Anthony H. Heap
  • Patent number: 8692497
    Abstract: Electromotive furniture-flap drive, characterized by an identification device for automatically identifying the type of furniture flap in the installed state of the furniture flap drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Vogel, Christian Theimer
  • Patent number: 8692498
    Abstract: Presented is a roller shade system that includes a flexible shade material having a lower end, a rotatably supported roller tube that windingly receives the shade material, a stepper motor that operably engages the roller tube to rotate the roller tube to move the lower end of the shade material between a first position and a second position, an optical sensor configured for capturing an image frame of the shade material at linear positions along the shade material as the lower end of the flexible shade material moves from the first position to the second position, and a stepper motor controller configured for controlling the frequency of input pulses to the stepper motor to move the lower end of the flexible shade material from the first position to the second position at a substantially constant linear velocity in response to position information obtained from the plurality of captured image frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Crestron Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: George Feldstein, Mark LaBosco, Russikesh Kumar
  • Patent number: 8692499
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling an electro-mechanical brake system including a cascade controller, in which a position controller, a speed controller and a current controller are integrated to control a motor. The method includes determining whether an actual speed of a motor exceeds a command speed of the motor in an early stage of a motor operation; and restricting speed reduction of the motor until a braking force is generated if the actual speed of the motor exceeds the command speed of the motor in the early stage of the motor operation. Speed reduction of the motor is restricted until braking force is generated even if a speed error (actual speed of the motor>command speed of the motor) occurs in the early stage of the motor operation in the EMB system, thereby improving the braking responsiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Mando Corporation
    Inventor: Myoung June Kim
  • Patent number: 8692500
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for allowing electrical connection to a robot apparatus. In one aspect, an electrical coupling is adapted to provide electrical power to the robot apparatus in the vacuum chamber. The electrical coupling may include engaging electrical contacts. In some embodiments, at least one of the contacts may be suspended relative to a spring such that the engaging contacts do not rotate relative to each other during arm rotation of the robot. In other embodiments, inductively coupled coils are included. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Laceky, Izya Kremerman