Eastman-kodak Company

Crystal Semiconductor Corporation

Christopher A Ludden

Michael James Callahan, Jr

George C D'Ambrosia

Clay A Dunsmore

David Andrew Johnson

John H Minnick

The present invention relates to a signal driver circuit for driving a liquid crystal display panel. The signal driver circuit provides level shifting within the circuit to lower the power consumption of a liquid crystal display module while still providing a wide analog voltage range to the liquid crystal display elements. The decoding circuits utilize a strand of abutting decode input transistors which are connected in series. Further to reduce the physical size of the decoding circuits, multiple decode circuits may share circuitry that decodes the most significant bits of a data word. A cell layout is utilized such that the most significant bits data are bused into the cell through metal lines and the least significant bits are bused in polysilicon that also operates as the gate of the decode input transistors. Moreover, the decode cell input transistors may all be of the same conductivity type.

Signal driver circuit for liquid crystal displays

The present invention relates to a signal driver circuit for driving a liquid crystal display panel. The signal driver circuit provides level shifting within the circuit to lower the power consumption of a liquid crystal display module while still providing a wide analog voltage range to the liquid crystal display elements. Furthermore, reference voltages are provided to decoding circuits by using distributed resistors. The decoding circuits utilize a cell layout that allows data to bused into the cell through polysilicon that also operates as the gate of the decode input transistors. The decode input transistors are arranged in strands of abutting transistors which may be connected in series or in parallel. Moreover, the decode cell input transistors may all be of the same conductivity type.

A camera power supply system includes a controller that reduces power consumption by modifying the operation of the camera system clock circuit after the completion of each exposure taking sequence. The clock circuit operation is modified either by bypassing current drains, thereby reducing the accuracy of the clock circuit as well as its power consumption, or by reducing the frequency of the clock pulses produced by the system clock. Modifying the operation of the system clock in this way does not adversely affect operation of systems such as information displays, but does reduce power consumption. The clock circuit operation is restored at the beginning of an exposure sequence.

Camera power supply system

A low cost, reflectivity insensitive rangefinder for performing time-multiplexed multi-zone auto-ranging comprises a light projecting means energizable for projecting a beam of light to illuminate a spot on an object in a scene. A linear array of N photosensitive elements views the scene and produces N photosignals representing the brightness of the scene, wherein each photosensitive element corresponds to one of N discrete subject distance zones, in sequence, from a far zone to a near zone. A control signal generating means generates process control signals for initiating intermediate zone ranging operations. A selection signal supply means supplies selection signals for effectuating a time-multiplexed multi-zone ranging operation. An analog multiplexer means, responsive to the selection signals, inputs the N photosignals, in parallel, and outputs selected time-multiplexed pairs of photosignals. Each pair of photosignals represents, in sequence, the scene brightness of an intermediate FAR zone and an intermediate NEAR zone. Signal processing electronics responsive to the pairs of photosignals and responsive to the process control signals periodically energizes the light projecting means and produces N-1 intermediate FAR/NEAR zone determinations. A final subject distance selection means selects a final subject distance zone from the intermediate zone determinations.

Time-multiplexed multi-zone rangefinder

A DC-to-DC converter is operated in accordance with a predetermined primary circuit ON time and a sensed predetermined secondary circuit current level to provide improved charging performance and extended battery life. Energy is stored in the primary of a coupled inductor when power in the primary, provided by a battery having an internal impedance which varies over the battery's lifetime, is switched ON for a predetermined time t.sub.ON. Upon expiration of time t.sub.ON, power is switched OFF, whereupon stored energy is transferred to the secondary via a flyback type process, thus charging a storage capacitor. A preventing means prevents a premature switching ON of power in the primary subsequent to the expiration of time t.sub.ON. The energy storage cycle repeats when current sensed in the secondary decreases below a predetermined minimum current threshold.

DC-to-DC converter using coupled inductor current sensing and

A continuous-tone thermal printer includes a transport mechanism for advancing a print medium past a thermal print head while continuous-tone image information is being printed, line-by-line, on the medium. To increase the rate at which thermal prints are produced, the printer includes asynchronous motor-control apparatus for selectively accelerating the movement of the print medium relative to the print head to quickly locate the print head at the start of a new image line immediately following the printing of that pixel(s) having the highest image density in the preceding image line. Preferably, such motor-control apparatus includes a digital signal processor which determines the maximum pixel density on each line. Upon printing such maximum pixel density, the digital signal processor causes a motor controller to temporarily increase the print medium velocity past the thermal print head to the start of the next image line.

High speed thermal printing apparatus

A method of scanning intrusion detection which is capable of monitoring a large volume of either interior or exterior space from a single relatively inexpensive unit. This method of intrusion detection comprises the steps of scanning a beam of infrared radiation about a field of view and receiving the radiation of the beam reflected from the field of view, generating a signal indicative of the distance from the device at which the beam has been reflected for each of a plurality of azimuthal sectors of the field of view, storing a plurality of reference signals which are indicative of the distance of reflection of the beam from each azimuthal sector of the field of view during a reference time period, comparing the signals from a selected time period with the reference signals, and generating an output signal if one of the signals is different from the respective reference signal.

Method of intrusion detection over a wide area

A scanning intrusion detection device is capable of monitoring a large volume of either interior or exterior space from a single relatively inexpensive unit. This intrusion detection device comprises a radiation emitter arranged to scan a beam of infrared radiation about a field of view and means for receiving the radiation of the beam reflected from the field of view. The receiver is arranged to generate a signal indicative of the distance from the device at which the beam has been reflected for each of a plurality of azimuthal sectors of the field of view during a selected time period. A ram is also provided for storing a plurality of reference signals which are indicative of the distance of reflection of the beam from each azimuthal sector of the field of view during a reference time period. The signals from a selected time period are compared with the reference signals and an output signal is generated if one of the signals is different from the respective reference signal.

Scanning intrusion detection device

A method of intrusion detection which comprises the steps of: projecting a beam of infrared radiation toward a field of view from a detection device and receiving the radiation of the beam reflected from the field of view, determining the distance from the device at which the beam is reflected by the field of view, generating a signal indicative of the distance from the device at which the beam has been reflected by the field of view during a selected time period, storing a reference signal which is indicative of the distance of reflection of the beam from the field of view during a reference time period, comparing a signal from a selected time period with the reference signal, and generating an output signal if the signal differs from the reference signal in a preselected manner.

Method of intrusion detection

An intrusion detection device which comprises a radiation emitter arranged to project a beam of infrared radiation toward a field of view and means for receiving the radiation of the beam reflected from the field of view. The receiving means is arranged to generated a signal indicative of the distance from the device at which the beam has between reflected by the field of view during a selected time period. Means is also provided for storing a reference signal which is indicative of the distance of reflection of the beam from the field of view during a reference time period. Further means is provided for comparing a signal from a selected time period with the reference signal and for generating an output signal if the signal differs from the reference signal in a preselected manner.

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Fairport, NY, United States of America

Christopher A Ludden