Creating a pleasant ambience is a popular aspect of home decor. This is often achieved through pleasant fragrances and proper lighting. Conventional products such as scented candles, mood lighting devices, fragrance dispensers, and the like, are commonly used to create a pleasant environment in the home. While those conventional products help to create a pleasant living environment and ambiance, they have their drawbacks.
For example, scented candles create soft light and fragrance, which creates a pleasant mood. However, candles are a potential fire hazard and often produce unwanted smoke and wax drippings.
Traditional light fixtures and lamps do not provide color effects or fragrances users often desire. Other than existing lamps, stand-alone aesthetic devices are available for providing desired lighting effects (such as color changing and the like). However, such devices take up space around the home, and could add to the clutter that many are trying to avoid. Also, because such stand-alone devices are typically placed in highly visible locations, they need to be aesthetically designed to suit the personal tastes of different categories of buyers, requiring additional design costs.
Conventional fragrance dispensers, such as plug-in diffusers, can provide pleasing aromas in a relatively inexpensive, compact package. However, such conventional fragrance dispensers generally take up outlets and are often located out of sight, causing a user to forget to adjust or refill the device. While these fragrance dispensers may also provide light, because the devices are used in existing electrical outlets, they are generally positioned too low to provide effective lighting features, other than to operate as a nightlight.
In view of the drawbacks of the lighting and fragrance devices currently on the market, we have invented a device which provides the desired lighting and fragrance effects (or emission of other active ingredients, other than fragrance), without adding clutter to a room, requiring the purchase of new fixtures, taking up additional electrical outlets, requiring aesthetically pleasing designs for the unit itself, or presenting the fire hazards associated with open flames. More specifically, our invention is directed to a light bulb that is configured to mate with a light socket (e.g., conventional incandescent, halogen or fluorescent light sockets), and provides the desired ambient effects related to lighting and fragrance.
In one aspect, a light bulb according to our invention includes a translucent housing, a plurality of LEDs positioned within the housing so as to emit light through the housing, a base configured to mate with a light socket, a compartment for receiving and securing a replaceable active ingredient cartridge, and a dispenser for emitting the active ingredient from the cartridge when secured in the compartment.
In another aspect, a light bulb according to our invention includes a base configured to mate with a light socket for receiving the light bulb, a translucent housing coupled to the base, and a plurality of LEDs, including LEDs of at least two different colors, coupled to the base within the housing. An active ingredient dispenser is supported by the base and dispenses an active ingredient from the light bulb when the active ingredient is provided therein. A control mechanism is provided, by which the light bulb can be controlled by a user to change at least one of a color of light emitted from the housing by the plurality of LEDs, and an output rate of the active ingredient.
A light bulb according to our invention may provide white light typically associated with a conventional light bulb, as well as colored options, color-changing effects, and/or fragrance emission. In addition, all of these options may be provided in one simple replacement bulb that can be placed in existing lamps already found in one's home. The light bulb may include a compact fluorescent bulb in the housing for providing illumination/white light. Moreover, it is preferred that the colored lighting effects of our light bulb be provided by light emitting diodes (LEDs), which last longer than conventional bulbs, are more energy efficient, and do not emit the high levels of heat associated with, for example, incandescent bulbs. With this reduction in heat, we have found it is possible to more effectively and efficiently deliver a fragrance (or other active ingredient), without overheating or burning the same. Also, LEDs may be used to provide an additional or alternative source of white light.
In preferred embodiments, the fragrance delivery aspect of our invention may be provided by scented oil or scented gels provided in cartridges which may be replaceably secured in/to the bulb, to provide the desired fragrance emission. This allows a user to change between different fragrances and/or replace empty cartridges, without the need to change the entire bulb. In addition, our bulb can be made programmable so that a user may change the lighting options (i.e., change the brightness or color, or activate a color show), and/or the fragrance emission rate.
Bulb 10 includes a translucent housing 12 mounted on a base 24. Connected to the bottom of base 24 is a threaded male, screw-in connector 28, which is configured to mate with a threaded female socket of a conventional lamp or other lighting fixture. When connector 28 is mated with such a socket, AC power is provided to bulb 10 from the lamp or lighting fixture.
The power is provided to an LED board (light array) 16, on which LEDs 14a (red), 14b (green), 14c (blue), and 15 (white) are mounted. These LEDs may be operated in any one of a number of combinations to provide a specific color of light, color shows or patterns that are pleasing to a user. For example, the LEDs may be operated as described in International Publication No. WO2005/003625, which is incorporated herein by reference. Housing 12 may act as a light diffuser, to cause a user to perceive the intended color, rather than the activation of distinct LEDs of different colors. Alternatively, a separate diffuser may be provided inside the housing 12. The diffuser operates to combine the lights from the different LEDs to form a single color, the perception of which is dictated by the relative intensities of the individual colored LEDs. In other embodiments, no diffuser at all may be used, in order to allow a user to simultaneously perceive multiple colors of the different LEDs. Also, when insect control is an issue, the lighting effects may be programmed to attract or repel insects, using conventionally known lighting techniques for the same.
Preferably, white LEDs 15 provide a primary source of illumination for the bulb 10. Alternatively (or in addition), the red, green, and blue LEDs 14a-14c may be configured to, in combination, produce white light, when their respective wavelengths are mixed by a diffuser or the like. A conventional light source, such as halogen or fluorescent light may also be used, in lieu of (or in addition to) the white and/or colored LEDs, as a primary light source. In the embodiment shown in
Power is also preferably provided to fragrance dispenser 20, which, in this embodiment, comprises a heater 18. It should be noted, however, that any one of a number of fragrance dispensers may be used. For exemplary purposes, we discuss our invention with respect to heat-assisted evaporation devices in which heat is applied to increase the evaporation rate of a fragrance oil, gel, or the like containing an active ingredient. In other embodiments, fan-assisted evaporation devices, piezo-electrically actuated atomization devices, and/or unassisted fragrance dispensers may be substituted. Unassisted fragrance dispensers may simply include venting mechanisms that expose the fragrance to the ambient environment, or other such designs that enhance/provide convective airflow across a fragrance delivery medium. Of course, if unassisted fragrance dispensers are used, power need not be provided to the fragrance dispenser. These alternative devices are known in the art, and will not be described in detail herein. Also, other than a fragrance, other active ingredients may be used, such as air sanitizers and insect control substances (e.g., an insecticide or insect attractant).
Preferably, heater 18 includes a metal oxide resistor or wire wound resistor potted in a ceramic block. Of course, other heating devices may be used for the heater 18, such as a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, a coil resistance heater, printed circuitry, an etched foil heating device, or the like. When in use, heater 18 generates heat for heating the active ingredient of liquid or gel formulations stored in a fragrance cartridge 22. Such arrangements of heat-assisted evaporation devices are known in the art, and will not be described in detail herein. In general, however, cartridge 22 contains a formulation/active ingredient whose evaporation rate increases with the application of heat, thus allowing the evaporation rate (and consequently, the potency) to be controlled as the heat is varied.
Preferably, a compartment 23 is provided to receive the fragrance cartridge 22, which is replaceable in this embodiment. Any one of a number of known mounting mechanisms may be used to removably secure the cartridge 22 in the compartment 23, but preferably, the cartridge slides into compartment 23, so as to become wedged therein, or snaps into place using a system of mating protrusions and recesses. This allows the user to easily remove and replace spent cartridges, such as reservoirs containing fragrance oils, with the oils being communicated from the reservoir to the ambient environment with or without a porous wick, or gel cartridges which, when mounted, expose a gel impregnated with fragrance to the ambient environment.
Switch 26 is provided on base 24, to allow a user to control the operation of bulb 10. Although a switch is shown herein for exemplary purposes, any one of a number of user interfaces may be used so that the user may adjust the setting of the bulb 10. Such adjustments can include changing the color of the light emitted from the LEDs 14a-14c and 15, adjusting the brightness of the LEDs, switching between white light, colored light, and off settings, adjusting the evaporation rate of the fragrance (e.g., by adjusting the heat level, when a heat assisted device is used), and/or setting predetermined programs for light shows or fragrance emission changes that may be stored in a memory and operated by a processor (as discussed in more detail below). In preferred embodiments, the user interface is a button or switch that may be toggled to change the operation of the bulb 10 between different predetermined settings. In other embodiments, more than one button or switch may be provided to provide enhanced control by the user. For example, some suitable user interfaces are described in International Publication No. WO2005/003625.
Control Mechanisms
As discussed above, the components for emitting light and fragrance may be configured to work in coordination with each other in any one of a number of ways. Provided below are preferred embodiments for configuring and controlling our invention to emit light and fragrance. These are, however, only preferred embodiments, and numerous other configurations are possible.
Microcontroller 400 includes a control logic 440 that provides the operational instructions to the various elements of the bulb 10 in accordance with input signals or internal programs. The control logic 440 converts received signals or runs internal software routines to set the operation of the array of LEDs 14a-c and/or the fragrance control system 650 (e.g., fragrance dispenser 20), with a resistor R1 acting as the heater.
The control logic 440 sends a signal for controlling the operation of the array of LEDs to LED control block 410. When using pulse width modulation to drive and control the LED array, the LED control block 410 sets the duty cycles for the LEDs based on the instruction from the control logic 440.
Supply lines 412a-412c supply voltage across resistors 414a-414c, from power supply 404. Preferably, the voltage supplied across resistors 414a-414c is between about 3.5 and about 5.0 volts. Resistors 414a-414c in turn power a red LED 14a, a green LED 14b, and a blue LED 14c, respectively. Field effect transistors (FETs) 418a-418c are turned on and off in accordance with the respective duty cycles generated by the LED control block 410. Operation of the FETs 418a-418c control the LEDs 14a-14c to be activated for the portions of the duty cycle set by the LED control block 410. Thus, the intensity and color of the light emitted from the LEDs 14a-14c can be varied to produce the desired effects. Typically, pulse width modulation is used to control a constant current to be applied to a given diode for a set period of one duty cycle, thus controlling the total current applied to the LED over the full duty cycle. Thus, the diode flickers on for the set portion of each duty cycle, and off for the remainder of the duty cycle. Of course, this on and off operation is so fast (a typical duty cycle is in the range of a few milliseconds) that the intensity of the diode appears constant to an observer (with no discernable flicker), until the set period of activation over the duty cycle is changed.
The intensity and exact color of the light emitted from the housing of the bulb 10 may be varied by changing the current applied to each diode. The different combinations of LED operations will alter the perceived color when the light from the LEDs is diffused to form one perceived color.
While three LEDs are shown with respect to this embodiment, any number of LEDs may be used. In addition, the choice of which color LEDs to provide may be dictated by design preferences.
When three colors of LEDs are used, typically, mixtures of red, green, and blue LEDs are preferred. Generally, one of each color LED will be provided in close proximity to one of each other color. With such an arrangement, the exact color of each diode of the set of three different colors can be adjusted to create a blended color, for example, amber or purple. This blending can be achieved by providing the three diodes in such close proximity that the observer only sees the blend of colored lights, rather than each individual diode. Alternatively, or in addition, a diffuser may be provided to diffuse the light of the three diodes to produce the combined color. In other embodiments, the lights may be projected off of a surface to be combined before being viewed by an observer. When the LEDs are not placed close to each other, or there is not sufficient diffusion, multiple colors may be perceived in the bulb 10. This is a matter of design preference.
LEDs of a wide array of colors are readily available from lighting manufactures. Also, the arrangement and operation of LEDs to achieve a desired presentation would be apparent to one of ordinary skill.
White LEDs 15 and/or fluorescent bulb 30 may also be connected to control block 410, or may be controlled through separate means, inasmuch as the white LED(s) (or other conventional white light source) is typically either on or off and is not necessarily subject to the same range of control (unless dimmers or the like are used). Such modifications, however, would be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
The microprocessor 400 may also send a control signal to fragrance control 650, as shown in
Microprocessor 400 may also control a use-up cue 420. The use-up cue 420 tracks the use of fragrance control to estimate the time at which the fragrance in the fragrance dispenser is likely to be used up. When the use-up cue 420 determines that fragrance has been spent, it sends a signal to LED control block 410 to cause the LEDs to illuminate in a pattern, color, or other manner to indicate to a user that it is time to refill or replace a fragrance in the fragrance dispenser.
The control logic 440 may be programmed/controlled in any number of ways. In one embodiment, an RF transceiver 448 receives an external signal, through an antenna 449, from a remote control. That signal is transmitted from the RF transceiver 448 to control logic 440 to set the presentation of light through the LED control block 410 and the fragrance control 650. Also, the operation of the control logic may be set by an internal program.
Alternatively, a user may manually set the fragrance output and light show. In this case, a program select switch 26 may be operated by a user to set a light show program for the LEDs 14a-14c. In this embodiment, switch 27 is also provided to control a fragrance level to be dispensed. Of course, additional buttons or switches may be provided, depending on the level of the control and programmability desired. In particular, a switch can be provided to control whether manual or automatic operation/programming is desired.
The program starts operation of the device at step S1. At step S2, it is determined whether operation of the microntroller 400 is to be set manually by a user or automatically with a particular program. If manual operation is selected, the program proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the setting of the switch 27 is checked to set the level for operating the heater 18. For instance, in a first switch setting, the heater 18 is operated at a first temperature, while other temperatures may be set by other settings. In step S4, the operation of the switch 26 is checked. The system is set such that different preprogrammed light shows are selected depending on how many times a user toggles the switch 26. Step S5 sets the light show from among an off setting, a variant light show, a strobe setting, emission of red light, emission of purple light, emission of blue light, emission of amber light, and emission of white light, depending on the toggling of switch 26.
If the automatic mode is set in step S2, the program proceeds to step S6, in which a default setting is provided for operation. This automatic setting may be set by information from a program set in the memory, a sensor reading, a remote control, the power supply (e.g., by toggling a light switch controlling the lamp in which the bulb 10 is positioned), or the like.
These figures show only possible arrangements for configuring and controlling a device according to our invention. Many different embodiments may be constructed without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. It should be understood that our invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in this specification. To the contrary, our invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of our invention as defined by the claims. The scope of the claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications, equivalent structures and functions.
This invention makes it possible to achieve an overall desired effect by providing mood lighting and active ingredient emission, from a light bulb.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1535486 | Lundy | Apr 1925 | A |
1565500 | Ritter | Dec 1925 | A |
1706939 | Rosenthal | Mar 1929 | A |
1732707 | Winsboro | Oct 1929 | A |
1920599 | Schuh | Aug 1933 | A |
2124543 | Clyne | Jul 1938 | A |
2143246 | McGary | Jan 1939 | A |
2372371 | Eisner | Mar 1945 | A |
2435756 | Schlesinger | Feb 1948 | A |
2468164 | Brewster | Apr 1949 | A |
2469656 | Lienert | May 1949 | A |
2535802 | Libson | Dec 1950 | A |
2579026 | Walter | Dec 1951 | A |
2694771 | Cox | Nov 1954 | A |
2741812 | Tellier | Apr 1956 | A |
2741813 | Rubin | Apr 1956 | A |
2799166 | Leftwich | Jul 1957 | A |
2818770 | Cilurzo | Jan 1958 | A |
2931880 | Yaffe | Apr 1960 | A |
2942090 | Diehl | Jun 1960 | A |
3080624 | Weber, III | Mar 1963 | A |
3119565 | Nottingham | Jan 1964 | A |
3377126 | Nijland et al. | Apr 1968 | A |
3760179 | Addington, Jr. | Sep 1973 | A |
3763347 | Whitaker | Oct 1973 | A |
3780260 | Elsner | Dec 1973 | A |
3923458 | Moran | Dec 1975 | A |
3948445 | Andeweg | Apr 1976 | A |
4009384 | Holland | Feb 1977 | A |
4045664 | Vrenken et al. | Aug 1977 | A |
4084079 | Costello | Apr 1978 | A |
4184099 | Lindauer et al. | Jan 1980 | A |
4234907 | Daniel | Nov 1980 | A |
4271408 | Teshima | Jun 1981 | A |
4346059 | Spector | Aug 1982 | A |
4391781 | van Lit | Jul 1983 | A |
4463286 | Justice | Jul 1984 | A |
4493011 | Spector | Jan 1985 | A |
4510555 | Mori | Apr 1985 | A |
4519017 | Daniel | May 1985 | A |
4544592 | Spector | Oct 1985 | A |
4549250 | Spector | Oct 1985 | A |
4561043 | Thompson | Dec 1985 | A |
4579717 | Gyulay | Apr 1986 | A |
4631387 | Glucksman | Dec 1986 | A |
4640266 | Levy | Feb 1987 | A |
4647428 | Gyulay | Mar 1987 | A |
4647433 | Spector | Mar 1987 | A |
4714984 | Spector | Dec 1987 | A |
4754372 | Harrison | Jun 1988 | A |
4816973 | Atalla et al. | Mar 1989 | A |
4849181 | Kelley et al. | Jul 1989 | A |
4849606 | Martens, III et al. | Jul 1989 | A |
4875144 | Wainwright | Oct 1989 | A |
4885663 | Parker | Dec 1989 | A |
4933815 | Parthasarathy | Jun 1990 | A |
4955975 | Mori | Sep 1990 | A |
4965490 | Ratner | Oct 1990 | A |
4965701 | Voland | Oct 1990 | A |
4972305 | Blackburn | Nov 1990 | A |
4974136 | Noori-Shad et al. | Nov 1990 | A |
5021928 | Daniel | Jun 1991 | A |
5046837 | Stroomer et al. | Sep 1991 | A |
5060118 | Penrod et al. | Oct 1991 | A |
5066085 | Gimbutas et al. | Nov 1991 | A |
5069877 | Pozzo | Dec 1991 | A |
5111477 | Muderlak | May 1992 | A |
5133042 | Pelonis | Jul 1992 | A |
5168654 | Chien | Dec 1992 | A |
5178839 | Spector | Jan 1993 | A |
5183323 | Daniel | Feb 1993 | A |
5201025 | Landesberg | Apr 1993 | A |
5217696 | Wolverton et al. | Jun 1993 | A |
5233680 | Fussell | Aug 1993 | A |
5247491 | Kwiatkowski | Sep 1993 | A |
5249105 | Koizumi | Sep 1993 | A |
5251116 | Wijbenga et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
5259062 | Pelonis | Nov 1993 | A |
5301090 | Hed | Apr 1994 | A |
D350209 | Martin | Aug 1994 | S |
5345149 | Ham | Sep 1994 | A |
5352122 | Speyer et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
5374876 | Horibata et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
5402517 | Gillett et al. | Mar 1995 | A |
D357330 | Wong et al. | Apr 1995 | S |
5426474 | Rubtsov et al. | Jun 1995 | A |
5432876 | Appeldorn et al. | Jul 1995 | A |
D363537 | Moody | Oct 1995 | S |
5455750 | Davis et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
5463280 | Johnson | Oct 1995 | A |
5547616 | Dancs et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
5556191 | Maassen | Sep 1996 | A |
5556192 | Wang | Sep 1996 | A |
5561346 | Byrne | Oct 1996 | A |
5568964 | Parker et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
5598068 | Shirai | Jan 1997 | A |
D381443 | Yuen | Jul 1997 | S |
D381444 | Yuen | Jul 1997 | S |
5647052 | Patel et al. | Jul 1997 | A |
5651942 | Christensen | Jul 1997 | A |
5688042 | Madadi et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
5691886 | Stacy | Nov 1997 | A |
5703440 | Kachmarik et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
5711591 | Jordan | Jan 1998 | A |
5726535 | Yan | Mar 1998 | A |
D395529 | Yuen | Jun 1998 | S |
5801484 | Bankuti et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
5823652 | Vann | Oct 1998 | A |
5876678 | Harrell et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
5908231 | Huff | Jun 1999 | A |
6016038 | Mueller et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
6031967 | Flashinski et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6044202 | Junkel | Mar 2000 | A |
6099137 | McCormack et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6106786 | Akahoshi | Aug 2000 | A |
6120737 | Zembrodt | Sep 2000 | A |
D433521 | Jaworski | Nov 2000 | S |
6143313 | Ito et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6148143 | Steinel, Jr. | Nov 2000 | A |
6149283 | Conway et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6150774 | Mueller et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6153980 | Marshall et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6154607 | Flashinski et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6166496 | Lys et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
6183100 | Suckow et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6200002 | Marshall et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6211626 | Lys et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6217188 | Wainwright et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6220722 | Begemann | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6220742 | Lloyd et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6234645 | Borner et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6234648 | Borner et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6234649 | Katougi | May 2001 | B1 |
6239716 | Pross et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6254248 | McAuley et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
6270720 | Mandish | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6289176 | Martter et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6292901 | Lys et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6294800 | Duggal et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6299338 | Levinson et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6302559 | Warren | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6318876 | Sigro et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6337080 | Fryan et al. | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6339298 | Chen | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6340868 | Lys et al. | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6357889 | Duggal et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6371450 | Davis et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6371634 | Tufte | Apr 2002 | B1 |
D457667 | Piepgras et al. | May 2002 | S |
D457669 | Piepgras et al. | May 2002 | S |
D457974 | Piepgras et al. | May 2002 | S |
6391329 | Ito et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
6392549 | Wu | May 2002 | B1 |
D458395 | Piepgras et al. | Jun 2002 | S |
6398381 | Tseng | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6400104 | Ham | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6402347 | Maas et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6406172 | Harbers et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
D460573 | Gee, II | Jul 2002 | S |
6413476 | Barnhart | Jul 2002 | B1 |
6416180 | Strobl | Jul 2002 | B1 |
D463610 | Piepgras et al. | Sep 2002 | S |
6459919 | Lys et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6472876 | Notohamiprodjo et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6478440 | Jaworski et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6478453 | Lammers et al. | Nov 2002 | B2 |
6480649 | Lee | Nov 2002 | B2 |
6482863 | Munagavalasa et al. | Nov 2002 | B2 |
D468035 | Blanc et al. | Dec 2002 | S |
6488393 | Burnham | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6499860 | Begemann | Dec 2002 | B2 |
6503459 | Leonard et al. | Jan 2003 | B1 |
6513954 | Ebersole | Feb 2003 | B2 |
6528954 | Lys et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6536910 | Lin | Mar 2003 | B2 |
6536914 | Hoelen et al. | Mar 2003 | B2 |
6539656 | Maas et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6543925 | Kuykendal et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6547416 | Pashley et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6547423 | Marshall et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6548967 | Dowling et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
6551560 | Flashinski et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
6558022 | Kawahara | May 2003 | B2 |
6573536 | Dry | Jun 2003 | B1 |
6577080 | Lys et al. | Jun 2003 | B2 |
6586882 | Harbers | Jul 2003 | B1 |
6601982 | Begemann et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
6608453 | Morgan et al. | Aug 2003 | B2 |
6613288 | Gupte | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6624597 | Dowling et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6626554 | Rincover et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6627857 | Tanner et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6628885 | Wilkie et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6629772 | Brunfeld | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6636003 | Rahm et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6642669 | MacAdam et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
6648486 | Harbers et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6648496 | Elghoroury et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
6655824 | Tufte | Dec 2003 | B2 |
6672734 | Lammers | Jan 2004 | B2 |
6676282 | Begemann et al. | Jan 2004 | B2 |
6688753 | Calon et al. | Feb 2004 | B2 |
6712494 | Hodge | Mar 2004 | B1 |
6717376 | Lys et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6720745 | Lys et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6726341 | Pashley et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6733161 | Tufte | May 2004 | B2 |
D491678 | Piepgras et al. | Jun 2004 | S |
D492042 | Piepgras et al. | Jun 2004 | S |
6742914 | Prodell | Jun 2004 | B2 |
6745506 | Maas et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
6758573 | Thomas et al. | Jul 2004 | B1 |
6774584 | Lys et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6777891 | Lys et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6779905 | Mazursky et al. | Aug 2004 | B1 |
6781329 | Mueller et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6783117 | Wohrle | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6788011 | Mueller et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
6793360 | Goslee | Sep 2004 | B2 |
6796685 | Nemirow | Sep 2004 | B1 |
6801003 | Schanberger et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
6802635 | Robertson et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
6806659 | Mueller et al. | Oct 2004 | B1 |
6815724 | Dry | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6817731 | Tufte | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6831303 | Dry | Dec 2004 | B2 |
6833539 | Maeda | Dec 2004 | B1 |
6837591 | Tufte | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6840646 | Cornelissen et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6844824 | Vukosic | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6848822 | Ballen et al. | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6851844 | Guy | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6854208 | Chuang et al. | Feb 2005 | B1 |
6854854 | Hoelen et al. | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6854869 | Fernandez | Feb 2005 | B1 |
6858994 | Vollrath | Feb 2005 | B2 |
D503467 | Flashinski et al. | Mar 2005 | S |
6869202 | Tufte | Mar 2005 | B2 |
6869204 | Morgan et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
6874909 | Vanderschuit | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6880948 | Koch et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6883929 | Dowling | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6883931 | Tufte | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6888322 | Dowling et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
6890085 | Hacker | May 2005 | B2 |
6897624 | Lys et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
6902301 | Kieronski | Jun 2005 | B2 |
6921184 | Tufte | Jul 2005 | B2 |
6936978 | Morgan et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
6951401 | Van Hees et al. | Oct 2005 | B2 |
6952079 | Shiang et al. | Oct 2005 | B2 |
6957897 | Nelson et al. | Oct 2005 | B1 |
6965205 | Piepgras et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
6966665 | Limburg et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
6976774 | Reiss | Dec 2005 | B2 |
7008096 | Coushaine et al. | Mar 2006 | B1 |
7038399 | Lys et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7052152 | Harbers et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7067981 | Nishio et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
7075224 | Coushaine | Jul 2006 | B2 |
7080932 | Keuper | Jul 2006 | B2 |
7086756 | Maxik | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7086767 | Sidwell et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7093958 | Coushaine | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7104679 | Shin et al. | Sep 2006 | B2 |
7109665 | Green | Sep 2006 | B2 |
7116294 | Stopa | Oct 2006 | B2 |
7160012 | Hilscher et al. | Jan 2007 | B2 |
7175302 | Kazer et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
20010014019 | Begemann | Aug 2001 | A1 |
20010035853 | Hoelen et al. | Nov 2001 | A1 |
20010038532 | Harbers et al. | Nov 2001 | A1 |
20020006044 | Harbers et al. | Jan 2002 | A1 |
20020030997 | Tufte | Mar 2002 | A1 |
20020071285 | Tufte | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20020075671 | Tufte | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20020075674 | Tufte | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20020075677 | Dokoupil | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20020075679 | Machi et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20020105800 | Tufte | Aug 2002 | A1 |
20020118538 | Calon et al. | Aug 2002 | A1 |
20020131273 | Tufte | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20020135997 | Lammers | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20020141058 | Itoh | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20020145392 | Hair, III et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20030007887 | Roumpos et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030021117 | Chan | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030039115 | Lin | Feb 2003 | A1 |
20030046842 | Maas et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
20030071932 | Tanigaki | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20030078791 | Tufte | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20030095409 | Cheng | May 2003 | A1 |
20030096535 | Miller, Jr. | May 2003 | A1 |
20030102810 | Cross et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20030117088 | Tanabe et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20030137258 | Piepgras et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
20030156425 | Turnbull et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
20030209183 | Tufte | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20030231488 | Albee | Dec 2003 | A1 |
20040066652 | Hong | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040070967 | Kennedy | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040080941 | Jiang et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040095078 | Leong | May 2004 | A1 |
20040095754 | Hsu | May 2004 | A1 |
20040095780 | Reed | May 2004 | A1 |
20040109317 | Ribarich | Jun 2004 | A1 |
20040124790 | Han et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040135522 | Berman et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040189218 | Leong et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20040189262 | McGrath | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20040246711 | Brenchley et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20040257798 | Hart et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20040264185 | Grotsch et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20050024892 | Cabrera | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050030747 | Bogdal | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050036300 | Dowling et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050047127 | Tutman | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050074358 | Hart et al. | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20050099108 | Hofmann et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
20050104503 | Ellens et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
20050128751 | Roberge et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
20050169015 | Luk et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
20050169666 | Porchia et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
20050173675 | Schmidt et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
20050185392 | Walter et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
20050195600 | Porchia et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050258439 | Dry | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20050258440 | Dry | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20050259416 | Gauna et al. | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20050265018 | Yasuda et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050265023 | Scholl | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050269581 | Dry | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050275626 | Mueller et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050281030 | Leong et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20050285538 | Jaworski et al. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20060001677 | Webb et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060002102 | Leonard | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060002110 | Dowling et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060006784 | Takahara et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060022214 | Morgan et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060023447 | Justel et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060045818 | Moreland | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060055315 | Bokor et al. | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060071589 | Radkov | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060081871 | Streubel | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060082333 | Laski | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060083013 | Wanninger et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060103291 | Ellens et al. | May 2006 | A1 |
20060114670 | Ho | Jun 2006 | A1 |
20060120080 | Sipinski et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
20060158138 | Walter et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20060176690 | Yuen | Aug 2006 | A1 |
20060220990 | Coushaine et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |
20060238136 | Johnson, III et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |
20060275040 | Franklin | Dec 2006 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2 239 306 | Jun 1991 | GB |
2002186660 | Feb 2002 | JP |
2002159980 | Jun 2002 | JP |
2003310732 | May 2003 | JP |
WO 9957945 | Nov 1999 | WO |
WO 0178488 | Oct 2001 | WO |
WO 03013618 | Feb 2003 | WO |
WO 03026358 | Mar 2003 | WO |
WO 03098971 | Nov 2003 | WO |
WO 2004068945 | Aug 2004 | WO |
WO 2004073399 | Sep 2004 | WO |
WO 05003625 | Jan 2005 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20050195600 A1 | Sep 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60549154 | Mar 2004 | US |