US07716747B2
An image processing apparatus includes an alteration unit and a control unit. The alteration unit alters a first image file stored in a removable storage medium in order to generate a second image file. The control unit controls to store the second image file in the storage medium without deleting the first image file from the storage medium, if the first image file includes authentication data that is used to authenticate whether the first image file has been altered.
US07716735B2
Certain methodology enables geographically-spaced common-brand users to publish locale-specific, content-controlled messages. The process provides selective access to pre-constructed, digital, plate-ready macrotemplates. A dynamic document server stores the macrotemplates and authorizes selective access thereto based upon user-supplied credentials. The user, having authenticated credentials, may access a select macrotemplate, which necessarily comprises a plurality of digital, plate-ready microtemplates, including at least one restricted access template and at least one open access template. Authorized users may edit a select microtemplate as dictated by the user's level of authorization. The user may thus send the content-controlled digital, plate-ready file to a publisher for publishing information or messages compiled upon the macrotemplate. The methodology thus enables geographically-spaced common-brand users to publish locale-specific, content-controlled messages.
US07716729B2
In a method for responding to a denial of service attack at a higher layer of a communication network, said communication network also having a lower layer beneath the higher layer for receiving packet information from users, providing a packet filter inspection layer between the higher layer and the lower layer. By use of an application layer which is associated with or comprises said higher layer, creating a rule in the packet filter layer to identify a likely denial of service attack. By use of the packet filter inspection layer, inspecting incoming packet information to determine whether it is a likely denial of service attack, and if it is stopping the incoming packet information from being sent to the application layer. After a predetermined time period, stopping use of the rule to prevent packet information from being sent through to the application layer.
US07716728B2
A security system with a mechanism to identify types of information that need to be secured and another mechanism to specify how the types are to be secured. The system includes a sender having an application and a receiver having a security module and one or more datastores to store information related to types of information that need to be secured (e.g. “scopes”), how information is to be secured (e.g., “profiles”), and a mapping (e.g., “bindings”) between the scopes and profiles. Scopes can be implemented by application developers. Profiles can be implemented by application deployers and/or administrators. The security module determines which scope is appropriate for the message, and then determines the profile that is mapped to the scope. The security module can then make an access control decision using the profile.
US07716722B2
A method of controlling access to network services enables an authorized proxy client to access a service on behalf of a user. To permit the client to function as a proxy, the user registers proxy authorization information with a trusted security server. The proxy authorization information identifies the proxy client and specifies the extent of proxy authority granted to the proxy client. When the proxy client wants to access a target service on behalf of the user, it sends a proxy request to the trusted security server. The trusted security server checks the proxy authorization information of the user to verify whether the request is within the proxy authority granted to the proxy client. If so, the trusted security server returns to the proxy client a data structure containing information recognizable by the target service to authenticate the proxy client for accessing the target service on behalf of the user.
US07716714B2
A method of recording content at a set top box is provided and includes receiving a request to record multiple episodes of a television program. When a copy of a particular episode that has been previously stored in the memory of the set top box is received, a set top box selectively fails to record that particular episode of the television program. Further, the method includes monitoring metadata within an electronic program guide received at the set top box. Using the metadata, a set top box can determine when the particular episode of the television program is to be received and recorded at the set top box.
US07716705B2
A system and method for programming a digital video recorder (DVR) over a scheduling network. Program schedule information is provided to a user of a DVR via the scheduling network. A program selection is received from the scheduling client associated with a subscriber via the scheduling network. State information indicative of a state of a program provisioning system is used to determine whether the program selection is deliverable to the DVR via the program provisioning system. If the program selection is deliverable to the DVR via the program provisioning system, then the program is scheduled for recording by the DVR. The subscriber is notified if the program selection is deliverable or undeliverable.
US07716690B2
A disk-storing disk may include multiple supporting members for supporting disks and being stacked in the axial direction; a supporting member selecting mechanism for moving a supporting member to a selecting position; a driving unit having a rotational driving unit for clamping and rotating a disk held by the supporting member at the selecting position; a transporting mechanism for transporting a disk inserted from an insertion opening of the casing to the selected supporting member at the selecting position; and a restriction guide member having a restriction face and being turnably supported between a guiding attitude and a non-acting attitude; wherein, when a disk is transported toward a supporting member at the selecting position by the transporting mechanism, the restriction guide member turns to the guide attitude, and when the supporting member is moved by the supporting member selecting mechanism, the restriction guide member turns to the non-acting attitude.
US07716685B2
Described is a pluggable policy component that determines the look and feel, or windows visual experience, of a computer user interface. Window-related instructions are redirected to the policy component, while client area change instructions are provided to a substrate (into which the policy component plugs in) that includes a composition component. The plug-in policy component handles windows-related (e.g., structural or attribute) changes to a scene graph to construct and maintain the scene graph, while the substrate handles program content changes to the client areas within windows. The substrate may include a desktop window manager that has access to the client areas in the scene graph, whereby the desktop window manager can copy a client area for rendering. For example, the desktop window manager can provide a supplemental live thumbnail image of a window.
US07716682B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, system and machine-readable media for dynamic configuration and/or support for application using multiple modes and/or devices. Generally speaking, dynamic configuration and/or support for an application using multiple modes and/or devices can comprise accessing a multimodal and/or multi-device application via a user agent of a user device. The user agent can determine a plurality of modes or devices supported by the application and request multimodal services based on the modes or devices supported by the application. A multimodal/multi-device infrastructure communicatively coupled with the user agent can be adapted to register components of a multimodal service in a central repository. In response to the request for multimodal services from the user agent of the user device, the multimodal/multi-device infrastructure can locate services supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository.
US07716669B2
An operating system architecture that provides a high level of system functionality in a multimedia console through the use of concurrent system applications, while reducing the lack of control that multimedia applications have while running on the console. At power ON, a predetermined amount of system resources are reserved within which the concurrent system applications execute. The multimedia applications are afforded control over the unreserved system resources and do not need to support system functionalities as the concurrent system applications provide system functionalities to end users.
US07716666B2
Enabling developers to access software components of a software development set while the set is loading on to the computer. A user interface may provide a visual representation of the software set being loaded on to a computer, including displaying the contents of the software set. Contents of the software set may be displayed before the contents have been loaded on to the computer. A user may be enabled to select, from the visual representation, a software component of the loading set that has not yet been loaded on to the computer. In response, the selected component may be loaded on to the computer, for example, using a separate, higher-priority process or thread from the one loading the software set. The selected component may be loaded asynchronously, irrespective of the particular synchronous order in which the software components of the software set are being loaded.
US07716660B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide the ability for a software provider to distribute software updates to several different recipients utilizing a peer-to-peer environment. The invention described herein may be used to update any type of software, including, but not limited to, operating software, programming software, anti-virus software, database software, etc. The use of a peer-to-peer environment with added security provides the ability to minimize download time for each peer and also reduce the amount of egress bandwidth that must be provided by the software provider to enable recipients (peers) to obtain the update.
US07716658B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and a system for patching a set of objects containing references. The system uses a location structure to keep track of the locations of references within the set of objects. During the patching process, the system converts the references within the set objects from an absolute form into an offset-based form, where offsets are computed with respect to base addresses of objects. The system then applies an offset-based patch to the set of objects and to the location structure using a binary-patching technique. After applying the patch, the system converts the references in the set of objects back into absolute form. By using an offset-based patch, the system reduces the number of reference changes that need to be specified in the patch, thereby reducing the size of the patch.
US07716651B2
An improved system and method for a context-awareness platform that may be used to adapt an execution environment is provided. A framework with interfaces for setting, tracking, and getting context information about the execution environment of a computer system includes a context engine and a unified data store for aggregating context information at a platform level for access by executables running on the platform. The context engine may receive requests to perform context information operations from executables such as setting, tracking and getting context information in the data store. Upon receiving a notification of a change in context information, one or more executables may change the execution environment such as reconfiguring system settings. In this way, an executable may adapt its execution environment using context information.
US07716650B2
Methods and systems for debugging add-ins using a non-destructive approach. Add-ins are hosted, not stand-alone components, that run in a host application. The add-ins are loaded into an isolated environment so they can be debugged and stopped without affecting the host application. This prevents termination of the host application at arbitrary times. In addition, the host application can refresh itself when an add-in is stepped through in the debugger. The present invention also allows the add-in developer to interact with the host application during a debugging session even when the add-in is stopped at a breakpoint.
US07716648B2
A system that identifies processes with a memory leak in a computer system. During operation, the system periodically samples memory usage for processes running on the computer system. The system then ranks the processes by memory usage and selects a specified number of processes with highest memory usage based on the ranking. For each selected process, the system computes a first-order difference of memory usage by taking a difference between the memory usage at a current sampling time and the memory usage at an immediately preceding sampling time. The system then generates a memory-leak index based on the first-order difference and a preceding memory-leak index computed at the immediately preceding sampling time.
US07716647B2
A method of acquiring software profile information of a target software application includes Monitoring an application program for system calls, detecting a system call of interest to the user, acquiring stack information, and processing the call stack information to produce statistical information concerning function calls. The call stack information includes program counter and other information which is derived from the target application as well as operating system. The call stack information may be recorded. The statistical information includes statistics concerning the number of samples that any one function call is at a top of the call stack information, the number of samples that a series of functions calls are included in the call stack information, and the number of samples that a set of function calls are at the top of the call stack information.
US07716635B1
Method for the generation of Graphical User Interfaces for computer programs which are completely generated on the basis of rules stored in a data base. The method comprises defining a set of lists representing the display elements and the contents thereof, and defining an hierarchical order, and associating the entries in a list of the set of lists with other lists of the set of lists and such is representing the being contained of display elements within an other. The method further includes defining a relationship between the entries in the lists of the set of lists which is defining which particular display element is depending from the contents of which other superior display element.
US07716632B2
A system and a method for using a computer program to automate the process of searching and or retrieving data from a particular data pool for introduction to a user is provided. More specifically, a program is used that may robotically manipulate existing web sites using computer source codes that are generated all or in part by the computer program and/or software. The system may trace, monitor and analyze a browser or network application to produce transactions and manipulate the data retrieved to automatically access previously un-accessible data from a web site.
US07716628B2
A system for generating mask data includes an extracting module extracting a block necessary to correct process proximity effects as a wide correction area from a plurality of blocks by comparing parameter, a wide correction data generator generating wide correction data to make the correction applied to the wide correction area, and a mask data generator generating mask data by applying the wide correction data to the wide correction area.
US07716614B2
A method of calculating electrical interactions of circuit elements in an integrated circuit layout without flattening the entire database that describes the layout. In one embodiment, a hierarchical database is analyzed and resistance and capacitance calculations made for a repeating pattern of elements are re-used at each instance of the repeated pattern and adjusted for local conditions. In another embodiment, a circuit layout is converted into a number of tiles, wherein the resistance and capacitance calculations made for the circuit elements in the center and a boundary region of the tiles are computed separately and combined. Environmental information that affects electrical interaction between circuit elements in different levels of hierarchy is calculated at a lower level of hierarchy so that such calculations do not need to be made for each placement of a repeated cell and so that not all interacting elements need to be promoted to the same hierarchy level to compute the electrical interactions.
US07716613B2
A method for classifying errors in the layout of a semiconductor circuit includes examining the layout of the semiconductor circuit for infringement of predetermined design rules in order to establish errors. For each error, the error is marked in the layout, and information about the error and the layout of the semiconductor circuit in an area surrounding the error is extracted. The extracted information is compared with prestored information within a multiplicity of classes, and the error is assigned to the respective class on the basis of the compared information.
US07716605B2
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method of viewing images accessible by an embedded system, the method comprises: generating a trimmed image from an original image accessible by an embedded system, wherein the trimmed image's dimension are relatively smaller or equal to the dimensions of the original image; generating a thumbnail image from the trimmed image, such that dimensions of the thumbnail image are relatively smaller and directly proportional to the respective dimensions of the trimmed image; and associating the thumbnail image with the original image so that in response to selection of the thumbnail image the original image is displayed on the embedded system's display unit.
US07716601B2
A host device includes: a scroll display processing section which moves and serially displays, in a predetermined area of a setting screen, expanded function icons indicating respective plural expanded functions which are available when a printing process is executed; a switching icon determination section which specifies the reference number of the expanded function icon which has reached a display type switching means which is a predetermined position or a position specified by an input by the user; and a display type switching section which switches the display type of the expanded function icon corresponding to the reference number specified by the switching icon determination section. With this, it is possible to provide an information processing device which moves and serially displays plural icons, and to display an eye-friendly setting screen.
US07716600B2
An interface for displaying icons or input control portions corresponding to a plurality of functions on screen and pointing each icon or input control portion on screen selectively includes display control means which, along with repeatedly changing and displaying the icons or the input control portions in succession on screen, designates at least one icon or input control portion among the icons or the input control portions and displays the designated icon(s) or input control portion(s) on a permanent basis.
US07716599B2
A system and computer program for controlling screen focus for files and applications during presentations provides for protection of information in a computer-generated presentation setting and prevention of interruption of a presentation by unwanted computer activity. A list is built of applications and files for which screen access is permitted during the presentation. Upon an indication that the presentation is active, when an application or file is about to obtain screen focus, the list is checked to determine whether access is permitted for the file or application. If the application or file is should not have the focus, execution of an application or opening of a file is blocked, or screen focus is denied to windows generated in conjunction with application or file. The indication that the presentation is active may be the connection of a particular display type (e.g., a projector) or the use of a certain display port.
US07716597B2
In various embodiments, a method, computer system and computer program product for displaying information are provided. A first subset of information of the file is presented in a scrollable area. The first subset of information comprises, at least in part, a second subset of information. The second subset of information is designated as a materialization entity. When the file in the scrollable area is scrolled and at least a portion of the materialization entity is scrolled out of the scrollable area, the materialization entity is displayed, at least in part, in a materialization area.
US07716589B2
A non-computer interface to a storage system includes a set top box (STB) or interface unit connected to a storage system for storing information to be accessed by a user. The storage system can be a database, such as a relational database having a plurality of tables, or a digital library system, for storing information to be accessed by the user. Also stored in the storage system are navigation information or rules for controlling a user's navigation of the database. A user interacts with the storage system through the STB, sending navigation commands to the storage system via the STB. The navigation commands available to a user are generated by combining the navigation rules with the user's access privileges. The user can send navigation commands via a remote controller which sends cursor control commands to the STB. Alternatively, the user can send navigation commands via a virtual reality interface.
US07716587B2
A selection accelerator in topology views is presented. A user uses a topology view to manage a computer network whereby the topology view includes a plurality of nodes and their relationships that correspond to computer network components. When a user selects a primary node, processing identifies related nodes, and displays a relationship identifier next the related nodes, such as a hierarchal level corresponding to the primary node. By viewing the relationship identifiers, the user is able to depress a key to select a plurality of related nodes based upon their relationships. In addition, the user is able to request an invert select which informs processing to select nodes related to the primary node which are not currently selected.
US07716586B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for progressively disclosing information in support of information technology system visualization and management. An organization module establishes a plurality of levels of graphical information for an information technology system comprising a plurality of entities and a plurality of connections between entities, wherein each entity represents one or more sub-entities and is assigned to at least one level and at least one entity class. An assignment module assigns an entity graphical representation to each entity for each assigned level. A display module displays the entity graphical representation for a selected entity with the entity information granularity for a level and a context graphical representation of an adjacent entity relationship. A modification module progressively modifies the information environment in response to a user request.
US07716580B2
A method for shortening a web page title. The method includes determining if a title of a current web page fits in a title display area of a display. If the title fits the title is displayed in the title area. If the title does not fit, it is determined if the title of the current web page starts with a same word as a title of a previous page. If the title of the current web page starts with the same word, at least one word is removed from a beginning portion of the title of the current page that is in common with the title of the previous page, until the title of the current page fits in the title display area, or there are no more common words in the beginning of the title. End words or letters or end words can be removed until the title fits. Missing words may be indicated by adding a predetermined indicator in the area of the missing or removed words.
US07716573B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium is based on a procedure that includes: generating a graphics file for each of a plurality of Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams; creating an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema that reflects an underlying subject domain that is to be used when creating an XML representation of one or more UML models that incorporate relationships described by the UML diagrams; converting each of the UML models into an XML file using the XML schema, wherein the XML file includes XML formatted written descriptions of attributes of elements represented in the UML models; and transforming the XML file into multiple HyperText Markup Language (HTML) files, wherein the HTML files include written descriptions of attributes of and relationships among elements represented in the UML models.
US07716567B1
A control and monitoring system is adapted to collect parameter data from networked devices, and to display representations of the system or monitored data in a number of selectable languages on a monitoring station. Textual labels for the representations are stored in a system database. Component and system data may also be stored in the database for use in identifying and monitoring the components. The language used for the labels is selectable by a user via a menu, and the corresponding entries in the database are used in building the representations. The language may thus be changed in real time without interrupting the monitoring and control functions of the components or the monitoring station.
US07716565B2
A method and system for decoding video, voice, and/or speech data using redundancy and physical constraints are presented. Video, voice, and/or speech bit sequences may be decoded in a multilayer process based on a decoding algorithm and at least one physical constraint. For voice applications, the decoding algorithm may be based on the Viterbi algorithm. At least one estimated bit sequence may be selected by performing searches that start from trellis junctions determined during by the decoding algorithm. The estimated bit sequences may be selected based on corresponding redundancy verification parameters. At least one physical constraint test may be performed on the selected estimated bit sequences to select a decoded output bit sequence.
US07716558B2
A method a system for automatically controlling an adaptive interleaver involves monitoring performance parameters of a transmission system and controlling the adaptive interleaver in response to the performance parameters. The SNR and the data rate of the transmission system are preferably determined. The data rate is analyzed and the adaptive interleaver is adjusted in response to the data rate and the SNR. Alternatively, the BER and the data rate of the transmission system are determined. The data rate is analyzed and the adaptive interleaver is adjusted in response to the data rate and the BER. Alternatively, any one of the SNR, BER or data rate can alone be monitored and used to the adaptive interleaver. The system provides a effective system for adjusting an adaptive interleaver in response to performance parameters of a transmission system.
US07716551B2
Feedback and frame synchronization between media encoders and decoders is described. More particularly, the encoder can encode frames that are based on source content to be sent to the decoder. The encoder can determine whether the frame should be cached by the encoder and the decoder. If the frame is to be cached, the encoder can so indicate by encoding the frame with one or more cache control bits. The decoder can receive the frame from the decoder, and can examine the cache control bits to determine whether to cache the frame. The decoder can also decode the frame.
US07716549B2
A semiconductor apparatus comprising: a plurality of memory circuits each including a memory and an input/output selector, the memory having a plurality of memory cells and a plurality of input/output circuits respectively corresponding to the memory cells; and an incorporated self-test circuit that executes a quality test for the memory, wherein the input/output selector selects one of the input/output circuits and successively outputs data signals to the incorporated self-test circuit, the data signals read by the one of the input/output circuits from the corresponding memory cells.
US07716548B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems for filtering compacted test responses are disclosed. The methods, apparatus, and systems can be used, for example, to remove the effects of unknown test values. For instance, in one embodiment, a compacted test response from a compactor of a circuit-under-test is received. In this embodiment, the compacted test response includes one or more compacted test response values that are dependent on one or more respective unknown values. The compacted test response is filtered to remove the dependency of at least some of the compacted test response values on the one or more respective unknown values, and a filtered test response is output. Various filtering circuits and testing systems are also disclosed.
US07716543B2
A method and system for testing a modular data-processing component. Register information associated with a modular data-processing component to be tested at a test location can be identified and stored. The modular data-processing component can then be tested and removed from said test location. Thereafter, the register information can be retrieved and provided for use with testing of a new data-processing component at said test location without losing said register information during testing of multiple modular data-processing components. The register information can be, for example, PCI configuration data and the modular data-processing component can be an HAB.
US07716542B2
A programmable memory built-in self-test circuit and a clock switching circuit thereof are provided. The memory built-in self-test circuit is able to provide more self-test functions preset by a user, simplify the redundant circuit in the prior art and reduce chip area and lower the cost by means of an instruction decoder and a built-in self-test controller. The present invention also provides some peripheral control circuits of a memory. The control circuits occupies less area and enables the memory to be tested more flexibly. The present invention further provides a clock switching circuit enabling a chip to be correctly tested under different clock speeds, which benefits to advance the testability and the analyzability of the memory embedded in a chip and thereby increase fault coverage.
US07716541B2
A test apparatus is provided. The test apparatus includes: a main memory that stores pattern data including at least one pattern bit defining a test signal provided to each of a plurality of terminals of the device under test; a pattern cache memory that caches the pattern data read from the main memory; a pattern generation control section that reads pattern data from the main memory and writes the same to the pattern cache memory; a pattern generating section that sequentially reads the pattern data stored in each cache entry of the pattern cache memory and outputs the same; and a channel circuit that generates a test signal corresponding to each of the plurality of terminals based on the pattern data outputted from the pattern generating section and provides the same to the device under test.
US07716538B2
A memory using techniques to extract the data content of its storage elements, when the distribution of stored states is degraded, is presented. If the distribution of stored states has degraded, secondary evaluations of the memory cells are performed using modified read conditions. Based upon the results of these supplemental evaluations, the memory device determines the read conditions at which to best decide the data stored.
US07716537B2
According to one embodiment, a memory interface module is configured to read one of instructions stored in a memory in accordance with a memory address designated by a fetch request issued from a processor. An error detection module is configured to detect an error in the read instruction. An instruction transmission module is configured to send to the processor, upon detection of an error in the read instruction, a first instruction to hold on a stack the same memory address as the one designated by the fetch request and a second instruction to jump to an error correction routine for correcting an error of the read instruction.
US07716530B2
Apparatus and methods for intercepting and analyzing threads are disclosed. In one embodiment, a thread data recorder is configured to instrument one or more existing functions by modifying computer executable instructions in the functions to intercept threads calling the functions. In one possible implementation, the number of existing functions instrumented can be reduced by instrumenting choke point functions. The instrumented functions can also capture data associated with the threads as the threads execute at the function. This data can be saved to memory and compressed into logs. In one aspect, the data can be saved and/or compressed at a time when processor resources are being used at or below a predetermined level. The captured data can be used to analyze a functioning of a computer system in which the threads were produced.
US07716522B2
In information processing between computers which perform a remote operation via a network, all or a part of process information being executed by an operation target and data for use in a process are transmitted beforehand to an operation unit, and the operation unit continues the processing by use of the process information transmitted beforehand when connection via the network for communication between the computers is interrupted or cut. When it is detected that the communication returns to a normal state, the process information being executed by the operation unit and the data for use in the process are transmitted to the operation target, and the operation target continues execution of an information processing program by use of the received process information and the data for use in the process.
US07716517B2
A distributed model for availability management (AM) functions is described. Core AM functionality is provided by at a global level, while supplemental AM functionality is provided at a local (e.g., cluster) level. Extension entities can be provided to supplement provided AM functions.
US07716514B2
An apparatus and method is described for dynamically aligning clocks in independent clock domains with minimal latency. In the preferred embodiments, a reference clock in the destination clock domain that is some multiple times the data clock of the destination clock domain is used to sample a data sample signal from the source domain. The sampled data is used to determine at what time slice of the reference clock the data sample signal is changing and therefore at what phase of time slice or phase of the data clock the clocks can be aligned to ensure valid data will be transferred between clock domains.
US07716513B2
A scaling factor used in time interpolation calculations is tuned so as to compensate for clock sources that generate timer interrupts both slower and faster than expected. The scaling factor is decreased when the timer interrupts are late and the scaling factor is increased when the timer interrupts are early. By being able to account for timer interrupts that are generated too early, time skips are minimized. The adjusted scaling factor is used in calculating system time and interpolation offset values.
US07716510B2
An apparatus for synchronizing an output clock signal with an input clock signal includes a first timing synchronization circuit, control logic, and a counter. The first timing synchronization circuit is operable to generate a delay to synchronize a reference clock signal representative of the input clock signal with a feedback clock signal representative of the output clock signal responsive a strobe signal. The control logic is operable to generate an enable signal based on the reference clock signal and generate the strobe signal based on the feedback clock signal. The counter is operable to count cycles of the reference clock signal occurring between the enable signal and the strobe signal to generate a loop count for the first timing synchronization circuit.
US07716508B2
A portable electronic apparatus for timely receiving and displaying an electronic file is provided. The portable electronic apparatus is connected to a sender which transmits an electronic file to the electronic apparatus. The portable electronic apparatus includes a power unit, a receiving unit, a main part and a power controlling unit. The power unit is configured for supplying power to the portable electronic apparatus. The receiving unit is configured for timely receiving the electronic file transferred from the sender. The main part is for timely displaying the electronic file received by the receiving unit. The main part may be in either one of a “power-on” state or a “power-off” state. The power controlling unit is located between the power unit and the main part and is for resuming power supply of the main part under control of the receiving unit when the receiving unit receives the electronic file and the main part is checked in the “power-off” state, thereby enabling the main part to timely display the electronic files.
US07716503B2
The present invention provides an extension card incorporating a power management device applicable to electronic devices. During the operating process, if the removal of the top cover from the housing of the electronic device is detected, power supply to the electronic device is immediately cut off. The extension card incorporating the power management device is characterized in that a plurality of signal pins are disposed on a side of the power management device and electrically connected to a plurality of idle pins of the extension card, the idle pins conveying no signals processed by the extension card but transmitting a power-off signal to the motherboard when electrically connected to the connecting port of the motherboard.
US07716499B2
An electronic apparatus, capable of efficiently supplying power in accordance with execution process analysis of the electronic apparatus and classification of externally connected external equipment, includes an equipment connection section for connecting with multiple external equipments, a process judgment section for making a judgment as to a process to be performed by the electronic apparatus, an equipment selection section for selecting external equipment based on the judgment result of the process judgment section, and a power supply section for supplying power to the external equipment selected by the equipment selection section.
US07716497B1
An external storage device may transmit encrypted configuration data to a PLD during a configuration operation without transmitting the encryption key to the PLD and without retaining decryption information in the PLD. During a set-up operation, the encryption key is provided to the PLD, which generates an ID code upon power-up. The PLD generates a correction word in response to the encryption key and the ID code. The correction word is output from the PLD, which is powered-down, and is stored with the encrypted configuration data in the storage device. Then, during a configuration operation, the PLD is powered-on and re-generates the ID code. The correction word and the encrypted configuration data are transmitted to the PLD, which generates a decryption key in response to the re-generated ID code and the correction word.
US07716489B1
A security system for disconnected automation devices comprises a central access control authority that provides access regulations that are received by a portable unit. An analysis component that determines whether access should be provided to a disconnected system based at least in part upon the access regulations. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, for example, the access regulations can restrict access to a disconnected device for a particular timeframe.
US07716486B2
An entity controlling access of a plurality of users to at least one disconnected door includes mapping the plurality of users to a group, for each time interval d of a sequence of dates, having an authority produce a digital signature indicating that members of the group can access door during time interval d, causing at least one of the members of the group to receive the digital signature during time interval d for presentation to the door in order to pass therethrough, having the at least one member of the group present the digital signature to the door D, and having the door open after verifying that (i) the digital signature is a digital signature of the authority indicating that members of the group can access the door at time interval d, and (ii) that the current time is within time interval d. The at least one member of the group may have a user card and the door may have a card reader coupled to an electromechanical lock, and the at least one member of the group may receive the digital signature by storing it into the user card, and may present the digital signature to the door by having the user card read by the card reader.
US07716485B2
A method and system for authenticating a digital optical medium, such as a CD-ROM, determine whether the medium is an unauthorized copy, or the original. The original media is created, or altered, so as to contain anomalous locations from which the transfer of data is accomplished at different rates than a standard digital copy would exhibit. One implementation of the process involves timing analysis of the differences in data transfer rates. Another implementation involves the determination of digital signatures during multiple read operations performed on a data segment. The process can be employed in systems that control access to unauthorized copies, or may be used for other informative purposes. Theft, distribution, and piracy of digital content on optical media, such as computer software (also games, video, audio, e-book content), is often accomplished by copying it directly to another disc using commonly available copy tools and recordable optical media, or the replication of media to another mass manufactured disc. The present invention, which helps to irrefutably identify a unit of optical media as the original, and can correspondingly identify any copy made by any currently available means as such a copy, may prevent an unauthorized individual from making use of any unauthorized copies. This offers significant advantages to content creators who wish to protect their products.
US07716482B2
A conference session key distribution method used in an ID-based cryptographic system includes selecting two different temporary secret keys, generating a message and generating session key generation variables using the temporary secret keys of a session initiating party. Only valid participating parties receive the session key generation variables. Each party determines the session shared key from the session key generation variables.
US07716478B2
For controlling the broadcasting of a digital document, the method brings at least three actors into play. First actor is an originator user computer system wherein a file is generated for containing the digital document, digital conditioning attributes corresponding to at least one predetermined event that is liable to affect the data in future use and information that secures data integrity are associated with the data. Second actor is a future user computer system which causes an occurrence of the predetermined event. Third actor is a remote computer system arranged for detecting the event occurrence by storing digital conditioning attributes and information that secures data integrity without knowledge of the digital document.
US07716471B2
A communication system, which performs communication using a transmission packet encrypted by an IP-SEC encrypting method, includes a first encrypting circuit that encrypts a transmission packet by an IP-SEC encrypting method, a second encrypting circuit that encrypt header data to be used to decode the transmission packet encrypted by the first encrypting circuit, and a transmitting circuit that transmit the transmission packet whose header is encrypted by the second encrypting circuit. The communication system further includes a first decoding circuit that decode the authentication data of the reception packet using information to be used to decode the authentication data recorded in the IP-SEC header of the transmission packet and a second decoding circuit that decodes the reception packet using the authentication data decoded by the first decoding circuit.
US07716445B2
A method for storing a first block and a second block, the includes storing the first block and the second block in a storage pool, and storing a third block in the storage pool, wherein the third block references the first block and second block and comprises a first fill count and a second fill count, wherein the first fill count corresponds to one selected from the group consisting of a number of data blocks directly referenced by the first block, a number of data blocks indirectly referenced by the first block, if the first block is an indirect block, wherein the first fill count is one if the first block is a data block.
US07716443B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a memory interface are provided. The apparatus includes a memory controller controlling a memory and a clock generator applying a system bus clock signal and a memory clock signal to the memory controller. The memory controller applies a memory clock signal having a frequency higher than the frequency of the system bus clock signal to the memory. Accordingly, a high data transfer bandwidth can be obtained with the same cost and effort as for manufacturing a conventional system-on-chip (SOC) while using a memory having a high operating speed.
US07716441B2
A tiered storage system according to the present invention provides for the management of migration groups. When a migration group is defined, a reference tier position is determined and the relative tier position of each constituent logical device is determined. Movement of a migration group involves migrating data in its constituent logical devices to target logical devices. The migration group is then defined by the target devices. A virtualization system makes the transition transparent to host devices.
US07716433B2
Systems and methods for managing a backup process of a database are disclosed. Typically, one or more backup logical unit numbers (LUNs) are identified in a backup management file from one or more available LUNs identified in a universe file are allocated. The backup management file comprises a plurality of data containers, each data container specifying a subset of the one or more backup LUNs capable of backing up a database comprising one or more used database LUNs. One of the plurality of the data containers are allocated for a current backup of the database as indicated in the backup management file. The backup management file is checked and updated as necessary so that the one or more backup LUNs remain available as indicated in the universe file.
US07716430B2
Separate handling of read and write operations of Read-Modify-Write Commands in an XDR™ memory system is provided. This invention allows the system to issue other commands between the reads and writes of a RMW. This insures that the dataflow time from read to write is not a penalty. A RMW buffer is used to store the read data and a write buffer is used to store the write data. A MUX is used to merge the read data and the write data, and transmit the merged data to the target DRAM via the XIO. The RMW buffer can also be used for scrubbing commands.
US07716429B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for dynamic address tracking. A token module creates a token for a job that accesses data in a storage system comprising a plurality of storage devices. The token comprises a job name. The job is a batch job. A storage module stores location information for the data accessed by the job in a token table. The location information is indexed by the token. In addition, the location information includes an input/output device name, an address space, a data set name, and a storage device name. A communication module receives a diagnostic command comprising the job name. The token module reconstructs the token using the job name. The storage module retrieves the location information indexed by the token in response to the diagnostic command.
US07716423B2
The present invention provides an improved way to calculate a replacement way within a processor cache that is effective with different combinations of hardware address translation cache miss handling, software address translation cache miss handling, and hint lock bits. For some embodiments, LRU bits used to select an entry for replacement are updated only if software address translation cache miss handling is disabled. Further, for some embodiments, LRU bits may be modified to change the way a binary tree structure is traversed to avoid selecting a hint locked entry for replacement.
US07716421B2
A method according to one embodiment may include partitioning a plurality of core processors into a main partition comprising at least one processor core capable of executing an operating system and an embedded partition comprising at least one different processor core. The main partition and embedded partition may communicate with each other through a bridge. The embedded partition of this embodiment may be capable of: mapping two or more mass storage systems, coupled to the embedded partition, into a single logical device; presenting the logical device to the bridge; and receiving at least one I/O request, generated by the main partition and directed to the logical device, and in response to the I/O request, the embedded partition may be further capable of communicating with at least one of the two or more mass storage systems using at least one communication protocol to process said I/O request; and reporting the status of the I/O request to the main partition, via the bridge.
US07716413B2
A flash memory is managed by reserving one or more cells as flag cells to represent the number N of bits to store in the cells of a memory block, selecting the value of N from at least three candidates, and programming the flag cell(s) to represent the selected value. A flash memory is managed by selecting a value of the number N>2 of bits to store in the cells of a portion (e.g. a block or page) of the memory, reserving one other cell of the memory as a flag cell to represent how many bits actually are stored in each cell of the portion, and, as the cells of the portion are successively programmed with 1≦n≦N bits, programming the flag cell to represent n.
US07716407B2
Executing application function calls in response to an interrupt including creating a thread; receiving an interrupt having an interrupt type; determining whether a value of a semaphore represents that interrupts are disabled; if the value of the semaphore represents that interrupts are not disabled: calling, by the thread, one or more preconfigured functions in dependence upon the interrupt type of the interrupt; yielding the thread; and if the value of the semaphore represents that interrupts are disabled: setting the value of the semaphore to represent to a kernel that interrupts are hard-disabled; and hard-disabling interrupts at the kernel.
US07716404B2
In a communication system having a master-slave arrangement communicating with each other using the RS485 protocol, an FPGA with a buffer memory is provided in the master and slave, respectively, to handle the actual communication. The CPUs of the master and slave transfer data to and from the respective buffer memory. The master's FPGA initiates and maintains communication with the slave's FPGA. The masters FPGA and the slave's FPGA communicate with each other using the RS485 protocol by transmitting requests, acknowledgements and data. From the standpoint of the CPUs of the master and slave, the communication appears to be full duplex, although the actual communication between the FPGAs is half duplex. One particular application of the communication method is a KVM switch system where the KVM switch acts as the master and the computers connected to the KVM switch act as slaves.
US07716403B2
The subject disclosure pertains to transparent communications in an industrial automation environment amongst automation system components and IT systems. Systems and methods are provided that send and receive data to, from and amongst automation devices and transactional based IT systems. The system is viewed as a control system to the automation device and as a transactional system to the IT system. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a custom interface between automation devices and the IT systems.
US07716398B2
A buffer includes a plurality of serial inputs, a plurality of de-serializers, each coupled to a respective input, a plurality n of buffers and a media access controller having inputs coupled to the plurality of de-serializers, data outputs coupled to the buffers, and two control outputs coupled to respective buffers for buffering input data at a clock rate one-nth that of the input data. Preferably the buffer is a bifurcate buffer. In operation, serial packets are received on a port. They must be converted to parallel data for processing by conventional CMOS logic, however there are limits serial to parallel conversion ratio. This buffer describe circumvents theses limits.
US07716391B2
A data transfer apparatus according to the present invention has; a DMAC and another DMAC which transfer data by direct memory access among a plurality of buses; a command queue which holds, as a queue, commands for instructing the data transfer; a bus information obtainment unit which obtains the commands from the command queue; a grouping unit which groups the held commands, based on a source and a destination designated in each of the obtained commands; a schedule unit which decides an order of issuing the commands sequentially from a group having more command, as a priority; and a selector which selects a command to be issued according to the decided order.
US07716377B2
Technology for sharing data among multiple virtual machines in a cluster of virtual machines is disclosed. Each virtual machine identifies “managed” objects of an instance of an application running at the virtual machine. The managed objects are objects for which state information is to be replicated at the other virtual machines in the cluster on which other instances of the application are running. Operations performed by an instance of one application which affect the state of managed objects are detected and distributed. A computer-implemented method for maintaining consistent object states at different virtual machines includes receiving managed object state information from a first virtual machine including a first instance of an application; creating a representation of each of the managed objects; and responsive to the received information, communicating state information to at least a second virtual machine on which a second instance of the application is running to replicate the state information at the second virtual machine.
US07716365B2
Embodiments are provided to automatically target shared resources in a computer network which are pertinent to a query for information from a client and/or a server through the use of a shared resources portal. In one embodiment, a query is received in the shared resources portal from a requestor. The portal may then identify a target resource server to which to route the query by filtering the information provided by a number of shared resource servers in the network against information regarding an organizational role performed by the requester. The identified target resource server may be one which provides information pertinent to the organizational role performed by the requester. The query is then processed in the identified target resource server.
US07716360B2
A method is described that involves causing a received Web service's message body to be de-serialized into an object oriented token stream with an event based reader and identifying a Web services endpoint method with a message key that was in the token stream. The method also involves obtaining, with the message key, a description of the endpoint method's input parameters from cached data that contains information pertaining to the Web service. The method also involves identifying the parameters within a second token stream generated from the received Web service's message body. The method also involves causing an object oriented response message body to be serialized with an event based writer into a Web services message that is a response to the received Web services message.
US07716359B2
A communications system provides a media sender object and a media receiver object that provide an interface between a media stack and an application. The application can use the media sender object to send content to a source media stack and the media receiver object to receive content from a sink media stack. The application programming interface of the media sender object and the media receiver object provides functions for registering and un-registering buffers for storing and receiving content. When a source media stack is ready to send content, it invokes each registered source to collect content to be sent. When a sink media stack has received content, it invokes each registered sink to provide the received content. An application interfaces with a media sender object and a media receiver object to add content to a channel or to receive content from a channel.
US07716351B1
The spam blocker monitors the SMTP/TCP/IP conversation between a sending message transfer agent MTA—0 and a receiving message transfer agent MTA—1; catches MTA—0's IP address IP—0, MTA—0's declared domain D—0, from-address A—0; and to-address A—1; and uses this source and content based information to test for unsolicited messages. It interrupts the conversation when MTA—0 sends a RCPT command and uses the various test results to decide if the message is suspected of being unsolicited.If the message is suspected of being unsolicited and to-address is not in the save_spam database then the spam blocker logs the rejected message, sends an error reply to MTA—0 which forces MTA—0 to terminate the connection before the body of the message is transmitted. If the message is suspected of being unsolicited and to-address is in the save_spam database then the spam blocker logs the rejected message, substitutes a diversion address A′—1 for the to-address A—1 in the RCPT command, and send the modified RCPT command to MTA—1 and allows the conversation to continue. If the message is not suspected of being unsolicited then the spam blocker logs the allowed message, releases the intercepted RCPT command which allows the conversation to continue.
US07716348B1
A system for balancing a distribution of allocations for protected software over a communication network is disclosed. The system is comprised of at least one client computer and a pool of license servers coupled to the communication network. The client computers request authorizations to use the protected software, while a distribution of allocations is managed among the pool of servers for tracking and managing available allocations for using the protected software. One license server in the pool is designated as the current leader server. When a particular license server does not have a selectable minimum amount of available allocations, the current leader server re-assigns, where possible, the allocations within the pool by updating memory containing the distribution tables of license servers in the pool, to give at least one additional allocation to the particular license server.
US07716327B2
A method and system are disclosed for reporting incidents occurring during operation of a distributed computing environment including a multitude of hardware and software resources. The method comprises the steps of whenever a defined incident occurs, generating a respective one incident report; and keeping with each incident report, selected information relating to the incident. Preferably, this information that is kept with the incident report identifies (i) selected resources associated with the defined incident, and status of said selected resources at the time of the defined incident, (ii) dependencies among said selected resources at the time of the defined incident, and (iii) service level agreements and operating level agreements impacted by the defined incident.
US07716324B2
A system and method for tracking and identifying digital content distributors using file sharing networks. The system monitors distribution networks, logs pertinent network and distributor information, generates network statistics, gathers evidence of content distribution, and notifies interested parties of the availability of content on file sharing networks.
US07716314B1
A method and technique of managing network traffic using a digital signal processing integrated circuit (DSP). The DSP performs one or more of the following functions on the incoming network traffic: classification, policing, congestion control, segmentation and reassembly, queuing, scheduling, shaping and label switching. The DSP may have one or a plurality of processing cores. In one embodiment of the invention, each processing core of the DSP is dedicated to specific traffic management layer. The DSP, used in management of network traffic, provides quality of service (QoS) or class of service (CoS) control.
US07716305B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for preserving cluster level serialization during file server serialization reinitialization. The apparatus includes a permission request module, a cluster negotiation module, and a completion notification module. The permission request module communicates a permission request to a remote file server in anticipation of a reinitialization of a local file server. The cluster negotiation module implements a reinitialization protocol on the remote file server during the reinitialization of the local file server. The completion notification module notifies the remote file server when the reinitialization of the local file server is complete. The apparatus, system, and method beneficially facilitate continued serialization negotiation among the remote file servers during the reinitialization of the serialization data on the local file server and, thereby, preserve the integrity of shared data resources.
US07716302B2
The access method comprises the following steps: i) receiving a notification indicating the presence of at least one digital document available on the network, said notification comprising at least one executable command adapted to detect whether the recipient client device comprises a local application capable of processing the digital document, ii) executing the command or commands in order to detect the local application, and iii) in case of positive detection, accessing the digital document from a local server whereas in case of negative detection, accessing the document from the address of a remote server.
US07716293B2
Presence information is shared between a plurality of applications, to grasp a change of presence information of a different kind of application.An IM(X) server 3 receives a notification of a change of presence information from a client A1 (S902), and sends a change notification message for notifying the change of the presence information to a presence server 5 (S906). Then, the presence server 5 sends the change notification message received from the IM(X) server 3 to the IM(Y) server 4 (S908). The IM(Y) server 4 sends the change notification message received from the presence server 5 to a client B2 (S910).
US07716289B2
The present disclosure provides for transferring instant messages from one recipient to another recipient. In some embodiments, when an instant messaging (IM) message is received by one recipient, that IM message is conveyed to another recipient.
US07716286B2
Executing a program structure by leveraging a peer-to-peer network comprises generating a program structure comprising a plurality of program instructions. A first of a plurality of network peers then executes a portion of the program instructions which initiates the execution of code hosted by said first network peer, where said portion comprising fewer than all program instructions. The first network peer then migrates one or more of the program instructions, together with any requisite data, to at least one other of the plurality of network peer. The at least one other network peer then continues execution of the program structure until one or more of the objections of the program structure are achieved.
US07716282B2
It is possible to control the data transfer between a proxy server apparatus and an application server that is connected to the proxy server apparatus. A value added service control command is added to an request message and/or the response data. In accordance with the value added service control command included in the request message, a first proxy server 1a controls whether it relays this request message directly to a destination and it relays this request message to the destination after transferring this request message to an application server 7 and applying the value added service. Further, based on the value added service control command which is included in the response data, the first proxy server 1a controls whether it relays this response data directly to a destination or it relays this response data to the destination after transferring this response data to the application server 7 and applying the value added service.
US07716278B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for context and action-based application design. A method for implementing a business application includes, in a computer system having a context repository in which at least two context templates can be stored, each of the context templates representing a meta-model of a business situation, and an action repository in which at least two action definitions can be stored, which action definitions define at least an input or output of a service, instantiating a context based on a context template stored in the context repository such that the instantiated context can be a model of a business situation, associating at least one action definition with the instantiated context, and mapping at least one parameter of the instantiated context with at least one input or output parameter of the associated action definitions and using the mapped parameter as input data to the service or outputting data from the service to the parameter when the business application can be running.
US07716266B2
A method and system for performing a binary mode and hexadecimal mode Multiply-Add floating point operation in a floating point arithmetic unit according to a formula A*C+B, wherein A, B and C operands each have a fraction and an exponent part expA, expB and expC and the exponent of the product A*C is calculated and compared to the exponent of the addend under inclusion of an exponent bias value dedicated to use unsigned biased exponents, wherein the comparison yields a shift amount used for aligning the addend with the product operand, wherein a shift amount calculation provides a common value CV for both binary and hexadecimal according to the formula (expA+expC−expB+CV).
US07716262B2
According to some embodiments, a technique of processing an index comprises receiving a portion of an index, wherein the index is associated with an identifier; determining whether the identifier is stored; and storing the received portion of the index in substantially the same entry as the stored identifier, if it is determined that the identifier is stored.
US07716261B2
Method and apparatus are disclosed for verifying access to logical volume stored on at least one of the plurality of storage elements. The access can involve verification that the appropriate logical volume is being accessed and may also or instead include checking of authorization of a user to access that logical volume or logical entity. A database may be maintained to track users or host computers that are permitted to access the logical volume.
US07716259B2
A file splitting apparatus for splitting a data file recorded over a plurality of recording management regions arranged in the recording region of a recording medium, the apparatus including a management region detecting section for detecting a management region including a file splitting position, a management region recording part copying section for copying the management region recording part including the file splitting position; and a management information altering section for altering the management information of the data file to first management information for managing one of the split data files obtained by splitting the data file at the file splitting position and second management information for managing the other split data file.
US07716256B2
An information navigation system for supporting browsing of data which are linked mutually includes an starting point determination supporter, a browsing supporter, and a positioning supporter. The starting point determination supporter supports detection of first data being a starting point for an information navigation. The browsing supporter displays the first data and second data linked to the first data as in a virtual space, to allow a user to select data to be browsed next. The positioning supporter displays a current browsing position on a map which indicates a relation between all data.
US07716254B2
A system and method for generating architecture for a business system is disclosed. The method comprises, in one embodiment, modeling a plurality of viewpoints adapted for describing the architecture of the business system in form of a collection of views and viewpoints and creating a software organization viewpoint adapted for providing architecture guidelines. An exemplary method further comprises creating a first plurality of notations for each of the plurality of viewpoints for describing the plurality of viewpoints and creating a second plurality of notations for capturing design rationale indicative of the first plurality of notations. Furthermore, an exemplary method comprises generating the architecture of the business system using at least one of the plurality of viewpoints or the software organization viewpoint, or at least the second plurality of notations, or combinations thereof.
US07716253B2
The subject invention pertains to a centralized key performance indicator (KPI) framework and systems and methods of utilization. In particular, KPIs can be defined and centrally stored as data or metadata in a data store. Systems and methods are provided to enable, among other things, KPI definition, storage, identification of defined or available KPIs, and interaction with the KPIs. For instance, an interface is provided to allow KPI data to be requested and retrieved from a source such as a database. A generic application program or users thereof can then interact with and display KPI data without knowing anything a priori about the stored data or the structure thereof.
US07716247B2
An operating system is provided. The system includes an agent component to monitor computer activities between one or more single-item access components and one or more set-based access components. A protocol component is employed by the agent component to mitigate data access conflicts between the single-item access components and the set-based access components.
US07716246B2
Dynamic metadata allows for metadata that can be configured for an application programming interface (API) after the API has shipped. Multiple entities can provide metadata for the same API or portions of an API. The metadata provided for an API can be set up for each application domain, allowing customization within a single process. Metadata can be provided in several ways, including traditional compiled code and declarative markup as well as databases and other more dynamic approaches. Metadata is separated from its runtime components, so that the metadata that is used by the runtime components can be changed. For example, metadata may be declared on the objects separately. The metadata is then tied back to the runtime components.
US07716243B2
Strategies are described for validating content transferred over a communication channel using a more effective approach than heretofore provided in the art. A content registration authority is provided which registers the content disseminated by one or more content providers to one or more client devices. A client device which receives content that has been registered can securely consume the content, based on an assumption that a content provider which furnishes the content is entrusted by the content registration authority to provide the content, and without prompting a user of the client device to expressly approve the content provider. In a first solution, the content registration authority registers the content by issuing a certification stamp; in a second solution, the content registration authority registers the content by storing registration information in a central repository. The content may contain instructions which perform operations in the context of an instant messenger application.
US07716235B2
The present invention relates to phonetic self-improving search engines. The search engine may include a phonetic database having a plurality of phonetic equivalent formulas stored therein, each of the phonetic equivalent formulas being associated with at least one respective pronounceable unit. After an initial query in a primary database fails to produce a positive result, an error memory database may be queried with a search string to obtain a positive result based on records of previously failed searches which ultimately found a positive result. If no record is found, the search string may be parsed into at least one pronounceable unit. Phonetically equivalent formulas may be applied to the at least one pronounceable unit to create at least one phonetic search string which is re-queried into the error memory database and the primary database. Successful positive results may be stored with the search string in the error memory database.
US07716233B2
An abstract query is received for querying data sources for a combined hierarchical dimension having at least one hierarchy. The abstract query is mapped into data source specific queries by generating context expressions according to the at least one hierarchy. The data source specific queries are executed in an order according to the at least one hierarchy to produce value results for the combined hierarchical dimension.
US07716225B1
A system generates a model based on feature data relating to different features of a link from a linking document to a linked document and user behavior data relating to navigational actions associated with the link. The system also assigns a rank to a document based on the model.
US07716223B2
A search engine provides personalized rankings of search results. A user interest profile identifies topics of interest to a user. Each topic is associated with one or more sites, and a boost value, which can be used to augment an information retrieval score of any document from the site. Search results from any search are provided to the user, with a variable control of the ranking of the results. The results can be ranked by their unboosted information retrieval score, thus reflecting no personalization, or by their fully or partially boosted information retrieval scores. This allows the user to selectively control how their interests affect the ranking of the documents.
US07716221B2
Indexing, searching, and retrieving the content of speech documents (including but not limited to recorded books, audio broadcasts, recorded conversations) is accomplished by finding and retrieving speech documents that are related to a query term at a conceptual level, even if the speech documents does not contain the spoken (or textual) query terms. Concept-based cross-media information retrieval is used. A term-phoneme/document matrix is constructed from a training set of documents. Documents are then added to the matrix constructed from the training data. Singular Value Decomposition is used to compute a vector space from the term-phoneme/document matrix. The result is a lower-dimensional numerical space where term-phoneme and document vectors are related conceptually as nearest neighbors. A query engine computes a cosine value between the query vector and all other vectors in the space and returns a list of those term-phonemes and/or documents with the highest cosine value.
US07716219B2
Methods of determining values of keywords in an internet search are described. According to one aspect of the invention, a method comprises steps of receiving keywords entered for a plurality of searches; detecting converted transactions associated with the plurality of searches; analyzing the converted transactions; and determining values associated with the keywords based upon the converted transactions. According to other aspects of the invention, methods for recommending subsets of keywords and for recommending keywords based upon converted transactions and click through rates are disclosed. A database search system is also disclosed.
US07716205B1
Linked documents are ranked by observing link selections for referred documents from referring documents and counting such selections. The counts for each of the link selections are stored at various computer systems of a distributed network, a centralized collection of computers connected through a local network, or a hybrid system (collectively, the “system”) consisting of combinations of distributed and centralized systems, and processed (e.g., using a discrete probability distribution defined by the counts of the link selections) to obtain page ranks for the referred documents. The link selections may be observed by a browser extension running on individual ones of the computer systems of the distributed network and the counts of the link selections may be stored at locations within the system determined by a distributed hash table. Search request results may be displayed in a ranked order as determined by the page ranks.
US07716196B2
Methods and systems for culling a litigation discovery file set are described. A directory of the litigation discovery file set is traversed. A hashcode corresponding to a file in the directory is computed. The hashcode is compared to a database and if the hashcode matches an entry in the database, then the file is removed.
US07716192B2
Described is a technology by which a real-time data relocating mechanism is provided for multiprocessing environments, including supporting lock-free programs that run in parallel. The relocating mechanism moves an object by using a status field related to the data field, possibly in an interim (wide) object space, which is then copied to a to-space object. The status information for each data field of the original object contains information indicating where a current version of the data for each field is present, that is, in the original, wide or to-space object. In one example, a handshake mechanism of a garbage collector establishes preparation and copy phases between the mechanism and other threads that determine where memory accesses occur. Also described is support for program thread compare-and-swap (CAS) operations and/or multi-word atomic operations.
US07716190B2
Structured information data sets structured according to a first predefined structure are converted into data sets structured according to a second predefined structure by way of an intermediate data structure. Conversion rules are defined to convert from each of the first and second predefined structures into the intermediate data structure and from the intermediate data structure into each of the first and second predefined structures. A pre-processor is provided to carry out initial processing tasks on a received data set to make it more susceptible to structural processing according to the conversion rules, and a post-processor is provided to carry out tasks such as vocabulary and data type conversion.
US07716186B2
A method and system are disclosed for transparent backup to a hierarchical storage system. A data management application requests a backup operation, communicating the request using the Network Data Management Protocol with a tape server and a data server. The tape server generates a unique identifier for the data set. In addition, the tape server transfers the data set from the data server to the hierarchical storage system and sends the identifier to the data management application in response to the request. The identifier identifies the data set within the hierarchical storage system. In a certain embodiment, the tape server stores and manages the data set in locations transparent to the data management application. The tape server and data management application may be logically distinct. The data management application may access the data set through the tape server using the identifier.
US07716177B2
A method and apparatus for proactively allocating space to a logical layer of a database is provided. Allocation of space to a logical layer of a database is an expensive operation that should be minimized. The allocation of space includes discovering free space in all the higher layers in the logical storage hierarchy. It also includes cross-domain system calls and cleansing disk-write operations. In prior approaches, the allocation processes were triggered on-demand, only a certain logical layer was discovered to be at full capacity when an insert-row operation was attempted. In one embodiment of the invention, space needs are statistically predicted based on prior rates of space consumption. The database server pre-allocates space as needed, based on the statistical predictions. Rates of consumption are examined periodically. Space is pre-allocated before any logical layer reaches full capacity by a combination of proactive background processes; foreground-triggered, background processes; and classic foreground allocation.
US07716171B2
Managing backup data comprises accessing a snapshot of a data set, wherein the data set includes at least one object and the snapshot includes a replica of the data set, and adding to an index associated with the snapshot, with respect to each of one or more objects included in the snapshot, index data indicating at least where the object is located within the snapshot.
US07716170B2
A method and system dynamically and contextually manage information in an electronic computational environment. In one aspect, a desired project provides a context for management of a plurality of information elements, each element being in at least one of a plurality of categories. Each category in turn is a member of a category set, and the category set includes data category, function category, and result category. The context corresponds to at least one model that is defined by the elements and a set of rules governing permissible relationships among the elements. The method includes: receiving an input to the environment specifying a relationship among at least two information elements; using an integrity engine, operating to enforce such rules, to verify dynamically correctness of the relationship specified; and upon acceptance of the relation by the integrity engine, storing automatically the relationship specified, so as to permit dynamic interaction with respect to the context. The relation can be specified and implemented on the fly, without a preconceived design process. Related systems are also provided.
US07716166B2
The various methods and devices described herein relate to devices which, in at least certain embodiments, may include a method of decoding data or a data stream in a file, which may include checking for a first data portion of a plurality of data portions in the file, the first data portion having a first data value, reading in data from another data portion of the plurality of data portions, decoding or decompressing the data, performing a checksum operation on the decoded data if the first data portion having the first data value is not detected, and skipping a checksum operation on the decoded data if the first data portion having the first data value is detected. In the embodiment, a checksum operation on encoded data may also be skipped. In an embodiment, the first data value may include information or instructions about how a decoder may decode the data and may also include a tag or identifier.
US07716162B2
A location classifier generates location information based on textual strings in input text. The location information defines potential geographical relevance of the input text. In determining the location information, the location classifier may receive at least one geo-relevance profile associated with at least one string in the input text, obtain a combined geo-relevance profile for the document from the at least one geo-relevance profile, and determine geographical relevance of the input text based on the combined geo-relevance profile.
US07716158B2
A method and system which allow the addition of context into a search involves the use of state monitors in the computing environment. The state monitors record information such as the installed hardware, software, user preferences, and operating modes. The state information is used to modify information gathered via a user search to make the search results more relevant to the user in the context of his computing environment. The monitors, along with logical operators and variables, assess the current state of the machine and modify the displayed search results by excluding irrelevant information, biasing up information relevant to the computing environment and biasing down other information less relevant to the computing environment.
US07716157B1
Presenting a subset is disclosed. Information associated with a set of one or more objects is obtained, where the set of one or more objects have been detected from a collection of one or more images. Object search criteria is obtained. A subset of the collection is determined based at least in part on the object search criteria. The subset is presented.
US07716155B2
Techniques are disclosed for predicting the future behavior of data streams through the use of current trends of the data stream. By way of example, a technique for predicting the future behavior of a data stream comprises the following steps/operations. Statistics are obtained from the data stream. Estimated statistics for a future time interval are generated by using at least a portion of the obtained statistics. A portion of the estimated statistics are utilized to generate one or more representative pseudo-data records within the future time interval. Pseudo-data records are utilized for forecasting of at least one characteristic of the data stream.
US07716149B2
Device, method, and computer program product that provides a user interface for monitoring the social health of a persistent virtual environment. The disclosed technology allows a user to monitor and diagnose the health of the persistent virtual environment based on the social interactions between subscribers of on-line entities who have interactions related to the persistent virtual environment.
US07716147B2
A method for predicting a future occurrence of an event involves obtaining a history of prior occurrences of the event. A plurality of variables is created that are associated with the event. Weights are assigned to each variable. An artificial neural network is accessed and trained with the history of past occurrences of the event by comparing an output of the artificial neural network to the past occurrence of the event. The weights are adjusted until the output corresponds to the past occurrence of the event.
US07716142B2
A system for calculating a special wholesale pricing between a wholesaler and a reseller for a transaction between the reseller and an end-user. A wholesale discount pricing system is provided that comprises: a system for inputting a special pricing request from a reseller, wherein the special pricing request includes a product identifier and an end-user discount the reseller intends on applying to the transaction with the end-user; a product mapping system that maps the product identifier to a set of pricing parameters; and a calculation system that calculates the special wholesale pricing based on the set of pricing parameters and the inputted end-user discount.
US07716138B2
Special CD-keys are generated so as to have special patterns recognizable by compliant installer programs, which require special actions to be taken by the compliant installer programs when recognized. Since the special patterns are different than those used for valid CD-keys, non-compliant installer programs will treat them as invalid CD-keys and refuse to install any computer programs for which the invalid CD-keys are provided. The special CD-keys are included in text files that have associated metadata indicating that they are for installing copies of computer programs to be protected. The text files are then offered by agent computers for downloading on file sharing networks.
US07716116B2
The present invention is directed to a stock portfolio analysis system able to determine an optimal covered call trade for each of a plurality of stocks within a stock investor's portfolio, determine an improved key rating factor associated with each optimal covered call trade, and produce a trade report that displays the optimal trades along with the key rating. In another embodiment of the present invention, the stock portfolio analysis system is able to determine an optimal hedge trade for each of a plurality of stocks within a stock investor's portfolio and provide the information along with a key rating determination in the form of a trade report. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an income portfolio trade report is produced listing a covered call summary table, or alternatively, a hedge trade summary table, a table explanation section, and a financial summary where each covered call is associated with a key rating. In a further embodiment, the above-described embodiments of the present invention are implemented in a computer-readable medium where the report, information, analysis system are executed by a processor.
US07716113B2
A method of providing an intermediary for a transaction is provided. The method includes receiving a first request to place a first order to trade a first product at a first price, the first product being associated with one or more events. The first order is placed. The method further includes receiving a second request to place a second order to trade the first product at a second price. The second order is placed. A match between the first order and the second order is identified based at least in part on the first price of the first order and the second price of the second order. A first set of one or more obligations is established based at least in part on the first order, and a second set of one or more obligations is established based at least in part on the second order.
US07716112B1
A system and method for generating and displaying annotations in relation to one or more prices corresponding to trader-related or market related events are described. In one embodiment, a trader may enter an annotation to be displayed in relation to one or more price levels. Alternatively, a trader may configure a dynamic annotation to be dynamically displayed in relation to some price level(s) upon detecting a predetermined event related to one or more tradeable objects. Also, a trader may configure one or more alarms to be displayed or played in combination with the annotations.
US07716108B2
An information technology services providing company manages a portfolio of software applications for a client company. A plurality of the applications are preselected along with a recommendation for each. The recommendations have value drivers with parameters. Values for the parameters are received from the client as responses to questions or through collaboration with the client. A business value is then determined for the value drivers using the parameter values. Total cash flow, return on investment, net present value, internal rate of return, or other financial measures may be calculated. The client decides to proceed with the recommendations and the services providing company delivers services and software according to the recommendations.
US07716103B1
A computer assisted method of performing an intellectual property (IP) audit estimates a value of an intellectual property portfolio. The computer assisted method includes the steps of analyzing the IP portfolio, and deriving first information responsive to said analyzing step based upon the IP portfolio. The computer assisted method also includes the steps of retrieving empirical data relating to known IP portfolios, and comparing the first information to the empirical data producing an IP worth indicator indicating an estimated worth of the IP portfolio. The computer assisted method is optionally implementable over a network architecture.
US07716097B2
A real-time, global system and method for controlling payments risk, liquidity risk and systemic risk arising between financial counterparties active in payments-based transactions. The system comprises: a plurality of User Host Applications for use by plurality of Users; a plurality of Third Party Host Applications for use by plurality of Third Parties; and a plurality of Payment Bank Host Applications for use by a plurality of Payment Banks operating a plurality of domestic payment systems. All host applications communicate via cryptographically secure sessions via private communications networks and/or the Internet global computer network. User and Payment Bank access is secured by digital certification. Each Payment Bank Host Application has a mechanism for processing payment messages, including payments instructions to be carried out in its domestic payments system on behalf of a plurality of account holders (including bank correspondents). In addition, each Payment Bank Host Application includes a filter process module for processing payments instructions, prior to being carried out by the domestic payment system. In the event of a counterparty payment failure or insolvency, the Filter Process Module enables instantaneous, automated suspension of all further payments to the counterparty in a multiplicity of chosen currencies. The reduction in payments risk and liquidity risk to predetermined tolerances reduces the likelihood of contingent defaults in the event of payment failure due to bank insolvency or other unforeseen event, and thereby reduces systemic risk to the global financial system.
US07716095B2
A computer system for facilitating in accessing and reporting detailed financial information from non-depository financial institutions and for enabling comparison of performance of similarly situated non-depository institutions. The system includes a web site and at least one processing component. The web site is used for collecting financial information for predefined periods from the non-depository financial institutions. The processing component processes the information for selected time periods entered into the web site and stores the information in at least one database. The processing information also uses the information entered by all non-depository institutions to determine the status of each non-depository and to generate financial analytical information for internal use within a federally chartered corporation. Thereafter, the processing component uses the information entered by all non-depository institutions to provide a peer report for comparing the performance of similarly situated financial institutions.
US07716094B1
An estimated tax reminder system generates and sends reminders to taxpayers of their estimated tax obligations. The system determines the estimated tax obligation for a taxpayer and receives filing status information for the taxpayer reflecting whether or not a payment has been made for the taxpayer. In an embodiment, a computer program product accepts payment instructions for fulfilling estimated tax obligations and carries out the instructions.
US07716092B2
Enterprise management applications perform a “revenues increasing the budget” (RIB) operation on general ledger data and store elements of the general ledger data that have a RIB effect in another ledger, called the “RIB ledger”. RIB ledgers may include sets of RIB rules, storage for documents reflecting all relevant delta values together with the corresponding links to the underlying original transaction documents as well as storage for all relevant aggregated data. Accordingly, when audit operations are performed for RIB budget increases, relevant transaction data is readily available in the RIB ledger. Such copies of the data are more easily accessed than through a search of the larger set of general ledger data, thus facilitating and accelerating use of the RIB techniques in an online system.
US07716083B1
A food service system and method utilizing a food carrier for the delivery of high quality meals that are hot and safe to eat. The food carrier preferably comprises a body having an interior, an exterior and an opening, said interior defining a compartment; sealing means disposed around said opening; a door that covers said opening, said door being configured to seal against said sealing means when a partial vacuum or pressure is created in said compartment; a passageway connecting said interior and said exterior; a valve on said passageway; and a dish configured to fit within said compartment. The method comprises collecting data on favorite prepared foods from pre-registered households in predetermined communities and utilizing the data to purchase, prepare and deliver, with the utmost convenience utilizing the food carrier, ready-to-eat dishes at affordable prices.
US07716079B2
A method and apparatus for canceling feedback in a network-based transaction facility are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a request to cancel feedback pertaining to a transaction in a network-based transaction facility from a first party to the transaction, determining whether feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied, and canceling the feedback pertaining to the transaction if the feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied.
US07716068B2
Systems and methods are provided for look-alike sound-alike medication error messaging. Prescription data relating to a prescription is parsed to identify a submitted drug product and a submitted daily dosage. An absolute dose screening process may be executed to determine whether the submitted daily dosage meets absolute dosing criteria for the submitted drug product. A typical dose screening process may be executed to determine whether the submitted daily dosage meets statistically derived typical dosing criteria for the submitted drug product and any look-alike sound-alike alternative drug products. If it is determined that the prescription should be rejected based on typical dosing criteria or absolute dosing criteria, a reject message may be built for presentation to the pharmacist.
US07716067B2
The invention relates to a method and system of physician economic performance evaluation in which the relative medical difficulty associated with patients admitted by a particular physician is determined and, given that measurement, judgments made concerning the relative amount of inpatient resources that the physician required. Also, one application of the present invention relates to a method for gainsharing of physician services using a surplus allocation methodology for rewarding physicians in relation to their performance. An incentive pool is determined from previous patient claims and payments made to physicians in advance, such as in a base year. Best practice norms are established for a plurality of classified diagnosis groups. In one embodiment of the present invention, the classified diagnosis related groups are adjusted for severity of illness to compensate for actual clinical challenges faced by individual physicians. The best practice norms can be used in the surplus allocation method for determining physician performance. The incentive is established proportional to the relationship between a physician's individual performance and the best practice norm.
US07716065B1
The present invention discloses methods for conveniently providing a complete medication profile of a patient. A medication profile report may be obtained on-line by the patient or a registered provider. In addition to information regarding the expiration of prescriptions, the patient's compliance with the prescriber's directions for usage, and the names of medications being used by a patient, the medication profile report also provides the therapeutic classes of each medication, possible drug-drug interactions, and possible side effects. Convenient access to such complete medication information is highly desirable to the patient and his or her provider.
US07716064B2
A method of storing and viewing a collection of digital images includes the steps of: providing a plurality of users with a unique user ID associated with a URL identifying a network photoservice provider; providing each one of the plurality of users with a separate password to the unique user ID; at least one of the plurality of users transferring a set of digital images to the unique user ID employing their separate passwords; and viewing the images located at the unique user ID using the separate password.
US07716056B2
A system and method to interactively converse with a cognitively overloaded user of a device, includes maintaining a knowledge base of information regarding the device and a domain, organizing the information in at least one of a relational manner and an ontological manner, receiving speech from the user, converting the speech into a word sequence, recognizing a partial proper name in the word sequence, identifying meaning structures from the word sequence using a model of the domain information, adjusting a boundary of the partial proper names to enhance an accuracy of the meaning structures, interpreting the meaning structures in a context of the conversation with the cognitively overloaded user using the knowledge base, selecting a content for a response to the cognitively overloaded user, generating the response based on the selected content, the context of the conversation, and grammatical rules, and synthesizing speech wave forms for the response.
US07716052B2
A method, apparatus and a computer program product to generate an audible speech word that corresponds to text. The method includes providing a text word and, in response to the text word, processing pre-recorded speech segments that are derived from a plurality of speakers to selectively concatenate together speech segments based on at least one cost function to form audio data for generating an audible speech word that corresponds to the text word. A data structure is also provided for use in a concatenative text-to-speech system that includes a plurality of speech segments derived from a plurality of speakers, where each speech segment includes an associated attribute vector each of which is comprised of at least one attribute vector element that identifies the speaker from which the speech segment was derived.
US07716049B2
An apparatus for providing adaptive language model scaling includes an adaptive scaling element and an interface element. The adaptive scaling element is configured to receive input speech comprising a sequence of spoken words and to determine a plurality of candidate sequences of text words in which each of the candidate sequences has a corresponding sentence score representing a probability that a candidate sequence matches the sequence of spoken words. Each corresponding sentence score is calculated using an adaptive scaling factor. The interface element is configured to receive a user input selecting one of the candidate sequences. The adaptive scaling element is further configured to estimate an objective function based on the user input and to modify the adaptive scaling factor based on the estimated objective function.
US07716044B2
Upon detecting an utterance period by a state decision part 14, a sound source position detecting part 15 detects the positions of sound sources 91 to 9K are detected by a sound source position detecting part 15, then covariance matrix of acquired signals are calculated by a covariance matrix calculating part 18 in correspondence to the respective sound sources, and stored in a covariance matrix storage part 18 in correspondence to the respective sound sources. The acquired sound level for each sound source is estimated by an acquired sound level estimating part 19 from the stored covariance matrix, and filter coefficients are determined by a filter coefficient calculating part 21 from the estimated acquired sound levels and the covariance matrices, and the filter coefficients are set in filters 121 to 12M. Acquired signals from the respective microphones are filtered by the filters, then the filtered outputs are added together by an adder 13, and the added output is provided as a send signal; by this, it is possible to generate send signals of desired levels irrespective of the positions of sound sources.
US07716040B2
Facts are extracted from speech and recorded in a document using codings. Each coding represents an extracted fact and includes a code and a datum. The code may represent a type of the extracted fact and the datum may represent a value of the extracted fact. The datum in a coding is rendered based on a specified feature of the coding. For example, the datum may be rendered as boldface text to indicate that the coding has been designated as an “allergy.” In this way, the specified feature of the coding (e.g., “allergy”-ness) is used to modify the manner in which the datum is rendered. A user inspects the rendering and provides, based on the rendering, an indication of whether the coding was accurately designated as having the specified feature. A record of the user's indication may be stored, such as within the coding itself.
US07716037B2
A method and apparatus are provided for performing natural language translation in a finite domain, e.g., where the finite domain describes a specific subject area or field of use. In one embodiment, a method for translating user input relating to a finite domain includes receiving user input in a source language and translating the user input into a target language in accordance with the finite domain. In some embodiments, the resultant output is substantially grammatically correct and/or sociolinguistically appropriate.
US07716034B2
A method of trace data compression receives trace data on a first port and a second port stores a prior data value. If trace data is received on only one port, then that trace data is transmitted as an indication of matching and non-matching sections between the current trace data and the stored data value and the non-matching sections of the current trace data on the one port. If trace data is received on both ports, then the first port trace data is transmitted relative to the prior stored value and the second port trace data is transmitted relative to the first port trace data. The stored prior data is reset to zero upon each initiation or termination of trace data on either port. The stored prior value is set to the second port value or the first port value if no second port value is received.
US07716032B2
A method includes in a system determining a constraint for constraining operation of a portion of a block diagram model, determining if the portion of the block diagram model violates the constraint, and providing a user information based on the violating of the first constraint.
US07716030B2
Methods of identifying potential ligands for macromolecular targets are disclosed herein. The methods comprise providing models of three dimensional structural information for ligands or a ligand:macromolecule complex, mapping spatial relationships between the models, and identifying one or more pairs of matching bonds. Databases and apparatuses are also provided.
US07716022B1
Computer-implemented systems and methods for providing a forecast using time series data that is indicative of a data generation activity occurring over a period of time. Candidate models and candidate input variables are received. For each candidate model, transfer functions are determined for the candidate input variables in order to relate a variable to be forecasted to the time series data. For each candidate model there is a selection of which of the candidate input variables to include in each of the candidate models based upon the determined transfer functions. A model is selected from the candidate models to forecast the time series data using the selected input variables of the selected model.
US07716021B2
A design process for varying hole locations or sizes or both in an ion beam grid includes identifying a control grid to be modified; obtaining a change factor for the grid pattern; and using the change factor to generate a new grid pattern. The change factor is one or both of a hole location change factor or a hole diameter change factor. Also included is an ion beam grid having the characteristic of hole locations or sizes or both defined by a change factor modification of control grid hole locations or sizes or both.
US07716012B2
A process monitoring method that aggregates monitoring devices and optionally sensors into one or more groups that are each related to a process of a utility system. The monitoring devices are organized into a monitoring system hierarchy manually or automatically. A process algorithm determines from the hierarchy which monitoring devices are connected to a load. Monitored data from load-connected monitoring device pairs are correlated to produce a correlation coefficient that is compared against a correlation threshold selected between 0 and 1. When the correlation coefficient exceeds the threshold, the device pair is grouped into a process group. Other device pairs exceeding the threshold are likewise grouped into the process group. Multiple processes may be determined with the process algorithm. Sensors may also be grouped manually with the process group containing monitoring devices, which may include virtual monitoring devices. Alarms associated with monitoring devices and sensors are aggregated into one process alarm.
US07716009B2
A method of preparing recipes of operating a metrology tool, wherein each recipe includes a set of instructions for measuring at least one dimension in a microelectronic feature. There is provided a desired recipe having instructions for measuring one or more desired dimensions, the desired recipe or portion thereof including a summary of parameters relating to metrology tool function with respect to the microelectronic feature dimension to be measured. The method includes comparing the instructions in the desired recipe with the instructions in a database, identifying differences between the instructions in the desired recipe and the instructions in the database, modifying the instructions in the desired recipe to conform to the instructions in the database, verifying the desired recipe prior to using the modified desired recipe by the metrology tool, and using the desired recipe to execute a microelectronic feature measurement on the metrology tool.
US07716005B2
This invention is a temperature-based smart insole capable of continuously or intermittently measuring the foot temperature of the patient at one or more locations of the foot while the insole is worn. The device provides feedback to the patient alerting the individual of risk based on his/her plantar temperatures. Benefits of this device include: its ability to free the patient from the clinical setting and increase patient's confidence to be mobile, thus enhancing circulation while at the same time allowing the patient to self-monitor their feet.
US07716004B2
A method includes collecting trace data associated with a plurality of device testers. Tester health metrics are generated for each of the device testers. The tester health metrics are analyzed to identify a selected tester health metric that diverges from the plurality of tester health metrics. A corrective action is initiated for the tester associated with the selected tester health metric. A method includes collecting trace data associated with a plurality of device testers. The trace data for each of the device testers is compared to a reference trace data set to generate tester health metrics for each of the device testers based on the difference therebetween. The tester health metrics are analyzed to identify a selected tester health metric that diverges from the plurality of tester health metrics. A corrective action is initiated for the tester associated with the selected tester health metric.
US07715983B2
A method of detecting hazardous conditions within an underground environment can include obtaining acceleration information at a plurality of communication nodes distributed throughout the underground environment and propagating the acceleration information among selected ones of the plurality of communication nodes to an analysis node. An indication of a hazardous condition within the underground environment can be identified from the acceleration information collected over a period of time. If an indicator is identified, a notification of the hazardous condition can be provided.
US07715979B2
A method for adjusting a curved swath path in a swath generation apparatus used in an automated vehicle guidance system to compensate for changes in vehicle position signals.
US07715976B1
Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle which includes an exhaust passage and an exhaust gas recirculation system. One example method comprises adjusting an engine operating parameter based on an exhaust gas recirculation amount, the exhaust gas recirculation amount based on a first humidity and a second humidity, the first humidity generated from a first humidity sensor at a first location and the second humidity generated from a second humidity sensor located in the exhaust passage of the engine.
US07715968B2
A drive force control method for a four-wheel drive vehicle including a torque distributing mechanism capable of changing a drive force distribution ratio between front and rear wheels and a drive force distribution ratio between right and left front wheels or between right and left rear wheels. This method includes the steps of increasing the drive force distribution ratio of the rear wheels to the front wheels according to an increase in absolute value of a lateral G signal, and increasing the drive force distribution ratio of a turning outer wheel as one of the right and left front wheels or one of the right and left rear wheels to a turning inner wheel as the other. A lateral G sensor signal is corrected by an estimated lateral G signal calculated according to a steering angle and a vehicle speed to obtain a control lateral G signal, which is used as the lateral G signal.
US07715964B1
A method of operating a vehicle at a substantially low speed based on change in the vehicle position. The method comprises the following steps: (A) transforming a steering control algorithm into a substantially low speed (SLS) steering control algorithm, wherein the (SLS) steering control algorithm is configured to operate the vehicle in an asynchronous low speed mode; and (B) implementing the SLS steering control algorithm as a controller configured to operate the vehicle in the asynchronous low speed mode.
US07715960B2
A computer built into an automobile displays the owner's manual for the car. The user requests more information about the automobile through the computer, and the additional information is displayed to the user. Information may include a description of a specific function or device of the car, service history, and/or real time status of a component of the car.
US07715949B2
A vibration reducing device that reduces the vibration of a control object includes a digital controller. A vibration state detection device detects the vibration of the control object and generates an analog signal of the vibration of the control object. An input-side bandpass filter has a passband that is narrower than a frequency range from a Nyquist frequency to a sampling frequency of the digital controller, and that contains no frequencies that are an integer multiple of the Nyquist frequency of the digital controller. The input-side bandpass filter allows a part of the analog signal that falls within the passband from the analog signal generated by the vibration state detection device to pass. An A/D conversion device converts the analog signal that has passed through the input-side bandpass filter into a digital signal. A D/A conversion device converts a digital feedback control signal, determined by the digital controller on the basis of the digital signal converted by the A/D conversion device, into an analog feedback control signal. An actuator applies vibration to the control object on the basis of the analog feedback control signal converted by the D/A conversion device.
US07715946B2
An industrial robot, having an end-effector supporting mechanism for holding an end-effector and accommodating an imaging device of a visual sensor, which is free from the interference with the periphery and capable of taking an image of the working position. A container-shaped adaptor of the end-effector supporting mechanism is attached to a distal end of a wrist flange provided in a robot wrist supported by a robot arm. The adaptor has a first attachment section provided with a first attachment surface to be attached to the wrist flange, and a second attachment section provided with a second attachment surface disposed generally parallel to a wrist flange surface at a position apart from the first attachment section by a predetermined distance along a rotary center axis of the wrist flange. On the second attachment surface, a tool holding member of the end-effector supporting mechanism for holding the working tool is attached.
US07715940B2
The disclosure presents an embroidery data processing device and a computer program product capable of creating a single unit of tree structure vector data by coupling plural pieces of independent tree structure vector data. A coupling node is added between nodes and of a tree structure vector data, and a vector data to for coupling nodes and, and a vector data to for coupling nodes and are created, and thereby a tree structure vector data is created. In a tree structure vector data, the node mutual direction is converted so that the node existing at the connecting position may be a root node, and a tree structure vector data is created, and this root node is coupled with the coupling node of the tree structure vector data, and a single tree structure vector data is created.
US07715934B2
An input profile is generated from an input audio file using a measurable attribute that was also used to generate reference profiles from reference audio files. The input profile is then subjected to a process that was also used to generate a reference profiles tree, which is structured as a sparse binary tree, from the reference profiles. As a result of the process, information of reference profiles having similar characteristics as the input profile, with respect to the measurable attribute, are retrieved from resulting nodes of the reference profiles tree. The input profile is then compared with this subset of the reference profiles, representing potential matches, to determine that either it matches one of the reference profiles, or that it is a spoof, or that it does not match any of the reference profiles.
US07715922B1
An implantable medical device includes a device body at least partially formed of a polymeric material including a base polymer and a block copolymer. The block copolymer includes at least one polyethylene oxide (PEO) block and at least one polyisobutylene (PIB) block. The PEO and PIB blocks may be coupled together by a urethane or urea linkage. The block copolymer may be a triblock copolymer, PEO-PIB-PEO, and the base polymer may be a polystyrene-polyisobutylene-polystyrene triblock copolymer.
US07715917B2
Determining an optimal atrioventricular interval is of interest for proper delivery of cardiac resynchronization therapy. Although device optimization is gradually and more frequently being performed through a referral process with which the patient undergoes an echocardiographic optimization, the decision of whether to optimize or not is still generally reserved for the implanting physician. Recent abstracts have suggested a formulaic approach for setting A-V interval based on intrinsic electrical sensing, that may possess considerable appeal to clinicians versus a patient average nominal A-V setting of 100 ms. The present invention presents a methods of setting nominal device settings based on entering patient cardiac demographics to determine what A-V setting may be appropriate. The data is based on retrospective analysis of the MIRACLE trial to determine what major factors determined baseline A-V settings.
US07715914B2
An implantable medical device operates according to a ventricular pacing protocol (VPP) that precludes ventricular pacing in any cardiac cycle where a sensed ventricular event has occurred in the preceding cycle. Improved ventricular sensing, detection and classification is provided.
US07715912B2
An implantable programmable stimulator system includes memory that stores at least one waveform. A playback system provides an output waveform based on retrieving the at least one waveform from the memory. An output system is configured to drive at least one output channel based on the output waveform, the output system selecting the at least one output channel from a plurality of output channels in response to a selection signal.
US07715908B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a catheter monitoring system including a catheter input module (CIM) adapted to be connected to at least one catheter, an amplifier base, and a host adapted to process data from the amplifier base. The CIM is adapted to be connected to an amplifier base during a study. The amplifier base is adapted to receive data from the CIM when the CIM is connected to the amplifier base.
US07715901B2
An online Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent (BOLD)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method for functional clinical guidance or monitoring a therapeutic modality involving treatment by a sensitizer which, upon excitation by the appropriate sensitizing radiation, initiates local oxygen consumption, comprising: (i) generating a BOLD-weighted MR-image of the target region of interest within the patient's body (time t0); (ii) administering said sensitizer to the patient; (iii) irradiating the target region while the patient is subjected to continuous MR imaging; (iv) generating a sole or a plurality of T2* weighted sequential BOLD MR-images during and/or after irradiation (time t); (v) processing the data generated at time t0 and time t and generating a color-coded difference or ratio map on a pixel by pixel basis; and (vi) analyzing the processed data. The method is preferably applied to photodynamic therapy (PDT).
US07715899B2
The present invention provides a magnetic resonance imaging system making use of low resolution, whole-body plan scan image of a body. The whole-body plan scan image is exploited to gather a plurality of individual information of a body that is essential for an optimization of acquisition parameter for acquisition of a high resolution and high quality image of a region of interest of the body. Moreover, the whole-body plan scan image is used in order to facility a determination and a selection of a region of interest to be performed by an operator. Additionally, the MRI provides effective means for autonomously identifying specific body parts or even organs of a patient. Providing the entire information that can be extracted from the whole-body plan scan image to the operator effectively simplifies the workflow of the operator in an intuitive way. Preferably, during acquisition of the low resolution whole-body plan scan image, necessary calibration parameters for acquisition of the final high resolution image are obtained.
US07715898B2
The presently described technology provides a method for simultaneously employing two or more coil architectures in an electromagnetic tracking system. The method includes providing a transmitter that includes three single-coil transmitters, one or more receivers each including three single-coil receivers, and a receiver array that includes a plurality of single-coil receivers; tracking one or more of the single-coil transmitters of the transmitter with respect to the receiver array; and simultaneously tracking one or more of the receivers with respect to the transmitter.
US07715890B2
A magnetic levitation sliding structure is provided for a portable electronic device. The sliding structure includes a first slider member with a guide portion, a second slider member with a receiving portion that mates with the guide portion, a first magnet coupled with the guide portion and having magnetic poles arranged in a direction perpendicular to a sliding direction, and a spaced-apart pair of second magnets coupled with the receiving portion. The first magnet is configured between the spaced-apart pair of second magnets for facilitating relative sliding movement of the first and second slider members. A portable electronic device including the magnetic levitation sliding structure is also provided.
US07715889B2
A portable electronic device includes a first chassis and a second chassis movably connected to one another, which can be opened away from one another and closed against one another, a magnetic recording device (a hard disk device) provided within the first chassis, and a wireless communication module (a non contact type IC module) provided within the second chassis. The portable electronic device can be operated in a mode #1 in which the operation of the non contact type IC module is permitted while the operation of the HDD section is prohibited, or in a mode #2 in which the operation of the non contact type IC module is prohibited while the operation of the HDD section is permitted. Since operation of the non contact type IC module is prohibited when the system is changed over from the mode #1 to the mode #2, accordingly the HDD section can perform reading or writing without experiencing any influence due to shock, magnetism, or electromagnetic waves.
US07715887B2
A sensor system includes N sensor system modules that each include respective sensor function modules for processing and communicating signals from at least one external detector. M slave modules selectively control power to the sensor function modules. M and N are integers greater than one. A master power control module serially controls the M slave modules via a bus based on functions of the sensor function modules.
US07715879B2
A processing unit transmits, from at least one of a plurality of antennas, data corresponding respectively to the plurality of antennas. A control unit generates request signals with which to let a second radio apparatus supply information on rates at the second radio apparatus. When transmitting the request signal, the processing unit also transmits, from a plurality of antennas which includes antennas other than the antennas that transmit the data, known signals corresponding respectively to the plurality of antennas.
US07715877B2
A processing unit transmits, from at least one of a plurality of antennas, data corresponding respectively to the plurality of antennas. A control unit generates request signals with which to let a second radio apparatus supply information on rates at the second radio apparatus. When transmitting the request signal, the processing unit also transmits, from a plurality of antennas which includes antennas other than the antennas that transmit the data, known signals corresponding respectively to the plurality of antennas.
US07715875B2
Disclosed is a base station controller including processing units classified into a C-plane, a U-plane, and a T-plane. A plurality of subunits are provided in each plane, each subunit having a controller and a plurality of processing entities. Each controller of each subunits maintains a table which indicates the relationship among a name of the message transmitted and received by the C-plane to and from the outside in order to set up a call, a service identifier of the call which is set up using the message; and a name of the process entity which processes the call. Upon detection of a call failure, each plane controller searches the table with a message name, a user identifier, and a service identifier of the call. Then, each plane controller outputs alarm information including the user identifier, a subunit identifier, and the process entity name into a storage device.
US07715873B1
A wearable accessory may provide visual indicia of an incoming network event for a wireless telecommunications device. The wireless telecommunications device may detect the presence of the wearable accessory within a wireless personal area network. After detecting the presence of the wearable accessory, the wireless telecommunications device may determine the display type of the wearable accessory and if any interface software is required to properly communicate a signal to the wearable accessory. Upon receipt of an incoming network event, the wireless telecommunications device may send a signal to the wearable accessory based on the display type of the wearable accessory, thereby causing the wearable accessory to provide visual indicia of the incoming network event.
US07715866B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling output power of a radio transmitter, the radio transmitter operating on a radio channel. The method includes determining requested output power level, and deriving output power, which is to be used, on the basis of a power control algorithm having at least a first and a second power control area, maximum output power of the first area being derived at least on the basis of theoretical minimum attenuation to adjacent receivers, and maximum output power of the second area being derived at least on the basis of actual minimum attenuation to adjacent receivers, wherein an adjacent receiver is a receiver operating on an adjacent channel with respect to the operating channel of said radio transmitter.
US07715863B2
A feedback link between a receiver and a transmitter in a multiple antenna communication system is used to control the transmission rate and thereby improve system throughput performance.
US07715861B2
There is provided a method and apparatus for reducing packet assistant channel power usage in a wireless telephone system. More specifically, there is provided a method comprising measuring a power usage for a packet assistant channel, determining whether the power usage is above a threshold, and discontinuing transmission over the packet assistant channel for a period of time if the power usage is above the threshold.
US07715857B2
Directory assistance provides telephone number look up services to callers based on the business or caller name as listed in a telephone directory. In the prior art, directory assistance provides a value-added service to telephone users and an expense that must be charged back to telephone callers or absorbed by telephone carriers. In enhanced directory assistance (EDA) services as described in the disclosure, EDA is further developed to deliver a keyword targeted advertising service to telephone listing owners and advertisers. The present invention provides a method and system to extend EDA services to the wireless messaging systems used by telecommunications operators. The invention further discloses methods to support both one-way and two-way communications on these devices, as well as systems to support the distributed EDA Transaction business model.
US07715852B2
A location estimation method is provided. The method locates coordinates of a mobile station (MS) by referencing a plurality of base stations (BS). A geometric distribution of the BS is analyzed to provide a list of conditional equations. A virtual BS is allocated, having a virtual distance to the MS to provide a constraint equation. The MS location is derived from the conditional equations and the constraint equation.
US07715846B2
Dynamic and asymmetric sub-channel allocation in a wireless communications system—particularly an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system—is disclosed. The methods and constructs of the present disclosure identify a plurality of cells, each divided into an equal number of sectors. A transmission channel associated with each cell is divided into a plurality of sub-channel groups. For each sector, a set of adjoining inter and intra coverage area sectors is identified, and associated together as a pool set. For each such pool set, a resource pool is formed from the plurality of sub-channel groups. A single sub-channel group from a resource pool is allocated to each sector in a corresponding pool set. Additional sub-channel group in that resource pool are thereafter allocated to sectors from the pool set on an as-needed, as-available basis.
US07715845B2
Methods and apparatus for allocating and hopping tones for uplink communications purposes in adjacent sectors and neighboring cells of an OFDM system are described. Physical tones used in each sector and cell are allocated to tone hopping sequences according to a tone to tone hopping sequence allocation function which uses both a cell identifier and sector identifier. Different sectors and cells use different tone to tone hopping sequence allocation functions through the use of different cell and/or sector identifiers to minimize the number of collisions between hopping sequences of adjacent sectors and neighboring cells. Uplink tone hopping sequences, corresponding to logical tones are allocated to uplink communications channels. Uplink communications channels are used by wireless terminals, e.g., mobile nodes, to transmit data to base stations. Over time, a wireless terminal uses the tones included in the uplink tone hopping sequences corresponding to uplink communications channels it is authorized to use.
US07715827B2
A mobile communication terminal and a method for calculating a media play time of media file on the mobile communication terminal are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a mobile communication terminal includes a communication unit, a controller, and a display. The communication unit is capable of downloading a media file from a media server. The controller is capable of calculating a first data size on the basis of information extracted from the media file. The controller is also capable of calculating a media play time on the basis of the first data size and a second data size of the media file. The display is capable of displaying the media play time.
US07715826B2
A mobile device for electronic mailing of data utilizing a data reference, the mobile device having: a communications subsystem for communicating with a wireless gateway; a user interface; a processor interacting with the user interface and the communications subsystem; an electronic mail application adapted to run on the processor; a data application adapted to run on the processor; and memory adapted to be accessed by the electronic mail application and the data application, the memory storing a data reference identifier for data in the data application, the data reference identifier capable of identifying the data on a data server remote from the mobile device, wherein the data application is adapted to interact with the electronic mail application to send data in an electronic mail message, and wherein the data is replaced in the electronic mail message with the data reference identifier.
US07715824B2
An automatic identification system of mobile terminal equipment, which consists of the mobile terminal equipment, mobile network communication platform and mobile terminal equipment service center. The mobile terminal equipment is provided with subscriber information handling means for transmitting terminal subscribers information to mobile terminal service center through communication channels of the mobile network communication platform. The mobile terminal equipment service center compares the terminal subscriber information with that in its database and then identifies and processes said terminal subscribers information. The terminal subscriber information includes the electronic serial number, terminal subscriber ID identification, terminal software version number and any one or any combination of two or more of the followings: network ID identification, base station number, short message center number Email address, LP internet protocol address and the information of registration place in subscriber identification card.
US07715815B2
A radio frequency (RF) tuner includes a programmable tracking filter bank receiving an RF input and outputting a filtered RF signal. A mixer stage receives the filtered RF signal and outputs a first quadrature component of the filtered RF signal and a second quadrature component of the filtered RF signal. Two variable gain amplifiers receive the first and second quadrature components and output amplitude-controlled I and Q components of the filtered RF signal. In one embodiment, the programmable tracking filter bank includes a plurality of tank circuits each connected to the RF input through an impedance. Each tank circuit include an inductor and a capacitor connected in parallel thereby forming an LC network, and a plurality of switched capacitors in parallel with the LC network and switched in and out of the tank circuit by programmable switches. In another embodiment, the programmable tracking filter bank includes a plurality of peaked low-pass circuits each connected to the RF input through an impedance. Each peaked low-pass circuit includes a capacitor connected to ground, and a plurality of switched capacitors in parallel with the capacitor and switched in and out of the peaked low-pass circuit by programmable switches.
US07715807B2
A wireless communication device receives CDMA signals and communicates with remote base stations in site selection diversity transmit (SSDT) mode. During communications with a primary base station, communication state parameters, such as signal to interference ratio (SIR) target values and carrier frequency estimates, are maintained for other base stations of an active set of base stations. The state parameters for communications with a selected base station are available for use after selection of a new base station. In one embodiment, the communication state parameters are used for the selection of a base from the active set.
US07715805B2
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting data between a transmitter provided with at least two transmitting antennas (ta1, ta2 . . . taNt) and a receiver. The method according to the invention further includes a symbol spreading step in the course of which components Zij (for i=I to S and j=I to Nt) of a predetermined number of successive symbols ZI . . . ZS are to be spread over time before being transmitted over said transmitting antennas (ta1, ta2 . . . taNt). The data transmitted at any given moment will thus not be representative of a single symbol Zi (for i=1 to S), as is the case in known MIMO systems, but will represent a mixture between Nt components of S successive symbols, which introduces data diversity with respect to time as perceived at the receiver end.
US07715802B2
There is disclosed a frequency synthesizer having an HF synthesizer for generating a first reference frequency signal having a variable frequency in a high-frequency band as a unit synthesizer, an LF synthesizer for generating a second reference frequency signal in a low-frequency band as another unit synthesizer, and an arithmetic circuit including a mixer for receiving the first and second reference frequency signals, a divider for receiving the second reference frequency signal, a mixer for receiving the first reference frequency signal and an output signal from the divider, a divider for receiving an output signal from the mixer, a divider for receiving an output signal from the mixer and capable of switching a division ratio, and a switch for switching and outputting output signals from the dividers, wherein an output signal of the switch is outputted as a first local signal, and an output signal from the divider is outputted as a second local signal.
US07715800B2
Systems and methods for using wireless radios for spectral analysis. Systems and methods include using wireless radios that are included in wireless devices communicating on the wireless network to perform a spectral scan of frequencies on a wireless network.
US07715795B2
Systems and methods for managing connection of devices to a wireless network using out-of-band communications.
US07715794B2
A wireless interface device services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device. The wireless interface device includes a wireless interface unit, a processing unit, an input/output unit, and a power management unit. The wireless interface unit wirelessly interfaces with the wirelessly enabled host using a communication interface protocol. The power management unit couples to the wireless interface unit, the processing unit, and the input/output unit. The wireless interface unit supports paging operations in which the wireless interface device is able to receive a page during a wirelessly enabled host in a page scanning period that corresponds to a duration of the page hopping sequence of the host.
US07715793B2
Described is a system and method for establishing a wireless connection between wireless devices. The method comprises obtaining data of a corresponding computing device. The device conducts wireless communications using a predetermined wireless protocol. The obtained data is processed to generate a wireless address of the device and a first message is transmitted to the device for establishing a wireless connection. The first message is addressed to the wireless address. When a first response message is received from the device, a second message is transmitted to the device. The first response message is generated in response to the first message and includes the wireless address. The second message includes synchronization data. When a second response message is received from the device, the wireless connection is established with the device. The second response message is generated in response to the second message.
US07715788B1
A method and system for determining attenuation and controlling uplink power in a satellite communication system includes receiving a beacon signal and establishing a clear sky uplink power value. A fade value is determined in response to the beacon signal and in response to the clear sky uplink power value and the fade value, an uplink power is determined. The fade value corresponds to a delta value in addition to the clear sky uplink power to obtain the final uplink power.
US07715773B2
A cleaning device according to the present invention comprises which includes a cleaning belt, an unwinder, a winder, and a detector. The unwinder is wound with the cleaning belt. The winder winds up the cleaning belt intermittently from the unwinder along a path leading past a cleaning position where the belt is brought into contact with a body to be cleaned. The detector is fitted in a detecting position on the path between the unwinder and the cleaning position. The cleaning belt has an end point set on it near its trailing end and associated with the detecting position. When detecting the end point, the detector outputs a detection signal.
US07715769B2
Sensors detect a displacement correction pattern image-formed on a transporting belt. A timing when the sensors execute a detecting operation is preliminary set depending on a tolerance in a layout or a dimension of a portion where the displacement correction pattern is image-formed, detected. Based on the detected timing detected by the sensors, the preliminary set timing is modified.
US07715765B2
A detachable cartridge includes: a buffer portion that contacts with a contacted portion when the detachable cartridge is attached to an image forming apparatus body, the contacted portion being provided on the image forming apparatus body, and that buffers impact, the detachable cartridge being detachable from the image forming apparatus body during an image recording operation of recording an image on a recording sheet.
US07715760B2
A charging device including an electron discharging device for forming a latent electrostatic image on an image bearing member and containing an sp3 bonding material and an electroconductive portion.
US07715757B2
A pullout unit including a pullout component that is provided at a main body of a device so as to be able to be pulled out from the main body of the device, and that faces a conveying route surface of the main body of the device to form a conveying route on which an object to be conveyed is conveyed, and a scraping member that is provided at the pullout component at the inner side in a pullout direction in which the pullout component is pulled out, and that scrapes the object to be conveyed on the conveying route surface when the pullout component is pulled out, is provided.
US07715756B2
An image forming apparatus that includes: an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing agent carrier which supplies developing agent to the image carrier; a linear movement member which reciprocally and substantially linearly moves between a pressing position for pressing the developing agent carrier against the image carrier and a releasing position for releasing pressure; a drive source; a cover which is provided on a body of the apparatus so as to be opened and closed; a first input member which inputs a driving force from the drive source to the linear movement member as a force for moving the linear movement member; and a second input member which inputs a force for moving the linear movement member in conjunction with an opening motion of the cover.
US07715752B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is usable with a process cartridge having a photosensitive member. The apparatus includes a transfer member contactable to the photosensitive member to transfer a toner image from the photosensitive member thereonto, a tray carrying the cartridge and movable between a contact position where the photosensitive member contacts the transfer member and a spaced position spaced from the transfer member, a supporting member supporting the tray for movement parallel with a tangent line between the photosensitive member and the transfer member between a first position positioning the tray at the contact position and a second position retracted from the first position away from the transfer member in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the photosensitive-member axial direction and to the tangent line to position the tray at the spaced position; and engageable and engaging portions engageable with each other. The engaging portion regulates movement of the tray.
US07715750B2
Along a rotational direction of a photoreceptor, a cleaner unit for cleaning a surface of the photoreceptor, a lubricant applying apparatus for applying a lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor, and a charging device for charging the surface of the photoreceptor are disposed in this order. Further, the lubricant applying apparatus applies the lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor which has been cleaned and has not been charged. As a result, it is possible to uniformly apply the lubricant to the surface of the image carrier for an extended period of time with stability.
US07715749B2
High torque causing machine failures and motor damage are corrected by the embodiments of this invention. Springs are put on both ends of the lead shaft and the windings around the lead shaft are reduced to substantially reduce the torque created during a power on-power off situation in addition to during normal operations.
US07715743B2
This is a charging assembly that is useful in marking processes with an electrostatically charged surface. The assembly includes, besides the charger, a controller and an electric field probe. Charge and current flows can be detected by the probe and corrected immediately after detection of flaws by the probe and conveyed to the controller. If flaws in the charger are determined by the probe, corrections are made to the output by a controller; this is done before a final copy or print is made. The term flaws as used means any non-uniform appearing region in the printed image or any otherwise unacceptable defect. The probe is enabled to detect and indicate flaws and the controller which is in communication with the probe takes corrective action on the flaws. The probe used is a novel probe having two sensing elements surrounded by one or more reference electrodes.
US07715737B2
A charge roll disposed in an image forming apparatus, for charging an image carrier for carrying an image, and to be cleaned by a cleaning member, the charge roll including: a shaft and an electrically conductive layer provided around the shaft, an axial end portion of the electrically conductive layer in an area in contact with the cleaning member being formed into skin layer portions thinner than other portions of the electrically conductive layer, is provided.
US07715731B2
Embodiments of fiber optic communication systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes an optical channel having a channel response, a pulse-shaping transmitter coupled to a first end of the optical channel, and a receiver coupled to a second end of the optical channel. The transmitter includes a spread pulse modulator to shape pulses of data prior to transmission and an electrical to optical converter to transmit electrical data signals as the light signals over the optical channel. The receiver includes an optical to electrical converter to receive light signals from the optical channel and generate electrical data signals and a matched filter to receive and filter the electrical data signals with a response substantially matching a combined response of the transmitter and the channel response to increase a signal to noise ratio thereof.
US07715723B2
In a system for data communication between an information terminal to be operated by a user and remote communication nodes, the present invention intends to suppress the power consumption of the information terminal. For that purpose, communication nodes 2, 3 and 4 each emit diffuse light carrying a pilot signal blinking at a low frequency to notify the presence of the communication node and an ID signal belonging to a higher frequency range, the ID signal containing inherent address etc. for identifying each communication node. A mobile phone 1 as the information terminal captures an image and processes the image data to detect the pilot signal of each communication node. Then, determining the position of each node and setting a limited range for reading the pixels around that position, the mobile phone 1 reads the detection signals of the pixels within the limited range at high speed and obtains identification information. This information is used to identify each node and eliminate influences of any other light source that apparently resembles the pilot signal.
US07715716B2
Techniques are disclosed for generating a hitless migration plan to optimal state, given an optimal routing and wavelength assignment for demands. For example, a technique for use in performing a circuit transition in accordance with an optical ring-based network comprises obtaining a first (e.g., initial) circuit layout and a second (e.g., final) circuit layout for a given set of demands to be routed on the optical ring-based network. The technique then comprises calculating a transition sequence plan useable to transition the network from the first circuit layout to the second circuit layout such that substantially no network service disruption occurs due to the circuit transition. The transition sequence plan is calculated by determining a minimum set of circuits that when moved from first positions in the first circuit layout result in a feasible transition sequence for remaining circuits in the first circuit layout. Wavelength equivalence and demand equivalence properties may be applied individually or jointly.
US07715712B2
A non-blocking optical matrix core switching method that includes maintaining a schedule for routing data through an optical matrix core and receiving and analyzing reports from peripheral devices. The method determines whether the schedule is adequate for the current data traffic patterns and if the schedule is not adequate a new schedule is implemented. The new schedule is then transferred to the peripheral devices for implementation and the new schedule is transferred to the optical matrix core scheduler. Implementation of the new schedule as the schedule on the peripheral devices and the optical matrix core scheduler is then performed.
US07715710B2
Methods and apparatus for optical-power control in an optical network employing wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) optical-fiber links are devised to circumvent the effect of crosstalk caused by optical-power scattering. Each carrier signal is amplitude-modulated by an identifying tone, with the power of an identifying tone having a predetermined ratio to the power of its carrier signal. A fiber span within an optical-fiber link is tapped at a preferred monitoring point, and the power spectrum of the envelope of the tapped optical signal is measured. To estimate an individual carrier power, a temporary gain is applied and the power of a corresponding tone is measured. To control optical power of each wavelength carrier in several spans in the network, a network controller selects an order of processing the spans of interest, and selects the order of processing of each channel within each span.
US07715707B2
An exemplary zoom ratio adjusting switch includes a panel, a rotary member and a spring. The panel defines first and second grooves whose innermost extremities are on a circumference of a circle. Each groove includes a wide part and a narrow part. The rotary member includes a body positioned to a top side of the panel and first and second locking legs extending from the body. The first and second locking legs extend though the wide parts and slide in the narrow parts respectively. Feet extend from the locking legs respectively at the bottom side of the panel and are restrained at the bottom side of the panel. The spring is positioned to the bottom side of the panel and restrains travel of the first locking leg from the narrow part to the wide part of the first groove.
US07715705B2
Disclosed is a flash device which includes a mounting portion removably mounting a flash device on a photographic apparatus, a first base having the mounting portion, a second base mounted on the first base such that the second base can turn around a shaft located approximately parallel with an optical axis of the photographic apparatus, and a flashlight-irradiating unit mounted on the second base such that the flashlight-irradiating unit can turn around a shaft at least in a vertical direction which is orthogonal to the optical axis of the photographic apparatus and is approximately horizontal when the photographic apparatus is located with a horizontal position. In the flash device, the first base has an auxiliary light irradiation unit to irradiate a photographic subject with auxiliary light.
US07715699B2
An electrically actuated liquid dispenser, an electrically addressable liquid dispenser and an electronic device are described.
US07715694B2
A method for reproducing data recorded on an interactive recording medium in conjunction with associated auxiliary data is disclosed. An interactive recording medium reproducing apparatus reproduces A/V data recorded on an interactive recording medium such as an interactive DVD in conjunction with contents data provided by a contents providing server using navigation information for the contents data also provided by the contents providing server, thereby allowing synchronized reproduction of data from different sources.
US07715693B2
A control apparatus for controlling an event in accordance with the playback of playback data includes a playback processor performing playback processing on the playback data, an acquisition unit acquiring playback section information associated with the playback data to specify a target playback section of the playback data, an end time point specifying unit specifying an end time point of the event in relation to the playback data on the basis of the playback section information, a time period specifying unit specifying a time period from the start to the end of the event, a start time point specifying unit specifying a start time point of the event on the basis of the end time point and the time period, and a controller controlling the event to be started at the start time point of the event by monitoring a playback status of the playback data.
US07715687B2
A recording system having a plurality of recording apparatuses connected to a network. The apparatuses can select a channel for receiving a broadcast signal and record reservations for recording a program broadcast through a broadcasting channel at a predetermined time of day. One of the apparatuses, denoted as a reservation-receiving recording apparatus, receives recording reservation information from a user and detects if there is any overlapping programs in time using received recording reservation information and prexisting recording reservation information stored in memory. The reservation-receiving recording apparatus sends to the network a recording reservation request including overlapping recording reservation information, if it detects broadcasting time period overlaps, wherein the overlapping recording reservation information causes the overlapping program to be recorded by another recording apparatus connected to the network instead.
US07715686B2
An imaging apparatus including a first recording apparatus (optical disk drive) for recording information on a removable/loadable recording medium and a second recording apparatus (HDD) for recording information on a recording medium incorporated therein, in which the first recording apparatus is provided with a lid portion to be opened/closed for removing/loading a recording medium and a lid opening/closing mechanism for opening/closing the lid portion and opening operation of the lid portion by the lid opening/closing mechanism is inhibited while the second recording apparatus is in an access state.
US07715682B2
A fiber distribution hub includes a cabinet having a panel with an adjustable plate disposed on the back panel. The adjustable plate is selectively moveable between a first position on the back panel and a second position on the back panel to provide space adjacent to cable openings in the cabinet.
US07715677B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for achieving phase-matching between various waves and/or modes by operation of a waveguide. Phase-matching between interacting waves is achieved by total internal reflection and transverse Bragg reflection waveguides. Using second harmonic generation in GaAs/AlGaAs as an example, properties are investigated and quantified such as nonlinear coupling efficiency, bandwidth, tunability, and limitations due to dispersion. The technique is advantageous when compared to alternate technologies, where it is particularly attractive as a material independent means to obtain ultra-low-loss nonlinear optical elements for monolithic integration with coherent light source and other active devices.
US07715676B2
An optical grating is disposed on a waveguide to redirect light from the interior of the waveguide through the opposite side of the waveguide from the grating. In one embodiment the waveguide, the grating, and an optical sensor are combined in a single monolithic structure. In another embodiment, an absorbing layer is directly connected to the waveguide in the region of the grating. In still another embodiment, efficiency of the grating is improved by having a high index contrast between the refractive index of the grating and the refractive index of the cladding disposed over the grating, and by having an appropriately sized discontinuity in the grating.
US07715668B2
The present invention is aimed at providing a two-dimensional photonic crystal wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer capable of multiplexing and demultiplexing both TE and TM-polarized lights. In the wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer, first and second resonators having the same resonance wavelength λr are provided between first and second waveguides and which are separately provided in a two-dimensional photonic crystal having a photonic band gap for the TE polarization. A first polarization converter for converting a TM-polarized light to a TE-polarized light is provided on the first waveguide 121 between the first and second resonators and. Similarly, a second polarization converter for converting a TE-polarized light to a TM-polarized light is provided on the second waveguide between the first and second resonators and. Among the light propagating through the first waveguide, the TE-polarized light with wavelength λr is introduced from the first resonator into the second waveguide, whereas the TM-polarized light is converted to a TE-polarized light by the first polarization converter and then introduced through the second resonator into the second waveguide.
US07715661B2
There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion which includes a plurality of unit pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element and an output transistor for outputting a signal according to charge obtained by photoelectric conversion of the photoelectric conversion element; a comparing portion which compares the signal output from each of the unit pixels with a ramp-shaped reference signal; a measuring portion which starts an operation in synchronization with the supply of the reference signal to the comparing portion, performs the operation until the comparison output of the comparing portion is inverted, and measures a time until the comparison of the comparing portion is finished; and a detecting portion which detects a predetermined image pickup condition and fixes the comparison output of the comparing portion to a state before the comparison starts when the image pickup condition is detected.
US07715657B2
Systems and methods for perceptual image preview are described. In one aspect, a naïve preview image is generated by downsampling a larger image. Perceptual features of the larger image are then detected. Information associated with the detected perceptual features is then incorporated into the naïve preview image to create a perceptual preview image. Since the perceptual preview image incorporates information associated with the detected perceptual features, a viewer of the perceptual preview image will be more likely to detect the presence or absence of such perceptual features in the larger image.
US07715652B1
An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to (i) receive an image data stream comprising a plurality of frames each having a plurality of regions, (ii) select a particular region to be marked as being homogeneous or not homogeneous, and (iii) determine whether a group of neighboring regions to the selected region are qualified or not qualified. The second circuit may be configured to mark the selected region as being homogeneous when one or more of the adjacent regions are (i) qualified and (ii) previously marked as being homogeneous.
US07715648B2
An apparatus and method for compensating images in a display device is disclosed. Distortion ratios of image blocks are calculated based on a gray value difference between each of a plurality of pairs of pixels in the image blocks that face each other at a boundary between the image blocks. Compensation parameters are set based on the calculated block distortion ratios. Distortion compensation values of the image blocks are calculated based on the gray value difference and the set compensation parameters. The image blocks are then compensated according to the calculated distortion compensation values.
US07715647B2
A data processing apparatus capable of performing processing in units of block data by using processing results of other block data in a short time is provided, wherein a deblocking filter performs horizontal filtering processing and vertical filtering processing on first block data and second block data obtained by dividing restructured picture data into two in parallel by adjusting their dependency relation.
US07715630B2
The present invention relates to interfacing with electronic ink. Ink is stored in a data structure that permits later retrieval by applications. The ink includes stroke information and may include property information. Through various programming interfaces, one may interact with the ink through methods and setting or retrieving properties. Other objects and collections may be used as well in conjunction with the ink objects.
US07715625B2
A image processing device has a reading unit, a graphics area extraction unit, a writing area extraction unit, a character string extraction unit and an association unit. The reading unit reads a document. The graphics area extraction unit extracts a graphics area from the document read by the reading unit. The writing area extraction unit extracts a writing area from the document read by the reading unit. The character string extraction unit extracts a character string presented in the graphics area. The association unit associates information of the writing area with the graphics area based on the character string extracted by the character string extraction unit.
US07715618B2
A controller (101) designates the method of integrating viewpoint images. An image integrator (102) creates an integrated image by placing individual viewpoint images in appropriate positions. A 3D image control information creator (103) creates 3D image control information by formatting the placement mode of individual viewpoint images and various 3-dimensional image characteristics. An encoder (104) encodes integrated image data. A multiplexer (105) multiplexes the coded data and the 3D image control information and outputs them. A filename deciding unit (106) decides the name of a file when multiplexed data is recorded as a file. A storage directory deciding unit (107) decides the directory in which a file to be recorded is stored. A file creator (108) records a file with the decided filename under the decided storage directory. Thus, the distinction between 3-dimensional display image data and 2-dimensional image data can be clarified.
US07715614B2
A method of producing component data for use with an electronic component mounting apparatus includes imaging a component whose component data is to be produced and displaying a component image on a display, the component image on the display having an outline having at least one side edge with two corners, inputting the corners as reference points so that a first reference line passing the reference points is produced, producing second and third reference lines passing the reference points respectively so as to be perpendicular to the first reference line, inputting a point on another side edge of the outline of the component image and producing a fourth reference line passing the point on the side edge so as to be parallel to the first reference line, and producing component data by measuring a size of the component image outline on the basis of the first to fourth reference lines.
US07715606B2
A marker system includes a marker, and a positioner coupled to the marker, the positioner configured to position the marker from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position. A method of providing a marker system includes obtaining a first data representative of a first predetermined position, obtaining a second data representative of a second predetermined position, and moving a set of one or more markers from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position, wherein the set of one or more markers is moved using a positioner. A method of using a marker system includes detecting a marker when the marker is located at a first position, moving the marker from the first position to a second position using a positioner, and detecting the marker when the marker is located at the second position.
US07715601B2
A fingerprint acquisition apparatus including a plurality of sensing units is provided. The fingerprint acquisition apparatus is used for sensing the ridge portion and the valley portion of a fingerprint. Each sensing unit includes a built-in capacitor. There is an inducing capacitance generated between each of the sensing units and the fingerprint while the fingerprint touches each of the sensing units. The fingerprint acquisition apparatus of the invention generates a fingerprint pattern by detecting the difference of inducing capacitances between the ridge portion of the fingerprint and the valley portion of the fingerprint.
US07715594B2
A method of iris recognition using a cumulative-sum-based change point analysis and an apparatus using the same are disclosed. The method includes: transforming an iris image to a polar coordinated image having n×m pixel size and dividing the polar coordinated image into at least one cell; grouping the divided iris images into at least one of first groups having a predetermined number of cells, and at least one of second groups each having more cells than the first group has; performing a cumulative-sum-based change point analysis using a predetermined characteristic pattern value of each cell as a representative value; and generating a pattern vector by assigning a predetermined value to a cell having the change point and assigning a different value to other cells.
US07715589B2
Described are techniques used in occluding contour detection. Cues obtained from a static image are combined with cues obtained based on motion disparity of objects in the image to determine occluding image contours. Two images of a same scene are obtained. Local pixel-wise flow fields are obtained using the Lucas-Kanade technique. A warped image is determined using the second image and the flow field. A disparity map is determined by comparing the warped image to the original first image. Static image cues are obtained from the original image using the Berkeley technique. The static image cues are combined with the motion disparity cues indicated by the disparity map producing a product image map. Occluding contours are determined by processing the product image map with the JetStream tracking technique. The occluding contours may be used with the original image for subsequent processing.
US07715588B2
A two level cross-correlation based system for watermarking continuous digital media at the system application level. It is a post-compression process for watermarking where no a priori knowledge of the underlying compression algorithm is required. Per each compressed media frame, a current unique digital signature is generated based on the data from the current compressed frame plus the digital signature that has been previously generated. The signature thus generated is then used in conjunction with the next compressed frame to generate the next unique digital signature. All digital signatures are correlated according to the above process until a “reset” signal is issued. A new chain of correlated digital signatures is produced by the system with a pre-determined initial signature.
US07715587B2
A correlation-based system for watermarking continuous digital media at the system application level. It is a post-compression process for watermarking where no a priori knowledge of the underlying compression algorithm is required. Per each compressed media frame, a current unique digital signature is generated based on the data from the current compressed frame plus the digital signature that has been previously generated. The signature thus generated is then used in conjunction with the next compressed frame to generate the next unique digital signature. All digital signatures are correlated according to the above process until a “reset” signal is issued. A new chain of correlated digital signatures is produced by the system with a pre-determined initial signature.
US07715582B2
The present invention provides a hearing device with locking apparatus comprising a first component (10) with a housing (11) being adapted to be carried outside of or at the human body, a second component (20) to be inserted either partially or fully into an ear canal of a human body and connecting means connecting mechanically said first and said second component (10;20). The connecting means comprise a tube (30) and a first fastener (31) being arranged at one end of said tube (30) and being adapted to detachably connect said second component (20) with said connecting means. The first fastener (31) further comprises an individual locking element (5;9) to be swiveled into retaining or locking surfaces (24′) arranged within said second component (20), thereby contacting outer surfaces of said first fastener (31) in its connected state with said second component (20). The first fastener (31) thus will be detachably secured to the second component (20) of the hearing device.
US07715575B1
Audio loudspeaker and headphone virtualizers and methods use room impulse responses with modified individual head-related transfer functions prior to superposition including middle truncation; and perform convolutions in the frequency domain with zero-padded sections to avoid circular convolution overlap.
US07715574B2
An apparatus (12) which overcomes the foregoing inconveniences of manually adjusting the audio device (10) volume related to a vessels speed and participants distance behind the vessel in a towable activity. This apparatus (12) controls audio volume levels (14) set at V2 and (16) set at V1 where V2 is greater than V1 and audio volume level (14) is achieved when vessels engine or propulsion shaft RPM is above set point (22) for a time greater than designated by (24), thereby controlling audio volume as a relation to vessel speed.
US07715570B2
A method for providing audio-guided deployment of a data processing system is disclosed. An unpack instruction related to a data processing system in a first container for audio presentation is designated, and one or more position sensors in the first container are queried to determine whether the position sensors are spatially configured for audible presentation of the unpack instruction. In response to determining that the position sensors are not spatially configured for the audible presentation of the unpack instruction, a position sensor error message is audibly presented. One or more radio frequency sensors associated with the first container are queried to determine whether the first container contents are ready for audible presentation of the instruction, and in response to determining that the first container contents are not ready for audible presentation of the unpack instruction, a radio-frequency sensor error message is audibly presented. In response to determining that the first container contents are ready for audible presentation of the unpack instruction, audio-guided deployment of the data processing system is provided by audibly presenting the unpack instruction.
US07715569B2
A method for processing an audio signal, comprising: receiving a downmix signal, a first multi-channel information, and an object information; processing the downmix signal using the object information and a mix information; and, transmitting one of the first multi-channel information and a second multi-channel information according to the mix information, wherein the second channel information is generated using the object information and the mix information is disclosed.
US07715565B2
A system for encrypting a data encryption key includes a key encryption key generator configured to receive a public portion of a label, the label including an asymmetric key pair of the public portion and a private portion, the key encryption key generator being further configured to process the public portion of the label to obtain a key encryption key, and a data encryption key encoder configured to receive the key encryption key from the key encryption key generator and to receive a data encryption key from a random number generator, the encoder being further configured to encrypt the data encryption key using the key encryption key to produce an encrypted data encryption key and to provide the encrypted data encryption key to an encryption device.
US07715562B2
A system and method is provided for authenticating access in a mobile wireless network. The system and method comprise exchanging an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) packet with an access terminal over a high rate packet data radio link and a signaling interface through a radio access network, encapsulating the EAP packet in an authentication authorization and accounting (AAA) packet, and sending the AAA packet to an authentication server for authentication.
US07715560B2
A system is provided for hiding a data group in a wireless communication device, in which a predetermined data group is hidden according to a hiding request. The system for hiding a data group comprises an encryption module for receiving the hiding request and the predetermined groups in a memory in the wireless communication device and an access module. Next, the encryption module establishes mechanism for hiding a data group to hide the predetermined data group. The access module performs the mechanism for hiding a data group and decrypts a secret code encrypted by the encryption module when data in the predetermined data group is to be read.
US07715559B2
An apparatus (213) and corresponding methods (FIG. 7) to facilitate maintaining crypto synchronization while processing communication signals in a communication unit includes a vocoder (215) configured to convert input audio band signals to vocoder output frames; a crypto processor (217) configured to encrypt the vocoder output frames to provide encrypted output frames; and a synchronizer (219) configured to substitute in a predetermined manner synchronization information corresponding to an encryption state of the crypto processor for a portion of the encrypted data in a portion of the encrypted output frames to provide resultant output synchronization frames suitable for synchronizing a decryption process at a target communication unit.
US07715553B2
An encryption and authentication technique that achieves enhanced integrity verification through assured error-propagation using a multistage sequence of pseudorandom permutations. The present invention generates intermediate data-dependent cryptographic variables at each stage, which are systematically combined into feedback loops. The encryption technique also generates an authentication tag without any further steps that is N times longer than the block size where N is the number of pseudorandom permutations used in the encipherment of each block. The authentication tag provides a unique mapping to the plaintext for any number of plaintext blocks that is less than or equal to N. In addition to being a stand alone encryption algorithm, the disclosed technique is applicable to any mode that uses pseudorandom permutations such as, key dependent lookup tables, S-Boxes, and block ciphers such as RC5, TEA, and AES.
US07715548B2
A method and apparatus for integrating queries across different media types so that the response time performance of a customer care agent, such as time to respond and/or time to repair can be uniformly measured are disclosed. The present method can provide configurable time to respond and time to repair targets on a per media type basis or on a per queue basis across all different media types. Individual media type and/or queue thresholds can be set and alarms and notifications can be triggered when customer care agents exceed these thresholds.
US07715541B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for using a personal conference to privately establish and control media connections with a telephony device are disclosed. According to one method, a media connection is established between a first user and a personal conference instance. The first user is connected to the personal conference instance via a telephony device, such as a PSTN phone. A plurality of second media connections is established between a plurality of second users and the personal conference instance in a manner that conceals existence of the personal conference instance to at least one of the second users. Media packets from the second users are mixed and sent to the first user. Media packets from the first user are sent to the second users. The first user dynamically controls at least one aspect of the personal conference call instance.
US07715540B1
A system is described that includes a keyboard and a computing device running telecommunications management software in connection with a call control facility through wide area data network. The keyboard includes a plurality of dedicated telephone control input devices which correspond to an advanced telephony feature provided through the telecommunications management software. A device driver within the computing device allows operation of the dedicated telephone control input devices to be detected and associated functions of the telecommunications management software to be executed.
US07715538B2
A privacy screening service allows a subscriber to send a call screening request during a telephone call. The call screening request may comprise a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency key (e.g., “Touch Tones”) on a telephone keypad, a softkey entry on a communications device, and/or a data message from an Internet Protocol phone or client application. The call screening request may store incoming line identification (ICLID) information of the connected communications signal in a database, add the ICLID information to a Do Not Call list, update a subscriber's profile with the ICLID information, and/or storing the ICLID information in a subscriber's blocked communications list. The Do Not Call list, the subscriber's profile, and/or the subscriber's blocked communications list may include communications instructions for the called number as well as include communications instructions for other registered communications addresses (e.g., other telephone numbers, an email address, and other communications addresses of the subscriber).
US07715532B2
The preferred embodiments of the present invention include providing automated passcode recovery in an interactive voice response system by providing to a caller an automated passcode recovery question and processing a caller answer to the automated passcode recovery question to authenticate the caller.
US07715531B1
In one embodiment, a system and method for charting audible choices comprises determining if an option is offered; selecting the option if the option is offered; and saving a result, wherein the result is associated with the selected option.
US07715526B2
A multi-functional dental extra-oral x-ray imaging system includes a conventional x-ray source and manipulator to control the movement of the x-ray source by translating and rotating, a real time multiple frame producing x-ray imaging device and at least two different exposure profile programs, whereas one of such profiles produces a standard panoramic image and a second of such profiles produces an angled or transverse slice to a the panoramic image. A third exposure profile program produces a substantially linear projection of the human skull by combining two linear projections, one for the right and one for the left part of the head. The sensor is a linear direct conversion operating preferably in the frame mode and producing more than 100 fps.
US07715524B2
A grid comprises an alternate assembly of radiation-permeable members and radiation-impermeable members which extend substantially parallel to the chest wall of a subject. When a radiation emitted from a radiation source is applied through a breast of the subject and the grid to a radiation detector, a radiation image of the breast is captured. While the radiation is being applied to the breast, the grid reciprocates in directions perpendicular to the direction in which the radiation-impermeable members extend.
US07715521B2
A CT scanner pre-scans a patient by radiating rays of a lower amount from one direction to obtain a perspective prescanning image. An operator defines a main scanning area, in which images for medical application are to be captured, with reference to the prescanning image displayed on a monitor screen. A site recognizer analyzes data of the prescanning image to recognize anatomical structures located in the defined main scanning area. Based on the recognized anatomical structures and order data designating a site of inspection, it is judged whether the main scanning area corresponds to the site of inspection designated by the order data. If not, a warning is displayed on the monitor screen. The site recognizer may recognize all anatomical structures contained in the prescanning image, so that a default main scanning area may be defined on the basis of the recognition results and the order data.
US07715515B2
The control word input to a Digitally Controlled Oscillator (DCO) is modified to reduce non-monotonic regions in the output response of the DCO. The DCO may be included in a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) circuit for generating an output signal that locks onto either the phase or frequency of a reference signal input. By modifying the control word input to the DCO to avoid non-monotonic regions in the DCO output response, PLL phase noise is reduced. In one embodiment, the control word is modified by reordering or skipping control word values input to the DCO that correspond to non-monotonic regions in the output response of the DCO circuit.
US07715514B2
A clock and data recovery circuit that tracks the frequency and phase fluctuation of serial data includes a feedback controller for monitoring tracking speed of an extraction clock with respect to the frequency and phase fluctuation of the serial data and applying feedback control to an integrator adaptively and moment to moment, thereby raising the tracking speed of the recovered clock and improving the jitter tolerance characteristic.
US07715512B2
A jitter measurement apparatus measures a jitter of a data signal having a substantially constant data rate. The jitter measurement apparatus includes therein a signal converting section that generates a clock signal based on the data signal, where the clock signal retains timings of data transition edges of the data signal at which a data value of the data signal transits and has edges whose cycle is substantially equal to the data rate, an analytic signal generating section that generates an analytic signal represented by a complex number based on the clock signal, and a jitter measuring section that measures the jitter of the data signal based on the analytic signal.
US07715511B2
A frame synchronization method is disclosed. The method comprises correlating a stream with a pattern to generate a correlated result c(t). A first peak and a second peak are selected from the correlated result c(t), wherein the first peak is the peak with highest amplitude, and the second peak is the peak occurring later than the first peak with the second highest amplitude. The peak ratio of the two peaks is computed, and the position of the frame boundary is determined according to the ratio.
US07715510B2
A Method to maintain Synchronization Tracking in TDD Wireless Communication comprises the steps: divide a midamble into two parts, then detect the first part and the second part of the midamble; perform an auto-correlation property operation between the two parts and a part corresponding to a local midamble and obtain two peaks; compare the amplitude of the two peaks; advance or retard a local timer based on the result of the comparison. The interlaced sampling method will harm the SNR of channel estimation only very slightly. By using this method, the sample frequency can be decreased to only one time of the chip rate of a TD-SCDMA system while still maintaining the ability to track the downlink synchronization.
US07715504B2
A partial bit demodulation section demodulates partial bits among a plurality of bits that form one symbol of each modulated signal using a detection method different from likelihood detection. Signal point reduction sections reduce the number of candidate signal points using demodulated partial bits. A likelihood detection section obtains received digital signals by performing likelihood detection based on the Euclidian distances between the reduced candidate signal points and a reception point. Only some bits which are unlikely to be erroneous are found by the partial bit demodulation section, and other bits can be found by the likelihood detection section, enabling bit error rate performances to be effectively improved with a comparatively small computational complexity.
US07715503B2
A method for parallel concatenated (Turbo) encoding and decoding. Turbo encoders receive a sequence of input data tuples and encode them. The input sequence may correspond to a sequence of an original data source, or to an already coded data sequence such as provided by a Reed-Solomon encoder. A turbo encoder generally comprises two or more encoders separated by one or more interleavers. The input data tuples may be interleaved using a modulo scheme in which the interleaving is according to some method (such as block or random interleaving) with the added stipulation that the input tuples may be interleaved only to interleaved positions having the same modulo-N (where N is an integer) as they have in the input data sequence. If all the input tuples are encoded by all encoders then output tuples can be chosen sequentially from the encoders and no tuples will be missed. If the input tuples comprise multiple bits, the bits may be interleaved independently to interleaved positions having the same modulo-N and the same bit position. This may improve the robustness of the code. A first encoder may have no interleaver or all encoders may have interleavers, whether the input tuple bits are interleaved independently or not. Modulo type interleaving also allows decoding in parallel.
US07715500B2
In an FSK signal detector, an output from a limiter amplifier and an FSK signal are supplied to a comparator. The comparator has its output connected to two channels each composed of a correlator, an absolute value calculator and a digital low-pass filter in this order. The correlators calculate correlation between the output of the comparator and correlation signal strings (Cn to C2n, Dn to D2n) exhibiting certain periodicity. Outputs from the digital low-pass filters are calculated by a subtractor to be developed as demodulated data from a sign determination circuit. An FSK signal detector is provided which is capable of eliminating the adverse effect of fluctuations of an FSK signal.
US07715494B2
An equalizer provided in a digital transmitter compensates for attenuation in a signal channel to a digital receiver. The equalizer generates signal levels as a logical function of bit history to emphasize transition signal levels relative to repeated signal levels. The preferred equalizer includes an FIR transition filter using a look-up table. Parallel circuits including FIR filters and digital-to-analog converters provide a high speed equalizer with lower speed circuitry. The equalizer is particularly suited to in-cabinet and local area network transmissions where feedback circuitry facilitates adaptive training of the equalizer.
US07715488B2
A method includes determining weights corresponding to each of a plurality of antennas used to transmit data signals, each weight suitable to modify a corresponding one of the data signals prior to transmission using a corresponding one of the antennas; and transmitting information corresponding to at least one of the weights, the information allowing at least the at least one weight to be determined. Another method includes receiving information corresponding to at least one of a plurality of weights, the plurality of weights corresponding to a plurality of first antennas used to transmit first data signals, where each weight was used to modify a corresponding one of the first data signals prior to transmission using a corresponding one of the first antennas; using the received information, determining the plurality of weights corresponding to the plurality of first antennas; and using at least the plurality of weights; and decoding second data signals received using a plurality of second antennas to create at least one output signal.
US07715487B2
An wireless terminal includes a demodulating unit which comprises an FV (fading vector) estimating unit for receiving a CPICH spread/demodulated signal to output an FV signal with a reduced noise ratio; a phase synchronization unit for multiplying a PDSCH spread/demodulated signal with a complex conjugate of the FV signal to correct the phase offset of the PDSCH I and Q signals to send the resulting PDSCH I and Q signals to a multi-level QAM amplitude synchronization detection unit and to an amplitude demodulating unit; a first-quadrant transformation unit for collecting the second to fourth quadrant signals of the phase-synchronized PDSCH I and Q signals; and a threshold value detecting unit for calculating a multi-level QAM threshold value from the first quadrant signals and the FV signals to send the threshold signal to an amplitude demodulating unit. The amplitude demodulating unit effects amplitude demodulation to output multi-level QAM demodulated signals. The threshold value detecting unit previously assumes a plural number of probabilities as to which of the levels received data belongs to and, using a plural number of the data, raises the precision of the assumed data. The threshold value is estimated, using the frequencies and differences of the respective levels, from the assumed plural threshold values.
US07715482B2
A system and method are used to generate pseudo MPEG information from digital video information received at a digital video input. An artificial time stamp module is used to generated the pseudo MPEG information from associating an artificial time stamp with the digital video information. This pseudo MPEG information is received, for example, at an MPEG signal processor in a set-top box. The MPEG signal processor decodes the pseudo MPEG information and outputs the decoded MPEG information under control of the artificial time stamps.
US07715480B2
A method encodes a video by applying a dual-tree discrete wavelet transform to the video to generate sequences of wavelet coefficients. The sequences are compressed to produce a compressed bitstream corresponding to the video. The compression iteratively selects the wavelet coefficients in a large to small order, and entropy encodes the selected wavelet coefficient.
US07715477B2
A method of enhancing picture quality of a video signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving base layer images of standard definition pictures from a base layer decoder; defining image areas of the standard definition pictures; classifying image areas into image types by assigning a class number; and generating enhanced pictures based upon the standard definition pictures and the classification of the image areas. A circuit for enhancing picture quality of a video signal is also disclosed. The circuit comprising a base layer decoder; a classifier coupled to the base layer decoder, the classifier generating a class number for image areas of a standard definition picture; a summing circuit coupled to the classifier; an exchange stream decoder coupled to the summing circuit, the exchange stream decoder generating an index; and a codebook table coupled to the summing circuit. The codebook table preferably stores a plurality of codevectors based upon the class number and the index.
US07715476B2
A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for tracking a head portion of a person image in video images. Upon receiving video images, a first head tracking operation is executed for generating a first confidence value. Such first confidence value is representative of a confidence that a head portion of a person image in the video images is correctly located. Also executed is a second head tracking operation for generating a second confidence value representative of a confidence that the head portion of the person image in the video images is correctly located. The first confidence value and the second confidence value are then outputted. Subsequently, the depiction of the head portion of the person image in the video images is based on the first confidence value and the second confidence value.
US07715475B1
A system for content adaptive encoding and decoding video is disclosed. The system comprises modules for segmenting video content into segments based on predefined classifications or models. Examples of such classifications comprise action scenes, slow scenes, low or high detail scenes, and brightness of the scenes. Based on the segment classifications, each segment is encoded with a different encoder chosen from a plurality of encoders. Each encoder is associated with a model. The chosen encoder is particularly suited to encoding the unique subject matter of the segment. The coded bit-stream for each segment includes information regarding which encoder was used to encode that segment. A matching decoder of a plurality of decoders is chosen using the information in the coded bitstream to decode each segment using a decoder suited for the classification or model of the segment. If scenes exist which do not fall in a predefined classification, or where classification is more difficult based on the scene content, these scenes are segmented, coded and decoded using a generic coder and decoder.
US07715474B2
A decision feedback equalizer (DFE) and method includes summer circuits to add a dynamic feedback signal representing an h2 tap to a received input and to speculate on an h1 tap. Data slicers receive and sample the outputs of the summer circuits using a clock signal to produce even data bits and odd data bits. First and second multiplexers receive the even data bits and the odd data bits. A first output latch is configured to receive an output of the first multiplexer to provide a select signal for the second multiplexer and to drive the dynamic feedback signal to an even half summer circuit of the summer circuits. A second output latch is configured to receive an output of the second multiplexer to provide a select signal for the first multiplexer and to drive the dynamic feedback signal to an odd half summer circuit of the summer circuits.
US07715471B2
An integrated circuit having a receiver that selectively inhibits incoming data from being used to update adaptively generated controls. Sampling circuitry generates a plurality of samples of an incoming signal. Control circuitry generates an inhibit signal in either a first state or a second state according to whether the plurality of samples meets a randomness criterion. Tap weight update circuitry receives the inhibit signal from the control circuitry and updates a plurality of equalizer tap weights based on the plurality of samples if the inhibit signal is in the first state. The tap weight update circuitry refrains from updating the plurality of equalizer tap weights based on the plurality of samples if the inhibit signal is in the second state.
US07715467B1
Adjustable transceiver circuitry is provided for programmable integrated circuits such as programmable logic device integrated circuits. The transceiver circuitry has a dynamic phase alignment circuit that can be used for aligning clock and data signals. The dynamic phase alignment circuit contains a bypassable synchronizer. Four modes of operation are supported by the transceiver circuitry including a normal source synchronous mode, a normal dynamic phase alignment mode, a soft clock data recovery mode, and a phase-locked-loop source synchronous mode. In normal source synchronous mode, the dynamic phase alignment circuit performs no phase alignment or clock rate matching. In normal dynamic phase alignment mode, the dynamic phase alignment circuit performs only phase alignment operations. In soft clock data recovery mode, programmable logic on the programmable integrated circuit is configured to perform rate matching and phase alignment. In phase-locked-loop source synchronous mode, phase alignment and board level deskewing operations are performed.
US07715465B2
Disclosed is a correlation method to adaptively operate in a time varying phase and a correlator thereof. A correlation method according to the present invention includes performing the first correlation according to a certain reference value and a certain reference interval for correlation of a received signal; calculating an average variation of the received signal through the result of performing the first correlation; deciding a new reference value for the second correlation through the average variation; performing the second correlation according to the new reference value and the reference interval; and selecting the maximum value among the result of performing the second correlation. Accordingly, plural references are decided considering variation of a response signal between tags and also separate plural references are decided considering bit variation of a response signal in the same tag, so that a digital signal can be ideally demodulated in the environment where signal phase variation occurs.
US07715464B2
Multipath components of signals transmitted through time-varying digital radio channels are received with individual delays, and signals through a given channel comprise a code identifying that channel. A delay profile indicating a magnitude (Y) for delay values in a search window is calculated repetitively for known channels; the delays of multipath components for known channels estimated; a signal strength indicator calculated; and a search for new multipath components not already estimated performed at regular time intervals. When a new multipath component is found, its identification code is compared to the codes of the known channels. If the code of the new component is identical to the code of a known channel, a delay profile and a signal strength indicator is calculated for a window transposed to include the new multipath component. In this way as many multipath components as possible are included in the search window for a new cell.
US07715461B2
Method and apparatus for high rate code-division multiple access wireless communication is described. Each of a channel encoded data is modulated by an associated code having a small number of pseudo-noise spreading chips per orthogonal waveform period, thus producing a set of streams of modulated symbols. Each of the set of streams of modulated symbols is then gain adjusted, and combined to yield two streams of combined symbols. The combination is the set of streams is carried out to reduce a peak-to-average ratio of the transmission. The resulting two combined symbol streams are modulated by a complex multiplier using a user long code and a pseudorandom spreading code (PN code) and upconverted for transmission.
US07715460B2
A hybrid orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system including a transmitter and a receiver is disclosed. The transmitter includes a first spread OFDMA subassembly, a first non-spread OFDMA subassembly and a first common subassembly. The first spread OFDMA subassembly spreads input data and maps the spread data to a first group of subcarriers. The first non-spread OFDMA subassembly maps input data to a second group of subcarriers. The first common subassembly transmits the input data mapped to the first and second group of subcarriers using OFDMA. The receiver includes a second spread OFDMA subassembly, a second non-spread OFDMA subassembly and a second common subassembly. The second common subassembly processes received data to recover data mapped to the subcarriers using OFDMA. The second spread OFDMA subassembly recovers the first input data by separating user data in a code domain and the second non-spread OFDMA subassembly recovers the second input data.
US07715455B2
Object: To provide a solar light pumped laser and a cooling method of a solar light pumped laser.Means for Solving the Problems: A solar light pumped laser performing laser oscillation by pumping a laser medium with solar light, the solar light pumped laser including, a laser medium 12, a container device 14 that supports the laser medium 12 therein, the container device 14 being provided with a focusing optical element 22 for irradiating solar light focused along the laser medium 12, while retaining cooling liquid in a space between the laser medium 12 and the container device 14, and additionally, a pair of optical reflection elements (16, 18) arranged adjacent to the opposing ends of the laser medium. An end of the container device 14 has Brewster's angle. Further, the cooling liquid according to the present invention contains water functioning as an optical medium to form a water lens simultaneously with cleaning the focusing optical element 22.
US07715452B2
Fundamental laser light having a wavelength of 1,064 nm, for example, is generated by a solid-state laser medium. The fundamental laser light is reflected by a flat mirror and amplified again passing through a Q-switch, a solid-state laser medium, a Q-switch, a Q-switch, a solid-state laser medium, and a Q-switch. The fundamental laser light furthermore reflects from a flat mirror, passes through a flat mirror for second-harmonic resonance, passes through a lens, then reflects from a flat mirror for laser light separation, and enters a nonlinear optical crystal for the third harmonic and a nonlinear optical crystal for the second harmonic. A solid-state laser generator can thereby be obtained in which second-harmonic laser light obtained in an intermediate stage can be used with good efficiency and be converted, for example, to third-harmonic laser light and higher-harmonic laser light with higher efficiency and higher output.
US07715448B2
A network device is deployed in an in-line fashion, preferably at a data traffic point along a network. Depending on the constraints of data packets in a data packet sequence from a website, the network device is configured to modify some of the data packets or fabricate new data packets to embed the selected data in the data packet sequence. By keeping the headers of the data packets substantially identical, changes to a data packet or addition of a new data packet become transparent to users as well as to the website.
US07715444B2
A method of synchronizing data between two devices can include starting, in a first device, a first synchronization operation comprising transmitting a first data set to be received by a second device, the first data set comprising changes to multiple different data elements in the first device that have occurred since a prior successful synchronization operation between the first device and the second device; receiving at least one of separate acknowledgements for each of the multiple different data elements, each such acknowledgement indicating that a change to one of the multiple different data elements in the first device has been applied to a corresponding data element in the second device; and when the first synchronization operation is interrupted, initiating a second synchronization operation to synchronize the changes of the first data set for which a separate acknowledgement was not received during the first synchronization operation.
US07715439B2
A method for shifting the position of a symbol to reduce transmission overhead is described. A frame with a plurality of symbols is provided. A determination is made whether the frame includes an indication of an event. At least one symbol of the plurality of symbols is shifted based on the determination. A counter is set to an initial value. The frame with the at least one shifted symbol is transmitted.
US07715438B1
A system automatically provisions a data flow. The system provides a flow range. The system receives a data unit associated with an unprovisioned data flow, determines whether the unprovisioned data flow falls within the flow range, and creates an automatically provisioned data flow based on the unprovisioned data flow when the unprovisioned data flow falls within the flow range.
US07715422B2
A half-duplex radio communication method, a program and a system enabling multicasting, for example, in an emergency for radio communication terminals belonging to different carrier systems if they meet designated condition while saving an operator the bother of inputting destinations. After accepting an application for emergency multicasting, a CUG server requests a presence server to search for data of radio communication terminals meeting the positional condition designated by a sender and receives the data. In this operation, the CUG server searches a present state table in the presence server, picks up user information of the radio communication terminals as the destinations of the emergency multicasts, based on the positional information. Then, a CUG is formed based on the picked up user information and registered as the CUG for the emergency multicasting.
US07715421B2
A system and method for call control wherein a call received at a communication device may be controlled through an IP device connected to an IP network over which at least a portion of the call was routed. The IP device is connected to the IP network via a control gateway.
US07715410B2
In a data-packet processor, a configurable queuing system for packet accounting during processing has a plurality of queues arranged in one or more clusters, an identification mechanism for creating a packet identifier for arriving packets, insertion logic for inserting packet identifiers into queues and for determining into which queue to insert a packet identifier, and selection logic for selecting packet identifiers from queues to initiate processing of identified packets, downloading of completed packets, or for requeuing of the selected packet identifiers.
US07715407B2
When a network apparatus of this invention receives an IEEE 802.3ad link application control packet from a subscriber line with a VPWS function, it processes the packet in a control unit without relaying the packet by VPWS. More specifically, the network apparatus receives an IEEE802.3ad link aggregation control packet along with receiving an IEEE802.3x flow control packet. The network apparatus transmits a link aggregation control packet. The network apparatus also relays other layer 2 control protocol packets without receiving them, and does not transmit the other layer 2 control protocol packets.
US07715406B2
Method and system for apportioning channels in a programmable multi-source, multi-destination system
This invention further features a method of apportioning channels in a programmable multi-source, multi-destination system, the method including determining the source for each channel by: a) computing the sum of the number of channels carried by the current and all preceding sources, b) computing a source identifier for each channel based on the computed sum of the number of channels carried by the current and all preceding sources, determining which section of the source the channel is located based on the computed source identifier, and determining the destination for each channel by: a) computing the sum of the number of channels carried by the current and all preceding destinations, and b) computing a destination identifier of the first channel sent to each destination based on the computed sum of the number of channels carried by the current and all preceding destinations.
US07715402B2
The invention relates to a device and a method for processing digital data descriptors stored in the form of description units of predetermined size. The method is such that: description units are constructed and stored in memory buffers prior to their recording on a recording medium, description units are utilized simultaneously with the construction and with the recording of description units of the same stream, one and the same memory buffer is used for the construction and the utilization of the description unit. Application to methods of delayed reading.
US07715399B2
A communication apparatus in a relay node in a communication network includes an interface unit 12 and a core unit 13. Header data contained in framed data based on a communication signal from a signal receiving portion 21 is transmitted from the interface unit 12 to the core unit 13 and, in the core unit 13, a comparison between the header data and history data preserved in a history database are carried out and a flag responding to a result of the comparison is added to the header data, so that the header data having the flag is transmitted to the interface unit 12 from the core unit 13. In the interface unit 12, identification information in the original header data is changed in response to the flag and an output communication signal based on the framed data having the changed identification information is produced to be transmitted.
US07715378B1
A data transmission system includes a first data transmission device for receiving commands from a host; a second data transmission device for transmitting commands to a memory device; and a crossbar device for receiving commands from the first data transmission device over a first link and transmitting the commands to the second data transmission device over a second link. The crossbar device includes status logic to detect a command transmission error on the first link from the first data transmission device and transmits a retry command to prompt the first data transmission device to retry the transmission of the command over the first link. The second data transmission device reports a transmission error on the second link to the status logic of the crossbar device and the status logic of the crossbar device transmits the retry command to prompt the first data transmission device to retry the transmission of the command over the first link.
US07715376B2
A routing system and a method for managing forwarding information therein includes a table for storing the index of the output interface table which contains the output interface information for transmitting the packets respectively received at the routing controller and the forwarder to the next hop and the index of the MAC table which contains the MAC information necessary to transmit the received packets to the next hop is provided, thereby preventing the packet from being lost during the backup of the forwarding information which is performed by the rebooting of the routing controller. Accordingly, there is no need for a memory for respectively storing the forwarding information before and after the rebooting of the routing controller.
US07715373B1
Fixed station equipment automatically determines whether a telephony user is in close proximity to the station and then automatically adopts a profile that properly directs calls according to whether the user is “in-office” or is “away.” Call controls are automatically set corresponding to predetermined profiles of the user, and the station includes a computing device and a fixed telephone outlet. It is detected whether a short range, mobile transmitter corresponding to the user is within a predetermined distance of the station. When the transmitter is within the predetermined distance, then a near-station profile is adopted for the user, wherein the near-station profile directs calls within the IP telephony system to the fixed telephone outlet. When the transmitter is not within the predetermined distance, then an away profile is adopted for the user, wherein the away profile directs at least some calls within the IP telephony system to the user via a wireless communication system.
US07715353B2
Utilization of wireless access points (APs) is optimized by dynamically managing transmitted AP power levels of beacon packets to control wireless AP coverage. This permits traffic congestion at one wireless AP to be reduced and shifted to other wireless APs. AP coverage management is provided by a centralized mechanism that employs various interpretations and/or measurements of client received power to handle dynamic changes in client workloads. The control does not require protocol changes to clients that utilize a wireless AP and can also incorporate hand-off costs and/or manufacturer specified power level constraints. Thus, these techniques can be employed in existing wireless LANs without impacting clients. Various instances are employable with continuous power and/or discrete power based wireless APs, providing a non-client impacted means to increase throughput and/or load balance.
US07715352B2
A method and apparatus for determining a node's proper duty cycle is provided herein. All nodes (500) within a network (100) will interactively switch duty-cycles based on a number of hops a device is from a personal area network coordinator PNC. Changing duty cycles based on a number of hops from a PNC assures that spatial patterns of duty-cycles form in a network to maximize data throughput and minimize network wide power consumptions.
US07715350B2
Classifier for communication device. A communication device includes a classifier and a number of PHY (physical layer) receivers communicatively coupled thereto that enable the communication device to process various received signal types. Each of the PHY receivers is operable to perform pre-processing of a received frame (or packet) of data and to calculate a confidence level indicating whether the received frame is intended for that particular PHY receiver; this pre-processing does not involve processing (e.g., demodulation and/or decoding) of the received frame. Those PHY receivers having sufficiently high confidence levels assert claims to the classifier for the received frame. The classifier is operable to arbitrate between competing claims by 2 or more PHY receivers and to ensure that the received frame is provided to the PHY receiver for which it is intended.
US07715346B2
A mobile terminal according to the present invention judges, based on a router advertisement transmitted from an access router, whether handover is to be executed between access points connected to the access router, and transmits a link moving notification, which indicates that handover is executed under control of the access router, to the access router. Further, the access router updates only routing information based on the received link moving notification.
US07715334B2
The present invention relates to network communication systems for managing client/server connections in a wireless environment. In accordance with the invention, a mobile communication unit (i.e., client), deploys keepalive packets at selected times in order to reset a keepidle timer of a server (e.g., host computer). By periodically resetting the keepidle timer a current connection between the mobile communication unit and server can be maintained as long as desired even when the mobile communication unit is in a power suspend mode. When in a power suspend mode, the mobile communication unit can briefly awake long enough to activate its transmitter and send a keepalive packet to the server to maintain the current connection. In this manner, the mobile communication unit can obtain the power savings of being in primarily a power suspend mode, but still prevent the current connection from timing out.
US07715327B2
A method of adaptively reassigning addresses of nodes according to changes in volume or a wireless network. The method includes receiving, at the node of the wireless network, information according to the changes in volume from a coordinator as a top level of the tree structure, calculating, at the node, a family tree indicating information and a location of the node in the tree structure according to an old logical address of the node and the information, and calculating a new logical address of the node according to the change in volume and the calculated family tree; and transceiving, at the node, a data packet according to the newly calculated logical address. Accordingly, overheads of the whole network for changing addresses may be reduced when changes in volume of the network occur, so that dynamic changes in volume of the network may be rapidly and actively implemented.
US07715321B2
A computer implemented method and data processing system for the detection and recovery of a network interface card TCP acceleration offload failure. Responsive to a failure to receive an acknowledgement of a transmission control protocol segment containing a request for a transmission control protocol offload function in a network interface card, the transmission control protocol segment is retransmitted without the request for a transmission control protocol offload function. When an acknowledgement of the retransmitted transmission control protocol segment without the request for a transmission control protocol offload function is received, a counter is incremented which indicates a failure of the transmission control protocol offload function. Responsive to the counter exceeding a predefined number of allowed failures, all requests to the transmission control protocol offload function for the network interface card are stopped.
US07715319B2
Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment, in a first tier of assignments, associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) the plurality of scheduled transmission segments including at least one default use segment available for use by a default entity if the at least one default use segment is not assigned in the first tier of assignments.
US07715318B2
Methods and apparatus for wireless communications systems provide adaptive modulation feedback to enhance wireless communications for wireless stations that use forward error correcting (FEC) by basing the adaptive modulation feedback on FEC statistics.
US07715308B2
A wireless network comprises a plurality of nodes that communicate over wireless communication links. A virtual site is established at a primary node included in the plurality of nodes. A backup node is selected for the virtual site from the plurality of nodes. When the primary node is able to do so, the primary node performs predetermined processing for the virtual site and replicates at the backup node data related to the processing. When the primary node is unable to perform the processing, the backup node performs the processing for the virtual site using at least some of the data replicated at the backup node.
US07715289B2
The present invention relates to determining an optimized write power used for writing electronic data on optical disc and includes a method, a device and a computer program product for determining a write power for writing electronic data on a medium (32, 108), based on a sequence of written data, using a power control model, which includes a written data deviation measure, a written data asymmetry and a written data asymmetry target value, the method comprising the steps determining the written data deviation measure for the sequence of written data (step 202), adjusting the written data asymmetry target value in relation to the written data asymmetry, if the written data deviation measure has changed (steps 218, 220, 226, 228), determining the write power in dependence on written data asymmetry (step 210), and writing another sequence of data on the medium using said determined write power (step 212), so as to obtain power optimized writing of data.
US07715288B2
An optical disk apparatus includes an optical pickup head (PUH) which outputs a laser beam through an objective lens. When a control unit receives an instruction to halt data read-out from an optical disk, the control unit moves the PUH to a predetermined position, stores a focus driving voltage corresponding to a position of the objective lens in a memory unit, and halts the output of the laser beam from the PUH. When the control unit receives an instruction to resume the data read-out, the control unit resumes the output of the laser beam from the PUH, starts a focus search on the basis of the focus driving voltage that is stored in the memory unit, moves the objective lens in a direction toward the optical disk, and achieves focus adjustment.
US07715287B2
Provided is an optical disc apparatus including an interference-type optical disk signal detection system, which allows an optical path difference between two kinds of light to be controlled easily, which has a high signal amplification effect, and which is suitable for miniaturization of an optical system. An interference-type optical system is integrally formed to stabilize an optical path difference between signal light and reference light. At the same time, means for controlling an optical path length of the reference light is attached to a reference mirror, and thereby controls signal amplitude so as to be constantly set the maximum in response to a change in the optical path length with time due to a variation in the thickness of a cover layer of an optical disk, a temperature and the like. Moreover, the optical system is miniaturized by using a Twyman-Green type interference optical system.
US07715273B2
A synchronous semiconductor device includes: input buffers; a latch-signal generating circuit that generates a latch signal based on a clock signal; latch circuits that latch an address signal in response to the latch signal; delay circuits that supply the latch circuits with the address signal in synchronism with the latch signal; NOR gate circuits that inactivate the address signal in response to a chip select signal becoming inactive, the NOR gate circuits being arranged between the input buffers and the delay circuits. According to the present invention, without stopping an operation of the input buffers or an internal clock signal, consumed power generated between the input buffers and the latch circuits can be effectively reduced.
US07715268B2
Storage apparatus can support various memory units with different standards based on the method which drives the power control-and-switch circuit in the power management unit according to a control signal caused by the ID code of a memory unit to control the second booster for further increasing the level of the external voltage or control the second regulator for further regulating or decreasing the level of the external voltage.
US07715264B2
In one embodiment, an electronic device comprises control circuitry. The control circuitry disables termination circuitry coupled to one or more input/output (I/O) signals of the electronic device during at least a portion of a relatively low frequency operation which causes insubstantial signal reflections at the I/O signals. The control circuitry re-enables the termination circuitry prior to the electronic device performing a relatively high frequency operation after completion of the low frequency operation, the high frequency operation causing substantial signal reflections at the I/O signals. The electronic device is a memory device in one embodiment. This way, the termination circuitry may be disabled during at least a portion of a refresh operation performed by the memory device and re-enabled prior to the memory device resuming normal operation (i.e., reads and writes) after completion of the refresh operation.
US07715263B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a voltage generation circuit for generating a voltage applied to the memory cell array, in which a plurality of drive MOS transistors having different width dimensions are selectively connected in parallel between an output line and the ground. The voltage is adjusted in response to the surrounding temperature in such a way that a prescribed number of drive MOS transistors selected from among the plurality of MOS transistors are normally and simultaneously driven. Thus, it is possible to precisely adjust the voltage in units of adjustment corresponding to differences of width dimensions without degrading the performance of the semiconductor memory device in a low current consumption mode.
US07715258B2
A retention test system and method for resistively switching memory devices is disclosed. One embodiment provides a plurality of memory cells configured to be changed over between a first state of high electrical resistance and a second state of low electrical resistance, wherein the system is configured to apply a bias voltage to at least one memory cell of the memory device to be tested.
US07715251B2
A memory access strobe configuration system and process operable to generate a strobe signal having a selected phase. Based on the strobe signal, a write/read cycle using a first logic value at a memory location of a memory device generates a result logic value. The result logic value provided by the write/read cycle is compared to the first logic value. Where there is a mismatch between the result logic value and the first logic value, the phase of the strobe signal is updated. The process is then repeated using a strobe signal having the updated phase.
US07715249B2
An output driver of a semiconductor memory apparatus comprises a voltage dividing block configured to generate divide voltages by dividing an internal voltage, a threshold voltage detecting block configured to generate a detecting voltage corresponding to a change in a threshold voltage of a transistor, a drive capability control signal generating block 300 configured to generate a compare signal by comparing the levels of the detecting voltage with the divide voltage and generate a control signal in response to an input signal when the compare signal is enabled, and a drive capability controlling block comprising a driver configured to perform a driving operation in response to the input signal, and a control driver configured to perform a driving operation in response to the control signal.
US07715246B1
For improving performance of mask ROM, bit line is multi-divided for reducing capacitance, so that multi-stage sense amps are used for reading, wherein a local sense amp receives an output from a memory cell through the bit line, and a global sense amp receives the local sense amp output. By the sense amps, a voltage difference in the bit line is converted to a time difference for differentiating data “1” and data “0”. For example, data “1” is quickly transferred to an output latch circuit through the sense amps with high gain, but data “0” is rejected by a locking signal based on data “1” as a reference signal. Furthermore, a buffered data path is used for transferring data wherein the buffered data path includes a forwarding write line and a returning read line. Additionally, alternative circuits and memory cell structures for implementing the mask ROM are described.
US07715240B2
Provided is a high voltage generator for a flash memory device including a voltage pumping unit configured to generate a high voltage in response to a pumping clock signal, a transistor having a gate coupled to the high voltage and a source coupled to a program voltage, a voltage distributor coupled to the drain of the transistor, the voltage distributor configured to generate a distributor voltage, and a pumping clock controller configured to compare the distributor voltage to a reference voltage and to generate the pumping clock signal when the high voltage is less than a voltage substantially equal to the program voltage plus the threshold voltage of the transistor.
US07715232B2
In a method of determining a flag state of a non-volatile memory device, an arithmetic logic unit of a microcontroller is employed without an additional circuit. The method includes providing n flag state information about n flag cells, resetting an entire flag state information value, sequentially reading first to n flag state information, increasing the entire flag state information value depending on a read result of the first to n flag state information, and determining a flag state by comparing the entire flag state information value and a critical value.
US07715229B2
A memory device includes a memory unit comprising a substrate supporting mobile charge carriers. Insulative features formed on the substrate surface define first and second substrate areas on either side of the insulative features areas being connected by an elongate channel defined by the insulative features. The memory unit is switchable between first and second states in which the channel respectively provides a first conductance and a second, different conductance between the first and second areas at a predetermined potential difference between said first and second. A write circuit is arranged to apply a first potential difference across the first and second areas for changing the memory unit to the first state, and a second, different potential difference for changing the memory unit to the second state. A read circuit is arranged to apply the predetermined potential difference across the first and second areas for reading the state.
US07715214B2
A device and method for determining whether a malfunction is present in a drive circuit, which drives an electric device that generates counter-electromotive force, when all gates in the switching elements of the drive circuit are blocked. After the gates are blocked, the temperature of the switching elements is monitored and the presence of a malfunction is determined based on the detected temperature of the switching elements. A malfunction is determined to be present when the detected temperature equals or exceeds a predetermined temperature; the change in the detected temperature equals or exceeds a predetermined value; or the rate of change in the detected temperature equals or exceeds than a predetermined rate. Thus, it can be appropriately determined whether the gates in the drive circuit are appropriately blocked and minimize the influence of any malfunctions on other elements outside of the drive circuit.
US07715203B2
An apparatus is disclosed for a module structure of a mobile communication terminal. The module structure comprises a radio frequency portion for processing communicated radio frequency signals, and a base-band portion commonly used by the radio frequency portion for providing modular replacement of a radio frequency multi-chip module connected to the radio frequency portion. The radio frequency multi-chip module is selected in accordance with a corresponding frequency band of the mobile communication terminal.
US07715189B2
A laptop-type personal computer operable on power supplied from at least one of an AC adaptor and a battery pack includes a memory card loader configured to detachably load a memory card powered by at least one of the AC adaptor and the battery pack; a cover mechanism configured to cover and uncover the memory card loader; a detector configured to detect whether the memory card loader is covered by the cover mechanism; and a controller configured to control the power supply to a memory card loaded on the memory card loader when the cover mechanism uncovers the memory card loader.
US07715183B2
An air damping shockproof structure disposed between a hard disk and a system for damping or buffering a shocking or a vibration to the hard disk in the system. The air damping shockproof structure includes a top portion, a side portion, and a bottom portion, and an air chamber array disposed in the top portion. The air chamber array includes a plurality of air chambers, and a plurality of air outlets disposed corresponding to each air chamber respectively. The cross-sectional area of each air outlet is smaller than a cross-sectional area of each air chamber.
US07715180B2
A novel integrated computer includes a support base, a computer component pivotally coupled to the support base, and a display component slidably coupled to the computer component. The pivotal connection between the support base and the computer component facilitates adjustment of the tilt of the display. The slidable connection between the computer component and the display component facilitates height adjustment of the display, without affecting the tilt of the display. A biasing member prevents unwanted movement of the display, while allowing adjustment of the display. A method for manufacturing the integrated computer is also disclosed.
US07715176B2
A power monitoring system for monitoring characteristics of power transmitted through one or more power lines comprises a meter base and multiple option modules. The meter base includes a processor and associated circuitry for processing signals derived from sensors coupled to said power lines and producing output signals representing selected characteristics of the power transmitted through the power lines, and a housing containing the processor and the associated circuitry and having a first surface adapted to be mounted on a DIN rail, and a second surface containing multiple connectors for receiving multiple modules and electrically connecting the modules to the processor and the associated circuitry. Each of the multiple option modules includes a housing having a first surface containing a connector that is complementary with the multiple connectors in the second surface of the meter base so that any of the option modules can be plugged into any of the multiple connectors in the second surface of the meter base, and circuitry within the housing of the option module for interconnecting with the processor and the associated circuitry in the meter base. The first surface of the meter base housing may be adapted for optional mounting on the DIN rail or a flat panel, and contains a connector for mating with a complementary connector on the opposite side of the flat panel through a hole in the flat panel.
US07715175B2
The invention relates to a special urban transformation center comprising a concrete support body (1) on which a cabinet made of sheet metal and vinyl ester (2) is placed and eyebolts (4) for placement thereof, which are located in the upper part. The plates (15) have locating elements for the low voltage and remote control panels. A base is also provided for leveling the steel outer structure. It also comprises an internal/external skeleton reinforced with crossbeams and four columns (20). The invention also has a polyester closing cover (6).
US07715172B2
A multilayer capacitor includes a capacitor body in which internal electrodes in a first internal electrode group are overlapped with internal electrodes in a second internal electrode group with dielectric layers sandwiched therebetween. A first external electrode has a first wraparound portion and a second wraparound portion, and a second external electrode has a third wraparound portion and a fourth wraparound portion. The volume proportions of the effective layers in a first area sandwiched between the first wraparound portion and the second wraparound portion and in a third area sandwiched between the third wraparound portion and the fourth wraparound portion are set to at least about 10%. The volume proportions of the effective layers in a second area toward a lower surface in the first area and in a fourth area toward the lower surface in the third area are set to about 15% or less. The external dimensions of the multilayer capacitor 1 are about 1.6±0.1 mm in length by about 0.8±0.1 mm in width by about 0.8±0.1 mm in thickness.
US07715159B2
An electro-static discharge protection circuit including: a first input terminal and a second input terminal; a first output terminal coupled to the first input terminal, and a second output terminal coupled to the second input terminal; a first circuit branch connected between the first input terminal and the second input terminal, said first circuit branch including at least one first Zener diode having a cathode terminal and an anode terminal; a second circuit branch connected between the first output terminal and the second output terminal, wherein the first circuit branch comprises a load element coupled between the second input terminal and the anode terminal of the at least one first Zener diode; the second circuit branch includes a first transistor having a control terminal adapted to receive a transistor control voltage, the first transistor being coupled to the load element so as to receive from the load element the transistor control voltage.
US07715148B2
A slider having an improved atmospheric pressure variation characteristic can be provided by ensuring the desired amount of inflow of air flowing to the air bearing surface in a region where it is difficult to ensure the desired air inflow amount, e.g., a region where the slider/disk relative speed is low or a region where the area of the air bearing surface is small by forming a groove configuration surface in a specified shape. In the negative pressure utilization type slider, a groove configuration surface lower in height than an air in flow surface is formed between the disk inner peripheral end and the disk outer peripheral end of the air inflow surface in the air flow incoming end side of a pressure generating surface, separately from a negative pressure generating surface.
US07715140B2
A method of determining a size of an error generated in a servo sector, a write control method of controlling whether to write data to data sectors successive to a servo sector according to the size of the error generated in the servo sector therein, a HDD using the write control method, and a recording media storing computer programs for executing the methods. A method of determining a size of an error generated in a servo sector of a HDD includes: reading servo information from the servo sector in which the error was generated; and determining the size of the error by the number of corresponding bits that differ from each other between the read servo information and a normal servo information.
US07715137B2
Servo patterns for patterned media. The servo pattern includes specification of cylinder/track ID with and without a Gray code. The servo pattern space is minimized by the optimum usage of the islands. This is achieved by island allocation rules to take advantage of non-magnetic island. The island allocation also provides for easier lift-off. Logic is used to encode and decode the Gray code. Further, the Gray code is designed to stabilize the magnetic island/non-magnetic island ratio to allow for easier manufacture.
US07715132B2
An exemplary prism sheet includes a transparent main body. The transparent main body includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are on opposite sides of the main body. The first surface of transparent main body defines a plurality of first elongated arc-shaped grooves and a plurality of second elongated arc-shaped grooves. The first elongated arc-shaped grooves intersect with the second elongated arc-shaped grooves. The second surface defining a plurality of rectangular structures. Each rectangular structure defining four adjacent triangular pyramid depressions.
US07715130B2
An exemplary lens module includes a barrel, a holder, an optical assembly, an image sensor, at least one permanent-magnet, a number of electromagnets, and a control unit. The barrel is threadedly engaged in the holder. The barrel is capable of being linearly movable relative to the holder. The optical assembly is received in the barrel. The image sensor is received in the holder and is configured for capturing images. The at least one permanent magnet is mounted on the barrel. The electromagnets are mounted on the holder and surround the barrel therein for magnetical interaction with the permanent magnet. The control unit electrically is connected to the electromagnets and is configured for changing the magnetic polarities of the electromagnets adjacent to the permanent magnet to create a combined magnetic torsional force applied onto the permanent magnet, thereby rotating the barrel relative to the holder.
US07715129B2
A method for aligning and assembling two lens pieces, and a machine to accomplish this task are provided. In one example of the method, the method includes holding an upper lens above a lower lens, holding the lower lens in a horizontal position, lowering the upper lens into a contact position with the lower lens, and allowing the upper lens to self-align to a top surface of the lower lens.
US07715125B2
A mechanism for adjusting the position of an optical device with respect to a field helmet along an axis of translation is provided. The mechanism comprises an optical device mounting component for coupling to the optical device. A field helmet mounting component for coupling to the field helmet is slideably coupled to the optical device mounting component along the axis of translation. A lever configured for selectively engaging a surface of either mounting component permits translation of the optical device mounting component along the axis of translation with respect to the field helmet. The optical device mounting component is configured to translate along the axis of translation with respect to the field helmet between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the optical device is proximal to the helmet in the retracted position and distal to the helmet in the extended position.
US07715120B2
Provided is a camera module. The camera module includes an aperture stop, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and an image sensor. The first lens has a positive refractive power to transmit light that has passes through the aperture stop, and the second lens has a negative refractive power to transmit light that has passed through the first lens. The third lens has a negative refractive power to transmit light that has passed through the second lens. The image sensor detects light that has passed through the third lens.
US07715113B2
A fourth lens group of a four-lens group zoom lens includes, in order from an object side, a single positive lens having aspheric surfaces on both sides, and a cemented lens formed of a negative lens and a positive meniscus lens having a convex surface directed to the object side. The object-side surface of the positive single lens is convex and has a stronger refractive power. The cemented lens has a negative refractive power as a whole. The following conditional expressions are satisfied: 0.04
US07715112B2
A zoom lens system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, first, second, third, and fourth lens units having positive, negative, positive, and positive optical powers, respectively. The first lens unit includes one negative lens element and two positive lens elements, and moves during zooming. The zoom lens system satisfies the following condition: 0.05
US07715110B2
A zoom lens system consists, in order from an object side to an image-forming side, of a first negative lens group G1, a second positive lens group G2, and a third positive lens group G3. The first lens group G1 consists of one negative lens and one positive lens, the second lens group G2 consists of a cemented lens composed of a positive lens and a negative lens, and one meniscus lens that is concave on the image-forming side, the third lens group G3 consists of a single positive lens, and a combined focal length f2 of the second lens group, a focal length Lf23 of the meniscus lens of the second lens group, a combined focal length fw of the zoom lens system at a wide angle end, a combined focal length f3 of the third lens group, a radius of curvature Ro of an object side surface of the positive lens in the cemented lens, and a radius of curvature Ri of an image-forming side surface of the positive lens in the cemented lens satisfy the following conditions 0<|f2/Lf23|<0.3 −2.0
US07715104B2
In the micro-lens array substrate of the present invention, a micro-lens array formed of a plurality of consecutive concave lens-shaped micro-lenses is directly formed in a surface of a quartz substrate or glass substrate, and the micro-lens array is formed by a transfer method based on dry-etching. In the micro-lens array substrate of the present invention, a taper portion is formed toward the surface of the substrate in a peripheral portion of the micro-lens array in the quartz substrate or glass substrate.
US07715103B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a buried numerical aperture expander may be utilized to provide a head-up or virtual display at a larger field of view without requiring a larger amount of space, larger sized display, or larger sized optics. The buried numerical aperture expander is capable of selectively reflecting light emanating from a display such that the reflected light is expanded into a larger field of view, while simultaneously allowing other light to be transmitted through the buried numerical aperture expander without expansion so that the buried numerical aperture expander may be deployed in conjunction with a windshield or window without adversely affecting the ability to see through buried numerical aperture expander.
US07715094B2
The present invention provides a rare earth element-doped optical fiber amplifier having a function which allows to omit an optical isolator component, and a method for providing the optical non-reciprocity using the same. In the optical fiber, the optical fiber matrix material is a ferroelectric solid state material, and the ferroelectric solid state material is doped by a rare earth element such as erbium (Er) or thulium (Tm). The optical fiber is characterized by an optical amplification function and an optical non-reciprocity function.
US07715088B2
This invention relates to an electrophoretic display comprising a plurality of cells, each of said cells comprises: a) partition walls; b) an electrophoretic fluid filled therein; c) a polymeric sealing layer to enclose the electrophoretic fluid within the cell; and d) an interface between the electrophoretic fluid and the sealing layer.
US07715085B2
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device includes at least one electrode, a first reflective layer, and a movable reflective element. The movable reflective element includes a flexible dielectric layer and a second reflective layer mechanically coupled to the flexible dielectric layer. The flexible dielectric layer flexes in response to voltages applied to the at least one electrode to move the reflective element in a direction generally perpendicular to the first reflective layer.
US07715082B2
An electrochromic switching device comprises a counter electrode, an active electrode and an electrolyte layer disposed between the counter electrode and the active electrode. The active electrode comprises at least one of an oxide, a nitride, an oxynitrides, a partial oxide, a partial nitride and a partial oxynitride of at least one of Sb, Bi, Si, Ge, Sn, Te, N, P, As, Ga, In, Al, C, Pb and I. Upon application of a current to the electrochromic switching device, a compound comprising at least one of the alkali and the alkaline earth metal ion and an element of the active electrode is formed as part of the active electrode.
US07715076B2
A hybrid electro-static actuator for rotating a two-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical micro-mirror device about two perpendicular axes includes a vertical comb drive for rotating the micro-mirror about a tilt axis, and a parallel plate drive for rotating the micro-mirror about a roll axis. The rotor comb fingers of the comb drive extend from a sub-frame of the micro-mirror, which is only rotatable about the tilt axis, while one of the parallel plate electrodes is mounted on the underside of a main platform, which generally surrounds the sub-frame. The vertical comb drive rotates both the sub-frame and the main platform about the tilt axis, while the parallel plate drive only rotates the main platform about the roll axis.
US07715074B2
A holographic recorder can vary the optical distance between an object lens and a relay lens near the object lens. This arrangement allows defocus-multiplexing utilizing state variations in the laser beam when the beam reaches a storage medium.
US07715070B2
A method and apparatus for generating transform-based color profiles by a measurement-based Color Management System (CMS). The measurement-based CMS generates the transform-based profile wherein the measurement-based color system is parameterized by color data and procedures. The CMS may use a reference Profile Connection Space (PCS) loaded from a measurement profile, thus enabling user configuration of the generation process. The reference PCS may also be set to include a gamut that is appropriate for an eventual color-output device. In addition, a Gamut Mapping Model (GMM) used in the generation process is user-selectable as well as a Device Model (DM). The DM may also be supplied as a pluggable module. The CMS also features user-selectable mapping from an International Color Consortium (ICC) intent to a PCS profile and to a DM. The features of the CMS may be used in an application, stand-alone profiling tool or in an operating system utility.
US07715061B2
The invention claimed is a method for creating and utilizing a paper intermediary, ideally termed a document routing form, to serve as a lead sheet to a set of documents to be scanned on a scanner connected to a computer, or a computer connected to a workgroup. Computer readable data, such as bar code, printed on the routing form serve as data instructions to the inventive software to process a set of scanned documents in a variety of end outcome options. The document routing forms may be printed on an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper, or on an adhesive type label, and contain selection options that determine an outcome to documents scanned.Options for end outcomes may include processing the scan as an email, a fax, or being sent to a User's electronic archive. The inventive software facilitates data retrieval from a secondary source such as a User's electronic archive to be utilized in the outcome process. The inventive method also allows for a combination of encoded data and hand written data to be read from a document routing form, and processed by a secondary program such as an email or fax program.
US07715050B2
In a method and system for processing a photographic image having lightness values, L*, representing one of the colorimetric values of an original scene, the photographic image is transformed. The transformed image has a gamma as a function of CIE 1976 L*, which includes a dark region having a rising slope, a light region having a falling slope, and a plateau region having a slope constantly within 5 percent of a maximum value in said plateau region. The rising slope is at least twice as large as the absolute value of the falling slope. The plateau region is between 10 L* and 30 L* wide. Gamma is a derivative of visually perceived reproduced CIE 1976 L* versus scene CIE 1976 L*. Gamma has a maximum slope between 1.5 and 2.0.
US07715047B2
An image editing device has the following (A) through (C): (A) an image display section on which an image to be edited is displayed; (B) an information obtaining section that obtains information regarding a pixel that has been arbitrarily designated by a user from the image that has been displayed on the image display section, and information regarding a desired color that has been designated by the user for the pixel; and (C) a color adjustment section that adjusts a color of the overall image, in order to change a color of the pixel that has been designated by the user to the desired color, based on the information regarding the pixel and the information regarding the desired color, which have been obtained by the information obtaining section.
US07715038B2
Provided is an image forming apparatus control method which, when an image is to be formed from image data with a digital signature, safely manages the image formed from the image data even if it is impossible to certify whether the image data is tampered. When receiving a request for formation of an image of image data with a digital signature from a personal computer, this image input/output apparatus requests a digital signature issue/authentication server to certify the authenticity of the signature data. On the basis of the certification result, the apparatus adds, to the output image, an additional image indicating that the original image is tampered, or an additional image indicating that whether the original image is tampered cannot be certified.
US07715037B2
A communication system and apparatus for a xerographic imaging system for enhanced collaborative communication between the machine user and the remote troubleshooting advisor. The machine includes an imager for showing a selected virtual representation of the machine including an image of the machine illustrating an area of the machine having the troubleshooting need. A communication link exists between the user and the advisor and comprises a bi-directional visualization of a selected virtual representation synchronously displayed to the user and the advisor via respective imagers. An image adjuster is operated by the expert for selective adjustment of the virtual representation to suggest a section of the area of the machine wherein action by the machine user may resolve the troubleshooting need. The selective adjustment is communicated to the machine user through the communication link whereby upon viewing this suggested adjustment, corrective action is suggested to the user. The corrective action is identified to the user by identifying a difference between the actual machine state and the shared virtual representation. The visual indicators may direct the user to a particular location and percussion centers on the machine identify a particular tapping location by the user to verify position identification to the troubleshooting expert.
US07715024B2
An apparatus for and a method of fitting or removing a motor vehicle tyre (4) comprising a rotatably supported wheel receiving device (2) to which the rim (3) is to be fixed, at least one fitting or removal tool (5), a rotary drive device (10) for the wheel receiving device and a sensing device (6), (7), (8) for sensing the radially outer rim contour (12), (14) along which the at least one fitting or removal tool is to be guided during the fitting or removal operation, wherein the sensing device (6), (7), (8) is a sensing device which contact-lessly senses the rim contour and the sensing signals of which are converted into electrical sensing signals, and connected to the sensing device (6), (7), (8) is a control device (9) which evaluates the electrical sensing signals and which controls the at least one fitting or removal tool (5) in the fitting or removal operation in dependence on the sensing signals without contact with the rim surface.
US07715020B2
A three-dimensional shape measuring system is provided with a measuring unit having a three-dimensional measurement range and adapted to measure the three-dimensional shape of a measurement object in a noncontact manner, a measurement range shifting unit for shifting the position of the measurement range of the measuring unit, a shape calculating unit for calculating the overall three-dimensional shape of the measurement object from a plurality of measurement data obtained by shifting the measurement range relative to the measurement object, and a judging unit for setting judgment areas in specified peripheral areas within the measurement range and judging the presence or absence of any unmeasured area of the measurement object outside the measurement range based on measurement data corresponding to the judgment areas. The measurement range shifting unit shifts the position of the measurement range in a direction toward the unmeasured area when the presence of the unmeasured area is judged by the judging unit.
US07715019B2
A method is provided for determining an actual profile of an object printed on a substrate. The method can include receiving an actual spectrum signal associated with the object, selecting a first model profile, and generating a first model spectrum signal associated with the first model profile. The method can further include comparing the first model spectrum signal with the actual spectrum signal. If the first model spectrum signal and the actual spectrum signal do not match a desired tolerance, the aforementioned selecting, generating, and comparing can be repeated with a second model profile. The second model profile can be selected based on the first model spectrum signal having undergone an optimization process based on a number of variable parameters of the first model profile, where the number of variable parameters is reduced by approximating the first model profile to a single shape with a reduced number of variable parameters.
US07715015B2
A method and apparatus for demodulation of detected fringes from interferometric sensors with high slew rates are provided. A detected interference signal may be mixed with a local oscillator phasor to obtain a mixed signal, the local oscillator being controlled to produce a frequency that roughly matches the fringe frequency of the interference signal. A sensor phase estimate may be obtained from the detected interference signal or the mixed signal. The local oscillator signal can be computed from the sensor phase estimate. The mixed signal and the sensor phase estimate may be low pass filtered and decimated and the resulting decimated mixed signal and decimated sensor phase estimate may be processed and combined with moderate processing power requirements in an effort to accurately measure the sensor phase for the interferometric sensor.
US07714992B2
The invention concerns an equipment for monitoring an immersion lithography device provided with a main light source and a projection optics for printing images on a wafer. The propagating medium extending from the projection optics to the wafer consists of a liquid (3). The equipment comprises: a chamber (51) for receiving at least part of said liquid (3), a diffraction grating (50) immersed in the chamber; a secondary light source (271) for emitting a secondary incident beam (20) towards the grating so as to obtain a diffracted beam; angle measuring members (57) capable of measuring at least one diffraction angle corresponding to a maximum intensity of an order of diffraction of the beam diffracted by the grating (500), and computing means (505) for calculating an estimate of a physical quantity concerning the refractive index of the liquid.
US07714982B2
An exposure apparatus includes: an optical system having an optical element on which a first exposure light and a second exposure light are incident, the first exposure light and the second exposure light from the optical element being irradiated onto a first exposure field and a second exposure field; and a detection device that detects at least one of the first exposure light and the second exposure light, which are from the optical element and are directed towards a different direction from directions towards the first and second exposure fields.
US07714977B2
A liquid crystal optical modulation element to modulate a laser beam having a wavelength of at most 500 nm, which contains a layer of a liquid crystal composition sandwiched between a pair of transparent substrates facing each other, wherein each transparent substrate has an electrode and an alignment film having a polyimide on the surface which faces the other transparent substrate, the alignment film and the liquid crystal composition are in contact with each other, and the liquid crystal composition contains at least one antioxidant.
US07714971B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) capable of preventing spots from being generated by difference in brightness caused by variation in a gap between substrates is provided. The LCD includes a first pad unit positioned on an upper corner of a lower substrate, a second pad unit positioned on a lower corner of the lower substrate diagonally across from the first pad unit, an integrated circuit electrically connected to the first pad unit and the second pad unit, and dummy pads positioned on the other upper corner of the lower substrate. The dummy pads are substantially symmetrical with second pads included in the second pad unit thus helping maintain the gap between the substrates uniform.
US07714966B2
A picture electrode of an MVA liquid crystal display device has a configuration where sub-picture electrodes are successively provided, while a cross-shaped slit is provided as an alignment restriction member on a common electrode of the side of a counter substrate. A columnar spacer is provided on a signal line of a TFT substrate in conformity to a position of a singular point of an alignment of liquid crystal molecules, the singularity occurring in a display region. This structure makes it possible, when a panel surface is depressed, to cause quick re-aligning of the liquid crystal molecules at the singular point of +1, as a base point, which has occurred at a center of the cross-shaped slit and in the vicinity of the columnar spacer, hence achieving a speedy recovery of displaying.
US07714964B2
A transflective LCD having a transmissive area and a reflective area according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate, a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the first substrate and including a plurality of reflective electrodes having protrusion patterns and depression patterns, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a plurality of color filters formed on the second substrate and having a light hole in the reflective area, and a common electrode formed on the color filters. The size of the protrusion patterns in a first reflective area having the light hole is different from that in a second reflective area having no light hole, and the size of the protrusion patterns at the center of the first reflective area may be larger than that in the second reflective area.
US07714962B2
A liquid crystal display device has a pair of substrates disposed at an observer side and at the opposite side to the observer side, a plurality of pixel electrodes and an opposing electrode which are formed on the internal surfaces of the pair of substrates, a reflective layer, and liquid crystal sealed between these substrates. Each pixel electrode has a reflective display region corresponding to the reflective layer for reflecting light that enters from the observer side to the observer side, and a transmissive display region for allowing light that enters from the opposite side to pass therethrough to the observer side. A liquid crystal layer thickness adjusting layer is formed on the internal surface of the substrate at the observer side, for setting the liquid crystal layer thickness in the reflective display region to be smaller than the liquid crystal layer thickness in the transmissive display region.
US07714955B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device which reduces the occurrence of a squeal. A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight arranged on a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the backlight includes a base, a plurality of rod-shaped light sources arranged between the liquid crystal display panel and the base, electrode fittings for supporting electrode portions of the respective rod-shaped light sources, connection portions allowing the plurality of electrode fittings to be connected thereto and extending in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped light sources, pushing members for pushing the connection portions toward a base side, and friction sound reducing members arranged between the connection portions and the pushing members and/or between the connection portions and the base side.
US07714950B2
The present invention provides a simplifying method for a peeling process as well as peeling and transcribing to a large-size substrate uniformly. A feature of the present invention is to peel a first adhesive and to cure a second adhesive at the same time in a peeling process, thereby to simplify a manufacturing process. In addition, the present invention is to devise the timing of transcribing a peel-off layer in which up to an electrode of a semiconductor are formed to a predetermined substrate. In particular, a feature is that peeling is performed by using a pressure difference in the case that peeling is performed with a state in which plural semiconductor elements are formed on a large-size substrate.
US07714943B2
An ultra-thin rear projection display system (RPDS) is disclosed. The system uses a small flat mirror, a small non-rotationally symmetric mirror and a larger non-rotationally symmetric mirror to achieve a D-to-d ratio of around 11:1 while rendering a significantly distortion free image on the screen. The first two mirrors are significantly smaller than the size of the screen, while the third mirror is significantly larger than the first two mirrors but smaller than the screen. In one embodiment, the lens and light engine are positioned horizontally to one side and, in another example, the lens and light engine are positioned vertically, projecting downwards. In one example, an image processor is used to correct for the remaining distortions. In another example, the system is adapted such that the light rays forming the projected image are within a certain range of angles such that a TIR Fresnel lens could be used to collimate the image.
US07714934B2
Digital audio data which have a predetermined packet structure are divided into units including a predetermined number of bits; each unit of the divided digital audio data is converted into specific data to be encoded; the encoded data are arranged in blanking intervals of video data; the digital audio data are transmitted as well as the video data using a transmission line for the video data, and the video data and the audio data may be simultaneously and favorably transmitted, adopting an existing video-data transmission format such as the DVI standard.
US07714932B2
An apparatus for adaptive de-interlace of a frame comprises a line-segment difference-value calculating module, a motion-vector calculating module, an intra-block calculating module, a trigger-value producing module, and an image processing module. The line-segment difference-value calculating module computes a difference value of a line segment within the frame. The motion-vector calculating module computes a motion vector of a macro block that is located in the frame and comprises the line segment. The intra-block calculating module computes the amount of intra blocks in the frame. The trigger-value producing module determines whether the amount of the intra blocks is larger than a first threshold or not, so as to select an algorithm for generating a trigger value. The image processing module determines whether the trigger value is larger than a second threshold or not and then selects a de-interlace algorithm for de-interlacing the line segment.
US07714922B2
The present invention is directed to an image pick-up apparatus adapted for picking up image of object, which comprises a solid-state image pick-up device (1) for performing photo-electric conversion in accordance with a received image pick-up light, a switching unit (10) for performing switching between first mode serving as image pick-up mode where charges stored in the solid-state image pick-up device (1) are read out every n (n is natural number) frames and second mode serving as image pick-up mode where charges stored in the solid-state image pick-up device (1) are read out every m (m is natural number) fields to add odd charges and even charges which are adjacent in a vertical direction of the charges which have been read out while changing the combination thereof every m fields to provide an output, and a control unit (9) for controlling the switching unit (10) in such a manner to switch the image pick-up mode into the first mode in accordance with image pick-up request at low output sensitivity, and to switch the image pick-up mode into the second mode in accordance with image pick-up request at high output sensitivity.
US07714903B2
An image capture system is presented where the dynamic range of photo imaging devices, such as a still or video camera, is increased by varying sensor exposure time on a pixel-by-pixel basis under digital camera processor control. The systems photo sensors are continuously illuminated without reset over the exposure interval. In addition to being interrogated at the end of the exposure interval, the pixels are also non-destructively interrogated at one or more intermediate times during the interval. At each interrogation, the image capture system determines individually whether the pixels have saturated and if not, the parameter value is recorded; if the pixel has saturated, the previously stored value from the preceding interval is maintained. To produce the final sensor value for the whole exposure interval, the data for pixels that reached the saturation level are adjusted to compensate for their shortened exposure.
US07714899B2
An electronic camera includes a search unit for sequentially capturing and analyzing a monitor image for an object and for sequentially determining whether or not a figure of a specified form representing a print/picture image is included in the monitor image, and a memory for, responsive to determination that the figure is included in the monitor image, storing the monitor image including the figure as a candidate for the print/picture image.
US07714894B2
According to one embodiment, a remote head camera includes a camera control unit, and a camera head configured to be connected to the camera control unit and including an imaging device, a drive signal generator, and a format identifying unit. The drive signal generator generates a drive signal for driving the imaging device. The format identifying unit identifies a format of the imaging device based on a clock count in a synchronization period from a first synchronization pulse to a second synchronization pulse output after the first synchronization pulse. The first synchronization pulse and the second synchronization pulse constitutes a synchronization signal.
US07714893B2
An image stabilization mechanism moves a movable lens or an imager in first and second directions perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to a light axis of the lens or an incident light axis of the imager. The mechanism includes a support member for supporting the movable lens or imager, a base member, a guide shaft secured to the base member and extending in the first direction, where the guide shaft is disposed in an elongate hole formed in the support member in a slidable manner in the first and second directions, an anti-rolling member fitted into the guide shaft in a slidable manner in its axis direction and engaged with the support member in a slidable manner in the second direction so as to prevent rolling of the support member about the light axis, and two drivers for moving the support member independently in the first and second directions.
US07714884B2
An optical multi-beam scanning device has a plurality of pre-deflection optical units, an optical path synthesizing member and an excessive light processing member. The excessive light processing member processes excessive light emitted from an excessive light emitting surface with is not an incident surface nor an emitting surface of the optical path synthesizing member. The excessive light processing member has a multi-stage taper constitution with a plurality of taper surfaces having different tilt angles.
US07714883B2
A control method for controlling an optical head having a plurality of light emitting devices, includes: dividing the plurality of light emitting devices into a plurality of blocks by grouping adjacent light emitting devices of the plurality of light emitting devices; adjusting levels of driving signals supplied to the adjacent light emitting devices for each of the plurality of blocks so that emission luminances of the adjacent light emitting devices belonging to the each of the plurality of blocks become substantially equal to each other; and adjusting emission periods so that the equalized emission luminances of the plurality of blocks become substantially equal to each other.
US07714880B2
Combining one or more spatio-temporal sensors with a personal digital assistant or similar small electronic device and with sliding window (roaming and stabilization) software and memory management and user interface functions, to enable a user to see documents and objects that appear to be fixed in space. This may allow the user to navigate using his or her eidetic memory. Navigation of images, documents or other objects substantially bigger than the display is made easier and faster. Using the invention, the user scrolls and views larger documents or objects as if they were affixed in space to a selected viewing platform. The viewing platform can correspond to, for example, the ground, a building, a wall, an arbitrary reference point, or any other suitable fixed or substantially fixed position or object. The invention uses and adjusts for the body-arm-hand-finger motion of the user so that the imagery appears affixed to the selected reference platform.
US07714878B2
An apparatus and method for multimedia content based manipulation. The method comprises the masking at least one part of the segment of an interaction, said masking can include the hiding, blurring, or alternatively, the enhancing or focusing on a region of interest.
US07714877B1
An apparatus, system, and method for determining clipping distances are described. In one embodiment, a graphics processing apparatus includes a clipping unit and an instruction memory connected to the clipping unit. The instruction memory includes a clipping program to direct the clipping unit to perform clipping operations. The clipping program includes a clipping distance instruction to determine a clipping distance with respect to any of a set of clipping planes.
US07714876B1
There is provided a method and an apparatus for creating visualizations. Specifically, there is provided a computer-implemented method for creating visualizations, the method comprising importing data, generating an interaction rule for the data, and creating a visualization using the data and the interaction rule. An apparatus for implementing the method is also provided.
US07714874B2
Disclosed are a color management method, an apparatus thereof and a color management computer program for executing the method that enable a user to conveniently and easily select and/or change colors desired by the user in diverse ways. The color management method includes displaying a color scheme list that is a list of color schemes for providing a standard for converting the colors that constitute an image, and if a selection manipulation of one among the color schemes that constitute the displayed color scheme list is input, storing the color scheme selected by the selection manipulation.
US07714873B2
A technique is described for compressing textures for use in a graphics application, such as a 3D game application. The technique includes parsing first-compressed texture information (e.g., S3TC texture information) into respective components of the first-compressed texture information (such as main color information, color index information, main alpha information, and alpha index information). The technique then further compresses the respective components to yield second-compressed texture information (referred to as modified compressed texture information or MCT texture information). The MCT texture information can be stored and then decoded to reconstruct the original S3TC texture information for use in the graphics application. Compared to the use of unmodified S3TC texture information, the technique allows more economical storage of texture information, as well as more efficient loading of the texture information from storage to memory.
US07714866B2
An apparatus, method, and article of manufacture are configured to display a vector marker stroke. A stroked fill of vector splines and polygons having faces along the spline are created based on a user input marker stroke. A stencil buffer is created indicating the number of vector faces incident at each pixel. When the number indicates that a pixel has overlapping faces, a pixel shader (that determines an opacity value for the pixel in a mask) is executed as many times as the number. When the number indicates that a pixel has at least one face and is at a beginning or an ending of the stroke, the shader is executed to add to the opacity value. A blur shading operation is executed on each of the pixels. The stroked fill is rendered and a wet color is rendered, using the mask, on top of the stroked fill.
US07714863B2
The invention relates to a method and a computer program for displaying a plurality of electronic messages in a message system with the electronic messages being called up from one or more directories for electronic messages. In this case, a multidimensional diagram is first of all created on a graphics user interface, after which the electronic messages are converted to graphics symbols, and the graphics symbols are finally displayed on the multidimensional diagram on the basis of at least one characteristic of the respective electronic message.
US07714862B1
A method and system for drawing directed graphs including receiving data coordinates associated with nodes for graphing, performing a constrained stress minimization, and outputting results of the constrained stress minimization and displaying the results on a visual medium. The described method may take the form of instructions residing on a computer readable medium. The described method and system may be utilized for drawing directed graphs in a very wide range of applications ranging from gene networks, to flowcharts, to display of relational characteristics of breakfast cereal and so on.
US07714860B2
A system and method for converting data generated in an computer engineering design software component to an alternate format usable by a variety of alternate software components is provided. Engineering data from a project having a plurality of objects is provided. Objects are selected from the project for conversion and transportation to one of the alternate software components. The selected objects are converted to an alternate format, transported to the alternate software component and regenerated by the alternate software component in its own environment.
US07714859B2
A method in a computer system for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen, the original image being a collection of polygons having polygons defined by three or more shared edges joined at vertex points, the method comprising: establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region across which the magnification decreases, the focal and shoulder regions having respective perimeters; subdividing polygons in the collection of polygons proximate to at least one of the perimeters, as projected with the polygons onto a base plane, by inserting one or more additional vertex points and additional edges into the polygons to be subdivided; and, applying the lens to the original image to produce the presentation by displacing the vertex points onto the lens and perspectively projecting the displacing onto a view plane in a direction aligned with a viewpoint for the region-of-interest.
US07714854B2
A driving apparatus for a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a plurality of data lines and gate lines arranged in a matrix configuration, a data driver for supplying video data to the data lines, a gate driver for supplying gate pulses to the gate lines, and a timing controller for controlling polarity of the video data by supplying a polarity inversion signal to the data driver and controlling a timing of the data driver and the gate driver according to a number of horizontal synchronization signals supplied during a data blanking period, wherein a plurality of the polarity inversion signals are different from each other.
US07714840B2
A method and system for electronically scrolling a document with a data processing apparatus uses an input device, e.g., a mouse, to permit position based scrolling without first accessing a scroll bar or other scrolling functionality element. In a page positional scrolling (PPS) mode useful for scrolling short distances, a displayed document is scrolled one pixel per one pixel of motion of the mouse. In a second mode (document positional scrolling—DPS), the document is scrolled a distance per pixel of mouse movement corresponding to the ratio of the document length (or width) to the page length (or width). In a further embodiment (smoothed document positional scrolling—SDPS), as the mouse is moved away from a starting position the system begins scrolling in PPS, transitions smoothly from PPS to DPS, and then continues to scroll in DPS.
US07714826B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes an LCD panel having a plurality of data lines and a plurality of gate lines crossing the data lines, a data driving circuit to generate a data voltage, a demultiplexer to apply the data voltage from the data driving circuit to the data lines using a plurality of switching devices, and a control signal generator to generate a plurality of control signals having a first polarity of voltage in order to turn on the switching devices and in order to add a second polarity of voltage to the control signals.
US07714821B2
Disclosed is an OCB mode liquid crystal display and a method for driving the same. The OCB mode liquid crystal display includes at least one pair of upper and lower pre-tilt electrodes to partially cover each of upper and lower driving electrodes. A pre-tilt voltage equal to or higher than a transition voltage is applied between the upper and lower pre-tilt electrodes to shift liquid crystal molecules into a first orientation state, that is, to shift a portion of the liquid crystal molecules into a bend or vertical orientation state. Therefore, although a low driving voltage is applied between the upper and lower driving electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules can rapidly be shifted into a second orientation state for screen display. Consequently, a high response speed can be achieved, so that it is possible to display a high-speed moving picture and to reduce power consumption.
US07714800B2
An information display apparatus is provided with: a display screen; a movable panel member; and a control device which controls such that the functions of a control member and/or display member that are completely or partially hidden due to said movement of said movable panel member are realized on said display screen, wherein the control device displays an image on the display screen that has an outward appearance identical to or that resembles the outward appearance of the control member or said display member.
US07714799B2
An antenna device comprises a base, a combination element, a fixing element, a rotation unit, and a radiation conductor. The base has a through hole and a bottom surface. The bottom surface has a plurality of pins, and the through hole is approximately parallel to the bottom surface. The combination element has a first blocking portion. The fixing element has an embedding surface, wherein the embedding surface is surrounded by a plurality of metal plates. The first blocking portion touches one terminal of the fixing element. The rotation unit has a second blocking portion, and the second blocking portion touches the other terminal of the fixing element. The other terminal of rotation unit pivoted at the radiation conductor. The fixing element wedges with close in the inner of the through hole of the base. Therefore, the antenna device is formed a firm structure.
US07714789B2
An antenna includes a dielectric substrate, a grounding plane, first and second grounding elements, and first and second radiating elements. The grounding plane is formed on the dielectric substrate and is disposed between the first and second radiating elements. The first and second grounding elements extend from the grounding plane away from each other. The first and second radiating elements are coupled electromagnetically to the first and second grounding elements, respectively.
US07714772B2
A transmit-receive FM-CW radar apparatus according to one mode of the invention comprises: a mixer for downconverting an IF signal; a switch provided on the input side of the mixer; and a switch controller for controlling the switch on and off in different modes and selecting the IF signal in the different modes for supply to said mixer. A transmit-receive FM-CW radar apparatus according to another mode of the invention comprises: a mixer for downconverting an IF signal; a switch for turning on and off a local signal to be supplied to the mixer; and a switch controller for controlling the switch on and off in different modes and selecting the local signal in the different modes for supply to the mixer.
US07714771B2
A method and device are provided for measuring distance and relative speed of a plurality of objects with the aid of an FMCW radar, transmitted signals being reflected by objects, and the reflected signals being received and mixed with the transmitted signals. A combination of distance and relative speed values is assigned to the mixer output frequencies of each frequency ramp for each object, and the distance and relative speed of a possible object are determined from points of intersection of a plurality of distance and relative speed combinations. The apparent (unreal) objects are eliminated by modifying the frequency slope of at least one frequency ramp according to the random principle in a subsequent measurement cycle.
US07714768B2
Provided is a non-statistical method for compressing and decompressing complex SAR data derived from reflected energy. The method includes selecting a first FFT to provide a target ratio of pixel spacing to resolution. A second FFT is then selected which is smaller than the first FFT. The data is zero-padded to fill the second FFT and transformed to provide at least one transfer frequency. This transfer frequency is then transferred to the at least one remote site. At the remote site the second FFT is inverted to restore the data from the received transfer frequency. The restored data is then zero-padded again to fill the first FFT. The first FFT is then used to transform the zero-padded restored data to provide a data set of points with the target ratio of pixel spacing to resolution.
US07714762B2
A current-mode analog-to-digital (IADC) has subnA sensitivity. An IADC cell receives an input current signal and provides an output to a comparator for comparison with an adjustable input reference signal. A digital output signal is generated and an analog output is provided to the next cell.
US07714755B2
A dynamic bias control circuit includes a current source, a first switch, a differential amplifier, and a third switch. The current source outputs a first current. The first switch is coupled to an output end of the current source for generating the first current. The differential amplifier includes a first input end for receiving a reference voltage and a second input end coupled to the first switch. The third switch is coupled to an output end of the differential amplifier and to the first end of the first switch for adjusting a voltage at the first end of the first switch according to a result outputted from the differential amplifier. A control end of the first switch is coupled to a second switch. The second switch is used for inputting a second current into the second switch, wherein the second current to the first current is a predetermined ratio.
US07714753B2
One embodiment of the invention concerns performing renormalization in content adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) only after multiple bins are processed.
US07714751B2
A transcoder calculates a reference conversion factor on the basis of a ratio between a total target bit rate of a whole second stream and an total input bit rate of a whole first stream and calculates a coefficient of variation from the total target bit rate of the whole second stream and an average output bit rate of a converted second stream in the N period. Next, a quantization step conversion factor in the next (N+1) period is calculated by adding the coefficient of variation to the reference conversion factor. Then, a quantization step value of a second stream in the (N+1) period is calculated by multiplying a quantization step value of a first stream in the (N+1) period by the quantization step conversion factor.
US07714748B1
A high-rate constrained code is provided to encode/decode channel data. A transformer translates binary channel data into an arbitrary alphabet size. The transformer selects an indicator word and makes forbidden prefix substitutions in the data to be transformed. A finite-state encoder imposes some user-defined constraint on the transformed data before the data is transferred to the channel. The high-rate constrained coding technique may be used to produce high-rate DC-limited and run-length-limited codes. The high-rate code can be used in tandem with error-correcting codes.
US07714747B2
Systems and methods for providing fast and efficient data compression using a combination of content independent data compression and content dependent data compression. In one aspect, a method for compressing data comprises the steps of: analyzing a data block of an input data stream to identify a data type of the block, the input data stream comprising a plurality of disparate data type; performing content dependent data compression on the data block, if the data type of the data block is identified; performing content independent data compression on the data block, if the data type of the data block is not identified.
US07714746B2
A key switch matrix circuit includes key switches arranged in rows and columns, each row having a scan line, each column having a sense line. Each key switch is operable to couple a scan line to a sense line. A scan signal delivery circuit supplies scan signals to the scan lines, the scan signals delivering a scan pulse to each row of the key switch matrix circuit in turn. A key switch detection circuit outputs a first signal if a key switch is operated and a scan pulse detection circuit outputs a second signal if a scan pulse is coupled to a sense line. The scan signal delivery circuit begins supplying scan signals in response to the first signal and stops supplying scan signals in response to the second signal. In one embodiment, a processor reads the sense lines in response to the second signal.
US07714742B1
A real-time parking activity measurement system comprising multiple, self-powered, mesh networked wireless vehicle sensors, a collection device, and a host computer. The wireless mesh network architecture allows the wireless vehicle sensors to be more reliable and to be more energy efficient by at least an order of magnitude compare to traditional wireless point-to-point and star-topology architectures. This architecture also enables the expansion of the measurement area without any additional infrastructure besides the necessary addition of wireless vehicle sensors.
US07714725B2
A method and system for locating a dependent by a guardian entity at a locality using RFID technology is disclosed. A RFID tag is situated with the dependent and a plurality of RFID reader devices capable of communicating with the RFID tag are distributed about the locality. A processor is directing communications between the RFID tag and the plurality of RFID reader devices, and is tracking the RFID tag. An authenticating system, which uniquely associates the RFID tag with the guardian entity, validates commands pertaining to the tracking of the RFID tag. The processor upon receiving a validated command generates a response, which includes location information regarding the dependent.
US07714723B2
A media enhanced shopping cart system comprises a shopping cart comprising a frame, a basket, a handle, a base tray, a plurality of wheels, a read component for performing a proximity scan of the shopping cart, a locationing component for determining a location of the shopping cart within a store based on the scan, and a display component for displaying at least one advertisement for a product based on the location of the shopping cart within the store, wherein the locationing component is further operable to determine a location of the product within the store relative to the shopping cart based on the scan, and wherein the display component is further operable to display an indication of the location of the advertised product relative to the location of the shopping cart.
US07714721B1
An anti-theft tag deterring theft of a ring is provided. The anti-theft tag includes an elongated housing for accommodating an EAS marker, a product support member that locks into the housing and which supports the ring, and a flexible, tear resistant strap for securing the ring to the support member, the strap being disposed at least partially within the housing during use. In one embodiment, the support member includes an arcuate seat portion for supporting a circular shank portion of the ring, and a locking member that locks into a corresponding cavity in the housing. In use, the tear resistant strap extends over the ring shank, and the strap ends are received within the cavity of the housing to protect the strap from unauthorized removal by a consumer.
US07714720B2
An alarm system includes a detector arranged in connection with a holster for carrying a force instrument, the detector detecting, if the force instrument is removed from the holster; information on the situation is produced on the basis of the identification and relayed to the user's control room so that a message is relayed to the communication unit of the user of the force instrument, the communication unit relaying the message further to the control room via a base station. The detector is adapted to detect the existence of the force instrument in the holster, its missing from or its movement out of or into the holster. A detector-cpu is adapted to receive a signal or message from the detector and forms at least part of the contents of the message on the basis of the signal or message, the detector-cpu being adapted to control the communication unit to transmit the message.
US07714716B2
A method of detecting a position of a movable building structure includes mounting a readable code in association with a first surface of the movable building structure or with a second surface of a second structure. A code reader is mounted in association with the other of the first surface and the second surface. The readable code is read by the code reader to thereby verify that the first surface of the movable building structure is disposed in opposition to the second surface of the second structure.
US07714711B1
An article of footwear contains an integrated location determining device, such as a GPS receiver, together with an automatic alarm activation module (“AAAM”) which is capable of initiating an alarm activation indicative of the footwear having been removed from the wearer and having been “tossed” away by an abductor of the wearer. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the AAAM includes at least one accelerometer which can sense, and respond to, acceleration forces (“XYZ” forces) which exceed a predetermined range which would be expected during “normal” wearing and usage of the footwear. In an alternative embodiment the AAAM can be programmed, either externally, or by the wearer, to override the AAAM circuitry to disable it from automatically generating an alarm signal, whereby the wearer has the ultimate control over whether the footwear will only generate an alarm signal manually.
US07714705B2
A method and system are provided in which maintenance vehicles collect information from sensors and operators, forward the collected information to a server, and, in response, receive maps and operator instructions.
US07714700B2
The pitch of tones within tonal patterns emitted by ambient condition detector units and systems in the alarm or testing state is not always optimum to be heard by a wide range of users. An ambient condition detector outputs an alarm comprising a tonal pattern whereby a user can select at least one pitch tone emitted within a tonal pattern alarm when the detector senses an ambient condition. Options include verbal output.
US07714699B2
A wireless control is provided for a lamp, such as a fluorescent lamp, controlled by a ballast with a wireless control interface for RF communication. The receiver input and the transmitter output of the control interface module are connected to one or more electrode wires by a coupling capacitor(s) or a Lecher line transformer. During operation the lamp electrodes serve as the lamp antenna.
US07714698B2
A system including a radio frequency identification (RFID) network and a wireless local area network (WLAN). The RFID network transfers ultra-wide band signals between a reader and a tag. In the wireless local area network (WLAN) an access point communicates with a WLAN transceiver using WLAN signals. The reader is operatively attached to either the wireless access point or the WLAN transceiver and the WLAN is a back haul network of the RFID network. Co-existence of the two networks is provided either by time division between the ultra-wide band signals and WLAN signals; and/or receiver isolation of said RFID network from said WLAN signals.
US07714695B2
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a SrTiO3 series varistor using grain boundary segregation, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a SrTiO3 series varistor by sintering a powdered composition in which acceptors such as Al and Fe are added in powdered form and then sintered under a reducing atmosphere and heat-treated them in the air to selectively form electrical conduction barriers at grain boundaries in a process for manufacturing SrTiO3 series varistor having an excellent non-linear coefficient and a breakdown voltage suitable for use.
US07714682B2
A device and method for attenuating high frequency signals on a power line carrying power is provided. In one embodiment the device may include a toroid shaped core formed of magnetically permeable material and having an inner surface to be disposed substantially around the entire circumference of the power line and a winding formed of a conductor that encircles the toroid. The conductor may include a first spiral coil comprised of a plurality of insulated loops such as concentric loops. The first coil is configured to act as an impedance to high frequency signals traversing the conductor and to allow signals below one hundred hertz to traverse the conductor substantially unimpeded to thereby prevent saturation of the core by the power carried by the power line.
US07714678B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a delay line and a matching network coupled to the delay line, the matching network including a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric varactors.
US07714677B2
A signal adjuster is disclosed to include a first connector and a second connector respectively connected to a signal source and a video display device, a buffer for buffering a high frequency signal, a signal bandwidth detector connected to the buffer for detecting the continuation condition of the high frequency signal, an adjustable equalizer connected between the buffer and the second connector and connected with the signal bandwidth detector for actively adjusting signal strength of the high frequency signal subject to the detection of the signal bandwidth detector, an amplifier for amplifying the enhanced high frequency signal from the adjustable equalizer, and a driver for driving the second connector to output the amplified high frequency signal from the amplifier to the video display device.
US07714673B2
The present invention relates to a control method for the operation modes of an oscillator and the apparatus thereof, for which the method and the apparatus can be applied to the electronic circuits with multi-operation modes of the oscillator so as to correctly choose the desirable oscillator operation mode. Furthermore, an oscillator checking circuit sets up the oscillation mode automatically and judges if the oscillator operates properly. Hence, there is no need for the user to set up the oscillator operation mode manually.
US07714672B2
The crystal oscillator has a configuration where circuit elements including a crystal unit are arranged on a mounting board comprising external terminals, opening end faces of a concave metal cover are made to touch the surface of the mounting board, clearances from the opening end faces are comprised in the central regions at both ends in the width direction of the metal cover, protruding parts, which extend from the opening end faces and have a protrusion on an inner face, are comprised at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the metal cover, and each of the protruding parts is elastically inserted in a groove provided on both side faces in the longitudinal direction of the mounting board 1 and bonded by solder, wherein the tip side of each protrusion is thrust and bites into a metal film provided in the groove.
US07714667B2
The present invention implements an apparatus for calibrating a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit. The apparatus includes a detector for detecting frequencies of a reference signal and a controlled oscillator contained in the PLL circuit. The detector outputs the frequency difference to a control circuit. The control circuit is programmed to adjust one or more control signals to the controlled oscillator based upon the frequency difference in an orderly fashion to complete the calibration process.
US07714663B2
A cascode low noise amplifier includes an input transistor and an output transistor cascode together, the input transistor has a source coupled to an active inductor, and the output transistor has a drain to provide an output signal. By using the active inductor, the low noise amplifier has smaller size, lower noise figure, and higher gain. The active inductor also provides input impedance matching for the low noise amplifier.
US07714661B2
A driver amplifier operative from a single DC voltage supply, coupled directly to the output load without the need for DC coupling capacitors used for preventing DC reaching the output load. An onboard power supply generates a negative voltage rail that powers the output amplifiers, allowing driver amplifier operation from both positive and negative rails. Since the amplifiers can be biased at ground potential (0 volts), no significant DC voltage exists across the load and the need for DC coupling capacitors is eliminated.
US07714654B2
Disclosed is a multi-mode radio frequency amplifier. The amplifier includes a plurality of input transistors, a plurality of output branches, and a switching stage interposed between the plurality of input transistors and the plurality of output branches for selectively connecting the plurality of input transistors to the plurality of output branches. Individual ones of operational modes of the multi-mode amplifier correspond to an individual one of the plurality of frequency selective loads. A particular one of the plurality of frequency selective loads is one of operating or non-operating during operation of the multi-mode amplifier. A gain of the multi-mode amplifier is reduced by controlling the plurality of elements to steer a predetermined portion of a total signal current that is output from one of the input transistors, from an associated operating frequency selective load to a non-operating frequency selective load.
US07714652B2
A method and circuit for changing a threshold voltage of a transistor. The circuit includes a sense circuit coupled to a switching transistor, a circuit transistor and to one terminal of a resistor. The other terminal of the resistor is connected to a body contact. The switching transistor directs current along one of two different paths in response to an input voltage sensed by the sense circuit. When the switching transistor directs a first current along one path, the first current is steered towards the resistor and flows through the resistor in one direction and when the switching transistor directs a second current along the other path, the second current is directed towards the resistor and flows through the resistor in the opposite direction from the first current. Steering the currents varies the potential of a body with respect to the potential at the source of the circuit transistor.
US07714649B1
A high-efficiency linear amplifier using non linear circuits. The examples describe of a high-efficiency linear amplifier using non linear circuits (“high-efficiency LINC PA”) that can allow linear (typical of less efficient amplifier modes) amplitude modulation (“AM”) while operating in a high efficiency quasi-Class-E mode. The exemplary quasi class-E amplifier may be classified as being a type of linear amplifier using nonlinear circuits (“LINC”). This LINC circuit typically combines a quasi-class-E power amplifier with bi-directional power switch parallel coupling at least one capacitor within the power amplifier output network. Complementary phase modulation of the drive signals coupled to the power amplifier and a power switch circuit results in an amplitude modulation of the RF output envelope.
US07714645B2
A single-ended operational amplifier includes an output stage, a first transconductance amplifier and a second transconductance amplifier. In an offset cancellation mode, two inputs of the first transconductance amplifier are supplied with a reference voltage to sink two currents from two inputs of the output stage respectively, the output stage generates a third current according to the difference between the two currents to charge a capacitor, and the second transconductance amplifier generates two currents according to the voltage in the capacitor to make currents in the two inputs of the output stage equal to each other, thereby canceling the offset of the single-ended operational amplifier.
US07714644B2
An amplifier circuit block and a compensation circuit block are provided. The amplifier circuit block includes an analog adder for subtracting an output signal of the compensation circuit block from an input signal and an amplifier circuit operating in a wide band. The compensation circuit block includes an amplifier circuit with a low offset voltage and a low noise in a low frequency region, an analog adder block for subtracting an output signal of the amplifier circuit from an output signal of the amplifier circuit and generating a differential signal thereof, and a feedback circuit block for negatively feeding back the differential signal to the analog adder. The amplifier circuit block can reduce the offset voltage and the low-band noise by the negative feedback of the differential signal, and at the same time, the operation band of the entire amplifier circuit can be decided by the characteristic of the amplifier circuit.
US07714639B2
A stabilizing method for a current source is provided. The current source is provided a current which increases when temperature rises. An adjustment circuit provides an input current increasing when temperature rises. A rising ratio of the input current with temperature is the same as a rising ratio of the current of the current source with temperature. The current of the current source is subtracted from the input current. After the current of the current source is subtracted from the input current, the current of the current source does not vary when temperature varies.
US07714634B2
A pseudo-differential active RC integrator is described. The pseudo-differential active RC integrator includes a common-mode feedback sub-circuit to control the common-mode output signal of the integrator. The common-mode feedback subcircuit may be coupled to one or more virtual ground nodes of the pseudo-differential active RC integrator, and may include one or more transconductors.
US07714627B1
A double-triggered logic circuit is a composite circuitry consisting of a plurality of PMOS, NMOS, inverters and a signal line. It includes an AND logic circuit and a XNOR logic circuit to generate an adjustable pulse mode to solve the problem of threshold voltage loss.
US07714626B2
Using a combination of frequency dithering of a PWM counter and a variable time delay circuit yields improved PWM frequency resolution with realizable circuit components and clock operating frequencies. A controllable time delay circuit lengthens a PWM signal during the first PWM cycle. During the second PWM cycle, the PWM period is increased beyond the desired amount, but the delay is reduced during this second PWM cycle to achieve the correct (desired) PWM signal period. The dithering of the PWM signal period enables the time delay circuit to be “reset” so that an infinite delay circuit is not required. The time delay circuit provides short term (one cycle) frequency adjustment so that the resulting PWM cycle is not dithered and has a period at the desired frequency resolution.
US07714618B2
The configurations of an output preset circuit for an output driver circuit and the controlling methods thereof are provided. The proposed output preset circuit includes a latch generating an latch output signal and a pull-up circuit receiving an preset enable signal and the latch output signal, in which the pull-up circuit increases an output voltage of the output driver circuit from a ground level to a first level when the preset enable signal is at a low level and the latch output signal is at the high level.
US07714614B2
A serial data receiving apparatus includes a transistor, a resistor, and a diode, converts input data of an RS232 standard to data of a TTL/CMOS standard.
US07714612B1
An apparatus includes a digital interface circuit configured to provide a digital interface. The digital interface is configurable based on a mode of operation of the digital interface circuit. The apparatus also includes input and output level-shift circuits. The input level-shift circuit is configured to shift a voltage level of an input signal for the digital interface circuit. The output level-shift circuit is configured to shift a voltage level of an output signal from the digital interface circuit. The input level-shifting and the output level-shifting are based on first and second level-shift input voltages. The apparatus further includes a mode detector configured to identify at least two modes of operation for the digital interface circuit based on the first and second level-shift input voltages. For example, the digital interface circuit could be configured to function as a serial or parallel interface depending on which level-shift input voltage is greater.
US07714601B2
Semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus capable of raising detection sensitivity of a leakage current detection circuit and improving response. A semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus has a substrate voltage control block that supplies a substrate voltage to an internal circuit and controls NchMOS transistor threshold voltage of the internal circuit, and a leakage current detection circuit constituted by a leakage current detection NchMOS transistor supplied with a high potential side supply voltage to a drain, that has a source connected to a constant current source, and that is applied with an arbitrary stabilizing potential to a gate in such a manner that the substrate voltage is controlled by the substrate voltage control block, and a comparator comparing the source potential of the leakage current detection NchMOS transistor and a predetermined reference potential.
US07714600B2
To provide a load fluctuation correction circuit having a function of correcting the change in the current consumption amount due to the change in the driving state of a logic circuit, thereby suppressing the change in the source voltage applied to the logic circuit. The present invention provides a load fluctuation correction circuit for correcting the source voltage applied to a logic circuit, comprising: a delay circuit which is designed such that upon the source voltage which is to be supplied to the logic circuit is applied to the delay circuit as a power supply, it outputs a received cycle signal with a predetermined delay time, and which operates with the source voltage supplied to the logic circuit as a power supply; a current consumption circuit provided such that it shares a power supply with the logic circuit; and a phase comparison circuit which controls the current amount consumed by the current consumption circuit such that the phase difference between the cycle signal input to the delay circuit and the signal output from the delay circuit matches a predetermined period of time.
US07714599B2
An integrated circuit burn-in test system includes an integrated circuit and a tester. The integrated circuit includes operating circuitry, a heater for heating the operating circuitry, and burn-in test circuitry for testing the operating circuitry while being heated. A package surrounds the operating circuitry, the heater and the burn-in test circuitry. The burn-in test circuitry causes the operating circuitry to operate and generate data related thereto. The tester receives data from the burn-in test circuitry. The heater may be configured within the package to heat at least one predetermined portion of the operating circuitry.
US07714596B2
Sheet resistance, junction leakage and contact conductivity of a semiconductor layer, associated with an ultra-shallow junction layer or metal film are measured by contacting the surface with a plurality of probes. The probes can be used, in conjunction with a four-point probe system, to determine sheet resistivity. Junction leakage through an ultra-shallow junction is determined by establishing a reverse bias across the junction set at a predetermined voltage value, measuring through a first probe a total junction current conduction value, measuring through second, third, and fourth probes a plurality of voltage values. The junction leakage value is then directly computed based on the sheet resistivity value, reverse bias potential, wafer radius, and the measured voltage values. Contact conductivity between a metal film and semiconductor layer can be similarly directly computed.
US07714592B2
A system and method of detecting changes in the impedance of a segment of medium voltage power line is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving voltage data comprising data of the voltage of the power lines at locations at a plurality of different points in time, receiving current data that comprises data of the current flowing between adjacent locations at the plurality of points in time, intermittently determining an impedance of the power lines between adjacent locations based on the voltage data and current data, monitoring the impedance of the power lines between adjacent locations over time, and providing a notification of a change in the impedance of a power line between adjacent locations upon detection of a change in the impedance beyond a threshold change.
US07714591B2
A pressure sensing apparatus including: at least one deflectable diaphragm having a center, wherein each diaphragm supports: at least one positive piezoresistive gauge and at least one negative piezoresistive gauge coupled in series across a voltage differential in a half-Wheatstone bridge configuration having an output between the positive and negative piezoresistive gauges; and, a compensating piezoresistive gauge coupled in series with the half-Wheatstone bridge configuration across the voltage differential; wherein, the compensating piezoresistive gauge is nearer the center of the diaphragm than the negative piezoresitive gauge, the negative piezoresitive gauge is nearer the center of the diaphragm than the positive piezoresitive gauge, and the compensating piezoresistive gauge linearizes the half-Wheatstone bridge output.
US07714589B2
In accordance with the present invention, a first shorting bar drives the data lines of a TFT array having integrated gate driver circuitry. Another set of shorting bars drive the corresponding terminals of the gate driver circuitry. The pixel voltages are measured after all the pixels are charged by the driving signals applied to the shorting bars. Gate voltages are progressively applied to the gate lines by the gate driver integrated circuit (IC) via the set of shorting bars that, in turn, are driven by clock signals received from one or more pattern generators. Voltages are concurrently applied to the data lines which are connected together by the first shorting bar. The application of voltages generates a display pattern that is subsequently compared to an expected display pattern. By comparing the resulting display pattern and the expected display pattern, possible defects are detected.
US07714582B2
A connection device is provided for connecting electronics of a head coil arranged on a patient support to a connector location provided on the patient support, the head coil being insertable into a PET detector arranged in a magnetic resonance instrument so that simultaneous magnetic resonance and PET recording is possible. In at least one embodiment, the connection device includes a cable connection with at least one releasable device for attachment to the electronics and the connector location, wherein the cable connection is fed from the electronics through the annular PET detector and externally on the PET detector back to the connector location.
US07714575B2
The present invention provides a system and method of enhanced magnetic preparation in MR imaging. An imaging technique is disclosed such that k-space is segmented into a number of partitions, wherein the central regions of k-space is acquired prior to the periphery of k-space. The imaging technique also includes the application of magnetic preparation pulses at a variable rate. In this regard, the rate of application of magnetic preparations pulses is varied as a function of the distance from the center of k-space. The amplitude of the magnetic preparation pulses is also varied based on the incremental distance of a partition from the center of k-space.
US07714569B2
An adaptor is for electrically connecting with pins of an electrical connector. The adaptor includes an insulating housing, a pair of crimping connectors, and two connecting members. The insulating housing includes two holes. The crimping connectors are accommodated respectively in the holes. Each crimping connector includes a first crimping portion for electrically connecting to one of the pins and a second crimping portion together formed with the first crimping portion. The connecting members are electrically connected with the crimping connectors respectively. Each connecting member includes a first end, a cable, and a second end. The first end is electrically connected with the second crimping portion. The cable is electrically connected with the first end. The second end is electrically connected with the cable, wherein the second end has a through hole. A testing device for testing the electrical connector is also disclosed.
US07714552B2
An electronic device has an LDO regulator for varying loads. The LDO regulator includes a primary supply node coupled to a primary voltage supply. An output node provides a secondary supply voltage and a load current. A bias current source generates a bias current. A gain stage coupled to the bias current source increases the maximum available load current. The gain stage includes a first MOS transistor biased in weak inversion coupled to a current mirror which mirrors the drain current through the first MOS transistor to the output node. The gate-source voltage of the first MOS transistor increases in response to a decreasing secondary supply voltage level at the output node to increase the available load current.
US07714551B2
A linear voltage regulator comprises a transistor for converting a supply voltage to an output voltage. By directly monitoring the supply voltage and thereby rapidly responding when the supply voltage suffers a ripple, the linear voltage regulator enhances the stability of the output voltage.
US07714548B1
The subject invention reveals new adaptive gate drive timing circuits that are optimal for both sufficient energy and insufficient energy conditions for optimal turn on transition timing of a power mosfet in a zero voltage switching power supply. The circuit does not rely on a rectifier connected to the drain of the power mosfet to detect the zero voltage condition of the mosfet. The circuit relies on the detection of a discharge current in a capacitance connected to the drain of the power mosfet. Turn on of the mosfet is held off while discharge current exists and the gate of the mosfet is enabled at the instant that the discharge current drops to zero. In one embodiment of the invention discharge current of the intrinsic gate drain capacitance of the mosfet is relied upon as the source of timing information.
US07714545B2
A controller of a generator (1) for a vehicle comprising a voltage regulator (3) for regulating a generated voltage to a predetermined voltage by performing on/off control of a field current through a switching element and performing variable control of a regulated voltage with a control signal from an external control unit (4) is further provided with a maximum duty factor limiting circuit (300) for limiting the maximum duty factor of the switching element (Q3) performing on/off control of the field current.
US07714535B2
In the field of portable electronic devices in the future, portable electronic devices will be desired, which are smaller and more lightweight and can be used for a long time period by one-time charging, as apparent from provision of one-segment partial reception service “1-seg” of terrestrial digital broadcasting that covers the mobile objects such as a cellular phone. Therefore, the need for a power storage device is increased, which is small and lightweight and capable of being charged without receiving power from commercial power. The power storage device includes an antenna for receiving an electromagnetic wave, a capacitor for storing power, and a circuit for controlling store and supply of the power. When the antenna, the capacitor, and the control circuit are integrally formed and thinned, a structural body formed of ceramics or the like is partially used. A circuit for storing power of an electromagnetic wave received at the antenna in a capacitor and a control circuit for arbitrarily discharging the stored power are provided, whereby lifetime of the power storage device can be extended.
US07714534B2
Multiple function current-sharing charging systems and methods are provided. Where first and second rechargeable power supplies are connected to a charging system, a first charging current is provided to the first rechargeable power supply and a second charging current is provided to the second rechargeable power supply. Upon detection of a predetermined charge level of one of the rechargeable power supplies, a third charging current is provided to the first rechargeable power supply and a fourth charging current is provided to the second rechargeable power supply.
US07714530B2
The system (ECS) comprises a rectifier circuit (RC) to supply a direct current voltage (VB) as output; a driver circuit (DC) which is connected to a rectifier circuit (RC) and includes a plurality of controlled switches (SW1-SW4) which can permit passage of a current in the stator winding (W) selectively in one direction and in the opposite direction; a sensor (PS) which can supply a signal (H) which is indicative of the angular position of the rotor (R); and a control circuit (CC) which is designed to receive a signal (RS) which is indicative of the speed of rotation required (ωref) for the motor (M), and is connected to the position sensor (PS). The control circuit is designed to generate, from the passage of the rotor (R) to a predetermined position, a counting signal (N) which is a function of the time (t), and to reset this signal (N) when it reaches a predetermined value (Nref) corresponding to the speed of rotation required (ωref) for the motor (M); and then to control the driver circuit (DC) selectively on the basis of the position signal (H) of the rotor or on the basis of the counting signal (N), when the speed of rotation (Δ) of the motor (M) is respectively lesser and greater than the speed required (Δref).
US07714522B2
A method and a circuit arrangement operate a discharge lamp, such as a high-intensity discharge lamp (HID) or ultra high performance lamps (UHP). The discharge lamp has first and second operating phases with a higher first or a lower second frequency of the lamp's alternating current (AC). The operating phases are activated alternatively at defined intervals and for defined periods of time, in order to achieve a stable arc discharge and only a low burnout or rise in burning voltage of the lamp during its life by configuring certain forms of electrode tips.
US07714515B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided for driving at least one light-emitting diode (LED). The system includes an output terminal connectable to an anode of the LED and at which an output voltage can be provided for the LED. A driver loop, connectable to a cathode of the LED, is operable to maintain a LED current flowing through the LED at a desired level, thereby attenuating modulation error attributable to voltage variations at the cathode of the LED.
US07714512B2
An arc discharge metal halide lamp for use in selected lighting fixtures having a discharge chamber with light permeable walls of a selected shape bounding a discharge region of a selected volume through which walls a pair of electrodes are supported with ionizable materials being provided in the discharge region of the discharge chamber comprising at least one member selected from a group consisting of halides of cerium, dysprosium, holmium, lithium, sodium, praseodymium, thallium and thulium, and further comprising a halide of calcium in a selected fraction of that weight total of all halides present in the discharge chamber with this selection depending also on the addition or not of a halide of aluminum. Others of the foregoing halides that are present are provided in amounts with certain limits.
US07714511B2
An excimer lamp which can emit UV radiation with a high degree of efficiency and high degree of uniformity, has a UV-reflecting film that does not peel. The excimer lamp is fitted with a silica glass discharge vessel that encloses a discharge gas which forms excimer molecules by dielectric barrier discharge in an internal space enclosed by a top wall panel, a bottom wall panel, side wall panels and end panels and with an electrode on both the outer surface of the top wall panel and another electrode on the outer surface of the bottom wall panel. On the inner surface of the discharge vessel, a UV-reflecting film comprised of silica and alumina particles is formed, at least, on the inner surface area of the side wall panels with the silica particles composing at least 30 weight % of the UV-reflecting film.
US07714507B2
The recent invention provide an organic electroluminescence display device with color purity adjustment, particularly white purity increased, without increasing formation processes. For each of unit pixels formed on an insulating film INS formed on a principal surface of a glass substrate, a bank BNK is provided on a bottom electrode BEL being a pixel electrode. The bank BNK has the shape of a bank that surrounds a pixel concerned, for each of pixels, and an organic electroluminescence light emitting layer is charged within a region surrounded by the banks BNKs. Between the banks BNKs, a green light emitting layer (G light emitting layer), a blue light emitting layer (B light emitting layer), and a red light emitting layer (R light emitting layer) are provided. At the same time as the formation of these color light emitting layers, light emitting layers of three colors, the green light emitting layer (G light emitting layer), the blue light emitting layer (B light emitting layer), and the red light emitting layer (R light emitting layer) are stacked on a region of a white pixel to form a white light emitting layer (G+B+R). An upper electrode UEL is formed over the green light emitting layer (G light emitting layer), the blue light emitting layer (B light emitting layer), the red light emitting layer (R light emitting layer), and the white light emitting layer (G+B+R light emitting layer).
US07714504B2
A multicolor organic light emitting device employs vertically stacked layers of double heterostructure devices which are fabricated from organic compounds. The vertical stacked structure is formed on a glass base having a transparent coating of ITO or similar metal to provide a substrate. Deposited on the substrate is the vertical stacked arrangement of three double heterostructure devices, each fabricated from a suitable organic material. Stacking is implemented such that the double heterostructure with the longest wavelength is on the top of the stack. This constitutes the device emitting red light on the top with the device having the shortest wavelength, namely, the device emitting blue light, on the bottom of the stack. Located between the red and blue device structures is the green device structure. The devices are configured as stacked to provide a staircase profile whereby each device is separated from the other by a thin transparent conductive contact layer to enable light emanating from each of the devices to pass through the semitransparent contacts and through the lower device structures while further enabling each of the devices to receive a selective bias. The devices are substantially transparent when de-energized, making them useful for heads-up display applications.
US07714497B2
Disclosed is a color liquid display (LCD) employing a transmissive color liquid display panel. The display includes a complementary color light emitting diode, which is one of a cyan light emitting diode (21C), emitting cyan light, a yellow light emitting diode, emitting yellow light, and a magenta light emitting diode, emitting magenta light, in addition to light emitting diodes emitting three prime colors, as a light source. The display also includes a complementary color filter, having at least one of a cyan filter CFC having a transmission wavelength range corresponding to the cyan light, a yellow filter CFY having a transmission wavelength range corresponding to the yellow light and a magenta filter CFM having a transmission wavelength range corresponding to the magenta light, in addition to a tristimulus color filer, as a color filter (19).
US07714495B2
An electron emission display includes first and second substrates facing each other, a plurality of election emission regions provided on the first substrate, a black layer formed on a first surface of the second substrate between the phosphor layers, and an anode electrode coupled to the phosphor and black layers. The anode electrode has a light transmissivity ranging from about 3% to about 15%. A method of forming the anode electrode includes forming an interlayer on the phosphor and black layer, depositing a conductive material on the second substrate, and removing the interlayer through a firing process.
US07714494B2
A split fluorescent lamp comprising a lamp body having a pluggable lamp cap and a lamp base with which the pluggable lamp cap is engaged, characterized in that an electronic ballast is embedded in the pluggable lamp cap, wherein the overall dimension of the lamp body and lamp base being assembled together is substantially equivalent to that of a G23 or G24 type plug-in fluorescent lamp such that it can be used to replace the plug-in fluorescent lamp of prior art adopted in a light fixture without changing the original design and power supply thereof.
US07714486B2
The present invention provides an angular velocity sensor in which higher sensitivity for sensors is available even with a smaller base portion. The angular velocity sensor includes a fixed portion fixed to the top surface of a sensor element supporting portion of a casing, an upper detection arm and a lower detection arm, each of them being connected to the fixed portion on sides opposite to each other and extending along a plane parallel to the top surface of the sensor element supporting portion, and a pair of upper vibration arms connected to the fixed portion in such a manner as to form a pair of arms with the upper detection arm in between and extending in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the upper detection arm.
US07714485B2
A piezoelectric thin-film acoustic wave device formed of a piezoelectric thin film of AlN on the +C plane and having the polarization strength of not lower than 0.63×10−20 F/V and an information processing unit using the same are disclosed. This is the result of the inventors having studied the factors other than the C-axis orientation affecting the electromechanical coupling factor and developing a method of improving the electromechanical coupling factor in view of the occasional fact that the electromechanical coupling factor cannot be improved by improving the C-axis orientation and the electromechanical coupling factor required for the piezoelectric thin-film acoustic wave device is not obtained. In such a case, the receiving sensitivity of the receiving system may be deteriorated and the transmission strength of the transmission system is required to be increased undesirably having an adverse effect on the power saving efforts.
US07714479B2
A composite rotor for an axial airgap, permanent magnet dynamoelectric machine comprises a plurality of magnet subassemblies adhesively bonded together to form the rotor. Each magnet subassembly comprises a rotor permanent magnet and an optional spacer. A fibrous belt is wrapped around the periphery of each subassembly to provide high tensile strength at least along the radial sides of the subassembly. The belt is preferably infiltrated with an adhesive agent, such as an epoxy resin, that is used to bond the subassemblies. The rotor is thereby provided with high strength and low mass, making it suitable for use in a high-speed, high pole count electric machine.
US07714474B2
In a stator core having “N” slots, a tooth-width centerline of a linear yoke and a first extension line extended horizontally from a center of rotary shaft toward the linear yoke form a first angle. Assume there are first point on the first extension line at a first distance from the center, a second extension line drawn at a second distance horizontally from the center toward the linear yoke and extended vertically toward arc-shaped yokes, and a third extension line drawn from the center toward teeth ends of the linear yokes with angle “K”. The second and third extension line intersect at a second point. A line between the first and second points intersects with the first extension line, thereby forming the first angle. In this structure, 0
US07714466B2
To realize reduction in vibration and noise while utilizing reluctance torque, a rotating electrical machine includes: a rotor having permanent magnets disposed in a cylindrical surface coaxial with a rotary shaft; and a stator having an annular stator core disposed coaxially with the rotary shaft, and a annular coil for magnetizing the stator core. The stator core has an annular part covering the annular coil, claws disposed at equal intervals in an inner radius surface of the annular part and extending axially, and magnetic gaps formed between neighboring claws. The number of claws is equal to the number of permanent magnets, and magnet flux in a direction orthogonal to a center axis of the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet at right angles in electric angle is larger than magnetic flux in the center axis direction generated between neighboring permanent magnets. Metal interpoles are provided between neighboring permanent magnets.
US07714465B2
An anti-deformation mechanism for an axial rod motor comprising a base, two vertical fixing seats, two axial fixing seats, two axial screws, a stator and a mover arranged on the stator. The two vertical fixing seats are arranged on the base to support the stator vertically. The two axial fixing seats are arranged on the base and located outside the two vertical fixing seats. Each of the two axial fixing seats is provided with a fixing through hole for insertion of the axial screw. The stator is an elongated cylindrical rod and provided with an axial screw hole at each of two ends thereof to be screwed with the axial screws. Both ends of the stator are fixed by the vertical fixing seats and the axial screws, and synchronously, the two axial screws apply pull forces to the stator to prevent the bending deformation of the stator.
US07714464B2
A load control module suitable for an electrical equipments driven by an operation of a switch is disclosed. The load control module includes an energy storage unit, a signal transforming unit, a first control unit and a second control unit. The energy storage unit still outputs a reserved voltage for a predetermined time during the switch is turned off. The signal transforming unit and the first and the second control unit are driven by the reserved voltage. With a different switching speed of the switch, the second control unit may operate in coordination with the actions of the signal transforming unit and the first control unit to regulate a level of the control voltage, or maintain the level of the control voltage in a current state. The electrical equipments may perform diversified control functions under control of the load control module operated in coordination with an operation of the switch.
US07714461B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods for reducing resonance in a multiple inverter system are provided. One apparatus includes an inverter coupled to a decoupling element, wherein the inverter and the decoupling elements are couplable to a power source. A system includes a motor vehicle power source including first positive and negative terminals, and a plurality of inverters coupled to the power source. Each inverter includes a second positive terminal coupled to the first positive terminal and a second negative terminal coupled to the first negative terminal. A first inverter of the plurality of inverters includes a decoupling element coupled between the first positive terminal and the positive terminal of the first inverter. One method includes operating first and second inverters at different frequencies, and controlling the impedance of a decoupling element coupled between a power source and the first inverter based on the second inverter frequency.
US07714458B2
A method for operating a wind energy plant having a rotor with at least one rotor blade which has an adjustable pitch angle and a generator coupled to the rotor, and a regulation means which, if a there is a deviation of the rotation speed of the generator or rotor from a rotation speed set point, adjusts the pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade such that the rotation speed set point is reached again, wherein an electrical quantity provided by the wind energy plant by means of a generator and fed into a grid is reduced to a predetermined value in a short time by a reduction of a preset value for the generator, wherein prior to the regulation means noticing a deviation of the rotation speed of the rotor or generator from the rotation speed set point effected by the reduction of the preset value, an adjustment of the at least one rotor blade to a new pitch angle is initiated, wherein at the new pitch angle the rotation speed of the rotor or the generator reaches the rotation speed set point at the reduced electrical quantity and the current wind speed.
US07714452B2
An electrical structure and method comprising a first substrate electrically and mechanically connected to a second substrate. The first substrate comprises a first electrically conductive pad and a second electrically conductive pad. The second substrate comprises a third electrically conductive pad, a fourth electrically conductive pad, and a first electrically conductive member. The fourth electrically conductive pad comprises a height that is different than a height of the first electrically conductive member. The electrically conductive member is electrically and mechanically connected to the fourth electrically conductive pad. A first solder ball connects the first electrically conductive pad to the third electrically conductive pad. The first solder ball comprises a first diameter. A second solder ball connects the second electrically conductive pad to the first electrically conductive member. The second solder ball comprises a second diameter. The first diameter is greater than said second diameter.
US07714451B2
A semiconductor package system includes providing a substrate having a plurality of thermal vias extending through the substrate. A solder mask is positioned over the plurality of thermal vias. A plurality of thermally conductive bumps is formed on at least some of the plurality of thermal vias using the solder mask. An integrated circuit die is attached to the plurality of thermally conductive bumps. An encapsulant encapsulates the integrated circuit die.
US07714449B2
A semiconductor device having bonding pads on a semiconductor substrate includes: an upper copper layer that is formed on the lower surface of the bonding pads with a barrier metal interposed and that has a copper area ratio that is greater than layers in which circuit interconnects are formed; and a lower copper layer that is electrically insulated from the upper copper layer and that is formed closer to the semiconductor substrate than the upper copper layer.
US07714448B2
An inventive semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having a passivation film, and a sealing resin layer provided over the passivation film for sealing a front side of the semiconductor chip. The sealing resin layer extends to a side surface of the passivation film to cover the side surface.
US07714447B2
A patterned connection plane between two semiconductor chips which are connected using face-to-face technology is patterned into first pads, second pads, and conductor strips which are alternatively connected to one of these pads. The conductor strips are connected to a read-out circuit in one of the semiconductor chips via connections.
US07714446B2
A method of connecting elements such as semiconductor devices and a device having connected elements such as semiconductor devices. A first element having a first contact structure is bonded to a second element having a second contact structure. A single mask is used to form a via in the first element to expose the first contact and the second contact. The first contact structure is used as a mask to expose the second contact structure. A contact member is formed in contact with the first and second contact structures. The first contact structure may have an aperture or gap through which the first and second contact structures are connected. A back surface of the first contact structure may be exposed by the etching.
US07714443B2
An interconnect structure includes at least a first interconnect layer and a second interconnect layer. Each of the first and second interconnect layers has a pad structure and each pad structure has a respective pad density. The pad density of the pad structure of the second interconnect layer is different from the pad density of the pad structure of the first interconnect layer. The pad structures of the first and second interconnect layers are connected to each other.
US07714442B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, one or more wiring interlayer films disposed on or above the semiconductor substrate, and one or more metal wires embedded in the wiring interlayer films. The one or more wiring interlayer films are composed of a diffusion preventing material that prevents the diffusion of the metal wire.
US07714439B2
A nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a P-type contact layer and a P-type electrode provided on the P-type contact layer. The P-type electrode includes a AuGa film provided on the P-type contact layer, a Au film provided on the AuGa film, a Pt film 4 provided on the Au film, and a Au film provided on the Pt film. The ratio of the thickness of the AuGa film to the total thickness of the AuGa film and the Au film is not less than 12% but not more than 46%.
US07714432B2
A semiconductor device is provided that includes one or more ceramic material layers and one or more low dielectric constant (low-K) epoxy layers on top to be electrically coupled to an integrated circuit device, such as a chip die. The resulting ceramic/organic hybrid substrate takes advantage of the thin low-cost, low-K epoxy layer, by routing the dense circuitry from the chip die to the ceramic material layer. In addition, the use of low-K epoxy layer may reduce the number of ceramic material layers required to about three layers, thus significantly reducing the cost of the substrate. Low-K epoxy material layer may be laminated onto the ceramic material layer to reduce throughput time and cost. The ceramic/organic hybrid substrate may also take advantage of the properties of ceramic materials, which have a much more rigid structure than organic materials and a low CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) that works well with ultra low-K chip dies. The ceramic/organic hybrid substrate also may make possible the fabrication of a bottom cavity package for capacitors placement.
US07714420B2
A chip arrangement comprising a first chip having at least one first signal interface with first coupling elements arranged along a first line in a first number density and at least one second chip with at least one second signal interface with second coupling elements arranged along a second line in a second number density, where the first and second coupling elements permit contactless signal transmission between the first and second signal interfaces, where the two chips are so arranged relative to each other that coupling elements of the first and second signal interfaces can contactlessly transmit signals with each other, where the longitudinal extent of at least one of the signal interfaces along the line associated therewith is greater than the length of the overlap of the two longitudinal extents, and where one of the signal interfaces has a greater number density of coupling elements than the other.
US07714418B2
An improved leadframe panel suitable for use in packaging IC dice is described. The described leadframe panel is configured such that the amount of leadframe material that is removed during singulation of the leadframe panel is reduced.
US07714417B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor element mounting substrate 101 including: a base substrate 1 having a region 2 for mounting a semiconductor element 11, the region 2 being set on the major surface of the base substrate 1; a plurality of wiring patterns 3 formed on the base substrate 1 and connected to the semiconductor element 11; and a dummy pattern 8 formed like a frame in the region 2 for mounting the semiconductor element 11 and not connected to the wiring patterns 3.
US07714401B2
A solid state imaging device comprises: a photoelectric converting portion provided on a semiconductor substrate; a charge transfer path, formed in an adjacent position to the photoelectric converting portion, that receives a signal charge generated in the photoelectric converting portion and transfers the signal charge in a predetermined direction; and a gate electrode that transfers the signal charge from the photoelectric converting portion to the charge transfer path, wherein the gate electrode comprises polysilicon having a different conductive type from that of a semiconductor region forming a charge storing portion of the charge transfer path.
US07714397B2
A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor body having a top surface and laterally opposite sidewalls is formed on an insulating substrate. A gate dielectric layer is formed on the top surface of the semiconductor body and on the laterally opposite sidewalls of the semiconductor body. A gate electrode is formed on the gate dielectric on the top surface of the semiconductor body and is formed adjacent to the gate dielectric on the laterally opposite sidewalls of the semiconductor body. A thin film is then formed adjacent to the semiconductor body wherein the thin film produces a stress in the semiconductor body.
US07714390B2
An integrated circuit includes a substrate and a resistor. The resistor is formed from at least two access wells of a first conductivity type and a deep buried layer electrically connecting the wells. The deep buried layer is at least partly covered by a region of opposite conductivity.
US07714378B2
In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, an oxide layer, a first polysilicon layer, and a second polysilicon layer are sequentially provided on a substrate. A first hard mask pattern is provided on the second polysilicon layer. The oxide layer, the first polysilicon layer, and the second polysilicon layer are patterned using the first hard mask pattern as a mask to form a lower gate structure including an oxide pattern, a first polysilicon pattern, and a second polysilicon pattern. The lower gate structure is etched to provide an oxidation layer on sidewalls of the lower gate structure. An insulating layer is provided on the lower gate structure including the oxidation layer. The first hard mask pattern is removed to form a first opening in the insulating layer, the first opening exposing the second polysilicon pattern. A metal pattern is formed in the first opening on the second polysilicon pattern, the second polysilicon pattern having the oxidation layer on sidewalls thereof.
US07714371B2
A method and apparatus if provided for shielding a capacitor structure formed in a semiconductor device. In a capacitor formed in an integrated circuit, one or more shields are disposed around layers of conductive strips to shield the capacitor. The shields confine the electric fields between the limits of the shields.
US07714368B2
An imager pixel array capable of separating and detecting the spectral components of an incident light without the use of a color filter array. The imager pixel array employs a grating layer which allows one or more spectral components of incident light to be transmitted therethrough, but diffracts other spectral components of the incident light. Both the transmitted and diffracted spectral components can be sensed by photosensors in the imager pixel array and used in subsequent data processing, thereby improving the quantum efficiency of the imager device. The grating layer can be formed of first and second materials each having a refractive index which are substantially the same at a predetermined wavelength.
US07714367B2
A semiconductor device of which manufacturing steps can be simplified by doping impurities at a time, and a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing method of the semiconductor device comprises the steps of: forming first and second semiconductor layers over a substrate, forming a first insulating film over the first and second semiconductor layers, forming first and second conductive films thereover, forming a first gate electrode having a stacked layer of the first and second conductive films, in which a portion of the first conductive film is exposed from the second conductive film, over the first semiconductor layer with the first insulating film interposed therebetween, forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film, forming third and fourth conductive films thereover, and forming a second gate electrode having a stacked layer of the third and fourth conductive films, in which a portion of the third conductive film is exposed from the fourth conductive film, over the second semiconductor layer with the first and second insulating films interposed therebetween.
US07714365B2
A description is given of a semiconductor component comprising a drift zone of a first conduction type and at least one Schottky metal zone arranged in the drift zone, and of a method for producing a semiconductor component.
US07714355B1
In a BSCR or BJT ESD clamp, the breakdown voltage and DC voltage tolerance are controlled by controlling the size of the collector of the BJT device by masking part of the collector.
US07714352B2
A semiconductor device, includes: a first conductivity-semiconductor substrate; a hetero semiconductor region for forming a hetero junction with the first conductivity-semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode adjacent to a part of the hetero junction by way of a gate insulating film; a drain electrode connecting to the first conductivity-semiconductor substrate; a source electrode connecting to the hetero semiconductor region; and a second conductivity-semiconductor region formed on a part of a first face of the first conductivity-semiconductor substrate in such a configuration as to oppose the gate electrode via the gate insulating film, the gate insulating film, the hetero semiconductor region and the first conductivity-semiconductor substrate contacting each other to thereby form a triple contact point. A first face of the second conductivity-semiconductor region has such an impurity concentration that allows a field from the gate electrode to form an inversion layer on the first face of the second conductivity-semiconductor region.
US07714351B2
The invention provides a nanowire light emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof. In the light emitting device, first and second conductivity type clad layers are formed and an active layer is interposed therebetween. At least one of the first and second conductivity type clad layers and the active layer is a semiconductor nanowire layer obtained by preparing a layer of a mixture composed of a semiconductor nanowire and an organic binder and removing the organic binder therefrom.
US07714349B2
A package structure including a first lead, a second lead, an encapsulant, a light-emitting device and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device is provided. The second lead is disposed beside the first lead, and parts of the first lead and the second lead are encapsulated by the encapsulant. The encapsulant has a first cavity and a second cavity. Parts of the first lead and the second lead are exposed by the first cavity and the other parts of the first lead and the second lead are exposed by the second cavity. The light-emitting device is disposed inside the first cavity and electrically connected to the first lead and the second lead. The ESD protection device is disposed inside the second cavity and electrically connected to the first lead and the second lead.
US07714347B2
A casting adapted to carry a light emitting diode die and an anti-static die is disclosed. The casting comprises two electrodes for opposite electrodes and a wall. The light emitting diode die is mounted one of electrodes and the anti-static die is mounted on the other electrode. The wall is arranged between the light emitting diode die and the anti-static die. Further, the height of the wall is larger than that of the anti-static die to shade the anti-static die, whereby reflecting the light emitted from the light emitting diode die. Therefore, the reflection ratio of the light emitting diode die is improved, and the intensity generated by the whole light emitting diode is also improved.
US07714346B2
An LED and a surface mounting LED substrate for use in production of multi-faced surface mounting LEDs can include a resist layer on a conductor pattern that runs from an LED chip-mounted upper surface along a side portion and to a lower surface of the LED substrate. The resist layer is formed at least at a portion that is folded and runs along the lower surface and across a cutting line for separating/dividing at least the multi-faced surface mounting LEDs into discrete surface mounting LEDs. The resist layer is configured to suppress a burr that sometimes develops at a section of the conductor pattern during cutting/dicing of the multi-faced surface mounting LED substrate.
