US07845010B2

A terminal control apparatus includes a fragility detection unit, a control content decision unit, a terminal information registration unit, a terminal specifying unit and a control content notification unit. The terminal specifying unit specifies, based on the fragility information and the terminal information acquired by the terminal information registration unit, a terminal device to be affected by the fragility of the program. The control content notification unit notifies the control contents to the terminal device specified by the terminal specifying unit.
US07845001B2

A method, a system and a server are provided for managing networks in a multiple domain environment is provided. A user request may be received via a first secure session. A domain pertaining to the user request may be automatically determined by accessing a database. A request, based on the user request, is generated and sent to a device of the determined domain.
US07845000B2

The invention relates to a central server stations controlling access to a collection of digital data created by a client station. The server station receives, from the client station, a request to validate a collection of digital data, where the request contains the collection which has a collection identifier and for each data item belonging to the collection, a data identifier designating said data item, and at least one representation of said data item, the representation being chosen depending on said data item and on the collection identifier. For each data identifier received, a representation of the data item is locally obtained depending on the data item and on the collection identifier of the received collection associated with the collection. A comparison is made between the received representation and the obtained local representation and, in a case where the comparison results in a match, the digital data item to be shared is validated.
US07844999B1

Device discovery can be made efficient using certain embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, the present invention includes accessing a message in a message log, wherein the message log associates a host identifier with the message, the host identifier being an identifier of a host that sent the message to the message log. Then a list of parsers associated with the host identifier associated with the message can be accessed and parsing the message using parsers from the list of parsers associated with the host identifier can be attempted. If the parsing is unsuccessful, a device type of an originator of the message can be discovered, and a parser associated with the discovered device type can be added to the list of parsers associated with the host identifier.
US07844996B2

In multimedia systems requiring secure access, a method and apparatus for constructing an access control matrix for a set-top box security processor are provided. A security processor may comprise multiple security components and may support multiple user modes. For each user mode supported, at least one access rule table may be generated to indicate access rules to a security component in the security processor. An access control list comprises information regarding the access rules for a particular user mode to the security components in the security processor. An access control matrix may be generated based on the access control lists for the user modes supported by the security component. The access control matrix may be implemented and/or stored in the security processor for verifying access rights of a user mode.
US07844995B1

A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US07844992B2

A Video-on-Demand Server architecture transmits a plurality of pre-coded programs having different bit rates across a fixed bandwidth channel. For each program, a generator generates a plurality of different bit rate representations for each program. Each generator also provides control information at each of a plurality of successive time windows T for each bit rate representation. The control information provides a bit rate and a quality measure during each time window T. The control information enables a statistical multiplexer to select a bit rate representation for each program during each time window T to maximize the quality of the selected representations while not exceeding the total available channel capacity.
US07844989B2

A broadcasting program information displaying method and broadcasting receiver are provided. The broadcasting program information displaying method includes checking whether broadcasting program information to be displayed on a screen is completely received when a user selects a broadcasting program information displaying function; and forming receiving state information according to a checking result and displaying the receiving state information on the screen along with each broadcasting program information corresponding to the receiving state information. Accordingly, a state of receiving broadcasting program information on a screen can be easily determined.
US07844988B2

A real time preference channel grouping apparatus and method are disclosed. The apparatus receives a preference channel grouping setting signal, a display demand signal, and a group selection signal, stores user selection-guide information according to the preference channel grouping setting signal and the display demand signal, processes a received signal and the user selection-guide information to display on display device, and groups preference channels according to the signal of the key input unit and allows the preference channels and the user selection-guide information to be concurrently displayed. Thus, the user can perform real time grouping for channels to watch for each desired time and easily retrieve only the grouped channels, and hence it is possible to reduce the time for selecting favorite channels.
US07844980B2

To provide an optical disc device in which the number of parts is small, and quietness can be secured with a simple mechanism. The optical disc device includes a main body having a disc insertion/removal port, and a conveying roller for conveying a disc between the disc insertion/removal port and a disc receiving position in the main body, and also includes a swinging lever which is pivotally supported at its proximal end on a supporting shaft within the main body, and has a disc arrival switch fixed thereto, and a detection lever which is pivotally supported at its proximal end on the supporting shaft, and contacts an outer periphery of the disc (which is to be received in the disc receiving position) at its distal end to operate the disc arrival switch, and when the disc is to be inserted into the disc receiving position, the detection lever is projected into the disc receiving position.
US07844977B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for identifying unnecessary synchronization objects in software applications. A computer-implemented method for determining a usefulness of synchronization objects includes, in a multi-threaded application program, tracking threads as they are created and terminated, intercepting application program interfaces (APIs) used to create and destroy thread synchronization objects, in the API wrappers, tracking existing synchronization objects in a list, and associating a list entry for each of the synchronization objects with a unique bit in a bit field.
US07844976B2

A system, method, and related techniques are disclosed for processing data across a distributed network to a plurality of machines. The method may include receiving a first user-supplied transform and generating a first package based on the first user-supplied transform. The method may further include receiving a designated key and generating a second package based on the key. Furthermore, the method may include receiving a second user-supplied transform and generating a third package based on the second user-supplied transform. Moreover, the method may include distributing the first, second, and third packages to a plurality of machines using a cluster API.
US07844973B1

A system to control access to a resource by a group of threads requiring access to the resource provides exclusive access to the resource within a computerized device on behalf of a first thread by allowing the first thread exclusive access of a monitor associated with the resource. An entry list of threads is maintained that are awaiting access to the monitor using block-free list joining mechanisms including a thread chaining technique, a push/pop technique, and a detach, modify, reattach technique to allow threads to join the entry list of threads without blocking operation of the threads. Upon completion of access to the resource by the first thread, the system operates the first thread to manipulate the entry list of threads to identify a successor thread as being a candidate thread to obtain exclusive access of the monitor to gain exclusive access to the resource.
US07844969B2

A method for scheduling jobs in a networked computing grid is described. The method includes scheduling jobs to meet goals related to execution of the jobs within the computing grid. The jobs may be scheduled by evaluating job execution goals against available resource slots provided by the computing grid. Also disclosed are related methods for scheduling jobs in which the jobs are submitted to service classes having defined job execution goals, and wherein the jobs are scheduled according to the job execution goals of the service classes.
US07844968B1

A method for scheduling jobs in a computing system accounts provides for current and future scheduling according to job priority, and system resources expected to be available during a given time period. Resources may be freed by preempting jobs scheduled to execute according to preemption rules specified for the system. Advance reservation and backfilling are accomplished, maximizing system efficiency.
US07844965B2

Under the present invention, a computer program is provided/developed to include a first set of program code that is executable on a first operating system (e.g., a WIN32-based operating system) and a second set of program code that is executable on a second operating system (e.g., handheld device-based operating system). Both sets of program code are set to read/write from a common datastore. Thereafter, the sets of program code and the common datastore can be stored on a removable storage medium such as a SD-RAM card with a USB adapter for easy interface with “full” computer systems and handheld devices.
US07844961B2

A method, system and apparatus for automatic field linking is described. In one embodiment, the invention is a method. The method includes receiving input data for a first field. The method further includes receiving input data for a second field. The method also includes comparing contents of the first field to contents of the second field. Additionally, the method includes detecting identical contents of the first field and second field. Moreover, the method includes offering an opportunity to a user to create a link between the first field and the second field. Furthermore, the method includes receiving acceptance from the user. The method also includes creating the link between the first field and the second field and storing the link between the first field and the second field in persistent storage.
US07844955B2

Computer program testing after source code for the computer program has been modified is performed more quickly, by using execution conditions. First, second, and third execution conditions are determined. These execution conditions are used to perform testing of the program to determine whether the program is properly functioning. Particularly, test data on which basis testing of the computer program is performed can be classified as first test data, second test data, third test data, or fourth test data. The program prior to modification of the source code is tested by employing the first, second, and third test data. After the source code is modified, the program is retested by employing only the third and the fourth test data. The program is thus properly retested after source code modification by employing only the third and the fourth test data, without having to employ the first and the second test data.
US07844946B2

Methods and an apparatus for forming a transaction object instruction construct are provided. An example method translates a source instruction construct to form a transactional objective instruction construct, executes the transactional objective instruction construct, intercepts an aborted transaction associated with the transactional objective instruction construct during execution, maintains a graph of nodes and edges associated with the executed transactional objective instruction construct to predict a deadlock situation, and resolves the deadlock situation associated with the transactional objective instruction construct based on the graph.
US07844941B2

When a space, sandwiched by large patterns having a predetermined size or more, is exposed using a charged particle beam, the space sandwiched by the large patterns is exposed using a common block mask having the space and edge portions of the large patterns on both sides of the space, and portions other than the edge portions of the large patterns on both sides are exposed by a variable rectangular beam or by using another block mask.
US07844939B2

The present invention provides a mask pattern correction program for correcting a design pattern which serves as a source to form a mask pattern so that, by exposure of a mask with a pattern formed thereon onto a substrate, the mask pattern is transferred as designed, the mask pattern correction program including performing, on a computer, the steps of: determining, before simulation of the dimension of the pattern transferred by exposure, whether the simulation result will converge; and classifying design pattern edges into first and second target edges, correct the first target edges and perform simulation thereon if it is determined that the simulation result will not converge.
US07844927B2

According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for producing a quality assured semiconductor device model when at least one critical parameter of a semiconductor device process is upgraded includes verifying the quality assured semiconductor device model for consistency against measured data or projected targets. The method further includes verifying the quality assured semiconductor device model for accuracy and consistency when one of a number of critical parameters is varied. The method further includes verifying consistency of the quality assured semiconductor device model against an old semiconductor device model. The method further includes verifying the quality assured semiconductor device model over a range of each of a number of semiconductor device dependencies. The method further includes verifying the quality assured semiconductor device model for digital circuit operation. The method further includes verifying the quality assured semiconductor device model for analog circuit operation. The method further includes verifying convergence of the quality assured semiconductor device model.
US07844923B2

A simple method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit having the ZSCCMOS structure is provided. For each kind of primitive logic gate, a logic gate cell H and a layout cell H each having a high-potential power supply end connected to VDD and a low potential power supply end connected to a pseudo-power supply line VSSV, and a logic gate cell L and a layout cell L each having a high-potential power supply end connected to a pseudo-power supply line VDDV and a low potential power supply end connected to VSS, are prepared. Logic simulation is performed on the assumption of a state immediately before power cut-off using a net list. The logic gate cell H is used as a primitive logic gate having an output state of “H” and the logic gate cell L is used as a primitive logic gate having an output state of “L”, thereby changing the net list. A layout is generated using the layout cells H and L.
US07844916B2

In a multimedia reproducing apparatus, a read unit reads contents, content icons, and folders containing the contents from an external recording medium. A storage unit 80 stores data on a folder icon. A display processing unit processes menu screen display and content reproduction. A menu control unit switches between and displays a first level menu screen and a second level menu screen, the first menu screen displaying folder icons and content icons, the second level menu screen displaying folder icons in the state that contents are stored in folders. In the first level menu screen, a reproduction indicator is displayed near a content icon that corresponds to contents under reproduction. In the second level menu screen, the reproduction indicator is displayed near a folder icon that contains the contents.
US07844915B2

At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include an environment with user interface software interacting with a software application. A method for operating through an application programming interface (API) in this environment includes transferring a set bounce call. The method further includes setting at least one of maximum and minimum bounce values. The set bounce call causes a bounce of a scrolled region in an opposite direction of a scroll based on a region past an edge of the scrolled region being visible in a display region at the end of the scroll.
US07844909B2

A method of rendering a button in a hypermedia content browser. The method can include decoding a network address received from the content browser to determine encoded characteristics for a button. Once the encoded characteristics for the button have been determined, a button can be dynamically formed based upon the determined characteristics. Once formed, the button can be forwarded to the content browser and the content browser can render the dynamically formed button. The decoding step can include the step of parsing an HTTP request to identify a plurality of parameters which specify display characteristics for the button.
US07844908B2

System and method for distributed execution of a graphical program. First and second icons associated with respective execution targets are displayed on a display. Each icon has an interior and specifies execution of a respective graphical program portion positioned in the interior of the icon on the respective execution target. First and second graphical program portions are respectively displayed in the interiors of the first and second icons, where each graphical program portion comprises a respective one or more interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program portion. One or more wires connecting the first graphical program portion and the second graphical program portion are display. During execution of the graphical program, the first and second graphical program portions execute respectively on the first and second execution targets, and the first graphical program portion and the second graphical program portion communicate as specified by the one or more wires.
US07844907B2

A system and method for dynamic modification and generation of data. One embodiment includes an annotation server that is connected to a user and a content provider. The annotation server is configured to modify a copy of an enterprise's stored Web content without necessarily modifying the actual stored Web content. The annotation server then provides the modified content to the user for viewing or other use.
US07844891B2

A method and system for enabling the display of portions of internet documents that have been highlighted by users of a highlighting service are disclosed. Accordingly, a highlighting service includes a web portal with a web page providing users with a snippet of code, which, when inserted into an internet document, causes the internet document to display highlights from the highlighting service. The snippet of code can be configured to query the highlighting service for highlights that were made by certain users, or, highlights made on documents from certain domains, and so forth. The code associated with the user interface object displaying the highlights can e configured to periodically query the highlighting service to retrieve up-to-date highlights, thereby dynamically changing the highlights appearing on a web page or internet document.
US07844886B1

Error detection and error location determination circuitry is provided for detecting and locating soft errors in random-access-memory arrays on programmable integrated circuits. The random-access-memory arrays contain rows and columns of random-access-memory cells. Some of the cells are loaded with configuration data and produce static output signals that are used to program associated regions of programmable logic. Cyclic redundancy check error correction check bits are computed for each column of an array. The cyclic redundancy check error correction check bits are stored in corresponding columns of cells in the array. During normal operation of an integrated circuit in a system, the cells are subject to soft errors caused by background radiation strikes. The error detection and error location determination circuitry uses parallel processing to continuously monitor the data to identify the row and column location of each error.
US07844884B2

Disclosed is a method for processing a burst by a receiver in a wireless communication system having the burst, which includes at least one Protocol Data Unit (PDU). The method includes performing error checking of a first PDU header from among received bursts; performing error checking of a second PDU header when an error is detected in the first PDU header; and detecting the second PDU header by sequentially performing error checking from an address after the first PDU header when an error is detected in the second PDU header.
US07844875B2

A clock signal within an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is characterized while operating a subsystem. Subsequently, also on the ASIC, a testing clock signal is generated, based on the characterization of the operative clock signal, for purposes of testing the subsystem operating according to the testing clock signal instead of the clock signal. The ASIC includes a clock signal characterization circuit configured to characterize a clock signal within the ASIC; a programmable testing clock signal generator configured for being programmed based on said characterization of the clock signal, and for generating a test clock signal based on its said programming; and the subsystem tested when operating according to the testing clock signal instead of the clock signal.
US07844874B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: a plurality of devices under test formed on a substrate; a selection circuit formed on the substrate which selects two of the plurality of devices under test; a magnitude comparison circuit formed on the substrate which measures an electrical characteristic of the two selected devices under test and makes a magnitude comparison between values of the measured electrical characteristic; an address memory circuit formed on the substrate which stores addresses of the two devices under test between which the magnitude comparison has been made; and a control circuit formed on the substrate and connected to the selection circuit, the magnitude comparison circuit, and the address memory circuit.
US07844872B2

A semiconductor device capable of reducing a memory area of a test circuit required for storing fail-information is provided. In the test circuit, for determining right/wrong of information obtained by memory access, specific fail-information among pieces of fail-information sequentially obtained in response to wrong-determination result is held in a first memory section; and differences in serial two pieces of fail-information sequentially continuing from the specific fail-information are held in a second memory section. The test circuit, when it obtains differences based on pieces of fail-information sequentially obtained with a wrong-determination result at the time of holding the specific fail-information as a base point, sequentially adds subsequent differences to the specific fail-information to decompress subsequent pieces of fail-information.
US07844863B2

A method for logging a repetitive error in a computer system is provided. The repetitive error is logged after each of a series of progressively increasing time periods. The logging commences when the repetitive error is first identified and concludes when the repetitive error is no longer identified.
US07844862B1

Detecting a race condition is disclosed. An indication of a store operation to a memory address is received. An identifier of the memory address is stored. The identifier is used to detect an occurrence of a memory operation that is not associated with a previous ordering operation.
US07844853B2

In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided. The method may include: (1) storing a snapshot of a system state of a node; (2) executing a job on the node; and (3) restoring the node to the system state using the stored snapshot of the system state.
US07844852B2

Server apparatuses that configure a data mirror cluster system include databases, shared memories, and memory controllers, respectively. The server apparatuses are connected by interconnects and can directly access communication partner's shared memories via the memory controllers, respectively. One of the server apparatuses operates as an operation server apparatus and the other operates as a standby server apparatus. The memory controller of the operation system updates the database and writes changed data to the shared memory of the standby system. The memory controller of the standby system updates the database of the standby system according to the changed data written to the shared memory of the standby system.
US07844851B2

The SIP server deployment can be comprised of an engine tier that provides high throughput processing and a state tier that maintains SIP state data in a set of partitions and replicas. Two sites of SIP server deployments can be configured, each being remotely located with respect to the other. A primary site can process various SIP transactions and communications and upon determining a transaction boundary, replicate the state data associated with the transaction being processed, to a secondary site. Engines in the primary site can generate hints for the state replicas which can be in turn responsible for replicating the SIP session state. The replicas can choose to follow or disregard the generated hints. Upon failure of the primary site, calls can be routed from the failed primary site to the secondary site for processing. Similarly, upon recovery, the calls can be re-routed back to the primary site.
US07844850B2

According to one embodiment, an information processor comprises a flush memory which stores a main program for executing information processing by using time data acquired through the clock count operation and a sub-program for upgrading a version of the main program of the information processing, a storage memory which stores the time data, and an arithmetic processing unit which executes the main program in starting the processor and executes the sub-program in upgrading the version, wherein the arithmetic processing unit executes the sub-program so as to continue the clock count operation even during execution of the version upgrading, and when the upgrading has completed, restarts the main program so as to restart the clock count operation by using the time data stored in the storage upon an execution start caused by restarting the main program.
US07844849B2

A system and method for identifying and manipulating logic analyzer data from multiple clock domains is presented. A logic analyzer receives debug data and determines whether the debug data is a full frequency data type, a half frequency data type, or a crossed data type. Once determined, the logic analyzer reconstructs the debug data such that debug condition-matching logic may process the reconstructed data in a full frequency domain. For half frequency data types, the logic analyzer adds masked data values to the data in order to reconstruct the data into to the full frequency domain before processing the data. For crossed data types, the logic analyzer reconstructs the data into its original format before processing the data in a full frequency domain.
US07844845B2

A call from a user operating system (UOS) to BIOS to configure a connected device into a reduced energy consumption mode is routed through a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The VMM determines whether a service O.S. (SOS) is in need of the device and if so the VMM informs the UOS that the device has been configured as ordered, while allowing the SOS to complete its task with the device. If the SOS is not in need of the device, or at the completion of the SOS task with the device, the VMM passes the call to ACPI/BIOS to configure the device in the demanded energy consumption mode.
US07844842B2

A data processing system refreshes a display at a first frequency when operating in a first power mode. The data processing system refreshes the display at a second frequency when operating in a second mode. The first frequency is higher than the second frequency, and the second power mode is configured to consume less power than the first power mode.
US07844833B2

The present invention is directed to a system and method for dynamically, segregating storage resources, pooling such resources into groups, assigning and associating security attributes with those groups. The present invention is further directed to protecting storage media within a shared mass storage device in a network computing environment by utilizing the security attributes. The system of the present invention incorporates a client/server and networked storage device infrastructure that allows dynamic and automatic support of access to storage devices from a plurality of client/server systems on a network.
US07844829B2

A secured database system with built-in antivirus protection is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method of the present invention is described for securing a database system, the method comprises steps of: provisioning storage from a storage device, for storing database information; generating an encryption key so that the database information is stored on the storage device in an encrypted manner; generating a decryption key for decrypting the database information stored on the storage device, wherein access to the decryption key is controlled by the database system based on user privileges; receiving a request from a user for access to the database information; determining whether the user has been granted sufficient privileges to access the database information; if the user has been granted sufficient privileges, automatically decrypting the database information to provide the access; and otherwise denying the request if the user has not been granted sufficient privileges.
US07844821B2

A system and method is disclosed for allowing content providers to protect against widespread copying of their content, while enabling them to give their customers more freedom in the way they use the content. In accordance with one embodiment, content providers identify their content as protected by watermarking the content. Consumers use compliant devices to access protected content. All of a user's compliant devices, or all of a family's devices, can be organized into an authorized domain. This authorized domain is used by content providers to create a logical boundary in which they can allow users increased freedom to use their content.
US07844811B2

A synchronous Flash memory device is described that enhances initialization and boot memory device identification in synchronous memory systems. A boot memory is typically a separate device that is tied to a specific chip select line and/or address range of a system, whereas synchronous Flash memory generally can be placed in any available memory slot and assigned one of several possible chip selects and address ranges. This lack of predictability makes installing a boot memory based on a non-volatile synchronous memory device difficult. A synchronous Flash boot memory device of the detailed invention is adapted to identify itself and its chip select/address range to the memory controller at power up, reset, or upon receiving an identification request. This allows the utilization of the detailed synchronous Flash memory as a boot memory in synchronous systems where a reserved boot memory slot and/or chip select are not provided.
US07844810B2

To accelerate the booting time of a computer by a booting method using a communication network, a boot-up main memory image of an OS and application programs is used to boot a computer. The main memory image is managed in one batch on a server, and is regularly updated with the latest programs. When booting up the computer, only an initial load image which is the minimum part of the main memory image necessary to start the system is loaded, and remaining parts of the main memory image are suitably loaded in an on-demand manner after the system starts operating.
US07844808B2

A security module for a pay-per-use computer supplies an appropriate BIOS for a given mode of operation. A power manager in the security module powers only essential circuits until the BIOS is operational to help prevent substitution of a non-authorized BIOS. The security module also includes a capability to monitor and restrict data lines on a bus between a main computer processor and computer system memory. When the computer is operating in a restricted use mode, data lines may be restricted to allow only minimal access to the computer system memory. Bus transactions may be monitored to ensure that only valid transactions are occurring and are within the designated memory space.
US07844790B2

An external storage medium management system takes into account the maintenance of data security in case an external storage medium has been taken out on emergency. It comprises an external storage medium device and an enclosure device, which is connected to a host side device and which accommodates the external storage medium device, the external storage medium device reports the result of authentication to the enclosure device in case authentication operation is done. On detection of extraction of the external storage medium device from the enclosure device, the external storage medium device of inhibits access to retained data and allows access to the data only in case the authentication in accordance with a preset system has met success. In case the enclosure device also has detected the extraction of the external storage medium device by a medium extraction detection unit, the enclosure device announces the status prevailing at the time of the extraction (authentication coincidence/non-coincidence/authentication data invalid/no authentication data) to the host side.
US07844785B2

Access to a memory is optimized by monitoring physical memory addresses and by detecting a memory access conflict based on the monitored physical memory addresses. The data stored at a physical address for which a conflict was detected is transferred to a new physical address.
US07844784B2

In one embodiment, a solution is provided wherein a lock manager is kept moving among multiple cores or processors in a multi-core or multi-processor environment. By “hopping” the lock manager from processor to processor, a bottleneck at any of the processors is prevented. The frequency of movement may be based on, for example, a counter that counts the number of input/outputs handled by the lock manager and moves the lock manager to a different processor once a determined threshold is met. In another embodiment of the present invention, the frequency of the movement between processors may be based on a time that counts the amount of time the lock manager has been operating on the processor and moves the lock manager to a different processor once a predetermined time is reached.
US07844783B2

A method for automatically detecting an attempted invalid access to a memory address in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is provided. The method includes reading a first data set having a software application name and a memory address stored therein utilizing the mainframe computer. The memory address indicates a portion of a memory that is not allowed to be changed. The method further includes detecting when a software application is attempting to access the memory address and setting a first bit in the memory to a first value in response to the detection utilizing the mainframe computer. The method further includes storing a name of the software application, the memory address, and contents of the portion of the memory specified by the memory address, in a second data set, when the first bit has the first value utilizing the mainframe computer. The method further includes displaying an error message on a display device when the first bit has the first value.
US07844779B2

Determining and applying a cache replacement policy for a computer application running in a computer processing system is accomplished by receiving a processor core data request, adding bits on each cache line of a plurality of cache lines to identify a core ID of an at least one processor core that provides each cache line in a shared cache, allocating a tag table for each processor core, where the tag table keeps track of an index of processor core miss rates, and setting a threshold to define a level of cache usefulness, depending on whether or not the index of processor core miss rates exceeds the threshold. Checking the threshold and when the threshold is not exceeded, then a shared cache standard policy for cache replacement is applied. When the threshold is exceeded, then the cache line from the processor core running the application is evicted from the shared cache.
US07844774B2

An extensible fingerprint comprised of an ordered list of fingerprints generated by applying each of a plurality of distinct fingerprinting functions to the content of a data item. The extensible fingerprint can be extended by using a new fingerprinting function to compute a new fingerprint and adding the new fingerprint to the list so that the old extensible fingerprint of a data item is used as a prefix of the new extensible fingerprint for that data item. Thus, the fingerprint can be incrementally extended over time. A content-addressed storage system uses extensible fingerprints as addresses and can also change over time.
US07844772B2

A device driver including a flash memory file system and method thereof and a flash memory device and method thereof are provided. The example device driver may include a flash memory file system configured to receive data scheduled to be written into the flash memory device, the flash memory file system selecting one of a first data storage area and a second data storage area within the flash memory device to write the received data to based upon an expected frequency of updating for the received data, the first data storage area configured to store data which is expected to be updated more often than the second data storage area. The example flash memory device may include a first data storage area configured to store first data, the first data having a first expected frequency for updating and a second data storage area configured to store second data, the second data having a second expected frequency of updating, the first expected frequency being higher than the second expected frequency.
US07844770B2

A system for maintaining a large number of Handheld Electronic Devices (HEDs) includes a drawer having a divider structure configured to define compartments that are sized to hold the HEDs while the HEDs are stored in the drawer. A 20 port USB hub is provided in the drawer so that 20 HEDs may be connected to the USB hub while stored in the drawer. The USB hub allows the HEDs to be charged at a low rate while being synchronized with a computer and at a high rate when not being synchronized. The USB hub is designed using a tree structure of available USB hub chips to enable a larger number of USB ports. A microcontroller is provided to control the manner in which the computer is allowed to recognize the HEDs connected to the USB ports.
US07844767B2

A technique is described by which two link agents with ports coupled together using a point-to-point interconnect in a system exchange their link width support capabilities and negotiate a link width that is mutually agreeable. The interconnect between each pair of agents comprises a pair of uni-directional links having multiple electrical wires, or lanes, where one link is used by a first agent to transmit data to a second agent and another link is used by the second agent to transmit data to the first agent.
US07844765B2

A KVM switch is connected to a server, and a client via a network. The KVM switch includes: a signal processing portion that receives an analog image signal corresponding to screen data displayed on a display device of the client from the server, executes analog/digital conversion to the analog image signal, and stores a converted digital image signal as the screen data into a memory; a detecting portion that, when new screen data is stored, detects data corresponding to a changing part of the new screen data to screen data that has already been stored into the memory; a thinning-out portion that thins out the detected data corresponding to the changing part; and a transmitting and receiving portion that transmits data corresponding to the changing part after the thinning-out to the client, and receives operation data from an input device connected to the client.
US07844764B2

A unitary control module having adjustable input and output mapping functionality, including methods of configuring such devices for use in different applications, are disclosed. The unitary control module can include a unit type selector such as a DIP-switch that can be used by an installer to configure the control module to emulate a particular type of controller. The control module can be configured to run a selection algorithm for configuring the mapping of the input terminals and output terminals for the device based on the controller type selected. In use, the control module may run different control algorithms for controlling the system components based on the controller type selected.
US07844752B2

A method, apparatus and program storage device for enabling multiple asynchronous direct memory access task executions. DMA I/O operations and performance are improved by reducing the overhead in DMA chaining events by creating a software DMA queue when a hardware DMA queue overflows and dynamically linking new DMA requests to the software queue until a hardware queue becomes available at which time the software queue is put on the hardware queue. Thus, microcode does not need to manage the hardware queues and keep the DMA engine running continuously because it no longer has to wait for microcode to reset the DMA chain completion indicator.
US07844748B2

A method and apparatus are provided for allowing a UPnP control point to recognize various entities. The method includes: generating a device description describing information on the entity in a format according to the standard using the information on the entity; and presenting a role of the device supporting the standard for a control point, which can recognize only devices supporting the standard, based on the generated device description. Accordingly, UPnP can be applied to various entities.
US07844745B1

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing a resilient network database. The invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). The invention is directed to an interface for a database node comprising: a port for receiving a request for information from a network node; a processor for determining if the database node can respond to said request; and a transmitter for forwarding the request to another database node if the particular database node cannot respond. The invention is also directed to a distributed database comprising a number of database nodes, wherein a request received by one node is forwarded to other nodes in the distributed database if the particular node cannot handle the request.
US07844738B2

A UPnP rendezvous bridge appropriately bridges a UPnP network with a rendezvous network. The UPnP rendezvous bridge appropriately allows device and service discovery and converts communications directed between devices within the UPnP network and devices within the rendezvous network into an appropriate format for the receiving device, utilizing a UPnP proxy, a rendezvous proxy, a UPnP table and a rendezvous table. The UPnP rendezvous bridge includes a programmable microprocessor which manipulates communications into the proper format for the receiving device. The UPnP rendezvous bridge is implemented within a stand-alone device coupled between the UPnP and the rendezvous networks. Alternatively, the UPnP rendezvous bridge is implemented within an appropriately configured device in one of the networks. A protocol conversion program is stored within a read only memory (ROM) and used by the microprocessor to perform the appropriate conversions. Alternatively, the programmable microprocessor is programmed for the appropriate conversions by a device coupled to the UPnP rendezvous bridge.
US07844737B2

The present invention includes a method and apparatus for providing an e-help service over a network. The e-help service provides one or more action sequences, i.e., recommended courses of action, for specialized circumstances over a network, such as an Internet Protocol network. Subscribers subscribe to specific application areas, such as one or more application areas related to a subscriber's industry. The e-help service provider maintains information pertaining to application areas in one or more databases. When a user activates the e-help service, information corresponding to the present conditions of the user's circumstance is transmitted to the e-help service provider. The e-help service provider identifies one or more action sequences based upon a statistical analysis of the information received from the user and information stored in a database corresponding to the application area of the user. The action sequences having a high probability of success are transmitted to the user and provide one or more recommended courses of action.
US07844736B2

A MAC-to-IP system receives IP and/or MAC lease information of network end-points from one or more DHCP servers providing services to a region of a multi-system subscriber access network. The lease information includes the MAC and IP addresses of devices that can be provisioned by a DHCP server serving the particular region as well as lease expiration information (i.e., time and date). The lease information can be extracted from issued leases and does not affect the issuance of leases by the DHCP server. A DNS-to-MAC-to-IP query interface receives a DNS lookup request for a network end-point from a network device and converts the DNS lookup request into a MAC-to-IP database query. Data is obtained from the MAC-to-IP database to fulfill the DNS lookup request and DNS lookup response is created and sent to the requesting network device.
US07844734B2

Dynamic Addressing (DA) is provided that uses a Centralized DA Manager to manage function calls, global variable, and constant variable references among components of software code. The DA Manager is generated during the process of linking the components and is loaded along with the code into client device memory. References from one component to another are stored in the DA Manager along with the address of each component. In an embodiment, the DA Manager includes linker-defined symbols stored in fixed addresses, such that the linker-defined symbols consistently provide the current address for data requested from another component. Changes to a component during file upgrades that result in location changes of the component in memory are recorded by the DA Manager, thereby maintaining the integrity of references to the component present in the code.
US07844727B2

A method and system for adaptively controlling level of a receiver buffer in a client in a multimedia streaming network. The multimedia streaming network has a server for providing streaming data to the client. The server is responsible for adapting the transmission rate to the reception rate or congestion control, and for adapting the sampling rate to the transmission rate. Thus, the server manages the shift and keeps it within the rate adaptation operating range. The client is responsible for compensating for the packet transfer delay variation, which is also known as network jitter. The client is also responsible for setting parameters of the server rate adaptation operating range. The client chooses and sends the shift parameters to the server, but it is up to the server to adapt its encoding rate or transmission rate when responding to the parameters.
US07844725B2

Methods of data streaming from an encoder to a decoder through a connection subjected to time-varying conditions are disclosed. The connection is assigned a nominal flow rate and an encoding coefficient associated with the connection modifies the nominal flow rate to determine a permissible flow rate compatible with a time-varying state of the connection. Multiple performance characteristics are associated with the connection and corresponding sets of performance measurements taken over adaptively selected time windows are acquired. Performance metrics having one-to-one correspondence to the performance characteristics are determined and compared with lower bounds and upper bounds of respective predefined acceptance intervals. A current encoding coefficient is computed as a function of the performance metrics and used to determine the permissible flow rate. The encoder's configuration is adapted to produce an encoded signal which maximizes signal fidelity under the constraint of the permissible flow rate.
US07844724B2

In one aspect, one or more real-time data stream connections that deliver a set of real-time data streams to a given network node are determined based at least in part on bandwidth capabilities of the given network node. In another aspect, for each of one or more recipient network nodes, a respective link over which to transmit a respective transmission set of one or more real-time data streams is determined. For each of the links, the respective link bandwidth is apportioned between one or more channels that are respectively allocated to the one or more real-time data streams in the respective transmission set.
US07844723B2

Described herein is technology for, among other uses, performing playback of dynamic content using protocols designed for playback of fixed-length files. The technology involves strategically updating the duration of the content during playback under various conditions. During playback, as the playback position approaches the duration, the duration is refreshed. Also, during playback the rate at which the duration is increasing is used to predict the duration and thus smoothly report the duration to the user. Upon receiving a seek request, if the request is beyond the current duration, the duration will be refreshed to avoid unnecessarily limiting the seek request.
US07844718B2

A system and method for automatically configuring a remote computer to establish a VPN connection with a network is disclosed. According to the system and method, a configuration generator determines information necessary for the remote computer to establish the VPN connection, and generate an executable file to be run the remote computer. When run on the remote computer, the executable file automatically updates the remote computer's configuration settings so as to enable it to establish the connection with the network. The information required by the configuration generator can either be extracted from a database automatically, or can be keyed in by a network administrator.
US07844714B2

An Intelligent Network Information Server Search (INSS) decreases search time required for a client to find a network information server. A cumulative history file stores a history of network information server availability, a number of communication attempts, and a communication success rate. INSS uses a ypservers file list, and orders the network information server search according to a cumulative server success rate. A system administrator may optionally define the search order with a user defined weight given to one or more of the servers. The server link and history may be stored in a random access memory to improve performance.
US07844706B2

A portable computerized device useful within a network and adapted to provide communication security. In one embodiment, the network comprises an untrusted network, and the portable device comprises network security apparatus adapted to create associations with other network security devices on the network. Traffic between the associated devices may be encrypted for e.g., data confidentiality and integrity protection. In one variant, the network security apparatus comprises a software entity disposed at least partly within the software stack of a host computer. A card-like hardware structure may also be used as part of the security apparatus. The host computer may be untrusted (e.g., have an untrusted operating system).
US07844703B2

A system and method of parameter measurement for a distributed computer system, the method including selecting a master unit; selecting slave units operably connected to the master unit on a bus, the slave units having a slave clock; determining slave unit latencies between the master unit and the slave units; generating slave unit synchronizing signals for the slave units, the slave unit synchronizing signals being adjusted for the slave unit latencies; synchronizing the slave clocks in response to the slave unit synchronizing signals; and measuring an operating parameter at the slave units at a synchronously determined time.
US07844702B1

A method for determining a physical location of a network component includes placing the network component in the physical location, determining a location value corresponding to the physical location of the network component using a location scheme, associating an electronic location tag (ELT) having the location value with the physical location, and obtaining the location value corresponding to the physical location of the network component.
US07844700B2

In accordance with the present invention, a system, method, and computer-readable medium for identifying malware at a network transit point such as a computer that serves as a gateway to an internal or private network is provided. A network transmission is scanned for malware at a network transit point without introducing additional latency to the transmission of data over the network. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for identifying malware at a network transit point is provided. More specifically, when a packet in a transmission is received at the network transit point, the packet is immediately forwarded to the target computer. Simultaneously, the packet and other data in the transmission are scanned for malware by an antivirus engine. If malware is identified in the transmission, the target computer is notified that the transmission contains malware.
US07844695B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for data forwarding storage. A network includes a group of interconnected computer system nodes each adapted to receive data and continuously forward the data from computer memory to computer memory without storing on any physical storage device in response to a request to store data from a requesting system and retrieve data being continuously forwarded from computer memory to computer memory in response to a request to retrieve data from the requesting system.
US07844692B2

A method of analyzing a resource leak on a first web server uses a second web server. A first HTTP request message is received from a client at a first Web server and includes an identifier of an information component stored on the first Web server which generates a reply to the first HTTP request message including the information component, and sends the reply to the client. Multiple duplicate HTTP request messages for the information component are generated at the first Web server in response to the receiving of the first request, for analyzing a resource leak on the first Web server. Each of the duplicate HTTP request messages includes the identifier of the information component. The duplicate HTTP request are transmitted to a second Web server and multiply any existing resource leak, thereby facilitating detection, diagnosis and/or analysis. The transmitting to the second Web server maintains the first Web server free from receiving the multiple HTTP request messages.
US07844689B2

An apparatus, method, system, computer program and product are disclosed, each capable of managing a configuration request received via a network. Upon receiving a configuration right request form a client, a determination is made as to whether or not a configuration right can be issued. Based on the determination, the configuration right is issued to the client.
US07844688B2

The present invention generally relates to a method for describing network events in a service aware network (“SAN”). In addition, the present invention relates to software that performs the method and has a programming model containing protocol libraries, abstract protocol messages declarations, and network events. The method and software enable a user to define basic as well as complex network events in the application, presentation, session, transport and/or network layers of a communication model, which result in internet protocol (“IP”) level triggers or other triggers. Such triggers will result in actions which may be applicable in all layers of a communication model up to the highest layer. As a result, the method and software allow a user to describe a hierarchy of high level network events through a hierarchy of lower level events. In addition, a development system and an apparatus which utilizes the method and software are also provided.
US07844687B1

The Wireless Integrated Network Sensor Next Generation (WINS NG) nodes provide distributed network and Internet access to sensors, controls, and processors that are deeply embedded in equipment, facilities, and the environment. The WINS NG network is a new monitoring and control capability for applications in transportation, manufacturing, health care, environmental monitoring, and safety and security. The WINS NG nodes combine microsensor technology, low power distributed signal processing, low power computation, and low power, low cost wireless and/or wired networking capability in a compact system. The WINS NG networks provide sensing, local control, remote reconfigurability, and embedded intelligent systems in structures, materials, and environments.
US07844686B1

A warm standby appliance is described herein. The warm standby appliance is coupled to a storage server which is coupled to one or more servers. When a server fails, the storage server transfers a backed up image to the warm standby appliance, so that the warm standby appliance is able to replicate the failed server. While the failed server is inaccessible, the warm standby appliance is able to mimic the functionality of the failed server. When a new server or repaired server is available, the warm standby appliance is no longer needed. To incorporate the new server into the system quickly and easily, the server image of the warm standby appliance is sent to the new server. After transferring the image, the warm standby appliance is cleaned and returns back to a dormant state, waiting to be utilized again.
US07844680B2

The present invention discloses a home network system using an LnCP. The home network system includes one or more master devices, one or more slave devices, and a network for connecting the master devices to the slave devices on the basis of a predetermined protocol. In the home network system, the master device performs one or plural communication cycles with the plurality of slave devices at the same time at a predetermined time point, and each slave device performs one communication cycle with the master device at the time point.
US07844678B2

An email message is filtered to determine whether or not it is an undesired email message (e.g., “spam,” “junk mail,” etc.) that originates from an undesirable domain, such as, for example, a domain designated as originating from an undesirable geographic location. In some embodiments, upon determining that the email message originates from an undesirable domain, the email message is deleted (e.g., permanently removed, moved to a designated folder, marked for followup, etc.). In other embodiments, upon determining that the email message originates from an undesirable domain, the email message is further filtered to determine whether or not the email message includes attributes that indicate that the email message should not be discarded.
US07844677B1

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method and apparatus is presented for alerting an operator of a network problem using a variety of contact devices. A server receives notification of a network problem. The server accesses presence information detailing the current location of an operator. The server then uses push technology to transmit alert information to the operator. As such, the alert information may be communicated directly to a client machine used by the operator. In the case where the operator is communicating through a contact device, which communicates with an interactive system, the alert information is forwarded to the interactive system, which communicates with the contact device.
US07844656B2

Systems, methods and apparatus for factoring numbers are provided. The factoring may be accomplished by creating a factor graph, mapping the factor graph onto an analog processor, initializing the analog processor to an initial state, evolving the analog processor to a final state, and receiving an output from the analog processor, the output comprising a set of factors of the number.
US07844652B2

Determining a summary feature set is disclosed. A plurality of subsegments of a first segment are selected. For each subsegment, a plurality of values by applying a set of functions to each subsegment are computed. From all the values computed for all the subsegments, a first subset of values is selected.
US07844648B2

An image processing apparatus facilitating an edit process and a check process of data. A UMID of material data is added to a composition table. A UMID of the composition table and the UMID of the material data are added to an edit list. The UMID of the material data and the UMID of the original edit list are added to an effect-added edit list. Each terminal references data of the other terminals by tracking these UMIDs. A metadata server produces and manages a reverse reference-related table of UMIDs in order. Each terminal references data using the table. The image processing apparatus is applicable to a network system.
US07844647B2

A system, method, and program product are provided that inform users of changes in geographically bound rules. This is performed by receiving, via a GPS device, a first geographic location. Identifying, based on the received first geographic location, a first geographic region, and retrieving a first set of geographically bound rules that correspond to the identified geographic region. After a period of time, a second geographic location is received and a second geographic region is identified based on the second geographic location. If the first geographic region is different than the second geographic region, then the system retrieves a second set of geographically bound rules corresponding to the identified geographic region. The first set of geographically bound rules is compared to the second set of geographically bound rules, resulting in one or more different geographically bound rules. The users are then informed of the different geographically bound rules.
US07844631B2

An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system, and storage medium for providing a dynamic multi-dimensional commodity modeling process. The system includes a data collection component operable for collecting raw data, a dynamic multi-dimensional commodity model component, and a commodity tree generated by the dynamic multi-dimensional commodity model component. The system also includes a closed loop/corrective action component operable for resolving nonconformance issues resulting from analysis of the raw data and commodity tree, and an analytic engine in communication with the data collection component, the multi-dimensional commodity model component, and the closed loop/corrective action component. The analytic engine receives the raw data from the data collection component, receives the commodity tree, performs analytics on the raw data according to rules defined by the commodity tree, and transmits any nonconformance data resulting from performing the analytics to the closed loop/correction action component for resolution of any identified nonconformances.
US07844630B2

A computerized method provides for an in-place transformation of matrix A data including a New Data Structure (NDS) format and a transformation T having a compact representation. The NDS represents data of the matrix A in a format other than a row major format or a column major format, such that the data for the matrix A is stored as contiguous sub matrices of size MB by NB in an order predetermined to provide the data for a matrix processing. The transformation T is applied to the MB by NB blocks, using an in-place transformation processing, thereby replacing data of the block A1 with the contents of T(A1).
US07844622B1

Disclosed is a method of computer generating a product specification. The specification is dependent on the selection of a number of options by a consumer. The method utilizes a computer program which receives from user a location in which said product will be used. After that, the user is allowed to select product options. Information regarding rules and regulations for that particular location is made available from separately identified data files on a server. Options required in that particular locations will be automatically added to the specification. When additional options are selected, the program determines whether the product is still in compliance in the location selected. If the added option results in the specification running afoul of a regional rule or regulation, the user will be notified, and advised as to how the violation can be overcome. Once the user is satisfied with the options, and these options are in compliance, the specification is completed and useful for making an order.
US07844613B2

A data warehouse having an operational layer is provided. The data warehouse stores historical data in an historical format that is based on operational data for an organization. The operational layer enables access to the historical data in an operational format that is used to store the operational data on which the historical data is based. The invention further provides a solution for managing the data warehouse with the operational layer. The operational layer can be incorporated in various solutions. To this extent, the invention further provides a solution for developing an application using the operational layer of the data warehouse.
US07844612B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to a service registry and repository system, method and computer program product for accessing objects in an object repository. There is provided a method of managing an object database for objects that includes receiving an object query; querying the object database using the object query; receiving a hierarchical collection of objects including a root object; and returning only those objects that are within a specific depth of the root object and that do not represent user-defined relationships. The returning step maps the objects from a proprietary object format into a standard object format and optionally the standard object format is the Service Definition Object format (SDO).
US07844610B2

The invention provides an evaluation system for reliably evaluating large amounts of content. The evaluation system is managed by a primary authority that designates one or more contributing authorities by delegating to each a specific quantity of authority. Each contributing authority may in turn designate and delegate authority to one or more additional contributing authorities, subject to the restriction that the total quantity of authority delegated does not exceed the quantity of authority the contributing authority was itself delegated. Each contributing authority, and optionally the primary authority itself, may evaluate one or more portions of content by associating a rating with each evaluated portion of content. A composite rating for a particular portion of content may then be determined based upon the ratings associated with the portion of content. Preferably, the ratings are combined in a manner that affords a higher priority to the ratings provided by contributing authorities to which a greater quantity of authority was delegated.
US07844601B2

A system for providing feedback associated with the planning of a query is provided. The system comprises a query planning mechanism capable of determining transformations required for the execution of the query, and a monitoring mechanism for monitoring and extracting feedback information from the planning mechanism, the feedback information including an indication of the transformations.
US07844599B2

Applying a bias when determining a suggested search query. Examples of biases that can be applied include, but are not limited to, temporal biases and monetization biases. Temporal biasing involves increasing a weight associated with a search query, based on a temporal attribute associated with the query. Search queries may also have associated with them a parameter such as frequency, count, etc. One of these parameters may serve as a weight. In order to determine suggested search queries, the temporal attribute is used to modify or bias the parameter (e.g., frequency parameter). Thus, the weight of the search query is modified to temporally bias the query. The suggested search queries are determined based on the biased parameter.
US07844598B2

A question answering system includes a question dividing unit, a question answering unit, and an answer determination unit. The question dividing unit applies a predetermined question dividing rule to an input question, to divide the input question into sub-questions. The question answering unit acquires answer candidates corresponding to the sub-questions generated by the question dividing unit, together with certainty values serving as reliability indexes. The answer determination unit selects an answer to the input question from among the answer candidates acquired by the question answering unit.
US07844587B2

Web-based user interface systems and methods for searching metadata-driven relational databases. Instead of requiring developers to determine the exact type and number of search criteria for each application, the present invention advantageously provides a user-customizable search interface that, in certain aspects, leverages dynamic HTML, JavaScript, and dynamic SQL. A user may choose the exact type and number of search parameters, enabling the user to build a custom report without requiring the user to write any code. The system dynamically builds a SQL search query based on the user identified search parameters. Once a user has built a custom search using the interface, that search may be saved for re-use, and shared with other users.
US07844585B2

A request is received with a first operation identifier to lock a first resource. The first resource is locked with the first operation identifier. It is determined whether a second resource should be locked with the first operation identifier or with a second operation identifier based on whether an operation to be performed for the request may complete after the request is processed. Additional embodiments are described and claimed.
US07844584B1

A system and method persistently stores lock state information associated with a file system within a storage system. Received operations that modify lock state information are stored in a non-volatile log (NVLog) within a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) of the storage system. During a consistency point (CP), entries from the NVLog are committed to a lock file. In the event of an error condition, lock state information may be recovered from the lock file, thereby enabling rapid reconstruction of the lock state prior to the error condition.
US07844581B2

Systems and methods for data management and data processing are provided. Embodiments may include systems and methods relating to fast data selection with reasonably high quality results, and may include a faster data selection function and a slower data selection function. Various embodiments may include systems and methods relating to data hashing and/or data redundancy identification and elimination for a data set or a string of data. Embodiments may include a first selection function is used to pre-select boundary points or data blocks/windows from a data set or data stream and a second selection function is used to refine the boundary points or data blocks/windows. The second selection function may be better at determining the best places for boundary points or data blocks/windows in the data set or data stream. In various embodiments, data may be processed by a first faster hash function and slower more discriminating second hash function.
US07844573B2

A system and method for operating a storage library. The system comprises a management server, a media agent connected to the management server, a library connected to the media agent and a database connected to the management server. The management server controls the media agent to monitor for the addition or removal of a piece of media in the library. When the media agent determines that the piece of media has been added to the library or removed from the library, the media agent causes the library to read a media label stored as data on the piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the piece of media. When a backup or restore is performed, the system checks the media label to ensure that the correct media is being used. Inventory procedures are disclosed. Media labels are stored in a database along with an indication of the corresponding slot where the media is stored, a time when the label was put on the medium, and a confidence parameter indicating how confident the system is that the particular medium is stored in the respective slot.
US07844571B2

To increase the efficiency of the management of image data in a data network including a multiplicity of network nodes, at least one embodiment of the present invention provides for image data, having been stored at a network node provided as a buffer store, to be transmitted for archiving to a network node provided as an archive store and to be stored there, with the storage of the respective image data in the buffer store and in the archive store involving a reference to the respective network node being recorded in an index in conjunction with an explicit identifier for the respective image data. Further, in at least one embodiment, the index is used when the stored image data are subsequently loaded to ascertain the respective at least one network node at which the respective image data are stored.
US07844568B2

At least one embodiment relates to data processing and transferring in a multi computer environment for reporting, monitoring, and predicting the supply, demand, and generation of alternative energy on a global scale. The system is configured to collect past and present alternative energy generation and distribution data from a variety of distributed sources. Example of such distributed data producing sources may include any of various power installations and systems, power sources, and billing systems. The data collected from these sources is stored and contemplated in a central database unit. Based on the data contemplated in the central database unit, the system, further, makes predictions of present and future generations, supply, and demand of alternative energy at local, regional, national, and global scales. Using these predictions, the system recommends changes in the existing energy generation resources, and/or proposes deployment of new energy generation resources.
US07844567B2

Described are a system and method for selecting a training sample from a sample set. The method comprises determining proximities between all data samples in a set of the data samples, forming edges between the data samples as a function of the proximities, computing weights for the edges as a function of the proximities, selecting a plurality of the data samples as a function of the weights to form a subset of the data samples, and storing the subset of the data samples.
US07844564B2

A system and method of load balancing using fuzzy logic and, more particularly, to a system and method of load balancing tasks over a grid environment including, for example, CPU utilization, traffic over a network and other functions. The method comprises defining cause and effect relations associated with input variables and output variables. A current utilization is assessed. The method further includes determining which cause and effect relations are associated with the current utilization and calculating a weighted balancing factor for the cause and effect relations having membership with the utilization. A load is balanced using the weighted balancing factor.
US07844561B2

A context-sensitive pre-evaluation analysis of a set of rules is performed based on the circumstance or the current state of a rule clause directed to an infrequently changing condition. A group of multiple-clause rules are identified which each have a clause defining an infrequently changing condition for evaluating a state of a resource. The current state of the resource is monitored. If the identified group of multiple-clause rules, which cannot evaluate as TRUE under the context of the current state the resource, the identified group of multiple-clause rules are excluded from consideration by the rules engine. The rules engine will then encounter fewer rules to evaluate for a solution. The identified group of multiple-clause rules is further analyzed in the context of the infrequently changing condition for the current resource state. State metrics that are defined by clauses of the identified multiple-clause rules, those that cannot evaluate as TRUE, are identified. Those metrics are then also excluded from consideration by the rules engine. Thus, the rules engine will encounter fewer rules and/or event states that cannot be evaluated to a solution. The context-sensitive pre-evaluation analysis of the rules is performed out-of-band as the rules engine traverses the rule.
US07844555B2

Systems and methods for selecting a ranker for statistical natural language processing are provided. One disclosed system includes a computer program configured to be executed on a computing device, the computer program comprising a data store including reference performance data for a plurality of candidate rankers, the reference performance data being calculated based on a processing of test data by each of the plurality of candidate rankers. The system may further include a ranker selector configured to receive a statistical natural language processing task and a performance target, and determine a selected ranker from the plurality of candidate rankers based on the statistical natural language processing task, the performance target, and the reference performance data.
US07844546B2

A payment transfer method for transferring funds from a payer to payee is provided, including designating a payee and specifying a payment amount and an account; debiting the funds from the account and crediting a first trust account; and identifying the payee by verifying responses received in response to one or more challenge-response questions defined by the payer. If the one or more responses are verified, a second trust account may be debited and a payee account credited with the payment amount. The first and second trust accounts may then be reconciled. There is also provided a payment transfer facility for transferring funds., comprising an application server for storing payment data relating to a transfer of funds and a notification server for providing a notification of the transfer of funds.
US07844543B1

A multi-protocol trading system in which traders preferring different trading protocols may coexist within the same system, and access the same liquidity pool, while maintaining their trading rule preferences. The system supports two protocol preferences: a workup preference and a FIFO preference, and includes a single integrated order book that stores orders received from both workup and FIFO traders. Received orders are matched against orders in the order book in accordance with a FIFO and/or workup protocol, as a function of preferences selected by the traders and/or the system operator. Alternatively, the system includes a pair of order books, a workup order book and a FIFO order book. Customers submit linked orders having a workup leg and a FIFO leg which may be matched against the workup and/or FIFO order books, as a function of preferences selected by the traders and/or the system operator.
US07844541B2

A method and system are described for providing a trader with the ability to quickly configure the quoting side of a trading tool, without experiencing the normal delays associated with conventional methods of quoting. In spread trading, an automated spread trading tool may automatically work an order to buy or sell a tradable object. A user may configure the trading tool to work an order in a certain tradable object first. The system allows the user to essentially on-the-fly configure the trading tool to work a second order in another tradable object, and in response to the change, the system can take specific actions such as deleting the order in the first tradable object and automatically entering the second order in the other tradable object. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently.
US07844540B2

In a method of determining an optimal allocation in a combinatorial auction, a plurality of bids is received. Each bid includes a plurality of sub bids. Each sub bid includes either one good and a price associated with the good or a logical operator logically connecting at least two child sub bids and a price associated with the logical operator. For each sub bid, the price associated with the good or the logical operator is either an explicit price that is included with the sub bid or is assigned a value of zero when the sub bid does not include an explicit price. An objective is defined for the plurality of bids. For each bid, a plurality of mathematical relationships collectively representing the bid without logical operators is defined. The received bids are processed to achieve the objective subject to the mathematical relationships.
US07844538B2

A method and apparatus for trading securities trades on behalf of customers expressing orders in both share and dollar amounts. Where a brokerage receives orders from customers in both dollar and share amounts, the brokerage can combine the orders, e.g., by aggregating and netting, and executing the outstanding orders through a market maker. The number of shares to order through the market maker depends on the price at which the market maker can execute. By capturing the spread, the spread can be equitably distributed among buyers and sellers without regard for whether the order was received as a value-based order or a share-based order.
US07844527B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for measuring investment performance (e.g., total portfolio performance of individuals). In one example (which example is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive), the method and system may be used for measuring investment performance of personal pension portfolios. In another example (which example is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive), the method and system may provide for measuring performance of an investment portfolio held by an investor, comprising: providing first information indicating how the investment portfolio has performed over one or more predetermined periods of time; and providing second information indicating how investment portfolios of the investor's peer group have performed (e.g., on average) over the predetermined period(s) of time. In other examples (which examples are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive), the present invention may be used to pool data across employers in relation to pension funds and/or to pool data across wealth management firms or trust companies in relation to underlying client accounts. In another example (which example is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive), simplified portfolio level reporting and comparison of asset allocation strategies may be implemented by the present invention via the categorization of essentially all available financial products into a relatively small number of asset classes (e.g., between about 15 and 20 asset classes).
US07844502B2

A system and method for automatically managing a multi-step process in which human providers are selected, typically for employment and dating services. The selection process includes background checking, testing, interviewing, and acceptance by the provider and selecting entity, through automated sequencing, coordinating, tracking, status reporting, and an optional human intervention. The invention includes a system and method for automatically scoring and ranking human providers by a set of selection criteria, typically multiple choice options. The system determines the relevance of the questions and answers and stores it in a continuously updating Knowledge-base. The answers may be spoken, written, or entered directly into the system. The system includes testing and interviewing human providers with respect to the selection criteria; and the resulting scoring information is stored and may be used in future assessments. The system requires a charging process for updating information based on usage or subscription to the system.
US07844501B2

Methods and apparatuses for interfacing an enterprise customer with a supplier are described herein. In one embodiment, in response to a request received from an enterprise customer via a first interface (e.g., a common or universal interface) of a Web service over the Internet for a service provided by a supplier, processing logic is configured to map the request from a first format compatible with the first interface to a second format compatible with a second interface coupling with a backend system of the supplier. Processing logic invokes a method of the backend system of the supplier via the second interface (e.g., supplier specific interface) to provide the requested service to the enterprise customer using information of the mapped request. The first interface is compatible with the requesting customer and the second interface is a specific interface to the backend system of the supplier. Functionality of mapping and the second interface are maintained by the supplier. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07844500B2

An online system is disclosed for matching vendors with consumers. Vendors pay a subscription fee to be listed with the system. Software automatically matches vendors with consumer requests based upon the category of goods and/or services described in the request and the geographical area (e.g., zip code) in which the goods and/or services are needed. The system alerts vendors of matching leads and allows the vendors to decide, at their discretion, whether to pursue the lead. The system has built in capacity to grow. If the system fails to generate a match for a consumer request, or a sufficient number of matches, the system notifies customer service personnel, who attempt to find unlisted vendors that match the consumer's needs. The unlisted vendors are then invited to be listed with the system.
US07844495B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for configuring products, such as branded promotional products, where products may be divided into items and processes. Item parameters and process parameters may be separately specified and linked together to create a unique product where a product identifier (e.g., SKU) may be dynamically created when the product is sourced, quoted, ordered or otherwise accessed. For example, an item may involve a product to which an imprint or logo is to be affixed. A process may involve a screening printing process or other process for affixing a customer's artwork, logo or identifier. In addition, the method and system of the present invention may be applied to other applications, such as office supplies, furniture, aviation supplies, marine supplies, interior design, beauty salon and spa supplies, medical office supplies, restaurant and bar supplies, gift shops and clothing boutique, and other industries where products and services may be ordered.
US07844492B2

Internet-based Enterprise-Level Brand Management And Marketing Communication Network based on an innovative brand command, control and communication architecture (BC3), which gives brand owners complete command and control over the wide range of brand-building assets, messaging and promotions scattered throughout the Web, and how they are communicated to directly consumers at diverse Web touch points, with the efficiency and automation of supply-chain management solutions. The Network supports the deployment, installation and remote programming of brand-building server-side driven Multi-Mode Virtual Kiosks on the World Wide Web (WWW), and provide brand managers, their agents and online trading partners the power to build stronger online brands, drive sales and eliminate existing friction in the retail chain through a collaborative carrier-class, industrial-strength e-marketing communication network.
US07844489B2

A method for buyer-driven targeting comprising the steps of: separately receiving from each of a plurality of buyer entities a respective third party proof of purchase record; entering information contained in the received proof of purchase records into a searchable electronic database; obtaining search criteria for the database; searching the information in the database based on the search criteria to obtain a group of buyer entities; and providing an incentive to each of a plurality of the buyer entities in the group.
US07844486B2

A method, system, and computer program product for determining and increasing the accuracy of costing including determining possible components of a product; allocating each component at least one costing wherein the costing depends on the current product definition process which may vary over time and wherein different methods for the costing may be applied; assigning an accuracy value for each costing method that is applied; for each component, multiplying its assigned accuracy value with the component's proportion to the total cost of the product, and summing up the weighted accuracies of the costings of the components resulting in an overall accuracy of the costing of the product.
US07844478B1

To protect a person with a property interest in real property against a loss of market value thereof, a base market value of the real property is determined at a current time when the property interest in the real property arises or thereafter, and a number of types of events that cause the real property to lose market value as compared with the base market value are defined. A number of the defined types of events are selected, and a real estate market value policy is issued to the person at about the current time. The policy promises to compensate the person for any loss experienced by the person if the real property loses market value as compared with the base market value based on any of the selected types of events.
US07844467B1

A system and method of controlling the movement of a virtual agent while the agent is listening to a human user during a conversation is disclosed. The method comprises receiving speech data from the user, performing a prosodic analysis of the speech data and controlling the virtual agent movement according to the prosodic analysis.
US07844463B2

According to MPEG-4's TTS architecture, facial animation can be driven by two streams simultaneously—text and Facial Animation Parameters. A Text-To-Speech converter drives the mouth shapes of the face. An encoder sends Facial Animation Parameters to the face. The text input can include codes, or bookmarks, transmitted to the Text-to-Speech converter, which are placed between and inside words. The bookmarks carry an encoder time stamp. Due to the nature of text-to-speech conversion, the encoder time stamp does not relate to real-world time, and should be interpreted as a counter. The Facial Animation Parameter stream carries the same encoder time stamp found in the bookmark of the text. The system reads the bookmark and provides the encoder time stamp and a real-time time stamp. The facial animation system associates the correct facial animation parameter with the real-time time stamp using the encoder time stamp of the bookmark as a reference.
US07844462B2

Methods and apparatus for spatial sound generation for screen navigation are disclosed. An example method for spatial sound generation comprises receiving an indication of a cursor focus position, where the cursor focus position corresponds with a location on a display device. The example method further includes receiving speech information associated with an object situated at the location on the display device. The example method also includes modifying the speech information based on the indication of the cursor focus position such that the modified speech information spatially represents the location on the display device.
US07844461B2

Provided are an information processing apparatus and method so adapted that if a plurality of speech output units having a speech synthesizing function are present, a conversion is made to speech having mutually different feature quantitys so that a user can readily be informed of which unit is providing the user with information such as an alert information. Speech data that is output from another speech output unit is input from a communication unit (8) and stored in a RAM (7). A central processing unit (1) extracts a feature quantity relating to the input speech data. Further, the central processing unit (1) utilizes a speech synthesis dictionary (51) that has been stored in a storage device (5) and generates speech data having a feature quantity different from that of the extracted feature quantity. The generated speech data is output from a speech output unit (4).
US07844460B2

A system [100] includes an audio reception device [105] to receive audio from a person speaking and convert the audio to a text format. An intelligent agent [110] receives the text format and detects at least one key term in the text format based on predetermined criteria. A logic engine [115] compares the at least one key term with a listener knowledge base [125] corresponding to a listener to determine context information corresponding to the at least one key term. A search device [135] searches for multimedia content corresponding to the context information. A communication device [150] communicates display content comprising at least one of: the multimedia content, and a link to the multimedia content to an electronic display device [155] adapted to display the display content.
US07844458B2

A speech recognition apparatus that enables efficient multimodal input in setting a plurality of items by one utterance is provided. An input unit inputs a setting instruction by speech. A speech interpretation unit recognizes and interprets the contents of the setting instruction by speech to generate first structured data containing candidates of the interpretation result. An instruction input detecting unit detects a setting instruction input by a user. An instruction input interpretation unit interprets the contents of the setting instruction input to generate second structured data. A selection unit selects one of the interpretation candidates contained in the first structured data based on the second structured data.
US07844457B2

Methods are disclosed for automatic accent labeling without manually labeled data. The methods are designed to exploit accent distribution between function and content words.
US07844456B2

Architecture for testing an application grammar for the presence of confusable terms. A grammar confusability metric (GCM) is generated for describing a likelihood that a reference term will be confused by the speech recognizer with another term phrase currently allowed by active grammar rules. The GCM is used to flag processing of two phrases in the grammar that have different semantic meaning, but that the speech recognizer could have difficulty distinguishing reliably. A built-in acoustic model is analyzed and feature vectors generated that are close to the acoustic properties of the input term. The feature vectors are then sent for recognition. A statistically random sampling method is applied to explore the acoustic properties of feature vectors of the input term phrase spatially and temporally. The feature vectors are perturbed in the neighborhood of the time domain and the Gaussian mixture model to which the feature vectors belong.
US07844451B2

A coding apparatus capable of coding a spectrum at a low bit rate and with high quality without producing any disturbance in a harmonic structure of the spectrum. In this apparatus, internal state setting section (106) sets an internal state of filtering section (107) using first spectrum S1(k). Pitch coefficient setting section (109) outputs pitch coefficient T by gradually changing it. Filtering section (107) calculates estimated value S′2(k) of second spectrum S2(k) based on pitch coefficient T. Search section (108) calculates the degree of similarity between S2(k) and S′2(k). At this time, pitch coefficient T′ corresponding to the maximum calculated degree of similarity is given to filter coefficient calculation section (110). Filter coefficient calculation section (110) determines filter coefficient βi using this pitch coefficient T′.
US07844444B1

A system and method for emulating disk drives in a storage area network, including providing a system with one or more ports for connecting to a storage area network, emulating one or more targets for each port of the system, and emulating one or more LUNs for each emulated target of the system.
US07844441B2

In general, the present invention provides a method, system and program product for approximating/estimating computer resource consumption of a computer system. Specifically, under the present invention, a more efficient or reduced computer work gradient matrix (hereinafter “matrix”) is first built. This occurs by creating load measurements for a set of computer resource metrics of the computer system to analyze dependencies between different computer resource metrics. Then, a correlation matrix between the set of computer resource metrics is created based on the dependencies. The set of computer system resource metrics in the correlation matrix is thereafter clustered into a set of clusters, and a reduced matrix is built based thereon. Once the reduced matrix is built, it can be restored to a “full” matrix using linear transformation or the like.
US07844439B2

A system for providing real-time modeling of protective device in an electrical system under management is disclosed. The system includes a data acquisition component, a virtual system modeling engine, and an analytics engine. The data acquisition component is communicatively connected to a sensor configured to provide real-time measurements of data output from protective devices within the system under management. The virtual system modeling engine is configured to update a virtual mode of the system based on the status of the protective devices and to generate predicted data for the system using the updated virtual model. The analytics engine is communicatively connected to the data acquisition system and the virtual system modeling engine and is configured to monitor and analyze a difference between the real-time data output and the predicted data output. The analytics engine is also configured to determine the bracing capabilities for the protective devices.
US07844434B2

A nonlinear electrical circuit dynamic model for different fuel cells is provided. The model provides a nonlinear electrical circuit equivalent, the parameters of which correspond to the particular fuel cell being modeled. The parameters can be theoretically or experimentally derived from the responses of the particular fuel cell. The resulting model can have impedances that are equivalent to that of the particular fuel cell, thereby capturing or providing a good approximation of the transient behavior of the particular fuel cell. More particularly, the resulting model can have impedances in the low frequency range less than 100 Hz that are equivalent to that of the particular fuel cell.
US07844432B1

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for emulating the performance effect on network traffic flow traversing a node in a communications network. According to one illustrative embodiment, a method of emulating traffic through a node is provided. The method includes generating foreground traffic through the node; simulating a first background traffic having a first weight at the node; simulating a second background traffic having a second weight at the node; determining an effect of the first and second background traffic on the foreground traffic; and making a forwarding decision with respect to the foreground traffic based on the effect.
US07844416B2

Invention describes apparatus as closed-loop intelligent Object Transport System with Object Behavioral Pattern analysis and recognition for applications, including automatic self-check-out lanes at grocery, retail stores. Invention calculates Objects Behavioral Patterns, Object Expected Behavioral Pattern ranges for each Object or Group of Objects and stores information at central data base. Invention, based on Object barcode, obtains from central data base Expected Object Behavioral Pattern and compares to calculated real-time Objects Behavioral Pattern, and based on preset acceptance criteria, the System automatically without intervention by operator, executes real-time process controls to regulate traffic of Objects. Example of acceptance criteria: protection of fragile Objects from colliding with heavy Objects and rejection of Object outside the range of Object Expected Behavioral Patterns. Invention performs real-time Object traffic management, regulating acceleration, deceleration, speed and direction of motion of Objects. Invention performs process control over Objects, including application of heat.
US07844415B1

The instant invention discloses a method for an orientation measuring instrument to isolate and separate gravitational and non-gravitational components of acceleration from accelerometer measurements by using an ambient magnetic field, typically the earth's magnetic field, as a fixed rotation reference. Using magnetic field measurements, one can track changes in orientation of a device and use that information to determine the gravitation direction, during periods when acceleration measurements include non-gravitational acceleration combined with gravitational acceleration components. In addition to determining orientation, a method and associated instrument provide a non-gravity acceleration vector of the device.
US07844411B2

A temperature detector sets the level of a temperature detecting signal to a level indicating a high temperature state, detecting that the chip temperature is higher than a first boundary temperature. The temperature detector sets the level of thereof to a level indicating a low temperature state, detecting that the chip temperature is lower than a second boundary temperature. A control circuit changes its operating state according to the level of the temperature detecting signal. This prevents the operating state of the control circuit from frequently switched even when the chip temperature fluctuates around the boundary temperatures, and accordingly reduces current consumption of the control circuit due to the switching operation. Further, the first and second boundary temperatures set a buffer zone, so that the temperature detector does not detect power supply noises as temperature variation. This can prevent malfunction of the temperature detector and the semiconductor integrated circuit.
US07844403B2

Systems and methods for improving Ct determination in PCR amplification curves by correcting PCR data for temperature shifts that may occur during the PCR process. A double sigmoid function with parameters determined by a Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) regression process is used to find an approximation to the portion of the curve in the region after the temperature shift, termed “CAC”, the cycle where the temperature shift occurred. A robust linear approximation is determined for the portion of the curve in the region before the temperature shift. Values of the fluorescent intensity for the cycle CAC or CAC+1 are determined using both the linear approximation and the LM process, and a difference in these values is subtracted off of the portion of the data set representing the portion of the curve before the temperature shift occurred to produce a shift-corrected data set. The shift-corrected data set may be displayed or otherwise used for further processing.
US07844400B1

A low maintenance adjustable system for sampling gas from a well using a gas analyzer; a conditioning and filtering device; a gas trap having a plurality of couplings, a plurality of hammer unions, a plurality of base manifold pipes, a base manifold flow line, a chimney pipe connected to the base manifold flow line, a controllable valve, a reducer connected to the chimney, an expansion chamber component connected to the reducer, a restrictor mounted to the expansion chamber component, and a conduit connection connected to the restrictor for engaging a conduit to flow a gas sample from the gas trap to a gas analyzer.
US07844398B2

A path risk evaluating apparatus includes a secondary collision likelihood direction evaluating unit (108) and a secondary collision likelihood distance evaluating unit (109) which evaluate, based on the relationship between a movement path and a position of objects in an environment where a mobile device moves, the likelihood of the mobile device having primary collision with a first object and the first object further having secondary collision with a second object; a risky attribute combination evaluating unit (112) which determines degree of damage when secondary collision occurs, by referring to information, indicating degree of damage when objects in the environment collide, held by a risky attribute combination information holding unit (111); and a path evaluating unit (113) which evaluates the risk of the moving path for the mobile device, based on the evaluation result from the secondary collision likelihood direction evaluating unit (108) and the secondary collision likelihood distance evaluating unit (109) and the degree of damage determined by the risky attribute combination evaluating unit (112).
US07844392B2

The field of the invention is that of optoelectronic taxi-assistance devices for aircraft, including a head-up display providing for the presentation of information in the pilot's field of vision. The invention applies in particular to large civil aircraft of the Boeing 747 or Airbus A380 type. The object of the invention is to propose the displaying of safety-related symbologies in the head-up display, providing for substantially improving aircraft safety and maneuverability during the taxiing phase. These symbologies relate substantially to the position of the aircraft on the taxiway and to the turning and stop maneuvers to be performed by the pilot. Said symbologies are particularly useful in poor visibility conditions.
US07844383B2

In order to enhance the accuracy of estimation of a vehicle's sideslip angle, a sideslip angle estimation apparatus calculates an angle between the direction of centrifugal force acting on the vehicle body during cornering and the lateral direction of the vehicle body based on accelerations exerted on the vehicle body and acting in two different directions. A sideslip angle between the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and the direction of travel of the vehicle is calculated based on the estimated angle.
US07844382B2

A driving force control apparatus includes a driver model that is a functional block adjusting characteristics relevant to human senses, and a powertrain manager that is a functional block adjusting hardware characteristics of a vehicle. The driver model includes a target base driving force calculation unit (static characteristics) using a base driving force map for example for calculating a target driving force from an accelerator pedal position, an OWC disengagement-to-synchronism dead time calculation unit, and a target transient characteristics addition unit using transient characteristics represented by a transfer function including a dead time to calculate a final target driving force from the target driving force. The target transient characteristics addition unit sets the dead time in the transient characteristics represented by “second-order lag system+dead time” based on the time required for a one-way clutch to change to the synchronous state.
US07844377B2

Current position of a vehicle and current time are acquired. A user recognizing unit recognizes a user. A pattern recognizing unit detects location of a portable device and movement thereof. Operation state of an engine is acquired from an engine control mechanism. Based on the information, processes are performed such as switching communication stand-by mode of the portable device to active stand-by mode, notifying the portable device of a transition of an on-board terminal to automatic locking mode, preventing needless unlocking and locking of doors, and setting warning mode of the portable device.
US07844375B2

A vehicle hybrid power system is provided according to the present invention. The hybrid power system is characterized by applying the concept of minimum equivalent fuel consumption, and then simulating equivalent fuel consumptions based on respective energy consumption or increase of motor and generator of a motor vehicle, and also defining simulated equivalent fuel consumption formula and making a list of system state parameters, system control parameters, and system negative load parameters, thereby obtaining simulated equivalent fuel consumption multidimensional data by entering the system parameters derived from a discretization/transformation process in the defined simulated equivalent fuel consumption formula; wherein, the simulated equivalent fuel consumption multidimensional data are revised to comprise subsystems, such as system engine, motor, generator, and others to determine a system control strategy of holistic optimization, thereby achieving the objective of saving energy. The present invention further provides a method for creating simulated equivalent fuel consumption multidimensional data, which is applicable to the hybrid power system of the present invention.
US07844372B2

Methods and systems for handling aircraft control information are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a display medium coupleable to a flight manager, with the flight manager configured to receive and direct instructions for automatically controlling aircraft functions at a future time during flight of the aircraft. The system can further include a display controller coupled to the display medium to present at least one operator activatable element at the display medium and update information presented at the display medium when the operator activates the operator activatable element. For example, the operator activatable element can include an icon presented at a computer display screen, and can be activated by a keystroke.
US07844359B2

In a coating and developing apparatus applied to liquid-immersion light exposure, substrates without an appropriately formed protective film can be recovered without adversely affecting normal-substrate processing efficiency, and in addition, removal of protective films can be simplified. In the coating and developing apparatus of the present invention, abnormal substrates not appropriately surface-coated with a protective film during liquid-immersion light exposure are queued in a queuing module, instead of being loaded into an exposure unit, and after the immediately preceding substrate has been unloaded from the exposure unit and loaded into a designated module, for example, a pre-developing second heating module, each abnormal substrate is loaded into the designated module in order to prevent so-called “scheduled transfer” from being affected, and a protective-film removing unit is also controlled to process the abnormal substrate.
US07844356B2

System and method for automatic construction of orthodontic reference objects, such as the occlusal plane, arch form, and the local occlusal plane for a patient's teeth are disclosed. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented system and method for automatic construction of orthodontic reference objects comprises receiving three dimensional data for the teeth, setting an initial direction for a normal of the occlusal plane, determining tips for selected teeth, calculating a plane that matches the determined tip, and determining a new normal for the calculated plane.
US07844352B2

A system for embedding real-time Model Predictive Control (MPC) in a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) devices is provided. In the system, a microprocessor is connected to an auxiliary unit or application-specific matrix coprocessor. The microprocessor can control the operation of the MPC algorithm, i.e., carry out the tasks of input/output for the MPC algorithm, initialize and send the appropriate commands to auxiliary unit and receive back the optimal control moves or instructions from auxiliary unit. The auxiliary unit can operate as a matrix coprocessor by executing matrix operations, e.g. addition, multiplication, inversion, etc., required by the MPC algorithm.
US07844341B2

An implantable medical device for use in a patient management system is described including a sensor, a processor, and a first communications unit. The first communications unit can deliver notification of significant events to a host computer using a short-range telemetry first communications link. A second communications unit can deliver notification of the significant events to the host computer over a second communications link, which is over a pervasive wireless communications network, such as a cell phone network. The device includes an antenna that is operatively connected to both the first and second communications units.
US07844340B2

In an inventive method of performing transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation on a human patient, first and second input electrodes are secured over left and right trapezius muscle regions of the patient. Third and fourth input electrodes are secured over left and right posterior cervical and suboccipital muscle regions of the patient. Fifth and sixth input electrodes are secured over left and right preauricular areas of the patient. A first electrical current is supplied to each of the first and second electrodes. A second electrical current is supplied to each of the third and fourth electrodes. A third electrical current is supplied to each of the fifth and sixth electrodes.
US07844338B2

A method for treating at least one of a plurality of disorders characterized at least in part by vagal activity includes positioning an electrode around a body organ innervated by the vagus. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity. The electrical signal is applied at a frequency selected for the signal to create a neural conduction block to the vagus with the neural conduction block selected to at least partially block nerve impulses on the vagus. The application of the electrical signal is discontinued. The application of the signal and the discontinuing of the signal are repeated with durations of the discontinuing and the application selected to treat the disorder.
US07844332B2

This document discusses, among other things, an apparatus comprising an atrial sensing circuit, a ventricular sensing circuit and an atrioventricular (AV) delay adjustment circuit. The atrial sensing circuit detects a first fast atrial pace that concludes a timing interval that is shorter than or equal to a first threshold value. The ventricular sensing circuit detects a first condition that comprises a sensed intrinsic first fast ventricular contraction that occurs within a specified first period of a most recently detected first fast atrial pace. The fast ventricular contraction concludes a timing interval that is shorter than or equal to a second threshold value. The AV delay adjustment circuit attempts to decrease an AV delay at least in part in response to detecting the first condition. Other apparatuses and methods are disclosed.
US07844330B2

A cardiac rhythm management system includes an implantable device executing a dynamic pacing algorithm after an myocardial infarction (MI) event. The dynamic pacing algorithm dynamically adjusts one or more pacing parameters based on a person's gross physical activity level. Examples of the one or more pacing parameters include atrioventricular pacing delays and pacing channels/sites. The dynamic pacing algorithm provides for improved hemodynamic performance when a person's metabolic need is high, and post MI remodeling control when the person's metabolic need is low.
US07844325B2

A bioelectricity impedance measuring device includes a contact surface capable of being placed on a part of the body, a gripper which is formed to be easily grasped by a single hand, and electrodes on the contact surface. In addition, the bioelectricity impedance measuring device further includes a malnutrition measuring device which measures malnutrition. An operation and control device measures Phase angle theta and/or an RcXc ratio, and measures a nutrient state. The malnutrition measuring device measures the state of malnutrition from a value of Phase angle theta. A display shows the results of measurement with a bar classified by display of a color. In addition, the operation and control device further measures muscular volume. The operation and control device, by being capable of being provided data or regression, can also measure muscular volume for a child aged 5 or younger or an adult aged 60 or older.
US07844321B2

The invention is a rotating tip catheter-imaging probe where electromagnetic energy is delivered to the distal end of a catheter and converted to mechanical energy using a light drive apparatus. The mechanical energy is then used to rotate a mirror that redirects light in fixed pattern on a sample. The rotating element of the light drive apparatus contains vanes, which rotate about an axis and positioned with bearings to minimize friction. A chamber encompasses the rotating element and is set to a vacuum pressure. The rotational speed of the catheter tip can be controlled by varying the optical power delivered to the vanes, the vacuum pressure in the chamber, or by a braking mechanism applied to the rotating element. The vanes may be shaped in a particular geometry to increase forces on the vanes from thermally driven gas flow.
US07844320B2

A surgical navigation system has a computer with a memory and display connected to a surgical instrument or pointer and position tracking system, so that the location and orientation of the pointer are tracked in real time and conveyed to the computer. The computer memory is loaded with data from an MRI, CT, or other volumetric scan of a patient, and this data is utilized to dynamically display 3-dimensional perspective images in real time of the patient's anatomy from the viewpoint of the pointer. The images are segmented and displayed in color to highlight selected anatomical features and to allow the viewer to see beyond obscuring surfaces and structures. The displayed image tracks the movement of the instrument during surgical procedures. The instrument may include an imaging device such as an endoscope or ultrasound transducer, and the system displays also the image for this device from the same viewpoint, and enables the two images to be fused so that a combined image is displayed. The system is adapted for easy and convenient operating room use during surgical procedures.
US07844316B1

The present invention relates to an EKG cable for connection to an EKG machine. The cable has a root cable with a connector for connection to the EKG machine. The root cable is connected to a cable connector. The cable connector has at least two branch cables connected thereon. Each of the branch cables has a plurality of nodes disposed thereon. Each of the nodes has two connections each being capable of being connected to an electrode disc. Each of the nodes have opposing upper and lower surface. Each of the surfaces may have indicia disposed thereon. Each of the surfaces may be color-coded. The indicia and the color-coding may be used independently of each other or in combination with each other.
US07844315B2

A sensor signal is input at a patient location and a physiological waveform responsive to the sensor signal is generated. The physiological waveform is wirelessly communicated from the patient location to a monitor location. The physiological waveform is adapted to a particular patient monitor at the monitor location. The adapted physiological waveform is output to a sensor port of the patient monitor. Accordingly, the patient monitor derives physiological measurements from the adapted physiological waveform that are generally equivalent to measurements derivable from the physiological waveform by a monitor compatible with the sensor signal.
US07844313B2

An adapter allows the interconnection of a sensor originating from one manufacturer to be coupled with conventionally incompatible monitors originating from other manufacturers to form a properly functioning pulse oximetry system. The adapter matches a sensor driver in a monitor to the current requirements and light source configuration of a sensor. The adapter also matches a sensor's light detector signal level to the dynamic range requirements of a monitor preamplifier. Further, the adapter provides compatible sensor calibration, sensor type and security information to a monitor. The adapter may have a self-contained power source or it may derive power from the monitor, allowing both passive and active adapter components. The adapter is particular suited as an adapter cable, replacing a conventional patient cable or sensor cable as the interconnection between a sensor to a monitor in a pulse oximetry system.
US07844300B2

The invention concerns a device for controlling the transfer of signals by a first communication device (20) to a second communication device (10) through a wireless network (15), the second communication device having at least N antennas, the first communication device having at least Mk antennas. The device for controlling the transfer is included in the second communication device and comprises means for determining a weighting vector vk, the weighting vector vk being composed of Mk elements, each element of the weighting vector vk being expected to weight the signals transferred by the first communication device through an antenna of the first communication device, means for determining information related to the determined weighting vector vk and means for transferring to the first communication device at least a signal comprising or being modified by the information related to the determined weighting vector vk. The invention concerns also the corresponding method.
US07844291B2

Disclosed is a method and system for transferring and applying a floor control scheme when a Push-To-Talk (PTT) over Cellular (PoC) session is established between PoC clients supporting various types of floor control schemes (e.g., media burst control schemes). According the method and system, when a PoC client providing Open Mobile Alliance PoC multimedia communication service supports a plurality of floor control schemes and there is no floor control scheme appointed to be supported in a session, a floor control scheme requested by a PoC session establisher is transferred through a PoC session establishment procedure and is applied to the session.
US07844288B2

A mobile terminal apparatus, systems, and methods for a mobile service provider to deliver advertising content, via a wireless protocol, to a user's mobile terminal are provided. The user's mobile terminal may be both multimedia and Bluetooth enabled, and may be able to be located by the service provider when it is powered on, so that the advertising content presented may be relevant to the viewer's location. When the mobile terminal is presenting advertising content according to the invention, it may simultaneously transmit to other nearby Bluetooth enabled devices, digital coupons that can be used by the recipients for the advertiser's products or services. Some embodiments include a mobile terminal having a display that folds into a second orientation, above or alongside the mobile terminal's main profile to face outward, so that persons standing by can see the advertising being displayed, as hands-free functionality will be temporarily suspended requiring the user to hold the terminal at his ear to speak. The user may receive incentives (reduced/free minutes, free content, e.g., ring tones, etc.) to use the terminal. Service providers will receive advertising revenues and an effective means to monitor the effectiveness of a mobile advertising campaign. Nearby people may receive information and electronic coupons, and advertisers will receive brand recognition.
US07844267B2

A service processing server for providing a communication processing service with an information providing server, to a cell phone belonging to a network capable of identifying subordinate cell phones, and including an application receiving part for receiving first communication terminal-specific information to specify a specific cell phone, and service-specific information in association with each other; a specific information generating part for generating second communication terminal-specific information; an approval requesting part for transmitting approval request information containing the service-specific information and the second communication terminal-specific information, to the information providing server; a result receiving part for receiving approval result information returned; and a registering part for performing a registration process for providing the communication processing service to the specific cell phone in accordance with reception of the approval result information.
US07844258B2

An integrated communication system comprises a first communication device connected to a second communication device using a data link. When the first communication device is out of network, a dispatch center can indicate to the use a communication is waiting or wanted by sending a communication request signal to the second communication device. The second communication device transmits the communication request signal to the first communication device over the data link alerting the user of the first communication device to the requested communication.
US07844255B2

A secure mobile phone-point of sale (POS) system includes a mobile phone integrated with a secure PED module. The secure PED module is integrated with the mobile phone via the phone's serial port or directly to the phone's Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA). The secure PED module conforms to security standards imposed by the payment card industry. The secure mobile phone-POS system has the functionality of both the secure PED and the mobile phone and the look and feel of the mobile phone.
US07844254B2

In one embodiment, a new method enables an individual to selectively preserve the integrity of potentially private data such as identity, current location and the like while using a mobile communications device (e.g., a cell phone) for media access. In one embodiment, the method receives a request for media content from the user in the form of a verbal command. The method then determines whether execution of the command would require the revelation of any potentially private user information. If execution would require such a revelation, the method prompts the user to either permit revelation of the information or to reformulate the request in a way that would not require the information to be revealed. Once data integrity has been resolved, the method searches for and retrieves the requested content.
US07844251B2

Some embodiments provide a method, system, and apparatus for transparently backing-up information from a mobile device to distributed devices having storage capabilities. As the mobile device comes within communication range of one or more of the trusted partner devices, information from the mobile device is backed up, in segments or portions, on the one or more distributed partner devices. Information backed-up in one partner device may be transferred to another partner device for storage. A centralized master server may also maintain a list of the locations (e.g., partner devices) where backup information is maintained for the mobile device. When requested to do so by a user, the centralized server can retrieve and consolidate the backup information for the mobile device.
US07844240B1

A method of performing receive antenna selection is presented. The method executes a determination operation for a set of receive antennas, determines a maximum result of the determination operation for two of the antennas, eliminates one of the two antennas from the set of antennas, and repeats the determination and elimination process until only a predetermined number of antennas remain in the set. The signals from these remaining antennas are then processed. The present invention reduces receiver complexity and cost.
US07844236B1

An apparatus and method are provided to enable an adaptation unit to be shared among a plurality of receivers. The adaptation unit provides compensation values to each receiver to enable each receiver to compensate for the pulse response effect experienced by that receiver. By sharing an adaptation unit among a plurality of receivers rather than having a dedicated adaptation unit for each receiver, the chip space needed is significantly reduced since the number of adaptation units that need to be implemented is significantly reduced. In addition, the fewer number of adaptation units leads to less power consumption during operation. Overall, the sharing of the adaptation unit enables greater efficiency and improved scalability to be achieved.
US07844235B2

Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US07844234B2

Device, system, and method of providing biasing power. For example, an apparatus includes a voltage-controlled current source to provide biasing current to a Radio Frequency power amplifier based on a voltage of an incoming signal indicating a command to activate the Radio Frequency power amplifier, the incoming signal received from a Radio Frequency baseband module; and a current-reducing circuit to reduce the biasing current if the voltage of the incoming signal is greater than or equal to a voltage overdrive threshold.
US07844233B2

A passive amplifier structure capable of multiplying the voltage of an input signal is provided. In a first stage, a first and a second capacitance are connected between a first and a second input port of a balanced input port in response to a first oscillator signal. In a second stage, in response to a second oscillator signal having a phase different from that of the first oscillator signal, the first capacitance is connected between the first input port and a third capacitance and the second capacitance is connected between the second input port and the third capacitance. An output voltage over the third capacitance is obtained from terminals of the third capacitance. Presented embodiments also describe an automatic gain control feature.
US07844230B2

An integrated multimode radio includes a multimode receiver and a multimode transmitter. The multimode receiver includes a shared receiver front-end, a receiver multiplexor, and a plurality of receiver IF stages. The multimode transmitter includes a shared transmitter front-end, a transmitter multiplexor, and a plurality of transmitter IF stages.
US07844226B2

The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus for wireless communications in that the method includes the steps of arranging an antenna apparatus adjacent to the electronic apparatus formed on a substrate and testing the electronic apparatus by conducting the wireless communications between the electronic apparatus and the antenna apparatus.
US07844220B2

Disclosed is a headset which includes a radio communication unit and control unit. The radio communication unit has 2 communication mode. The first mode is used for communication with an access point connected to a fixed network. The second mode is used for communication with a specific portable communication terminal. The communication control unit judges whether the headset can communicate with the access point. The communication control unit selects either one of said first and said second mode based on the judgment result. When the first mode is selected, the communication control unit connects the headset to the fixed network with the telephone number of the specific portable communication terminal as a telephone number of the call originating party.
US07844218B2

A sub-orbital, high altitude communications system that has at least two ground stations and at least one high altitude relay station. Each of the ground stations includes apparatus for sending and receiving telecommunications signals. The relay stations include apparatus for receiving and sending telecommunications signals from and to the ground stations and from and to other relay stations. Apparatus is provided for controlling the lateral and vertical movement of the relay stations so that a predetermined altitude and location of each of the relay stations can be achieved and maintained. Apparatus is provided for retrieving relay stations so that they can be serviced for reuse.
US07844212B1

A system and method communicates commands from a command originator to receiving devices, yet the receiving devices do not confirm receipt of the command. The most current command (e.g. the one with the highest sequence number) is rebroadcast by the command originator and the receiving devices, tending to be more frequent upon detection of an event indicating that the most current command was not received by at least one other device, and less frequently upon detection of an event indicating that the most current command was provided with sufficient duplication that if another device could receive it, the device likely did receive it, subject to a maximum and minimum rate.
US07844205B2

A moving unit is made to perform a contacting operation at least two times. The contacting operation includes relatively moving an endless belt and an image carrier so that the endless belt and the image carrier to come in contact with each other.
US07844202B2

A constant velocity joint includes a first rotation body and a second rotation body. The first rotation body includes a cup unit, a shaft, and ribs that project from the cup unit and connect the cup unit to the shaft. One of the first rotation body and the second rotation body transmits a rotational driving force to other one of the first rotation body and the second rotation body through balls. The first rotation body is so formed that the cup unit and the shaft are formed into one piece using resin material. Moreover, the rib is so formed into one piece with the cup unit and the shaft using resin material.
US07844201B2

There is provided a tandem color image forming apparatus and the like, which is capable of suppressing the generation of black spots during a continuous image forming process, even though a non-magnetic single-component developer is used and a cleaner-less type is adopted. The color image forming apparatus is a tandem type that includes a plurality of image carriers and a cleaner-less type that does not include a blade cleaner, wherein the resistance per square centimeter of a base body of an image carrier using for at least a black developer among the plurality of image carriers, or the resistance per square centimeter of the base body through an intermediate layer is set in a range of 1×105 to 1×108Ω or more.
US07844200B2

An inexpensive image forming apparatus, which can suppress a ghost to obtain an image maintaining satisfactory density and gradations for a long time. The apparatus including an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a contact charger in contact with the photosensitive member for charging the photosensitive member, a charging voltage applying device for applying direct current voltage to the contact charger, a charging current detector for detecting electric current flowing through the contact charger, a pre-exposure device for exposing the photosensitive member to light to remove residual charge on the photosensitive member, and a pre-exposure light amount controller for controlling an exposure light amount of the pre-exposure device in image formation based on the results of detection by the charging current detector when the exposure light amount of the pre-exposure device is changed with direct current voltage applied from the charging voltage applying device to the contact charger during non-image formation.
US07844199B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus body including: an image forming unit that forms toner images having the colors being different from each other; a intermediate transfer body that has a belt-shape, and that is arranged in an upper portion of the image forming unit being inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, the toner images being transferred onto the intermediate transfer body; an intermediate transfer body unit that detachably holds the intermediate transfer body with respect to the apparatus body; and a guide rail member that detachably guides the intermediate transfer body unit in a direction of one side of the apparatus body, and that is set so that the direction, in which the intermediate transfer body unit is guided, is changed in the middle of guiding.
US07844192B2

An apparatus (100) and method (300) that adjusts a fuser nip width in an apparatus that can include a fuser member having a fuser nip configured to fuse an image on media is disclosed. The method can include feeding (320) a media sheet in a media sheet travel direction through the fuser nip. The method can also include sensing (330) a media sheet exit temperature of the media sheet after the media sheet exits the fuser nip. The method can also include adjusting (340) a fuser member nip width according to the sensed media sheet exit temperature, where the fuser nip width is substantially parallel to the media sheet travel direction.
US07844184B2

At least a plurality of light-receiving regions for receiving remote control signals, respectively, in a form of incident light and performing photoelectric conversion of the signals are provided in one common mold package. The remote control receiver includes a first signal processing circuit for adding up signals outputted by the plurality of light-receiving regions and, based on a resulting signal, demodulating and outputting the remote control signal. The remote control receiver also includes a second signal processing circuit for calculating a difference between the signals outputted by the plurality of light-receiving regions to obtain and output a directional signal representing a direction in which the incident light has been incident on the plurality of light-receiving regions.
US07844181B2

A method for negotiating speed between a Fiber Channel (FC) local client and a remote FC client across a DWDM network is provided. A transmission speed of the local FC client at a local ingress transport interface is detected. The data from the local FC client is forwarded along with the detected transmission speed to a remote egress transport interface. The remote egress interface forwards the data at the detected transmission speed to the remote FC client. The present invention eliminates complex speed negotiation state machines that would otherwise be required to make the DWDM transport behave like a virtual wire with respect to the FC ports and to allow the FC clients to negotiate the desired speed directly between themselves.
US07844179B2

A system and method for a transparent WDM metro ring architecture in which optics enables simultaneous provisioning of dedicated wavelengths for high-end user terminals, while low-end user terminals share wavelengths on “virtual rings”. All wavelengths are sourced by the network and remotely modulated at customer “End Stations” by low cost semiconductor optical amplifiers, which also serve as transmission amplifiers. The transparent WDM metro ring architecture permits the communication of information and comprises a fiber optical feeder ring, at least one fiber optical distribution ring, a network node (NN), at least one access node (AN) said network node and said at least one access node connected via said fiber optical feeder ring and at least one end station (ES) connected via said fiber optical distribution ring to said at least one access node, wherein said user is attached to said at least one end station. A simple node that supports bi-directional propagation in transparent WDM metro architectures using “virtual rings” is also described. A method for communicating information over a WDM fiber optical ring network architecture in a metro access arena using one or more wavelengths, which can be shared by a plurality of user terminals, each user terminal coupled to an end station comprises the steps of sending downstream data packets, sending optical chalkboard packets consisting of ones and sending control signals.
US07844176B2

An imaging device comprising a first contrast AF unit that obtains contrast information of a subject image from subject image data, and guides a photographing lens to within a first in-focus permissible based on the contrast information; a phase difference AF unit for receiving subject light flux to detect a defocus amount of the photographing lens by the phase difference method, and guiding the photographing lens to within a second in-focus permissible range in response to the detection results; a release button having a two stage operating arrangement of half pressed and fully pressed; and a control unit for, when the release button has been pressed down halfway during execution of the live view display operation, executing a focusing operation using the first contrast AF unit, and, after that, when the release button is pressed down fully, executing a focusing operation using the phase contrast AF unit.
US07844175B2

A photographing apparatus and method for recognizing an object such as a face in an image. The photographing apparatus includes: an optical system comprising a focus lens; a photoelectric transformation element transforming light information into an electrical signal; an image signal processor outputting the electrical signal as an image signal; a first distance measurer detecting face region data corresponding to a face from the image signal, comparing the face region data with standard face data, and obtaining a first object distance from the photographing apparatus to the face; a second distance measurer detecting a focus position for the face and obtaining a second object distance from the photographing apparatus to the face; and a face recognizer comparing the first and second object distances and recognizing that the face region data includes data corresponding to the face.
US07844172B1

A method and system for effecting adaptive autofocusing, such as for a camera, are disclosed. The method can comprise obtaining focusing information, such as historic focusing information, storing the focusing information, and subsequently using the focusing information to facilitate a determination of a best position of a focusing lens during a focusing process. The use of such focusing information can result in a better choice for the next focusing lens position to be tested, such that the focusing process can be performed more rapidly.
US07844171B2

A rapid thermal processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber which subjects a semiconductor substrate to rapid thermal processing. A substrate support part is arranged in the processing chamber and supports the substrate. A lamp part optically irradiates the substrate supported by the substrate support part and heats the substrate. A thermo sensor is provided to measure a temperature of the substrate. A temperature computing part computes the temperature of the substrate based on an output signal of the thermo sensor. A control part controls an irradiation intensity of the lamp part according to the temperature computed by the temperature computing part. In this apparatus, the control part is provided to correct a control parameter of the irradiation intensity of the lamp part based on a measured reflectivity of a surface of the substrate.
US07844165B2

A method for adaptively estimating a remaining video length in real time for a user's convenience while viewing at least one program, includes calculating an average value of the viewed length of each viewed segment of the at least one program, and calculating the number of index points corresponding to remaining segments to derive a remaining number of index points. The method further includes multiplying the average value by the remaining number to estimate the remaining video length.
US07844164B2

Disclosed is a method of setting a recording end reservation time for instant recording in a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) of a received digital broadcast. The method includes steps of selecting an instant recording function, creating an OSD window for displaying at least one preset invariable recording end reservation time to display the preset invariable recording end reservation time, analyzing PSIP information from the received digital broadcast and extracting “available program information” including information about a time to terminate the digital broadcast program intended to be recorded at present, setting the recording end reservation time through the OSD window when the “available program information” does not exist, and adding to the OSD window a setup item to enable setting by a user of a recording end reservation time, and setting the recording end reservation time through the OSD window having the added setup item when the “available program information” exists.
US07844162B2

A thermally stable chalcogenide glass, a process for making the same, and an optical fiber drawn therefrom are provided. A chalcogenide glass having the composition Ge(5−y)As(32−x)Se(59+x)Te(4+y) (0≦y≦1 and 0≦x≦2) is substantially free from crystallization when it is heated past the glass transition temperature Tg or drawn into optical fibers. A process for making the thermally stable chalcogenide glass includes purifying the components to remove oxides and scattering centers, batching the components in a preprocessed distillation ampoule, gettering oxygen impurities from the mixture, and heating the components to form a glass melt. An optical fiber formed from the chalcogenide glass is substantially free from crystallization and exhibits low signal loss in the near-infrared region, particularly at wavelengths of about 1.55 μm.
US07844147B2

A system for dynamic waveform shaping in an optical fiber comprising: the optical fiber receiving an optical waveform, the optical waveform having individual spectral lines; a plurality of fiber bragg gratings in-line on the optical fiber, each having a reflectivity wavelength corresponding to one of the spectral lines; a plurality of polarization controllers in-line on the optical fiber, each polarization controller receiving the optical waveform from a respective fiber bragg grating; a circulator for directing the optical waveform as input to the plurality of fiber bragg gratings and receiving the optical waveform as output from the plurality of fiber bragg gratings; and a polarizer in-line on the optical fiber receiving the optical waveform from the fiber bragg gratings and the polarization controllers.
US07844144B2

Optical signals are passed in an optical medium using an approach that facilitates the mitigation of interference. According to an example embodiment, a filtering-type approach is used with an optical signal conveyed in an optical fiber, such as a multimode fiber (MMF) or a multimode waveguide. Adaptive spatial domain signal processing, responsive to a feedback signal indicative of data conveyed in the multimode waveguide, is used to mitigate interference in optical signals conveyed in the multimode waveguide.
US07844138B2

A history management apparatus includes: a detection unit that detects a character or a word included in image data which is processed in an image processing apparatus; and a storage unit that stores information to specify a detection position of the detected character or word in the image data and the image data in association with each other. The stored information is provided to an image data searching process using the character or the word and the detecting position as search conditions.
US07844133B2

An iterative approach to vector median filtering wherein the resulting median vector need not be a member of the original data set. The iterative vector median filtering allows for fast convergence for complex computations and an output which is approximate to the mean, particularly for small data sets.In addition, a method and system for registering and matching 2.5 normal maps is provided. Registration of two maps is performed by optimally aligning their normals through 2-D warping in the image plane in conjunction with a 3-D rotation of the normals. Once aligned, the average dot-product serves as a matching metric for automatic target recognition (ATR).
US07844132B2

Disclosed is a method for registering images of an object according to which a landmark that is common to the images is first identified, and the transformations in relation to the remaining degrees of freedom are determined by means of a position alignment that is not based on the landmark.
US07844128B2

An image display method includes dividing one frame into a plurality of sub-frames by multiplying a frame frequency of an input image signal, reducing a high-spatial frequency component of an image signal which is used for image display in at least one predetermined sub-frame among the plurality of sub-frames in comparison with that of an image signal which is used for image display in another sub-frame, and displaying an image in each sub-frame.
US07844127B2

A method of enhancing a full-color image of a scene includes capturing an image of the scene using a two-dimensional sensor array having both color and panchromatic pixels, forming the full-color image in response to the captured color pixels, forming a reference panchromatic image in response to the captured panchromatic pixels, forming an edge map in response to the reference panchromatic image and using the edge map to enhance the full-color image.
US07844121B2

An image distribution apparatus divides image data of a single frame into a plurality of blocks, orthogonally transforms the blocks and calculates transformation coefficients, quantizes the calculated transformation coefficients, codes the quantized transformation coefficients, and distributes the coded image data. The image distribution apparatus acquires the quantized transformation coefficients, stores the acquired transformation coefficients in a storage unit, calculates differences between the transformation coefficients of a first frame and the transformation coefficients of a second frame stored in the storage unit in a unit of block, counts blocks whose difference values calculated above are equal to or greater than a predetermined value as changing blocks of the first frame, and determines that the first frame has changed when the counted number of blocks is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
US07844120B2

A method for compressing image data on which a pseudo gradation process has been performed by using a dither pattern is provided. The method includes the steps of dividing the image data into predetermined blocks, calculating a typical value if an arrangement pattern of image data in each block can be reproduced by using a dither pattern that was used for the pseudo gradation process and the typical value, checking whether there is an arrangement pattern that matches the arrangement pattern of the image data in the block before then if it cannot be reproduced, calculating position data indicating a matching position if there is the arrangement pattern before then, obtaining the arrangement pattern of the image data in the block as block data if there is not the arrangement pattern before then, and using the calculated or obtained typical value, position data or block data for generating compressed data.
US07844119B2

A method of and a system for finding similarities between major boundaries of images using a wavelet detector is described herein. Unimportant edges of the image are disregarded by eliminating Gaussian wavelet coefficients and Haar wavelet coefficients of lower significance. Comparison between the images is made on the basis of quantized color, sign and magnitude of the Haar wavelet coefficients. The method performs the comparison between images in two steps. First, the method checks for exact matches between the Haar wavelet coefficients to determine whether the images are very similar. This is followed by binning of the coefficients into nine spatial bins in the image. A representative is assigned to each of the bins in terms of color, orientation and sign. Each bin of one image is compared with all the bins of the other image. Thus, images that are similar but not identical are still detected.
US07844118B1

Disclosed herein is a method for detecting thin lines in image data. The method is performed by a processor to process contone image data. The processing includes combining a first result of thin line detection using a first method and a second result of thin line detection using a second method to produce an improved thin line determination in the image data. The methods include processing and thresholding in the contone and binary domain to determine if a thin line exists in the window of image data. The thin line determination may also be merged with the image data as processed using other image segmentation techniques. The disclosed method produces better quality output images and reduces the addition of false lines in an image.
US07844112B2

We describe a device that dynamically increases the contrast of the effective gray level based on the gray level distribution of serial images, performs soft-transfer of dynamic contrast adjustment curve when a scene switch occurs thereby realizing adaptive contrast enhancing while effectively avoiding image flicker. A device and associated method for enhancing image contrast includes a gray level distribution statistic circuit to calculate gray level statistic data of an image responsive to an image brightness signal. An adaptive contrast mapping curve calculation circuit calculates a gray level mapping curve responsive to the gray level statistic data. An inter-frame curve soft-merging circuit performs inter-frame soft-merging to the gray level mapping curve. And a gray level mapping circuit performs gray level mapping of the input image brightness signal.
US07844110B2

A method and apparatus for receiving image data obtained by capturing an image. The image data is compared with a prescribed criterion for judging whether the image includes a prescribed part of a human, and a part of the image including the prescribed part of the human with a matching degree with respect to the criterion is extracted. The extracted part of the image is corrected in accordance with the matching degree to obtain corrected image data.
US07844107B2

Disclosed is a stereo image matching method for re-creating 3-dimensional spatial information from a pair of 2-dimensional images. The conventional stereo image matching method generates much noise from a disparity value in the vertical direction, but the present invention uses disparity information of adjacent image lines as a constraint condition to eliminate the noise in the vertical direction, and compress the disparity by using a differential coding method to thereby increase a compression rate.
US07844102B2

A sensing apparatus includes a reference voltage generation circuit for generating a first and a second reference signals having different constant voltage levels, an A/D conversion circuit having a ring-gate-delay circuit, and a correction circuit for correcting an output value of the A/D conversion circuit. The A/D conversion circuit converts a load signal and the first and second reference signals to digital data based on the number of times a pulse signal input to the ring-gate-delay circuit circulates through the ring-gate-delay circuit. The correction circuit corrects the output value based on a ratio of a first difference between the digital data to a second difference between the digital data.
US07844101B2

Grain size variations within a copper film are quantified by analyzing an SEM image of a portion of the copper film, determining an approximate total length of grain boundaries within the SEM image, and calculating a grain boundary density based on the approximate total length of the grain boundaries and the area of the copper film represented in the SEM image. The calculated grain boundary density allows for correlating plating and anneal process parameters, as well as electrical and reliability performance.
US07844100B2

A method for inspecting a sample, consisting of receiving a definition of image attributes that are characteristic of defects, and processing an image of the sample so as to identify candidate defects on the sample. The method further includes forming distributions of values of the respective attributes from the candidate defects, and selecting a set of the candidate defects that are characterized by respective candidate attribute values that fall in one or more tails of the distributions. The selected set is presented to a human operator, and respective classifications of the candidate defects in the selected set are received from the operator. A definition of the one or more tails of the distributions is refined responsively to the classifications. The method may be used as a filter to remove false alarms, or nuisances. The method may also be used to categorize the candidate defects into two or more classes.
US07844096B2

A method and system for spatially localized, noise-adaptive smoothing of filtered back-projection (FBP) nuclear images includes smoothing a FBP image on a pixel-by-pixel basis using a shift-invariant kernel such as a Gaussian kernel. The width of the kernel may be varied on a pixel basis, such that the smoothed image contains a constant SNR over the entire image.
US07844092B2

A method and systems for capturing digital intra-oral images, while automatically determining a location of an intra-oral sensor placed within a mouth of a patient, is disclosed. A spatial frame-of-reference is established with respect to teeth within the mouth of the patient. An intra-oral digital imaging sensor is placed within the mouth of the patient adjacent to at least one tooth within the mouth that is to be imaged using the intra-oral sensor. Spatial location information is automatically generated such that the spatial location information defines how the intra-oral sensor is placed with respect to the spatial frame-of-reference. A digital image of at least one tooth is acquired using the intra-oral sensor and the spatial location information is automatically associated with the acquired digital image. The associated spatial location information may be used to automatically correlate the acquired image to a tooth or teeth within the mouth and/or to automatically orient the acquired image for display.
US07844087B2

A method of segmenting a lesion (910) from normal anatomy in a 3-dimensional image comprising the steps of: receiving an initial set of voxels (520) that are contained within the lesion to be segmented; growing a region which includes the lesion from the initial set of voxels; identifying a second set of voxels (530) on a surface of the normal anatomy; determining a surface containing the second set of voxels which demarks a boundary (540) between the lesion and the normal anatomy; and classifying voxels which are part of the lesion.
US07844084B2

A method of comparing a test iris image with a candidate iris image comprises generating test and candidate lists representative of measured image values along respective curves around the pupils. Treating these list as periodic, a relative displacement is calculated at which one list best matches the other list. This determines the amount of rotation required for best match of the iris images. The method may be used either alone or in combination with other identity verification systems.
US07844070B2

Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along with primary audio signals.
US07844069B2

A microphone mounting system for an acoustic, stringed instrument that places the microphone in sufficient proximity to the instrument sound hole to capture the warmth and tone of the instrument while assisting in feedback control, and without altering or damaging the finish or structure of the instrument. The system includes a grip, such as a corrugated plastic tube, attached to a microphone and wedged into the instrument sound bole to be held in place through frictional engagement. The microphone is connected to an instrument cable coupler, clamped to the side of the instrument, which is then connected to a sound amplification system.
US07844063B2

Hearing aids with microphone and telephone coil are to be made simpler and more convenient. For this purpose it is provided to use an adaptive filter to compensate acoustic and electromagnetic feedback. In order to allow for the propagation delay differences, a delay element is connected downstream of the telephone coil. The microphone and telephone coil signals can be individually weighted with the factors a and b so that mixed mode is also possible.
US07844058B2

A hearing aid device for processing an input sound signal via a microphone so as to output a sound signal from an earphone comprises a signal processing element, a couple of acoustic nerve excitation pattern calculation elements, a couple of acoustic filter shape memory elements, a comparison element, a correction processing element, etc. The couple of acoustic nerve excitation pattern calculation elements calculate acoustic nerve excitation patterns of a normal hearing person and a hearing impaired person based on an output signal of the signal processing element and acoustic filter shapes of the normal hearing person and the hearing impaired person which are stored in the couple of acoustic filter shape memory elements. Each of the acoustic nerve excitation patterns is compared via the comparison element. Then, the correction processing element corrects the input sound signal such that the acoustic nerve excitation pattern of the hearing impaired person is identical with the acoustic nerve excitation pattern of the normal hearing person, so as to generate an output sound signal.
US07844046B2

Method for generating a telephone number in a device comprising at least a display for presenting a first character string. At least one second character string (1) containing a telephone number is selected from the first character string presented on the display, and a telephone number (2), which is signalled is searched for from said character string. The invention also relates to a device, a computer program and a software product implementing the method.
US07844027B2

System and method for XRD-based false alarm resolution in computed tomography (“CT”) threat detection systems. Following a scan of an object with a megavoltage CT-based threat detection system, a suspicious area in the object is identified. The three dimensional position of the suspicious area is used to determine a ray path for the XRD-based threat detection system that provides minimal X-ray attenuation. The object is then positioned for XRD scanning of the suspicious area along this determined ray path. The XRD-based threat detection system is configured to detect high density metals (“HDMs) as well as shielded Special Nuclear Materials (“SNMs”) based on cubic or non-cubic diffraction profiles.
US07844024B2

A method of suppressing deposition of radionuclides on components of a nuclear power plant comprises forming a ferrite film by contacting a first chemical including iron (II) ions, a second chemical for oxidizing the iron (II) ions to iron (III) ions, and a third chemical for adjusting the pH of a processing solution containing a mixture of the first and second chemicals to be 5.5 to 9.0 with the metal member surface in a time period from a finishing stage in decontamination step of removing contaminants formed on the surface of metal member composing the nuclear power plant, and suppressing deposition of radionuclides on the metal member by the ferrite film.
US07844023B2

A system for use with a multi-phase clock generator is disclosed. It should also be understood that the multiphase clock generator can be a phase lock loop (PLL), delay lock loop (DLL), or any other circuit capable of providing a multiphase clock. The system comprises at least two phase detectors coupled to the multi-phase clock generator for receiving component clock signals of the multi-phase clock generator, wherein at least some of the component clock signals are offset from each other in phase. Each of the phase detectors detects phase differences between pairs of component clock signals. The system includes a summer coupled to the at least two phase detectors for measuring the phase differences between the at least two phase detectors. The system includes at least one variable delay element for receiving the measured phase difference and for providing a delay which is proportional to an output value of the summer. The delay is used to reduce the phase differences.
US07844019B2

A method and a timing recovery system for generating a set of clock signals in a system which includes a set of subsystems. Each of the subsystems includes an analog section. The set of clock signals includes a set of sampling clock signals. Each of the analog sections operates in accordance with a corresponding one of the sampling clock signals. For each of the sampling clock signals, a phase error is generated from a corresponding phase detector. The phase errors are filtered by a set of corresponding loop filters. The filtered phase errors are provided to a set of corresponding oscillators to generate phase control signals. The phase control signals are provided to a set of corresponding phase selectors to generate the sampling clock signals.
US07844015B2

A method and system for calibrating a quadrature modulator. The method includes: determining a set of sideband calibration frequencies; for each sideband calibration frequency out of the set of sideband calibration frequencies: inputting an input signal having the sideband calibration frequency to the quadrature modulator; measuring a sideband signal power level; determining at least one calibration parameter in response to phase and gain imbalances expected at the measured sideband signal power level.
US07844011B2

An apparatus and method for improving a symbol error rate of an M-ary phase shift keying (M-PSK) system having a quadrature error are provided. The apparatus includes: a conversion parameter detector that detects a conversion parameter and converts a symbol decision region using the quadrature error and at least one pair of first received symbols; and a converter & determiner converting a pair of second received symbols using the detected conversion parameter, and determining a transmission symbol according to a symbol of the converted pair of second received symbols. An increase in a symbol error rate due to the quadrature error can be prevented and the quadrature error can be easily estimated.
US07844010B2

A method includes receiving at least two space-time coded signals from an antenna system associated with a first station, determining complex channel state information based on the received space-time coded signals, and sending the complex channel state information to the first station. In an alternative embodiment, a method includes transmitting at least two space-time coded signals in respective beams of a multi-beam antenna array, measuring a channel impulse response for each space-time coded signal at a second station, and sending an indicia of a selected set of least attenuated signals from the second station to the first station. The multi-beam antenna array is associated with a first station. The beams transmit a signature code embedded in each respective space-time coded signal, and the signature codes are orthogonal so that the second station can separate and measure the channel impulse response corresponding to each space-time coded signal.
US07844004B2

One inventive aspect relates to a method of estimating carrier frequency offset introduced on an RF multicarrier signal received via a transmission channel on a direct downconversion analog receiver. The method comprises generating a preamble comprising at least one set of training symbols. The method further comprises transmitting the preamble to the receiver. The method further comprises determining a carrier frequency offset estimate from the received preamble by an estimation method which has a higher precision for a first range of carrier frequency offset values and a lower precision for a second range of carrier frequency offset values. The method further comprises introducing a predetermined artificial carrier frequency offset on at least one set of training symbols, the predetermined artificial carrier frequency offset being chosen for shifting the carrier frequency offset of that set of training symbols to the first range.
US07844002B2

A real-time MPEG video coding system with information look-ahead for constant bit rate (CBR) applications, such as, for example, Video-on-Demand (VoD) over ADSL. This scheme employs two MPEG encoders. The second encoder has a buffer to delay the input by an amount of time relative to the first encoder to create a look-ahead window. In encoding, the first encoder collects the information of statistics and rate-quality characteristics. An on-line information processor then uses the collected information to derive the best coding strategy for the second encoder to encode the incoming frames in the look-ahead window. The second encoder uses the encoding parameters from the processor as the coding guide to execute the coding strategy and generate the final bitstream.
US07844001B2

A method for decoding a compressed image stream, the image stream having a plurality of frames, each frame consisting of a merged image including pixels from a left image and pixels from a right image. The method involves the steps of receiving each merged image; changing a clock domain from the original input signal to an internal domain; for each merged image, placing at least two adjacent pixels into an input buffer and interpolating an intermediate pixel, for forming a reconstructed left frame and a reconstructed right frame according to provenance of the adjacent pixels; and reconstructing a stereoscopic image stream from the left and right image frames. The invention also teaches a system for decoding a compressed image stream.
US07844000B2

A method of enchancing a video bit stream using temporal scalability, wherein the number of bits or a temporal position of a bidirectionally predicted picture in an enhancement layer is determined with reference to a corresponding characteristic of pictures in another layer of layers, such as a base layer, of the video bit stream and the peak signal to noise ration of the B picture is matched to that of the pictures in the layer below. By endeavouring to align the characteristics of the bidirectionally predicted picture or pictures with the existing picture or pictures in the lower layer or layers, and improved video sequence can be encoded and decoded for viewing by a user.
US07843996B2

A video encoding apparatus includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07843994B2

To provide a moving picture stream generation apparatus and the like that generates a moving picture stream that can be played back in trick-play such as variable-speed playback and reverse playback even in a Coding format such as the MPEG-4 AVC in which flexible prediction structures are allowed. A moving picture stream generation apparatus includes: a trick-play information generation unit TricPlay for generating supplemental information on a random access unit basis, the supplemental information being referred to at the time of playback of each random access Unit and each random access unit including one or more pictures; and a variable length coding unit VLC for generating a stream including the generated supplemental information and the one or more pictures by adding the supplemental information to each corresponding random access unit.
US07843992B2

In one embodiment, a circuit is provided that includes: an impulse generator operable to provide a pulse train; a pulse position modulator having a splitting junction configured to receive the pulse train, the pulse position modulator including a plurality of n transmission lines, wherein n is an integer, the n transmission lines being selectably coupled in parallel between the splitting junction and a combining junction, the impulse generator driving each transmission line having a unique delay such that if the transmission line is selected, each pulse received at the splitting junction is uniquely delayed into a delayed pulse, whereby if all the transmission lines are selected, each pulse received at the splitting junction is uniquely delayed into a corresponding plurality of n delayed pulses; and a controller operable to select the transmission lines responsive to received words of n bits in length, each word arranged from a first bit to an nth bit, and wherein the transmission lines are arranged from a first transmission line to an nth transmission line corresponding to the bits in the received words such that a given bit in a received word controls the selection of the corresponding transmission line.
US07843989B2

A method for embedding a first signal in the coding of a second signal is described. A value of the first signal is determined. A codebook based on the value of the first signal is generated. A second signal is encoded using a codeword from the generated codebook. The encoded second signal is modulated into a plurality of symbols, wherein the symbols are distributed according to the value of the first signal. The modulated symbols are inserted into one or more time slots of a sequence.
US07843983B2

In an element wherein a plurality of ridges (16, 36) are arranged in parallel, supports (17, 37) are formed to sandwich each of the ridges (16, 36). More specifically, on an outer side of the ridge (16) in the element, the first support (17a) is formed, and on an inner side in the element, the second support (17b) is formed. On an outer side of the ridge (36) in the element, the first support (37a) is formed, and on an inner side in the element, the second support (37b) is formed. Thus, even when a resist is applied on an element surface and spin-coating is performed at the time of manufacturing the element, the resist on the inner side than the ridges (16, 36) in the element can be prevented from flowing into a groove between the ridges to a certain extent by means of the second supports (17b, 37b), and a resist film thickness on the inner sides of the ridges (16, 36) in the element can be prevented from being considerably small compared with that on the outer sides in the element.
US07843970B2

A technique for detecting a physical random access channel (PRACH) signal includes demasking a received signal with a demasking signal. In this case, the demasking removes a PRACH root index component from the received signal. A fast Fourier transform is performed on the demasked received signal to provide a time-domain signal. At least three peaks of the time-domain signal from all antennas are then power combined. Finally, a determination is made as to whether a preamble index for the PRACH signal matches a known preamble index based on an output power of the time-domain signal at the at least three peaks.
US07843969B2

A system and processes create a transport stream carrying several encapsulated contents, watermarks, and other ancillary data. The transport stream is re-multiplexed while keeping synchronous and deterministic operation. Synchronous deterministic operation allow each derived transport stream to be broadcasted in Single Frequency Networks, as all re-multiplexers have the same signal at the input and selecting the same content generates exactly the same stream in multiple locations.
US07843967B2

Techniques for multiple protocol cross layer customized QoS propagation and mapping are described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, a first QoS code of a packet is determined, the packet having a first encapsulation layer and a second encapsulation layer, the first QoS code being included within the first encapsulation of the packet. From application of a first cross layer QoS map to the first QoS code, determining that the second encapsulation layer of the packet should be used in determining a QoS classification. The reference point to the second encapsulation layer is stored. The QoS classification is determined with use of the reference point. A representation of the QoS classification is stored in a QoS descriptor and the QoS descriptor is used to influence processing of the packet. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07843964B1

A method and apparatus for providing a method to enable subscribers of broadband access services, such as Digital Subscriber Loop based or Cable based broadband access services, to dynamically reconfigure their access arrangements as a function of the bandwidth usage of subscribers are disclosed. The present invention provides a method for broadband service providers to dynamically adjust access bandwidth allocation for subscribers by monitoring access bandwidth usage by subscribers and dynamically adjust the needed access bandwidth for the subscribers accordingly.
US07843958B2

Resolving a Layer 3 address includes maintaining an address resolution table at each slave processor of a number of slave processors. The slave processors have a master processor, and the master processor and the slave processors are associated with a unified address. An address resolution table includes one or more Layer 2-Layer 3 address mappings. An address resolution request requesting a Layer 2 address corresponding to a Layer 3 address is sent from a slave processor. The address resolution request uses the unified address. An address resolution response comprising the Layer 2 address is received at the master processor. The master processor sends the response to the slaves.
US07843953B2

A network control device that has a packet filtering unit for implementing packet filtering based on prescribed information in a header of a received packet, which includes: a position designating unit that designates a prescribed comparison position in a higher level protocol header to the header of the received packet; and an additional determination unit that implements pattern matching filtering by comparing data at the comparison position designated by the position designating unit with preset data.
US07843946B2

At an ingress interface of a data network first information data are generated, at an egress interface of the data network second information data are generated, correction data are generated on the basis of the second information data, and at the egress interface a clock frequency is recovered on the basis of the first information data and the correction data.
US07843943B2

The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for bandwidth contention differentiation comprising: determining a service type of a bandwidth request, setting a priority of the bandwidth request based on the determined service type, and providing contention differentiation based on the set priority.
US07843941B2

A communication system includes: communication terminals; and a server that can connect to and communicate with the communication terminals, wherein: the server including: a first communication section that communicates with the communication terminals; a storage section that stores a plurality of connection patterns each of which indicates timings at which the communication terminal will access the server; a pattern selection section that selects one of the connection patterns from the storage section; and a first control section that controls the first communication section to transmit the connection pattern selected by the pattern selection section to the communication terminal the first communication section connects to; and the communication terminal including: a second communication section that communicates with the server; and a second control section that controls the second communication section to connect to the server at timing indicated in the connection pattern received by the second communication section.
US07843929B2

A system and method for routing in a high-radix network. A packet is received and examined to determine if the packet can be routed adaptively. If the packet can be routed adaptively, the packet is routed adaptively, wherein routing adaptively includes selecting a column, computing a column mask, routing the packet to the column; and selecting an output port as a function of the column mask. If the packet can be routed deterministically, routing deterministically, wherein routing deterministically includes accessing a routing table to obtain an output port and routing the packet to the output port from the routing table.
US07843922B1

In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus. The apparatus includes a framer to receive packets, to determine a type associated with received packets, to pass data packets to a network processor, and to pass control packets to a host processor. The apparatus also includes a processor coupled to the framer to control the framer.
US07843918B2

In one embodiment, an autoroute filter list may be configured with a list of traffic identifiers. Accordingly, at a tunnel head-end node, an autoroute operation may be performed to configure the routing of all traffic in a network onto an appropriate tunnel except for traffic identified in the autoroute filter list.
US07843904B2

A method, server and terminal for providing a Voice Call Continuity (VCC) service, are discussed. According to an embodiment, the terminal includes a storage unit to store operator policy information and user preference information, the user preference information including domain selection information specifying a user-preferred domain to be used when originating the outgoing call from the terminal, the operator policy information including domain selection information specifying a network-preferred domain to be used when originating the outgoing call from the terminal; and a controller to perform a domain selection for the outgoing call based on the user preference information or the operator policy information, depending on precedence information.
US07843901B2

A method of operating a network server, such as a mobile application gateway, connect devices on a cellular or carrier network with individual networks, such as enterprise voice and data networks or residential networks. The effects of the present invention are far reaching in terms of transferring effective call control from the cellular network into the control of the individual network, such as the enterprise, and enabling new business models for the purchase of cellular service from a public cellular carrier by an enterprise.
US07843893B2

The present invention provides a system and method that mitigates audio interference before and/or during an audio session, and in particular, when a high quality audio session is desired. The system includes an audio component that determines whether an audio session is to commence and a control component that interfaces with the audio component and reduces activity associated with a subset of a plurality of computer components that may interfere with the audio session. The system may also include at least one power management system to facilitate reducing power consumption and activity of the computer component(s). The method involves determining that an audio session is desired and switching one or more computer components to a minimal interference mode prior to commencing the audio session. The method may also involve calling at least on API to facilitate the switching of the computer component(s).
US07843884B2

A method and system is provided for transmitting information from a mobile computer to a server utilizing point-to-point protocol (PPP). The system enables a PPP session to be maintained between a mobile user device and a PPP termination device. A Mobile IP address is assigned to customer premise equipment (CPE) associated with the user device, e.g., a PC. The CPE includes a Mobile IP Mobile Node and L2TP access concentrator (LAC). The Mobile IP address is registered with a Home Agent. The PC initiates a PPP session to the LAC, which initiates an L2TP session to an L2TP Network Server (LNS) via a tunnel between the Home Agent and the a Foreign Agent. The Mobile IP Mobile Node registers with the Home Agent each time it detects a new base station. Thus, the Home Agent is informed of the new location to forward IP packets for the mobile computer.
US07843865B2

A system, method, and article of manufacture for controlling home network devices using a multicast enabled remote control. The system includes a plurality of home network devices capable of receiving and/or transmitting multicast input and/or output signals and a home gateway to receive audio/video signals generated outside of the home and to transform the audio/video signals into multicast output signals. The system also includes a multicast enabled remote control to detect, aggregate, store and display all audio/video multicast output signals on the multicast enabled remote control, to enable a user to redirect an audio/video multicast output signal to one or more of the plurality of home network devices capable of receiving multicast input signals, and to control the plurality of home network devices capable of receiving and/or transmitting multicast input and/or output signals.
US07843861B2

Method, system, and computer program product for enabling dynamic creation of a coalition of multiplexed ad hoc networks to form larger ad hoc networks for service provisioning, in which multiplexers can be connected together in either a hierarchical structure or a parallel structure. Includes method, system, and computer program product for forming an ad hoc network composed of a multiplexer coupling a borrower to at least one lender and forming a coalition composed of the ad hoc network and at least one other multiplexer.
US07843851B2

In a multi-layer transport network, a method and related control plane allow automatic provisioning of a client layer connection (31, 32, 33, 24, 34, 35) over at least one server layer connection (11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 14, 15, 16, 25, 26) by selecting a path through the transport network taking into account free resources of existing server layer connections (14, 15, 16, 25) and additionally taking into account free resources in the transport network, where no server layer connections exist so far. The selection is based on a cost calculation which takes into account a cost value per link and further takes into account an additional cost value for links on which no available server layer connection exist so far. Eventually, the path having the lowest overall cost is selected. Server layer connections (11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 26) on links along said selected path where no server layer connection with free resources exists so far are then established and used to set up the requested client layer (31, 32, 33, 24, 34, 35) connection.
US07843842B2

A method for initiating a remote trace route includes establishing a communication session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint. The method also includes detecting at the first endpoint a quality impairment in a communication sent from the second endpoint. In response to detecting the quality impairment, the method includes sending a request from the first endpoint to the second endpoint for the second endpoint to initiate a trace route from the second endpoint to the first endpoint. Upon receiving the request at the second endpoint, the method includes initiating a trace route from the second endpoint to the first endpoint.
US07843839B2

A transmission apparatus includes: a plurality of signal transmission circuits on a transmission path; a monitoring unit that detects a fault by monitoring an operating status of each of the signal transmission circuits; a controlling unit that outputs a reset instruction when the monitoring unit detects the fault; and an individual resetting unit that receives the reset instruction and resets individually each of the signal transmission circuits.
US07843836B2

Systems, methods and computer program products for controlling high-speed network traffic in server blade environments. Exemplary embodiments include a method for controlling high-speed network traffic in a server blade network, the method including identifying a port under test, identifying a debug port, identifying a code state of interest from the port under test and generating a modified IDLE word in response to an identification of a code state of interest from the port under test.
US07843835B2

A system and method of monitoring Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) and facsimile over Internet Protocol (FoIP) calling over the Internet includes compiling information about each call after the call is terminated. By compiling information about each of the calls immediately after they are terminated, the system can quickly generate billing reports. The system can also quickly react to developing problems.
US07843833B2

Methods that enable the detection and handling of lost messages during load-balancing routing protocols are disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, when a candidate intermediate node N receives a routing-protocol message, node N performs: (1) a first procedure that is capable of detecting some lost routing-protocol messages that were previously transmitted by node N, and (2) a second procedure that is capable of detecting some lost routing-protocol messages that were previously transmitted by a neighbor of node N.
US07843830B1

Apparatus and methods for epoch retransmission in a packet network device are described. In at least one embodiment, epoch receivers check received epoch data for errors. When an error is detected, a receiver is allowed to request that the entire epoch be retransmitted. All epoch senders retain transmitted epoch data until the time for requesting a retransmission of that data is past. If retransmission is requested by any receiver, the epoch is “replayed.” This approach mitigates the problem of dropping multiple packets (bundled in a large epoch) due to an intraswitch error with the epoch. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US07843823B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed for balancing throughput and compression in a network communication system. A message is received. A first compression mechanism is applied to the message to generate a first compressed message, where applying the first compression mechanism comprises gathering compression information. Based on the compression information, a compression metric associated with the first compressed message is computed. The compression metric is compared to a threshold value. A second compression mechanism is applied to the first compressed message to generate a second compressed message only when the compression metric does not exceed the threshold value. The second compressed message is then transmitted.
US07843816B1

A method for processing high priority packets and low priority packets in a network device includes performing arbitration on high priority packets until no high priority packets remain. Arbitration then is enabled on low priority packets. A packet size associated with the selected low priority packet is compared with a programmable threshold. Low priority packets are excluded from subsequent arbitration for a programmable duration when the packet size exceeds the programmable threshold.
US07843815B2

Time-varying latency is estimated based on the round-trip time between the time of sending a message and the time of receiving an acknowledgement of receipt of the message. The round-trip time relative to a transmitter is modeled as a combination of known, or determinable, delays, plus an unknown latency, plus a processing/acknowledgement delay at the receiver. The estimated time-varying latency is further refined to give more weight to estimates based on fewer unknowns or a lesser magnitude of unknowns, and to impose physical constraints, such as assuring that the estimate does not imply an unrealizable event. TCP-specific constraints and assumptions are also applied to further refine the latency estimates.
US07843807B2

Mesh access point fault reporting. In particular implementations, a method includes receiving a fault indication indicating one or more failures; collecting fault data related to the one or more failures or a state of the mesh access point; and passing the fault data to the RFID tag, which wirelessly transmits messages relating to the fault.
US07843803B2

To provide an orthogonal frequency division multiplex modem circuit which can multiplex signals, whose bit rates and QoS are different from one another, and can transmit the signals via one OFDM line. A serial/parallel converter converts input signals into a complex parallel signal respectively, and a sub carrier and a modulation system are assigned every communication channel. A randomizer changes the alignment sequence of the signal, a discrete inverse Fourier transformer processes the signal, a parallel/serial converter converts the signal into a serial signal, and a transmitter performs the orthogonal modulation of the signal to output the signal from an antenna. A receiver performs orthogonal demodulation of the signal received with an antenna, a serial/parallel converter converts the signal into a parallel signal, and a discrete Fourier transformer processes the parallel signal. In addition, a de-randomizer restores the alignment sequence of the subcarriers into the original condition, and a parallel/serial converter decodes and outputs the signal.
US07843797B2

An optical information storage medium includes a lead-in area, a user data zone in which user data is recorded, and a lead-out area. Write protection information is recorded in at least one of the lead-in area and the lead-out area, together with defect management information. Information is recorded and/or reproduced according to the defect management information and the write protection information. The write protection information indicates a size of a write protected area differentiated from a plurality of sizes of write protected areas of the optical information storage medium.
US07843792B2

There is provided an objective lens including a first optical member and a second optical member which are made of materials different from each other and are cemented together at a cementing surface. The cementing surface includes a first phase shift structure having a plurality of refractive surface zones concentrically formed about an optical axis of the objective lens. The first phase shift structure satisfies conditions (1) and (2): 0.85<Φ2/Φ1<1.15  (1) 0.10<|(Φ3−Φ2)/Φ1|<0.50  (2) where Φ1=m(λ1)×(λ1/(n2(λ1)−n1(λ1))), Φ2=m(λ2)×(λ2/(n2(λ2)−n1(λ2))), Φ3=m(λ3)×(λ3/(n2(λ3)−n1(λ3))), m(λ1), m(λ2), and m(λ3) are diffraction orders at which diffraction efficiencies of the first through third light beams are maximized, respectively, n1 (λ1), n1 (λ2), and n1 (λ3) are refractive indexes of the first optical member, respectively, and n2 (λ1), n2 (λ2), and n2 (λ3) are refractive indexes of the second optical member, respectively.
US07843788B2

An optical recording medium driving device includes an optical head, an evaluation signal generating section, a focus servo section, a spherical aberration correction section, a focus bias adjuster, and a system controller. The optical head has a focus servo mechanism and a spherical aberration correction mechanism, irradiates a laser light, and detects a reflected light. The evaluation signal generating section generates, based on the reflected light, an evaluation signal. The focus servo section drives the focus servo mechanism according to a focus error signal to perform focus servo. The spherical aberration correction section drives the spherical aberration correction mechanism to perform spherical aberration correction. The focus bias adjuster adds focus bias to a focus loop. The system controller performs an operation for setting an adjustment spherical aberration correction value.
US07843782B1

A system for increasing storage capacity of an optical medium includes a demodulator module and a writing module. The demodulator module demodulates a wobble signal having a wobble period of N channel bits, has a demodulating period of M channel bits, and generates a phase error signal, where N and M are integers greater than 1, and M is greater than N. The writing module writes M bits on the optical medium during the wobble period of the N channel bits based on the phase error signal.
US07843773B2

A contents playback apparatus includes a tubular casing, a contents playback unit disposed in the casing, an operation element rotatably disposed around the casing and axially movably disposed on the casing, a magnet disposed on the operation element, a plurality of Hall devices disposed in the casing for detecting a density of magnetic fluxes from the magnet in a contactless fashion, and a controller for determining a position of the operation element based on the density of magnetic fluxes detected by the Hall devices upon movement of the operation element, and controlling the contents playback unit to play back contents depending on the determined position of the operation element.
US07843757B2

A semiconductor memory device having banks includes an address input path selection circuit in each of the banks, the address input path selection circuit including a signal input unit configured to selectively activate a Y-address input enable signal in response to a bank-specific read/write signal, and a latch unit configured to latch the Y-address input enable signal. The address input path selection circuit reduces circuit area by reducing delay elements and prevents malfunction by operating only in a bank active state.
US07843737B2

The reading device enables a non-volatile memory consisting of a matrix of memory cells (TM) to be read. Once the memory cells have been selected to be read in a read cycle controlled by a microprocessor unit, sense amplifiers (4) activated at the start of each cycle supply a binary data word (dx) representing the reading of the selected memory cells. The reading device also comprises time-lag means (3, MF, TF, Cgap) activated at the start of each read cycle. These time-lag means supply a reference signal (rd_mon) that controls the read time of the cells selected independently of the microprocessor unit. This read time is determined so that it is sufficient for reading all the valid data of the selected memory cells in each read cycle.
US07843735B2

Methods, devices, modules, and systems for operating memory cells are taught. A method for operating memory cells includes programming at least one of the memory cells to one of a number of states. The method also includes programming at least another one of the memory cells, which is adjacent to the programmed at least one of the memory cells, to one of a different number of states. The method further includes sensing non-erased states of the memory cell's using at least one common voltage level.
US07843733B2

Flash memory devices are provided including a plurality of layers stacked vertically. Each of the plurality of layers include a plurality of memory cells. A row decoder is electrically coupled to the plurality of layers and configured to supply a wordline voltage to the plurality of layers. Memory cells provided in at least two layers of the plurality of layers belong to a same memory block and wordlines associated with the memory cells in the at least two layers of the plurality of layers are electrically coupled.
US07843728B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device capable of storing a plurality of bits of data in one memory cell by assigning multivalued data having a higher-order bit selected from one of a pair of data in a first unit and a lower-order bit selected from the other of the pair of data to each threshold voltage of the memory cell, wherein in a first write operation that processes data in the first unit, the logic of one of the higher-order bit and the lower-order bit is fixed, and two pieces of multivalued data that maximize the difference between the threshold voltages are assigned, thereby storing one bit of input data in the one memory cell in a pseudo binary state, and in a second write operation that processes data in a second unit larger than the first unit, a plurality of bits of input data is stored in the one memory cell in a multivalued state, and parity data for error correction in the second unit is stored in the memory cell.
US07843721B1

A memory device including a static random access memory (SRAM) cell comprising junction field effect transistors (JFETs) has been disclosed. The memory cell includes a first bipolar junction transistor (BJT) for driving a bit line at logic levels having a potential outside the potential range in which the SRAM cell operates. An amplifier including a level translator circuit provides a level shifting operation on the data provided by the bit line to provide level shifted data having a voltage swing within the potential range in which the SRAM cell operates. The level translator circuit includes a second BJT. In this way, fast read operation of a SRAM cell comprising JFETs may be provided.
US07843719B2

A magnetic shift register memory includes at least a magnetic memory track, in which multiple domain walls separate the memory track into multiple magnetic domains to serve as magnetic memory cells. A fixed number of the magnetic memory cells forms a memory unit to store a burst data. A read/write device is implemented between the memory units to read or write the burst data to the magnetic memory cells passing the read/write device. A flag unit records a flag value for each memory track or each memory unit to indicate whether the burst data is located at a first side or a second side of the read/write device. A current unit provides an operation current to the magnetic memory track according to the flag value to move the domain walls to pass the read/write device. After the read/write device reads or writes the burst data, the flag value is updated.
US07843716B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes a stack-type memory cell array, a selection circuit and a read circuit. The memory cell array includes multiple memory cell layers and a reference cell layer, which are vertically laminated. Each of the memory cell layers includes multiple nonvolatile memory cells for storing data, and the reference cell layer includes multiple reference cells for storing reference data. The selection circuit selects a nonvolatile memory cell from the memory cell layers and at least one reference cell, corresponding to the selected nonvolatile memory cell, from the reference cell layer. The read circuit supplies a read bias to the selected nonvolatile memory cell and the selected reference cell corresponding to the selected nonvolatile memory cell, and reads data from the selected nonvolatile memory cell.
US07843713B2

When the three U-, V-, W-phase arms of a DC/DC converter are turned on, they are alternately turned on by gate drive signals. When the U-, V-, W-phase arms are alternately turned on, an upper arm switching device of the U-phase arm, for example, is turned on, and thereafter a lower arm switching device of the U-phase arm is turned on. Thereafter, an upper arm switching device of the V-phase arm which is next to the U-phase arm is turned on, and thereafter a lower arm switching device of the V-phase arm is turned on. The upper and lower arm switching devices are thus turned on in a rotation switching process.
US07843707B2

The configurations of a non-contact power supply and a coupling detection method thereof are provided. The proposed non-contact power supply includes a detachable transformer including a primary side, a current sensor coupled to the primary side and sensing a primary side current and a controller coupled to the current sensor, receiving the current and determining whether the power supply is under a coupling status according to the current.
US07843703B2

According to one embodiment, a multilayer printed circuit board having a plurality of wiring layers and an electronic component mounted thereon, includes a spiral wire including a path in a substantial spiral shape configured with a printed wire section of a substantial loop shape provided on each of at least two wiring layers of the plurality of wiring layers, and a plug provided on each wiring layer arranged between a top wiring layer which is a wiring layer on a top on which the printed wire section of a substantial loop shape is provided and a bottom wiring layer which is a wiring layer on a bottom on which the printed wire section of a substantial loop shape is provided.
US07843702B2

Disclosed herein is a printed circuit board having an RF module power stage circuit embedded therein. Specifically, this invention relates to a printed circuit board having an RF module power stage circuit embedded therein, in which a terminal pad for a resistor, a bead, or an inductor is defined or formed on a power supply plane of a multilayered wired board to connect the resistor, the bead, or the inductor to the power supply plane, and the resistor, the bead, or the inductor is connected in parallel with a decoupling capacitor by using a via hole or by embedding the resistor, the bead or the inductor perpendicular to the power supply plane, thus decreasing the size of the RF module and improving the performance thereof.
US07843695B2

An apparatus includes a plurality of islands each carrying multiple cantilevers. The apparatus also includes a fluidic network having a plurality of channels separating the islands. The channels are configured to provide fluid to the islands, and the fluid at least partially fills spaces between the cantilevers and the islands. Heat from the islands vaporizes the fluid filling the spaces between the cantilevers and the islands to transfer the heat away from the islands while driving the cantilevers into oscillation. The apparatus may also include a casing configured to surround the islands and the fluidic network to create a vapor chamber, where the vapor chamber is configured to retain the vaporized fluid. The islands and the fluidic network could be formed in a single substrate, or the islands could be separate and attached together by a binder located within the channels of the fluidic network.
US07843669B2

A magnetoresistance effect element comprises a magnetoresistance effect film and a pair of electrode. The magnetoresistance effect film having a first magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is substantially pinned in one direction; a second magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field; a nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the first and second magnetic layers; and a film provided in the first magnetic layer, in the second magnetic layer, at a interface between the first magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and/or at a interface between the second magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, the film having a thickness not larger than 3 nanometers, and the film has as least one selected from the group consisting of nitride, oxinitride, phosphide, and fluoride. The pair of electrodes are electrically connected to the magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film.
US07843662B1

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a first disk surface and a second disk surface, wherein the first disk surface comprises a plurality of concentric servo sectors extending across substantially an entire radius of the first disk surface. The concentric servo sectors are read across substantially the entire radius of the first disk surface using the first head to generate a read signal. The read signal is processed to generate a position error signal (PES) representing a radial location of the first head relative to the first disk surface. The PES is processed to generate a control signal applied to the VCM to move the second head radially over the second disk surface while writing a spiral servo track on the second disk surface.
US07843661B2

One illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a device. The device is configured to evaluate a Gray code value and to provide compensation for error in the Gray code value. Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a method. The method includes comparing Gray code information with servo information. The method also includes evaluating error in the Gray code information based on the comparison between the Gray code information with servo information. Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a data storage system. The data storage system includes a data storage medium, a head, and a controller. The head is controllably positionable relative to the data storage medium. The controller includes a means for sensing position information from the head. The controller also includes a means for compensating for error in the position information, to position the head relative to the data storage medium. Embodiments of the present invention provide unforeseen and inventive advantages over conventional data storage systems, including by assuring superior position evaluation and control of a read head relative to a data storage medium.
US07843647B2

Providing an imaging apparatus capable of efficiently using effective pixels of a solid-state imaging device, and securing excellent peripheral light quantity of an image even upon vibration reduction. The imaging apparatus comprising: a high zoom ratio zoom lens 2 including, in order from the object, a first positive group, a second negative group, a third group, a fourth group, and a fifth group, upon zooming the first through fourth groups are moved along an optical axis; an imaging device capturing an image formed by the lens 2; a detector detecting variation in an image position; a driver moving the imaging device substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis; a controller controlling the driver for correcting variation in the image position; and a shield with an aperture for limiting bundle of rays incident on the periphery of the most object side lens in the lens 2; and given condition is satisfied.
US07843622B2

An active optical filter transmits or blocks light according to whether or not a magnetic field is applied, and functions as an optical filter transmitting light having a predetermined wavelength when light is transmitted according to a magnetic field. The active optical filter includes: an optical filter layer for transmitting or blocking light according to whether or not a magnetic field is applied; and a magnetic field applying unit surrounding the optical filter layer for applying a magnetic field to the optical filter layer. The optical filter layer has a multi-layer thin layer structure which is formed of two kinds of thin layers having different respective refractive indices and sequentially and periodically stacked on a substrate.
US07843620B2

A micromirror system having at least two micromirrors, each suspended on a substrate wafer via at least one torsion spring. The axes of rotation of the micromirrors are disposed essentially perpendicular to each other in order to permit deflection of an optical beam in two directions essentially perpendicular to each other. The micromirrors and the torsion springs are patterned out of the substrate wafer and lie essentially in one plane.
US07843618B2

Even in an image-forming apparatus including an optical deflection apparatus using a light source such as a high-power laser light source, a variation in temperature of an optical deflector due to modulation of deflected light based on drawing data is compensated to maintain a preferable oscillation state of the optical deflection apparatus. The optical deflection apparatus includes an optical deflector in which an oscillator is supported by an elastic support member to be oscillatable about a support substrate and at least one light source, and the optical deflection apparatus is controlled such that total power of light emitted from the light source to the optical deflector within each of a plurality of divided time regions corresponding to specific times of equal lengths becomes a predetermined power. A changed temperature of the optical deflector which is caused due to a variation in power of light emitted from the light source to the optical deflector may be corrected by a temperature control element based on the power of the light emitted from the light source to the optical deflector within the specific time to control the optical deflection apparatus.
US07843615B2

A method of managing the production of tickets in accordance with a ticket order submitted to a ticketing services bureau by a customer includes an optional step of producing a physical ticket proof for the customer prior to execution of the ticket order. Preferably, the physical ticket proof is generated using a plateless printing press, such as a digital printing press, but has the print characteristics of a particular plate-based press platform which is designated to execute the ticket order. A process for accurately matching the color characteristics of the digital printing press with the color characteristics of a plate-based press platform includes the steps of calibrating the plate-based press platform to meet a particular printing standard, creating an International Color Consortium (ICC) profile for the designated plate-based press platform, applying the ICC profile to the digital printing press, and managing the color formulation properties of the digital printing press.
US07843612B2

An image sensor unit includes a frame storing a linear illuminator that linearly illuminates a document, a rod lens array is used to form an image of light reflected from the document irradiated by the linear illuminator, and a printed circuit board on which a light-receiving sensor that converts light whose image has been formed by the rod lens array into an electrical signal is mounted. In the frame, a lens storage compartment, a linear illuminator storage compartment, and the linear illuminator are adjacently arranged substantially in parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction, with an inter-compartment portion formed in the frame interposed therebetween. At least one pin insertion opening is formed that extends from an inner wall of the lens storage compartment opposing the inter-compartment portion into an outside of the frame and through which a pressing pin is inserted, and in the inter-compartment portion, a face defining the lens storage compartment is formed as a vertical reference face with which a side plate of the rod lens array is brought into close contact for fixing. A notch used for applying an adhesive to the side plate of the rod lens array is disposed corresponding to the pin insertion opening and is formed to be open from the lens storage compartment to the linear illuminator storage compartment.
US07843603B2

When one or both of color conversion data for chromatic colors and color conversion data for achromatic colors are rewritten, attribute information of the color conversion data for chromatic colors or the color conversion data for achromatic colors is updated and this attribute information is displayed on a display.
US07843597B2

A method and implementing computer system are provided for enabling multiple usages of the same printing job separator page. Separator pages are scanned and an image of the separator page content is obtained in order to determine the location on the separator page of prior print job identification information blocks. The prior identification information block is then obscured and identification information for a newly queued print job is printed in a new information block which is positioned in an unused area of the separator page. The separator pages may be reused until the full extent of each separator page has been filled-up with used or obscured print job identification blocks.
US07843590B2

Provided is an information management method for use in an information management system that includes a coordinate pointing device for identifying a paper medium, and a contents server for managing a digital document, and holds an attribute of the digital document and an attribute of a paper document obtained by printing the digital document on the paper medium, the information management method comprising: judging whether a paper document identified by the coordinate pointing device is a master of a document by referring to an attribute of the paper document; and permitting, when it is judged that the identified paper document is the master of the document, to update information annotated to the identified paper document in a digital document corresponding to the paper document to which the information has been annotated.
US07843588B2

A mobile communications device includes an elongate body defining a transverse print media path along which print media can be fed. A camera device is mounted to the body and is configured to capture an image. A printhead and ink supply module is contained within the body and includes an elongate printhead integrated circuit (IC) positioned across the path. The printhead IC is configured to print the captured image upon the print media. A feed mechanism is located within the body and is configured to feed the print media along the path during printing of the captured image.
US07843584B2

A configuration of an image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus and at least one of a paper feed apparatus and a post-process apparatus is defined based on system configuration information including a combination of identification information for the apparatuses and setting information for the order of arrangement of the apparatuses corresponding to the identification information without using a dedicated line connection.
US07843581B2

A system (1321) for accessing an image album comprising a plurality of source images over a network (1305) is disclosed. A representation of the image album is stored on a server (1301). The system (1321) comprises means (1304) for downloading, from the server (1301), the representation of the image album. The means (1304) accesses a reduced resolution version of a said one of the plurality of source images dependent upon the representation of the album, and retrieves, from a storage device (eg 1302) located remotely from the server (1301), the source image corresponding to the reduced resolution version.
US07843577B2

An image displaying system comprises a display unit displaying an image, an extracting unit extracting an image based on a predetermined rule from among images which are recorded on a recording medium, and attached with shooting information and obtained by shooting, and a representative image display unit making the display unit display the image extracted by the extracting unit as a representative image.
US07843575B1

A scanner for a keyboard device having a reflective surface for each key has a sensor associated with each key that includes an LED and a photo-transistor. The LED is turned ON for a first measurement, followed by a second measurement with the LED turned off, and a subtraction of the second measurement from the first yields an illumination value for a key x. The LEDs and associated photo-transistors are sequentially enabled in groups of n, thereby eliminating optical interference. Each key x has associated correction parameters of LinRest(x) associated with illumination value with the key in the rest (up) position, LinDown(x) associated with illumination value with the key in the down position, TrebErr(x) associated with the reflectivity effect of one adjacent key(x+1), and BassErr(x) associated with the reflectivity effect of another adjacent key(x−1). By reading a single illumination value in combination with these correction parameters, the key position may be accurately extracted and the effect of ambient light and surrounding key interference removed.
US07843570B2

A substance adsorption detection method and a sensor utilizing amounts of change in the optical characteristic of a sensitive thin film with respect to the adsorbed amount of a substance to be detected. A clad 4, a core 5, and a thin film 7 for detecting an adsorbed substance are sequentially stacked on a crystal oscillator 10 to constitute an optical waveguide layer 12 and a gas adsorption member 11. An incoming light prism 8 and an outgoing light prism 9 are provided on the surface of the core 5. Changes in the adsorbed mass of the target substance and in the optical characteristic involved can be detected accurately and simultaneously by utilizing a change in outgoing light originating from a change in propagation loss and a change in the oscillation characteristic of the oscillator 10, both caused by adsorption of the target substance on the core surface.
US07843568B2

The present invention relates generally to the field of biochemical laboratory instrumentation for different applications of measuring properties of samples on e.g. microtitration plates and corresponding sample supports. The object of the invention is achieved by providing an optical measurement instrumentation wherein a sample (281-285) is activated (212AS, 218AS) and the emission is detected (291, 292), wherein between the activation and detection phases of measuring the sample, a shift is made in the relative position between the sample and means (218) directing the activation radiation to the sample as well as in the relative position between the sample and the means (293) receiving the emission radiation from the sample. This can be implemented e.g. by moving (299) the sample assay plate and/or a measuring head between the activation and emission phases of a sample. The invention allows a simultaneous activation of a first sample and detecting emission from a second sample thus enhancing efficiency of the measurement.
US07843563B2

An optical element for conveying scattered and image light to several detectors. The optical element may have the properties of a diffractive beam splitter and imaging lens. The detected light may be from an illuminated target. Further, there may be an optical element for conveying scattered light from a target via several zones to specific detectors, respectively. The latter optical element may include a multiple annular zone diffractive structure on a hybrid lens.
US07843560B2

The present invention relates to a turbidity calibration standard comprising: a number of from 1 to 5 sequentially-interfaced layers, wherein each layer independently comprises a light-permeable polymer or light-permeable interpolymer; a measured light transmission modulating amount of at least one light transmission modulator, which is distributed in any one or more of the layers; and a light-permeable container, which contains the layers and the at least one light transmission modulator. Also, the invention relates to methods of making and using the standard, and kits comprising the standard.
US07843555B2

A method for producing thermoplastic plastic capable of grasping information concerning the production process even after distribution. In a plurality of production processes including fusion of thermoplastic plastic 90, an information presenting substance 91 is added to the thermoplastic plastic sequentially and dispersed therein in each of the production process, wherein the information presenting substance is associated with information concerning each of the production process and radiates fluorescence upon an irradiation of an electromagnetic wave in a specified wavelength region.
US07843552B2

The mechanical properties of a pellicle frame and/or the pellicle are optimized so that the mechanical effect of the frame and pellicle on the mask shape in use is optimum for imaging. In particular the pellicle frame assembly may be arranged to be mechanically neutral, i.e., the mask adopts the same shape with pellicle attached as it would without the pellicle.
US07843551B2

In an embodiment, a lithographic projection apparatus has an off-axis image field and a concave refractive lens as the final element of the projection system. The concave lens can be cut-away in parts not used optically to prevent bubbles from being trapped under the lens.
US07843523B2

A method of producing a thin film transistor comprises irradiating a resist on a glass base plate with a ray from a light source through a mask and, thereafter, developing the resist to form contact holes, using an i-ray as the ray.
US07843515B2

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a reflective liquid crystal display apparatus which includes a polarization beam splitter having a polarization split film used as both a polarizer and an analyzer; a reflective liquid crystal display device; a quarter wave plate; and a projection optical system; where the absolute value of phase difference of diffracted light generated by the reflective liquid crystal display device in a black display state is reduced by the phase difference of the quarter wave plate, and thus the amount of stray light of the diffracted light guided from the polarizing beam splitter to the projection optical system decreases.
US07843508B2

A method for converting video information from an incoming format to an outgoing format using a process free from one or more intermediary files. The method includes receiving video information in a first format and receiving a desired output media format based upon a first input and a desired TV standard based upon a second input. The method decodes the video information in the first format to raw video information in an uncompressed format and directly resizes the raw video information in the uncompressed format into a size associated with the desired output media format and the desired TV standard. The method adjusts the uncompressed format in the size associated with the desired output media format and the desired TV standard to a frame rate associated with the desired TV standard and encodes the uncompressed format in the size and the frame rate into an elementary video stream. A step of multiplexing the elementary video stream with audio information in the desired output media format and the desired TV standard to form video and audio information in a presentation format based upon the desired output media format and the desired TV standard is included.
US07843507B2

An image capturing apparatus includes a power source controller for controlling a power supply to the image capturing apparatus to be in one of: (i) an on state, and (ii) an off state. A detector detects when any one of a plurality of operation members of the image capturing apparatus is operated when the power supply is in the off state. A brightness acquiring section controls an image capturing unit of the image capturing apparatus to acquire a brightness of an environment of the image capturing apparatus, when the detector detects that one of the operation members has been operated when the power supply is in the off state. A determining section determines whether or not the acquired brightness is above a predetermined level. And an image capturing controller permits the image capturing unit to capture an image of a subject only if the determining section determines that the acquired brightness is above the predetermined level.
US07843496B2

A shooting-location acquiring unit acquires a current location, and stores acquired current location as a shooting location. A distance acquiring unit acquires a distance between a subject and the current location, and stores acquired distance as an imaging subject distance. An orientation acquiring unit acquires an orientation of the subject, and stores acquired orientation as an imaging subject orientation. A subject-location calculating unit calculates an imaging subject location, based on the shooting location, the imaging subject distance, and the imaging subject orientation. An information recording unit records an image with calculated imaging subject location.
US07843493B2

An image sensing apparatus includes: an image sensing section for sensing an image of a subject; a detector for detecting a luminance of the subject; a compressor for compressing a dynamic range of the subject image; and a controller for controlling a compression characteristic to be used in compressing the dynamic range based on a detection result of the detector.
US07843491B2

A method of displaying video surveillance system information is disclosed. Video clips associated with events are represented by event cards. The event cards include frames selected from the video clips associated with the events. Event cards include metadata, and can be annotated. Display of overlapping event cards causes a compressed event card to be displayed. Selection of a compressed event card dynamically expands the compressed event card to display a paneled event card.
US07843477B2

Thermal sublimation card printers and associated method for printing image onto a card are disclosed. One proposed method includes receiving target image data; moving a card; transferring dyes of a ribbon onto the card according to the target image data while moving the card; detecting the movement of the card; when the card has moved a predetermined distance, determining image characteristics corresponding to remaining image data of the target image data that has not printed yet; determining image content to be printed onto remaining area of the card according to determined image characteristics; and transferring dyes of the ribbon onto the remaining area of the card according to the image content.
US07843471B2

A persistent authenticating mechanism to map real world object presence into virtual world object awareness are provided. The illustrative embodiments provide a mechanism by which the presence of a real world object is detected and, while the real world object's presence continues to be detected, it is made available for use in a virtual environment. The detection of the real world object provides an identifier of the object which is correlated with information regarding how to represent the object in the virtual environment, how the object may be utilized in relation to other objects in the virtual environment such that the real world object is modeled in the virtual environment, and the like. The detection of multiple real world objects may be performed and identification of each of the multiple objects may be used to determine how these objects may be utilized together in the virtual environment.
US07843468B2

In a raster stage of a graphics pipeline, a method for accelerated start tile rasterization. The method includes defining a window for clipping a generated image and receiving a graphics primitive for rasterization in a raster stage of a graphics processor. A binary search related to the window is performed to determine a start tile having at least a partial coverage of the graphics primitive, wherein the start tile comprises a plurality of pixels. Based upon the start tile, the raster stage rasterizes the graphics primitive by generating a plurality of adjacent tiles having at least a partial coverage of the graphics primitive.
US07843457B2

A PC-based computing system employing a bridge chip with a routing unit to distribute geometrical data and graphics commands to multiple GPU-driven pipeline cores supported on a plurality of graphics cards and the bridge chip. The PC-based computing system includes system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, and an operating system (OS), stored in the system memory, and a central processing unit (CPU) supported on a motherboard, for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers and graphics libraries. The routing unit in the bridge chip interfaces with the CPU and the GPU-driven pipeline cores. During the generation and display of each frame of pixel data, the routing unit (i) routes the stream of geometrical data and graphic commands from the graphics application to one or more of the GPU-driven pipeline cores, and (ii) routes pixel data output from one or more of GPU-driven pipeline cores during the composition of frames of pixel data corresponding to final images for display on the display surface.
US07843451B2

A fast renderer for panoramic images is herein disclosed. In an embodiment, a precomputation is made of (a) a region on a surface defined by a first transformation from a viewport to the surface and (b) a second transformation that maps from the precomputed region to the viewport. In order to render the surface on the viewport, the renderer determines what portion of the image intersects with the precomputed region and proceeds to apply the precomputed second transformation to the portion of the image, thereby resulting in a transformed image which can be rendered in the viewport for display.
US07843449B2

A three-dimensional display system provides a projection screen having a predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function. Three-dimensional images are respectively modulated in coordination with the predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function to define a programmable mirror with a programmable deflection angle.
US07843447B2

In a liquid crystal display device having a feedback circuit part, the feedback circuit part prevents black points and blinking pixels from being generated on a liquid crystal display panel by compensating ripple voltages generated from a common electrode of a common substrate. The feedback circuit part comprises a negative feedback part, a buffer part, a low-pass filter part, and first and second impedances interconnecting the low-pass filter part and the negative feedback part.
US07843445B2

A portable electronic device includes a body, a flippable unit, a pivoting shaft, a first magnetizable element, a second magnetizable element, a magnetic induction sensor IC, and a magnet. The pivot shaft connects the body and the flippable unit. A display is disposed in the flippable unit for showing an image. The magnetic induction sensor IC is disposed in the body. The magnet is disposed at and rotatable with the pivoting shaft. The first and the second magnetizable elements are disposed between the magnet and the magnetic induction sensor IC to enlarge the magnetic field of the magnet such that the magnetic induction sensor IC is capable of detecting change of the magnetic field of the magnet when the flippable unit together with the magnet is pivoted relative to the body.
US07843438B2

A notebook-sized computer, comprising a main unit having a display screen portion with a display screen and a key input portion, said notebook-sized computer further comprising an electrostatic capacitance type input pad by which the touch operation by user's finger is detectable, a palm rest portion arranged near the electrostatic capacitive type input pad underneath which the sensor substrate of a position detection device is placed, and a position detection device comprising the sensor substrate mounted internally in said notebook-sized computer and including a plurality of loop coil groups realized by one or a plurality of patterns on the sensor substrate, each of the loop coils comprising at least one turn, a position detection circuit electrically connected to the loop coils within the sensor substrate, a position indicator having a resonance circuit coupled to said coils in electromagnetic coupling fashion, wherein the detection circuit detects operations initiated by using the position indicator when the position indicator is placed in contact with or suspended a prescribed distance above the sensor substrate.
US07843424B2

A design interface tool for designing force sensations for use with a host computer and force feedback interface device. A force feedback device is connected to a host computer that displays the interface tool. Input from a user is received in the interface to select a type of force sensation to be commanded by a host computer and output by a force feedback interface device. Input, such as parameters, is then received from the user which designs and defines physical characteristics of the selected force sensation. A graphical representation of the characterized force sensation is displayed on the host computer which provides a visual demonstration of a feel of the characterized force sensation so that the user can view an effect of parameters on said force sensation. The characterized force sensation is output to a user manipulatable object of the force feedback device so that the user can feel the designed force sensation, where the graphical representation is updated in conjunction with the output of the force sensation. The user can iteratively modify force sensation characteristics and feel the results, and store the characterized force sensations.
US07843423B2

A driving device for driving a light emitting unit includes a power supply for generating power according to a control signal, an active signal generator for generating an active signal sequence according to lighting features of the light emitting unit, a heat-dissipation signal generator for generating a heat-dissipation signal sequence, a multiplexer coupled to the active signal generator and the heat-dissipation signal generator for combining the active signal sequence and the heat-dissipation signal sequence, so as to generate a driving signal sequence, a burst signal generator for generating a burst signal according to the lighting features of the light emitting unit, and a logic unit coupled to the multiplexer, the burst signal generator and the power supply for timely outputting the driving signal sequence according to the burst signal, so as to generate the control signal.
US07843416B2

A display apparatus includes a passive display, a light source, and a video signal input, in operation in response to a video signal the passive display modulates light from the light source to provide an image, and the intensity of the light source is controlled by the video signal. A method of producing a displayed image using a passive display illuminated by a light source is characterized in controlling the light source to obtain a displayed image with a desired amount of information, gray scale and/or color characteristics. A method of reducing power consumption by a display system in which a light modulating display modulates incident light from a light source to provide images is characterized in controlling power provided to the light source to reduce output thereof for relatively dark images.
US07843407B2

An EL display having high operating performance and reliability is provided. LDD regions 15a through 15d of a switching TFT 201 formed in a pixel are formed such that they do not overlap gate electrodes 19a and 19b to provide a structure which is primarily intended for the reduction of an off-current. An LDD region 22 of a current control TFT 202 is formed such that it partially overlaps a gate electrode 35 to provide a structure which is primarily intended for the prevention of hot carrier injection and the reduction of an off-current. Appropriate TFT structures are thus provided depending on required functions to improve operational performance and reliability.
US07843402B2

In a technology for displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of display planes placed at different depth positions as seen from an observer to display a three-dimensional stereoscopic image, when a display object having brightness darker than that of a background is displayed, the disclosed method including: generating first two-dimensional images that are obtained by projecting the background plane onto the plurality of display planes along a line of sight of the observer, and displaying the first two-dimensional images on the display planes respectively wherein brightness of each of the first two-dimensional images is changed independently for each display plane; and generating second two-dimensional images that are obtained by projecting the display object onto the plurality of display planes along the line of sight of the observer, and displaying the second two-dimensional images on the display planes respectively in which brightness of each of the two-dimensional images is set to be the same among the display planes. In addition, when using transmissive display plane, when a display object having brightness brighter than that of a background is displayed, transparency of the first two-dimensional images are changed independently for each display plane, and transparency of each of the two-dimensional images is set to be the same among the display planes.
US07843389B2

A complementary wideband antenna includes a planar dipole formed of two dipole sections and a shorted patch antenna located between the dipole sections, the dipole sections being spaced above a ground plane. A variety of different feed probe designs can be used to excite the antenna. The complementary wideband antenna has electrical characteristics including low back radiation, low cross polarization, a symmetrical radiation pattern, and is stable in gain and radiation pattern shape over the frequency bandwidth.
US07843364B2

A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate text input. In response to an ambiguous editing input at a location preceding at least a portion of an output word, the software performs one disambiguation operation with respect to the editing input and another disambiguation operation with respect to the editing input in combination with the at least portion of the output word. The results are output in order of decreasing frequency value, with the results of the one disambiguation operation having the portion of the output word appended thereto.
US07843362B2

A method is provided for controlling an at least partly automatically implementable driving maneuver by which a motor vehicle can be moved from an actual position into a desired position. In the environment of the motor vehicle, a virtual target object is generated in a target position for the motor vehicle in the environment of the motor vehicle by projection using projection devices provided on the motor vehicle. As a function of operating actions of an operator of the motor vehicle, the target position is changed, whereby also the target object is displaced in the environment of the motor vehicle. And, by way of a selecting action of the operator, the changed target position is selected and utilized as the desired position of the driving maneuver.
US07843361B2

A transfer switch configured particularly for use with traffic signal controllers, to enable a traffic signal controller to be powered by a portable electrical generator, when utility line power is unavailable. A housing, configured to be mounted either on the surface of a traffic signal controller cabinet, or recessed into an opening of the cabinet, so as to be flush to the surface thereof, is provided. The housing is configured to be substantially weatherproof without requiring the use of gaskets.
US07843359B2

A fault management system using a satellite telemetering technology and a method thereof are provided. The fault management system includes: a telemetering sensing unit for collecting telemetering data from target apparatuses, which are installed at a remote location and an unattended location and managed through a satellite, in real time and sensing whether the target apparatuses are malfunctioned or not based on the collected telemetering data; a controlling unit for determining whether the target apparatuses are malfunctioned or not by comparing the telemetering data with unique performance request values for normally driving the target apparatuses, analyzing causes of malfunctions, and storing malfunction data into a malfunction data storing unit; a malfunction data analysis unit for managing the malfunction data stored in the malfunction data storing unit and analyzing the malfunction data; and a display unit for outputting the result of analyzing the malfunction data on a display device.
US07843356B2

The present invention is generally related to a threat detection and monitoring apparatus with an integrated display system. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for use as a public safety and emergency messaging system adapted to detect and identify threats in the surrounding environment and display useful information regarding the threat or other public information to the public.
US07843344B2

A shielded antenna system is provided for reading from and/or writing to an RFID transponder wherein the RF energy radiated from the antenna system has a narrow beam width so that only one RFID transponder in a record member along a web of record members is read from and/or written to without affecting or being affected by any other RFID transponder along the web. It is preferred to provide shielding that enables more energy to be radiated in the upstream direction from the antenna than in the downstream direction from the antenna to provide for earlier reading and/or writing to the transponder in the moving web. The shielding is selectively configured and/or positionable to narrow or broaden the RF energy field of the antenna.
US07843338B2

The present invention relates to a safety lining, a safety alarming system provided with said safety lining, a logistic vessel provided with said safety alarming system, and a method for improving safety of the logistic vessel, said logistic vessel is provided with a safety alarming system, wherein said safety alarming system including: a plurality of safety linings disposed on the surface of said logistic vessel, each safety lining comprising a base, whose backside is fixed to the surface of the vessel through connecting devices; an electrically conductive unit disposed on said base and having terminals for electrical connections; wherein, the conductive units of a plurality of said safety linings are connected to an interfacing circuit through terminals to form a closed electrically conductive network, said closed conductive network has an equilibrium state for safety and a fluctuant state for unsafety; and an alarming unit connected to said interfacing circuit, which alarms when said conductive network is under fluctuant state. The invention can ensure a timely alarm when the logistic vessel is damaged, therefore improve the safety during the transportation.
US07843337B2

This hearing aid comprises a microphone (1) for collecting sounds, an A/D converter (2) for converting an analog signal outputted from the microphone (1) into a digital signal, a hearing aid processor (3) for performing hearing aid processing on the digital signal outputted from the A/D converter (2), a D/A converter (4) for converting the signal that has undergone the hearing aid processing into an analog signal, and a receiver (5) for outputting the analog signal outputted from the D/A converter (4) as an acoustic signal to the surroundings. A mixer (6), in which a first input is connected to the output of the hearing aid processor (3) and its own output is connected to the input of the D/A converter (4), is interposed between the hearing aid processor (3) and the D/A converter (4). The output signal of an alert sound shaper (8) that shapes the alert sound signal produced by an alert sound producer (7) is connected to a second input of the mixer (6). The mixer (6) is connected to a controller (9) that produces a mix ratio signal for mixing the output signals of the hearing aid processor (3) and the alert sound shaper (8).
US07843332B2

A computer implemented method is provided for directing region-specific information. The method receives information relating to location of users, and provides location-specific information to the users.
US07843325B2

A system has a sensing device for detecting a signal and logic that monitors the signal for an event. Further, upon receiving information indicating the event has occurred, the logic is further configured to transmit event data indicative of the event to a controller via a network.
US07843323B2

There is provided a daily activity recognition system using sensors installed in required positions in a home to recognize daily activities of an old person, the system including: a radio frequency (RF) management unit receiving data measured by a plurality of sensors installed in required positions in a home, recognizing a corresponding sensor transmitting the received data, and converting the received data into a basic activity corresponding to the recognized sensor; a buffer management unit storing the basic activity received from the wireless processing manager in an internal buffer; and a daily activity recognition unit recognizing daily activities of an old person at each point in time previously set, based on the basic activity stored in the buffer. The daily activities of the old person are recognized and stored in a database, thereby providing various services related to the health of the old person.
US07843321B2

A vehicle violation enforcement and noticing system that includes a first server and a second server. The first server contains a vehicle information database that is in communication with the second server. The second server is a mobile data terminal that allows for the identification of vehicles and retrieves the vehicle information pertaining to the identified vehicles from the first server via a communications link. Once the vehicle information has been received, appropriate enforcement tactics are prepared based upon the received vehicle information. The appropriate enforcement tactics may include printing a notice informing a vehicle user of the current and outstanding debt associated with the vehicle for placement directly on the vehicle, writing a notice as per instructions displayed by the second server, for placement directly on the vehicle, booting the vehicle, towing the vehicle and/or informing a second agency of the vehicle location so that the second agency may take appropriate action.
US07843316B1

Apparatus, systems, and methods may include providing a power-on reset function to many types of receiving circuitry, including processors, memories, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tag processing circuitry. Thus, the power-on reset function may be realized by applying a supply voltage to a power-on reset circuit coupled to the processing circuit of an RFID tag. Additional activity may include sensing a first current substantially independent of the supply voltage, sensing a second current substantially dependent on the supply voltage, and indicating a power-on reset condition based on a comparison between the first current and the second current. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US07843313B2

A system for providing stand-off biometric verification of a driver of a vehicle while the vehicle is moving and/or a person on foot at a control gate, including an RFID vehicle tag reader, an RFID personal smart card reader and a facial detection and recognition (verification) system. The driver carries a RFID personal smart card that stores personal information of the driver and a face template of the driver. The vehicle carries a RFID vehicle tag that stores information regarding the vehicle. When the vehicle approaches the control gate, the RFID vehicle tag reader reads data from the RFID vehicle tag and the RFID personal tag reader reads data from the RFID personal smart card. The facial detection and verification system scans and reads a facial image for the driver. All the data and facial images detected by the readers are sent to a local computer at the control gate for further processing (final face verification). The local computer at the control gate decodes and retrieves the face template from the data read from the RFID personal smart card.
US07843310B2

An in vehicle device transfers connection information to a power management device, the connection information indicating whether the in-vehicle device can communicate with the power management device. The in-vehicle device either transfers condition information to the power management device, the condition information indicating that the in-vehicle device is ready for turning off, or sets the in-vehicle device to not communicate with the power management device when a predetermined condition is met, the predetermined condition indicative of an inability of the in-vehicle device to transfer information to the power management device. The power management device requests the connection information from the in-vehicle device and requests the condition information from the in-vehicle device. The power management device determines that the in-vehicle device is ready for turning off when both the connection information and the condition information have been received from the in-vehicle device, or no connection information has been received from the in-vehicle device because the in-vehicle device has been set to not communicate with the power management device.
US07843302B2

An inductor embedded in a printed wiring board includes a conductor extending in the thickness direction of a printed circuit board and a magnetic body that is in contact with the conductor with no gap therebetween. For example, the magnetic body is composed of ferrite having a cylindrical tubular shape. The conductor is composed of a copper film formed by plating on an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical tubular ferrite. The inductor is inserted in the thickness direction of the printed wiring board.
US07843298B2

Disclosed is a power distribution transformer having a body of the transformer, the body consisting of a coil and an iron core; a tank containing the body of the transformer and an insulation substance which fills an inner space of the tank; and an upper lid of the tank. The tank and/or the upper lid is made of a ferritic stainless steel.
US07843286B2

A high-frequency filter arrangement comprising at least one filter consisting of a plurality of high-frequency inter-coupled cavities in which a locally fixed respective dielectric resonator element is disposed and in which a respective dielectric body can be modified, in order to tune the frequency of the filter, in the position thereof in relation to the dielectric resonator element. The structure of the inventive filter arrangement is simple, compact and economical and excellent filter and tuning properties are obtained by virtue of the fact that the dielectric body is arranged in an eccentric recess of the dielectric resonator element and that the dielectric body is rotatably arranged in the eccentric recess.
US07843283B2

An array of micromechanical oscillators have different resonant frequencies based on their geometries. In one embodiment, a micromechanical oscillator has a resonant frequency defined by an effective spring constant that is modified by application of heat. In one embodiment, the oscillator is disc of material supported by a pillar of much smaller diameter than the disc. The periphery of the disc is heated to modify the resonant frequency (or equivalently the spring constant or stiffness) of the disc. Continuous control of the output phase and frequency may be achieved when the oscillator becomes synchronized with an imposed sinusoidal force of close frequency. The oscillator frequency can be detuned to produce an easily controlled phase differential between the injected signal and the oscillator feedback. A phased array radar may be produced using independent phase controllable oscillators.
US07843278B2

A frequency jitter generation circuit having a voltage generator and an oscillator circuit is provided. The voltage generator receives an input voltage and converts the input voltage into an upper reference voltage output to the oscillator circuit. Voltage level of the upper reference voltage is varying. The oscillator circuit is coupled with the voltage generator. Voltage level of a reference voltage in the oscillator circuit is oscillated between the upper reference voltage and a lower reference voltage to generate a frequency signal with a jitter based on the variation of the upper reference voltage.
US07843276B2

An oscillation circuit induces a first inverter, a second inverter, a first inductive load, a second inductive load and a capacitive load. A first inverter and a second inverter receive a first signal and a second signal, and invert the first and the second signal to output a first inverted signal and a second inverted signal respectively. An output end of the first inverter is electrically connected to a first inductive load, and an output end of the second inverter is electrically connected to a second inductive load. Further, a capacitive load is electrically connected to the output end of the first inverter and the output end of the second inverter, so as to receive the first and the second inverted signal respectively. The capacitance of the capacitive load changes with a control signal.
US07843274B2

A phase lock loop apparatus is disclosed. The phase lock loop apparatus comprises a phase detecting module, a logic processing module, a charge pump and loop filter (CPLF), and a voltage control oscillator. The phase detecting module detects the phase difference between an input data signal and a clock signal to generate a first index signal. The logic processing module performs a high-frequency dithering process to the first index signal to generate a second index signal. The CPLF adjusts a control voltage according to the first index signal and the second index signal, and outputs the adjusted control voltage. The voltage control oscillator adjusts the frequency or phase of the clock signal and outputs the adjusted clock signal to the phase detecting module. The frequency of the second index signal is equal to or larger than the frequency of the first index signal.
US07843268B2

A distributed amplifier system has a predetermined output impedance and input impedance and includes an input transmission circuit; an output transmission circuit; at least two amplifiers connected between the input and output transmission circuits; an input termination on the input transmission circuit; and a feedback output termination on the output transmission circuit connected back to the input transmission circuit for reducing low frequency loss while maintaining the predetermined output impedance and input impedance.
US07843267B2

A method for compensating a power amplifier based on operational-based changes begins by measuring one of a plurality of operational parameters of the power amplifier to produce a measured operational parameter. The method continues by comparing the measured operational parameter with a corresponding one of a plurality of desired operational parameter settings. The method continues by, when the comparing of the measured operational parameter with the corresponding one of a plurality of desired operational parameter settings is unfavorable, determining a difference between the measured operational parameter and the corresponding one of a plurality of desired operational parameter settings. The method continues by calibrating the one of the plurality of operational settings based on the difference.
US07843262B2

Disclosed a power amplifier including a main amplifier with class bias AB and a peak amplifier with class C bias. A quarter-wave length transmission line having a length equal to one-fourth of the wave-length of a fundamental frequency is connected to an output side of the peak amplifier. Outputs of the main amplifier and the peak amplifier are combined. An envelope amplifier that modulates the drain bias voltage in accordance with an envelope of the modulation wave input signal and an envelope detector are provided as a drain-bias circuit for the main amplifier (FIG. 1).
US07843259B2

A field transistor is divided into a number of cells (6) and includes a separate first gate line (20) connected to first transistor cells (8) and a separate second gate line (22) connected to second transistor cells (10). A drive circuit is used to drive all the cells (6) in a normal, saturated operations state but to drive only the second cells (10) in a linear operations state to reduce the number of cells used in the linear operations state.
US07843258B2

A plurality of low-pass filters (2-1, 2-2, 2-3) are cascaded to the post stage of an OTA (1) and a plurality of high-pass notch filters (3-1, 3-2, 3-3) are cascaded further to the post-stage thereof so that a high-pass filter having a Q is not connected to the output of the OTA (1) having a high output impedance and a capacitor having a low capacitance is not connected with the output of th OTA (1) thus preventing multifeedback and avoiding such problems as the zero point of the notch filter (BEF) deviates from a design value or oscillation takes place.
US07843252B2

A circuit, method for regulation, and use thereof is provided, whereby the circuit can include a charge pump that is connected to a supply voltage terminal in order to produce a pump voltage from a supply voltage, and includes a control circuit whose inputs are connected to the output of the charge pump and to the supply voltage terminal in order to sense a difference between the pump voltage and the supply voltage as a controlled variable. The circuit is designed to compare the controlled variable to a reference variable, and output is connected to a control input of the charge pump in order to control the charge pump as a function of the comparison.
US07843251B2

An integrated circuit for a charge pump with a charge stage and a pump stage and a single High-Voltage PMOS (HVPMOS) transistor as the main switch for each stage and two times two minimum HVPMOS transistors in series as a bulk switch with fixed bulk connections, where the minimum HVPMOS transistors are smaller sized transistors than the transistors of the main switch. The bulk of the main switch is switched synchronously to the voltage node of the HVPMOS transistor of the main switch to force the bulk voltage (VB) to be equal or larger than either the source voltage (VS) or the drain voltage (VD). Two non-overlapping clock signals are used to trigger the HVPMOS transistors of the charge and pump stage.
US07843247B1

The disclosed technology provides a method of and an apparatus for voltage level shifting. A voltage level shifter includes two level shifting circuits and a differential amplifier. The differential amplifier forms a feedback loop with one level shifting circuit. The feedback loop controls the level shifting operation of both level shifting circuits. The differential amplifier can operate to provide a control signal that causes a level-shifted signal in the feedback loop to match a target signal. The two level shifting circuits can perform their level shifting operation based on the control signal.
US07843246B2

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an external FET driving circuit includes a driving portion, a drain-to-gate clamp portion and a current feedback portion. The driving portion provides a driving signal to the external FET. The drain-to-gate clamp portion protects the external FET from flyback current, when the external FET is quickly turned OFF. The current feedback portion controls the driving signal provided by the driver.
US07843244B1

A synchronizer circuit includes a master stage and a slave stage. The master stage may include a first master latch coupled to receive a data input signal, and a clock signal. The master stage may also include a second master latch coupled to receive the data input signal, and a delayed version of the clock signal. The master stage may further include a pull-up circuit that may drive an output line of the master stage depending upon an output of each of the first master latch and the second master latch. The slave stage may include a slave latch having an input coupled to the output line of the master stage. The slave stage may provide an output data signal that corresponds to the captured input data signal and is synchronized to the receiving clock signal.
US07843242B1

A pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator generates multiple output PWM signals from an input PWM signal, whereby each output PWM signal has a frequency and duty ratio substantially similar to the input PWM signal and each output PWM signal is phase-shifted in relation to the other output PWM signals. The PWM signal generator samples a PWM cycle of the input PWM signal to determine various PWM parameters representative of the duration of the active portion of the sampled PWM cycle and the total duration of the sampled PWM cycle. The PWM signal generator then uses the PWM parameters to generate corresponding PWM cycles for the output PWM signals using a set of two independent counters. This process of sampling a PWM cycle of the input PWM signal and generating the output PWM signals based on the PWM parameters resulting from the sampling process can be repeated for one or more iterations.
US07843234B2

A break-before-make predriver for disabling a PFET of an output driver before enabling an NFET, and vice versa. The predriver includes an input inverter, two cross-coupled inverters, and output buffers. The predriver provides enhanced break-before-make action through sizing the NFETs larger than the PFETs in the predriver's cross-coupled inverters. The input inverter, the cross-coupled inverters and the first and second output buffers are sized with respect to each other such that substantially equal break before make action is provided on both rising and falling edges. The predriver also includes level-shifting capabilities through a different voltage supply at the PFETs of the cross-coupled inverter. The predriver also includes two data output nodes for connection to the two inputs of an output driver. The predriver provides for tristate action by disabling the signal from the predriver output nodes.
US07843232B2

A dual mode, single ended to fully differential converter structure is incorporated into a fully differential sample and hold structure which can be coupled with an ADC as a front end for mixed mode applications. The structure incorporates additional switches which allow negative and positive charges to be sampled on both negative and positive sides of the structure. By inverting the sampled charge on one side, single ended to fully differential conversion is obtained. The structure can be implemented in a compact, generic block which performs single ended to fully differential conversions as well as sample and hold functions, without compromising speed and accuracy in either mode.
US07843215B2

An integrated circuit comprising a reconfigurable arrangement to compute digital algorithms by operating on digital data is provided on an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of data inputs, a plurality of data outputs, a plurality of programming inputs and a plurality of logic units arranged as a matrix array. At least some of the logic units each comprise a Boolean logic computational unit having input terminals, output terminals, and programming terminals. The logic units are operated on a clocked basis such that each logic unit is controlled by the programming inputs. Each logic unit comprises a selector coupled to the input terminals and programmable to selectively couple input data from either the data inputs or output terminals of one or more other computational units to the computational unit. An array of programmable interconnects the data inputs of the matrix array and the output terminals of each of the logic units with input terminals of other logic units and to the data outputs of the matrix array. Each of the logic units and each of the selectors and the array of programmable interconnects are operated on a clocked basis such that Boolean functionality is determined during each clock cycle.
US07843213B1

A memory device is coupled to a subset of lines of a data input/output (I/O) bus. The memory device includes an on-die active termination circuit for terminating the subset of lines of the data I/O bus with a selected impedance being one of a plurality of selectable impedances; a termination value register being coupled to the on-die active termination circuit for storing a value representing the selected impedance; and a termination value setting circuit being coupled to the termination value register, for setting the value representing the selected impedance in the termination value register.
US07843202B2

Methods and apparatus for testing semiconductor devices are provided herein. In some embodiments, an assembly for testing semiconductor devices can include a probe card assembly; and a thermal barrier disposed proximate an upper surface of the probe card assembly, the thermal barrier can restrict thermal transfer between tester side boundary conditions and portions of the probe card assembly disposed beneath the thermal barrier.
US07843197B2

The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes an automatic self-test assembly coupled to the plurality of line terminals or the plurality of load terminals, the detection circuit, the fault detection circuit and the circuit interrupter assembly. The automatic self-test assembly is configured to cause the detection circuit to generate a simulated sensor fault signal during a predetermined half-cycle of an AC line cycle in accordance with a predetermined periodic testing schedule, monitor the fault detection signal corresponding to the simulated sensor fault signal, and generate a test result signal based on monitoring the fault detection signal. The automatic self-test assembly also includes a noise immunized decision circuit configured to evaluate a plurality of test results to thereby provide a noise immunized end-of-life signal. One of the conductive paths that connects the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals being interrupted in response to the noise immunized end-of-life signal.
US07843186B2

A step-down switching regulator that converts an input voltage to a predetermined lower output voltage which includes a first switch, an inductor, a second switch, a controller, and a detector to detect a proportional voltage of the output voltage and to output detection results to the controller when the proportional voltage exceeds a first predetermined reference voltage or falls below a second predetermined reference voltage which is lower than the first predetermined reference voltage. The controller shuts the first switch off when the proportional voltage exceeds the first predetermined reference voltage and shuts the second switch off when the proportional voltage falls below the second predetermined reference voltage.
US07843179B2

To provide a control circuit for a synchronous rectifier-type DC-DC converter, a synchronous rectifier-type DC-DC converter and a control method thereof in which, in a light load state and a no-load state, an output voltage can be dropped to thus prevent an overshoot state from continuing. A synchronous rectifier-type DC-DC converter 10 and a control circuit 20A thereof comprising a first switching element FET1 that is made conductive when power is accumulated in an induction element L1, and a second switching element FET2 that is made conductive when power accumulated in induction element L1 is supplied to a load, also comprises a detecting unit COMP2 that detects that a value of an output voltage VOUT of the synchronous rectifier-type DC-DC converter 10A is a predetermined voltage value that is higher than a target voltage value, and control units COMP1 and OR1 that maintain the second switching element FET2 in a conductive state after discharge of the power accumulated in the induction element L1 is finished, based on the detection results of the detecting unit COMP2.
US07843177B2

A high efficiency control circuit for operating a switching regulator is provided. The switching regulator can regulate an output voltage no matter the input voltage is higher, lower, or close to the output voltage. The switching regulator has first, second, third and fourth switches. The control circuit can operate the switching regulator in buck mode, boost mode, or buck-boost mode. In a buck-boost mode, the control logic drives the four switches in an efficiency sequence for reducing energy consumption during the switch transition, on the other side, resistive loss owing to the energy transfer phase is also minimized. Furthermore, the invention is capable of control duty cycle limitation to fit the consideration of the linearity of the converter.
US07843176B2

An apparatus for controlling the power flow in a high voltage network. A phase shifting transformer includes a tap changer.
US07843174B2

A constant voltage to constant current transferring controller includes a voltage signal transferring circuit, a current signal transferring circuit, and an error amplifier. The voltage signal transferring circuit receives a voltage detecting signal and a first reference voltage signal, and outputs a voltage signal transferring reference signal. The current signal transferring circuit receives a current detecting signal and a second reference voltage signal, and outputs a current signal transferring reference signal. The error amplifier receives the voltage signal transferring reference signal, the current signal transferring reference signal and a third reference voltage signal, and outputs an error amplifying signal. When the level of the voltage signal transferring reference signal is larger than the level of the current signal transferring reference signal, the error amplifier outputs the error amplifying signal according to the voltage signal transferring reference signal and the third reference voltage signal.
US07843172B2

A battery charging controller according to the present invention controls battery charging in response to a charging-control signal sent from a CPU, and includes an starting controller which is started upon a detection of an insertion of an AC adapter, and which then starts a regulator at a predetermined timing by using a regulator control signal. The regulator is started upon a detection of the regulator control signal, and thereafter starts the CPU by using an starting signal. The CPU is started upon a detection of the starting signal.
US07843171B2

A battery charging circuit sets charging current according to either the capacity of the battery under charge or a constraint of the charging source, depending on the properties of the charging source. The battery charging circuit sets termination current, however, according to the capacity of the battery under charge, regardless of the properties of the charging source. For example, the termination current may be set as a fixed fraction of the recommended C rate of the battery even if the charging current supplied by the charging source is below this C rate. Always setting the termination current in proportion to the battery's capacity permits detection of the current at which charging should terminate even when the charging current is constrained by the charging source and no longer depends on the battery's capacity.
US07843170B2

The present invention is a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) Assembly. The BBU Assembly may include a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The BBU Assembly may further include a protection circuit connected to the PCB. The BBU Assembly may further include a battery pack connected to the PCB. The battery pack may include a plurality of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells. The battery pack may be configured as a 2-cell series stack, a 3-cell series stack, or a 4-cell series stack. The BBU Assembly is configured for electrically connecting the battery pack to the protection circuit.
US07843159B2

A motor controller includes: a notch filter arranged inside a control system; an oscillation frequency estimating section which estimates an oscillation frequency component in a motor; and a notch control section which controls a notch filter so as to change a notch frequency and a notch width. The notch control section changes a frequency between an oscillation frequency and a notch frequency set in a notch filter as a new notch frequency, while changing a notch width to a new notch width such that the notch width is larger after the change than before the change.
US07843149B2

A light dimming device for compact fluorescent lamp includes a rectifying circuit for rectifying an AC current signal into a zero crossing voltage signal and outputting it to a current limiting circuit; the current limiting circuit for limiting the zero crossing voltage signal and sending the current limited zero crossing voltage signal to a voltage regulating and filtering circuit and a first comparator; the voltage regulating and filtering circuit for regulating the current limited signal and sending the regulated current limited signal to a reference voltage generating circuit and a current controller; a reference voltage generating circuit for generating a reference voltage signal upon receiving the regulated current limited signal and sending the reference voltage signal respectively to the first comparator and a second comparator; a current controller for controlling the amount of a charging current of a capacitor; the first comparator for outputting a low voltage level signal to the capacitor after receiving the zero crossing voltage signal and the reference voltage signal to discharge the capacitor; the second comparator for outputting a drive signal to the drive circuit after receiving the discharging signal to turn on a power switch; the filter circuit for converting the discharging signal of the capacitor into a steady DC current signal and transferring the DC current signal to the compact fluorescent lamp so as to let the compact fluorescent lamp generate light of different luminance according to the amount of the DC current signal.
US07843148B2

An LED driver is disclosed that drives LEDs connected in parallel. Instead of applying current to all the parallel-connected LEDs at the same time, under control of a common PWM brightness control signal, the application of current to each parallel path is staggered by using staggered brightness control signals. The turning on of the LEDs in the different parallel paths will have the same duty cycle but will be out of phase. This reduces ripple in the power supply by reducing the magnitude of the instantaneous current sink. In one embodiment, a shift register contains a binary representation of the PWM duty cycle, and a clock shifts the bits along the shift register. The PWM brightness control signals for each parallel path of LEDs are tapped from different positions along the shift register so that the PWM brightness control signals are identical but staggered.
US07843147B2

An LED driver circuit may include dimming circuitry. In particular, the LED driver circuit may include a switching converter, an LED and a switch. The LED may be electrically connected to the switching converter and the switch may be connected in parallel with the LED. The switching converter and/or the switch may be configured to be controlled to achieve dimming of the LED. Current may be supplied to the LED and the switch may be turned on and off to dim the LED. The switching converter coupled to the LED may include a switching element in series with an inductor and the LED. In such case, the switching element may be turned on to supply current to the LED and the inductor, and the switch may be turned on and off to dim the LED.
US07843140B2

A power supply for driving an EL panel includes an inverter that produces a polarity reversing voltage at a pair of output terminals. A switching circuit coupled to the output terminals and to at least one EL lamp applies alternating current to the at least one EL lamp in the on state and blocks current from the EL lamp in the off state. The switching circuit includes a first bidirectional switch connecting a first terminal of the EL lamp to a first output terminal and a second bidirectional switch connecting a second terminal of the EL lamp to a second output terminal.
US07843136B2

There is disclosed a construction which facilitates preventing of organic electroluminescence films from being broken by contact between desiccant members and the organic electroluminescence films which are provided inside an organic electroluminescence display device. Organic electroluminescence films are formed on a substrate. An interior of an organic electroluminescence display device is sealed by a rear glass plate which is sealingly bonded to the substrate. The rear glass plate has recess portions in which desiccant members are mounted by double-side adhesive tapes. Thick portions are provided between respective adjacent recess portions of the rear glass plate, whereby the rear glass plate is prevented from being made to flex, and contact between the desiccant members and the organic electroluminescence films formed on the substrate is prevented.
US07843129B2

Provided is a white organic light emitting device and a display apparatus and a lighting apparatus that include the white organic light emitting device. The white organic light emitting device comprises an anode, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and a cathode. The light emitting layer includes a red light emitting layer, a blue light emitting layer, and a green light emitting layer sequentially formed from the anode. A functional layer, which blocks an energy transfer and controls electron mobility between the light emitting layers, is formed between the red light emitting layer and the blue light emitting layer or between the blue light emitting layer and the green light emitting layer. The functional layer formed between the red light emitting layer and the blue light emitting layer has a thickness of 50 to 100 Å.
US07843118B2

An electron-emitting device is provided with improved electron emitting efficiency. An electron-emitting device includes first and second electroconductive films disposed on a surface of a substrate in opposition to each other to form a gap between ends of the first and second electroconductive films. The end of the first electroconductive film includes a portion the minimum distance d1 from which to the second electroconductive film is 10 nm or less. Let d2 denote a minimum distance between the end of the first electroconductive film which is away from the portion the minimum distance d1 from which to the second electroconductive film is 10 nm or less by the minimum distance d1 and the end of the second electroconductive film. The relation of d2/d1≧1.2 is satisfied.
US07843114B2

A piezoceramic multilayer actuator (10) has a plurality of piezoceramic layers (12) and a security layer (20) disposed between two piezoceramic layers (12). The piezoceramic layers (12) have a piezoceramic first material sintered at a sintering temperature. The security layer (20) has a second material (32) and particles (30) at least partially embedded in the second material (32). The particles (30) have a third material different from the first material and different from the second material (32). An adhesion between the third material and the first material is weaker than an adhesion between the second material (32) and the first material.
US07843112B2

An SH wave type surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate and an IDT electrode provided on the piezoelectric substrate and constituted of Al or an alloy mainly containing Al and that uses a SH wave as an excitation wave. The piezoelectric substrate is a crystal plate in which a cut angle θ of a rotary Y cut quartz substrate is set in a range of −64.0°<θ<−49.3° in a counter-clockwise direction from a crystal axis Z and in which a surface acoustic wave propagation direction is set at 90°±5° with respect to a crystal axis X. An electrode film thickness H/λ standardized by a wavelength of the IDT electrode is 0.04
US07843111B2

A composite for a transducer facilitates an increased actuation force as compared to similar prior art composites for transducers. In accordance with the present invention, the composite also facilitates increased compliance of the transducer in one direction and an improved reaction time as compared to similar prior art composites for transducers, as well as provides an increased lifetime of the transducer in which it is applied.
US07843110B2

A driving apparatus (100t) is provided with: stage portion (130) which can be displaced; a first elastic portion (120-1) whose one end is connected to the stage portion and which has elasticity to displace the stage portion in one direction; a driving source device (180), to which other end of the first elastic portion is connected, comprising: a first applying device (181) for applying an excitation force for displacing the stage portion such that the stage portion is resonated in the one direction at a resonance frequency determined by the stage portion and the first elastic portion; and a second applying device (182) for applying a driving force for displacing, in a stepwise manner or in a continuous manner, the stage portion in other direction; a second elastic portion (120-2) whose one end is connected to the driving source device and which has elasticity to displace the stage portion in the one direction; a third elastic portion (120-3) whose one end is connected to other end of the second elastic portion and which has elasticity to displace the stage portion in the other direction; and a base portion (110) to which other end of the third elastic portion is connected.
US07843103B2

An electrical motor includes: a rotor; a stator including a stator core that is formed with a plurality of first slot units and a plurality of second slot units which are alternately disposed with the first slot units, each of the first slot units including at least two first slots, each of the second slot units including at least two second slots, the stator core being further formed with a plurality of first poles each disposed between the first slots of a respective one of the first slot units, and a plurality of second poles each disposed between the second slots of a respective one of the second slot units, the depth of each first slot being deeper than that of each second slot; a first winding that is wound on the first poles; and a second winding that is wound on the second poles.
US07843101B2

A rotary shaft 60 having an outside diameter larger than the bore diameter of a rotary shaft insert hole 59 of a rotor 50 is inserted into the rotary shaft insert hole 59. A magnet insert hole 51a1 is provided in a main magnetic pole [a] of the rotor 50. Permanent magnets 52a1 to 52a3 are inserted into the magnet insert hole 51a1 such that a gap is formed between the permanent magnets 52a1 to 52a3 and the magnet insert hole 51a1. A semi-tubular rivet insert hole 55a and interlocks 57a1, 57a2 elongated in the radial direction of the rotor are disposed radially outward of the magnet insert hole 51a in the rotor. A semi-tubular rivet 56a is inserted into the semi-tubular rivet insert hole 55a such that a gap is formed between the semi-tubular rivet 56a and the semi-tubular rivet insert hole 55a. Passage holes 58ab, 58da are provided in the auxiliary magnetic poles [ab], [da].
US07843099B2

Lacking a physical axis of rotation, this all-in-one electric generator/turbine requires less kinetic energy, substantially fewer parts, and less space in the power plant than traditional designs. The turbine is embedded within the rotor, each sharing a common axis of rotation, thus eliminating the interconnecting shaft. Power plants will be able to install more generators in the same amount of space. The reduced weight of the turbine/generator permits the generator's rotors to operate at a greater number of revolutions per minute. Unique intake and exhaust pipes prevent passing fluids or gases from interfering with the spinning rotor. A directional cone further enhances the rotor's turbine's ability to transform kinetic energy into rotational energy. More generators operating at higher rates of rotation will significantly increase the electric power generated. Also disclosed is a means of converting low head dams and reservoirs into hydroelectric electric power plants.
US07843095B2

A spindle unit (A) for effecting a manufacturing or repair procedure includes a spindle assembly (2) having a spindle (12) that holds a tool (B), an electric motor (4), and a friction drive transmission (6) located between the spindle assembly and the motor. The transmission includes a sun roller (86) driven by the motor, an outer ring (110) coupled to the spindle, and a pair of support rollers (90) located between the sun roller and outer ring to position the outer ring eccentric to the sun roller and create a wedge gap (126) between the sun roller and the outer ring. The transmission also has a loading roller (96) located at the wedge gap such that it can displace laterally and lodge tightly in the wedge gap. The spindle rotates in bearings (14, 16), one of which is a single row tapered roller bearing that transfers thrust loads developed during the procedure.
US07843093B2

A stepping motor as a driving device has a stator with a plate part, and first and second outer magnetic pole parts axially extending from the plate part. A rotor formed by a rotary shaft and a core, each formed of a soft magnetic material, are disposed between the outer magnetic pole parts. The rotor has one axial end rotatably supported in the plate part. A magnet is rigidly fitted on an outer periphery of the rotor and magnetized such that different poles circumferentially alternate. A top plate is rigidly secured to the respective foremost ends of the pole parts and rotatably supports the other axial end of the rotor. The pole parts are engaged in a bobbin having a cover part covering the outer peripheral surface of the magnet. First and second coils are wound around the outer magnetic pole parts via the bobbin.
US07843087B2

The present invention provides a pulse power generator using a semiconductor switch, which enables its lifespan to be significantly improved, allows for its miniaturization, and makes it possible to diversely control a high-voltage pulse output finally. According to the pulse power generator, it is possible to address and solve a difficulty in driving the semiconductor switch in series, i.e., the problems related to synchronization and insulation of a driving power supply, and to include a circuit which can cope with the generation of arc and short circuit to thereby significantly improve device protecting performance and stability of the pulse power generator.
US07843086B2

The object of the invention is to implement a circuit arrangement, which in rated operation without resonance generates as little power loss as possible, but on suitable excitation effects a disproportionate asymmetrical damping, so that resonances and overvoltages associated with them are avoided. The object is attained by using a damping member 5a, b, c, which effects the damping in proportion to a primary circuit parameter. The advantage is the adaptive performance of a power grid filter equipped with the choke of the invention.
US07843067B2

The present disclosure relates to a microelectronic structure and the manufacture of the microelectronic structure. Specifically, the disclosure relates to an interconnect barrier layer between a rhodium contact structure and a copper interconnect structure in a microelectronic structure. The microelectronic structure provides for low resistance in microelectronic devices.
US07843066B2

The present invention provides a semiconductor device capable of preventing occurrence of cracking and the like, taking a large area, where wiring and the like that function as elemental devices can be arranged, within a plurality of interlayer insulation films, and reducing production cost. The semiconductor device according to the present invention has a low dielectric constant film having a dielectric constant of not less than 2.7. In the low dielectric constant film and the like, materials (e.g., a first dummy pattern, a second dummy pattern) with a larger hardness than that of the low dielectric constant film are formed at a part under a pad part.
US07843062B2

An interconnect and method of making the interconnect. The method includes forming a dielectric layer on a substrate, the dielectric layer having a top surface and a bottom surface; forming a first wire and a second wire in the dielectric layer, the first wire separated from the second wire by a region of the dielectric layer; and forming metallic nanoparticles in or on the top surface of the dielectric layer between the first and second wires, the metallic nanoparticles capable of electrically connecting the first wire and the second wire only while the nanoparticles are heated to a temperature greater than room temperature and a voltage is applied between the first and second wires.
US07843059B2

In an electronic parts packaging structure of the present invention constructed by stacking a plurality of sheet-like units in a thickness direction, each of the units includes a first insulating layer, wirings formed on one surface of the first insulating layer, a semiconductor chip (electronic parts) connected to the wirings, a second insulating layer formed on an one surface side of the first insulating layer to cover the semiconductor chip, and connecting portions (terminals and contact vias) for connecting electrically the wirings and wirings of other unit, wherein arrangement of the first insulating layer, the semiconductor chip, the wirings, and the second insulating layer is symmetrical between units adjacent in a thickness direction.
US07843026B2

A composite material with at least one of a negative effective permittivity and a negative effective permeability for incident radiation of at least one wavelength is described. The composite material comprises conductive structures that are substantially random with respect to at least one of size, shape, orientation, and location.
US07843024B2

A method and semiconductor structure that overcome the dual stress liner boundary problem, without significantly increasing the overall size of the integrated circuit, are provided. In accordance with the present invention, the dual stress liner boundary or gap therebetween is forced to land on a neighboring dummy gate region. By forcing the dual stress liner boundary or gap between the liners to land on the dummy gate region, the large stresses associated with the dual stress liner boundary or gap are transferred to the dummy gate region, not the semiconductor substrate. Thus, the impact of the dual stress liner boundary on the nearest neighboring FET is reduced. Additionally, benefits of device variability and packing density are achieved utilizing the present invention.
US07843018B2

A transistor includes a channel region with a first portion and a second portion. A length of the first portion is smaller than a length of the second portion. The first portion has a higher threshold voltage than the second portion. The lower threshold voltage of the second portion allows for an increased ON current. Despite the increase attained in the ON current, the higher threshold voltage of the first portion maintains or lowers a relatively low OFF current for the transistor.
US07843014B2

In one embodiment of the present invention, a high withstand voltage transistor is disclosed having small sizes including an element isolating region. The semiconductor device is provided with the element isolating region formed on a semiconductor substrate; an active region demarcated by the element isolating region; a gate electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate in the active region by having a gate insulating film in between; a channel region arranged in the semiconductor substrate under the gate electrode; a source region and a drain region positioned on the both sides of the gate electrode; and a drift region positioned between one of or both of the source region and the drain region and the channel region. One of or both of the source region and the drain region are at least partially positioned on the element isolating region, and are connected with the channel region through the drift region.
US07843011B2

An electronic device can include a field isolation region and a first insulating layer having a first strain and having a portion, which from a top view, lies entirely within the field isolation region. The electronic device can also include a second insulating layer having a second strain different from the first strain and including an opening. From a top view, the portion of the first insulating layer can lie within the opening in the second insulating layer. In one embodiment, the field isolation region can include a dummy structure and the portion of the first insulating layer can overlie the dummy structure. A process of forming the electronic device can include forming an island portion of an insulating layer wherein from a top view, the island portion lies entirely within the field isolation region.
US07843000B2

A semiconductor device having multiple fin heights is provided. Multiple fin heights are provided by using multiple masks to recess a dielectric layer within a trench formed in a substrate. In another embodiment, an implant mold or e-beam lithography are utilized to form a pattern of trenches in a photoresist material. Subsequent etching steps form corresponding trenches in the underlying substrate. In yet another embodiment, multiple masking layers are used to etch trenches of different heights separately. A dielectric region may be formed along the bottom of the trenches to isolate the fins by performing an ion implant and a subsequent anneal.
US07842997B2

A nonvolatile memory device and method of making the same are provided. Memory cells may be provided in a cell area wherein each memory cell has an insulative structure including a tunnel insulating layer, a floating trap layer and a blocking layer, and a conductive structure including an energy barrier layer, a barrier metal layer and a low resistance gate electrode. A material having a lower resistivity may be used as the gate electrode so as to avoid problems associated with increased resistance and to allow the gate electrode to be made relatively thin. The memory device may further include transistors in the peripheral area, which may have a gate dielectric layer, a lower gate electrode of poly-silicon and an upper gate electrode made of metal silicide, allowing an improved interface with the lower gate electrode without diffusion or reaction while providing a lower resistance.
US07842995B2

A multi-bit non-volatile memory device may include a semiconductor substrate including a body and at least one pair of fins protruding above the body. A first insulation layer may be formed on the body between the at least one pair of fins. A plurality of pairs of control gate electrodes may extend across the first insulation layer and the at least one pair of fins, and may at least partly cover upper portions of outer walls of the at least one pair of fins. A plurality of storage nodes may be formed between the control gate electrodes and the at least one pair of fins, and may be insulated from the substrate. A first distance between adjacent pairs of control gate electrodes may be greater than a second distance between control gate electrodes in each pair.
US07842978B2

An n-type region as a charge storage region of a photodiode is buried in a substrate. The interface between silicon and a silicon oxide film is covered with a high concentration p-layer and a lower concentration p-layer is formed only in the portion immediately below a floating electrode for signal extraction. Electrons generated by light are stored in the charge storage region, thereby changing the potential of the portion of the p-layer at the surface of the semiconductor region. The change is transmitted through a thin insulating film to the floating electrode by capacitive coupling and read out by a buffer transistor. Initialization of charges is executed by adding a positive high voltage to the gate electrode of a first transfer transistor such that the electrons stored in the charge storage region are transferred to the n+ region and generation of reset noise is protected.
US07842969B2

In one embodiment, an ESD device is configured to include a zener diode and a P-N diode and to have a conductor that provides a current path between the zener diode and the P-N diode.
US07842964B2

A front and rear covering type LED package structure includes an insulating body, a substrate unit, at least one light-emitting element, and a package colloid. The insulating body has a receiving space. The substrate unit has two electrode pins separated from each other. Each electrode pin has one side covered by the insulating body. Each electrode pin has another side bent into a U-shape and exposed outside the insulating body in order to cover two opposite lateral sides and front and rear sides of the insulating body by a front and rear covering method. The at least one light-emitting element is received in the receiving space and electrically connected with the two electrode pins of the substrate unit. The package colloid is filled into the receiving space of the insulating body.
US07842959B2

Disclosed is a light emitting device having a plurality of light emitting cells and a package having the same mounted thereon. The light emitting device includes a plurality of light emitting cells which are formed on a substrate and each of which has an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer located on a portion of the N-type semiconductor layer. The plurality of light emitting cells are bonded to a submount substrate. Accordingly, heat generated from the light emitting cells can be easily dissipated, so that a thermal load on the light emitting device can be reduced. Meanwhile, since the plurality of light emitting cells are electrically connected using connection electrodes or electrode layers formed on the submount substrate, it is possible to provide light emitting cell arrays connected to each other in series. Further, it is possible to provide a light emitting device capable of being directly driven by an AC power source by connecting the serially connected light emitting cell arrays in reverse parallel to each other.
US07842955B2

A method of forming a single wall thickness (SWT) carbon nanotube (CNT) transistor with a controlled diameter and chirality is disclosed. A photolithographically defined single crystal silicon seed layer is converted to a single crystal silicon carbide seed layer. A single layer of graphene is formed on the top surface of the silicon carbide. The SWT CNT transistor body is grown from the graphene layer in the presence of carbon containing gases and metal catalyst atoms. Silicided source and drain regions at each end of the silicon carbide seed layer provide catalyst metal atoms during formation of the CNT. The diameter of the SWT CNT is established by the width of the patterned seed layer. A conformally deposited gate dielectric layer and a transistor gate over the gate dielectric layer complete the CNT transistor. CNT transistors with multiple CNT bodies, split gates and varying diameters are also disclosed.
US07842952B2

An organic inverter and a method of manufacturing the same are provided, which regulates threshold voltages depending on positions when an inverter circuit is manufactured on a substrate using an organic semiconductor. To form a depletion load transistor and an enhancement driver transistor at adjacent positions of the same substrate, the surface of the substrate is selectively treated by positions or selectively applied by self-assembly monolayer treatment. Thus, a D-inverter having a combination of a depletion mode and an enhancement mode is more easily realized than a conventional method using a transistor size effect. Also, the D-inverter can be realized even with the same W/L ratio, thereby increasing integration density. That is, the W/L ratio does not need to be increased to manufacture a depletion load transistor, thereby improving integration density.
US07842945B2

An object is to provide a novel anthracene derivative. Another object is to provide a light-emitting element with high luminous efficiency. Yet another object is to provide a light-emitting element with a long lifetime. Still another object is to provide a light-emitting device and an electronic device having a long lifetime by using the light-emitting elements of the present invention. The anthracene derivative represented by General Formula (1) is provided. The ability of the anthracene derivative represented by General Formula (1) to exhibit high luminous efficiency allows the production of a light-emitting element with high luminous efficiency and a long lifetime.
US07842936B2

The present invention relates a probe forming lithography system for generating a pattern on to a target surface such as a wafer, using a black and white writing strategy, i.e. writing or not writing a grid cell, thereby dividing said pattern over a grid comprising grid cells, said pattern comprising features of a size larger than that of a grid cell, in each of which cells said probe is switched “on” or “off, wherein a probe on said target covers a significantly larger surface area than a grid cell, and wherein within a feature a position dependent distribution of black and white writings is effected within the range of the probe size as well as to a method upon which such system may be based.
US07842935B2

A method for writing a master image on a substrate includes dividing the master image into a matrix of frames, each frame including an array of pixels defining a respective frame image in a respective frame position within the master image. An electron beam is scanned in a raster pattern over the substrate, while shaping the electron beam responsively to the respective frame image of each of the frames as the electron beam is scanned over the respective frame position, so that in each frame, the electron beam simultaneously writes a multiplicity of the pixels onto the substrate.
US07842927B2

An image sensor has a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit for processing signals from the photoelectric converter and outputting processed signals and a scanning circuit, disposed between the photoelectric converters, included in each of at least two adjacent pixels among a plurality of pixels aligned in a single direction. An edge pixel accommodates, in order from an edge of the image sensor toward an interior, a predetermined empty region, a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit. There is at least one position at which two adjacent pixels, the first of the two pixels accommodating, in order, a pixel circuit, a photoelectric converter and predetermined empty region, the second accommodating, in order, a predetermined empty region, a photoelectric converter and a pixel circuit. The scanning circuit is disposed in the predetermined empty region between the two adjacent pixels.
US07842924B2

An infrared detector comprises: a reflection portion transmitting far- and middle-infrared rays and reflecting near-infrared and visible rays; a photo-current generating portion having a quantum well structure in which electrons are excited by the far- and middle-infrared rays having passed through the reflection portion so as to generate photo-current; a light emitting portion having a quantum well structure into which electrons of the photo-current generated by the photo-current generating portion are injected and the electrons thus injected thereinto are recombined with holes, thus emitting near-infrared and visible rays; and a photo-detecting portion detecting the near-infrared and visible rays emitted from the light emitting portion, and detecting the near-infrared and visible rays emitted from the light emitting portion and reflected by the reflection portion. The reflection portion, the photo-current generating portion, and the light emitting portion are made of group III-V compound semiconductors layered on a semiconductor substrate.
US07842923B2

In one embodiment, an infrared (IR) sensor has a flexible beam connected between two anchors supported on a substrate. The beam is mechanically coupled to a plate that has an IR-absorbing layer and is adapted to transfer the IR-induced heat to the beam. The heat transfer causes the beam to deform and move the plate with respect to the substrate. The motion of the plate is detected electrically or optically to quantify the amount of IR radiation received by the plate. The beam, anchors, and plate are formed from a planar layer of material that is supported at a specified offset distance from the substrate. During fabrication, certain portions of the planar layer are removed to define the beam, anchors, and plate.
US07842917B2

A method an apparatus for analyzing biomolecules is described. The method includes injecting and storing one species of ionized molecule in a linear ion trap and injecting second species of oppositely polarity ionized molecule such that the second species is transmitted through the stored first species. The resultant reaction products may be analyzed by a mass analyzed taking account of the remaining charge values. In an aspect, a linear ion trap may be used as the reaction volume, and the ionized species injected along the axis of the trap in a substantially collinear manner. The mass analysis may be performed by mass selective axial ejection or by a mass spectrometer.
US07842916B2

A method of analyzing ions adsorbed on a surface of a mask for pattern formation of a semiconductor device, and an apparatus using the same are disclosed. The ion analyzing method includes: filling a heating container within a main chamber with a predetermined amount of a solvent; immersing a mask in the solvent-filled heating container; raising an internal pressure of the chamber to a predetermined level by supplying gas into the chamber; separating ions from a surface of the mask by heating the solvent within the heating container at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period; and analyzing the ions by collecting the solvent.
US07842910B2

The present invention provides an optical module, a host board, and a method of manufacturing the host board, where the number of man-hours required for manufacture has been reduced. Accordingly, the present invention need not have such type of optical transceiver module as the conventional host board since the host board on which the optical module has been mounted may automatically perform a control corresponding to property data of a light emitting element and a light receiving element by mounting a memory circuit on the optical module. As a result, it may be achieved to provide an optical module, a host board, and a method of manufacturing the host board, where the number of man-hours required for manufacture has been reduced.
US07842905B2

This invention relates to a method and a device for the thermal treatment of substrates in which the substrates are held in contact with or a small distance away from a heating plate, which is heated by a plurality of separately controllable heating elements on the side of the heating plate facing away from the substrate, the heating plate being surrounded, at least in its plane, by a frame spaced apart therefrom, and gas being conveyed, in a controlled manner, through a gap between the frame and at least one edge of the heating plate.
US07842903B2

A welding system for performing a short arc welding process between a advancing wire electrode and a workpiece. The system comprises a power source with a controller for creating a current pulse introducing energy into the electrode to melt the end of the electrode and a low current quiescent metal transfer section following the end of the melting pulse during which the melted electrode short circuits against the workpiece; a timer to measure the actual time between the end of the pulse and the short circuit; a device for setting a desired time from the pulse to the short circuit; a circuit to create a corrective signal based upon the difference between the actual time and the desired time; and, a circuit responsive to the corrective signal to control a given parameter of the current pulse.
US07842886B2

A transmission cable includes multiple signal lines formed on one side of an insulation layer and a ground line between the signal lines. The ground line is electrically connected to a shield layer formed on a back surface side of the insulation layer and to a noise suppressing layer having a high electric resistance value than the shield layer via a metal bump embedded and formed in the insulation layer. The noise suppressing layer has a function to suppress an unwanted emission and/or a noise and has a function as an etching barrier layer serving as an etching stopper in a step for forming the metal bump. Thus, the transmission cable can suppress an increase of an electric resistance and a connection resistance between the ground line and the shield layer.
US07842885B2

A simplified assembly truss system rivets each power track inside one chord of each truss span so that the electrical components cannot be misaligned inside the chord during final assembly. The chord is slotted to receive lighting heads in its mid-sections, and short end slots allow interconnecting plugs to be inserted into matching power track ends. A stop captured by the rivets near each chord-end indexes the interconnecting plugs to ensure the final electrical assembly is correct.
US07842882B2

The present invention describes a method of obtaining an absorber layer for a solar cell, That method includes depositing a preparatory material comprising a melt of at least one Group IIIA material on a base to form a precursor layer, and reacting the precursor layer with at least one Group VIA material to form a dense Group IBIIIAVIA absorber layer. The method described above can further include forming the preparatory material, the preparatory material comprising the melt of at least one Group IIIA material and a solid phase in the form of particles, such that the solid phase in the form of particles is included within the melt during the step of depositing. Various techniques for applying the preparatory material to the base as a melt are also described.
US07842874B2

Automated creation of new music by listening is disclosed. A method to create new music may comprise listening to a plurality of music, learning from the plurality of music, and performing concatenative synthesis based on the listening and the learning to create the new music. The method may be performed on a computing device having an audio interface, such as a personal computer.
US07842871B2

Image data of sheet music formed from a plurality of pages is input, and the input image data is divided into bars. The complexity of performance of each divided bar is determined for each page. An easy-to-play portion is detected as a page feed position for each page in accordance with the determination result. The layout of the sheet music is changed based on the detected page feed position, and the layout-changed sheet music is output.
US07842856B2

The present disclosure provides methods, recombinant DNA molecules, recombinant host cells containing the DNA molecules, and transgenic and genetically engineered plant cells, plant tissue, seeds and plants which contain and express an herbicide resistant protoporphyrinogen oxidase such that they germinate from seed and grow in the presence of an amount of herbicide where the parent plant does not. Such plants are especially appropriate for use in agriculture or horticulture where herbicides are used to kill undesirable plants which might contaminate or compete with the transgenic plant of interest.
US07842853B2

Transgenic plant cells and plants are described which synthesise a starch which is modified in comparison with corresponding wild type plant cells and plants. The plant cells and plants described show a reduced activity of R1, BEI and BEII proteins. Furthermore, modified starches as well as methods for their production are described.
US07842849B2

An absorbent garment, such as a diaper structure, includes a visually discernible alignment indicator visible from a body-facing surface. The alignment indicator includes at least one first reference point. The absorbent garment comes with instructions defining the location of the first reference point on the absorbent article, defining the location of a second reference point on a wearer, and instructing the consumer to position the absorbent garment so that the first reference point optically aligns with the second reference point, and to fasten the absorbent garment in the position.
US07842846B2

A process for heterogeneously catalyzed partial dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon, in which a reaction gas mixture input stream comprising the hydrocarbon to be dehydrogenated is conducted through a fixed catalyst bed disposed in a shaft and the reaction gas mixture input stream is obtained in the shaft by metering an input gas II comprising molecular oxygen upstream of the fixed catalyst bed into an input gas stream I which comprises molecular hydrogen and the hydrocarbon to be dehydrogenated and is flowing within the shaft toward the fixed catalyst bed.
US07842844B2

Process for the conversion of hydrocarbons to ethanol and optionally acetic acid by converting hydrocarbon in a syngas reactor into a stream A comprising a mixture of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen preferably having a H2/CO molar ratio between 1.5 and 2.5, converting at least part of stream A in the presence of a particulate catalyst in a reactor under a temperature between 150 and 400° C. and a pressure of 5 to 200 bar, into a C2-oxygenates stream B, where stream B includes water, alkanes, ethanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate and acetic acid, which together represent least 80% by weight of the products obtained from the C2-oxygenates conversion reactor. The C2-oxygenates stream B is separated into a stream C comprising H2, CO, CO2 and alkanes, and a stream D including 15 to 40 wt % of acetic acid, 10 to 40 wt % of acetaldehyde and 15 to 40 wt % of ethanol. At least part of stream D is hydrogenated in a hydrogenation reactor into an ethanol stream E, and stream E is subjected to a separating step, followed by recovery of ethanol.
US07842841B2

This invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of timberone useful for perfume or cosmetics.
US07842839B2

It is provided to an optically active cycloalkylidenebisamidoalcohol compound represented by the formula (3): wherein R1 represents a C1-6 alkyl group, an optionally substituted phenyl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group or a hydrogen atom, or two R1s, which are bonded to the same carbon atom, are bonded to form a ring together with the carbon atom to which they are bonded, R2 represents a C1-6 alkyl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group or an optionally substituted phenyl group and * represents an asymmetric center, a method for producing it and a method for producing an optically active cycloalkylidenebisoxazoline compound represented by the formula (4): wherein R1, R2 and * are as defined above, using thereof.
US07842838B2

The invention is directed to pyrro[1,2-b]pyridazinone compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds that are useful in treating infections by hepatitis C virus.
US07842836B2

This invention concerns N-(ortho phenylaminoaryl), N′-alkyl sulfamides which are inhibitors of MEK and are useful in the treatment of cancer and other hyperproliferative diseases.
US07842835B2

The invention provides novel classes of HDAC inhibitors. Methods of sensitizing a cancer cell to the cytotoxic effects of radiotherapy are also provided as well as methods for treating cancer and methods for treating neurological diseases. Additionally, the invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising an HDAC inhibitor of the invention, and kits comprising a container containing an HDAC inhibitor of the invention.
US07842834B2

The present invention provides synthetic processes for the preparation of sulfonyl halides of Formula Ar—(R)z—SO2—X and sulfonamides of Formula Ar—(R)z—SO2—NR4R5, where the constituent variables are as defined herein, that are useful as intermediates in the preparation of pharmaceuticals.
US07842833B2

A carbonylation process for the production of a carbonylation product such as a carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid ester by contacting carbon monoxide with a feed comprising an alcohol such as methanol and/or a reactive derivative thereof such as methyl acetate in the vapor phase using a heterogeneous heteropolyacid catalyst which has been ion-exchanged or loaded with at least one metal selected from rhodium, iridium, copper and palladium and a Group IA metal selected from lithium, sodium, potassium and rubidium.
US07842832B2

β-Amino-α-Cyanoacrylates of formula I where the variables have the following meanings: R1 is n-alkyl, n-alkenyl or alkoxyalkyl; R2,R3 are alkyl, which may be partially or fully halogenated and/or may carry a substituent from the group consisting of cyano, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio, haloalkylthio, C1-C6-alkylsulfinyl, haloalkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl and haloalkylsulfonyl, are alkenyl or alkynyl; or R2 and R3 together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a cycloalkyl ring in which one or two nonadjacent CH2 groups may be replaced by oxygen or sulfur, and where the cycloalkyl ring may be substituted by halogen or alkyl; R4 is hydrogen, halogen, cyano or alkyl, where the substituents R2, R3 and R4 or two of the radicals R2, R3 and R4 are not simultaneously methyl, and their agriculturally useful salts, processes and intermediates for their preparation; and the use of these compounds or of compositions comprising these compounds for controlling undesirable plants are described.
US07842827B2

The present invention relates to a porous metal-organic framework comprising AlIII and at least one at least bidentate compound, wherein the at least one at least bidentate organic compound is a six-membered aromatic hydrocarbon ring A in which one or more ring carbons may be replaced by nitrogen and which has three substituents X and optionally one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of R, NRR′, OR, SR, F, Cl and Br, where R, R′ are each, independently of one another, hydrogen, methyl which may optionally be substituted by one or more fluorine atoms or ethyl which may optionally be substituted by one or more fluorine atoms and each X is, independently of the others, C(═O)O−, C(═S)O−, C(═O)S−, C(═S)S− or a protonated form thereof. The invention further provides a process for preparing it and provides for the use of the new porous metal-organic framework.
US07842825B2

The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, m, n, p and s are as defined in the description and claims, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds are useful for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases that are associated with the activation of the glycogen synthase enzyme, such as diabetes.
US07842820B2

Compounds of the formula I in which the substitutents have the definitions provided in the specification, are novel, effective HDAC inhibitors.
US07842815B2

One aspect of the present invention relates to heterocyclic compounds that bind to bcl proteins and inhibit Bcl function. Another aspect of the present invention relates to compositions comprising a heterocyclic compound of the invention. The present invention provides methods for treating and modulating disorders associated with hyperproliferation, such as cancer.
US07842812B2

Substituted 5-aminomethyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid amides, a process for the production thereof, pharmaceutical preparations containing these compounds and the use of these compounds in pharmaceutical preparations for treatment or inhibition of withdrawal symptoms, memory disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, cardiovascular disorders, water retention, intestinal motility disorders, urinary incontinence, anorexia, tinnitus, pruritus, depression, sexual dysfunction, airways diseases, food intake disorders, or type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, or for anxiolysis, diuresis, suppression of the urinary reflex, reducing the addictive potential of opioids, modulating locomotor activity, influencing the cardiovascular system, or regulating electrolyte balance.
US07842811B2

Cyanine dye compounds having a negatively charged substituent that are nucleic acid stains, particularly for fluorescent staining of DNA, including compounds having the formula wherein W forms one or two fused 5- or 6-membered aromatic rings, α has a value of 0 or 1, n has a value of 0, or 1, X is O, S, or Se, and D is a pyridinium, or quinolinium moiety, provided that the compound has at least one negatively charged substituent.
US07842809B2

The invention relates to pyrazolopyridines according to the general formula (I): and salts thereof, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said pyrazolopyridines and to a method of preparing said pyrazolopyridines as well as the use thereof for manufacturing a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of diseases of dysregulated vascular growth or of diseases which are accompanied with dysregulated vascular growth, wherein the compounds effectively interfere with angiopoietin and therefore influence Tie2 signalling.
US07842805B2

Disclosed are 1-arylamino-phthalazines, 4-arylamino-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazines, and analogs thereof effective as activators of caspases and inducers of apoptosis. The compounds of this invention are useful in the treatment of a variety of clinical conditions in which uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells occurs.
US07842803B2

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands of Formula I wherein X, n, R1 and R2 are as described in the specification, diastereoisomers, enantiomers, pharmaceutically-acceptable salts, methods of making, pharmaceutical compositions containing, and methods for using the same.
US07842797B2

A human CDR-grafted antibody or the antibody fragment thereof which specifically reacts with the extracellular region of human CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) but does not react with a human blood platelet; a human CDR-grafted antibody or the antibody fragment thereof which specifically reacts with the extracellular region of CCR4 and has a cytotoxic activity against a CCR4-expressing cell; and a medicament, a therapeutic agent or a diagnostic agent comprising at least one of the antibodies and the antibody fragments thereof as an active ingredient.
US07842795B2

The present invention relates to methods, reagents and kits for detecting of formyl peptide receptor like-2 (FPRL2) polypeptide activity in a sample and identifying agents which modulate polypeptide activity. It further relates to antibodies raised against FPRL2. It further relates to substances for preventing, treating and/or alleviating diseases or disorders characterized by dysregulation of FPRL2 polypeptide signalling.
US07842784B2

The present invention provides Chordin-Like (CHL) polypeptides and nucleic acid molecules encoding the same. The invention also provides selective binding agents, vectors, host cells, and methods for producing CHL polypeptides. The invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the diagnosis, treatment, amelioration, and/or prevention of diseases, disorders, and conditions associated with CHL polypeptides.
US07842782B2

Disclosed is a vaccine against diseases, particularly tumor diseases, being associated with an enhanced heparanase expression and/or activity, wherein the vaccine contains a heparanase peptide, which binds to a HLA molecule.
US07842780B2

The present invention provides processes for producing porous silk fibroin scaffold material. The porous silk fibroin scaffold can be used for tissue engineering. The porosity of the silk fibroin scaffolds described herein can be adjusted as to mimic the gradient of densities found in natural tissue. Accordingly, methods for engineering of 3-dimensional tissue, e.g. bone and cartilage, using the silk fibroin scaffold material are also provided.
US07842763B2

This invention relates to the field of olefin polymerization catalyst compositions, and methods for the polymerization and copolymerization of olefins, including polymerization methods using a supported catalyst composition. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses a catalyst composition comprising the contact product of a first metallocene compound, a second metallocene compound, at least one chemically-treated solid oxide, and at least one organoaluminum compound. The new resins were characterized by useful properties in impact, tear, adhesion, sealing, extruder motor loads and pressures at comparable melt index values, and neck-in and draw-down.
US07842761B2

A bioderived plasticizer for biopolymers includes a compatibilizing unit and a polyester plasticizing unit. The plasticizer improves the flexibility of biopolymers while not adversely affecting their modulus. The compatibilizing unit renders the plasticizer more miscible with the desired base biopolymer and includes a lower alkyl (C3 to C7) organic acid. The polyester plasticizing unit is formed from monomers comprising a multifunctional alcohol and an aliphatic anhydride or its equivalent dicarboxylic acid and ester derivatives. The polyester plasticizing unit may optionally include one or more difunctional alcohols in combination with the multifunctional alcohol. The resulting the bioderived plasticizer has a low glass transition temperature (Tg), preferably between −20° C. to 30° C. The plasticizer is preferably amorphous.
US07842760B2

The present invention provides a liquid-crystalline polyester blend, which is obtained by combining a liquid-crystalline polyester (A) and a liquid-crystalline polyester (B) such that the ratio by weight of (A)/(B) is 99/1 to 80/20: liquid-crystalline polyester (A) which consists of aromatic oxycarbonyl repeating units, aromatic dioxy repeating units and aromatic dicarbonyl repeating units, and contains 40-80 mol % of the repeating unit represented by formula (I) based on the total repeating units constituting the liquid-crystalline polyester (A); liquid-crystalline polyester (B) which comprises repeating units represented by formulae (I) and (II), wherein the molar proportion of the total amount of the repeating units represented by formulae (I) and (II) based on the total amount of the repeating units constituting the liquid-crystalline polyester (B) is greater than or equal to 90 mol % and the molar proportion of the repeating units represented by formulae (I) to (II) is from 10/90 to 50/50. The liquid-crystalline polyester blend of the present invention exhibits excellent dielectric properties in high frequency regions as well as good impact strength and molding processability.
US07842758B2

The invention concerns compounds, oligomers, and polymers that contain: (I), (II), (III), or (IV) groups; where “-” indicates points of attachment.
US07842757B2

The invention relates to a solid pigment preparation comprising a pigment and a dispersant resin, wherein the composition comprises at least 35% by weight of at least one pigment and at most 65% by weight of dispersant resin, calculated on the combined weight of pigment and dispersant resin, wherein the dispersant resin comprises a polymer backbone produced by chain-reaction polymerization having pendent hydrophilic polyalkylene oxide side groups, and wherein the pigment particles within the preparation have average particle sizes in the range of 50 nm to 5,000 nm.
US07842746B2

The present disclosure presents materials comprising hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated polymerized vegetable oils. Non-limiting applications of the polymerized oils, including coatings, binders, blends, and greases are presented. Methods for forming these materials are also disclosed.
US07842742B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition excellent in antistatic property of a non-electrification-prevented adherend (subject to be protected) upon peeling, and has reduced stainability in an adherend and excellent in adhesion reliance, and electrification preventing pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets using the same. There is provided a pressure-sensitive composition comprising an ionic liquid, and a (meth)acryl-based polymer containing, as a monomer component, 0.1 to 100% by weight of a (meth)acrylic acid alkylene oxide. In addition, there is provided a pressure-sensitive composition comprising an ionic liquid, and a polymer containing, as a monomer component, 0.5 to 30% by weight of a nitrogen-containing monomer and having a glass transition temperature Tg of no higher than 0° C. Furthermore, there is provided a pressure-sensitive composition comprising an ionic liquid, and a (meth)acryl-based polymer containing, as a monomer component, 0.01 to 20% by weight of a reactive surfactant.
US07842738B2

A drag reducing composition comprising particles of at least two different drag reducing polymers. The different drag reducing polymers can be formed by different processes, such as bulk polymerization or emulsion polymerization, and the particles of the different drag reducing polymers can have different mean particle sizes. The drag reducing compositions can be added to a hydrocarbon-containing fluid to decrease the pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid through a conduit.
US07842737B2

Methods and devices relating to polymer blend/bioceramic composite implantable medical devices are disclosed.
US07842734B2

The subject invention relates to the development and characterization of a new series of poly (arylene ether) copolymers containing pyridine and biphenyl or hydroquinone moieties. Preferred polymers can exhibit very good mechanical properties, high thermal and oxidative stability and high doping ability with strong acids. The invention further relates to the preparation and application of MEA on PEMFC type single cells.
US07842729B2

Methods and compositions for treating disease caused by infectious agents, particularly tuberculosis. In particular, methods and compositions comprising substituted ethylene diamines for the treatment of infectious diseases are provided. In one embodiment, these methods and compositions are used for the treatment of mycobacterial infections, including, but not limited to, tuberculosis.
US07842728B2

The present invention provides a synergistic insecticidal composition comprising as essential active ingredients a neuronal sodium channel antagonist in combination with one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of pyrethroids, pyrethroid-type compounds, recombinant nucleopolyhedroviruses capable of expressing an insect toxin, organophosphates, carbamates, formamidines, macrocyclic lactones, amidinohydrazones, GABA antagonists and acetylcholine receptor ligands. Also provided are methods for synergistic insect control and crop protection.
US07842727B2

Histone deacetylase is a metallo-enzyme with zinc at the active site. Compounds having a zinc-binding moiety, such as, for example, a hydroxamic acid group or a carboxylic acid group, can inhibit histone deacetylase. Histone deacetylase inhibition can repress gene expression, including expression of genes related to tumor suppression. Accordingly, inhibition of histone deacetylase can provide an alternate route for treating cancer, hematological disorders, e.g., hemoglobinopathies, genetic disorders, e.g. Huntington's disease and spinal muscular atrophy and genetic related metabolic disorders, e.g., cystic fibrosis and adrenoleukodystrophy.
US07842725B2

Foaming alcohol compositions with selected dimethicone surfactants are disclosed. The dimethicone surfactants are PEG-8 to PEG-12 linear dimethicone surfactants and in particular PEG-10 linear dimethicone surfactant. The compositions are useful as antimicrobial products and in particular handcare or skincare products.
US07842723B2

This invention relates to esters of ascorbic acid with natural sugar lactones [formula (I)], which are useful for the treatment of skin condition, including age spots, acne, loss of cellular antioxidants, collagen loss, loss of skin pliability, loss of skin suppleness, skin wrinkles including fine lines, oxidation, damage from radiation, malfunction of matrix metalloproteases, malfunction of tyrosinases, damage from free radicals, damage from UV, dry skin, xerosis, ichthyosis, dandruff, brownish spots, keratoses, melasma, lentigines, liver spots, pigmented spots, dark circles under the eyes, skin pigmentation including darkened skin, blemishes, oily skin, warts, eczema, pruritic skin, psoriasis, inflammatory dermatoses, topical inflammation, disturbed keratinization, skin changes associated with aging, nail or skin requiring cleansers, conditioning or treatment, and hair or scalp requiring shampooing or conditioning, and combinations thereof;
US07842718B2

Compounds of Formula (I), wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, T, W, X, Y and Z are as defined herein are provided, together with pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrates and/or prodrugs thereof. Methods of using these compounds for inhibiting beta amyloid production and for treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome are described.
US07842713B2

The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein:Ring A is (4-12)-membered heterocyclyl;Ring B is a fused benzene ring selected from the group consisting of: Ring A, ring B, ring C, R1, R1a, R2, R3, R4, L2, n, t, w, and z are as defined in the specification. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of formula (I) and methods of treating a condition that is mediated by the modulation of glucokinase, the method comprising administering to a mammal an effective amount of a compound of formula (I).
US07842707B2

The present invention relates to a series of novel compounds having the formula (I) wherein: X is NR3 or O; n is 1 or 2; A is a bicyclic carbocycle and R1 and R2 are as described herein. The compounds are useful as DPP-IV inhibitors, such as for the treatment of diabetes.
US07842701B2

The present invention provides a pyarzoloquinolone derivative having kinase inhibitory activity. The derivative is represented by the formula: wherein R1 is an aryl group which may be substituted, or an aromatic heterocyclic group which may be substituted; R2 is a hydrogen atom, an amino group which may be substituted, a hydroxy group which may be substituted, or a thiol group which may be substituted; R3, R4, R5 and R6, which may be identical or different, are each (1) a hydrogen atom, (2) a nitro group, (3) a cyano group, (4) a halogen atom, (5) a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted, (6) an amino group which may be substituted, (7) a hydroxy group which may be substituted, or (8) a thiol group which may be substituted; and R3 and R4, R4 and R5, and R5 and R6 may respectively form a ring together with the adjacent carbon atom, or salt thereof.
US07842700B2

Crystals of isopropyl ester of N-(2,6-dichlorobenzoyl)-4-[6-(methylamino)methyl-1-methyl-2,4-dioxo-1,4-dihydroquinazoline-3(2H)-yl]-L-phenylalanine hydrochloride are useful as α4 integrin inhibitors.
US07842693B2

Compounds are provided that act as potent antagonists of the CCR1 receptor, and which have been further confirmed in animal testing for inflammation, one of the hallmark disease states for CCR1. The compounds are generally aryl piperazine derivatives and are useful in pharmaceutical compositions, methods for the treatment of CCR1-mediated diseases, and as controls in assays for the identification of competitive CCR1 antagonists.
US07842692B2

The present invention creates an azaindole derivative having DP receptor antagonistic activity and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the said compound as an active ingredient, and further providing a therapeutic agent for treating allergic diseases.A compound of the general formula (I) wherein the ring A is an aromatic carbocyclic ring etc.; the ring B is a 3- to 8-membered nitrogen-containing non-aromatic heterocyclic ring etc.; the formula of —X1═X2—X3═X4— is a formula of —C(R1)═C(R2)—C(R3)═N— etc.; R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are independently a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom etc.; R6 is optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyloxy etc.; R7 is independently a halogen atom etc.; R8 is optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl etc.; R9 is carboxy etc.; M is sulfonyl etc.; Y is a single bond etc.; L1, L2 and L3 are a single bond or alkylene optionally containing one or two heteroatoms etc.; n is 0 etc.; q is 0 etc.; a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrate thereof.
US07842690B2

A compound of formula (I): in which X represents O or CH2; R3 and R4 each independently represent hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl; p represent 0 or 1; and R represents a five- or six-membered saturated or unsaturated ring selected from: formula (II), (III) and (IV); or R represents a five- or six-membered oxo-substituted unsaturated ring selected from: (V) and (VI); wherein R1 and R2 together represent an oxo group, or R1 and R2 each represent hydrogen, methoxy or ethoxy, or R1 and R2 together with the interjacent carbon atom represent a 1,3-dioxolane or 1,3-dioxane ring, attached via the 2 position and optionally bearing one or more methyl or ethyl groups; or a salt thereof, is suitable for the treatment of anxiety and depression.
US07842688B2

Novel substituted piperidines of the general formulae (I) and (II) with the substituent definitions as explained in detail in the description are described. The compounds are suitable in particular as renin inhibitors and are highly potent.
US07842679B2

Taught are pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one phospholipid having at least one docosahexaenoyl (DHA) residue, such as a lecithin-DHA-type phospholipid, and methods for treating or preventing respiratory failure of a patient comprising administering these pharmaceutical compositions to a patient in need of such treatment or prevention.
US07842675B2

The present application describes deuterium-enriched capecitabine, pharmaceutically acceptable salt forms thereof, and methods of treating using the same.
US07842672B2

A compound of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, or Formula IV: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, and/or ester thereof, therapeutic compositions containing such compounds, and therapeutic methods that include the administration of such compounds.
US07842669B2

Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of articular cartilage defects and disease involving the combination of tissue, such as osteochondral grafts, with active growth factor. The active growth factor is preferably a composition containing at least one bone morphogenetic protein and a suitable carrier. The method results in the regeneration and/or functional repair of articular cartilage tissue.
US07842667B2

A method of treating a disorder characterized by tissue damage is provided. The method comprising providing to a subject in need-thereof a composition which comprises a synthetic polymer attached to denatured fibrinogen or a therapeutic portion of the fibrinogen, the composition being formulated for releasing the therapeutic portion of the fibrinogen in a pharmacokinetically regulated manner, thereby treating the disorder characterized by tissue damage or malformation.
US07842661B2

The present invention provides conjugates between erythropoietin and PEG moieties. The conjugates are linked via an intact glycosyl linking group interposed between and covalently attached to the peptide and the modifying group. The conjugates are formed from glycosylated peptides by the action of a glycosyltransferase. The glycosyltransferase ligates a modified sugar moiety onto a glycosyl residue on the peptide. Also provided are methods for preparing the conjugates, methods for treating various disease conditions with the conjugates, and pharmaceutical formulations including the conjugates.
US07842654B2

The present invention relates to a disposable cleaning article for cleaning a bathroom surfaces which includes a layer of nonwoven substrate and a cleaning composition which can be either in a liquid or paste form. The cleaning article is water activate.The present invention also relates to a method of cleaning a hard surface by adding water to a disposable cleaning article impregnated with a cleaning composition and then wiping the bathroom surface.
US07842642B2

The catalyst carrier in accordance with the present invention is a catalyst carrier comprising a support containing an oxide and an element in group 3A of the periodic table, and a coating part covering at least a part of a surface of the support; wherein the coating part contains an element in group 3A of the periodic table; and wherein the element in group 3A contained in the coating part has a concentration higher than that of the element in group 3A contained in the support. In this case, even when a catalyst in which rhodium is supported by the catalyst carrier is used for a long time in a high temperature environment, the grain growth of rhodium particles can be suppressed, and the catalyst can fully be prevented from lowering its activity.
US07842638B2

A polymerisation catalyst comprising (1) a transition metal compound of Formula (A), and optionally (2) an activator, wherein Z is 5-membered heterocyclic containing carbon, nitrogen and at least one other selected from nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen, the remaining atoms in the ring being nitrogen and carbon; M is a metal from Group 3 to 11 or a lanthanide metal; E1 and E2 are divalent hydrocarbon, heterocyclic or heterosubstituted derivatives of these; D1 and D2 are donor atoms or groups; X is an anionic group, L is a neutral donor group; n=m=zero or 1; y and z are zero or integers so that X and L satisfy the valency/oxidation state of M, characterized in that the complex contains at least one polymerisable olefinic double bond which is present in, or substituent to, at least one of the atoms, groups or ligands represented by Z, E, D and L. The catalyst binds to the forming polymer providing product with good particle morphology.
US07842630B2

The present invention is aimed at a method of providing wettability to polyester fibers or filaments, to woven or nonwoven fabrics made therefrom and to resultant articles of manufacture. The method comprises melt extruding a mixture comprising a polyester and one or more alkyl metal sulfonates where the metal is Na, Li or K and the alkyl is straight or branched chain alkyl of 12 to 15 carbon atoms, or is straight or branched chain alkenyl of 12 to 18 carbon atoms. The alkyl metal sulfonates are present from about 2% to about 5% by weight based on the weight of the polyester. A post treatment step such as an alkaline treatment step is not included. The melt extrusion mixtures do not include certain additives such as polyoxyalkylene compounds, alkylmonoethonolamide compounds, alkyldiethanolamine compounds and polyetheramide compounds.
US07842628B2

A woven or knitted fabric, formed from two types of yarns different in self-elongating property upon absorbing water and capable of facilitating the air-permeability when wetted with water, is constituted so that a ratio A/B of a mean length A of yarns (1) having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property to a mean length B of yarns (2) arranged in the same direction as that of the yarn (1) and having a lower water-absorbing, self-elongating property than that of the yarn (1) is adjusted to 0.9 or less.
US07842626B2

Partially fluorinated amino acid derivatives are provided that are useful as organogelators and surface treatment materials to provide oil- and water- repellency properties to substrates. Also provided are composite materials comprising a porous support and a porous nanoweb. The porous nanoweb contains fibrous structures of about 10 nm to about 1000 nm effective average fiber diameter.
US07842623B2

A composition for removing an insulation material and related methods of use are disclosed. The composition comprises about 1 to 50 percent by weight of an oxidizing agent, about 0.1 to 35 percent by weight of a fluorine-containing compound, and water. The insulation material comprises at least one of a low-k material and a protection material.
US07842622B1

A method of forming a conformal amorphous hydrogenated carbon layer on an irregular surface of a semiconductor substrate includes: vaporizing a hydrocarbon-containing precursor; introducing the vaporized precursor and an argon gas into a CVD reaction chamber inside which the semiconductor substrate is placed; depositing a conformal amorphous hydrogenated carbon layer on the irregular surface of the semiconductor substrate by plasma CVD; and controlling the deposition of the conformal ratio of the depositing conformal amorphous hydrogenated carbon layer. The controlling includes (a) adjusting a step coverage of the conformal amorphous hydrogenated carbon layer to about 30% or higher as a function of substrate temperature, and (b) adjusting a conformal ratio of the conformal amorphous hydrogenated carbon layer to about 0.9 to about 1.1 as a function of RF power and/or argon gas flow rate.
US07842613B1

Methods of forming a substrate for microelectronic packaging may include electroplating a metal seed layer onto a sidewall of a trench extending through the substrate. The sidewall may be patterned to have at least one slot therein that extends through the substrate. This slot is formed to be sufficiently narrow to block plating of the metal seed layer onto sidewalls of the slot. Thereafter, the at least a pair of electrodes are selectively electroplated onto side-by-side portions of the metal seed layer on the sidewall of the trench. During this electroplating step, the slot is used to provide a self-aligned separation between the pair of electrodes.