US07926109B2
A beacon method for use in a wireless communication network involves populating a beacon frame's channel identification data with accurate data associated with use of a particular channel for wireless communication; populating the beacon frame's network identification data with data including at least one false data element wherein it can be determined if an intruder has attempted to connect to the network by detecting the false data element in the intruder's attempt to connect to the network, where the beacon network identification data are intended to identify the network using the particular channel; storing the beacon frame in a computer readable storage medium; and transmitting the beacon frame over a channel to be reserved. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07926107B2
A system and method are disclosed for collecting, analyzing, verifying, producing, and broadcasting security data. Internet security-related information may be broadcast continuously from a data center over a broadcast channel, such as a webcast. As additional security related information is received at the data center, the data is analyzed and video content is produced to describe the incoming data. Video content may take the form of urgent near real-time security alerts, or pre-scheduled programs describing recent news and developments related to internet security. In an alternative embodiment, security news alerts are multi-cast to a selected group of users and the news alert data encrypted so that the group of users may trust its source.
US07926095B1
An efficient authentication method for providing a user access to a primary server and at least one secondary server. An efficient authentication system for primary and secondary servers for providing secure access to a user.
US07926094B2
Aspects for secure access and communication of information in a distributed media network may include detecting when a legacy media peripheral is connected to a PC and/or a media processing system on the distributed media network. One or more identifiers associated with the legacy media peripheral may be established and utilized to facilitate communication of the legacy media peripheral over the distributed media network. At least one legacy media peripheral identifier and at least one identifier of a user utilizing the legacy media peripheral may be requested. The legacy media peripheral identifier may be a serial number of the legacy media peripheral, while the user identifier may be a user password and/or a user name. Media peripheral association software may be executed on the PC and/or the media processing system and utilized for media peripheral association and authentication in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
US07926089B2
One embodiment relates to a method of managing trust relationships between federated identity and service providers. An assertion of a user identity is received from an identity provider via a first federation protocol, wherein a destination service provider is indicated with the assertion. Permission of the user identity to access the destination service provider is verified. If permission is verified, the user identity is asserted to the destination service provider via a second federation protocol. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed.
US07926083B2
A process for secured distribution of digital fixed pictures in the form of streams comprising sequences of data each containing a part of information of the picture comprising: modifying the original stream by modifying at least a part of the data sequences to produces a stream modified in the same nominal format as the original stream, transmitting the modified stream, and reconstruction of the modified stream with a decoder in addressee equipment, wherein the reconstruction is adaptive and progressive as a function of information coming from a digital profile of an addressee user.
US07926082B2
A name and a URL of a specific link destination are stored in a specific link destination information storing section. A microcomputer changes a process to be performed on a link destination depending on whether or not a link destination targeted for the process is a specific link destination. The specific link destination is highlighted when displaying link destinations as icons, and the specific link destination is displayed first when displaying a list of the link destinations. An access history about the specific link destination is stored in an access history storing section. An information server collects the access history from a television receiver and counts the number of accesses to the specific link destination. When the advertisement site is selected as the specific link destination, the number of accesses to the specific link destination is used as an index for indicating an advertising effect.
US07926077B2
The invention relates to an audio and/or video system for a motor vehicle, which comprises an annular, bi-directional, optical network (1) from optical waveguides and audio and/or video devices (2-12) that are interlinked by means of the network (1) in an annular manner. Data are transmitted between the audio and/or video devices (2-12) in the network (1) in a first data channel having a first optical wavelength. The network used is especially a MOST bus known for use in motor vehicles. The invention is characterized in that data are transmitted between the audio and/or video devices (2-12) in the network (1) in a second data channel having a second optical wavelength. Particularly, IP data can be transmitted at a high transmission rate via the second data channel.
US07926060B2
A computing system that includes a number of processing elements, a memory and a multi-task controller. In one embodiment, the path between the resource manager and the processing elements is the same for all processing elements. In another embodiment, the data path is different between different processing elements. A processing element receives a request via a strobe signal and data on a path between the resource manager and the processing element and reports status on the data path via a different strobe signal. The request to the processing element may specify floating point computations, as well as sorting operations. The processing element can use an auxiliary memory to aid in the sorting operations. Push and pop functions are processed by the processing element to facilitate the loading of multiple data operands in the processing element.
US07926059B2
A data access request to a file system is decomposed into a plurality of lower-level I/O tasks. A logical combination of physical storage components is represented as a hierarchical set of objects. A parent I/O task is generated from a first object in response to the data access request. A child I/O task is generated from a second object to implement a portion of the parent I/O task. The parent I/O task is suspended until the child I/O task completes. The child I/O task is executed in response to an occurrence of an event that a resource required by the child I/O task is available. The parent I/O task is resumed upon an event indicating completion of the child I/O task. Scheduling of any child I/O task is not conditional on execution of the parent I/O task, and a state diagram regulates the child I/O tasks.
US07926055B2
The present invention provides a processor that cyclically executes a plurality of threads in accordance with an execution time allocated to each of the threads, comprising a reconfigurable integrated circuit. The processor stores circuit configuration information sets respectively corresponding to the plurality of threads, reconfigures a part of the integrated circuit based on the circuit configuration information sets, and sequentially executes each thread using the integrated circuit that has been reconfigured based on one of the configuration information sets that corresponds to the thread. While executing a given thread, the processor selects a thread to be executed next, and reconfigures a part of the integrated circuit where is not currently used for execution of the given thread, based on a circuit configuration information set corresponding to the selected thread.
US07926045B2
A mechanism is provided for adaptively assigning of a plurality of data management application instances to a plurality of data objects. The mechanism determines a processing load for a plurality of data management application instances for performing a data management task based on history data being descriptive of the data objects which have been affected by previous data management tasks, each of the data management application instances being assigned to at least one sub-section of a tree being descriptive of a storage structure of the data objects by means of a set of separation points for each one of the data management application instances. The mechanism adapts the separation points in the tree for balancing the expected processing loads of the data management application instances for a future data management processing task.
US07926034B2
Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer-readable media comprises an input circuit to receive data over a communication channel, the data representing operation of a computer during an test interval and screen updates generated by the computer during the test interval; and a processor to generate a motion picture representing the test interval and contemporaneously comprising a stripchart area showing a first stripchart representing the operation of the computer based on the data, and a screen update area showing the screen updates represented by the second data stream; wherein the stripchart area and the screen update area are synchronized.
US07926029B1
The present invention relates to a software development infrastructure and/or methodology in, for example, multi-platform computing environments. More specifically, this invention relates to a software development system and an approach for providing, for example in at least one embodiment, a lattice-based organization of interdependent software products for multi-dimensional progressive application specialization. The inventive system and method optionally starts with a generic root product node and incorporates more domain specific extensions in multiple tiers of constructs, facilities, and complexities, to create specialized applications.
US07926028B2
A computer implemented process for identifying conflicts between policies for a method invocable by an object is described, in which the method is a member of at least one statically defined method grouping having a corresponding policy. The process comprises, for each method grouping, obtaining each method which is a member of the method grouping, associating therewith the corresponding method grouping policy, and comparing policies associated with methods which are members of two or more method groupings to identify conflicts.
US07926026B2
A method and system for graphical analysis to detect anomalies in process objects. The method generates a graph to represent a set of process objects, applies a clustering algorithm to cluster like nodes of the graph, compares the clusters to the process objects, and, if the objects match the clusters, accepts the objects for further review or for use in applications. If one or more of the objects do not match the clusters, such suggests that there are anomalies in the process objects requiring correction. An example implementation may be to detect anomalies in the design of the process objects.
US07926024B2
A software program, for allowing users to manage the execution of a complex set of steps toward the solution of complex system analysis problems. The set of steps is termed a recipe. A step is a small focused task designed to accomplish a single, well-defined goal. This invention allows recipes to be easily switched, recorded and reused and for steps to be dynamically reconfigurable based on what the user does.
US07926022B2
Methods, apparatus and systems for processing of code that includes key fields having surrogate and extends relationships are described. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a pattern language code having definitions of a number of classes, wherein a definition of a first class of the number of classes comprises a reference to a field. The method also includes compiling the pattern language code to generate an object code, wherein the compiling comprises validating that the field is defined with a context of the first class. The context includes a second class of the number of classes that has a surrogate relationship with the first class.
US07926014B2
A clock-gating circuit insertion method includes inserting a clock-gating circuit into a position detected on the basis of a circuit data. Timing analysis of an enable signal is performed for the clock-gating circuit. An upper limit of delay variations for the enable signal is calculated to satisfy setup conditions on the basis of the result of the timing analysis. A selector-equipped clock-gating circuit including a selector circuit and a clock-gating circuit is inserted into the candidate position for insertion. The selector circuit selects and outputs the enable signal when delay variations are not above the upper limit. The selector circuit selects and outputs a signal designating the passing of a clock signal when the delay variations are above the upper limit. The clock-gating circuit passes or intercepts the clock signal on the basis of the output signal of the selector circuit.
US07926013B2
Methods and apparatus to validate continuous signal phase matching in high-speed nets routed as differential pairs are described. In one embodiment, a primary net of a differential pair may be traversed to determine whether a design rule violation has occurred based on comparison of calculated trace lengths of the primary net and a secondary net against a threshold value. Other embodiments are also described.
US07925999B2
A design method of printed circuit boards includes the following steps. First, simulate a printed circuit board including power layers, and vias connected to all the power layers. Then, change connections of the vias that tend to draw too much current to be connected to fewer power layers, than the vias that tend to draw less current. Repeat adjusting connections of the vias until all vias draw a similar amount of current such that no via draws more current than an upper limit the vias are designed for. Finally, according to the results, design/fabricate a PCB with vias respectively insulated, as needed, from the power layers that do not need to be connected to the vias.
US07925993B2
Highlighting of content is aggregated across a plurality of users, thus enabling the content to be presented with highlights that represent the collective highlighting of the users. Highlighted content may be presented to the users with varying levels of prominence. Accordingly, depending on the aggregated highlight information, some content may be presented with a highlight that is more or less prominent than highlighting for other content. Prominence data associated with highlighted content may include a score indicative of a strength of the highlight for the highlighted content. A score indicating a stronger highlight causes the highlight to be presented with greater prominence. The score may be incremented, possibly on a weighted bases, to represent the combined highlighting of different users. Highlights may assume many different forms, including visual forms (such as colors, lines, borders, fonts, icons, etc.), audio forms and tactile forms.
US07925988B2
A system and method for providing sticky applications are provided. A “sticky application” is an operating system (OS) level application that has the ability to “stick” to web applications and become a part of the web page on which the web application is running. While the sticky application is stuck to the web application, it behaves as if it were a web application with respect to the user. When the user chooses to “unstick” the application, it will return to behaving as an OS level application. The sticky application imitates being a web-based application instead of an operating system level application while stuck. This imitation involves the sticky application being placed on pixel coordinates within a web page of the web application and the sticky application remaining in the pixel coordinates within the web page where it is placed even when a user modifies the representation of the web page.
US07925987B2
A control and its associated programming interface for allowing entry of electronic ink, editing and other manipulation of the ink, and/or recognition of the ink. Ink may be stored in a data structure such as an ink object that permits later retrieval by applications. As is the case with text that may be bolded, underlined, italicized, and the like, the describe control and its programming interface may permit ink information to be manipulated as easily as text, while providing the richness of handwritten ink.
US07925981B2
A system for managing a Web service comprises a service managed object associated with the Web service. The service managed object includes an interface configured to represent management features for the service to a manager. The manager can access information regarding the Web service via the interface such as a list of conversations associated with the Web service, and the relationship of the service managed object to other managed objects.
US07925980B2
A method (400) for online collaboration among users at different locations sharing common motion imagery (302). The method involves storing data defining the motion imagery (MID) in a data store (104) associated with a motion image server (MIS) and communicating the motion imagery to a first client device (FCD). The method also involves generating at the FCD (106) an annotation (304, . . . , 308) capable of being displayed together with the motion imagery. The annotation is defined by metadata distinct from the MID and containing information to associate the metadata with the motion imagery. The method further involves communicating the metadata to the MIS (102), storing the metadata in the data store, and communicating the MID and the metadata to a second client device (SCD). The SCD (108) selectively displays the annotation together with the motion imagery in response to an input command of a second user.
US07925976B2
A refrigerator is provided having a user avatar display function which can store avatars of each user, identify users, and display the avatars corresponding to the identified users. The refrigerator includes a photographing device that photographs images of users, a storing device that stores user information for identifying the users and avatar information having avatars corresponding to the users and/or user information, a display that displays the avatars, and a controller that reads the user information, compares the user information with the images of the users photographed by the photographing device, reads the avatar information according to the comparison result, and displays the avatars of the users included in the read avatar information on the display.
US07925974B1
A system and methods for distributing media data regarding a specific topic to a user. The system comprises a media-host device, server, and distribution module. The media-host device submits a request for the media data, receives a textual structure summarizing the specific topic, and presents the textual structure to the user. The server stores the textual structure. The distribution module communicates the textual structure to the media-host device. One method comprises receiving a request to present the textual structure, retrieving the textual structure, formatting the textual structure to be readable by a media-host device, and transmitting the textual structure to the media-host device. Another method comprises determining the format of the media-host device, formatting the textual structure to be presentable on the media-host device, and transmitting the formatted textual structure to the media-host device.
US07925971B2
A method and apparatus for converting documents from one format to another in a speed efficient way involves a hardware module which implements several operating pipeline stages which work in parallel. The transformations are supplied and decomposed into sequences of control units. The transformation of documents consists of applying control unit sequences to input documents. The control units are themselves executed by a set of dedicated hardware resources. Furthermore the pipeline is capable of operating on more than one document at a time. Fast document transformation is a key capability of document processing systems. The use of parallel processing techniques and hardware that implements highly specialized transformation resources make this invention particularly scalable for its use in large, high speed content networks.
US07925970B2
A system allows a user to integrally manage content regardless whether the content is owned or not owned by the user. In a reproduction terminal, one piece of sort-out information is generated from one play list. Sort-out information is obtained by classifying the metadata of content registered with a play list into three types of metadata, search metadata, display metadata and processing metadata. The sort-out information generated in the reproduction terminal is transmitted to a reproduction terminal via a sort-out information server. In the reproduction terminal, a same play list as a play list of the reproduction terminal is created on the basis of the provided sort-out information. In the created play list, each piece of content registered with the play list is managed by making a distinction between the content owned by the user and the content not owned by the user.
US07925958B2
The ability to accurately and efficiently calculate and report communication errors is becoming more important than ever in today's communications environment. More specifically calculating and reporting CRC anomalies in a consistent manner across a plurality of communications connections in a network is crucial to accurate error reporting. Through a normalization technique applied to a CRC computation period (e.g., the PERp value), accurate error identification and reporting for each individual connection can be achieved.
US07925955B2
Embodiments describe a transmit driver that processes data communication between a scheduler and a turbo encoder. Transmit driver receives a request for a super frame and ascertains whether it has enough information to start the super frame. If there is enough data, the super frame is written to an appropriate hardware register. Both Direct Memory Access (DMA) and non-DMA hardware can be supported with the one or more embodiments.
US07925950B2
A method and circuit for implementing substantially perfect array access time tracking with Logic Built In Self Test (LBIST) diagnostics of dynamic memory array and random logic, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. The dynamic memory array is initialized to a state for the longest read time for each bit and the dynamic memory array is forced into a read only mode. During LBIST diagnostics with the array in the read only mode, the array outputs are combined with the data inputs to provide random switching data on the array outputs to the random logic.
US07925944B2
In a semiconductor device including an N-line M-stage shift register circuit operated at high speed of, for example, several hundreds MHz. Input circuits input a common test pattern to each of pairs of shift registers in, for example, two lines out of the N lines. A plurality of outputs of the pairs of shift registers in the two lines are compared in comparators, and the comparison results are output. The N-line M-stage shift register circuit and the comparators are operated in synchronization with a clock signal at several hundreds MHz. Hence, even when the circuit scale (area) of the N-line M-stage shift register circuit is increased to involve apparent wiring delay, a defect in the shift register circuit can be detected at an actual speed.
US07925929B2
A system and method for generating an orthogonal array (OA) for software testing is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for generating an OA of test cases for testing a system includes accepting a user input from a user, the user input including multiple factors and multiple levels associated with the system, accessing a reference table to determine a set of parameters based on the user input for testing each level of a factor against all levels of all other factors in the system, and performing a predetermined number of iterations based on the set of parameters to generate the OA of the test cases. The OA of the test cases includes combinations of the multiple factors and the multiple levels required for testing pair-wise interactions between the multiple levels and the multiple factors in the system.
US07925926B2
A disk array apparatus has a plurality of disks constituting a mounted RAID group and controls access from an upper-level device to each of the disks. The disk array apparatus also has a performance information collector for collecting a piece of performance-related information of each of the disks, and a suspected disk detector for comparing the pieces of information collected for the disks by the performance information collector among disks constituting a single one of the RAID group and detecting a suspected disk suspected of being abnormal in performance based on a result of the comparison.
US07925924B2
The present invention introduces methods for controlling and configuring systems using a new command line interface (CLI) command. The CLI command allows a user to set a save point or a restore point of the configuration (e.g., setsavepoint). After the CLI command is executed, the user can continue issuing configuration commands. In addition, if at some point the user wants to go back to the restore point, the user can issue an additional command which generates a CLI script containing all of the commands that need to be executed in order to modify the configuration such that it goes back to its state at the point at which the restore point was set.
US07925917B1
A main data center with first and second backup data centers also has a translator for assisting a failover module of a failed server at the main data center in implementing failover of the failed server to a corresponding server at the first backup data center. The translator intercepts a command from the failover module to a store of the main data center, where the command directs the store to disable writes to particular storage space in the store associated with the failed server, but does not identify with specificity which of a store of the first data center and a store of the second data center is enabled to write to such particular storage space. Thus, the translator determines an identification of the store of the first backup data center, and modifies the command from the failover module based on the determined identification.
US07925914B2
Availability of an information system including a storage system that performs remote copy between two or more storage apparatuses and a host computer using such storage system is improved. A third storage apparatus including a third volume is coupled to a first storage apparatus, a fourth storage apparatus including a fourth volume is coupled to a second storage apparatus, the first and third storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in a first volume to the third volume, the first and second storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in the first volume to a second volume, and the third and fourth storage apparatuses perform remote copy of copying data stored in the third volume to the fourth volume.
US07925912B1
A device for adjusting the timing of at least one edge of an output pulse created in response to a reference pulse is disclosed. Such a device may include a first memory circuit having two or more first memory cells and a second memory circuit also having two or more second memory cells. The first memory circuit may be configured to periodically sample the reference pulse at the rising edges of a first sample clock while the second memory circuit may be configured to periodically sample the reference pulse at the falling edges of the first sample clock. A combinatorial logic circuit may also be included to produce the output pulse having at least one adjusted edge based on a set of timing instructions and timing information provided by the first and/or second memory circuits.
US07925911B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for managing computer power among a plurality of computers so that the aggregate power consumption does not exceed a maximum subscription amount, the maximum subscription amount comprising the maximum amount of power that can be supplied to the plurality of computers. Embodiments include monitoring, by a central power management module, aggregate power consumption of the plurality of computers; the central power management module and the computers coupled for data communications through a power management network; determining, by the central power management module, whether the aggregate power consumption exceeds a predetermined maximum aggregate power threshold, the maximum aggregate power threshold less than the maximum subscription amount; if the aggregate power consumption exceeds the predetermined maximum aggregate power threshold, throttling-down the plurality of computers, reducing the aggregate power consumption to a level below the predetermined maximum aggregate power threshold. Typical embodiments also include determining, by a central power management module, whether the aggregate power consumption is below a predetermined minimum aggregate power threshold; and if the aggregate power consumption is below a predetermined minimum aggregate power threshold, throttling-up the plurality of computers increasing the aggregate power consumption to a level that exceeds the predetermined minimum threshold.
US07925907B1
Circuits, methods, and systems that reduce or eliminate the number of data transfers between a system memory and a graphics processor under certain conditions. After inactivity by a user of an electronic device is detected, the color fidelity of pixels being displayed is reduced. Color fidelity can be reduced by compressing pixel values, and the compression may be non-lossless, for example, pixel data bits may be truncated. The degree of compression can be progressively increased for longer durations of inactivity, and this progression may be limited by a threshold. Inactivity may be detected by a lack of input from devices such as a keyboard, pen, mouse, or other input device. Once activity is resumed, uncompressed pixel data, or pixel data that is compressed in a lossless manner, is displayed.
US07925904B2
A battery charging method for a device that has a PDA, a wireless communication system, and a power system having a battery and is charged via an external charging cable. The device further has an external charging circuit for charging the battery. The wireless communication system has an internal charging circuit for charging the battery. The battery charging method includes performing current charging to the battery via the external charging circuit by using the external charging cable; turning on the wireless communication system; and turning on the internal charging circuit for charging after the wireless communication system is turned on.
US07925900B2
An apparatus and method provide power to perform functions on a computing device. In one example, the apparatus contains multiple processors that may operate at different power levels to consume different amounts of power. Also, any of the multiple processors may perform different functions. For example, one processor may be a low power processor that may control or operate at least one peripheral device to perform a low capacity function. Control may also switch from the low power processor to a high capacity processor. In one example, the high capacity processor controls the low power processor and further controls the at least one peripheral device through the lower power processor.
US07925888B1
A virus detection system (VDS) (400) operates under the control of P-code to detect the presence of a virus in a file (100) having multiple entry points. P-code is an intermediate instruction format that uses primitives to perform certain functions related to the file (100). The VDS (400) executes the P-code, which provides Turing-equivalent capability to the VDS. The VDS (400) has a P-code data file (410) for holding the P-code, a virus definition file (VDF) (412) for holding signatures of known viruses, and an engine (414) for controlling the VDS. The engine (414) contains a P-code interpreter (418) for interpreting the P-code, a scanning module (424) for scanning regions of the file (100) for the virus signatures in the VDF (412), and an emulating module (426) for emulating entry points of the file. When executed, the P-code examines the file (100), posts (514) regions that may be infected by a virus for scanning, and posts (518) entry points that may be infected by a virus for emulating. The P-code can also detect (520) certain viruses algorithmically. Then, the posted regions and entry points of the file (100) are scanned (526) and emulated (534) to determine if the file is infected with a virus. This technique allows the VDS (400) to perform sophisticated analysis of files having multiple entry points in a relatively brief amount of time. In addition, the functionality of the VDS (400) can be changed by changing the P-code, reducing the need for burdensome engine updates.
US07925886B2
A hashing method and system. The method comprises receiving by a computing system first source data. A first hash function is applied to first source data. A first hash output is generated by the first hash function as a result of applying the first hash function to first source data. The computing system performs an operation relating the first source data with at least a portion of the first hash output to generate second source data. The first hash function is applied to the second source data. A second hash output is generated as a result of applying the first hash function to the second source data.
US07925881B2
A method and apparatus for preventing rogue implementations of a security-sensitive class interface are provided. With the method and apparatus, a unique identifier (UID) is created by a server process when the server process is started. Anytime the server process, i.e. a server runtime environment, instantiates a new credential object following start-up of the server process, the encrypted UID is placed into a private field within the new credential object. In addition, the UID is encrypted and stored in a private class of the server runtime environment. A verification class is provided within the server runtime environment which includes one or more methods that receive the credential object as a parameter and return true or false as to the validity of the credential object. These one or more methods determine the validity of the credential object by retrieving the encrypted UID from the private class stored in the server runtime environment, decrypting the UID and comparing it to the decrypted UID stored in the private field of the credential object. If the two UIDs match, a determination is made that the credential object was created by the server runtime environment rather than a rogue application. If the two UIDs do not match, or if there is no UID in the credential object, then a false result will be returned by the verification class.
US07925880B2
A telecommunications architecture exposes telecommunications services to third parties through a secure access gateway. The third parties may be other telecommunications service providers who employ the services to support their own products and services. The access gateway provides a secure, standardized, and controlled access platform for the exposed services, and addresses the technical problems associated with such access. In addition to providing technical solutions for efficient and secure access to exposed services, the architecture also provides an additional revenue channel for existing telecommunication service providers.
US07925872B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a directory service to facilitate centralized device naming. The system operates by receiving a registration of a device at a computer system. Next, the system determines if the device has been registered with the directory service. If so, the system retrieves a name of the device from the directory service. If not, the system generates a device name for the device, and registers the device name with the directory service.
US07925869B2
A system and method for enabling multithreading in a embedded processor, invoking zero-time context switching in a multithreading environment, scheduling multiple threads to permit numerous hard-real time and non-real time priority levels, fetching data and instructions from multiple memory blocks in a multithreading environment, and enabling a particular thread to modify the multiple states of the multiple threads in the processor core.
US07925867B2
A data processing and method are provided for pre-decoding instructions. The data processing apparatus has pre-decoding circuitry for receiving instructions fetched from a memory and for performing a pre-decoding operation to generate corresponding pre-decoded instructions, which are then stored in the cache for access by the processing circuitry. If a pre-decoded instruction crosses a cache line boundary, then checking circuitry in respect of selected types of pre-decoded instruction checks for consistency between the first portion of the pre-decoded instruction stored within a first cache line and a contiguous second portion of the pre-decoded instruction stored within a second cache line. If this consistency check is passed such that the two portions are self-consistent, then the pre-decoded instruction can be further decoded and issued. If the consistency check is failed, or the pre-decoded instruction is not of a type for which consistency checking is supported, then re-generation of the pre-decoded instruction is triggered.
US07925858B2
An indication to allocate storage is received, where the storage is to be used to store previous version data associated with a protected data set. One or more storage groups are allocated of at least a prescribed allocation group size and comprising a set of physically contiguous storage locations.
US07925855B1
A method and system for using external storage to amortize CPU cycle utilization, wherein translated instructions are stored in a storage medium and subsequently accessed on a subsequent execution of a non-native application in order to amortize CPU cycles used in generating the translated instructions.
US07925845B2
A storage apparatus that provides a dynamically extensible virtual volume for a host apparatus that accesses the virtual volume is characterized by including: a management unit setting part for setting a management unit, with which an area for storing data sent from the host apparatus is divided on a predetermined-area basis for management, for a pool area that provides a storage area to be assigned to the virtual volume; and a management unit resetting part for resetting the management unit set by the management unit setting part via analysis of the status of access from the host apparatus to the data at a predetermined time to make the management unit optimum for the status of access from the host apparatus to the data.
US07925844B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed that operate to encode register bits to generate encoded bits such that, for pairs of addresses, an encoded bit to be coupled to a first address in a memory device may be exchanged with an encoded bit to be coupled to a second address in the memory device. Apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed that operate to invert encoded bits in logic circuits in the memory device if original bits were inverted. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US07925843B2
A memory controller (1) writes data continuously to a first and a second blocks (20A), (20B) which are provided by dividing a memory region of a nonvolatile memory (2), and reads the data therefrom. The controller includes: a first writer (12A) which writes data to the first block (20A); and a second writer (12B) which writes data to the second block (20B) after completion of the writing by the first writer (12A) and a lapse of a waiting time generally equal to a length of time necessary for a power breakdown to drop a power source voltage down to a voltage value to at least disable the writing of data to the memory region.
US07925842B2
A method of operating a data processing system includes each of multiple tasks within a parallel job executing on multiple nodes of the data processing system issuing a system call to request allocation of backing storage in physical memory for global shared memory accessible to all of the multiple tasks within the parallel job, where the global shared memory is in a global address space defined by a range of effective addresses. Each task among the multiple tasks receives an indication that the allocation requested by the system call was successful only if the global address space for that task was previously reserved and backing storage for the global shared memory has not already been allocated.
US07925838B2
A system for maintaining data coherency in a multiprocessor system includes a first processor having a cache and a directory, a second processor having a directory, and at least one additional processor having a directory and separate from the first and second processors. The first processor is configured to determine if a data line is not found in the cache of the first processor and forward a request for the data line to the second processor. The second processor is configured to forward the data line from the second processor to the first processor, update the directory of the second processor to reflect the data line being forwarded to the first processor, and forward a directory update message to the at least one additional processor to reflect the data line being forwarded to the first processor. An entry in the directories includes a memory address, a most recent data holder, and a line state.
US07925833B2
An apparatus for processing information, includes a memory storing a plurality of content items different in type and metadata containing time information of the content items, a cache processor for fetching from the memory the content item and the metadata of the content item to be displayed on a display and storing the fetched content item and the metadata thereof on a cache memory, a display controller for displaying on the display the metadata of the content items from the cache memory arranged in accordance with the time information and a selection operator selecting metadata corresponding to a content item desired to be processed, out of the metadata displayed, and a content processor for fetching from the cache memory a content item corresponding to the metadata selected by the selection operator by referencing the cache memory in response to the selected metadata, and for performing a process responsive to the fetched content item.
US07925815B1
Methods and systems for processing more securely. More specifically, embodiments provide effective and efficient mechanisms for reducing APIC interference with accesses to SMRAM, where processor and/or northbridge modifications implementing these mechanisms effectively reduce APIC attacks and increase the security of proprietary, confidential or otherwise secure data stored in SMRAM.
US07925799B2
A serial ATA interface interfaces an ASIC with a HDD. A transfer start monitoring unit monitors start of data transfer between the ASIC and the HDD and a transfer completion monitoring unit monitors completion of the data transfer. A power management control unit controls power consumption of the ASIC and the HDD based on monitoring results obtained from the transfer start monitoring unit and the transfer completion monitoring unit.
US07925791B2
The present invention provides a system and method for detecting communication error among multiple nodes in a concurrent computing environment. A barrier synchronization point or regions are used to check for communication mismatch. The barrier synchronization can be placed anywhere in a concurrent computing program. If a communication error occurred before the barrier synchronization point, it would at least be detected when a node enters the barrier synchronization point. Once a node has reached the barrier synchronization point, it is not allowed to communicate with another node regarding data that is needed to execute the concurrent computing program, even if the other node has not reached the barrier synchronization point. Regions can also be used to detect a communication mismatch instead of barrier synchronization points. A concurrent program on each node is separated into one or more regions. Two nodes can only communicate with each other when their regions are compatible. If their regions are not compatible, then there is a communication mismatch.
US07925790B2
A content server provides content to a first network device during a data synchronization between the two devices. A middleware filter selectively filters content provided by the content server such that selected content is provided to the first network device. The middleware filter is included within a second network device coupled between the content server and the first network device. The second network device acts as a proxy for the first network device to receive the content provided by the content server. The content is provided from the content server according to a subscription service between the content server and the first network device. The first network device is preferably a personal digital assistant (PDA) and the second network device is preferably a personal computer. Alternatively, the content server is coupled to the first network device, without the second network device coupled in between. In the alternative case, the middleware filter is included within the content server, and the content is selectively provided from the middleware filter, on the content server, to the first network device.
US07925788B2
An embodiment relates generally to a method of communication between multiple case management systems. The method includes providing for a standard universal format that can be used for a plurality of case management systems, where each case management system is different from another, to communicate within the plurality of case management systems. The method also includes providing a plurality of classes based on the standard universal format and translating a native data for a trouble ticket based on a selected class associated with a first case management system to the standard universal format as a universal converted data packet. The method further includes transmitting the universal converted data packet to a second case management system.
US07925783B2
Transforming portions of a message to a destination via a communication protocol. A message is received. It is detected whether the received message includes an encoded envelope. The encoded envelope includes a stack defining parameters including information for handling the received message in an original format. If the received message includes the encoded envelope, the defined parameters are transformed to coded parameters in a common format. The coded parameters express the same information for handling the received message in the communication protocol. The encoded envelope is encapsulated in the received message, and the received message in the common format is delivered to the destination. If the received message does not include an encoded envelope, coded parameters are generated in the common format for the received message by encoding addressing information from the received message. The received message having the coded parameters in the common format is delivered to the destination.
US07925782B2
A system, method and computer-readable medium for request routing. A DNS server at a content delivery network service provider obtains a DNS query corresponding to a resource requested from a client computing device and associated with a first resource identifier. The first resource identifier includes a first portion with DNS information and a second portion with path information. The DNS server selects a network computing component for processing the requested resource based on the DNS portion of the resource identifier and transmits information identifying the selected network computing component to the client computing device.
US07925777B2
A method of routing data from a source to one or more clients over a network, where the data conforms to a structured meta-language; in which the routing is performed by a server applying rules to the data itself, and not any address accompanying the data, to determine where to route that data to. The present invention is predicated on the counter-intuitive insight that data does not need to be concealed within a data envelope and given an address label in order to be routed effectively and efficiently. Instead, routing can be performed on the actual content of a message by applying simple routing rules to the data itself by intelligent ‘routing’ servers within the network which can unpack data from their message envelopes and intelligently filter/combine them with data unpacked from other messages to achieve a routing function.
US07925770B1
The invention is related to methods and apparatus for tailoring an amount of Pre-Data that can be used in media clip streaming applications. A variable-bit-rate encoded media clip can be encoded at an average playback bit rate. When the actual transmission bit rate exceeds the average playback bit rate, a maximum bit deficit computation that uses the average playback bit rate overestimates the amount of Pre-Data that can be used to buffer the media clip. Embodiments of the invention tailor the amount of Pre-Data at least in part to the amount of data used to encode intervals of data and to actual transmission bit rates or to predictions of actual transmission bit rates, thereby decreasing the amount of Pre-Data that can be used and decreasing a latency time before play of the media clip begins.
US07925766B2
A system and method for aiding the handling of DDoS attacks in which VPN traffic entering an ISP network at some points will be black-holed, while VPN traffic entering the ISP network at other points will be routed, as it should be, to the system-under-attack. Thus, the system-under-attack is made available to some of the user community and made unavailable to suspect portions of the user community. Furthermore, the number of entry points where black-holing of VPN traffic occurs can be selected and changed in real-time during a DDoS attack.
US07925754B2
Described is a method to provide sync notifications to a client device. The invention maintains a notion of the state of the device. When an event of interest occurs for the mobile device, the server decides whether or not the device needs to be prompted to sync. A parameter that indicates whether an event of interest renders the device no longer up to date from the perspective of the server or whether an event of interest occurs and the device has not contacted the server for a certain period of time is compared to a last known parameter for a device. If the parameters match and the current time is greater than a timeout value, a sync notification is sent. If the parameters don't match, the sync notification is sent. The method is repeated for each event of interest.
US07925752B2
A system for providing single sign-on (SSO) user names for Web cookies in a multiple user information directory environment. SSO access to multiple applications is supported in situations where multiple user information directories are deployed, and users may be known by multiple identifiers. Convenient specification is enabled for which of a user's multiple names is to be used in an SSO Web cookie that is passed from application to application to enable SSO operation. The user's SSO Web cookie user name is fully separated conceptually from the user's effective name for any given application within the SSO environment. The SSO Web cookie user name provided by the disclosed system is specified independently from the effective name by which the user is known when operating in the Web application that writes the SSO Web cookie back to the user's computer system. Use of an administratively supplied user name in the SSO Web cookie is facilitated.
US07925751B1
A method and apparatus for operating a plurality of computers is disclosed. A file is maintained on a selected computer of the plurality of computers. An open request for the file is sent by a first computer of the plurality of computers to the selected computer, the open request including a first token. The file is opened for the first computer in response to the open request. An open request is sent for the file by a second computer to the selected computer, the open request including a second token. The first token is compared with the second token. If the first token and the second token match, opening the file for the second computer, and if the first token and the second token do not match, not opening the file for the second computer.
US07925750B2
A method of providing network access across a shared communications medium between competing users pursuant to SLAs of the users includes the steps of: (a) monitoring network access usage by each user during a time interval; (b) comparing the monitored network access usage by each user with a predetermined threshold value; and (c) soliciting a user to modify the user's SLA if the user's monitored network access usage varies from the predetermined value by a predetermined tolerance. The solicitation is conducted via email, instant messaging, redirection of a web browser of the user to a solicitation web page, generation and mailing of literature, telephonic communication, or other communication avenue.
US07925734B2
A method is set forth for routing user inputs from a PC to at least one embedded system over a network, comprising configuring at least one hotkey combination within the PC that maps to the at least one embedded system, upon receipt of the at least one hotkey combination capturing user interface input events to the PC and transmitting the user interface input events over the network to the at least one embedded system, and within the at least one embedded system injecting the user interface input events into an RTOS/Graphic engine.
US07925731B2
A system and method of managing networks and, more particularly, to a system and method for interfacing with virtual networking devices using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). A system comprises a configuration statement configured to provide an identity to a virtual device. An SNMP subagent is configured to interface between an SNMP agent and a control program of the virtual device. The SNMP subagent acquires information extracted by the control program for the identified virtual device and provides the acquired information to the SNMP agent to be returned to the SNMP client.
US07925729B2
A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided. The method includes identifying devices in a network, determining at least one property for each of the identified devices, receiving at least one determined device property from another device the network, and creating a network information data structure for storing the determined device properties.
US07925719B2
A method for providing a requestor with access to dynamic data via quasi-static data requests, comprising the steps of defining a web page, the web page including at least one dynamic element, creating an executable digital code to be run on a computer and invoked at defined intervals by a scheduler component the executable code effective to create and storing a quasi-static copy of the defined web page, creating the scheduler component capable of invoking the executable code at predefined intervals, loading the executable code and the scheduler component onto a platform in connectivity with a web server and with one another, invoking execution of the scheduler component, and retrieving and returning the static copy of the defined web page in response to requests for the defined web page.
US07925716B2
Techniques and mechanisms are provided that allow participants in an electronic messaging conversation (e.g. email or instant message) to retrieve information related to words and phrases in the electronic messaging conversation without leaving the electronic messaging environment. An electronic messaging environment is provided that includes user interface tools that allow a user to (1) select text within the EM conversation, (2) submit the text to an information retrieval service, such as a search engine, and (3) display the results generated by the information retrieval service. To facilitate the selection of relevant text, certain “suggested words” within the conversation may automatically be highlighted by the instant messaging client. Various techniques are provided for customizing which words are suggested, which sources are searched, and which search terms are used.
US07925713B1
A method for operating a network of point of presence servers includes receiving a request from a user for a web page at a first web address, determining traffic loads of a plurality of customer web servers, determining a customer web server from the plurality of customer web servers, the customer web server having a traffic load lower than traffic loads of remaining customer web servers, directing the request from the user to the customer web server, receiving a request from the user for static content on the web page at a second web address, determining the point of presence server from the network of point of presence servers that is appropriate for the request, the point of presence server having service metrics more appropriate than service metrics of remaining point of presence servers from the network.
US07925712B2
Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers. In one embodiment, the external, portable data store can not only store the user account but can also provide general data storage. In another embodiment, the external, portable data store can be a portion of a portable computing device (e.g., media player) that provides other functionality besides data storage.
US07925701B2
According to a method of sharing information between mobile terminals, a first mobile terminal receives information, such as a web page, which may include form data, and shares the information with one or more second mobile terminals. Input data relevant to the shared information as entered at the second mobile terminals is returned to the first mobile terminal, which consolidates that data with related input data entered at the first mobile terminal. Consolidated information may be sent from the first mobile terminal to the second mobile terminal(s), so that each of the mobile terminals maintains updated consolidated input data, and this process may be repeated as needed. In at least one embodiment, the information to be shared is provided by a third party information provider, and the first mobile terminal is configured to return the finally consolidated data to the third party information provider.
US07925694B2
The cookie management system and methods of the present solution address issues with rewriting cookie headers by handling cookies in the content layer of HTTP instead of the HTTP transaction layer. The present solution maintains cookie information for a browser via an intermediary and installs the correct cookie parameters in the browser via the HTTP content layer. Instead of using the headers of the HTTP transaction layer which may cause issues due to rewriting, the present solution manages the cookies outside of this layer. This avoids the browser managing the cookies incorrectly. Set cookies headers served from a server in response to client HTTP requests are removed by the intermediary. Cookie information from the headers are stored in a cookie jar on the intermediary. The intermediary delivers instructions and scripts via the content layer of the HTTP response to set the cookie in the browser. The scripts detect browser changes to the cookie and communicates the changes to the intermediary to update the cookie jar. With the present solution, the domain and path names of a cookie are set correctly on the browser when delivering content via a reverse proxy.
US07925693B2
An architecture that can provide for improved network content filtering is described herein. In particular, access to remote resources can be controlled by a remote mechanism. In accordance therewith, a gateway can seamlessly and/or transparently redirect packets from a client that are meant for an intended destination to an access control component. The access control component can determine whether the client has access to the resources requested. In addition, the gateway can provide IPSec features on behalf to the client.
US07925684B2
Apparatus for distributing valid random elements, including at least a first module and a second module. The first module is connected to a provider of valid random elements and to the second module. The first module includes a controller that passes valid random elements from the first module to the second module.
US07925680B1
A system and method for processing a plurality of data storage and retrieval management or manifest files in a virtual data storage system. A plurality of individual management/manifest files, which are each used to track data management information stored on a data storage device, are merged into a single management or manifest file that can then be used to subsequently manage the input or import of data such as logical volumes from one or more physical media. This single management/manifest file could be used, for example, in a media import operation for importing a media cartridge or device into a media library such as a data storage library.
US07925677B2
Embodiments of the present invention concern a way of using geographic-phonetic strings, such as modified geographic-phonetic strings, for constructing a geographic database for use with geographic applications.
US07925671B2
A cue sheet generation system is used to compose a cue sheet for submission to PRS from an input EDL. The system parses the EDL to extract data relating to use of musical works associated with a PRS. The system employs both local and remote databases to retrieve information relating to the extracted musical work data. The information is then used to construct a cue sheet in a form appropriate for submission to a PRS.
US07925666B1
A system and method for managing access control lists on network devices is provided. One or more access control lists are retrieved from one or more computing devices. The one or more access control lists are stored. A request to update the one or more access control lists is received. The one or more access control lists are automatically updated based on the request. The updated one or more access control lists are then deployed to the one or more computing devices.
US07925664B2
Methods and apparatus for controlling user access to a computing environment are provided. In one embodiment, a method performed by a user is provided for gaining access to at least one computing device. The method comprises gaining access to the at least one computing device at a first time by providing credential information to the at least one computing device to authenticate the user's identity to the at least one computing device; presenting to the at least one computing device a physical device comprising identifying information to associate the physical device with the user authenticated by the credential information; and gaining access to the at least one 10 computing device at a subsequent time by presenting the physical device to the at least one computing device without providing the credential information.
US07925654B1
A system and method for allowing a consumer to search a database containing used vehicles from a variety of sellers that can be queried to provide search results that include only vehicles having clean title histories.
US07925646B2
A compilation time estimator provides a quantified estimate of the optimizer compilation time for a given query optimizer. The estimator automates the optimizer to choose the right level of optimization in commercial database systems. The estimator reuses an optimizer's join enumerator to obtain actual number of joins, but bypasses plan generation to save estimation overhead, and maintains a small number of interesting physical properties to estimate the number of plans by using a linear regression model. The estimator uses the number of generated plans to estimate query compilation time.
US07925640B2
In the described embodiments, a computer constructs a dispatch data structure for a holder by first determining a set of member holders from which the holder inherits. The computer then constructs an “i-table” that includes holder addressor regions that each contains addressors for an associated set of members. Each of the holder addressor regions is associated with an i-table index. The computer next collects a set of identification numbers for the set of member holders and, from these, constructs an “m-table.” The size of the m-table is selected to perfectly hash the set of identification numbers by the m-table size. The computer then computes an m-table index for each of the set of identification numbers modulo the m-table size and uses the m-table index to populate the m-table. The computer next stores the i-table index in the m-table in accordance with the m-table index.
US07925639B2
The present invention provides efficient window partitioning algorithms for entropy-encoding. The present invention enhances compression performance of entropy encoding based on the approach of modeling a dataset with the frequencies of its n-grams. The present invention may then employ approximation algorithms to compute good partitions in time O(s*log s) and O(s) respectively, for any data segment S with length s.
US07925635B1
A system and method identifies the times that certain applications are started and stopped on a computer system and such information about several computer systems is collected using a central computer system to allow decisions regarding software may be made based on usage of those certain applications.
US07925629B2
A write ordering style asynchronous replication service utilizes a loosely-accurate global clock in a data backup and recovery storage environment. The storage environment includes a set of source storage systems illustratively embodied as source replication nodes that cooperate to maintain a consistency group that may span multiple geographical sites. The storage environment also includes one or more target storage systems illustratively embodied as target replication nodes configured to service the consistency group. The write ordering style service utilizes the loosely-accurate global clock to provide consistent replication of a storage space of the consistency group.
US07925625B2
Architecture for synchronizing data between business applications according to a multi-master arrangement. Changes to business entities can be snapshot changes, delta changes, and long-running process changes, the latter which can be derived from the first two. The architecture includes automatic error retry logic, such that when synchronization errors occur, the logic can be replayed to resolve the errors, when conditions have changed where the errors can be resolved. This also applies to when one error causes a cascading set of errors. By replaying one error, the other errors will be resolved. Backup and restore of a participating application is also provided such that a new data change in a non-backup-restored application will automatically be synchronized to the recently-restored system.
US07925615B1
Systems and techniques for improving the performance of a network system having one or more sending systems and one or more receiving systems may include determining the digital signature of a received digital file, comparing the digital signature against stored digital signatures of digital files accessible to the receiving system, and determining whether to store the received digital file and/or a location identifier for the stored version of the received digital file based on a result of the comparison.
US07925614B2
A method (and structure) of coupling a qubit includes locating the qubit near a transmission line approximately at a location corresponding to a node at a predetermined frequency.
US07925609B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus, including a receiving unit that receives a derivational relationship information item designating a document prior to an operation as a parent and a document after the operation as a child, and document attribute of the document after the operation; a derivational relationship storage unit that stores the derivational relationship information item being received; a document attribute storage unit that stores the document attribute being received; and an inference unit that, based on a comparison between document attribute of a document which is a root of a tree structure of derivational relationships of documents represented by derivational relationship information items stored in the derivation storage unit and document attribute of a document included in the derivational relationship information items, infers a document that can be a parent of the root document, the compared document attributes being obtained from the document attribute storage unit.
US07925605B1
In various embodiments, evolutionary expert systems and methods are disclosed. For example, a method for evolving a rule base of an expert system includes creating a set of meta-rules from a set of first rules associated with the expert system, creating a set of one or more generalized virtual rule candidates based on the set of first rules and the set of meta-rules, filtering the set of generalized virtual rule candidates to remove generalized virtual rule candidates that conflict with at least one rule of the set of first rules to form a set of virtual rules, and incorporating at least one virtual rule of the set of virtual rules into the set of first rules to evolve the first set of rules.
US07925601B2
Techniques enable the reduction of bandwidth requirements for peer-to-peer gaming architectures. In some embodiments, these techniques allow differentiation among players to decide which players should receive continuous updates and which should receive periodic updates. For those gaming systems receiving periodic updates, guided artificial intelligence is employed to simulate activity of a game object based on guidance provided by the periodic updates. Conversely, for those gaming systems receiving continuous updates, the continuous updates may be employed to update the activity of the game object rather than simulating the activity.
US07925596B2
This invention relates to a high-rate franking machine comprising means for printing postal indicia on a mailpiece and means for transporting this mailpiece along a mailpiece-conveying path, said printing means comprising, arranged side by side transversely to a direction D of advance of the mailpieces along said mailpiece-conveying path, a first printing module arranged in a first position (position of printing) above said mailpiece-conveying path and a second printing module arranged in a second position (position of maintenance/standby) set back with respect to said mailpiece-conveying path. The first printing module is associated with a first maintenance station and the second printing module is associated with a second maintenance station.
US07925594B2
A method for developing a process roadmap for a business system is disclosed. The method includes identifying a business process and determining business goals and key process metrics for the business process. The method further includes measuring process maturity levels of the business process and identifying business process improvement initiatives based on the process maturity levels. Furthermore, the method includes linking the business process to at least one of the business goals and key process metrics, the process maturity levels, and the business process improvement initiatives for developing the process roadmap for the business system.
US07925592B1
A proxy server and corresponding method are provided for managing the controlled distribution of digital content as it propagates through a social network. A proxy server receives digital content and associated distribution parameters from an originating peer. The distribution parameters define access rights for n allowable levels of possible network distribution. After other peers are invited to share the digital content or the invited peers request access to the digital content, the proxy server generates a rights-managed form of the requested digital content in accordance with the access rights established by the originating peer for the level associated with the requesting peer(s). The proxy server forwards a copy of a content key and other content identifiers to an associated license server and then sends the rights-managed form of digital content to the requesting peer(s).
US07925583B2
According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and a system for dynamically adjusting discount rates for a closed loop transaction. A computer implemented method for dynamically adjusting discount rates for a card transaction comprises the steps of identifying credit worthiness of at least one consumer; assigning a credit level to a line of credit associated with a credit product for the at least one consumer wherein the credit product is accepted at an identified one or more merchants; assigning a financing charge to the line of credit; determining a discount rate based at least in part on the credit worthiness of the at least one consumer; and applying the discount rate when at least one transaction is made with the credit product; wherein the applied discount rate is adjusted based on the credit worthiness of the at least one consumer.
US07925582B1
Systems and methods are described that simulate a credit score. The system enables a user to modify a credit data element in order to determine its effect on a credit score. The user can modify the element directly or simulate an action that, if performed, would modify the element. Since the number of possible modifications and actions can be overwhelming, in one embodiment, the system suggests modifications and actions to be simulated. These suggestions can be tailored to a user's goal, such as increasing a credit score by a particular number of points or allocating a particular sum of money in order to maximize a credit score. In one embodiment, the system obtains credit data from multiple credit bureaus and can determine credit scores using different algorithms, such as the different algorithms used by the different credit bureaus.
US07925569B2
An anonymous trading system includes a prime broker facility that allows a third party to trade on behalf of an institution. A deal is executed between the third party and a counter-party and a further deal is then executed between the third party and the party on whose behalf it has traded. The second deal may be for the same amount as the first deal or may be altered to include the third party's fee for conducting the first deal. Clients of the third party have prices available to them for trades made via the third party which are displayed at their trader terminals. The client sees that a better price is available though the third party than by dealing direct and selects to conduct a deal through the third party.
US07925566B1
A system for automated trading of U.S. Treasury, Liquid Agency, and Zero Coupon STRIP financial instruments comprises an updatable system database; an updatable offering inventory database which receives real time price and quantity information pertaining to each financial instrument from a market data feed; and a system proprietor operative to determine a national best bid and offer price and a derived price for each financial instrument in the offering inventory. The system proprietor applies a price improvement process to a trade in the event that an offsetting trade occurs, and updates the system database and offering inventory to reflect transactions executed by the system. Advantageously, the system provides users with a mechanism to provide the best price at the time of execution. Historical data is utilized to (i) price securities that are spread off a benchmark where an active quote for a particular security is unavailable, and (ii) retrieve prices for future analysis. The global fixed income market is thereby provided with a system that can sustain long term industry needs and readily adapt to a changing environment.
US07925565B2
The present invention relates to dynamic optimization of system control over time. The need for dynamic optimization arises in many settings, as diverse as solar car power consumption during a multi-day race and retirement portfolio management. We disclose a reformulation of the control problem that overcomes the so-called “curse of dimensionality” and allows formulation of optimal control policies multiple period planning horizons. One optimal control policy is for power consumption by a solar car during a race, which involves many course segments, as course conditions vary through a day. Another is for risk in and consumption from a portfolio intended to support retirement. Both multi-period control policies take into account future uncertainty. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.
US07925564B2
A computer system is provided for selecting an asset allocation for an investment portfolio intended to produce a target payout starting at a target date. The computer system is programmed to receive inputs that may relate to the target payout, the target date and a nominal rate of contributions to the investment portfolio. The computer system calculates at least one thousand simulated investment outcomes based on assumed investment return rates and assumed inflation rates. The assumed investment return rates and assumed inflation rates are randomly selected in multi-year clusters from historical data. The computer system selects the asset allocation based on relative performance of the assumed asset allocations in the simulated investment outcomes.
US07925557B1
Disclosed are systems and related methods for performing cost reduction analyses, and selecting and implementing appropriate cost reduction programs. The systems include electronically enabled tools for automatically performing cost analyses, identifying cost levers, and selecting cost reduction strategies targeting those cost levers. Disclosed embodiments examine a target company's financial data and detect the key levers or drivers that affect the company's cost structure. Thereafter, the identified cost levers are linked to one or more pertinent business capability recommendations where each linked capability recommendation is tailored to provide at least one element of a cost reduction strategy adapted to address one or more of the identified levers. Further, business capability overviews are provided for each capability recommendation, where the overview can contain case studies, implementation plans, integration implications, sample benefit and impact forecasts and other relevant information pertaining to the understanding, assessment and implementation of that particular capability recommendation.
US07925549B2
A personalized marketing architecture use real-time data and explicit customer input to augment marketing segmentation, analysis and video advertisement delivery. Customer behavior, preferences, and intentions are monitored and identified to present real-time video messages. Real-time data may be collected based on the customer's data access permission profile to provide messages on an in-home personal portal or on out-of-home display devices to provide personalized messages in public spaces.
US07925545B2
Quotes entered into an automated trading system may comprise a visible, or primary, amount, and a linked or hidden amount. The visible amount only is shown to other traders on the system but part or all of the linked amount may be dealt if the order with with the quote is match is for an amount greater than the visible amount. If, after matching and deal confirmation, all the visible amount has been dealt, but some or all of the linked amount remains, a fresh order for the remaining linked amount is generated and submitted to the trading system for matching. The new quoted may be visible only or may have a visible component up to a limit specified by the maker on submission of the original quote, with the remainder being linked. Maker quotes converted to taker quotes by an auto-match routine may be resubmitted for undealt linked amounts in the same way. In one aspect of the invention, linked amounts are matched and dealt before visible amounts.
US07925529B2
A method, meeting scheduler and computer program product are provided for automated meeting scheduling using delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams. Meeting settings and invitees data are stored for a meeting. The meeting settings and invitees data includes invitee attendance type, delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams data. A solution time block for automated meeting scheduling including at least a subset of a plurality of selected invitees is identified utilizing the invitee attendance type, delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams data. A selection score is calculated for each potential time block for automated meeting scheduling utilizing the stored meeting settings and invitees data including the invitee attendance type, delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams data. The solution time block for automated meeting scheduling including a subset of a plurality of selected invitees is identified utilizing the calculated selection score.
US07925525B2
Systems and methods for scheduling appointment reminders are based on multiple conditions including estimated travel time. An estimate of the time needed to travel between the user's location and the location of the appointment can be determined by retrieving location information from a global address list (GAL), a local address book of a calendaring application, from a map service, or other location determining technology. Users can subscribe to alert service to receive information regarding recent events such as traffic problems, flight delays, weather conditions, etc., which is then used in setting or modifying reminder times. Notifications can be generated for timing conflicts based on the estimated travel time. If the estimated travel time would require the user to leave a previous appointment early, or be late for a subsequent appointment, a notification can be generated to the user.
US07925520B2
A migration M of a drug ion in a membrane type iontophoresis device for administering the drug ion through a first ion exchange membrane is predicted on the basis of a migration C of the drug ion from the first ion exchange membrane to the outside of the device in the case where a voltage is applied to an electrode by using the device under such a condition that the first ion exchange membrane is not brought into contact with the skin of a living organism and a migration R of the drug ion to a liposome caused by mixing a liposome solution having a predetermined concentration and a drug solution containing a predetermined concentration of the drug ion.
US07925513B2
A framework that enables financial services companies to manage and track information about a sales force is provided. The framework includes object models for managing distributors information, for validating and tracking licenses and credentials, for creating customized contracts, and for maintaining compensation structures. The framework allows for configuring compensations, providing financial services companies a toolkit for creating and modeling their complex commission schedules used to compensate their sales force. The framework also provides modeling tools for agreements and contracts between a financial services company or provider and the distributors who sell their products. The framework has a multi-component architecture comprising multiple modules, multiple data processing engines, a backbone and multiple data sources. The processing modules carry out information processing using one or more data processing engines. The data processing provides the tools to fetch data from the databases and process it.
US07925512B2
The present invention can include a method of allocating an interpreter module within an application program. The application program can create one or more interpreter module instances. The method also can include updating a property descriptor of the interpreter module instance and directing the interpreter module instance to allocate speech and audio resources. Content then can be loaded into the interpreter module instance and run.
US07925510B2
A method for detecting speech utterances within a telephone call can include the steps of initializing a componentized voice server having at least one software-based speech detection routine. At least one previously established parameter can be used to discern a speech detection methodology for handling an incoming call. The software-based speech detection routine can be set in accordance with a select one of the parameters. An indicator of particular one of the parameters can be conveyed to an external speech detection component so that the external speech detection component is set to detect speech for the call in accordance with the conveyed indication. The software-based speech detection routine and/or the external speech detection component can detect a speech utterance for the call. The voice server can perform at least one programmatic action responsive to the detecting of the speech utterance.
US07925509B2
A closed caption display controller to control a display mode of a closed caption corresponding to a speech of an audio signal, the controller comprises an analysis unit to analyze the speech on a speech quality, an examination unit configured to examine a speech listening level according to a given rule based on an analysis result of the analysis unit, and a determination unit to determine a display mode according to an examination result of the examination unit.
US07925481B2
A method is disclosed for using a three-dimensional seismic image of a subsurface earth volume to construct a geologic model specifying the spatially-varying grain size distribution, porosity, and permeability throughout the volume. The method applies to earth volumes composed of water-lain clastic sedimentary deposits and involves, in one embodiment, (a) identifying the outline forms of geologic bodies in geologic data; (b) using the outline forms of the geologic bodies to determine the spatially-varying grain size distribution within the bodies, guided by assumptions about the nature and behavior of the paleoflow that deposited the bodies; (c) determining rock properties such as, porosity and permeability within the geologic bodies based on grain-size distribution, mineralogy and burial history information.
US07925479B2
The present invention generally relates to processes for predicting airflow rates. According to some embodiments, some process steps can include developing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model of a test body topology; discretizing the test body topology; discretizing a volume surrounding the test body topology, the volume being bounded by a test chamber; identifying test body components upon which to collect empirical data; obtaining empirical data for identified components; establishing an airflow model; validating the airflow model in comparison to experimental data; obtaining a flow rate from the validated airflow model; and determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable.
US07925474B2
The present invention relates to the field of extracting resource(s) from a particular location. In particular, the present invention relates to the planning, design and processing related to a mine location in a manner based on enhancing the extraction of material considered of value, relative to the effort and/or time in extracting that material. The present application discloses, amongst other things, a method of and apparatus for determining the removal of material(s) from a location, determining the removal of material(s) of a differing relative value from a location, determining a schedule corresponding to a risk and/or return basis, determining aggregated block ordering for the extraction of material from a location, determining a schedule for extraction of dumps and determining a mine design.
US07925472B2
A method, computer readable medium, and system for optimizing utilization of one or more assets includes obtaining at least one of operational data and condition data for one or more elements of at least one of the assets. At least one of historical maintenance data and life-cycle data for the one or more elements of the at least one of the assets is retrieved. One or more diagnostics on the one or more elements of the at least one of the assets is conducted based on the obtained at least one of the operational data and the condition data. One or more prognostics on the one or more elements of the at least one of the assets is conducted based on the at least one of the obtained operational data and condition data and on the retrieved at least one of the historical maintenance data and the life-cycle data. One or more optimization instructions for the at least one asset are determined based on the conducted diagnostics and prognostics and the determined one or more optimization instructions are displayed.
US07925466B2
A speed measuring system for measuring the speed of a wireless communication terminal communicating with a base station includes an angle measuring unit, a distance measuring unit, a time measuring unit, and a speed calculator. The base station includes a signal tower and an antenna on the signal tower. The signal tower defines a central longitudinal axis perpendicular to the antenna, and the axis intersects the antenna at a point. The angle measuring unit measures an included angle between signal from the wireless communication terminal at any location and the antenna. The distance measuring unit measures a distance between the wireless communication terminal at any location and the point. The time measuring unit measures the time the wireless communication terminal takes from a first location to a second location. The speed calculator calculates the speed of the wireless communication terminal.
US07925461B2
A quality control method using a plurality of analyzers and a control device connected to the analyzers via a network, the method comprising: (a) measuring quality control samples by the analyzers; (b) collecting a plurality of quality control data obtained by measuring the quality control samples; (c) implementing a quality control by the control device based on the collected quality control data; (d) obtaining uncertainty of measurement of analyzer based on uncertainty of analyzer calibration and the quality control data; (e) outputting a result of the quality control; and (f) outputting the uncertainty of measurement is disclosed. A quality control system and an analyzer are also disclosed.
US07925460B2
A computer implemented system for segmenting data collected from a document production environment is provided. The system includes determining, with a computer implemented data processing platform, that a set of document production related data should be represented as a non-normal distribution. A first test is performed and it is determined that the non-normal distribution should not be analyzed pursuant to a first analytic category. A second test is performed and when it is determined that the non-normal distribution should be analyzed pursuant to a second analytic category, an output, indicating that the non-normal distribution should be analyzed pursuant to the second analytic category is provided.
US07925459B2
A method and apparatus for determining an operating voltage lower bound for preventing photovoltaic (PV) cell reverse breakdown during power conversion. The method comprises determining a PV cell operating temperature; computing, at a controller, an operating voltage corresponding to a maximum power point (MPP) based on the PV cell operating temperature; and determining, at the controller, an operating voltage lower bound based on the operating voltage.
US07925456B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed that guides a user through a sequence of steps that will allow the user to complete a predefined task using the flow meter. The steps include: selecting a predefined task, displaying a sequence of steps that directs the user through a process for using the Coriolis flow meter to complete the predefined task, and operating the Coriolis flow meter in response to the sequence of steps to complete the predefined task.
US07925452B2
A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for non-destructive detection of corrosion using quantum dots. In one embodiment, a surface of an area on a commodity associated with a set of quantum dots is tested. A pattern of wavelengths emitted by the set of quantum dots associated with the surface of the commodity is detected to form a quantum dot pattern. The quantum dot pattern is analyzed to determine whether corrosion has occurred in the area on the surface of the commodity.
US07925437B2
A navigation device programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned between two user-defined places. The device may be further programmed to be able to display on a touch sensitive display a main navigation mode screen showing a map and to allow a user to input destination address information using a virtual keyboard whose keys are sized to allow reliable finger activation. The device is especially advantageous for an in-car navigation device since it allows the user to easily and reliably input address information, even whilst the device is mounted in a vehicle.
US07925432B2
A system and method for reducing the amount of repetitive data sent by a server to a client for vehicle navigation. The system includes a computer-based vehicle unit located in a vehicle, a gateway configured to wirelessly send and receive trip information to and from the vehicle unit, and a computer-based server in communication with the gateway over a network. The vehicle unit wirelessly receives signals from a computer-based server that includes the desired navigation information in packet form. The vehicle unit includes a user interface component that presents the received navigation information and records user requests. The server processes the requests, generates a trip plan according to the navigation information and sends the generated trip plan back to the vehicle unit via a gateway when a request has been completed.
US07925421B2
A fuel control system of an engine includes a simulation module and a control module. The simulation module generates a simulated pre-catalyst exhaust gas oxygen (EGO) sensor signal based on a simulated oxygen concentration of an exhaust gas. The simulation module determines a simulated pre-catalyst equivalence ratio (EQR) for the exhaust gas based on the simulated pre-catalyst EGO sensor signal. The control module generates a desired pre-catalyst EGO sensor signal based on a desired oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas. The control module determines a desired pre-catalyst EQR based on the desired pre-catalyst EGO sensor signal. The control module determines a cost function based on the simulated pre-catalyst EQR and the desired pre-catalyst EQR. The fuel control system is calibrated based on the cost function.
US07925413B2
A vehicle control system controls the speed of a vehicle according to actual road conditions and state of the vehicle. The control system acquires a present value of lateral acceleration occurring in a direction lateral to a controlled vehicle when the controlled vehicle avoids a collision with an obstacle or passes the obstacle. A target relative speed between the obstacle and the controlled vehicle is calculated from the present value of lateral acceleration and a turning radius of the controlled vehicle required for the controlled vehicle to avoid a collision with the obstacle or to pass the obstacle. Then, deceleration control is executed based on target relative deceleration rate at which the controlled vehicle is to be decelerated to reach the target relative speed.
US07925411B2
A method of controlling a brake system of an all-wheel driven motor vehicle, which includes an electro-regenerative brake and a number of friction brakes such that a total brake torque comprises brake torque components of the friction brakes and of the electro-regenerative brake; the brake torque of the electro-regenerative brake is subdivided between the front axle and rear axle in predetermined ratios. The brake torque generated by the electro-regenerative brake is limited to such an extent that the brake slip of one axle of the motor vehicle does not exceed a selectable maximum value.
US07925407B2
The adjustment method includes an estimation step in which valve characteristics of the linear solenoid valves fitted to the hydraulic control circuit are measured, and estimated linear valve characteristics of the linear solenoid valves in isolation state are estimated based on the measured valve characteristics using predetermined correlations; and a correction value output step in which estimated linear piston-end pressures of the hydraulically-driven friction engagement elements immediately before the hydraulically-driven friction engagement elements are engaged are calculated based on the estimated linear valve characteristics, and the correction values that are applied to the control command values to adjust the drive currents supplied from the valve control unit to the linear solenoid valves are calculated based on differences between the estimated linear piston-end pressures and nominal piston-end pressures, and then output.
US07925405B2
A torque distribution system for a vehicle permits the transfer of torque between vehicle wheels using a selectively engagable clutch that is hydraulically engaged using hydraulic pressure provided by a hydraulic transmission pump driven by the engine, allowing for enhanced system functionality and reduced part content in comparison with known torque distribution systems. The system may include an “active-on-demand” clutch that is selectively engagable to transfer torque between a front differential and a rear differential (thereby transferring torque from the front wheels to the rear wheels) as well as an electronically-limited slip differential clutch selectively engagable to transfer torque from one front wheel to the other front wheel through the front differential. Utilization of the transmission hydraulic pump allows pressure to be provided to engage the clutch even when the wheels are stationary, i.e., to launch the vehicle.
US07925404B2
An actuating system for a planting device. The actuating system has an electric motor that provides an actuating force for a seed shaft. A pneumatic acting member is connected to a source of compressed air through a valve and positioned to engage the electric motor to actuate the electric motor. The source of compressed air and electric motor can thus be connected to a controller that operates the source of compressed air and the electric motor in order to provide selective actuation to control planting of the planting device.
US07925394B2
The method in accordance with the invention is a method of providing a 3D emergency descent trajectory for aircraft comprising the steps of searching for at least one possible better trajectory allowing a secure continuation in relation to the relief and/or the surrounding conditions towards a homing point as soon as a situation requiring an unscheduled modification of the current trajectory occurs, wherein this trajectory is updated as a function of the alterations in the surrounding conditions, as a function of the information provided by the onboard sensors and/or outside information received.
US07925387B2
A method for using excess energy generated by a renewable power generation system including at least one renewable power generator to treat organic waste material to generate crude oil. The method includes providing a renewable power generation management system operatively coupled to the renewable power generation system. The renewable power generation management system receives operational data from a pump load operatively coupled to the renewable power generator, and/or operational data from an electrical grid operatively coupled to the renewable power generator. Based at least in part on anticipated energy requirements, excess energy is supplied to the pump load to facilitate treating the organic waste material to generate crude oil.
US07925383B2
A building management system controls an operation of a system related to state information provided from multiple systems within the building management system among the multiple systems. Because the building management system is operated to control the multiple systems in an interworking manner, the operation efficiency of the building management system can be improved.
US07925382B2
An input unit enters angular displacements by which drive shafts of a robot arm are to be turned as teaching data into a control unit. The control unit converts the input angular displacements into position-attitude data, namely, converted commands, indicating a position of the free end of the robot arm and an attitude of the robot in a rectangular coordinate system through forward conversion. The control unit corrects the position-attitude data on the basis of inherent errors in the robot to provide corrected position-attitude data. The control unit converts the corrected position-attitude data into corrected angular displacements through inverse conversion and gives the corrected angular displacements to an actuator included in the robot. The inherent errors in the robot include mechanismic errors resulting from machining errors and assembling errors, installation errors and errors in the origins of axes.
US07925376B2
Dumping stations for receiving articles and discharging the articles into a collection area are disclosed. Each dumping station includes a bin having pick and dump modes. In the pick mode, articles placed in the bin are retained, while in the dump mode, articles are deposited onto a central conveyor. The bin is biased, via gravity, toward the dump mode. A releasable latch is provided for retaining the bin in the pick mode. A processor is operably coupled to the latch and provides a release signal, whereby the latch releases the bin, thereby allowing the bin to switch to the dump mode. The bin may further include a status indicator for assisting a stock worker in identifying the bin in which to place articles.
US07925372B2
Neutral data computer control system for a multiaxis machine tool for producing workpieces having a helicoidal generated surface with an optional computer system (1) for generating machine control parameters for a multiaxis machine tool (2, 2a) in which there is provided at least one virtual axis, which can be parameterized as a guiding axis for other axes and then serves only for the synchronization of these other axes, and with at least one data processing unit and at least one memory, the data processing unit being set up in programming terms in such a way that it generates at least one data carrier or an electronic carrier signal (3) with machine control parameters for the machine (2, 2a), or an optional computer program or a computer program product for this and at least one such multiaxis machine tool (2, 2a).
US07925360B2
A method may include and/or involve a mote network receiving a signal to reset and applying the signal to reset to place the mote network into a reset condition.
US07925344B2
In an implantable medical device that provides atrial and ventricular pacing in an atrial-based pacing mode, longer periods of time are permitted for intrinsic AV conduction to occur. By monitoring the patient's AV delay under these circumstances, useful information is obtained that can be correlated to other patient conditions or symptoms.
US07925341B2
An irrigation ablation probe comprises a generally rigid probe body and a handle mounted to the proximal end of the probe body. The generally rigid probe body comprises an ablation electrode at its distal end having at least one irrigation opening through which fluid can pass. An infusion tube extends through the probe body for introducing fluid into the ablation electrode. The irrigation ablation probe is useful for treating atrial fibrillation during open heart surgery.
US07925337B2
Systems and methods are provided for monitoring a patient and graphically representing ST-segment deviations. A receiver acquires, from a plurality of leads, electrocardiogram (ECG) signals that each includes an ST-segment. A processor processes the ECG signals to determine baseline and current ST-segment deviations relative to an isoelectric value. A display module displays a graph that includes a first axis representing ST-segment deviation values and a second axis representing the plurality of leads. At each location along the second axis representing a respective lead, the graph displays a first set of graphic indicia representing the baseline ST-segment deviations and a second set of graphic indicia representing the current ST-segment deviations. In certain embodiments, the graphic indicia are represented by bar graphs. In other embodiments, the graphic indicia are represented by symbols that may be connected by line segments.
US07925331B2
An apparatus is disclosed for displaying a tissue containing a fluorescent dye at least in sections. It is proposed for the purpose of simplification to record the tissue with a number of cameras from different observation angles while omitting a beam splitter, and subsequently to produce a joint superimposed overall image.
US07925328B2
A stereotactic navigation system for navigating an instrument to a target within a patient may include a stereotactic head frame, an imaging device, a tracking device, a controller and a display. The stereotactic head frame is coupled to the patient and is used to assist in guiding the instrument to the target. The imaging device captures image data of the patient and of the stereotactic head frame. The tracking device is used to track the position of the instrument relative to the stereotactic head frame. The controller receives the image data from the imaging device and identifies the stereotactic head frame in the image data and automatically registers the image data with navigable patient space upon identifying the stereotactic head frame, while the display displays the image data.
US07925325B2
In a method and apparatus for acquiring cardiac image data of a subject of examination, in particular in the context of magnetic resonance tomography, a first image acquiring technique is implemented, in which image data acquiring takes place only in a part of the cardiac cycle, and/or not in each cardiac cycle, and a second image acquiring technique is alternatingly implemented, such that the image data acquiring using the second image acquiring technique takes place at times in which image data acquiring using the first image acquiring technique is not occurring.
US07925317B2
A keypad for a portable terminal is disclosed. The portable terminal includes a first housing and a second housing coupled with the first housing so as to be able to slide in a first direction or in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The keypad includes a first keypad on the first housing which is exposed or covered as the second housing slides in the first direction, and a second keypad on the first housing which is exposed or covered as the second housing slides in the second direction.
US07925313B2
A longitudinally-extending liquid crystal display part is provided at a front face of a first housing. A camera accommodation part is provided at an upper end of a second housing to bulge from a front face of the second housing and extend laterally, and an operating part is disposed in the second housing below the camera accommodation part. The first housing is supported by a cam mechanism (support mechanism) in the second housing changeably between a vertical position in which it is superposed on the second housing as viewed from the front face of the second housing and a horizontal position in which it lies orthogonal to the second housing to expose the operating part by turning the first housing on and along the front face of the second housing by means of the cam mechanism.
US07925310B2
The present invention provides a communication device comprising an upper panel having a display unit disposed thereon, and a lower panel having a plurality of keys disposed thereon; and a stickup structure having a first rail disposed on the lower surface of the upper panel and a second rail disposed on the lower panel, the first rail engaging to the second rail, wherein the upper panel is moveable along the second rail and could be stickup by the stickup structure.
US07925307B2
An electronic device comprises an earpiece speaker, a loudspeaker, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a wireless telephony audio signal, to separate the audio signal into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having higher frequency components than the second portion, wherein the processing circuit is configured to provide the first portion of the audio signal to the earpiece speaker and the second portion of the audio signal to the loudspeaker.
US07925305B2
There is provided a portable communication terminal capable of switching between icon display and non-display. Processes executed by a control unit of a portable phone which is an aspect of the portable communication terminal comprises the steps of detecting, during the execution of an icon-bar displaying process, a press of an operation key, terminating outputting icon data if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar non-display function and if there is already no icon bar being displayed, detecting a press of the operation key, and executing the icon-bar displaying process if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar display function and if there is no icon bar being displayed.
US07925299B2
A method of sending a message using a print medium is disclosed. A tag on a surface of the print medium is sensed using a sensor module. The surface includes a plurality of tags with each tag encoding an identifier which uniquely identifies the surface and a position with respect to the surface. From the tag sensed by the sensor module the identifier and the position with respect to the surface of the tag sensed by the sensor module are determined. A communications address is obtained, using the identifier and the position, from a database where the communications address is indexed by the identifier and the position. A message editor in a communications device is then opened, with a current message being addressed to the communications address.
US07925298B2
A user interface (UI) for use with a secondary display module of a mobile electronic device. The UI allows the user to access application data without activating the operating system (OS) of the main portion of the mobile electronic device. The UI can allow the user to access application data by activating the OS and an associated low-power application without launching the application. The UI also provides a simple mechanism to disable wireless components of the mobile electronic device while allowing the user to use other non-wireless components. The secondary display module can be detached from a main portion of the mobile electronic device, with the UI being automatically activated. The UI can be automatically activated (or deactivated) in response to deactivation (or activation) of the UI of the main display of the mobile electronic device.
US07925289B2
A system and method for performing proximity-based communications through dynamic communication device registration is presented. Uniquely identified mobile communication devices are registered with a Service provider notice server. Subscribers of the mobile communications devices configure descriptive parameters, a localized physical coverage area, contact information and privacy preferences. Subscriber groups of subscriber mobile communications devices with matching descriptive parameters are formed. Subscriber group information for a plurality of the mobile communication devices within the localized physical coverage area is provided. Subscribers send a request to communicate with at least one other subscriber in a matching subscriber group.
US07925286B2
A method of estimating a Doppler maximum frequency fd and/or a local oscillator frequency offset f0, the method comprising the steps of: computing a power density spectrum of a received radio signal over a whole frequency range, scanning the computed power density spectrum to determine a frequency sub-range [fmin; fmax] which is not necessarily centered on 0 Hz, the signal power over the sub-range [fmin; fmax] being equal to a predetermined percentage of the signal power over the whole frequency range, and estimating frequency fd and/or offset f0 from frequencies fmin and fmax.
US07925267B2
A method for transmitting to one cell a frame including broadcast channels in a cellular wireless communication system in which a base station supports a plurality of physical channels corresponding to the broadcast channels. The base station generates the frame and transmits the generated frame to a mobile station. The frame includes separate broadcast channels for the respective physical channels. A position, in the frame, of a first broadcast channel for a physical channel capable of supporting a mobile station having the worst channel state is fixed in all of transmission frames. The first broadcast channel includes positional information of the remaining broadcast channels except for the first broadcast channel. The mobile station detects only an address of a broadcast channel for a physical channel allocated thereto from the first broadcast channel among broadcast channels belonging to the frame.
US07925251B2
A method for determining changes in internal delays of RF units, the RF units including a plurality of receivers and transmitters. The method includes providing initial direct signals' time of arrivals of the RF units initial internal delays of the RF units. Following this, each transmitter transmitting a direct signal, and the real-time direct signal's time of arrivals of the RF units, are measured. Then, changes in internal delays of the RF units are calculated based on the real-time direct signals' time of arrivals and initial direct signals' time of arrivals. And finally, real-time internal delays of the RF units are calculated based on the changes in internal delays and the initial internal delays of the RF units.
US07925249B2
A method and a system for controlling a wireless sensor network from a user interface coupled to the Internet are provided. A user accesses an Internet-based portal from the user interface and establishes a secure broadband Internet connection between a remote control module coupled to the wireless sensor network and the portal. The connection is established by manually triggering a connection between the remote control module and the portal from the remote control module.
US07925246B2
A radio/telephony interoperability architecture that facilitates intercommunications between a security services network, elected officials and/or emergency services network and a telephony management system for one-way and two-way security and/or emergency teleconferencing communications. The telephony system creates a session in which one or more session participants can communicate with front-line mobile radio operators (e.g., first responder personnel) and radio band components. Mobile radio systems can be accessed via circuit-switched and packet-switched networks with communications capable of existing between horizontal services entities (e.g., city fire and police) and vertical entities (e.g., city, state, and federal agencies and personnel). Furthermore, the presence of participants and potential participants is provided to authorized users to facilitate the establishment of such conferences. Notifications and alarms are used to alert participants and potential participants of important events.
US07925242B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for forming an event picture in a mobile communication terminal. According to the invention, when there occurs any event such as call reception, alarm or message reception under state that a service picture is displayed on a screen of the terminal, the current service picture is backed up, a command input through the buttons provided to the terminal is interrupted and the event picture is overlapped over the current service picture, thereby allowing a user to perceive the corresponding event. Accordingly, the terminal user can correctly perceive the event occurred during the service. In addition, when the event occurs, the command input through the buttons is interrupted, so that it is possible to prevent an unintended event processing or erroneous operation due to an erroneous button manipulation.
US07925237B2
A noise suppression circuit and method for a mobile phone is disclosed that includes a codec for decoding a received audio signal; a speaker for reproducing the audio signal; and a low-pass filter, which includes: a resistor; and a varactor and a capacitor connected in parallel to ground. Characteristics of the low-pass filter are adjusted according to usage conditions, thereby effectively suppressing a white noise and popup noise during an ongoing call.
US07925233B2
A method of handling measurement reports for a mobile station of a wireless communications system includes: receiving a control message from the base station, wherein the control message is configured for asking the mobile station to transit from a first state to a second state different from the first state; and blocking the mobile station from sending a measurement report to the base station before the mobile station transits to the second state.
US07925231B2
A system 10 that is used for analyzing a broadcast system includes a receiving device 60 that generates a baseband demodulated RF signal and digitizes the RF signal to form a digitized signal. A data capture module such as the IQ monitor board 90 is coupled to the receiving device 60 for acquiring samples of the digitized signal. A computer is communication with the data capture module. The computer processes the samples of the digitized signal to obtain a broadcast system response and an inverse broadcast system response. The display generates a display corresponding to the broadcast system response and the inverse system response.
US07925225B2
Systems and methods for MIMO wireless transmission are provided. At the transmitter, a plurality of encoded packets are modulated, and the symbols are divided between several transmit antennas. The transmitter spreads some of the symbols of each packet using a respective subset of an available Walsh code space. A given transmit antenna then transmits part of each packet spread by the respective subset. In some implementations, this achieves the benefits of the PARC system, and at the same time achieves part of the benefits of the STTD system. Advantageously, only a single reverse link control channel is required if adaptive coding and modulation is to be performed.
US07925222B2
Certain aspects of a method and system for simultaneous FM transmission and FM reception using a shared antenna and a direct digital frequency synthesizer (DDFS) may be disclosed. In a FM transceiver that receives FM signals at a frequency f1 and transmits FM signals at a frequency f2, aspects of the method may include generating via a DDFS, a signal corresponding to a difference between f1 and f2 to enable simultaneous transmission and reception of FM signals via shared antenna.
US07925220B2
Aspects of a method and system for matching an integrated FM system to an antenna utilizing on-chip measurement of reflected signals are provided. In this regard a portion of a signal output by an integrated FM radio transmit block and reflected by an antenna may be routed to an on-chip signal analyzer. Accordingly, measurements of the reflected signals may be utilized to configure a matching network in order to provide a best impedance match between the FM radio and the antenna. In this regard, a best impedance match may maximize radiation efficiency and/or radiated power. Additionally, the configuration of the matching network may incorporate a correction algorithm/offset experimentally determined via a calibration utilizing external components.
US07925215B2
A communication system, a communication device and a communication method, to achieve a reduction in communication time. When performing communication in passive mode, the initiator transmits a polling request frame where a first value is set in time slot information, and when performing communication in simple mode, the initiator transmits a polling request frame where a second value different from the first value is set in time slot information. When the time slot information included in the polling request frame from the initiator has the first value, the target transmits a polling response frame including an ID for identifying the target at the timing of a time slot determined by a random number, and when the time slot information has the second value, the target transmits a polling response frame including real data at the timing of a time slot set in advance.
US07925208B2
A payload design for a multi-spot-beam satellite communication system includes a plurality of uplink spot beam receivers and downlink spot beam transmitters, and a broadcast transmitting subsystem capable of transmitting a broadcast beam to an entire system geographical service area. An input filter-switch-matrix (IFSM) controllably selects input IF signal bands for routing to an on-board digital signal processor-router (DSPR). The DSPR subsequently routes all received point-to-point and broadcast data packets to the appropriate downlink spot or broadcast transmitting subsystems for transmission thereof. The broadcast downlink allows broadcast transmissions to occur at the highest efficiency possible, while also allowing for flexible provision of surge capacity for point-to-point transmissions on previously exhausted spot beams by selective use of the broadcast beam for such point-to-point transmissions.
US07925205B2
A novel system and method for a network overlay geolocation system operating in a host wireless communication system with repeaters is disclosed. Embodiments of the novel system and method enable wireless communication system to determine if signals being received by system receivers arrive directly from a target mobile appliance or if the signals are passing through a repeater. The system's determination may be based at least in part on the TA of the signal, the power of the received signal, the power of the transmitted signal, the hearabiltiy of the signal at system receivers, the hearabiltiy of system transmitters at the mobile and the known delays associated with the repeaters. Embodiments of the novel system and method provide a more accurate geolocation of mobiles served by repeater stations than capable in the prior art.
US07925204B2
A cellular handset and video game manipulator has first and second beam generators projecting first and second beams from a selected surface of the handset. First and second detectors proximate the selected surface detect first and second manual interactions of a user with the beams. Command logic coupled to the first and second detectors interprets a first manual interaction preceding a second manual interaction as a downstroke command and interprets a second manual interaction preceding a first manual interaction as an upstroke command. The command logic is adapted to be coupled to a game controller to transmit the downstroke and upstroke commands as input to a video game, such as a guitar simulation. The player enjoys natural strumming and fretting techniques without reducing the utility of the phone for use as a cellular telephone. Network connectivity is provided to enable use in multi-player games employing a game server which further connects to a large display or monitor associated with a conventional game platform.
US07925199B2
An image forming apparatus includes a removable body that is removably set in a main body of the image forming apparatus, and an engaging mechanism that causes the removable body and the main body to engage with each other when the removable body is lifted by a user.
US07925185B2
A fixing device according to an embodiment of the invention is provided with a center coil and a side coil to induction heat a metal roller which supports a belt. An auxiliary pressurizing member which is adjacent to an opposing roller which supports the belt and presses the belt against a heat roller is provided. The distance from the center position of induction heating of a heat roller to an entrance of a nip is equalized to the distance from the center position of induction heating of the metal roller to the entrance of the nip. The distance from the temperature reading position of the heat roller to the center position of induction heating of the heat roller is equalized to the distance from the temperature reading position of the belt to the center position of induction heating of the metal roller.
US07925179B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; and an exposure member having a light emitting element, the exposure member exposing the photosensitive member at an exposure position opposed to an opposed position on the photosensitive member to form the electrostatic latent image, the exposure member being movable between the exposure position and a retreated position retreating from the exposure position, wherein the exposure member includes a dust-proof wall protruding more than a light-emitting surface of the exposure member and a positioning member positioning the exposure member with respect to the photosensitive member at the exposure position, and wherein the dust-proof wall and the positioning member are integrally formed.
US07925178B2
The present invention can print out operating instructions, HELP documents, the latest image forming apparatus information, support and maintenance information, advertisements about new models and services, and the like without incrementing a charging counter. Without caring about the charging, users can print out operating instructions, HELP documents, the latest image forming apparatus information, support and maintenance information, advertisements about new models and services, and the like.
US07925177B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism and an image fixing unit. The image forming mechanism forms a toner image on a recording sheet. The image fixing unit fixes the toner image onto the recording sheet. The image fixing unit includes a magnetic flux generator, a heat member, a magnetic flux adjuster, and a controlling member. The magnetic flux generator generates a magnetic flux. The heat member is heated inductively by the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic flux generator. The magnetic flux adjuster reduces the magnetic flux active on the heat member to form a heat reduction area in an outer circumferential surface of the heat member in a width direction thereof. The controlling member moves the magnetic flux adjuster to change the heat reduction area.
US07925172B2
An optical transmitter is disclosed wherein a directly modulated laser outputs a frequency modulated signal through a semiconductor optical amplifier. Both the optical transmitter and semiconductor amplifier are modulated according to an output of a digital data source. An optical filter is positioned to receive an output of the semiconductor optical amplifier and has a frequency dependent transmission function effective to convert the amplified signal into a filtered signal having enhanced amplitude modulation. In some embodiments, the semiconductor optical amplifier is coupled to the digital data source by means of a compensation circuit configured to high-pass filter the output of the digital signal source. In other embodiments, the semiconductor optical amplifier is coupled to the digital data source by means of a compensation circuit configured to produce an output including a first-order time derivative of the output of the digital signal source.
US07925164B2
An optical line terminal (OLT) performs power management control in a passive optical network (PON) by acquiring a respective reception level for each optical network unit (ONU) in the PON and maintaining a reception table that stores the respective reception level for each ONU. Prior to receiving a burst signal from an ONU, it sets a reception threshold of an optical receiver at the OLT with the reception level of the ONU.
US07925162B2
An optical local area network includes a passive optical distribution fabric interconnecting a plurality of nodes including a first node and a plurality of remaining nodes, a hub that includes the first node and a control module, and a client network adapter coupled to each of the remaining nodes for responding to the control module. The control module controls timing for each of the client network adapters to transmit signals over the passive optical distribution fabric and distribution of signals to each of the nodes.
US07925161B2
A network planning tool and method for configuring a connection-oriented packet network over a WDM optical network without an optical control layer, such as a SONET/SDH layer. The optical network includes a plurality of optical fibers interconnected through nodes and the connection-oriented packet network, such an Ethernet network, MPLS network, or pseudowire network, includes two or more terminal devices. The method and tool function by building an association between the components of the physical layer, such as the optical fiber, and their geographic location or path. The connection-oriented packet network is configured by building multi-link trunks (MLTs) between terminal devices, where the MLTs are built by aggregating lightpaths that traverse distinctive geographic paths. The MLTs are planned and configured through aggregating lightpaths that traverse incongruent sets of photonic elements. A predetermined target for resiliency to physical failure events may determine the degree of congruence allowed between the sets of photonic elements associated with lightpaths in the same MLT.
US07925155B2
In one embodiment, a facilitating signal broadcasting includes receiving a first copy of a signal at a first selector of a first headend, where the first copy is received through a first receive pipe of a first ring. A second copy of the signal is received at the first selector, where the second copy is received through a second receive pipe of a second ring. The first selector selects either the first copy or the second copy. The selected copy is sent through a first transmit pipe of the first ring.
US07925153B2
An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor, a diaphragm control unit configured to control an aperture value of a diaphragm, and an electronic shutter control unit configured to control an operation of an electronic shutter for adjusting a charge accumulation time of the image sensor by adjusting a driving timing of the image sensor, wherein, if driving of the diaphragm overlaps a charge accumulation time when the aperture value is changed from a first aperture value to a second aperture value, the electronic shutter control unit controls a time of charge accumulation corresponding to the second aperture value in the charge accumulation time such that a brightness of an image signal output from the imaging unit when the first aperture value is set and a brightness of an image signal output from the imaging unit when the second aperture value is set become approximately equal to each other.
US07925152B2
An exposure control method adjusts an exposure setting used for capturing an image including a foreground object and a background. The foreground object is extracted from the image by an object detection procedure. If the area of the foreground object is greater than a predetermined area value, the brightness of both the foreground object and the background is analyzed. On the contrary, if the area of the foreground object is not greater than the predetermined area value, only the brightness of the background is analyzed. The exposure setting is adjusted according to the analysis result. Accordingly, greater brightness stability is provided during the capture of the following images.
US07925151B2
Devices and methods are provided for redirecting or reflecting light from a camera's built-in flash unit. An exemplary device has a reflector member having a substantially planar surface, at least a portion of which is a reflective surface. A connecting member is provided that has a distal end portion and an opposing proximal end portion. The distal end portion can be attached to the reflector member and the proximal end portion can be configured for releasable mounting to a portion of the camera. The device can be operatively attached to the camera such that the reflector member is spaced from and opposes the flash and is configured to receive and reflect substantially all light produced from the flash.
US07925137B2
A system and method of the present invention allow the playback of recorded data as the data is being recorded. Data is read from a source location, converted into an encoded format and stored in a database. At the same time, the stored data is read from the database, and played as the data is being recorded.
US07925119B2
An image adapter transforms an input image into an output image by successively processing tiles and by changing numbers of columns and of rows of image points. The image adapter includes queue memories connected in series so as to receive values associated with the points of a tile of the input image. A module for calculating a weighted average possesses inputs connected respectively to an output of one of the memories. The module produces values sampled in a direction parallel to the columns and corresponding to the values associated with points of the input image. A sampling rate converter, connected to the output of the module, produces values associated with the points of the output image according to a sampling rate determined for a direction parallel to the rows.
US07925117B2
A system and method for fusing sensor data and synthetic data to form an integrated image are described. An image registration process is used to fuse the images. The image registration process is performed on gradients of a landmark image. The gradients are extracted from both sensor and synthetic datasets for the landmark image. Using the image gradient, a center of mass for each of the gradient's curves is calculated. By solving a minimization problem to reduce error, a desired transformation operator can be obtained to match the sensor image to the synthetic image.
US07925115B2
An image process capable of rapidly detecting and correcting the inclination of a document image is executed as follows. Dots are put on a document image at even intervals and the document image is printed to provide a printed object. The printed object is read with a scanner to provide image data. Processes are performed on the image data with a plurality of filters for detecting dots corresponding to a plurality of inclinations to calculate the degrees of agreement between the data and the filters. The inclination angle of a filter exhibiting a highest degree of agreement is set to the inclination angle.
US07925113B2
Systems and method of generating compound images having increased sharpness and reduced noise are described. In one aspect, a comparison image signal is determined. The comparison image signal includes pixels with values respectively indexing values of pixels of a first image signal in relation to values of spatially corresponding pixels of a second image signal. The comparison image signal is filtered with a spatial filter. A compound image signal is generated. The compound image signal has pixels with values composed of contributions from the pixel values of the first image signal and the pixel values of the second image signal. The contributions are functions of respective values of spatially corresponding pixels in the filtered comparison image signal in relation to values of noise variation in the filtered comparison image signal.
US07925112B2
Video data matching includes both a single region of data and sequences of regions of data. In an embodiment, a video processing system selects, from a first matrix row corresponding to a test appearance model, one or more other appearance models as a function of similarity measures populating the first matrix row. After selection of the one or more other appearance models, the system then selects, from other matrix rows corresponding to the one or more other appearance models selected in the first step, one or more additional appearance models as a function of the similarity measures populating the other matrix rows. The system then ranks the appearance models selected from the first matrix row and the other matrix rows.
US07925111B2
An image processing circuit for driving a liquid crystal that encodes and decodes image data to reduce the size of the frame memory that, when it quantizes (45) each block of image data in the current frame and outputs encoded data, selects (44) a mean value on the basis of the dynamic range of each unit block and adjusts the amount by which the image data is reduced (53). This type of control enables it to reduce the amount of image data that must be temporarily stored in the delay circuit (5), so the size of the frame memory constituting the delay circuit can be reduced while minimizing the encoding error that occurs in the encoder (4). Consequently, the image data can be corrected accurately and appropriate voltage corrections can be applied to the liquid crystal without the effects of coding and decoding errors.
US07925109B2
A method for simplifying a point cloud is provided. The method includes: (a) acquiring a point cloud; (b) establishing a topological structure for the point cloud; (c) selecting a maiden point from the point cloud as a selected point; (d) searching a plurality of points which are near to the selected point from the point cloud according to the topological structure as near points of the selected point; (e) fitting the selected point and the near points to form a paraboloid, obtaining curve equations of the paraboloid, and computing a curvature of the selected point according to the curve equations and a curvature formula; (f) repeating the steps from (c) to (e) until the curvatures of all points in the point have been computed; and (g) simplifying the point cloud according to the curvatures of the points and a preconfigured parameter. A related system is also provided.
US07925108B2
To always maintain good image quality no matter whether the target bit rate for encoding is high or low.An encoder 210 includes: a converting section 103 for converting picture data representing a moving picture into a coefficient including a plurality of frequency components on a predetermined unit basis; a determining section 212 for determining a matrix to define a frequency bit allocation characteristic based on the resolution of the moving picture and a target bit rate for encoding that has been specified in advance; a quantization section 204 for quantizing each coefficient based on the matrix determined, thereby generating a quantized value; and an encoding section 105 for encoding the quantized value to generate encoded data of the moving picture.
US07925103B2
A method and apparatus for encoding and/or decoding depth image-based representation (DIBR) data are provided. The encoding method includes: converting 3-dimensional (3D) volume data into adjustable octree data with predetermined labels given to nodes; by referring to the labels, encoding nodes of the adjustable octree from the root node to leaf nodes by a modified breadth-first search (BFS) method allocating priorities among children nodes; and generating a bitstream with predetermined header information and encoded node data. The decoding method includes: extracting header information containing at least resolution information of an object, from a bitstream and decoding the header information; calculating the number of nodes by using the resolution information of the header, and by a modified BFS method allocating priorities among children nodes, decoding each node of a tree from the root node to leaf nodes; and restoring an adjustable tree by using decoded nodes. According to the method and apparatus, a huge amount of 3D volume data can be encoded with a high efficiency, and volume data with an arbitrary resolution as well as volume data with a fixed resolution can be encoded with a high efficiency. Accordingly, with a small amount of data, 3D volume data with a high picture quality can be restored. In addition, since a progressive bitstream is generated, 3D volume data can be shown progressively when decoding is performed.
US07925087B2
A method and system for image segmentation by evolving radial basis functions (RBFs) is disclosed. A set of RBFs define a contour on an image. The contour is the zero level set of an implicit function defined by the RBFs. The RBFs are weighted and parameterized by multiple parameters, such as center point, standard deviation, and orientation. The contour is iteratively deformed by updating the weight and each of the parameters of each of the RBFs based on each pixel of the contour, until the contour converges. The parameters and the weight of each RBF is updated using coupled set of differential equations derived based from a region-based or boundary-based image segmentation energy formulation. The final contour at a convergence defines boundaries of a target object or region in the image.
US07925083B2
A system and method for analyzing and classifying digital images as color, black-and-white, black-and-white with spot color, monochromatic, or monochromatic with spot color is provided. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a digital image is received and selected pixel values thereof are transformed from RGB color component values to a lightness component value and two color difference component values. The selected pixels are analyzed with respect to neutrality based upon the two color difference values and are grouped according to lightness value. The sample population distributions of each of the two color difference values are statistically analyzed for each group of pixels, and an image classification is determined by examination of the resulting statistics and derivatives thereof.
US07925074B2
In one implementation, a method for reducing reconstruction artifacts in a combined image constructed of a multiple images is provided. The method may include identifying pixels in images that are in a selected range. The identified pixels are replaced the with a substitute pixel value. The images with the substitute pixel values are combined to form a combined image having reduced reconstruction artifacts.
US07925070B2
The invention relates to a method for displaying a virtual slide capable of storing positional information of a prescribed cell in a virtual slide photographed with a magnification capable of recognizing cell morphology and a terminal device for displaying the virtual slide; or a method for displaying the virtual slide capable of classifying the prescribed cell in the virtual slide photographed with a magnification capable of recognizing cell morphology by a simple operation; or a terminal device for displaying the virtual slide.
US07925053B2
In a method of detecting motion of a particular part from a sequence of successive input images, motion vectors of a plurality of parts of the input images are detected by tracking feature points in the successive input images, the motion of the particular part is detected by processing the motion vectors. The motion detection is performed by producing a histogram of the motion vectors, detecting a peak corresponding to the particular part from the histogram; classifying feature points into a class of feature points belonging to the peak detected in the histogram processing step and a class of the other feature points, and calculating motion of the particular part by analysing the motion vectors belonging to the peak detected in the histogram processing step. The histogram processing step includes detecting the peak corresponding to the particular part on the basis of the class information defined for feature points.
US07925051B2
A method for capturing a sequence of video images, using an imager including an estimation of the parameters of a model of global motion between successive images. The method may include measurement of local motions on edges of the images, with the estimation of the parameters of the global motion model performed using the result of the measurement of local motions on the edges of the images.
US07925048B2
A device and method for detecting feature points of an object from an image. A three-dimensional model is created in which a plurality of nodes corresponding to feature points in a learning image are defined. The model is projected onto an input image and a feature value is derived from a plurality of sampling points around a projection point of each node. An error estimated amount is computed based on the displacement of a feature point between a correct model and an error model. The three dimensional position of each feature point in the input image is estimated based on the error estimated amount and a three dimensional model.
US07925044B2
Tools for analyzing images are disclosed. In some cases, the images are analyzed in order to determine whether a particular web site and/or email message is part of an illegitimate online activity. In an aspect, an image analysis process comprises comparing a suspect image with one or more elements of interest (which can include images, words, etc.) by generating fingerprints characterizing the suspect image and the elements of interest, to allow for a quantitative comparison.
US07925039B1
A cylindrical controller provides a user interface for an electronic device that is easier to use than conventional controls. The cylindrical body contains a number of sensors that detect when the cylindrical body is rotated between the thumb and finger of a user. The sensors determine whether the rotation is in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction. The present invention allows users to remotely control a consumer electronics device by manipulating a cylindrical body with familiar prehensile gestures, i.e., pinching, squeezing, and rolling.
US07925037B2
A communications headset may be worn on an ear of a user. The headset may include a housing provided with a protruding concha-engaging part and a hook. The hook has an ear-engaging part and a joint part. The joint part is connected to the housing in that it is retained by a lug which is provided on an upper surface of a bottom wall of the housing. The joint part has an end portion which is configured as a rotation axis around which the hook is rotatable.
US07925035B2
An electro-acoustic communications unit (20) may include an acoustic driver (22) which, when operated, emits acoustic waves in two directions. A hermetically sealed container (24) attached to the acoustic driver may include a gas other than air. The gas may transport acoustic waves generated by the acoustic driver.
US07925029B2
In a personal audio system (100), a remote controller (120) has a touch-sensitive area (122) and is worn in or by a human ear. A temporal pattern in the area (122), which is being touched, is detected and used for remotely controlling a device (110) for personal audio by means of a control signal (130). This prevents the hassle involved in finding, manipulating and operating a conventional remote control that is typically dangling somewhere along a wire.
US07925020B2
Apparatuses and methods may include creating at least one of a scramble key and a descramble key using a Copy Protection (CP) key that existed prior to a refresh period and using a value created at a time associated with the changing of a channel during the refresh period, and using the at least one of the scramble key and the descrambled key until the CP key is refreshed at an end of the refresh period.
US07925015B2
An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention has a user authentication mode for granting only authorized users a setting change for an image forming apparatus. This image forming apparatus 200 includes a user authentication section 203 to perform authentication on receiving user information from a host computer 100. The image forming apparatus 200 also issues an authentication key for an authorized user and sends the key to the host computer 100. The host computer 100 sends a changed setting and the authentication key to the image forming apparatus 200, whereby making the setting change swiftly. This structure makes it possible to address a problem with related art systems that send user information every time a setting is changed and send a changed setting only when a user is deemed to have authority where authentication is redundant and time consuming.
US07925006B2
Stereo sound signals are reproduced directly from loudspeakers (SP(L), SP(R)). By using a sum signal and a difference signal of the stereo sound signals as a reference signal, and according to a cross spectrum calculation of the reference signal with a microphone-collected sound signal, calculation is performed to obtain transfer functions of four sound transfer systems between the loudspeakers (SP(L), SP(R)) and microphones (MC(L), MC(R)). The transfer functions obtained are subjected to inverse Fourier transform to obtain impulse responses, which are set in filter means (40-1 to 40-4) to create echo cancel signals and perform echo canceling. This solves the problem of an indefinite coefficient in the echo cancel technique of a multi-channel sound signal.
US07924997B1
A method and apparatus is disclosed that establishes a disaster recovery plan to recover from the occurrence of a predetermined event. The plan enables the transfer of communications for at least one phone number from one switch to another switch by changing the local number portability database and programming the second switch to terminate the phone numbers from the first switch.
US07924994B2
A telecommunications system has a plurality of mutually independent clients each having a plurality of terminal devices connecting to the telecommunication system and provided in groups. A client specific identification KID and a group specific identification ZID are assigned. A dispatcher number storage can serve to assign the KID and ZID from an E.164 incoming call for routing purposes and to determine whether calls will be executed internally or externally.
US07924990B2
A communication apparatus repeatedly outputs a first multi-carrier signal SS during predetermined periods T1, T2, T3, . . . , and outputs a second multi-carrier signal RS whose phase vector is different from that of the first multi-carrier signal SS, at a predetermined timing based on the first multi-carrier signal SS. The communication apparatus further detects the second multi-carrier signal RS output from another communication apparatus, which uses a different communication method from the communication apparatus. Accordingly, both communication apparatuses can differentiate the first multi-carrier signal SS from the second multi-carrier signal RS without performing relatively cumbersome modulation and other processes.
US07924985B2
A telephone includes logic to enable the telephone and a structured voice interaction system to exchange navigation information and commands via a data channel connection between the telephone and the structured voice interaction system, the navigation information coordinated with voice prompts and one or more navigation commands exchanged via a voice channel connection. The telephone stores representations of one or more navigation commands provided from the telephone to the structured voice interaction system.
US07924981B2
A discharging part of an X-ray generator using a one-side earthed X-ray tube is earthed is identified on the basis of the tube voltage detected value and the tube current detected value. For the identification, the X-ray generator comprises a device comprising tube voltage decrease slope calculating means (S4), tube current increase calculating means (S4), first judging means (S5) for judging whether or not the slope of the tube voltage decrease exceeds its acceptable value, second judging means (S6) for judging whether or not the increase of the tube current exceeds its acceptable value, and discharge portion identifying means (S7, S8) for identifying the discharging part which is in the X-ray tube or a high-voltage generating unit on the basis of the results of the judgments made by the first and second judging means. The identified discharging part is displayed on display means (S9).
US07924980B2
A portable radiation image converting device has: an image data generating unit that is sensitive to radiation, and that generates image data expressing a radiation image manifested by radiation that is transmitted through a subject and is irradiated onto an image-receiving surface; a storage unit storing image data generated by the image data generating unit; and one or more projecting units projecting, to a device exterior, various types of information including a radiation image expressed by image data that is stored in the storage unit. Various types of information including a radiation image that is generated by radiation, that has been transmitted through a subject and irradiated onto an image-receiving surface, and is stored in a memory, are projected to a device exterior by a projecting device. A portable radiation image converting device at which confirmation of a stored radiation image is easy to carry out is thereby provided.
US07924972B2
In the CT imaging of non-homogeneously moving objects such as the heart or the coronary vessel tree, there is a problem that different parts of the objects are at rest at different points in time. Thus, a gated reconstruction with a globally selected time point does not yield a sharp image of such objects. According to the present invention, a motion of the object is estimated, describing the motion of selected regions of these objects. Then, on the basis of the estimated motion, time points are determined, where these areas have minimal motion. Then, an image is reconstructed, wherein the data from which the respective regions are reconstructed, correspond to the respective time points, where the regions have minimal motion. Due to this, an improved image quality may be provided.
US07924970B2
A method and a device are disclosed for generating a CT image with a high time resolution using a computed tomography scanner which has at least two recording systems which are operated at different X-ray energy spectra. In at least one embodiment of the process, CT images are firstly reconstructed in each case from a semi-rotation with the two recording systems, with irradiated lengths of the contrast agent-enriched structures and the soft tissue being calculated therefrom. Subsequently, a common X-ray energy is assumed and artificial measurement data records are calculated therefor, using the knowledge of the irradiated lengths for both recording systems at the same common X-ray energy. The artificial measurement data of respectively a quarter-rotation per recording system is then used to calculate the final CT image with a high time resolution. The method affords the use of dual-energy scans without losing the high time resolution available in dual-source systems.
US07924962B2
Clock synchronization resistance is improved against selectivity fading without degrading the stability of clock phase synchronization control. Clock phase detector 7, which forms part of a clock reproduction PLL, is preceded by orthogonal component equalizer 6 for removing only orthogonal component interference wave not affecting the clock regeneration, thereby assuring an opening of an eye pattern and maintaining the gain of clock phase detector 7 without erasing the clock phase information. Accordingly, even when inter-symbol interference is caused in a received signal by selectivity fading or the like, part of the interference component can be erased to keep the opening of the eye pattern wide. Thus, the clock synchronization resistance can be improved against the selectivity fading without degrading the stability of the clock phase synchronization control.
US07924957B2
The present invention discloses a method for generating beamformed multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channels. The method comprises receiving by a base station (BS) a first plurality of receiving signals transmitted from a first antenna on a mobile station (MS), receiving by the BS a second plurality of receiving signals transmitted from a second antenna on the MS, nulling out a first predetermined percentage of the second plurality of receiving signals to generate a third plurality of receiving signals, calculating a first beamforming weighting vector corresponding to the first antenna on the MS using the first and third pluralities of receiving signals and creating a first beamformed MIMO channel from the BS to the first antenna on the MS using the first beamforming weighting vector.
US07924955B2
The method is for estimating a phase and gain mismatch of a base band digital signal. It comprises: determining (10) weight coefficients depending upon the likelihood of the frequency values of a segment of said base band digital signal; and determining (26) the phase and gain mismatch for the segment using the weight coefficients.
US07924951B2
Methods and systems for digital wireless communication are provided.
US07924947B2
Method and apparatus for decoding a bitstream of navigation data broadcast by a satellite positioning system satellite is described. In one example, a portion of a subframe in the navigation data for each of a plurality of occurrences of the subframe in the bitstream is obtained at a satellite signal receiver to produce a respective plurality of subframe portions. The subframe portions are then combined to recover the subframe. The subframe portions may be processed to maintain a constant polarity by comparing a common sequence of data bits among at least two of the subframe portions to identify a mismatch in polarity.
US07924933B2
A method includes the steps of: i) listing out all possibilities for first symbol of a two stream signal; ii) determining a second symbol of the two stream signal for each said first symbol listed out, iii) evaluating a metric for each said first symbol and second symbol pair, iv) determining the exact maximum log likelihood ratio for all bits associated with said first symbol using said metrics, v) decoding a codeword-1 using the maximum log likelihood ratios, vi) re-encoding said codeword-1, vii) modulating said re-encoded codeword-1, viii) subtracting said modulated re-encoded codeword-1 from said two stream signal, ix) determining metrics for all possibilities for second symbol in the signal obtained in viii, x) determining the maximum log likelihood ratios for all bits associated with second symbol, and xi) decoding said codeword-2 using the maximum log likelihood ratios for all bits associated with said second symbol.
US07924918B2
A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for performing temporal prediction are described. In one embodiment, a decoding method includes, but is not limited to, generating a prediction for a sample in one of multiple blocks using transformation parameters associated with the one block and transformation parameters associated with at least one other block in the group of blocks and adding residual data to the prediction to obtain a decoded sample.
US07924917B2
A method for encoding video signals by inverse motion compensated temporal filtering where video frames of a base layer are used to encode video frames of an enhanced layer into predicted images. For each image block in an arbitrary frame in an enhanced layer frame sequence, an area including a block, which is present in a base layer frame temporally coincident with the arbitrary frame and is at the same position as the image block, is enlarged according to the ratio between screen sizes of the two layers. A reference block most highly correlated with the image block is searched for in the enlarged area in the temporally coincident base layer frame through motion estimation and is used to obtain pixel difference values and a motion vector of the image block for encoding the image block into a predicted image, thereby improving coding efficiency.
US07924916B2
MPEG video uses motion compensated prediction for coding pictures. A GOP includes at least one intra-coded picture to start decoding with and a number of inter-coded pictures and normally also includes bi-directionally predicted pictures. However, the GOP structure is not constructed for playing GOPs in backward direction in a trickplay mode across GOP boarders. The invention facilitates, for different GOP structures, a smooth backward video mode thereby reducing the required number of frame buffers and achieving near real-time speed presentation. In some embodiments some I and/or P pictures are decoded more than once. The invention also allows backwards decoding of MPEG-4-AVC GOPs including B-stored pictures.
US07924913B2
Described herein are technologies directed towards non-realtime transcoding (e.g., compressing) a formatted multimedia datastream and doing so without consuming additional storage space or without making the data unavailable during the process.
US07924910B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for performing adaptive equalization involving receiving a signal originating from a channel associated with inter-symbol interference, filtering the signal using a filter having a plurality of adjustable tap weights to produce a filtered signal, and adaptively updating each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights to a new value to reduce effects of inter-symbol interference, wherein each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights is adaptively updated to take into account a constraint relating to a measure of error in the filtered signal and a constraint relating to group delay associated with the filter. Each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights may be adaptively updated to drive group delay associated with the filter toward a target group delay.
US07924906B2
An assembly of simultaneously transmitted electrically generated signals, which contains a subset of binary spreading-code sequences that are members of a large set of binary spreading-code sequences available to a particular node of a multi-node communication network. All sequences in the set of spreading-code sequences available to the particular node of the network can be generated by the same configurations of two linear feedback binary shift registers, where feedback taps of the two linear-feedback binary shift registers correspond to primitive polynomials of the same degree over GF(2), the field of two elements.
US07924904B2
A network device for cancelling spurs without affecting an incoming signal. The network device includes an estimator for estimating amplitude and phase of a spur over a predetermined period of time. The network device also includes processing means for freezing further estimation of the amplitude and phase of the spur, for cancelling for an estimated spur and for allowing incoming packets. The network device further includes subtracting means for subtracting the estimated spur from an incoming packet. The estimated spur is subtracted from the incoming packet without affecting incoming signals that are not part of the estimated spur.
US07924902B2
The invention relates to a highly repetitive laser system operating according to the reproducible amplifier principle. Said system comprises at least one amplified laser medium, a laser resonator provided with at least one resonator mirror and at least one modulator and a pump source, in particular, a laser diode source, which is used to pump the laser medium. The highly repetitive laser system is compact by virtue of the fact that a pulse extensor, having a highly dispersive effect as a result of the structure or material thereof, is integrated into the laser resonator.
US07924899B2
Provided is a VCSEL that includes a lower DBR of a first conductivity type, an active region, and an upper DBR of a second conductivity type, on a substrate. The lower DBR has a first to-be-oxidized Al-containing layer located farther from the active region than a second to-be-oxidized layer that is formed in the upper DBR. Both layers have an oxidized region and a first or a second non-oxidized region surrounded by the oxidized region. The first non-oxidized region is larger than the maximum size of the second non-oxidized region for a single mode oscillation, and smaller than the maximum size of the first non-oxidized region for a single mode oscillation. The second non-oxidized region is larger than the maximum size of the second non-oxidized region for a single mode oscillation. The first non-oxidized region has a size equal to or larger than that of the second non-oxidized region.
US07924892B2
A laser illuminator for use in an inspection system, such as a semiconductor wafer inspection system or photomask inspection system is provided. The gain medium in the illuminator comprises optical fiber, and amplification, beam splitting, frequency and/or bandwidth conversion, peak power reduction, and q-switching or mode locking may be employed. Certain constructs including doped fiber, gratings, saturable absorbers, and laser diodes are disclosed to provide enhanced illumination.
US07924887B2
A method and device for improving clock stability are provided. The method includes: determining whether a difference between a current sender timestamp (ST) and a current receiver timestamp (RT) is a mutated value; pre-processing the ST and RT, if the difference between the ST and RT is a mutated value; acquiring a service clock according to the pre-processed ST and RT; and sending time division multiplex (TDM) data according to the service clock. Through the embodiments of the present disclosure, a packet delay variance (PDV) may be smoothed, the impairment of the PDV on clock recovery may be reduced, the quality of the clock recovery may be improved, and the problem of clock synchronization may be solved through the mutation processing on the timestamps.
US07924876B2
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, flexible burst boundaries, within an allowable range, allow statistical multiplexing to be performed in conjunction with time slicing in a digital broadcast network. The signalling of the delta-t is performed such that data of the service is not missed. Similar to deterministic multiplexing, aspects of the invention split the multiplex into several time-cycles and allocate, for each service, a time slot (data burst) from the total time-cycle according to the service's average bit rate. In accordance with aspects of the invention, however, the boundaries of each data burst are allowed to grow or shrink by a limited amount.
US07924871B2
Methods and systems for priority access to control channels are provided. A mobile stations is assigned a user priority value. The mobile station selects a retry algorithm from a plurality of retry algorithms based on the assigned user priority value. Alternatively, the assigned user priority value can be used as a seed value for a single retry algorithm. Mobile stations with higher priority values will attempt to access the control channel within shorter time periods and more frequently than those with lower priority values.
US07924864B2
A station of a wireless local area network, the station includes a joining unit configured to join one of a plurality of cliques or to create a new clique, wherein each of the plurality of cliques includes at least one station and wherein each station in a clique can hear all other stations within the clique. The station also includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a server that assigns a unique value to each station in the clique when the station joins the network, wherein the value is used to determine a rank associated with each station within the clique. The server is configured to maintain a system map that defines information associated with each of the plurality of cliques and all of the stations in the network. The station also includes a listening unit configured to listen for a predefined signal such that upon receipt of the predefined signal each station in the clique is configured to begin transmission based on an order determined by a ranking of the stations in the clique.
US07924855B2
A method to determine the maximum number of VPNs assignable to plurality of routers in a VPN network. The first step in the method can be specifying a tolerance which is a probability that consumed router memory will exceed available router memory for each router in a plurality of routers. The second step can be computing the consumed router memory on each router in a plurality of routers by summing a route memory, an interface memory, a VPN memory, and a constant memory. The third step can be computing a number [V] of VPNs assigned to the router to insure that, with the specified probability tolerance, the consumed router memory will not exceed the available router memory for each router in a plurality of routers.
US07924853B1
A method is provided for maintaining a communication network including a plurality of call processors, a plurality of packet gateways, and a plurality of trunk groups connected to each packet gateway. Queries are transferred to at least one call processor of the plurality of call processors, and responses are received from the one call processor. The responses are processed to associate the one call processor with a packet gateway and to associate the packet gateway with trunk groups connected to the packet gateway. The association of the packet gateway with the trunk groups is displayed, and a user selects one of the trunk groups. Then an instruction is transferred to the one call processor to seize and release the user-selected one of the trunk groups.
US07924852B2
In a method and network for transferring data and signals between terminal equipment via one or more switching stations, the data and digitized signals are combined in cells, with each cell having a header in which connection information is contained that designates a transmission or routing target. The terminal equipment and switching stations are synchronized so that the cells are transferred in a synchronized manner via one or more switching stations. Signals and high quality of service (QoS) data thus can be transferred through the same network.
US07924851B2
A digital broadcast transmitting/receiving system and a method for processing data are disclosed. The method for processing data may enhance the receiving performance of the receiving system by performing additional coding and multiplexing processes on the traffic information data and transmitting the processed data. Thus, robustness is provided to the traffic information data, thereby enabling the data to respond strongly against the channel environment which is always under constant and vast change.
US07924844B1
In one embodiment, a method for communicating messages in a computing environment includes receiving a message from a client, storing the message in a persistent memory, sending the message to an intended destination until the message is received by the intended destination, and deleting the message from the persistent memory after the message is received by the intended destination.
US07924839B2
A series of hardware pipeline units each processing a stride during prefix search operations on a multi-bit trie includes, within at least one pipeline unit other than the last pipeline unit, a mechanism for retiring search results from the respective pipeline unit rather than passing the search results through the remaining pipeline units. Early retirement may be triggered by either the absence of subsequent strides to be processed or completion (a miss or end node match) of the search, together with an absence of active search operations in subsequent pipeline units. The early retirement mechanism may be included in those pipeline units corresponding to a last stride for a maximum prefix length shorter than the pipeline (e.g., 20 or 32 bits rather than 64 bits), in pipeline units selected on some other basis, or in every pipeline unit. Worst-case and/or average latency for prefix search operations is reduced.
US07924833B2
The present invention relates to a packet transfer unit, which comprises a search key memory that stores a search key for a transfer destination of a packet and verification information generated from the search key, in association with a storage location of transfer information memorized in a transfer information memory, wherein a transfer information acquisition unit searches the search key memory by using the search key generated based on the header information and the verification information generated from the search key, acquires storage location information of the transfer information from the search key memory when a match with the search key and the verification information memorized in the search key memory is found, and acquires the transfer information stored in the transfer information memory based on the acquired storage location information, and wherein a transfer unit transfers the packet based on the acquired transfer information.
US07924827B2
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for filtering a broadcast data stream that can support data flow, e.g. IPv6 packets. The present invention utilizes common filtering for packet segments that are common among IPv6 packets. Segments that are not common are separately filtered. A set of rules is applied to the filtered segments in order to determine whether corresponding packets should be subsequently processed. The present invention is applicable to numerous application including MPEG multicast services.
US07924826B1
A “pinout mode” control capability incorporated into an integrated circuit device controls an internal mapping function, with the effect that the device pinout is adjusted by the setting of the pinout mode. An integrated circuit device includes a data interface with plural physical ports each having a physical port identifier and a mapper for mapping the physical port identifiers to logical port identifiers based on a selected mode setting, each mode setting defining a different port mapping. A data circuit is coupled to the data interface, the data circuit processing data sent to and received from the data interface based on the logical port identifiers.
US07924806B2
In a time synchronization system between wireless nodes, a first wireless node broadcasts a neighbor search packet, adjacent wireless nodes receive the neighbor search packet and then returns an adjacent response packet, the first wireless node selects the mediating wireless node based on the adjacent response packet and then transmits a mediating request packet to the mediating wireless node, the mediating wireless node receives the mediating request packet and then broadcasts a time record request packet, the first wireless node receives the time record request packet and then records reception time, the adjacent wireless nodes receive the time record request packet and then records reception time, the higher-level adjacent wireless node transmits a time notification packet containing the reception time to the first wireless node, and the first wireless node calculates the difference between the recorded reception time and the reception time contained in the time notification packet and then adds the difference to current time.
US07924797B2
A system and method of packet zone hysteresis for a mobile station is presented. A packet zone hysteresis reset timer is started whenever the mobile station sends or receives packet data and packet data exchange is determined to be incomplete. The packet zone hysteresis reset timer gives a time duration for which packet data exchange must be completed if packet zone hysteresis information is to be maintained. If the packet zone hysteresis reset timer expires before packet data exchange is completed, then the packet zone hysteresis information is cleared. If the mobile station moves to a different packet zone while packet data exchange is determined to be incomplete or packet data is going to be sent to which a response is expected, then the mobile station will perform a packet data reconnect. According to another aspect, upon detecting that a packet data exchange has completed, the mobile station re-activates packet zone hysteresis if it was de-activated from the packet data exchange.
US07924791B2
A method of transmitting data packets within a local network including a master unit and at least two slave units is adapted to a configuration according to which the master unit comprises two processors. The first processor executes an application and the second processor controls a transmission of data between the master unit and any one of the slave units. According to the method, data packets sent by a first slave unit to a second slave unit pass through the second processor and are forwarded directly in accordance with a readdressing directive obtained from addressing elements which are interassociated and communicated by the first processor to the second processor.
US07924783B1
Two wireless local area networks exhibiting different characteristics link portable or mobile computer devices. An infrastructure network comprising radio base stations, and at least one portable computer device make up the first wireless network, which communicates using spread spectrum frequency hopping communication. A second local area network supports radio communication between a portable computer and peripheral devices with built-in transceivers. The networks use a reservation access protocol that facilitates frequency hopping synchronization, supports adaptive data rate selection based on communication quality, and prevents interference between the wireless networks. In a premises LAN, an infrastructure network comprises radio base stations and a backbone LAN. A higher-power LAN using frequency hopping comprises the infrastructure network and at least one mobile computing device. A lower-power LAN uses single-frequency spread spectrum communication between a mobile computing device and peripheral devices. A vehicular LAN supports short-range communication between vehicle and portable terminals.
US07924770B2
This invention relates to a method of controlling communication between two nodes in a communication system. The method includes the steps of providing a set of values for controlling communication between the two nodes. The method also includes providing information relating to traffic conditions and providing a command for controlling communication. The method further includes selecting one of the set of values in dependence on the provided information. The command and mapping information provides a mapping between the traffic condition information and information relating to the values.
US07924766B2
A method and system access a channel in a wireless network of nodes. A coordinator transmits periodically a beacon, in which time between two consecutive beacons constitute a beacon interval. The coordinator and other nodes transceive a superframe during the beacon interval, in which the superframe begins with an active interval, which is immediately followed by an inactive interval, and in which the active interval begins with a contention free period, which is immediately followed by a contention access period, which is immediately followed by the inactive interval.
US07924765B2
A system and method for improved data transmission in a WDCT frame structure. A transmission slot in a WDCT frame of conventional size is configured for transmission of data bits having substantially smaller data bit width than used in conventional WDCT frames. A user data field is configured to transmit a larger data payload by including more bits within the user data field. In one implementation, the user data field is configured for transmission of multiple copies of a voice data packet at the same rate as single data packets are transmitted in a conventional WDCT frame structure. In another implementation, a non-voice data transmission rate is increased by more than a factor of two over conventional WDCT frame structure.
US07924761B1
A reliable delivery protocol for wireless networks, where a source node applies network forward error correction coding such that no transmission is ever repeated, instead all retransmissions and relay transmissions use coded packets further out in the coding sequence so that intermediate and destination nodes can make maximal use of overheard transmissions.
US07924760B2
The invention discloses a method for acquiring MBMS access information comprising: in a modification period, upon receiving an MBMS access information message transmitted from a network a UE initiating a corresponding procedure according to its state; if completing the corresponding procedure successfully, the UE stopping receiving a further MBMS access information messages; if not completing the corresponding procedure successfully the UE continuing acquiring further MBMS access information messages. The method facilitates the UE to automatically control MBMS access information acquiring procedure, and further reduces energy consumption of the UE to the maximum extent.
US07924758B2
An energy-aware routing method and energy-aware routing system, the energy-aware routing apparatus for use with a multi-hop system including at least one terminal and at least one base station, the apparatus includes a transceiving unit for receiving a route request message including battery information from each of the at least one terminal; and a control unit for receiving the route request message from the transceiving unit and selecting a communication path from configurable paths by using the battery information.
US07924754B2
Acknowledgment signaling in a multiple carrier environment is enabled with a multiple carrier codebook having code words that jointly encode acknowledgment for at least two carriers. For an example embodiment, there is a method in a remote terminal for acknowledgment uplink signaling in a multiple-carrier mode. First, a code word is determined that jointly encodes acknowledgment signaling for at least two carriers from a multiple carrier codebook that is stored in the remote terminal. The multiple carrier codebook includes eight code words that are defined to have a single carrier codebook as a sub-codebook of the multiple carrier codebook, each code word of the eight code words having a length of ten. The multiple carrier codebook achieves a minimum Hamming distance of four among the eight code words. Second, an uplink signaling message that includes the determined code word is transmitted from the remote terminal to a wireless network node.
US07924750B1
A computer program comprises instructions for advertising a plurality of communication modes. In response to detecting that one or more communication modes of a second physical layer module have been advertised to a first physical layer module, the computer program synchronizes the communication mode between the first and second physical layer modules based on the plurality of advertised communication modes of the first physical layer module and the one or more advertised communication modes of the second physical layer module. In response to not having detected that one or more communication modes of the second physical layer module have been advertised to the first physical layer module, the computer program detects whether the second physical layer module has been preset to communicate in a full duplex mode, and sets the communication mode between the first physical layer module and the second physical layer module to the full duplex mode.
US07924747B2
A process and system for enhancing connectivity among nodes of a wireless communications network by adapting to changes in the network topology. Nodes of the network are configured to operate according to either (i) an ad hoc protocol wherein a given node assumes a role of a mesh node capable of connecting with other like-configured nodes, or (ii) a point-to-multipoint protocol wherein the given node assumes a role of either a base station, or a subscriber station being served by another node which is assuming the role of a base station. A determination is made as to whether each node should operate according to the ad hoc protocol or the point-to-multipoint protocol, in order to maintain an optimum state of connectivity among all nodes of the network. The determined operating protocol is then implemented for each node.
US07924744B2
A method of associating a multi-access terminal (STA) with a communications network. The method includes sending data about the connection of the terminal to other networks from the terminal to an access point (AP) of the network.
US07924737B2
A method of detecting a signal degrade of transmission data, a method of detecting a restoration from a signal degrade, and a signal restoration detecting device are provided. The method of detecting a signal degrade includes measuring a discarded data rate of traffic; and comparing said discarded data rate with a threshold value to detect the signal degrade. The method of detecting restoration from a signal degrade includes obtaining a first value by multiplying a threshold value and a multiplier, the threshold value used to detect a signal degrade; and comparing a discarded data rate of a control traffic after a signal degrade with the first value to detect a restoration from the signal degrade. The methods and devices disclosed herein are suitable for precisely determining a signal degrade in a communication system.
US07924732B2
A method of determining quality of service (QoS) in an IT infrastructure on the basis of QoS-related data received from data sources for these QoS-related data, wherein the data from the data sources regularly arrive in real-time, but data from one or more of the data sources may occasionally be delayed. On the basis of the regular data, a real-time indication of the quality of service is calculated in a first process. This indication is possibly inaccurate since delayed data is not included. After the receipt of delayed data, a delayed, but more accurate indication of the quality of service is calculated in a second concurrent process on the basis of regular information, which comprises at least one of regular data and information derived from it, and the delayed data.
US07924731B2
Header compression repair techniques are accomplished, in various aspects, modes, embodiments, and implementations, by a remote terminal (40), by a header decompressor (46) for use at a remote terminal (40), and by methods of operating the remote terminal and/or decompressor, and (optionally) in some aspects, modes, embodiments, and implementations by taking into consideration aspects of structure and operation of a header compressor (25) as well. The remote unit (40) comprises a transceiver (42) or the like which receives, over a link (36) such as an air interface (38), packets including packets having headers which have been compressed and packets which are potentially out-of-order. The header decompressor (46), upon detection of non-receipt of packets anticipated in a flow (34) of packets over the link, stores, with respect to each non-receipt, a snapshot of header decompression context information existing at the non-receipt. Then, when the header decompressor detects header decompression failure for a subsequently received packet, the header decompressor determines (e.g., by executing a repair process) whether header decompression of the subsequently received packet can be achieved using one of plural stored snapshots.
US07924728B2
The invention relates to a transport protocol and associated methods and stack architectures for improving the energy efficiency of transmitting packets through an ad hoc network. The protocol controls transmissions by taking into account per-packet energy limits, per-node loss tolerances, and/or minimum availability rates determined based on path quality measurements collected by packets traversing the network and application reliability requirements associated with various applications.
US07924720B2
Systems, methods, and devices are described that monitor network traffic. One method includes monitoring a number of packets received by a network device based on a number of criteria to determine a flow of the packets. For each monitored packet for a particular source IP address/destination IP address pair, the method includes hashing a destination TCP/UDP port number into a range [0 . . . N]. The method further includes setting a bit in a bit field that has a width of N+1 bits based on the hashing.
US07924718B2
Methods and apparatus operating in a stream processing network perform load shedding and dynamic resource allocation so as to meet a pre-determined utility criterion. Load shedding is envisioned as an admission control problem encompassing source nodes admitting workflows into the stream processing network. A primal-dual approach is used to decompose the admission control and resource allocation problems. The admission control operates as a push-and-pull process with sources pushing workflows into the stream processing network and sinks pulling processed workflows from the network. A virtual queue is maintained at each node to account for both queue backlogs and credits from sinks. Nodes of the stream processing network maintain shadow prices for each of the workflows and share congestion information with neighbor nodes. At each node, resources are devoted to the workflow with the maximum product of downstream pressure and processing rate, where the downstream pressure is defined as the backlog difference between neighbor nodes. The primal-dual controller iteratively adjusts the admission rates and resource allocation using local congestion feedback. The iterative controlling procedure further uses an interior-point method to improve the speed of convergence towards optimal admission and allocation decisions.
US07924698B2
A scheduler and a method schedule available power and bandwidth to users. Equations for a continuous bandwidth allocation of a total bandwidth, and/or a continuous power distribution of a total power, are set up using Lagrangian multipliers to include constraints in a function that is maximum when a fair capacity is maximum. The continuous bandwidth allocation and/or the continuous power distribution represent sets of values corresponding to users that maximize the function. The equations are solved using waterfilling methods, wherein the continuous power distribution is determined for a previously determined bandwidth allocation, and/or the continuous bandwidth allocation is calculated for a previously determined power distribution.
US07924681B2
An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from an optical information recording medium or for recording information onto an optical information recording medium, is provided with a first light source for emitting first light flux having a first wavelength; a second light source for emitting second light flux having a second wavelength, the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength; a converging optical system having an optical axis and a diffractive portion, and a photo detector; wherein in case that the first light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux, and in case that the second light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the second light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted ray of the second light flux, where n stands for an integer other than zero.
US07924674B2
A recording method, a recording apparatus, and an optical recording medium that can improve quality of a signal reproduced from a high multi-speed recording medium. The recording method includes generating a box type recording pattern including a first pulse, which has a duration determined according to a length of a recording mark and which has a first power level, and a second pulse which has a second power level different from that of the first power level, and recording data according to the box type recording pattern.
US07924673B2
An information processing device processes specific information recorded on a recording medium, and has a characteristic identification unit and a processing unit. The characteristic identification unit identifies the reflection characteristic of the recording medium. The processing unit processes the specific information recorded on the recording medium according to the identified reflection characteristic. The reflection characteristic is either a first characteristic such that the reflectance of light reflected by a recorded region of the recording medium (referred to as first reflectance) is greater than the reflectance of light reflected by an unrecorded region of the recording medium (referred to as second reflectance), or a second characteristic such that the first reflectance is less than the second reflectance.
US07924669B2
An optical disk device includes a test recording portion, a power control portion, a recording portion and a power correction portion. The power control portion determines a first recording power to record recording information to the optical disk based on test information recorded by the test recording portion. The power correction portion calculates a first average of modulation of the recording information recorded on a first track of the optical disk at the first recording power and a second average of modulation of the recording information recorded on a second track of the optical disk at the first recording power. The power correction portion increases the first recording power to a second recording power when the second average of the modulation drops below a first threshold value that is preset and drops below a second threshold value that is calculated based on the first average of modulation.
US07924667B2
A recording and/or reproducing apparatus, medium, and method controlling a write speed of a disk drive. The method may includes measuring a predetermined disk quality evaluating factor affecting a servo control performance in multiple areas of a disk, determining an optimal write speed of the areas of the disk corresponding to the disk quality evaluating factor, and controlling a rotation speed of the disk at an optimal write speed of a corresponding area of the disk, depending on a position of the disk in which writing is to be performed, in a writing mode.
US07924663B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus for a remote monitoring device is disclosed. The apparatus includes a casing to fit at least one of a storage location for storage media and handling mechanisms for the storage media, the storage location and the handling mechanisms being part of a media storage library, one or more monitoring devices within the casing to obtain from the media storage library at least one of environmental measurements and images of components in the media storage library, and a communication transmitter within the casing and communicatively coupled to the one or more monitoring devices to transmit at least one of data signals representing the at least one of environmental measurements and images of the components in the media storage library. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US07924656B2
An information communication terminal with a report function for use in the alarm includes the report function for awakening. However, since an operation required to stop the report function is performed in an operation unit, there is a risk that the user who is not in wakefulness makes an operation error. Using the information communication terminal including a sensor capable of detecting that the information communication terminal is shaken, a notification operation at a set time in the report function is controlled. Also, a control unit of the information communication terminal performs various kinds of control for the notification operation by partitioning vibration information detected by this sensor according to various patterns.
US07924649B2
An internal source voltage generation circuit includes main source voltage driving means configured to drive an internal source voltage terminal to a predetermined voltage level; and additional source voltage driving means configured to additionally drive the internal source voltage terminal in response to a data strobe signal.
US07924646B2
A fuse monitoring circuit for a semiconductor memory device includes a fuse repair unit including a plurality of fuses each programmed with at least one repair address, configured to receive a fuse reset signal and to output a plurality of fuse state signals each corresponding to a connection state of one of the fuses, a fuse monitoring unit configured to receive a monitoring enable signal and to output a plurality of fuse state monitoring signals each corresponding to a corresponding one of the fuse state signals, each of the fuse state signals corresponding to one of a plurality of addresses, and an output unit configured to receive an output control signal and to output the fuse state monitoring signals to an output pad.
US07924637B2
Timing delays in a double data rate (DDR) dynamic random access memory (DRAM) controller (114, 116) are trained. A left edge of passing receive enable delay values is determined (530). A final value of a receive data strobe delay value and a final value of a transmit data delay value are trained (540). A right edge of passing receive enable delay values is determined using a working value of the receive data strobe delay (550); and a final receive enable delay value intermediate between the left edge of passing receive enable delay values and the right edge of passing receive enable delay values is set (560).
US07924633B2
A method and wordline voltage boosting circuit for implementing boosted wordline voltage in memories, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. The wordline voltage boosting circuit receives a precharge signal, uses a switching transistor coupled to a bootstrap capacitor, and generates a boosted voltage level responsive to the precharge signal. The boosted voltage level is applied to a voltage supply of an output stage of a wordline driver, causing the wordline voltage level of a selected wordline to be boosted. The switching transistor is controlled by the precharge signal and a node of the bootstrap capacitor supplying the boosted voltage level is driven high by the switching transistor.
US07924631B2
A memory card and a non-volatile memory controller thereof are provided. The non-volatile memory controller includes a firmware download port group, a memory interface unit, a processing unit, and a host interface unit. The firmware download port group is used for coupled to a firmware update fixture. The memory interface unit includes at least one tri-state buffer component, and the memory interface unit is coupled to a non-volatile memory and the firmware download port group through the tri-state buffer component, wherein the tri-state buffer component determines whether to operate in a high-impedance mode or a normal mode according to a mode single. The processing unit accesses the non-volatile memory through the memory interface unit. When the tri-state buffer component operates in the high-impedance mode according to the mode single, the firmware update fixture writes a new firmware into the non-volatile memory through the firmware download port group.
US07924628B2
A cache programming operation which requires 2 SRAMs (one for the user and one for the array) may be combined with a multi-level cell (MLC) programming operation which also requires 2 SRAMs (one for caching the data and one for verifying the data), using only a total of two SRAMs (or buffers). One of the buffers (User SRAM) receives and stores user data. The other of the two buffers (Cache SRAM) may perform a caching function as well as a verify function. In this manner, if a program operation fails, the user can have its original data back so that he can try to reprogram it to a different place (address).
US07924627B2
In a semiconductor memory device, a voltage rise due to IR-DROP is suppressed which occurs when a ground voltage is applied to a memory cell during a program operation. Discharge transistors are provided between the ground and bit lines connected to the source and drain of the memory cell. The discharge transistors receive mutually independent discharge control signals which are generated and outputted from a DS decoder driver at the respective gates thereof. To the bit line which applies the ground voltage to the memory cell, the ground voltage can be set using the discharge transistor.
US07924624B2
Provided are memory devices and memory programming methods. A memory device may include: a multi-bit cell array that includes a plurality of memory cells; a controller that extracts state information of each of the memory cells, divides the plurality of memory cells into a first group and a second group, assigns a first verify voltage to memory cells of the first group and assigns a second verify voltage to memory cells of the second group; and a programming unit that changes a threshold voltage of each memory cell of the first group until the threshold voltage of each memory cell of the first group is greater than or equal to the first verify voltage, and changes a threshold voltage of each memory cell of the second group until the threshold voltage of each memory cell of the second group is greater than or equal to the second verify voltage.
US07924620B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a transistor, a first MOS, a second MOS, a first voltage circuit, and a second voltage circuit. The transistor includes a accumulation layer, a control gate, and a first impurity diffused layer. The first MOS includes a first electrode and a second layer. The second MOS includes a second electrode and a third layer, after the channels being formed, the first MOS and the second MOS being cut off. The first voltage circuit applies a first voltage to an active region to generate a forward bias. The second voltage circuit applies a second voltage, and a third voltage to the control gate of the transistor, after the first voltage circuit charges the first to third impurity diffused layer to the first voltage, the second voltage circuit applying the second voltage and the third voltage to the control gate of the transistor.
US07924615B2
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and more specifically relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory with increased program throughput. The present invention provides a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device with a plurality of block source lines corresponding to the memory blocks, arranged in parallel to the word lines, a plurality of global source lines arranged in perpendicular to the block source lines; and a plurality of switches for selectively connecting corresponding ones of the block source lines and the global source lines.
US07924614B2
A memory and a boundary searching method thereof are provided therein. When searching a boundary of a threshold voltage distribution of the memory, data errors resulted from tail bits of the memory would be corrected. Therefore, a sensing window could be broader, and the boundary of the threshold voltage distribution could be determined precisely.
US07924611B2
A page buffer circuit with reduced size and methods for reading and programming data is provided. In the reading operation, the page buffer circuit reads out a data bit by alternatively using a higher bit register or a lower bit register regardless of whether the data bit read from the multi-level cell is a higher bit or a lower bit, thereby reducing the circuit area and improves the performance of operation.
US07924598B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory according to an aspect of the invention includes a memory cell array and a power supply circuit. The memory cell array includes memory cells each having an insulating film and being programmed to store information by inflicting an electric stress on the insulating film to break the insulating film. The power supply circuit supplies to the memory cell a program voltage for the electric stress depending on a negative temperature coefficient the electric stress.
US07924590B1
A content search system includes CAM device, a compiler, and an image loader. The CAM device, which includes a plurality of rows of CAM cells and a number of counter circuits selectively interconnected by a programmable interconnect structure (PRS), performs regular expression search operations. The compiler selectively converts the regular expression into a number of various bit groups, and the image loader loads corresponding bit groups into the CAM cells, into a number of memory elements that control configuration of the PRS, and into the counter circuits.
US07924586B2
A substrate includes a plurality of input ends, a plurality of output ends, first and second direct-current power lines, a first region and a second region. An alternating voltage is applied between any two of the input ends. The first region permits mounting of any one of a plurality of kinds of first surface-mount devices that selectively establishes electrical continuity between one of said plurality of input ends and either said first or said second direct-current power line. The second region permits mounting of a second surface-mount device that selectively establishes electrical continuity between one of said plurality of output ends and said first or said second direct-current power line.
US07924580B2
A switching inverter having two single-ended EF2 inverter sections coupled together with a shared ground and partially shared tunable resonant network that is coupled to at least one load, wherein each inverter section comprises a switching section, and wherein the shared tunable network section allows independent tuning of an impedance seen by the corresponding switching section thereby independently tuning even and odd harmonics of the switching frequency.
US07924579B2
A fly-forward converter topology for a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) that may incorporate the advantages of both a forward converter and a flyback converter into a two-stage half-wave converter is provided. The fly-forward converter may be considered as a half-wave forward converter that has been modified with the addition of another secondary winding and a second rectifier, operating as a forward converter during the on period of the primary-side switch(es) and functioning as a flyback converter during the off period. Magnetizing energy stored in the core of the converter's transformer is not lost or recirculated in the primary, but may be transferred from the primary to the secondary. By transferring the transformer magnetizing energy to the secondary during the off period, the transformer core of the fly-forward converter may be reset without additional core resetting circuitry.
US07924578B2
A power converter includes a transformer, a primary switch, an auxiliary switch, first and second resonance capacitors, and a secondary side rectification means. A switch mode power supply is formed to use reflected voltage and parasitic capacitance as an energy source for a transformer resonance. The auxiliary switch effectively exchanges energy between the primary inductance of the transformer and the first and second resonant capacitors. The auxiliary switch effectively switches the transformer resonance between two distinct frequencies. In one embodiment of the invention, the power converter can be, but is not limited to, a flyback converter and further includes a comparator and a driver. The comparator is for detecting the voltage across the second resonance capacitor and the driver is configured to drive the auxiliary switch based on the output state of the comparator. The resonant nature of the converter provides zero voltage (ZVS) for the primary switch as well as for the auxiliary switch.
US07924575B2
A cable connects a circuit board mounted with an electronic circuit to a BT module that controls wireless communications compliant with Bluetooth (Registered Trademark). The cable is a connection cable that elastically deforms and applies pushing force in a direction to make the BT module leave away from the circuit board. A second holding piece, which is cantilever-shaped, moves to a releasing position at which holding the BT module is released by elastic deformation as well as moves to a supporting position at which the second holding piece presses the BT module by release of elastic deformation.
US07924559B2
A docking station including a housing, a sliding block, a pulling element, a first elastic element, a raising cover, a plurality of first and second hooks, and a linkage is provided. The housing has a first, a second and a third constraining structures, and the sliding block is disposed in the first constraining structure. The pulling element is pivoted on the housing, wherein a pulling portion thereof is exposed out of the housing and a pushing portion thereof contacts the sliding block. The first elastic element is connected between the housing and the sliding block. The first hooks are disposed on the raising cover and driven by the sliding block. The linkage is disposed in the second constraining structure of the housing, wherein a first end thereof is connected to the sliding block. The second hooks are driven by a second end of the linkage.
US07924552B2
A portable electronic device includes a housing, a gasbag module installed on the housing in an expansible manner, and a pressure module connected to the gasbag module for conducting air outside the gasbag module into the gasbag module so as to expand the gasbag module.
US07924545B2
An apparatus for modification of the atmospheric humidity profile via creating updrafts of moistened air is provided. The apparatus is based on a capacitor of a Van der Graaf generator which, with the aid of air ionizers comprising a source of alpha particles, produces a unipolar atmospheric electric current of a magnitude sufficient to achieve selective moisture transport. Operating such an apparatus augments or creates a moisture updraft, which may lead to the formation of new clouds and/or an increase in supersaturation in existing clouds, thus enhancing the development of precipitation and/or facilitating the inflow of the evaporated moisture from a water reservoir inland.
US07924542B2
A voltage-dividing circuit 60, which is formed of serially connected voltage-dividing resistors R1, R2, R3, is disposed between the source terminal S of a power MOSFET 15 and the ground. The divided voltage Va at a connecting point A is applied to one of the input terminals of a comparator 62, while the divided voltage Vb at a connecting point B is applied to one of the input terminals of a comparator 64. The other input terminals of the comparators 62, 64 are connected to the connecting line between an external terminal P4, to which an external resistor 12 is connected, and an FET 30.
US07924526B1
A method and apparatus for controlling the parking of a transducer head in a disk drive. A drive current is provided to a motor which controls movement of the head in a direction to move the head to a parking position. The arrival of the head at the parking position is detected. Upon this detection, a drive stop sequence is initiated to stop providing the drive current a short time after the head reaches the parking position. In one embodiment, it is determined whether the head has reached the parking position by monitoring the back emf (bemf) of the motor controlling the head, typically a voice coil motor (VCM). The detection of a sharp decline in the bemf indicates the head has stopped.
US07924517B2
A spatial filter that includes multiple opaque regions and multiple transparent regions; wherein at least a pair of opaque regions out of the multiple opaque regions are much longer than a cross sectional dimension of a light beam that impinges onto the spatial filter; and wherein an axial distance between the pair of opaque regions alters as a function of a rotational angle of the spatial filter. A spatial filter that includes multiple opaque regions and multiple transparent regions; wherein multiple groups of transparent regions are substantially shaped as portions of different spirals; wherein the different spirals are characterized by different separation distances between successive spiral turnings.
US07924509B2
A variable focal length lens system includes first to fourth lens groups which have positive, negative, positive, and positive refractive powers, respectively, and are arranged in this order from an object side to an image side. An aperture diaphragm is arranged in the vicinity of the third lens group. The variable focal length lens system satisfies the following Conditional expressions 1 and 2: −0.04
US07924499B2
An optical amplification device which includes first and second optical amplifiers, and a controller. The first optical amplifier receives a light and amplifies the received light. The second optical amplifier receives the light amplified by the first optical amplifier, and amplifies the received light. When a level of the light received by the first optical amplifier changes by Δ, the controller controls a level of the light received by the second optical amplifier to change by approximately −Δ. In various embodiments, the controller causes the sum of the gains of the first and second optical amplifiers to be constant. In other embodiments, the optical amplification device includes first and second optical amplifier and a gain adjustor. The gain adjustor detects a deviation in gain of the first optical amplifier from a target gain, and adjusts the gain of the second optical amplifier to compensate for the detected deviation.
US07924498B2
An optical circuit is described which may include an SOA-MZI circuit providing an output signal; and a polarization filtering device (PFD) configured to receive the output signal of the SOA-MZI and to provide at least one signal at the output of the PFD.
US07924497B2
An optical amplifier including gain equalization and system incorporating the same. The amplifier includes a Raman portion and an EDFA portion with a gain flattening filter coupled between the Raman portion and the EDFA.
US07924493B2
A Faraday rotator mirror which is compact, allows high workability of manufacturing and has high reliability and high coupling efficiency is provided. The Faraday rotator mirror comprises a graded-index fiber, a Faraday rotator and a reflector mirror, wherein light incident via the graded-index fiber passes through the Faraday rotator to be reflected on the reflector mirror, and the reflected light passes through the Faraday rotator and emerges through the graded-index fiber.
US07924488B2
An optical pattern uses a single rotating component. The rotating component includes a number of deflection sectors. Each sector deflects an incident optical beam by a substantially constant angular amount although this amount may vary from one sector to the next. The rotating component may be combined with an imaging lens group that produces, for example, image points, spots, or lines displaced along a line locus.
US07924484B2
In a video hologram that enables a three dimensional scene to be reconstructed, a specific region in the hologram encodes information for a particular, single point in the reconstructed scene. This region is the only region in the hologram encoded with information for that point, and is restricted in size to form a portion of the entire hologram, the size being such that multiple reconstructions of that point caused by higher diffraction orders are not visible at the defined viewing position. This contrasts with conventional holograms, in which the information needed to reconstruct a given point is distributed across the entire hologram.
US07924477B1
Images of a document having a surface are captured. In this process, multiple scan lines respectively illuminated from different illumination angles relative to the document surface are scanned across the document surface in a first scan direction in relation to orientation of the document. Multiple scan lines respectively illuminated from different illumination angles relative to the document surface are scanned across the document surface in a second scan direction in relation to orientation of the document. The captured images are generated from scan line illumination reflected from the document surface during the scanning of respective ones of the scan lines across the document surface. A crease or a tear is detected in the document based on the captured images.
US07924474B2
An image processing apparatus is provided which can execute a rotation process of an image when there is insufficient storage capacity. In a multi-function device to read images on two sides of a document by reversing a transfer direction of the document in an automatic document feeder, an estimated available capacity can be obtained based on a previously set condition, such as the resolution or gradation of an image scanner. Based on the estimated available capacity, it can be judged whether the rotation process can be performed. When the rotation process can not be performed, a process to reduce a set value of the condition is executed. When the set value of the condition is reduced, an attempt can be made to execute the process under the reduced set value.
US07924469B2
In order to eliminate image deterioration based on the characteristics of an output device upon execution of edge emphasis processing, an image processing apparatus includes a setting unit which sets a print characteristic on the print medium, a region setting unit which sets a region, a brightness value derivation unit which derives brightness values, a first derivative derivation which derives first derivatives of the brightness values, an edge direction determination unit which determines an edge direction of brightness, an emphasis level determination unit which determines an emphasis level of a pixel value based on the first derivatives, and a replacement unit which calculates second derivatives of brightness values and replaces a pixel value of a pixel of interest based on the sign of the second derivative.
US07924465B2
A disclosed dither matrix is used in halftone processing for converting input image data having M input halftone levels into output image data having N (M>N>2) output halftone levels. In the halftone processing, a concentration type dither matrix is used as the dither matrix when an input halftone level is within a range of input halftone levels corresponding to an output halftone level that is lower than a predetermined threshold level T (N>T>1), and a dispersion type dither matrix is used as the dither matrix when the input halftone level is within a range of input halftone levels corresponding to an output halftone level that is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold level T.
US07924462B2
Input unit inputs RAW data. Print data generating unit generates print data from an image to be printed. The print data allows a print unit to print the image to be printed. Correct unit sets a color balance operation value or a luminance operation value based on the RAW data, and enforces a color balance correction corresponding to the color balance operation value or a luminance correction corresponding to the luminance operation value on the RAW data. Image generating unit generates an image as the image to be printed from the RAW data with the color balance correction or the luminance correction enforced thereon using a demosaicking processing and a tone reproduction processing.
US07924458B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object which method is able to easily manufacture a three-dimensional object using a low-cost apparatus. The present invention thus manufactures a three-dimensional object containing a three-dimensional image by printing a two-dimensional image on print media each having at least an ink receiving layer and a bonding layer, on the basis of an ink jet scheme, and stacking the print media on which the two-dimensional image is printed so that the print media are bonded together via the bonding layers.
US07924457B2
An electro-optical device includes a plurality of driving transistors turned on or turned off in accordance with a plurality of pulse-width modulation signals. An electro-optical element is electrically connected to drains of the plurality of driving transistors and emits light at a luminance corresponding to a drive current. A data signal generator generates a data signal in accordance with a plurality of pieces of data such that, the logical level of the data signal corresponds to the logical level of the corresponding pulse-width modulation signal for the corresponding section. Pulse-width modulation signal generators are provided for each respective driving transistors.
US07924444B2
A data processing apparatus for executing predetermined printing processes to a file has: a display for displaying a plurality of boxes (folders) associated with a plurality of printing processes (for example, 2up, Duplex, Staple) which can be executed to the file; and a mouse for inputting a moving instruction to the file displayed on the display. When it is detected that the file which is moved by the moving instruction input by the mouse has passed through the plurality of boxes (folders) displayed on the display, the printing processes regarding the boxes (folders) through which the file has passed are executed to the file on the basis of the detection result.
US07924443B2
Disclosed is a print media interposer system and method. The print media interposer system comprises two or more interposer modules, one or more interface modules, and a controller. The interposer modules are adapted to receive one or more print media input stacks from one or more printing systems. Subsequently, the print media interposer system merges the received print media input stacks in a predetermined sequence.
US07924437B2
A measurement method for measuring a wavefront aberration of a target optical system using a measurement apparatus that measures the wavefront aberration of the target optical system by detecting an interference pattern includes the steps of measuring as a system parameter a shift from a design value of a value that defines a structure of the measurement apparatus and the target optical system, and measuring the wavefront aberration of the target optical system using the system parameter.
US07924436B2
A method for approximating an influence of an optical system on the state of polarization of optical radiation comprises the steps of providing incoming optical radiation for the optical system in several incoming states of polarization, including at least one incoming state having circularly polarized radiation components; directing the incoming optical radiation onto the optical system; measuring at least one characteristic, including a phase distribution, of a resulting outgoing optical radiation emerging from the optical system with respect to each of the incoming states of polarization; and approximating the influence of the optical system on the state of polarization of optical radiation by evaluating the measured characteristics of the outgoing optical radiation.
US07924430B2
An interferometer and method for interferometric analysis are provided. The methodology includes generating first and second light beams from a light source, interacting the first light beam with an object under inspection, forming, from light emanating from the object under inspection in response to the interacting, an image of the light source on an image sensor, projecting the second light beam on the image on the image sensor, the combination of the light emanating from the object under inspection and the second light beam forming a collective image on the image sensor, applying a Fourier transform to the collective image formed on the image sensor, thereby forming a phase image, and isolating a wavefront map of the object under inspection from within the phase image.
US07924427B2
A gyroscope having photonic crystals for sensing rotation uses the Sagnac effect to determine angular motion. The gyroscope comprises a photonic crystal capable of guiding counter-propagating light beams in a closed path. A light source, coupling, and detection apparatus permits detection of phase changes between the counter-propagating beams, thereby permitting measurement of angular rotation. The photonic crystal comprises a periodic structure of pillars and voids which creates a photonic bandgap waveguide within which light waves in the proper wavelength range propagate with low loss.
US07924424B2
An optical detection sensor detects presence or absence of a product within a fluid delivery medium. An emitter directs radiation into the fluid delivery medium and detectors detect transmitted light at a plurality of wavelengths. The output of each detector and combinations of outputs of multiple detectors are associated with at least one out-of-product threshold. In addition, a color ratio is established. A controller compares the detector outputs and combination outputs with the associated out-of-product threshold(s). If any of the thresholds are satisfied, the controller compares the color ratio with an associated out-of-product threshold to verify an out-of-product event has occurred and reduce errors due to batch-to-batch variation of the product. The sensor is able to determine presence or absence of a variety of products having different color, transparency or turbidity.
US07924417B1
An exemplary measuring apparatus includes a base, a table, a light blocking piece, a sensor, a luminance meter, a drive assembly, and a controller. The table defines a first elongated slot. A light guide plate is arranged on the table with a central portion of a bottom surface thereof exposed to the first elongated slot. The light blocking piece is attached to the central portion of the bottom surface and exposed to the first elongated slot. The sensor is configured for sensing light and generating a sensing signal. The luminance meter is configured for measuring luminance of the back-light source module. The drive assembly is configured for moving the table to align the light blocking piece with the sensor. The controller is configured for switching off the drive assembly when the light is blocked by the light blocking piece from reaching the sensor.
US07924411B2
A 3-D imaging system is described. The 3-D imaging system comprises an illumination unit for emitting light onto a target scene, an imaging sensor for imaging the target scene by detecting scattered/reflected light, an evaluation unit for determining distance information related to the target scene on the basis of light propagation time and synchronization means for providing synchronization information to the evaluation unit. The synchronization means comprises means for generating an electrical reference signal in the illumination unit, the reference signal being directly derived from the emitted light.
US07924401B2
Various seal ring arrangements for an immersion lithography system are disclosed. With the seal ring arrangements, the immersion lithography system can provide better sealing effect for processing the wafers on a wafer chuck.
US07924396B2
A coating/developing apparatus includes a process section including processing units to perform a series of processes for resist coating and development; an interface section disposed between the process section and immersion light exposure apparatus; and a drying section disposed in the interface section to dry the substrate immediately after the immersion light exposure process. The drying section includes a process container configured to accommodate the substrate, a substrate support member configured to place the substrate thereon, a temperature-adjusted gas supply mechanism configured to supply a temperature-adjusted gas into the process container, and an exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust the process container. The drying section is arranged to dry the substrate by supplying the temperature-adjusted gas into the process container with the substrate placed on the substrate support member, while exhausting the process container.
US07924394B2
A fabrication method for a display panel and dielectric configuration applied thereto is provided according to the present invention. The dielectric configuration of the display panel is applicable at atmospheric pressure and to a lower substrate having a surface formed with a dielectric. The fabrication method includes forming at least one lateral line segment and a plurality of longitudinal line segments on the surface of the lower substrate, thereby enabling a process of dispensing dielectric to be performed thereon at atmospheric pressure, and accordingly overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art.
US07924393B2
The present invention regarding a liquid crystal display device aims to further prevent generation of low-temperature bubbles in a uniform cell gap and to further improve strength against pressure applied to a glass surface while saving a production cost. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes multiple spacers arranged on a liquid crystal layer side of an array substrate. The multiple spacers include: a first spacer arranged in a part of an insulating layer having no contact hole formed thereon; and a second spacer arranged inside of the contact hole. The contact hole is provided on the insulating layer and connects a switching element to either a corresponding pixel electrode or a corresponding auxiliary capacitive layer.
US07924390B2
A terminal includes a first part, which includes a terminal contact hole and an ITO film, and a second part, which includes the ITO film but not the contact hole. A terminal wiring line of the terminal is wide in the first part and narrow in the second part. In regions adjacent to the first part, adjacent terminal wiring lines are bent outward, thus securing enough interval between wiring lines, with the result that terminals can be formed through patterning by normal light exposure.
US07924385B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device. In one embodiment, the LCD device includes a first substrate and a second substrate positioned apart from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes two or more first common electrodes and one or more pixel electrodes formed on the first substrate, where each of the one or more pixel electrodes is located between two of the two or more first common electrodes. Each pixel further includes one or more floating electrodes and/or two or more second electrodes formed on the second substrate in locations opposite corresponding ones of the one or more pixel electrodes and the two or more first common electrodes on the first substrate.
US07924371B1
A multimode display for night vision imaging system (NVIS) compatible operation including a display assembly including a display subassembly having a display component; and, a backlight printed wiring board (PWB) assembly positioned behind the display subassembly. The backlight printed wiring board (PWB) assembly includes a printed wiring board (PWB). A top side mounted LED array is mounted on a first side of the printed wiring board (PWB) including a top side plurality of LEDs including a top side set of white LEDs. A reverse-mounted LED array is mounted on a second side of the printed wiring board (PWB) including a reverse-mounted plurality of LEDs including a reverse-mounted set of white LEDs. A dedicated primary IR filtering means is operatively associated with the reverse-mounted LED array for conditioning light emitted from the reverse-mounted LED array for NVIS compatible operation. In a day mode of operation the forward-side mounted LED array illuminates the display subassembly. In an NVIS mode of operation filtered light from the reverse-mounted LED array illuminates the display subassembly.
US07924363B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a support main, a lamp housing, a printed circuit board (PCB), a top case and a cover bottom. The support main is a bottom portion of a liquid crystal display device module (LCM). The lamp housing is disposed at sides of the support main in a long side direction of the support main. The PCB is disposed on a back surface of the support main. The top case is a top portion of the LCM and has projection pieces from a side thereof. The cover bottom is disposed on an upper surface of the support main. The cover bottom has first extension pieces for electrical connection to the top case and second extension pieces projected to a lower surface of the support main for electrical connection to the printed circuit board, thereby making secure fastening and grounding.
US07924357B2
Array substrates for liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are formed on a substrate with first and second gate lines crossing a data line to define first and second pixel regions. A thin film transistor includes a source electrode and a drain electrode. A metal pattern overlaps a common line and makes up a portion of the drain electrode. A passivation layer is disposed on the source and drain electrodes and on the metal pattern. A first pixel electrode is connected to the metal pattern and a common electrode is connected to the common line. Various repair patterns are formed to define one or more repairing portions that enable connection of the drain electrode or metal pattern to a second pixel electrode of the second pixel region if the cut line is cut in the event the first pixel electrode fails to display an image.
US07924353B2
A pixel structure is disposed on a substrate and electrically connected to a scan line and a data line. The pixel structure including an active device, a bottom capacitor electrode, an insulator, and a pixel electrode is provided. The active device is disposed on the substrate and has a gate, a source and a drain. Besides, the active device is electrically connected to the scan line and the data line. The bottom capacitor electrode and the gate are separately disposed on the substrate. The insulator covering the active device and the bottom capacitor electrode is made of a mono film. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the active device, and at least a part of the pixel electrode extends to the insulator above the bottom capacitor electrode.
US07924351B2
An autostereoscopic display apparatus comprises a lenticular array (20) mounted to a display panel (10) which is mounted to a backlight unit (12). A lateral securing member is (30) disposed directly between the backlight unit (12) and the edge of the lenticular array (20) to prevent relative movement in a direction parallel to the plane of the panel (10). The stack comprising the panel (10) and lenticular plate (20) is prevented from sliding during regular use and from vibration during transportation.
US07924349B2
A lightweight, compact image projection module, especially for mounting in a housing having a light-transmissive window, is operative for sweeping a composite laser beam as a pattern of linear scan lines on a planar projection surface and for causing selected pixels arranged along each linear scan line to be illuminated to produce an image of high quality and in color.
US07924347B2
Methods, and apparatus for carrying out the methods, are disclosed for synchronizing a plurality of RF transmitters that are supplied with a common digital information signal for carrier modulation and subsequent transmission on a common channel throughout a prescribed region, whereby the digital signal receivers within the region may receive transmissions on the channel from more than one transmitter. The method involves inserting reference signals into the data sent to the transmitters in order to place them into known states at specific times relative to the digital signals sent to them for transmission. As a result of this method, the digital signals transmitted by each of the transmitters will be identical to one another so that the receivers will be able to identify one received signal as the main signal and the others as echoes. If necessary, the signal transmitted by at least one of the synchronized transmitters may be delayed, such that identical digital signals received from at least two of the transmitters by receivers in the region will arrive at each receiver within a prescribed time window. The methods and apparatus also can be applied to one or a plurality of RF transmitters for purposes of synchronizing processes at the source of the signals and at the transmitters.
US07924346B2
An improved display screen flicker detection and correction system. The system includes a flicker detection component. A test pattern is placed on a display screen to be tested and corrected. The flicker detection component is placed on or near the display screen. The flicker detection component senses the change in light level that results from the flickering screen. The display system is then adjusted to minimize flicker.
US07924339B2
An image pickup apparatus with a help function has a help mode in which a state or representation illustrating operating conditions is displayed on a display unit without actually applying a state or operating condition selected by operating an operating member to the image pickup apparatus. The image pickup apparatus includes a release button for issuing a photographing instruction, and a unit that, when the release button issues the photographing instruction, performs photographing under predetermined conditions regardless of a state or operating condition selected by operating the operating member during a help mode.
US07924330B2
Methods and apparatuses for row-wise dark level non-uniformity compensation of imaging sensor pixel signals. A column dependent dark reference value is determined as one of a linear and parabolic function of signal values from two areas of dark reference pixels and a column location and then used for dark level non-uniformity compensation of signal values from imaging pixels.
US07924325B2
In recording materials of a video program or the like, the video materials are efficiently and optimally acquired so that processing steps in and after an editing step subsequent to a recording step can be reduced. A recording support information (metadata) on a schedule of and a performer for an imaging operation, and the like, which are determined in advance is recorded in a first recording medium 16 by a program constitution input device 100. The first recording medium 16 is inserted in to an imaging device 200, materials to be recorded are classified and confirmed based on the metadata, and the materials which can constitute a desirable program as potentially as possible are acquired in the recording operation.
US07924321B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for obtaining high dynamic range images using a low dynamic range image sensor. The scene is exposed to the image sensor in a spatially varying manner. A variable-transmittance mask, which is interposed between the scene and the image sensor, imposes a spatially varying attenuation on the scene light incident on the image sensor. The mask includes light transmitting cells whose transmittance is controlled by application of suitable control signals. The mask is configured to generate a spatially varying light attenuation pattern across the image sensor. The image frame sensed by the image sensor is normalized with respect to the spatially varying light attenuation pattern. The normalized image data can be interpolated to account for image sensor pixels that are either under or over exposed to enhance the dynamic range of the image sensor.
US07924311B2
A camera terminal where tables where camera operations are described are not required, and that continues thoroughly imaging a monitoring subject region as a complete system even when a portion of cameras shuts down due to a failure is provided.The present invention is a camera terminal 110A in a monitoring system for imaging a monitoring subject region by cooperatively operating multiple camera terminals, and is equipped with a camera 101A having a function to change an imaging region, a communicator 103A to transmit/receive information for identifying the imaging region to/from other camera terminals, and an adjustment unit 102 to determine a monitoring responsible region for its own camera terminal so as to is make proximate the monitoring responsible region for its own camera terminal to a monitoring responsible region for the other camera terminal or a boundary of the monitoring subject region without leaving any space, and for adjusting the imaging region for the camera 101A to image the entire monitoring responsible region.
US07924309B2
A system and method are disclosed for improved video transmission, particularly in security settings. An improved security controller combines the interfaces and functionality for high quality video delivery over often less-than-perfect wireless networks, multi-camera analog/digital video controllers and encoders, multi-frequency wireless camera support, connectivity for serial controllers, network switching, and distributed digital video recording with optional object and motion detection. The video transmission in enhanced using wireless adaptive video encoding, mobile viewing optimization, and wireless bandwidth improvement.
US07924300B2
A thermal processor including an oven and a cooling section. The oven is configured to heat an imaging media to a development temperature. The cooling section is configured to cool the imaging media from the development temperature to a desired exit temperature as imaging media moves along a transport path from an entrance to an exit. The cooling section provides a varying rate of heat transfer from the imaging media along the transport path so as to create a varying cooling temperature gradient in the imaging media substantially equal to and not exceeding a varying maximum cooling temperature gradient of imaging media.
US07924294B2
In one embodiment, a system, method and computer readable media are disclosed for trimming geographic data that defines polygons to boundaries of a quadrangle. The geographic data is converted to map coordinates in a novel azimuthal map projection. Each map projected point in the azimuthal map projection has an azimuthal angle that is proportional to longitude of the point, and has a radius from the center of the azimuthal map projection that is proportional to both the longitude and latitude of the point. Polygons are trimmed along a lower limit of the quadrangle and along an upper longitude limit of the quadrangle using the azimuthal map projection. The map coordinates in the azimuthal map projection are then converted back to geographic data.
US07924293B2
In a three-dimensional object image print service system capable of printing out a desired three-dimensional object image, a three-dimensional image display apparatus includes a three-dimensional object image generator for generating a three-dimensional object image, based on instructions from an input device operated by a user and a three-dimensional object image generation program previously provided. The three-dimensional image display device further includes a selector for selecting arbitrary part of the three-dimensional object image generated based on instructions from the user, and a transition information generator for generating transition information of a three-dimensional object image representing the selected arbitrary part of the three-dimensional object image. The three-dimensional object image arbitrarily selected by the user can be reproduced based on the transition information and the three-dimensional object image generation program.
US07924290B2
A method and system for performing a texture operation with user-specified offset positions are disclosed. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of deriving a first destined texel position based on an original sample position associated with a pixel projected in a texture map and a first offset position specified by a user and fetching texel attributes at the first destined texel position for the texture operation.
US07924287B2
A method and system for minimizing an amount of data needed to test data against subarea boundaries in spatially composited digital video. Spatial compositing uses a graphics unit or pipeline to render a portion (subarea) of each overall frame of digital video images. This reduces the amount of data that each processor must act on and increases the rate at which an overall frame is rendered. Optimization of spatial compositing depends on balancing the processing load among the different pipelines. The processing load typically is a direct function of the size of a given subarea and a function of the rendering complexity for objects within this subarea. Load balancing strives to measure these variables and adjust, from frame to frame, the number, sizes, and positions of the subareas. The cost of this approach is the necessity to communicate, in conjunction with each frame, the graphics data that will be rendered. Graphics data for a frame is composed of geometry chunks. Each geometry chunk is defined by its own bounding region, where the bounding region defines the space the geometry chunk occupies on the compositing window. Only the parameters that define the bounding region are communicated to each graphics unit in conjunction with the determination of which graphics unit will render the geometry chunk defined by the bounding region. The actual graphics data that comprises the geometry chunk is communicated only to those geometry units that will actually render the geometry chunk. This reduces the amount of data needed to communicate graphics data information in spatially composited digital video.
US07924284B2
A process for rendering highlighter ink strokes and non-highlighter ink strokes in a non-rastering environment is described. Strokes may be grouped under a node having a predefined opacity. The strokes inherit the opacity from the node. Additionally, visuals containing highlighter strokes of the same color are grouped into collections of visuals (one collection per each highlighter color), and change the opacity of the collection (parent) visual to semi-transparent (or any other transparency value defined for the highlighter effect).
US07924283B1
A method for displaying a time-series data set. The method may include determining a number of data intervals for the data set, determining a data resolution for each data interval, partitioning a display space into a number of substantially equally sized partitions equal to the number of data intervals, partitioning the dataset into a number of time-relevance-based subsets equal to the number of partitions based on the currentness of the data and the desired data resolution for each partition, determining a data layout for each partition, and associating the data values for each subset with the corresponding layout. Furthermore, the first subset may consist of more current data at a first resolution and the second subset may consist of data that is less current than the first subset at a lower resolution than the first resolution.
US07924282B2
An object loading and unloading system for loading and unloading objects in a graphically simulated virtual environment, or virtual world, is described. A world object manager manages multiple object loaders to load and unload objects as geographic cells move within and out of a loading radius of each loader based on a position of a camera or view within the virtual world. Each object loader has an associated priority level, and the world object manager notifies a loader to load its corresponding objects in a cell only after all loaders having higher priority levels, which also have that cell in their respective loading radii, have already loaded their corresponding objects in that cell. The world object manager may expose various programming interfaces to provide an extensible object loading system whereby third parties can define new loaders to be incorporated into the hierarchical spatial object loading system.
US07924277B2
A three-dimensional model modification system for modifying a three-dimensional model, defined by a plurality of surfaces and representing an arbitrary object is disclosed. The system includes a base-curve generating unit fitting skeleton lines, representing a prerecorded approximate outline of the object, to a three-dimensional model to be modified and generating base curves, representing an approximate outline of the three-dimensional model; a first polygon forming unit generating a group of points from the three-dimensional model; a base-curve modifying unit arbitrarily modifying the base curves of the three-dimensional model, according to an instruction from an operator; a group-of-points displacing/determining unit displacing the group of points based on base curve displacements from the base curves before arbitral modification to the base curves after arbitrary modification; and a second polygon forming unit generating a three-dimensional model defined by a plurality of surfaces formed from the group of points.
US07924259B2
A display apparatus comprises a shift register array. The shift register array comprises a plurality of shift registers. At least one shift register comprises a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, and a driving circuit. The gate and the first electrode of the first transistor receive an input signal. The gate of the second transistor is coupled to the second electrode of the first transistor. The second electrode of the second transistor generates an output signal. The first electrode of the second transistor receives a clock signal. The third transistor is used to pull down a voltage level at the gate of the second transistor. The driving circuit determines an on/off status of the third transistor in response to the input signal and the output signal.
US07924252B2
In consideration of the current leakage path of a liquid crystal panel and a signal line voltage fluctuation due to the current leakage path, a γ adjusting function (second driving method) is applied for each divided period in the first driving method. In a signal line driving unit, a gray scale voltage obtained by adding or subtracting a voltage fluctuation value different in each of the output periods of each gray scale is generated, and a gray scale voltage taking the voltage fluctuation value into consideration is applied to a signal line.
US07924250B2
The invention relates to an image display device with active matrix comprising a number of light emitters forming a network divided into rows and columns; a current modulator for each emitter; and at least one inverse bias voltage generator. This device is characterized in that it also comprises: an inverse bias switch for each emitter, said inverse bias switch being connected, on the one hand, to each modulator and, on the other hand, to the or each inverse bias voltage generator; and control electrodes able to drive all the inverse bias switches of a row of emitters. The invention also relates to a method of driving this device.
US07924248B2
To provide a drive method capable of maintaining gradation display performance regardless of screen display brightness.Reference numeral 491R denotes a regulator used to control reference current for red (R). By adjusting a reference current for R linearly, it is possible to linearly vary a current flowing through a transistor 472a which constitutes a current mirror with a transistor 471R. This changes a current flowing through a transistor 472b which has received a current-based delivery from the transistor 472a in a transistor group 521a. This in turn causes changes to a transistor 473a in a transistor group 521b which constitutes a current mirror with the transistor 472b, resulting in changes to a transistor 473b which has received a current-based delivery from the transistor 473a. Thus, since drive current of the unit transistor 484 changes, programming current can be changed linearly. Reference numeral 491G denotes a regulator used to control reference current for green (G) and reference numeral 491B denotes a regulator used to control reference current for blue (B).By adjusting 491R, 491G, and 491B, it is possible to adjust white balance easily and change screen brightness easily. Besides, gradation display performance is maintained at any screen brightness.
US07924246B2
A pixel circuit that makes an electro-optical element emit light includes a transistor inserted into a driving current path of the electro-optical element; a current value setting circuit that sets a current value of the driving current path; a level holding unit that stores the level of a supplied image signal; and a comparator circuit that compares the level of the stored image signal with the level of a supplied ramp level signal to control the operation of the transistor on the basis of the comparison result.
US07924243B2
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus for forming an image with a plurality of luminescent spots to be precisely aligned in a matrix. For example, a spacer disposed between an electron source and a face plate causes luminescent spots on the face plate spaced unevenly. The luminescent spots spaced unevenly will produce a visual unevenness in luminance which deteriorates the quality of produced image. By modifying the quantity of light of luminescent spots spaced unevenly, the visual unevenness in luminance is compensated.
US07924240B2
Disclosed therein is an apparatus for driving a plasma display panel, with a simple structure. The apparatus includes a signal processor for converting an external image signal into image data suitable for driving the plasma display panel; a data arranger for reconstructing the image data to a plurality of sub-fields in order to process the gray scale of the image data converted by the signal processor and serially transmitting control data corresponding to one or more scan lines; an X-electrode driver for receiving the control data corresponding to one or more scan lines from the data arranger and applying an address pulse corresponding to the control data to X electrodes; a Y-electrode driver for applying a scan pulse for addressing and a sustain pulse for maintaining a discharge to Y electrodes; a Z-electrode driver for applying the sustain pulse for maintaining a discharge to Z electrodes; and a main controller for performing a control operation to sequentially read out the image data reconstructed by the data arranger according to the external image signal and to transmit the control data corresponding to one or more scan lines to the X-electrode driver.
US07924239B2
An image display device includes a pair of sustain pulse generators for applying either a first sustain pulse or a second sustain pulse to the display electrodes. The first and second sustain pulses generate a sustain discharge twice and once, respectively, in discharge cells when the voltage applied between the display electrodes changes. The application of the first sustain pulse is performed by generating a first discharge by applying a voltage to one of the display electrodes using the clamp corresponding to the one of the display electrodes, and then generating a second discharge by applying a voltage to the other of the display electrodes using the clamp corresponding to the other of the display electrodes. The application of the second sustain pulse is performed by generating a first discharge by applying a voltage to each of the display electrodes using the clamps corresponding to each of the display electrodes.
US07924236B2
The present invention relates to a portable compact antenna formed from a first dipole type element operating in a first frequency band and comprising a first and at least one second conductive arm, differentially supplied, the first arm or cold arm forming at least one cover for an electronic card and the second arm or hot arm being constituted by a U-shaped conductive element realized on an insulating substrate. Further, a radiating element with bends is realized between the branches of the U-shaped element and is dimensioned to operate in a second frequency band.
US07924231B2
A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains wireless communications circuitry. The handheld electronic device may have a housing and a display. The display may be attached to the housing a conductive bezel. The handheld electronic device may have one or more antennas for supporting wireless communications. A ground plane in the handheld electronic device may serve as ground for one or more of the antennas. The ground plane and bezel may define a opening. A rectangular slot antenna or other suitable slot antenna may be formed from or within the opening. One or more antenna resonating elements may be formed above the slot. An electrical switch that bridges the slot may be used to modify the perimeter of the slot so as to tune the communications bands of the handheld electronic device.
US07924230B2
A multi-frequency antenna includes a first antenna (1) and a second antenna (2) both operating at wireless wide area network, a third antenna (3) and a fourth antenna (4) both operating at wireless local area network. The first antenna, the second antenna, the third antenna and the fourth antenna are integrally made from a metal sheet and have a common grounding portion (50). The first and the second antennas have a first connecting portion (12) on which a feeding point (120) is located, and the third and the fourth antenna have a second connecting portion (34) on which another feeding point (340) is located.
US07924224B2
In a network-based Wireless Location System (WLS), geographically distributed Location Measurement Units (LMUs) must be able to detect and use reverse channel (mobile to network) signals across multiple BTS coverage areas. By using Matched Replica correlation processing with the local and reference signals subdivided into discrete segments prior to correlation, the effects of mobile clock drift and Doppler shifts can be mitigated allowing for increased processing gain.
US07924220B1
The present invention is related to location positioning systems, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus of synchronizing to data frames in a positioning system signal. According to one aspect, the invention speeds up the frame synchronization process by computing a frame synchronization metric for each satellite and then combining together the metrics for all tracked satellites together, after compensating for respective signal transit times. Then the invention makes a frame sync decision on the combined satellite metric. In embodiments, an optimal combining algorithm is used based on CNO of each satellite. According to further aspects, the invention further speeds up the frame synchronization process by predicting many bits in the subframe so that more bits are known in addition to the 8-bit preamble. For example, the invention recognizes that many bits in a subframe rarely change or don't change very often. Moreover, the invention uses old ephemeris used to predict new ephemeris parameters. These parameters are translated into predicted bits in the signal. Still further, old ephemeris can be used to predict almanac parameters, and the almanac can be used to predict ephemeris parameters.
US07924218B2
A method for discrimination of a target from clutter, comprising: providing phase-range data associated with a return pulse of a radar device and second phase-range data associated with a subsequent return pulse; comparing the phase-range data and the second phase-range data to obtain a difference; differentiating the differences with respect to range; and discriminating the target from the clutter by identifying coordinates from the differentiated differences satisfying velocity thresholds associated with the clutter. In one embodiment, the subsequent return pulse is drawn after skipping one or more pulses after the return pulse. In another embodiment, the subsequent return pulse is drawn successive to the return pulse. In other aspects, the invention can be a detection system and/or computer-readable medium adapted implement the method.
US07924217B2
A radar level gauge system for determining a filling level of a product contained in a tank, comprising: a transceiver for generating, transmitting and receiving frequency-modulated electromagnetic signals; a transmitting propagating device electrically connected to the transceiver and arranged to propagate transmitted electromagnetic signals towards a surface of the product contained in the tank; and a receiving propagating device electrically connected to the transceiver and arranged to return echo signals resulting from reflections at impedance transitions encountered by the transmitted electromagnetic signals, including a surface echo signal resulting from reflection at the surface, back to the transceiver.
US07924216B2
A method of determining a filling level of a product contained in a tank, the method comprising generating and transmitting electromagnetic signals; propagating the transmitted electromagnetic signals towards a surface of the product contained in the tank; receiving echo signals resulting from reflections at impedance transitions encountered by the transmitted electromagnetic signals, including a surface echo signal resulting from reflection at a surface of the product; determining a position of a reference impedance transition using a reference echo signal resulting from reflection of the transmitted electromagnetic signals at the reference impedance transition; determining an update level located above the surface, based on the determined position of the reference impedance transition and a known position of the reference impedance transition; determining a disturbance echo profile using at least one of the echo signals resulting from reflection of the transmitted signals at at least one impedance transition located above the update level; and determining the filling level based on the received echo signals and the disturbance echo profile.
US07924210B2
A system, method, and/or apparatus for remote measurement of terrestrial biomass contained in vegetative elements, such as large tree boles or trunks present in an area of interest, are provided. The method includes providing an airborne VHF radar system in combination with a LiDAR system, overflying the area of interest while directing energy toward the area of interest, using the VHF radar system to collect backscatter data from the trees as a function of incidence angle and frequency, and determining a magnitude of the biomass from the backscatter data and data from the laser radar system for each radar resolution cell. A biomass map is generated showing the magnitude of the biomass of the vegetative elements as a function of location on the map by using each resolution cell as a unique location thereon. In certain preferred embodiments, a single frequency is used with a linear array antenna.
US07924205B2
In a successive approximation-type A/D converter, an S/H circuit samples and holds an analog input voltage. A D/A converter section receives current digital data corresponding to a current search voltage range, and outputs a plurality of comparison voltages based on the current digital data. A comparator section performs parallel comparison in which the held analog input voltage is compared with each of the plurality of comparison voltages. A successive approximation register section outputs digital data for a next search voltage range within the current search voltage range as the current digital data to the digital-to-analog converter section based on a result of the parallel comparison using the current search voltage range. A timing control circuit generates a switching signal from the parallel comparison to a redundant comparison such that the redundant comparison is performed.
US07924204B2
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for pipelined ADCs or cyclic ADCs is disclosed. The ADC includes at least one pair of two stages connected in series, and the two stages have different bits of resolution. An amplifier is shared by the pair of two stages such that the two stages operate in an interleaved manner. Accordingly, this stage-resolution scalable opamp-sharing technique is adaptable for pipelined ADC or cyclic ADC, which substantially reduces power consumption and increases operating speed.
US07924192B2
A ΔΣ analog-to-digital converter includes a previous stage amplifier circuit which amplifies an input signal, a conversion circuit which converts an analog signal into a digital signal, where the analog signal is output from the previous stage amplifier circuit, an input node provided in the previous stage amplifier circuit, a plurality of capacitors provided in the conversion circuit, a first amplifier and a second amplifier, and a path switching circuit which connects the first amplifier to the input node in a first mode and connects the first amplifier to the plurality of capacitors in a second mode, where the first mode is for sampling the analog signal and the second mode is for performing an integration operation. The first amplifier forms the previous stage amplifier circuit in the first mode, and forms an integrator which carries out the integration operation performed in the conversion circuit in the second mode.
US07924188B2
When a semiconductor circuit, in which a stabilizing capacitor 2 for stabilizing a reference voltage Vbias is connected to a reference voltage terminal RT, recovers from a power down state to an operational state, a current mirror circuit 40 provides current mirroring of a current Ia of a first current path Ph1, which generates an OFF threshold voltage ref1 of a hysteresis comparator 1, to generate a current Ib of a second current path Ph2, which generates the reference voltage Vbias. The reference voltage Vbias is input to the comparator 1 as an input voltage vin. When the reference voltage Vbias becomes equal to the OFF threshold voltage ref1, the comparator 1 immediately stops the charging of the stabilizing capacitor 2 by a current source I1.
US07924185B2
A shift register SR configured to successively take in and hold input serial data on the basis of a first clock signal, a pattern detection section configured to detect a predetermined pattern contained in the serial data taken in the shift resister and a second clock generation section configured to determine timing of output of the serial data held in the shift register on the basis of a result of this detection are provided to detect the desired pattern contained in the serial data in the course of transferring the serial data for conversion from the serial data to parallel data to the shift resister, and to determine timing of conversion to the parallel data on the basis of a result of this detection, thus reducing the latency and achieving an improvement in communication speed and a reduction in circuit area.
US07924182B2
Method and system for representing a strong of alpha characters, numeral characters and/or delimiters that allows uniform searching procedures, whether or not numerals and/or delimiters are present in the string. Numerical sub strings, containing only numerals and delimiters, are re characterized in binary format and are separated from, and later recombined with, sub strings containing only alpha characters and delimiters, to provide a modified searchable string in binary format Floating point numbers are easily handled in this approach. Delimiters may be any subset of ASCII characters, as distinguished from numerals and from alpha characters. A numeral character, to be transmitted as a sequence of bits, is optimized by expression in a base (power of 2) requiring the smallest bit count.
US07924177B2
A method for delivering media content over a network includes transcoding the media content to generate multiple copies of the media content, each of the multiple copies having a different destination type or a different source type or both, storing the multiple copies in a cache, receiving requests for the media content, and selecting and delivering a copy of one of the multiple copies in response to each of the requests. A further method for providing media content transcoding services includes fetching media content, selecting one of multiple transcoders for transcoding from multiple source types to multiple destination types, wherein the one transcoder is selected based at least on the destination type, sending the media content to the selected transcoder, transcoding the media content to the destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content, and transmitting the transcoded media content.
US07924174B1
System for controlling a lighting level of a lamp in a multi-zone environment.
US07924170B1
The present invention extends to detecting targets in roadway intersections. A traffic sensor includes a transducer system and a transceiver system. The transducer system creates a plurality of transducer views for detecting targets located in a portion of the intersection. The transducer system includes a transducer configured to transmit signals towards and to receive signals and signal reflections within a portion of the two or more approaches to the intersection. The transducer is configured such that when necessary the transducer can transmit a signal and receive a signal or signal reflection simultaneously. The transceiver system is configured to generate digital data indicative of the transducer receiving a signal or signal reflection. The transducer system and transceiver system interoperate to generate an aggregate sensor view of the intersection that includes a plurality of transducer views of the two or more approaches to the intersection.
US07924168B2
When apparatuses controllable via a network exist inside and outside a user's visual range, a user remotely controls at least one of the apparatuses via the network using a predetermined control point in a remote control system. The remote control system includes the following: a mechanism that causes the control point to transmit a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled via the network to an apparatus to be specified in accordance with a user's apparatus specifying operation; and a mechanism that causes the apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled to transmit a response via the network to the control point as well as to perform an operation using a device attached to the body of the apparatus in response to the command.
US07924160B1
A system for tracking the position of multiple objects in three dimensional space by transmitting radar interrogation signals having predetermined wave shapes to surface acoustic wave transducers attached to each object. Each transducer includes a unique electrically conductive pattern on one surface of a piezoelectric substrate for selectively responding to the predetermined wave shape of one of the interrogation signals for inducing a surface acoustic wave in the substrate and for thereafter transforming the surface acoustic wave into an electromagnetic response signal having detectable properties that uniquely identify said transducer. The location of each transducer is estimated by measuring the time-of-flight or angle-of-arrival of the radar signals at several measurement stations and producing a position estimate by triangulation.
US07924147B2
A tire pressure monitoring system comprises an initiator which is arranged to transmit an initiation signal, and at least one corresponding transducer associated with a tire of the vehicle which responds to exposure of the initiation signal from the initiator and is adapted to respond by transmitting a return signal indicating that it has been woken by the initiator, in which the strength of the initiation signal emitted by the initiator is varied across a number of values within a range.
US07924145B2
A haptic module using a magnetic force and an electronic apparatuses having a magnet arrangement frame arranged so that polarities of adjacent magnets are alternate; shielding screens positioned on uppers of each of frame elements of the magnet arrangement frame and formed in a window arrangement to shield any one polarity of the frame elements; linear movement apparatus fixed to outside portions of the shielding screens to move the shielding screens in a longitudinal direction of the frame element; a magnet frame positioned on an upper of the magnet arrangement frame through the shielding screen and taking on the same polarity on the whole of one surface thereof; and a controller that controls the linear movement apparatus to provide various and dynamic force feedback and tactile sensation to a user, as well as reduce complexity of a constitution as compared to a related art and further accomplish miniaturization.
US07924136B2
A fusible switch disconnect device includes a housing adapted to receive at least one fuse therein, and switchable contacts for connecting the fuse to circuitry. A tripping mechanism is provided to disconnect the switchable contacts when predetermined circuit conditions occur.
US07924122B2
Embodiments of the invention describe a contact switch, which may include a bottom electrode structure including a bottom actuation electrode and a top electrode structure including a top actuation electrode and one or more stoppers able to maintain a predetermined gap between the top electrode and the bottom electrode when the switch is in a collapsed state.
US07924121B2
A dispersion-free radial transmission line (“DFRTL”) preferably for linear accelerators, having two plane conductors each with a central hole, and an electromagnetically permeable material (“EPM”) between the two conductors and surrounding a channel connecting the two holes. At least one of the material parameters of relative magnetic permeability, relative dielectric permittivity, and axial width of the EPM is varied as a function of radius, so that the characteristic impedance of the DFRTL is held substantially constant, and pulse transmission therethrough is substantially dispersion-free. Preferably, the EPM is divided into concentric radial sections, with the varied material parameters held constant in each respective section but stepwise varied between sections as a step function of the radius. The radial widths of the concentric sections are selected so that pulse traversal time across each section is the same, and the varied material parameters of the concentric sections are selected to minimize traversal error.
US07924119B1
A micromechanical resonator operable in a bulk acoustic mode includes a resonator apparatus suspended over a substrate by a plurality of pairs of anchors. The resonator apparatus includes a conductive metal layer, a piezoelectric layer on the conductive metal layer and a plurality of interdigitated electrodes on the piezoelectric layer. The interdigitated electrodes are configured so that a total number of electrode fingers in the plurality of interdigitated electrodes is greater than a total number of the plurality of pairs of anchors.
US07924117B2
A multi-band high-frequency circuit for performing wireless communications among pluralities of communication systems having different communication frequencies, comprising a high-frequency switch circuit comprising switching elements for switching the connection of pluralities of multi-band antennas to transmitting circuits and receiving circuits; a first diplexer circuit disposed between the high-frequency switch circuit and transmitting circuits for branching a high-frequency signal into frequency bands of the communication systems; a second diplexer circuit disposed between the high-frequency switch circuit and receiving circuits for branching a high-frequency signal into frequency bands of the communication systems; the first and second diplexer circuits each comprising a lower-frequency filter circuit and a higher-frequency filter circuit, a bandpass filter circuit being used as the lower-frequency filter circuit in the second diplexer circuit, or disposed between the lower-frequency filter circuit in the second diplexer circuit and the receiving circuit, the high-frequency switch circuit comprising first to fourth ports, the first port being connected to a first multi-band antenna, the second port being connected to a second multi-band antenna, the third port being connected to the first diplexer circuit, and the fourth port being connected to the second diplexer circuit; and the switching elements being controlled in an ON or OFF state to select a multi-band antenna for performing wireless communications and to switch the connection of the selected multi-band antenna to the transmitting circuit or the receiving circuit.
US07924113B2
A passive equalizer circuit incorporated at a front-end of an integrated receiver circuit uses passive components that are distributed between inside and outside of an integrated circuit package. The passive equalizer circuit has off-chip components that are placed on a printed circuit board and on-chip components that are fabricated on a common integrated circuit die as a receiver chip. The on-chip components include one or more variable resistors for adjusting a degree of equalization. The off-chip components include one or more resistors for fine tuning input impedance matching of the integrated receiver circuit.
US07924103B2
The present invention relates to an inductive proximity switch with an oscillator having a resonant circuit and an amplifier and with an evaluating and control device for evaluating an impedance of the resonant circuit and for outputting a switching signal. According to the invention, the proximity switch is characterized in that a frequency measuring device is provided for measuring the oscillation frequency of the oscillator and for eliminating ambiguities of the evaluation result of the evaluating and control device. The invention also relates to a method for operating an inductive proximity switch.
US07924097B2
A number of identical non-uniformly distributed ultra-wideband power amplifier string building blocks are coupled together to form an ultra-wide bandwidth high-power amplifier. The non-uniform distribution results in an amplifier utilizing modular string building blocks that have input and output impedances with only real values. This permits the strings to be replicated and connected together with simple impedance matching. The internal impedance matching associated with the non-linear distribution also absorbs parasitic capacitance to permit the ultra-broadband operation. In one embodiment identical transistors are used for each cell so that the strings may be identically replicated. This permits modular re-use without reconfiguration. In one embodiment a non-uniform distributed power amplifier built using the subject building blocks provides an ultra-wideband multi-octave device suitable for electronic warfare and communications applications, especially to replace traveling wave tubes.
US07924096B2
An exemplary negative impedance converting circuit for functioning as a voltage buffer and/or negating the impedance of a connected load. The negative impedance converting circuit includes inputs, outputs, a first transconductance stage and a second transconductance stage. The transconductance gain value of the first transconductance stage is greater than a transconductance gain value of the second transconductance stage. Exemplary embodiments of a reference voltage buffer using the negative impedance converting circuit are also described.
US07924086B2
A boosting circuit configuration with high boosting efficiency is provided which is based on a boosting circuit that performs an operation in accordance with a two-phase clock and which includes a plurality (M≧4) of boosting cell sequences (units). A boosting cell in a K-th sequence (1≦K≦M) is controlled, depending on the potential of the output terminal of a boosting cell in a KA-th sequence (KA=(K−1) when (K−1)>0, and KA=M when (K−1)=0). Thereby, before a clock input to the boosting cell in the K-th sequence goes from “L” to “H”, so that boosting is performed, a charge transfer transistor can be caused to go from the conductive state to the non-conductive state, so that a backflow of charges via charge transfer transistor can be prevented.
US07924085B2
A transmission gate includes first and second MOS transistors of opposite conductivity type coupled in parallel with each other. Each transistor includes a body connection that is separately biased by corresponding first and second biasing circuits. The first biasing circuit generates a first bias voltage having a voltage level that is generated as a function of the signal at the first node and a first (for example, positive) reference voltage. The second biasing circuit generates a second bias voltage having a voltage level that is generated as a function of the signal at the first node and a second (for examples ground) reference voltage.
US07924079B2
A simple, low cost circuit with only passive components, and thus low power consumption, is provided for baseline restoration of an AC coupled signal. The circuit includes a passive network of diodes arranged in a star configuration and an RF-transformer. A differential signal strategy may be employed by including a differential amplifier at the input and output of the passive network.
US07924076B2
Provided is a data recovery circuit including an input data phase detection circuit for outputting a gate signal synchronized with a rising phase of input data, a gated multiphase oscillator for instantly generating N-phase clocks based on the gate signal as a trigger, data discriminating and reproducing circuits for outputting sampled data of the input data which are synchronized with the clocks, a continuous clock generation circuit for generating a continuous clock which is a reference clock, continuous clock synchronization circuits for synchronizing the sampled data with the continuous clock and outputting the synchronized sampled data as phase synchronization data, and a phase selector for selecting the phase synchronization data having an optimum discrimination phase with the largest phase margin with respect to the input data and outputting the selected phase synchronization data as recovery data.
US07924069B2
A multi-modulus divider (MMD) receives an MMD input signal and outputs an MMD output signal SOUT. The MMD includes a chain of modulus divider stages (MDSs). Each MDS receives an input signal, divides it by either two or three, and outputs the result as an output signal. Each MDS responds to its own modulus control signal that controls whether it divides by two or three. In one example, a sequential logic element outputs SOUT. The low jitter modulus control signal of one of the first MDS stages of the chain is used to place a sequential logic element into a first state. The output signal of one of the MDS stages in the middle of the chain is used to place the sequential logic element into a second state. Power consumption is low because the sequential logic element is not clocked at the high frequency of the MMD input signal.
US07924065B2
An integrated circuit has a control circuit (2) for a power field-effect transistor (3), wherein the integrated circuit has a first input (202) for receiving a control signal (CE) and an output to switch the field-effect transistor (3) on or off. The control circuit further has a driver circuit for providing a voltage level at the output in response of the control signal. A second input is provided for receiving a configuration signal, the configuration signal for configuring the voltage level being provided by the driver circuit in response to the control signal.
US07924062B2
A sampling circuit includes an amplifier, a sampling capacitor, a feedback capacitor, and a voltage source. The sampling capacitor and the feedback capacitor are coupled to the same input terminal of the amplifier, such that the offset of the amplifier and low-frequency noise can be cancelled. The voltage source can shift the voltage level of an output signal of the sampling circuit by the difference between the input and output common mode voltages of the amplifier, so that an amplifier having different input common mode voltage and output common mode voltage can be adopted, and the capacitance of the sampling capacitor and that of the feedback capacitor can be different, resulting in a non-unit gain.
US07924059B2
A logic gate is adapted to implement logical expressions. The logic gate includes at least one input that is adapted to receive an input signal and at least one control signal. At least one of the input signal and the control signal is a noise signal. At least one output is adapted to produce an output signal. A nonlinear updater operates as a dynamically configurable element and produces multiple different logic gates as selected by the control signal based at least in part on the noise signal. The nonlinear updater is electrically coupled to the input and is also electrically coupled to the output. The nonlinear updates is configured to apply a nonlinear function to the input signal in response to the control signal to produce the output signal representing a logical expression being implemented by one of the multiple different logic gates on the input signal.
US07924056B2
A low voltage differential signalling driver is provided in which a first output node and a second output node provide a differential signal. First differential steering switch circuitry is switched in dependence on a differential input signal to selectively connect the first output node to a voltage supply via a current source, while second differential steering circuitry is switched in dependence on an inverse version of the differential input signal to connect the second output node to the voltage supply via the current source. Slew control circuitry is provided, configured to establish a current discharge path for the current source during the polarity transition of the differential input signal, thus maintaining a symmetric slew rate of the output signals at the first output node and second output node.
US07924048B2
A memory controller that controls termination in a memory device. The memory controller includes a data interface, command/address interface and termination control output. The data interface outputs write data onto a data line coupled to a data input of the memory device, and the command/address interfaces outputs, onto a command/address path coupled to the memory device, information that indicates whether the write data is to be received within the memory device. The termination control output asserts a first termination control signal on a termination control signal line coupled to the memory device to cause the memory device to either (i) couple a first termination impedance to the data line while the write data is present at the data input of the memory device if the information indicates that the write data is to be received within the memory device, or (ii) couple a second termination impedance to the data line while the write data is present at the data input of the memory device if the information indicates that the write data is not to be received within the memory device.
US07924046B1
Pre-emphasis may be able to operate in either of two modes. In a first mode, when one bit has a same value as the bit that immediately preceded it, an output signal for said one bit is based on a first electrical current reduced by a second electrical current. Otherwise the output signal for said one bit is based on the first current without regard for the second current. The second mode may be similar to the first mode when said one bit has the same value as the immediately preceding bit; but otherwise the output signal for said one bit is based on the first current increased by the second current. As an alternative to using the immediately preceding bit (as in the above “post-tap” operation), the immediately succeeding (following) bit may be used in generally the same way (in so-called “pre-tap” operation).
US07924041B2
A liquid crystal display includes; a plurality of pixels, each of which comprises a switching element having a control terminal and an input terminal connected to a corresponding gate line of a plurality of gate lines and a corresponding data line of a plurality of data lines, respectively, at least one test pixel comprising at least one test switching element having a control terminal connected to a corresponding at least one gate line of a plurality of gate lines, and a sensing unit which measures a leakage current flowing through the test pixel and to control compensation driving of a threshold voltage of a switching element of a pixel according to the measured leakage current.
US07924024B2
A calibration module, for use in calibrating a VNA, includes ports connectable to the VNA, calibration standards, and single pole multi throw (SPMT) switches. Each SPMT includes a single pole terminal, multiple throw terminals and a shunt terminal corresponding to each multiple throw terminal. A switching path is between each throw terminal and the single pole terminal, and between each shunt terminal and the single pole terminal. Each switching path includes at least one solid state switching element. The calibration standards are selectively connectable to the ports of the calibration module by selectively controlling the switching elements. Each port of the calibration module is directly connected to a throw terminal of one of the SPMT switches. Also, unique algorithm are provided for calibrating a VNA when using a calibration impedance that is a hybrid of a reflect standard and a transmission standard, which can be achieved using the calibration module.
US07924023B2
A method, computer readable storage medium and apparatus for measuring data rates is disclosed. A method that incorporates the teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, submitting a signal over a cable from a Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) element, determining a fault in the cable from a reflection of the signal, determining a length of the cable from the reflection of the signal, determining a location of a bridged tap relative to customer premise equipment (CPE) and determining effective downstream bit rates for the cable according to the fault, the length of the cable and the location of the bridged tap relative to the CPE. Additional steps and embodiments are disclosed.
US07924019B2
An inverter system for a vehicle including a housing, a primary stage, a secondary stage and a fault detection circuit is provided. The primary stage is configured to receive a first voltage signal from an energy power source to generate a second voltage signal. The secondary stage is configured to generate a third voltage signal in response to the second voltage signal. At least one of the primary and the secondary stages define at least one resistance point for discharging leakage current responsive to generating the third voltage signal. The fault detection circuit is configured to electrically couple the primary stage and the secondary stage to provide the second voltage signal to the secondary stage and to measure a portion of the third voltage signal to determine whether the leakage current being discharged through the at least one resistance point is within a predetermined current range.
US07924018B2
An apparatus for detecting a static field includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device having two cantilevered beams of conductive material that are adjacent and substantially parallel to each other. The two beams repel each other in the presence of a static field. At least one sensor detects a respective amount of displacement of the two cantilevered beams from a rest position and determines an amount of repulsion of the two cantilevered beams from each other.
US07924014B2
A method of electromagnetic surveying of an area of seafloor that is thought or known to contain a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir is described. The method includes broadcasting an EM signal from a horizontal electric dipole (HED) transmitter and obtaining vertical electric dipole (VED) response data at a remote receiver in response thereto. Survey data are analyzed by comparing the VED response data with background data which are not sensitive to the postulated hydrocarbon reservoir. Accordingly, differences between the VED response data and the background data allow for the identification of buried hydrocarbon reservoirs. The background data may be provided by magneto-telluric surveying, controlled source electromagnetic surveying or from direct geophysical measurement. By employing VED response data in this way, surveys may be performed in shallower water than has previously been possible since the VED detector is not sensitive to air-wave components of the EM field induced by the HED transmitter at the VED detector.
US07924013B2
A resistivity array having a modular design includes a transmitter module with at least one antenna, wherein the transmitter module has connectors on both ends adapted to connect with other downhole tools; and a receiver module with at least one antenna, wherein the transmitter module has connectors on both ends adapted to connect with other downhole tools; and wherein the transmitter module and the receiver module are spaced apart on a drill string and separated by at least one downhole tool. Each transmitter and receiver module may comprise at least one antenna coil with a magnetic moment orientation not limited to the tool longitudinal direction. A spacing between the transmitter and receiver module may be selected based on expected reservoir thickness.
US07924011B2
A cryocooler assembly includes a ferromagnetic shield and a moveable rare-earth regenerator for recondensing of a cooling liquid for cooling of a superconductive magnet of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. The ferromagnetic shield effectively provides depletion of a magnet field in the vicinity of the rare-earth regenerator and therefore on the one hand reduces the noise impact of the moving regenerator on the homogeneous magnetic field in the imaging volume of the MRI apparatus and on the other hand reduces the mechanical force exerted by the magnetic field on the rare-earth regenerator.
US07924009B2
In an antenna arrangement for a magnetic resonance apparatus and a method for acquiring magnetic resonance signals, which has at least four individually operable antenna conductor loops arranged like a matrix in rows and columns, wherein two antenna conductor loops adjacent in a row or in a column are inductively decoupled from one another; and wherein two antenna conductor loops diagonally adjacent to one another in adjacent rows and columns are capacitively decoupled from one another.
US07924007B2
In a method for coil selection of a magnetic resonance apparatus, a determination of coil positions of the multiple coil devices of the magnetic resonance apparatus is made and a determination is also made of a number of coil groups, wherein a coil group is composed of at least one coil device. One or more coil groups is associated with positions of the support device, and the coil group that is associated with a position of the support device includes the coil devices that are suitable for use in that associated position of the support device. A control of one of the multiple coil groups dependent on the position of the support device.
US07924000B2
A method for producing a coil assembly includes overlaying printed circuit traces on a core. The traces include terminals for coupling to conductive connections on a base on which the coil assembly is to be mounted. Two or more wires are wrapped around the core so as to define two or more coils, wrapped in different, respective directions. The ends of the wires are coupled to the printed circuit traces, so as to connect the wires through the traces to the terminals.
US07923996B2
Magnetic field sensors have a magnetic field sensing element and also a feedback circuit to provide a gain-adjustment signal to affect a sensitivity associated with the magnetic field sensing element. In some arrangements, the feedback circuit can include piezoresistors to sense a strain of a substrate over which the magnetic field sensor is disposed. With these arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate the gain-adjustment signal in accordance with the sensed strain. In other arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate pulsed magnetic fields proximate to the magnetic field sensing element in order to directly measure the sensitivity of the magnetic field sensing element. With these arrangements, the feedback circuit can generate the gain-adjustment signal in accordance with the sensed sensitivity.
US07923995B2
This invention relates to magnetic inductance tomography, and in particular, to coils of a sensor/driver coil array for use in a magnetic inductance tomography apparatus, in which driver/sensor coils are used to measure the induced flux in a conductive, dielectric and permittivity body, such as the human body. The sensor/driver coil array comprises at least one layer of thin coils whose centers are arranged on a regular grid, with adjacent coils overlapped by a suitable distance to cancel inductive neighbor coupling between them.
US07923993B2
A rotation detection device includes a plurality of magnetic encoders of a ring shape arranged coaxially and having different numbers of magnetic poles, a plurality of magnetic sensors each operable to detect the magnetic field of the corresponding magnetic encoder and having a function of detecting positional information within a single magnetic pole of the corresponding magnetic encoder, a phase difference detector to determine the phase difference of magnetic field signals detected respectively by the magnetic sensors, and an angle calculator to calculate an absolute rotation angle of the magnetic encoders based on the detected phase difference.
US07923990B2
A wafer holder is provided which includes a holder body with a chuck table having a ring-like wafer receptacle, and a plurality of fixing portions fixing a wafer on the wafer receptacle to hold the wafer, and a carrier supporting the wafer before fixed on the wafer receptacle from downward. The holder body includes a carrier support portion which forms a support face to support the carrier and be changeable in height from an original position, and positions the support face on which the wafer is placed at a delivery position. The carrier support portion separates the wafer from the carrier by lowering the support face from the delivery position, so that the fixing portions fix the wafer.
US07923989B2
A test handler includes a loading unit for loading semiconductor devices from customer trays onto a test tray; a test chamber for performing a test for the semiconductor devices loaded on the test tray; a pushing unit having at least one pushing member for pushing the test tray located in the test chamber to be tested, and a press unit for operating the pushing member; a position control unit for adjusting a position of the pushing member to compensate a deviation between the pushing member and the test tray due to a thermal expansion or contraction of any one of the pushing member and the test tray; and an unloading unit for unloading the semiconductor devices loaded on the test tray onto the customer trays after a test for the semiconductor devices is completed.
US07923983B2
A method and apparatus for providing AC voltage measurements. The apparatus includes an AC voltage monitor for determining at least a first and a second voltage representing an AC voltage of an AC circuit, generating a serial data stream frame including data representing the at least a first and a second voltage, and transmitting the serial data stream frame.
US07923982B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit is provided with a voltage level detector which detects a voltage level of a signal wire, and a transition time detector which detects a time length of a transition period during which the signal wire changes from an inactive voltage state to an active voltage state based on the voltage level detected by the voltage level detector. The voltage level detector detects the voltage level of the signal wire during the transition period.
US07923978B2
A stabilized regulator circuit is provided A first Pch transistor (PTr) (P1) whose source is connected to a power supply line and whose drain is connected to an output terminal that outputs a load current, a PTr (P2) whose source and gate are respectively connected to the source and gate of the PTr (P1), resistor elements connected in series between the output terminal and ground, a resistor element (R3) connected between a drain of P2 and ground, and an amplifier which controls P1 and P2 based on a difference between potential of a connection point of the resistor elements and a reference. A comparator, with a differential amplifier input stage configured by an Nch transistor, compares potential difference between two ends of R3 and potential difference between the connection point of the resistor elements and ground, and when the former is larger, controls P1 so as to limit load current.
US07923977B2
A DC-DC converter used to convert an input voltage to an output voltage is disclosed. The DC-DC converter comprises a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) generator, a transient boost circuit, a logic circuit, a switching device, and a buck circuit. The pulse-width-modulation (PWM) generator generates a PWM signal according to the output voltage. The transient boost circuit generates an adjusting signal according to the variation of the output voltage. The logic circuit generates a switch signal according to the PWM signal and the adjusting signal. The switching signal is at a high level when the PWM signal or the adjusting signal is at the high level, and the switching signal is at a low level when the PWM signal and the adjusting signal are at the low level. The switching device converts the input voltage to a driving signal according to the switching signal. The buck circuit receives the driving signal to generate the output voltage.
US07923968B2
A charge and discharge control circuit which accommodates pulsed charge and pulsed discharge and can control charge and discharge of a secondary battery with safety, and a rechargeable power supply device having the same built therein are provided. The charge and discharge control circuit includes a delay time switching circuit for shortening a delay time of overcharge detection after charge inhibition is canceled. When overcharge is detected after the charge inhibition is canceled, the charge is inhibited in a delay time which is shorter than a normal delay time of the overcharge detection.
US07923958B2
An apparatus and method for driving a 2-phase SRM are provided. The method may include initializing 2-phase SRM based on a detected position of a rotor by an initializing sensor at a time of an initial driving, and normally driving the 2-phase SRM based on a detected position of the rotor by a driving sensor. With this method, a sufficient amount of torque is generated when the 2-phase SRM is driven at a high speed. The apparatus may include an initializing sensor that detects each position of each phase of a 2-phase SRM, and generates an initializing sensor signal based on the detected result; a driving sensor that detects each position of each phase of the 2-phase SRM, and generates a driving sensor signal based on the detected result; and a microprocessor that initially drives the 2-phase SRM based on the initializing sensor signal at the time of an initial driving, and normally drives the 2-phase SRM based on the driving sensor signal at the time of a normal driving.
US07923954B1
A circuit for controlling a voice-coil motor (VCM) may incorporate a pulse-width modulation driver to drive the VCM, a zero-current detector to determine whether the current across the VCM is zero, and a Back-EMF voltage detector to measure the voltage across the VCM when the current across the VCM is determined to be zero. The circuit may determine the current velocity of the VCM and use this information to control the velocity of the VCM.
US07923949B2
A method for controlling a reversible polyphase rotating electrical machine, wherein at least one coil circuit is supplied through a bridge of switches, including the following steps: controlling (P1) the bridge to deliver to the coil circuit a periodic voltage with a phase shift (d) relative to an electromotive force induced in the coil circuit, such that an operating torque is generated, the phase shift having initially a first value (d0); controlling (P2) the bridge to deliver to the coil circuit a periodic voltage with the phase shift (d) producing a torque ranging between the operating torque and the opposite of the operating torque, the phase shift taking on a plurality of values upon the control; flipping (T2) the bridge in rectifying mode.
US07923945B2
When an ECU receives a transmission signal having a high level from a transmission, the ECU exerts torque reduction control to reduce a torque control value for a motor generator. Furthermore the ECU sets an optimum (or target) value of a voltage as based on the torque control value and a motor rotation speed and controls an upconverter. Herein, when the transmission is shifting gears, the ECU controls the upconverter to allow the voltage to be constant regardless of whether the torque reduction control is exerted to reduce the torque control value.
US07923929B2
The present invention relates to a photomultiplier having a structure that enables to perform high gain and satisfy higher required characteristics. In the photomultiplier, an electron-multiplying unit accommodated in a sealed container comprises a focusing electrode, an accelerating electrode, a dynode unit, and an anode. Particularly, at least the accelerating electrode and dynode unit are held unitedly in a state that at least a first-stage dynode and a second-stage included in the dynode unit are opposite directly to the accelerating electrode not through a conductive material. A conventional metal disk for supporting directly dynodes which are set to the same potential as that of the first-stage dynode is not placed between the accelerating electrode and dynode unit; thus, variations of the transit time of electrons may be drastically reduced while the electrons reach from the cathode to the second-stage dynode via the first-stage dynode.
US07923928B2
An illuminating device comprises one or more luminescent devices (1). The luminescent device comprises a semiconductor light emitting element (10) emitting a excitation light having an peak within a wavelength range from 350 nm to 430 nm, and a luminescent part (20) comprising a sealing member (22) and a phosphor (21) absorbing the light from the semiconductor light emitting element (10) and emitting a light with different emission spectrum. For the luminescent device (1), an excitation light contribution degree ΔE, an index quantitatively representing what extent of a visible component of the excitation light is involved in color mixing of a combined light of the luminescent device (1), is 0.005 or less, and a mean color rendering index Ra is 70 or more.
US07923919B2
The present invention provides an organic electroluminescent panel, a production method thereof, and an organic electroluminescent display device, in which color mixing between adjacent pixels, caused by overflow or pull-in of a liquid material is suppressed and discontinuity (physical and electrical separation by the step) of an upper electrode is reduced when an organic film such as a luminescent layer is formed by an application method such as an ink jet printing method. The organic electroluminescent panel of the present invention is an organic electroluminescent panel comprising a lower electrode, a bank, an organic film, and an upper electrode on a substrate, wherein the organic electroluminescent panel has: two or more bank regions having different film thicknesses; and an organic film region surrounded by the two or more bank regions, the organic film region having a planar shape of a quadrangle or a substantial quadrangle with a rounded vertex or side.
US07923909B2
An ignition device for an internal combustion engine and method of construction therefore includes a housing with an insulator secured therein. A center electrode is mounted within the insulator. A ground electrode extends from the housing with a portion of the ground electrode defining a spark gap across from the center electrode. At least a selected one of the center electrode or ground electrode has a platinum or platinum-based alloy firing tip. A resistance weld joint bonds the firing tip to the selected electrode and defines a lower surface of the firing tip that is embedded a first distance beneath an outer surface of the selected electrode. A continuous bead of overlapping laser weld pools is formed over an outer periphery of the firing tip. The overlapping weld pools extend a second distance beneath the outer surface of the selected electrode, with the second distance being greater than the first distance.
US07923904B2
An electronic component capable of withstanding stress from a printed circuit board or the like is provided. In an electronic component, a cavity hermetically sealed by a base and a lid is formed. In the cavity, a crystal resonator is supported by a supporting member over the top surface of the base. The base is made of glass. A stress buffer layer made of a conductive resin or the like is formed over the whole bottom surface of the base. An external electrode and an external electrode that are in continuity with the electrodes of the crystal resonator individually extend to the bottom surface of the stress buffer layer via the side surfaces of the base and stress buffer layer. The thus configured electronic component is surface-mounted by, for example, soldering the external electrode and external electrode formed on the bottom surface of the stress buffer layer to a printed circuit board.
US07923901B2
A solid-state actuator drive apparatus has—a shaft, —a pivot bearing for supporting the shaft, —a drive body, —at least two actuators for the excitation of the drive body and the shaft relative to each other for causing the shaft to rotate relative to the drive body, and—a base element, on which these components are attached. Either the drive body is configured such that it has a drive body opening, and the shaft at least leads into the drive body opening, —or the shaft is configured as a hollow shaft, and an element of the drive body having an annular or discoid circumference is disposed therein. The drive body is disposed stationary relative to the base element. The shaft is disposed in the pivot bearing and is adjustably disposed in the radial direction of the shaft relative to the base element by the solid-state actuators.
US07923897B2
Disclosed is a sonic fine-hole forming apparatus for forming a fine-hole in a surface of a membrane or solid body in a liquid by means of sonic energy. The sonic fine-hole forming apparatus is adapted to generate a sonic oscillation driving signal comprises a voltage waveform which has positive and negative voltage portions being asymmetrical, and a sharp peak portion. The sonic fine-hole forming apparatus includes a sonic oscillation section having a surface provided with a covering layer or a protective material having an electrically insulating property and a sonic transparency. The coated layer or a protective material is formed to have a thickness of 10 μm or more. The sonic fine-hole forming apparatus of the present invention can form a fine-hole in a surface of a solid body without using a large-scale apparatus, while suppressing a destructive action around the fine-hole.
US07923894B2
The present invention is directed to a bi-axial pivoting type actuator having a first movable section, a second movable section supporting the first movable section, and backlining. A first conductive portion and a second conductive portion for independently applying a driving voltage to each of the first movable section and the second movable section are provided on the second movable section, in a state of being split by isolation trenches and being stabilized by the backlining provided under the second movable section. By providing such backlining, mutual stabilization of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion in an electrically isolated state, and simplification of the production steps for the actuator are realized. By providing a mirror on the first conductive portion of the actuator of the present invention as such, it becomes possible to provide a bi-axial pivoting type mirror device through a simple production process.
US07923891B2
A stator for an electric rotating machine has iron core fastening members on the outer circumferential surface of a stator iron core, spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction and fastened to the iron core in an axial direction. Holding rings on the outer circumferential surface of the iron core, spaced apart from one another in the axial direction, press the iron core toward a center portion thereof via the iron core fastening members. Ring-shaped inner frame members protrude from the inner surface of a frame that encloses the iron core, and are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction. Elastic supporting members are fixed to the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner frame members that are adjacent to one another, and are fixed to the outer circumferential surfaces of the holding rings at the middle in the axial direction, or vice versa.
US07923888B2
Disclosed is a switched reluctance motor which can reduce noise and prevent overheating in rotation of a rotor. The switched reluctance motor includes: a stator core having a plurality of inwardly protruded poles at predetermined intervals; coils wound around the protruded poles of the stator core; and a rotor core being rotatably housed inside the stator core with a predetermined gap, and having a plurality of outwardly protruded poles along the radial direction, and round units protruded from the front ends of each protruded pole of the rotor core starting to meet each protruded pole of the stator core, so that gaps between the protruded poles of the stator core and the protruded poles of the rotor core can be gradually reduced.
US07923884B2
In a stator coil of a rotary electric machine, a first crank portion radially shifts one side of a turn portion from the other side thereof by a first length. The one side extends to one of paired straight portions, and the other side extends to the other thereof. A second crank portion radially shifts one side of a turn portion from the other side thereof by a second length. The one side extends to one of the paired straight portions, and the other side extends to the other thereof. The first length is equivalent to a radial width of the turn portion of the first segment of each set. The second length allows the second crank portion of the second segment of each of the sets to substantially overlay the first crank portion of the first segment of each set.
US07923878B2
An axial gap coreless motor includes a stator including a stator yoke having a surface and being composed of a plurality of laminated layers of silicon steel sheets secured together, a wiring substrate having a surface and being disposed on the stator yoke surface, and a plurality of coreless coils annularly disposed on the wiring substrate surface; and a rotor including a rotor magnet having a plurality of circumferentially arranged magnetic poles, wherein the rotor is rotated relative to the stator such that the rotor magnet axially confronts the coreless coil over an air gap.
US07923873B2
In an electromagnetic actuator including a bearing member which slidably supports a variable core, a yoke for retaining a coil assembly by cooperation with a bottom wall of a housing is connected to the housing, and the bearing member is fitted into the yoke. A support for supporting an outward-facing flange formed at one end of the bearing member is mounted on the bottom wall, and a set spring for biasing the outward-facing flange toward the support is mounted under compression between the outward-facing flange and the first yoke. A low-friction material coating made of a fluorocarbon resin is formed on at least one of opposed sliding surfaces of the bearing member and a movable core. Thus, even if wear powder is generated between the set spring of the bearing member and a portion on which the set spring is pressed, the wear powder is prevented from entering inside the bearing member.
US07923864B2
A power feed system includes: an information device; a terminal device that is connected the information processing device, and that has a power source; and a selection unit that selects, as power utilized by the terminal device, at least one of first power from the power source of the terminal device and second power supplied from the information processing device according to an operating state of the terminal device.
US07923854B1
Wind turbine direct drive alternator system includes a supporting structure, at least two turbines mounted on the supporting structure to rotate in opposite directions when exposed to the same wind, a respective number of alternator rotor disks whereby each turbine is directly connected to an alternator rotor disk, and a stator unit having two sides each facing a respective rotor disk. The stator unit is arranged or constructed such that torque generated by rotation of each turbine can be transmitted therethrough with a view toward balancing the torque induced on the supporting structure by rotation of the turbines. When the stator unit includes two stator disks, each stator disk transmits approximately the same magnitude of torque as, but in an opposite direction to, the other stator disk. The two stator disks balance the torque of each other and almost no external torque is needed to balance the system.
US07923850B2
Various semiconductor chip arrangements and methods of making the same are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes coupling a semiconductor chip that has an external peripheral wall to a first side of a substrate. A first metallic ring is coupled to the first side of the substrate. The first metallic ring has an internal peripheral wall that frames the semiconductor chip and is separated from the external peripheral wall by a gap. The first metallic ring has a coefficient of thermal expansion less than about 6.0 10−6 K−1.
US07923849B2
An interconnection structure suitable for flip-chip attachment of microelectronic device chips to packages, comprising a two, three or four layer ball-limiting composition including an adhesion/reaction barrier layer, and having a solder wettable layer reactive with components of a tin-containing lead free solder, so that the solderable layer can be totally consumed during soldering, but a barrier layer remains after being placed in contact with the lead free solder during soldering. One or more lead-free solder balls is selectively situated on the solder wetting layer, the lead-free solder balls comprising tin as a predominant component and one or more alloying components.
US07923844B2
Semiconductor devices are provided that employ voltage switchable materials for over-voltage protection. In various implementations, the voltage switchable materials are substituted for conventional die attach adhesives, underfill layers, and encapsulants. While the voltage switchable material normally functions as a dielectric cmaterial, during an over-voltage event the voltage switchable material becomes electrically conductive and can conduct electricity to ground. Accordingly, the voltage switchable material is in contact with a path to ground such as a grounded trace on a substrate, or a grounded solder ball in a flip-chip package.
US07923841B2
A method for bonding a semiconductor structure with a substrate and a high efficiency photonic device manufactured by using the same method are disclosed. The method comprises steps of: providing a semiconductor structure and a substrate; forming a composite bonding layer on the semiconductor structure; and bonding the substrate with the composite bonding layer on the semiconductor structure to form a composite alloyed bonding layer. The semiconductor structure includes a compound semiconductor substrate and a high efficiency photonic device is produced after the compound semiconductor substrate is removed. Besides, the composite bonding layer can be formed on the substrate or formed on both the semiconductor structure and substrate simultaneously.
US07923840B2
Methods of forming an electrically conductive path under a barrier oxide layer of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate and an integrated circuit including the path are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an electrically conductive path below a barrier oxide layer of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, the method comprising: forming a first barrier oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming the electrically conductive path within the first barrier oxide layer; and forming a second barrier oxide layer on the first barrier oxide layer. The electrically conductive path allows reduction of SRAM area by forming a wiring path underneath the barrier oxide layer on the SOI substrate.
US07923834B2
An interposer and a semiconductor device including the interposer, which can prevent thermal warpage of an insulative substrate. The interposer is provided with a semiconductor chip in a semiconductor device and may be disposed between the semiconductor chip and a mount board. The interposer includes: a substrate of an insulative resin; an island on one surface of the substrate to be bonded to a rear surface of the chip; a thermal pad on the other surface opposite the one surface opposed to the island with the intervention of the substrate; and a thermal via extending through the substrate from the one surface to the other surface to thermally connect the island to the thermal pad.
US07923830B2
A package-on-package (POP) secure module includes a first ball grid array (BGA) package and a second BGA package. The first BGA includes an array of bond balls that is disposed on a side of a substrate member, and an array of lands that is disposed on the opposite side of the substrate member. Bond balls of the second BGA are fixed to the lands of the first BGA such that the second BGA is piggy-back mounted to the first BGA. Embedded in the substrate member of the second BGA is an anti-tamper security mesh. An integrated circuit in the first BGA is coupled to, drives and monitors the security mesh. When the module is disposed on a printed circuit board within a point of sale (POS) terminal, the integrated circuit is coupled to, also drives and monitors a second security mesh embedded in the printed circuit board underneath the module.
US07923825B2
An integrated circuit package is described that includes an integrated circuit die, a plurality of lower contact leads, and an insulating substrate positioned over the die and lower contact leads. The insulating substrate includes a plurality of electrically conducting upper routing traces formed on the bottom surface of the substrate. The traces on the bottom surface of the substrate electrically couple each lower contact lead with an associated I/O pad.
US07923822B2
An integrated circuit package system includes: a substrate; a first device attached to the substrate; a shield attached to the substrate and surrounding the first device; apertures formed within the shield; the shield configured to block electromagnetic energy that passes through the apertures; and an encapsulation material deposited through the apertures.
US07923821B2
Isolation regions for semiconductor substrates include dielectric-filled trenches and field oxide regions. Protective caps of dielectric materials dissimilar from the dielectric materials in the main portions of the trenches and field oxide regions may be used to protect the structures from erosion during later process steps. The top surfaces of the isolation structures are coplanar with the surface of the substrate. Field doping regions may be formed beneath the field oxide regions. To meet the demands of different devices, the isolation structures may have varying widths and depths.
US07923819B2
A wiring structure of a semiconductor device or the like includes an interlayer insulating film having a fluorocarbon film formed on an underlayer, and a conductor buried in the interlayer insulating film. The fluorocarbon film contains nitrogen and is low in dielectric constant, excellent in reproducibility and stable.
US07923816B2
Provided is a semiconductor device which includes a capacitor element having a flat-plate-type lower electrode provided over a semiconductor substrate, a flat-plate-type TiN film provided over the lower electrode in parallel therewith, and a capacitor film provided between the lower electrode and the TiN film; and a first Cu plug brought into contact with the bottom surface of the lower electrode, and is composed of a metal material, wherein the capacitor film has a film which contains an organic molecule as a constituent.
US07923815B2
By controlling buried plate doping level and bias condition, different capacitances can be obtained from capacitors on the same chip with the same layout and deep trench process. The capacitors may be storage capacitors of DRAM/eDRAM cells. The doping concentration may be less than 3E19cm−3, a voltage difference between the biases of the buried electrodes may be at least 0.5V, and a capacitance of one capacitor may be at least 1.2 times, such as 2.0 times the capacitance of another capacitor.
US07923810B2
A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor region of a semiconductor substrate wherein a P-N junction is defined between the semiconductor region and a bulk of the semiconductor substrate. An insulating isolation structure in the semiconductor substrate may surround sidewalls of the semiconductor region. An interlayer insulating layer may be on the semiconductor substrate, on the semiconductor region, and on the insulating isolation structure, and the interlayer insulating layer may have first and second spaced apart element holes exposing respective first and second portions of the semiconductor region. A first semiconductor pattern may be in the first element hole on the first exposed portion of the semiconductor region, and a second semiconductor pattern may be in the second element hole on the second exposed portion of the semiconductor region. A surface portion of the first semiconductor pattern opposite the semiconductor substrate and a surface portion of the second semiconductor pattern opposite the semiconductor substrate may have a same conductivity type. Related methods are also discussed.
US07923808B2
A structure includes a substrate comprising a region having a circuit or device which is sensitive to electrical noise. Additionally, the structure includes a first isolation structure extending through an entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region and a second isolation structure extending through the entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region.
US07923804B2
A MOSFET switch which has a low surface electric field at an edge termination area, and also has increased breakdown voltage. The MOSFET switch has a new edge termination structure employing an N-P-N sandwich structure. The MOSFET switch also has a polysilicon field plate configuration operative to enhance any spreading of any depletion layer located at an edge of a main PN junction of the N-P-N sandwich structure.
US07923801B2
A photodetector is described along with corresponding materials, systems, and methods. The photodetector comprises an integrated circuit and at least two optically sensitive layers. A first optically sensitive layer is over at least a portion of the integrated circuit, and a second optically sensitive layer is over the first optically sensitive layer. Each optically sensitive layer is interposed between two electrodes. The two electrodes include a respective first electrode and a respective second electrode. The integrated circuit selectively applies a bias to the electrodes and reads signals from the optically sensitive layers. The signal is related to the number of photons received by the respective optically sensitive layer.
US07923799B2
An image sensor may be formed from a planar semiconductor substrate. The image sensor may have an array of pixels. Each pixel may have a photosensitive element that is formed in the substrate and may have a light guide in a dielectric stack that guides light from a microlens and color filter to the photosensitive element. The light guides in pixels that are offset from the center of the image sensor may be tilted so that their longitudinal axes each form a non-zero angle with a vertical axis that lies perpendicular to the planar semiconductor substrate. These light guides may have laterally elongated openings that help collect light. A light guide may have a lower opening that matches the size of an associated photosensitive element. Photosensitive elements that are laterally offset from the center of the image sensor may be tilted. Pixels of different colors may have off-center photosensitive elements.
US07923798B2
An optical device includes a light receiving element chip having: an active region formed on a principal plane of a substrate and made by arranging a plurality of light receiving pixels; a circuit region disposed around an outer circumference of the active region; a penetrating conductor provided to penetrate the substrate in the thickness direction of the substrate; and an external connection terminal provided on a back surface of the substrate facing the principal plane thereof and connected to the penetrating conductor. The optical device further includes a microlens, a planarization film, and a transparent protective film formed on the planarization film.
US07923796B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device in which an arrangement area of capacitance can be reduced and resonance frequency can be easily adjusted. The semiconductor device includes an antenna and a resonance circuit including a capacitor connected to the antenna in parallel where the capacitor is formed by connecting x pieces of first capacitor (x is an arbitrary natural number), y pieces of second capacitor (y is an arbitrary natural number), and z pieces of third capacitor (z is an arbitrary natural number) in parallel; and the first capacitor, the second capacitor, and the third capacitor have different capacitance values from each other. It is preferable that each of the first capacitor, the second capacitor, and the third capacitor be a MIS capacitor. Further, at least one of the first capacitor, the second capacitor, and the third capacitor is preferably formed by connecting a plurality of capacitors in parallel.
US07923794B2
A micromechanical component having a substrate and having a thin-layer, as well as having a cavity which is bounded by the substrate and the thin-layer, at least one gas having an internal pressure being enclosed in the cavity. The gas phase has a non-atmospheric composition. A method for producing a micromechanical component having a substrate and having a thin-layer encapsulation, as well as having a cavity which is bounded by the substrate and the thin-layer encapsulation. The method has the steps of positioning a polymer in a cavity, closing the cavity and generating a gas phase of non-atmospheric composition in the cavity by decomposing at least a part of the polymer. An internal pressure is generated, which may be higher than the process pressure when the cavity is closed.
US07923782B2
Channel depth in a field effect transistor is limited by an intra-layer structure including a discontinuous film or layer formed within a layer or substrate of semiconductor material. Channel depth can thus be controlled much in the manner of SOI or UT-SOI technology but with less expensive substrates and greater flexibility of channel depth control while avoiding floating body effects characteristic of SOI technology. The profile or cross-sectional shape of the discontinuous film may be controlled to an ogee or staircase shape to improve short channel effects and reduce source/drain and extension resistance without increase of capacitance. Materials for the discontinuous film may also be chosen to impose stress on the transistor channel from within the substrate or layer and provide increased levels of such stress to increase carrier mobility. Carrier mobility may be increased in combination with other meritorious effects.
US07923780B2
The present invention provides a step in which a channel-length of a TFT can be controlled with higher reproducibility. In addition, the present invention provides a step in which a short channel-length of the TFT can be manufactured. Further, the present invention provides a structure of the TFT in which a current-voltage characteristic can be improved. The present invention refers to a thin film transistor comprising a lamination layer wherein a first conductive film, a first insulating film and a second conductive film are sequentially laminated, a semiconductor film formed so as to be in contact with the side surface of the lamination layer, and a third conductive film covering the semiconductor film through a second insulating film. The first conductive film and the second conductive film are a source electrode and a drain electrode, and a region which is in contact with the first insulating film and the third conductive film is a channel forming region in semiconductor film, and the third conductive film is a gate electrode.
US07923771B2
A semiconductor device (10) of the present invention includes: a drift layer (5) that includes a reference concentration layer (4) including an impurity of a first conductive type at a first reference concentration and a low concentration layer (3) provided under the reference concentration layer and including an impurity of the first conductive type at a concentration lower than the first reference concentration; a gate electrode (20) that is formed on an upper surface of the reference concentration layer; a pair of source regions (Sa and 8b) that are respectively provided on the reference concentration layer in the vicinity of ends of the gate electrode and include an impurity of the first conductive type at a concentration higher than the first reference concentration.
US07923769B2
A non-volatile memory cell including a substrate in which is formed a source region and a drain region defining a channel region between the source region and the drain region is provided. The non-volatile memory cell further includes a select gate structure overlying a first portion of the channel region. The non-volatile memory cell further includes a control gate structure formed overlying a second portion of the channel region, wherein the control gate structure includes a nanocrystal stack having a height, wherein the control gate structure has a convex shape in a corner region formed at an intersection of a first plane substantially parallel to a top surface of the substrate and a second plane substantially parallel to a side surface of the control gate structure, wherein a ratio of radius of the control gate structure in the corner region to the height of the nanocrystal stack is at least 0.5.
US07923766B2
There is provided a semiconductor device including a capacitorless RAM. The semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor (FET) having a floating body structure. FET includes a channel body region arranged in a first region comprising a first semiconductor (e.g., p-SiGe) having a given band gap and a second region comprising a second semiconductor (e.g., n-Si) having a larger band gap than the first semiconductor.
US07923755B2
In the present invention, a decoupling capacitance circuit, a first output terminal and a second output terminal are provided. The decoupling capacitance circuit comprises a TDDB control circuit consisting of a first Tr and a second Tr, and a third Tr. Conductivity types of the first and second Trs are different from each other. A source of the first Tr is connected to a first power supply wiring, and a drain of the first Tr is connected to a gate of the second Tr. A source of the second Tr is connected to a second power supply wiring, and a drain of the second Tr is connected to a gate of the first Tr. The third and first Trs have the same conductivity type. A source and a drain of the third Tr are connected to the first power supply wiring, and a gate of the third Tr is connected to the drain of the second Tr. The first output terminal is connected to the drain of the first Tr, and the second output terminal is connected to the drain of the second Tr.
US07923750B2
A pixel sensor cell, a method for fabricating or operating the pixel sensor cell and a design structure for fabricating the pixel sensor cell each include a semiconductor substrate that includes a photoactive region separated from a floating diffusion region by a channel region. At least one gate dielectric is located upon the semiconductor substrate at least in-part interposed between the photoactive region and the floating diffusion region, and at least one optically transparent gate is located upon the gate dielectric and at least in-part over the channel region. Preferably, the at least one gate dielectric is also located over the photoactive region and the at least one optically transparent gate is also located at least in-part over the photoactive region, to provide enhanced charge transfer capabilities within the pixel sensor cell, which is typically a CMOS pixel sensor cell.
US07923735B2
A TFT includes a substrate, a source electrode and a drain electrode on the substrate, the source and drain electrodes separated from each other, an active layer on the substrate between the source electrode and the drain electrode, a cladding unit on side surfaces of the source electrode and the drain electrode, a gate insulating layer on the substrate, the gate insulating layer overlapping the active layer and the cladding unit, and a gate electrode on the gate insulating layer, the gate electrode overlapping the active layer.
US07923725B2
According to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention, a gate electrode is formed above a substrate, and a insulating film is formed above the gate electrode. Then, an amorphous semiconductor film is formed above the insulating film, laser annealing is performed on the amorphous semiconductor film, and the amorphous semiconductor film is changed to a crystalline semiconductor film. After that, hydrofluoric acid processing is performed on the crystalline semiconductor film, and an amorphous semiconductor film is formed above the crystalline semiconductor film where the hydrofluoric acid processing is performed so that pattern ends of the amorphous semiconductor film are arranged outside pattern ends of the crystalline semiconductor film and the amorphous semiconductor film contacts with the insulating film near the pattern ends.
US07923710B2
A signal isolator comprises an isolation barrier, a transmitter, a differentiator, and a recovery circuit. The transmitter is coupled to a first side of the isolation barrier and is configured to receive and convert an information signal to a differential signal that encodes information in the information signal in a single transition edge. The differentiator is coupled to a second side that is isolated from the first side of the isolation harrier and differentiates the differential signal. The recovery circuit is coupled to the differentiator and operates to recover an output information signal based on the information in the single transition edge.
US07923708B2
A radiation shielding sheet formed by filling a shielding material into an organic polymer material. The shielding material is an oxide powder containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu) and gadolinium (Gd). The oxide powder has an average grain size of 1 to 20 μm, and a volumetric ratio of the shielding material filled in the radiation shielding sheet is 40 to 80 vol. %.
US07923702B2
A system and a method for processing and inspecting an object are provided, wherein the system comprises a particle beam column, an object holder and a gas supply apparatus. Thereby, the object holder is formed comprising a base, a first table displaceable relative to the base, a second table displaceable relative to the first table and a third table rotatable relative to the second table, wherein the cannula of the gas supply apparatus is fixed at the first table.
US07923695B2
Sensitivity is freely changeable to another one in correspondence to a photographing mode, and both still image photographing and moving image photographing for example which are largely different from each other in dosage of exposure to radiation and which are also different from each other in required sensitivity are carried out so as to meet that request. A source or drain electrode of a TFT 21 is connected to a signal output circuit 3 through a signal line 14a and an IC 5. A source/drain of a TFT 23 is connected to the signal output circuit 3 through a signal line 14b and the IC 5. Thus, in each pixel 6, any one of the signal lines 14a and 14b is freely selectable when a signal is read out.
US07923683B2
A method for analyzing a sample for the manufacture of integrated circuits, e.g., dynamic random access memory devices, commonly called DRAMS. The method also provides an integrated chip including a thickness, a width, and a length. In a specific embodiment, the integrated chip has at least one elongated structure through a portion of the thickness, while being normal to the width and the length. In a specific embodiment, the elongated structure has a structure width and a structure length that extends through a vertical portion of the thickness. The method includes removing a slice of the integrated chip from a portion of the thickness in a directional manner normal to the structure length. In a specific embodiment, the slice is provided through an entirety of the one elongated structure along the structure length to cause a portion of a thickness of the slice providing the elongated structure to be of a substantially uniform sample thickness. The method also includes capturing one or more images through a portion of the slice using a transmission electron microscope.
US07923681B2
A novel curved collision cell for a mass spectrometer is described. The collision cell includes a straight section having a length that is selected to cause a precursor ion entering the straight section to lose a desired amount of kinetic energy such that when the precursor ion enters the curved section of the collision cell the precursor ion will tend to neither escape nor contact the collision cell, and thereby tending to survive its passage within the curved portion.
US07923680B2
An analysis apparatus includes a first process part for removing a film formed on a substrate by irradiating the film with ultraviolet light, a second process part for providing a solution onto a surface of the substrate for dissolving an object being analyzed on the substrate, and a third process part for analyzing the object being analyzed in the solution that is used in the second step.
US07923678B2
A sensing method, which comprises subjecting a holographic sensor to an external physical interaction to which the sensor is sensitive, and observing a change in the holographic image.
US07923669B2
An insulating microwave packaging material (200) is formed by bonding a microwave interactive material substrate (205) that creates sensible heat upon exposure to microwave energy to a second substrate (210) along bond lines (212) arranged in a pattern to form closed cells (214). Upon impingement of the insulating microwave packaging material (200) by microwave energy in a microwave oven, the closed cells (214) expand to form insulating pockets (216). One side of the insulating pocket (216) bulges and lofts above the opposite side. When a food product is situated on the insulating microwave packaging material (200), the insulating pockets (216) insulate the food product from the microwave oven environment.
US07923663B2
A cooking apparatus is provided that has an oven cooker and a cook-top cooker. Heat is radiated through a ventilation structure formed by an air inflow duct and an air discharge duct. Additionally, the air inflow duct and the air discharge duct may be stacked one on top of the other, and provided between the oven cooker and the cook-top cooker. Further, the air discharge duct is configured to communicate with an outside, e.g., via a blowing fan unit and an air guide. Further, a cooling capacity can be greatly improved by performing an optimal compulsory cooling according to an operation mode.
US07923661B2
The present invention features an iron being adapted to guide a user through an ironing task. In some embodiments, the iron comprises a plurality of fabric selector switches, a message controller, a speaker, a temperature sensor, and a microprocessor. In some embodiments, said fabric selector switches are operatively connected as inputs to said microprocessor, said temperature sensor is operatively connected to a sole plate of the iron to measure the temperature of the sole plate, and the temperature sensor is also operatively connected as inputs to said microprocessor.
US07923658B2
A method of laser machining a substrate is provided. The method comprises directing laser energy at a first surface of the substrate, while providing an assist medium at the first surface of the substrate at least at approximately the area at which the laser energy is being directed. The assist medium is no longer provided prior to completion of formation of a feature in the substrate created utilizing the laser energy.
US07923656B2
A wire collecting mechanism for cutting and collecting a metal wire used in a wire-cut electrical discharge machine includes a first guide roller and a second guide roller movable relative to the first guide roller for clamping the metal wire that passes between the first guide roller and the second guide roller. A wire cutter is moveable relative to the metal wire for cutting the metal wire that is clamped. A wire collecting box is provided with a mouth facing the metal wire and a suction force towards an inside of the wire collecting box. A press roller is movable relative to the metal wire for pressing and forcing a cutting piece of the metal wire into the mouth of the wire collecting box, such that the cutting piece of the metal wire can be sucked into the wire collecting box.
US07923655B2
A sorter system includes a plurality of sortation bins with a feed path connected to the plurality of sortation bins for transporting media items to destination sortation bins. A controller is connected to control the plurality of sortation bins and is operable during a sortation process to reassign the destination sortation bin into which a media item is sorted. The system operation may employ a method for sorting media items where a plurality of media items are fed onto a transport system for sortation. Each media items is sorted into a destination sortation bin of a plurality of sortation bins connected to said transport system. Destination sortation bins for media items are dynamically reassigned based of the determined status of the media items in the sortation bins. The status of media items is sensed in each of said plurality of sortation bins may be determined based on sensors associated with the equipment or tracked by a controller or other techniques which track the mail pieces being processed. Destination sortation bins may be assigned to accommodate overflow capacity from existing bins thereby creating larger effective bins. They may also be assigned to allow the reuse of existing bins thereby creating a sortation system with a greater effective number of sortation bins.
US07923637B2
The present invention is directed to a crimp contact for an aluminum stranded wire having a serration provided in an inner face of a crimping portion of the crimp contact. A ratio d/e is 0.33 or more, in which d represents a depth of a groove constituting the serration and e represents a diameter of an aluminum wire constituting the aluminum stranded wire. The number of grooves in the crimp contact is 3 or more. The present invention is also directed to a cable end structure of an aluminum stranded wire. A ratio between a sectional area of the aluminum stranded wire after crimping and a sectional area thereof before crimping is from 0.7 to 0.95.
US07923632B2
A tape can comprise a dielectric film that has a pattern of electrically conductive areas adhering thereto. The conductive areas can be electrically isolated from one another. The tape can utilize means to obscure the metallic finish and can contain indicators to deter installers from grounding the tape at either end. The tape can be wrapped around one or more conductors, such as wires that transmit data, to provide electrical or electromagnetic shielding for the conductors. The resulting cable can have a shield that is electrically discontinuous between opposite ends of the cable.
US07923628B2
A method of reducing the loss of elements of a photovoltaic thin film structure during an annealing process, includes depositing a thin film on a substrate, wherein the thin film includes a single chemical element or a chemical compound, coating the thin film with a protective layer to form a coated thin film structure, wherein the protective layer prevents part of the single chemical element or part of the chemical compound from escaping during an annealing process, and annealing the coated thin film structure to form a coated photovoltaic thin film structure, wherein the coated photovoltaic thin film retains the part of the single chemical element or the part of the chemical compound that is prevented from escaping during the annealing by the protective layer.
US07923627B2
A photovoltaic element capable of improving weather resistance is obtained. This photovoltaic element includes a photoelectric conversion layer, a first transparent conductive film formed on a surface of the photoelectric conversion layer closer to an incidence side and including a first indium oxide layer having (222) orientation and two X-ray diffraction peaks, and a second transparent conductive film formed on a surface of the photoelectric conversion layer opposite to the incidence side and including a second indium oxide layer having (222) orientation and one X-ray diffraction peak.
US07923610B1
A novel maize variety designated PHPGH and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PHPGH with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHPGH through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PHPGH or a trait conversion of PHPGH with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHPGH, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHPGH and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07923606B2
The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated DP 161 B2RF. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety DP 161 B2RF. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety DP 161 B2RF and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety DP 161 B2RF with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07923589B2
A process for producing an alkylated aromatic product in a reactor by reacting an alkylatable aromatic compound feedstock with another feedstock comprising alkene component and alkane component in a reaction zone containing an alkylation catalyst. The reaction zone is operated in predominantly liquid phase without inter-zone alkane removal. The polyalkylated aromatic compounds can be separated as feed stream for transalkylation reaction in a transalkylation reaction zone.
US07923572B2
A method for producing ketimine structure-containing alkoxysilane comprising reacting amino-functional alkoxysilane with a monocarbonyl compound by heating and azeotropically distilling off the produced water together with the monocarbonyl compound to yield ketimine structure-containing alkoxysilane, characterized by introducing additional monocarbonyl compound at the time of the azeotropic distillation of the produced water together with the monocarbonyl compound.
US07923570B2
The present invention relates to a new process for the preparation of crystalline perindopril. The present invention also relates to new alkyl ammonium salts of perindopril and the processes for the preparation thereof.
US07923566B2
The invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of Losartan. The process comprising reacting 2-n-butyl-4-chloro-5-formyl imidazole with 2-(4-bromomethyl) benzonitrile in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst and an alkali, and reducing the resulting cyano aldehyde to produce a cyano alcohol which is further reacted with sodium azide in N-methyl pyrrolidinone and a salt to produce Losartan.
US07923561B2
The present invention relates to 2-Aminoquinoline derivatives of general formula I and pharmaceutically-acceptable acid-addition salts thereof, wherein R1, R2 and X are as defined in the specification. The compounds may be used as 5-HT5A receptor antagonists. The present invention relates also to processes for making such a compound and a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a compound. Compounds of the present invention are useful in the prevention and/or treatment of anxiety depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, panic disorders, agoraphobia, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, pain, memory disorders, dementia, disorders of eating behaviors, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders, withdrawal from abuse of drugs, motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease, psychiatric disorders and gastrointestinal disorders.
