US08042192B2
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a recording medium, and a program for importing and exporting a content with information missing controlled. A CPU extracts a sound track contained in the content in step S301, and converts a format of the extracted sound track into a format compatible with a memory stick in step S302. The CPU generates a predetermined file from data contained in the content and excluding the sound track in step S304. In step S306, the CPU attaches reference information of the sound track to the file. In step S307, the CPU controls the writing of the sound track in the converted format and the file to the memory stick. The present invention is applied to clients of a DRM system.
US08042188B2
To provide an apparatus, a recording medium and a method for effectively preventing unauthorized use of a content. A content containing broken data different from correct content member data is recorded on an information recording medium. Furthermore, transform data, as the correct member data, to be substituted for the broken data, and a fix-up table storing setting position information of the content are recorded on the information recording medium. During the content playback process, the transform data is substituted for the content member data in accordance with the fix-up table recorded on the information recording medium. With this arrangement, even if the encryption key corresponding to the encrypted content recorded on the information recording medium is leaked, an apparatus unable to acquire the transform data cannot play back the content. Unauthorized use of the content is thus controlled.
US08042181B2
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for detecting unsolicited and threatening communications and communicating threat information related thereto. Threat information is received from one or more sources; such sources can include external security databases and threat information data from one or more application and/or network layer security systems. The received threat information is reduced into a canonical form. Features are extracted from the reduced threat information; these features in conjunction with configuration data such as goals are used to produce rules. In some embodiments, these rules are tested against one or more sets of test data and compared against the same or different goals; if one or more tests fail, the rules are refined until the tests succeed within an acceptable margin of error. The rules are then propagated to one or more application layer security systems.
US08042178B1
An authenticated secure network communication link is established between an alert message generating computer 2 and a destination data processing system 6. The alert message sent specifies a risk threat level and a suggested countermeasure amongst other data. The destination computer 6 automatically responds to the alert message as controlled by its local response configuration parameters to trigger security actions of one or more security mechanisms, such as malware scanners, firewall scanners, security policy managers and the like.
US08042174B2
An image processing device is provide with an external storage which is detachably connectable to the image processing device, an inputting unit configured to allow a user to input user information, a registration unit configured to register ID information intrinsic to the external storage and the user information input through the inputting unit with registration data in a related manner, a permission unit configured to retrieve the ID information from the external storage and permit access to the external storage connected to the image processing device only if the retrieved ID information is included in the registered ID information which is registered with the registration data, and a data processing unit configured to read/write data from/to the external storage if access to the external storage is permitted by the permission unit.
US08042171B1
A method for providing protective assistance to a network site is presented. As implemented by a network protection service communicatively coupled to the network site via a network, the method comprises monitoring for a condition to provide protective assistance to the network site. Upon detecting that condition, the method includes causing network traffic directed to the network site be rerouted to the network protection service. Further still, determination is made as to whether a request in the rerouted network traffic corresponds to a request for information cached in a data store and, if so, responding with the cached information from the data store. Yet further, a portion of the rerouted network traffic is forwarded to the network site, the forwarded rerouted network traffic not including the request for cached information found in the data store.
US08042168B2
Provided is a method of remotely maintaining a computer system connected to a first private network of a first organization from a maintenance computer connected to a second private network of a second organization. The first and second private networks are connected to a public network and protected from the public network by respective first and second external firewalls. The first private network is separated from the computer system using a separation firewall configured to block network traffic that initiates at the computer system and is directed to the first private network. An isolation pipe is established that extends from the separation firewall over the first private network to the first external firewall, using virtual-private-network technology. A request to log into the computer system is transmitted from the maintenance computer through the isolation pipe to the computer system.
US08042164B2
A process and device for uniquely identifying an Internet enabled device with a unique identification. The process can include receiving an identification when an Internet user accesses an Internet resource, and determining position-based information for at least one of an Internet user and an Internet enabled device based on the identification. The identification may be authenticated, to reduce fraud. The identification may further be used to determine whether or not the device is in a particular geographic area of interest.
US08042157B2
A filter is arranged to selectively block or allow a data access command from an initiator according to whether the initiator is secure or insecure and whether a data source or destination being accessed is privileged or unprivileged. The data access command contains an identification of the initiator from which the data access command originated and an identification of the data source or destination being accessed. The security filter compares the initiator identification and data source or destination identification contained within the data access command with a list of those initiators defined as secure and a list of those data sources or destinations which are defined as unprivileged. The filter then blocks or allows the data access command signal according to a set of rules.
US08042156B2
Techniques are described for mapping an emulated SSL implementation to, for example, OpenSSL. An exemplary method includes receiving a request to initiate a communication session from an application, running in an emulation environment, with a first SSL API of an emulated SSL implementation running in the emulation environment, sending the request to a communication interface process that is running in a base computing environment, wherein the emulation environment is a process running on the base computing environment, extracting, with the communication interface process, communication session information from the request, calling, with the communication interface process, procedures provided by a second SSL API of an SSL implementation, in accordance with the request, to initiate a communication session with a computing device, wherein the SSL implementation is a program running in the base computing environment, initiating the communication session with the computing device, and transferring data to the computing device.
US08042153B2
A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for reducing the overhead associated with distributed password policy enforcement operations using a proxy server. When a proxy server provides a request from a client to a backend directory server, the proxy server determines whether a password policy check is required to be performed at the backend directory server. If a password policy check is not required to be performed at the backend directory server, the proxy server sends the client request together with a skip password policy control to the backend directory server. This skip password policy control informs the backend directory server to skip the password policy check on the client request.
US08042139B2
A method and system for configuring broadcast components includes a broadcast operation channel management system (BMS) forming a bit rate allocation chart and a compression control system storing a stream map having a channel lineup. The BMS retrieves the channel line up from the compression control system and modifying the channel lineup to form a modified channel line up. The BMS communicates the modified channel lineup to the compression control system.
US08042135B2
A method of controlling an apparatus for receiving an electronic program guide (EPG), and an EPG receiver using the same, enable preferred broadcast programs to be displayed and viewed using a reserved recording function, without performing specific searching or playback operations, by employing a user channel to simulate reception of real-time television broadcasting to enable a sequential display and viewing of at least one broadcast program via the user channel. A process of user channel editing includes steps of storing in memory EPG information arranged according to broadcast channel and broadcast time, the EPG information indicating at least one broadcast program; displaying, based on the stored EPG information, an EPG menu including a broadcast program setting area for at least one user channel and the EPG information indicating at least one broadcast program; identifying a broadcast program of the displayed EPG information, according to a user selection, to register the identified broadcast program for preprogrammed playback; and storing in memory program registration information corresponding to the registered broadcast program. A process of simulating real-time television reception of preferred broadcast programs on a user channel includes steps of storing in memory EPG information arranged according to broadcast channel and broadcast time, the EPG information indicating at least one broadcast program; storing in memory information indicative of a user channel, the user channel information including program registration information, the program registration information identifying at least one broadcast program registered for preprogrammed playback and including a start time of the at least one registered broadcast program and a broadcast time of a corresponding broadcast program based on the EPG information; and enabling a display of the at least one registered broadcast program according to the start time of the at least one registered broadcast program.
US08042133B2
A method of selecting a portion of a block of data for display based on characteristics of a display device. The method comprises several steps. In the first step, a block of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data is received at a communication device adapted to process this data. Next, an input is received at the communication device regarding an appearance of the display device. The communication device can be a set-top box. The appearance of the display includes, but is not limited to, the resolution, the aspect ratio (AR), and the physical size of the display. Based on these inputs, the communication device next selects a portion, more or fewer columns or rows, of the block of EPG data to be displayed on the display device. The portion of the EPG data selected is formatted and communicated to the display device, e.g. television, for viewing by the user.
US08042132B2
iTV content is created and deployed using a server component adapted to allow content developers to create applications according to an authoring specification that describes a framework for same; a transport component configured to optimize and deliver the applications to one or more clients; and a client component adapted to render the applications through a television so as to permit user interaction therewith. The authoring specification provides for the presentation of content through one or more templates defined therein, allowing application definition and behavior to remain common across multiple client device types, middleware platforms, and/or iTV operating environments. The framework for applications accommodates advertising, promotions, content placement packages and/or programming campaign definitions, so as to permit a selection of a specific advertisement, promotion or content at a time of preparation of the iTV content by the server, and/or a time of execution of the applications by the client.
US08042131B2
A method and system whereby conventional television advertisements (i.e., those delivered to viewers while they watch television programming) can be delivered in conjunction with and correlated with advertisements that are presented to viewers in the Interactive Program Guide (IPG). Moreover, the invention described herein provides for delivering highly targeted ads to viewers in both conventional programming avails and in the IPG, and for linking the targeted ads in these two media to provide for enhanced and highly effective advertising campaigns.
US08042127B2
An optical disk player, which comprises: a shell, a plummer fixed in the shell, an optical disk transport mechanism, a guiding mechanism, an optical disk loading final position detection mechanism, and a control part; the shell is 80-90 millimeters wide at the optical disk insertion direction; the detection parts of the guiding mechanism are located between the plummer and the delivery roll of the transport mechanism; the optical disk loading final position detection mechanism comprises a support part and a trigger bar; one end of the support part is rotatablely fixed to the upper base plate near the detection part of one detection bar, and its middle is provided with an assorted part interacting with the detection bar; the middle of the trigger bar is rotatablely fixed to the free end of the support part, of which one end is provided with a contact part for contacting the periphery of an optical disk, and the other end is connected to the control part. When an optical disk is at the playing position, a part of the optical disk will be exposed out of the shell of the optical disk player, so, when the optical disk is played, the status of the optical disk in the optical disk player can be intuitively seen from the outside.
US08042126B2
There is provided a disc player which can be reduced in the number of parts and in cost, and which can be designed to be thin and provided with a function of sufficiently self-holding a lock state.A drive unit 9 is constructed by a base plate 13 and a swing plate 17 for pinching a disc in cooperation with the base plate 13, and a lock mechanism 260 is disposed between the base plate 13 and the swing plate 17, and the operation of the lock mechanism 260 is interlocked with the operation of the swing plate 17.
US08042125B2
The disc changer device, for transporting a tray to a stand-by position where trays are housed in a stacked state, to a disc exchange position where a disc on the tray is exchanged, as well as to a disc recording/reproducing position where a recording/reproducing operation is carried out on the disc on the selected tray, is provided with a plurality of tray locking units that are prepared in association with the respective trays, and engaged with a corresponding trays so that each of the corresponding trays is prevented from being transported from the stand-by position to the disc exchange position, and an engagement releasing unit for releasing engagement between the selected tray and the tray locking unit related to the selected tray as well as engagement between a tray adjacent to the selected tray on a lower side thereof and the tray locking unit related to the adjacent tray.
US08042111B2
A unit: (a) sets event largest possible values used for limitation of the number of tasks and/or the size of areas in a buffer; (b) generates a task without reaching the event largest possible values when receiving an event, and reserves an area in the buffer for the task; (c) determines whether another event has been received before process of the task is completed; (d) deletes the task and releases the area if another new event has not been received; (e1) if it has been received and both the number of tasks and the size of the areas do not reach the event largest possible values, generates a new task and reserves another area in the buffer; and (e2) if it has been received and any of them reaches any of the event largest possible values, reuses the task and the area for the new event.
US08042109B2
In some embodiments, the invention involves a framework for using virtualization technology to efficiently support a domain-specific run-time environment. In at least one embodiment, a framework is utilized to take advantage of virtualization technology (VT) to partition performance critical and non-performance critical tasks of the same domain-specific application. An embodiment of the invention utilizes a general-purpose operating system to execute non-performance critical aspects of a domain, and uses a privileged VT-root mode to execute performance critical aspects of the domain. Another embodiment uses one or more guest VMs to execute the performance critical aspects of the domain-specific run-time environment. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08042108B2
A virtual machine is migrated between two servers. A method, at the first server, dismounts a volume on which all the files relating to the virtual machine are stored, and which was previously mounted at the first server. The method, at the second server, mounts the volume on which all the files relating to the virtual machine are stored, so that the second server can host the virtual machine. In this way, the virtual machine can be migrated without having to copy all the files from the first server to the second server. The files relating to the virtual machine are stored on a storage-area network (SAN).
US08042106B2
Embodiments of the invention include a data processing system and method for processing data in a mediation or service provisioning system of a communications network. In the invention, a special logic definition structure is formed based on the processing logic. The logic definition structure is designed so that it is easy to modify and efficient to execute. This is made possible by defining the processing logic in the form of a series of byte code instructions, wherein each instruction contains a pointer to a piece of program code performing a function and a pointer to parameters to be used in performing the function. The instructions, the program codes performing the functions, the pointers and the data under processing are preferably stored in arrays thus allowing the use of efficient pointer mechanisms together with flexibility and ease of modification.
US08042089B2
The embodiments of the invention described herein employ sophisticated techniques for managing distributed processes in a process automation system. Specifically, one embodiment of the invention implements a general purpose property mechanism in which arbitrary data is attached to any object in the system (e.g., projects, procedures, jobs, job steps, resources, etc), thereby providing a convenient way to configure the system without modifying the underlying program code. In addition, in one embodiment, a three-tier hierarchy of data object is employed: “projects,” “procedures,” and “steps” (or “projects,” “jobs” and “job steps” during runtime). A property may be attached to any object on any tier of the hierarchy to configure that object and (potentially) all of the objects which reference the property. The properties and property sheets may be attached both statically (before runtime) and dynamically (during runtime). Moreover, one embodiment of the invention employs a unique property substitution syntax to allow the value for a particular property to be located and substituted dynamically at runtime. In addition, advanced report generation techniques are described below in which the report generation process is logically separated into a data gathering stage and a report generation stage. The data gathering stage extracts certain specified properties and diagnostic information from each job step. The extracted information is then stored in a highly flexible, reusable data format which is used to create different types of user-configurable reports.
US08042075B2
Methods, systems and computer products are provided for reducing the design size of an integrated circuit while preserving the behavior of the design with respect to verification results. A multiplexer is inserted at the gate being analyzed, and the multiplexer selector is controlled to provide a predetermined output for one frame at the point being analyzed. It is then determined whether the circuit remains equivalent during application of the predetermined output in order to decide whether the gate being analyzed is a candidate for replacement.
US08042071B2
A storage element within a circuit design is identified. The storage element is replaced with both a first storage cell and a second storage cell. The second storage cell operates as a redundant storage cell to the first storage cell. An output of the first storage cell is connected to a first input of a comparator and an output of the second storage cell is connected to a second input of the comparator. The comparator provides an error indicator. Placement of the first storage cell, the second storage cell, the comparator, and one or more intervening cells is determined. The one or more intervening cells are placed between the first storage cell and the second storage cell. An integrated circuit is created using the comparator, the first storage cell, the second storage cell, the one or more intervening cells, and the determined placement.
US08042070B2
Impact on parametric performance of physical design choices for transistors is scored for on-current and off-current of the transistors. The impact of the design parameters are incorporated into parameters that measure predicted shift in mean on-current and mean off-current and parameters that measure predicted increase in deviations in the distribution of on-current and the off-current. Statistics may be taken at a cell level, a block level, or a chip level to optimize a chip design in a design phase, or to predict changes in parametric yield during manufacturing or after a depressed parametric yield is observed. Further, parametric yield and current level may be predicted region by region and compared with observed thermal emission to pinpoint any anomaly region in a chip to facilitate detection and correction in any mistakes in chip design.
US08042064B2
A system and method for delivering Virtual Reality (VR) tour content and spatial navigation comprising the hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) through a dynamic web-based relational database that stores, manipulates, co-ordinates and classifies complex digital data sets over a common gateway interface for on request interactive exchange and search engine retrieval of hotspots. The dynamic online-based software generates and organizes dynamic VR tours through a secure intuitive back-end system allowing the administrator/licensee to maintain technical, quality and security control ensuring secure access for development, modification, management, and distribution of each VR tour. Each VR tour encompasses the interactive exchange of hotspots allowing visitors to interact with still or panoramic pictures and videos which are linked to graphical site information (e.g. maps), URL web-links, text, hyperlinked banners, PDF documents, audio files and direct email-links which can automatically be modularized for off-line operation on mobile devices such as laptops, PDA's and CD's.
US08042063B1
A system and method for the multiple selection of digitally stored objects and the link-tokens of each selected object for simultaneous presentation and examination of the selected objects with their associated linked objects and information, including organized array presentation for graphical thumbnails that represent the selected objects, as well as sub-framing, which allows intelligent partitioning of information associated with an object.
US08042045B1
Help implementation feature for video games. A two-tiered approach for offering guidance and assistance to the user of a computer software program. Event-generated help is activated when the user first initiates an event within the video game software program. Context-sensitive help is always available to the user but remains inactive until help is requested by the user. The event-generated help and context-sensitive help act in tandem to fully support the user at all times during game play. The invention can be implemented via a stand-alone computing system or such a system interconnected with other platforms or data stores by a network, such as a corporate intranet, a local area network, or the Internet.
US08042044B2
The invention relates to a data processing system comprising a display screen (102), a graphical user interface for displaying objects on the display screen, and detection means (102) for detecting a touch position of a pointing object (103) on the display screen. The detection means (102) is capable of measuring a distance between the pointing object and the display screen. A property of the displayed objects is dependent on the measured distance between the pointing object and the display screen.
US08042043B2
The present invention provides a system and method for a configurable gaming system. Certain embodiments of the system include a local storage for storing a markup language file and token resolution information and a markup language viewer for processing the markup language file. The markup language viewer processes contents of the markup language file and resolves tokens in the markup language file using the token resolution information from the local storage to generate a resolved markup language file for display at a gaming system. The markup language file may include display content, markup language tags, and tokens. The markup language file may include read-only information and variable information to be resolved by the markup viewer for display. The markup language file may be a binary markup language file including tokens or other indicia for resolution.
US08042033B2
Protection of access information in wireless communications is achieved by transmitting access information related to configuration to a terminal, receiving a result of a countermeasure procedure performed by the terminal, deciding whether the configuration is correct or not based on the received result, and if not correct, allowing the terminal to receive access information, or if correct, performing the configuration.
US08042032B2
A novel method to divide the whole decoding process of the Viterbi decoder into four pipeline stages and the Viterbi decoder therefore. With an appropriate choice on the system clock, the invention trade-off the decoding speed with the hardware cost so that the designed Viterbi decoder is able to satisfy the decoding speed requirement for the highest speed profile in VDSL2 systems, 30 MHz profile. At the same time, with four-stage pipeline to just enough to meet the speed requirement, the hardware cost for the new designed Viterbi decoder is reduced compared with single-staged decoding.
US08042029B2
A representation of a codeword is decoded by applying a first decoder of the codeword to the representation of the codeword. If applying the first decoder fails to decode the representation of the codeword then a second decoder of the codeword is applied to the representation of the codeword. Preferably, applying the first decoder consumes less power and is faster than applying the second decoder. Data are ported by encoding the data as a codeword, exporting the codeword to a corrupting medium, importing a representation of the codeword, and applying a first decoder to the representation of the codeword. If applying the first decoder fails to decode the representation of the codeword then a second decoder of the codeword is applied to the representation of the codeword.
US08042028B2
The second rate de-matching unit carries out a second rate de-matching step in parallel to each of two data defining the received data Rx for removing bits having been repeated in a second rate matching step having been carried out in a base station, or de-removing bits having been punctured in the second rate matching step having been carried out in a base station. The adders carry out a combining step in parallel in which data stored in the IR buffer is added to associated data among the two data. The first rate de-matching/turbo-decoding unit carries out a first rate de-matching step in which bits having been punctured in a first rate matching step having been carried out in a base station are repeated to data having been output from the input buffers, and simultaneously, repeatedly carries out a turbo-decoding step to the data.
US08042026B2
A method for efficiently calculating syndromes in Reed-Solomon decoding is adapted to be implemented in a processor having a parallel processing instruction set. The method includes: (a) initializing a syndrome vector; (b) obtaining a symbol from a Reed-Solomon block code; (c) finding a lookup index based on the symbol; (d) using the parallel processing instruction set, obtaining a finite field product vector corresponding to the lookup index from a finite field vector multiplication table that includes at least one finite field product vector; (e) using the parallel processing instruction set, performing vector finite field addition on the finite field product vector corresponding to the lookup index and the syndrome vector, thereby obtaining an updated syndrome vector; and (f) outputting the updated syndrome vector.
US08042023B2
A memory system, with a memory controller and a memory module, is configured to transfer error securing data and address signals within signal frames between the memory controller and the memory module. The memory system includes: an address register configured to pre-store an address signal associated with at least one block of data signals to be transferred, and at least one cyclic redundancy checksum calculator included in one of the memory controller and the memory module, the calculators being configured to calculate a cyclic redundancy checksum for the at least one data signal block, wherein the pre-stored address signal is used as an initial value for the calculation of the cyclic redundancy checksum and the at least one block of data and address signals are transferred together with the calculated cyclic redundancy checksum.
US08042020B2
A data error correction circuit includes a plurality of one-bit registers, a data error detection unit and a data error correction unit. The data error detection unit detects whether all the data values stored in the plurality of the registers are equal. The data correction unit determines a correct data value based upon each of the stored data values, and corrects each of the data values into the determined correct data value if the data values are not equal. Therefore, the data error correction circuit may correct a data error due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) or electromagnetic interference (EMI).
US08042014B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a functional block to observe a state of a signal line in the apparatus. The functional block includes a signal transfer section to receive, transmit and output the state of the signal line, and an observation flip-flop to store a state of an input terminal or an output terminal of the signal transfer section.
US08042012B2
Disclosed are methods, systems and devices, such as a device including a data location, a quantizing circuit coupled to the data location, and a test module coupled to the quantizing circuit. The quantizing circuit may include an analog-to-digital converter, a switch coupled to the memory element and a feedback signal path coupled to the output of the analog-to-digital converter and to the switch.
US08042009B2
An electronic control device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an arithmetic device such as a microcomputer having a watchdog timer circuit, and a runaway monitoring circuit which monitors the arithmetic device for an operational failure by receiving a pulse output from the arithmetic device, in which the watchdog timer circuit or the runaway monitoring circuit detects occurrence of a failure of the arithmetic device according to the state (high level or low level) of an indication signal (wakeup signal) which shows the operational state of the arithmetic device.
US08042001B2
A computer system and storage medium that, in an embodiment, prohibit breakpoints from being set within a protected range. In an embodiment, a protected range may be an atomic operation synchronization code range, either based on instructions generated by a compiler or based on source statements that are compiler directives. When a command, such as an add breakpoint command is received, the address of the breakpoint is compared to the protected range, and if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is not set. In another embodiment, if the address is within the protected range, the breakpoint is set before the start or after the end of the protected range. In this way, the problems of endless loops may be obviated.
US08041998B2
A method and/or a system of a processor-agnostic encoded debug architecture in a pipelined environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a processor includes processing an event specified by a data processing system coupled to the processor to determine a boundary of the event, generating a matrix having combinations of the event and other events occurring simultaneously in the processor, capturing an output data of observed ones of the event and other events, and applying the matrix to generate an encoded debug data of the output data. The method may also include determining which of the combinations are valid based on an architecture of the processor. The event may be a trace-worthy event whose output value cannot be reliably predicted in an executable file in the data processing system and/or a sync event that is specified by a user of the data processing system.
US08041991B2
A method for recovering solid state drive (SSD) data may comprise: detecting a failed SSD comprising one or more data blocks; receiving a request to write data to the one or more data blocks of the failed SSD; writing the data to one or more data blocks of an operational drive; and rebuilding the failed SSD from the failed SSD and the one or more data blocks of the operational drive.A system for recovering solid state drive (SSD) data may comprise: means for detecting a failed SSD comprising one or more data blocks; means for receiving a request to write data to the one or more data blocks of the failed SSD; means for writing the data to one or more data blocks of an operational drive; and means for rebuilding the failed SSD from the failed SSD and the one or more data blocks of the operational drive.
US08041990B2
A system and method for error correction and detection in a memory system. The system includes a memory controller, a plurality of memory modules and a mechanism. The memory modules are in communication with the memory controller and with a plurality of memory devices. The mechanism detects that one of the memory modules has failed possibly coincident with a memory device failure on an other of the memory modules. The mechanism allows the memory system to continue to run unimpaired in the presence of the memory module failure and the memory device failure.
US08041986B2
A proposed fail over method for taking over task that is preformed on an active server to a backup server, even when the active server and the backup server have different hardware configuration. The method for making a backup server take over task when a fault occurs on a active server, comprises steps of acquiring configuration information on the hardware in the active server and the backup server, acquiring information relating the hardware in the backup server with the hardware in the active server, selecting a backup server to take over the task that is executed on the active server where the fault occurred, creating logical partitions on the selected backup server, and taking over the task executed on the active server logical partitions, in the logical partitions created on the selected backup server.
US08041980B2
A time certifying server has a clock unit that outputs time information. Units of time equal to or larger than a predetermined unit are acquired from the time information. Units of time from the time information smaller than the predetermined unit are corrected using an acquired correction time and without correcting the acquired units of time equal to or larger than the predetermined unit. A reference time is received from a reference time distributing server that distributes reference time. A verification process is then executed to verify that the clock unit operates at a precision falling within a predetermined range by confirming that, in the time of the units equal to or larger than the predetermined unit, the acquired time and the received reference time coincide with each other. A certification target information that serves as time certification target is received from a client terminal. Time certification information of the received certification target information is generated after verification of the operational precision of the clock unit using the corrected units of time. The generated time certification information is transmitted to the client terminal.
US08041973B2
Activation of an external sensor coupled to an electronic device will change the frequency of a low power oscillator in the electronic device that runs during a low power sleep mode of the electronic device. When a change in frequency of the low power oscillator is detected, the electronic device will wake-up from the low power sleep mode. In addition, when a change in frequency from an external frequency source is detected, the electronic device will wake-up from the low power sleep mode.
US08041967B2
A method comprises collecting utilization data for a resource, and predicting by a power management system, based on the collected utilization data, future utilization of the resource. The method further comprises controlling, by the power management system, power to the resource, based at least in part on the predicted future utilization of the resource. In one embodiment, the utilization data is collected for a plurality of resources that are operable to perform tasks, and the method further comprises determining, by the power management system, how many of the resources are needed to provide a desired capacity for servicing the predicted future utilization of the resources for performing the tasks. The method further comprises configuring, by the power management system, ones of the resources exceeding the determined number of resources needed to provide the desired capacity in a reduced power-consumption mode.
US08041964B2
An apparatus for selectively enabling power including a power supply, and a device having a controller and an input activated by a user. The controller is selectively powered by the power supply. While the device is in a sleep state, a sensing circuit senses activation of the input by the user and enables the power supply to provide power to the controller in response to the sensed activation of the input by the user. A latch circuit causes the power supply to continue to provide power to the controller. The controller is responsive to the sensed activation of the input by the user for enabling the latch circuit and for disabling the latch circuit, thereby reentering the device into a sleep state.
US08041962B2
An information processing device includes a power control section and a function-suppressing section. The power control section switches between a predetermined mode and a low-power mode on the basis of a pre-specified setting condition relating to power consumption of the information processing device. The low-power mode is lower in electricity consumption quantities than the predetermined mode. When switching from the low-power mode to the predetermined mode in a period of operation of an external security apparatus, the function-suppressing section suppresses a part of functions of the device in the predetermined mode.
US08041955B2
A mechanism for mutual authorization of a secondary resource in a grid of resource computers is provided. When a primary resource attempts to offload a grid computing job to a secondary resource, the primary resource sends a proxy certificate request to the user machine. Responsive to a proxy certificate request, the user machine performs authorization with the secondary resource. If authorization with the secondary resource is successful, the user machine generates and returns a valid proxy certificate. The primary resource then performs mutual authentication with the secondary resource. If the authorization with the secondary resource fails, the user machine generates and returns an invalid proxy certificate. Mutual authentication between the primary resource and the secondary resource will fail due to the invalid proxy certificate. The primary resource then selects another secondary resource and repeats the process until a resource is found that passes the mutual authorization with the user machine.
US08041945B2
A method and apparatus is described for processing of network data packets by a network processor having cipher processing cores and authentication processing cores which operate on data within the network data packets, in order to provide a one-pass ciphering and authentication processing of the network data packets.
US08041932B2
Devices in a processing system may be managed by performing a first scan of a bus of the processing system from a first partition. In one embodiment, the first scan may discover location information for devices on the bus. A communications hub of the processing system may be programmed to hide at least one of the devices on the bus. After the communications hub is so programmed, the first partition may scan the bus again. A second partition of the processing system may receive location information for one or more of the devices detected in the first scan but not detected in the second scan. In one embodiment, the second partition may boot, and then the communications hub may again be programmed to hide at least one of the devices on the bus. An operating system may then boot on the first partition. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08041929B2
Techniques for processing each of multiple threads that share a core processor include receiving an intra-thread register address from the core processor. This address contains C bits for accessing each of 2c registers for each thread. A thread ID is received from a thread scheduler external to the core processor. The Thread ID contains T bits for indicating a particular thread for up to 2T threads. A particular register is accessed in a register bank that has 2(C+T) registers using an inter-thread address that includes both the intra-thread register address and the thread ID. The particular register holds contents for the intra-thread register address for a thread having the thread ID. Consequently, register contents of all registers of all threads reside in the register bank. Thread switching is accomplished rapidly by simply accessing different slices in the register bank, without swapping contents between a set of registers and memory.
US08041928B2
An information handling system includes a processor that may perform issue queue virtual load/store instruction operations. The issue queue maintains load and store instructions with a real/virtual dependency flag. The issue queue provides storage resources for real and virtual load/store instructions. Real load/store instructions execute in a load store unit LSU. Virtual load/store instructions are pending execution in the LSU. The LSU may keep track of each virtual load/store instruction within the issue queue by thread, type, and pointer data. Provided that all dependencies are clear for a pending virtual load/store instruction, the LSU marks the pending virtual load/store instruction as real. The pending virtual load/store instruction may then issue to the LSU as a real load/store instruction.
US08041927B2
A processor (and method) of processing multiple data by a single instruction includes first and second register sets each of which includes a plurality of registers, and an arithmetic unit to rearrange data being registered in the first and second register sets according to a relative size of an absolute value of the data between the first and second register sets so that the relative size is defined before executing an instruction considering the relative size.
US08041923B2
What is provided is a load page table entry address function defined for a machine architecture of a computer system. In one embodiment, a machine instruction is obtained which contains an opcode indicating that a load page table entry address function is to be performed. The machine instruction contains an M field, a first field identifying a first general register, and a second field identifying a second general register. Based on the contents of the M field, an initial origin address of a hierarchy of address translation tables having at least one segment table is obtained. Based on the obtained initial origin address, dynamic address translation is performed until a page table entry is obtained. The page table entry address is saved in the identified first general register.
US08041921B2
An apparatus and system are presented for utilizing tape storage media segmentation to improve data access performance. A segmented tape storage medium within a tape cartridge having a first and second segment is utilized. A selection module allows a user to select a user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium that is less than the usable capacity of the tape storage medium. The user-defined capacity allows the user to prefer improved data access over tape storage capacity. Data, when written to the tape, is written only within the user-defined capacity. Data may be written exclusively on the first segment or written on both the first segment and second segment allowing data access to be improved. In addition, the user-defined capacity may correspond to the full capacity of the tape storage media.
US08041918B2
A method for performing garbage collection involves obtaining a first reference bitmap including a block address and a set of mark bits, obtaining a first reference, identifying a mark bit of the set of mark bits based on the first reference, comparing an address associated with the mark bit with the first reference to generate a comparison, selecting an existing word from a global bit map based on the block address and the comparison, calculating a new word based on the set of mark bits and the existing word, replacing the existing word in the global bit map with the new word, and reclaiming a block of memory for reuse based on the global bit map after replacing the existing word.
US08041905B2
A method for dynamically allocating control of a storage device, the method comprising receiving an access request from a first computer requesting access to a storage device; directing, based upon the access request, a first storage controller computer to assume an inactive state with respect to control of the storage device; and directing, based upon the access request, a second storage controller computer to assume an active state with respect to control of the storage device.
US08041902B2
A method, apparatus and program product are provided for moving data from a source memory zone to a target memory zone of a computer. A source host operating system invokes a synchronous multiple move command for SBAL output buffers with a common target zone. The machine firmware identifies and validates the target argument of the first SBAL, validates the target zone state, moves the data associated with the first SBAL to the target zone; and then iteratively moves the data associated with the remaining SBALs to the target zone.
US08041901B2
A performance monitoring device and method are disclosed. The device monitors performance events of a processor. A counter is adjusted in response to the occurrence of a particular performance event. The counter can be associated with a particular instruction address range, or a data address range, so that the counter is adjusted only when the performance event occurs at the instruction address range or the data address range. Accordingly, the information stored in the counter can be analyzed to determine if a particular instruction address range or data address range results in a particular performance event. Multiple counters, each associated with a different performance event, instruction address range, or data address range, can be employed to allow for a detailed analysis of which portions of a program lead to particular performance events.
US08041891B2
A RAID level migration system and method are provided that enable RAID level migration to be performed without the use of a hardware RAID controller with NVRAM for storing the migration parameters. Eliminating the need for a hardware controller having NVRAM significantly reduces the costs associated with performing RAID level migration. The system and method are capable of migrating from any arbitrary RAID level to any other arbitrary RAID level.
US08041878B2
The flash file system includes a flash memory and a subsystem interfacing between the flash memory and a host system. The subsystem includes a hierarchical structure of a host system interface, cache memory system, flash translation layer unit and a flash memory interface. The host system interface interfaces with the host system. The cache memory system has a storage capacity of a predetermined number of data units and stores data for transfer to and from the host system via the host system interface. The flash translation layer unit maps a logical address received from the host system via the host system interface and the cache memory into a physical address of the flash memory. The flash memory interface interfaces with the flash memory to transfer data to the flash memory from the cache memory system based on the physical address received from the flash translation layer unit and to transfer data from the flash memory to the cache memory system based on the physical address received from the flash translation layer unit.
US08041876B1
A method for providing hardware support for memory protection and virtual memory address translation for a virtual machine. The method includes executing a host machine application within a host machine context and executing a virtual machine application within a virtual machine context. A plurality of TLB (translation look aside buffer) entries for the virtual machine context and the host machine context are stored within a TLB. Memory protection bits for the plurality of TLB entries are logically combined to enforce memory protection on the virtual machine application.
US08041875B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for virtualizing resources including peripheral components and peripheral interfaces. Peripheral component such as hardware accelerators and peripheral interfaces such as port adapters are offloaded from individual servers onto a resource virtualization switch. Multiple servers are connected to the resource virtualization switch over an I/O bus fabric such as PCI Express or PCI-AS. The resource virtualization switch allows efficient access, sharing, management, and allocation of resources.
US08041873B2
A computer system for multi-processing purposes. The computer system has a console comprising a first coupling site and a second coupling site. Each coupling site comprises a connector. The console is an enclosure that is capable of housing each coupling site. The system also has a plurality of computer modules, where each of the computer modules is coupled to a connector. Each of the computer modules has a processing unit, a main memory coupled to the processing unit, a graphics controller coupled to the processing unit, and a mass storage device coupled to the processing unit. Each of the computer modules is substantially similar in design to each other to provide independent processing of each of the computer modules in the computer system.
US08041872B1
Embodiments of the invention include a bus bridge that is capable of communicating with more than one MSC device coupled to it. In some embodiments, the bridge includes a processor that translates different routing numbers received from the bus into different addresses and routing numbers for devices connected to the bridge. The bridge masks the fact that multiple MSC devices are coupled to it by reporting to the host that only a single device having multiple LUNs are coupled to the bridge.
US08041868B2
A combination includes a first bus master coupled to a first bus to output a first signal group including at least one of signals onto the first bus, a second bus master coupled to the first bus to output a second signal group including at least one of signals onto the first bus, an interconnect section coupled between the first bus and a second bus to receive the first and second signal groups and to output a third signal group including at least one of signals onto the second bus, and a bridge section coupled between the second bus and a third bus to receive the third signal group and to output a fourth signal group including at least one of signals onto the third bus free from performing a selecting operation for the third signal group.
US08041865B2
A memory system includes a number of integrated circuit chips coupled to a bus. Each of the integrated circuit chips has an input/output node coupled to the bus, the input/output node having a programmable on-die termination resistor. The input/output node of one of the integrated circuit chips is accessed via the bus. The programmable on-die termination resistor of each of the integrated circuit chips is independently set to a termination resistance. The termination resistance is determined by a transaction type and which of the plurality memory devices is being accessed, which information can be transmitted over a separate transmission control bus.
US08041862B2
A data flow control and bridging architecture that enhances the performance of removable data storage systems. In one implementation, the present invention provides a bypass bus implementation where the data transfer phase associated with select commands occurs directly between the host computing system and the target removable data storage unit. In one implementation, the present invention further provides a data flow and bridging architecture that emulates a removable media interface, such as the ATAPI interface, to the host computing system, and translates these commands for a target removable storage unit that implements a fixed media interface, such as the ATA interface. In yet another implementation, the present invention provides a data flow and bridging architecture that supports the serial ATA interface.
US08041855B1
A system for communicating with a processor within an integrated circuit can include a dual-bus adapter (115) coupled to the processor (105) through a first communication channel (110) and a second communication channel (120). The dual-bus adapter further can be coupled to a memory map interface (135) through which at least one peripheral device communicates with the processor. Single word operations can be exchanged between the processor and the dual-bus adapter through the first communication channel. Burst transfer operations can be performed by exchanging signaling information between the processor and the dual-bus adapter over the first communication channel and exchanging data words between the processor and the dual-bus adapter through the second communication channel.
US08041853B2
A method of processing a data stream through a buffer is performed in accordance with a write clock and a read clock. The buffer has a plurality of sequentially numbered storage cells. The method includes the steps of selecting an initial preload value, with the selecting step including determining a product of the maximum frequency offset between the write and read clocks, and a maximum time between arbitrary symbols in the data stream. The storage cells then receive data units in response to a write pointer. Data units are then provided from the storage cells in response to a read pointer.
US08041849B2
The present invention is a method for handling an operation system kernel-provided command via a software-based device driver. The method includes receiving the operation system kernel-provided command from an operation system kernel. The method further includes determining if a kernel virtual address is required for responding to the command. The method further includes initiating a Direct Memory Access (DMA) operation for providing data to the operating system kernel in response to the command when a kernel virtual address is not required for responding to the command. The method further includes allocating a device driver buffer with a DMA address and a virtual address when a kernel virtual address is required for responding to the command.
US08041843B2
A device, including a first storage unit configured to store a first plurality of files and a first management data corresponding to the first files; a connector configured to connect to an external storage device, the external storage being configured to store a second plurality of files and second management data corresponding to the second files; a controller configured to generate new management data by merging the first management data and the second management data, and to store the new management data in a memory; and a display unit configured to display contents of the first and second plurality of files based on the new management data without indicating to the user where the respective files are stored.
US08041832B2
Embodiments of a system and method for distributing network data to multiple nodes in a data communications network is described. Two data communication channels are provided for each node in the network. While one of the communication channels carries routing and flow control protocol messages, as well as data, in both directions between network nodes, the other communication channel is configured to transmit data traffic—and only data traffic—in a single direction from the network data server toward all of the other nodes in the network. By using 100% of the available bandwidth for data traffic only, the speed at which data may be distributed throughout the network is maximized and the performance degradation caused by the congestion, collisions or packet loss that typically occurs in two-way data communication channels is avoided.
US08041831B2
A method of broadcasting a succession of contents through a computer network from a broadcasting source (S) to a plurality of receiver terminals able to receive from the source. The method includes, for each content, sending data units conveying the content from the source through the computer network, and supplying the receiver terminals with an indication enabling them to identify each transition between two successive contents, thus enabling the receiver terminals to determine the time of a transition between successive contents more precisely. The data units to be broadcast are marked by modifying the marking of the data units of the successive contents separated by a single transition. The receiver terminals (T) are supplied with marking information enabling them to distinguish between data units belonging to different contents (Cn, Cn+1) with the aid of their marking.
US08041826B2
An Ajax proxy indirection technique enables a local, front-end proxy server to handle Ajax requests from an Ajax client that must be serviced by an external Ajax server in an external domain, instead of a local Ajax back-end server exposing itself to the external domain. The front-end proxy server accepts the Ajax client's request and forwards it to the local Ajax back-end server. The proxy server asks the local AJAX server for the credentials to be used in the “external” AJAX request. The local Ajax back-end server then responds to the proxy server with meta-data for the external domain request that the proxy will make to the external domain. The proxy server uses the credentials of the “external” AJAX request to make the external request to the external Ajax server in the external domain. The proxy server performs any authentication and necessary domain mapping with the external Ajax server before sending a response from the external Ajax server back to the client.
US08041815B2
Systems and methods are described for managing network connectivity for mobile users, particularly when a mobile user roams between two networks or between two subnets of a network. An announcer signal is broadcast by a host organization. The announcer signal includes a network identifier, an authorizer address and a verifier address. A mobile client monitors for the announcer signal and, when detected, provides an option to connect to the network via the authorizer. Once authorization is obtained, the mobile client communicates with the network through the verifier. The verifier received tagged data packets from a mobile client and only accepts the data packets if a valid tag (created with an authorization key) is included therewith. Multiple verifiers may be used to provide load balancing and fault tolerance (in the event a verifier fails). If a mobile client disconnects from a network and later reconnects, the mobile client does not have to be re-authorized if the mobile client still has a valid authorization key.
US08041809B2
An infrastructure “insurance” mechanism enables a Web site to fail over to a content delivery network (CDN) upon a given occurrence at the site. Upon such occurrence, at least some portion of the site's content is served preferentially from the CDN so that end users that desire the content can still get it, even if the content is not then available from the origin site. In operation, content requests are serviced from the site in the usual manner, e.g., by resolving DNS queries to the site's IP address, until detection of the given occurrence. Thereafter, DNS queries are managed by a CDN dynamic DNS-based request routing mechanism so that such queries are resolved to optimal CDN edge servers. After the event that caused the occurrence has passed, control of the site's DNS may be returned from the CDN back to the origin server's DNS mechanism.
US08041807B2
A method, system and program product for determining a number of concurrent users being served by a system at a given point-in-time is provided. The method includes running, at a pre-determined point-in-time, a collection script for collecting user data from one or more target systems, the user data collected including a number of concurrent users logged into each of the target systems at the pre-determined point-in-time. The method further includes generating one or more electronic transmissions for transmitting the user data collected, loading the one or more electronic transmissions generated into a monitoring system, and creating an output file containing the user data. Further, the loading step includes parsing the user data loaded, storing the user data collected and parsed into a database and updating the stored user data. Moreover, the method includes transmitting the output file from the monitoring system to one or more monitoring system clients.
US08041797B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for allocating resources based on predictions of service level agreement (SLA) breaches in order to minimize costs are provided. With the method, apparatus, and computer instructions, a prediction that an SLA will be breached is received from a prediction engine associated with the SLM system. Based on a prediction that an SLA will be breached, a minimum cost analysis is performed to determine if computer resources may be shifted from another service consumer under another SLA to facilitate the service consumer of the potentially breached SLA in order to reduce the cost of the penalty associated with breaching SLAs. If so, resources are reallocated in order to minimize penalties associated with SLA breaches.
US08041795B2
The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for allowing private domains in the IMS, which makes it possible to use a SIP URI like ID@private-domain.TLD. This is achieved by providing an administration support and an interface to the IMS interconnect DNS and the DNS system of the operator network. The identity associated with private domain is established as a Private domain name based IMPU.
US08041790B2
A system generates an executable process for execution by a concurrent computing environment, generates a configuration that specifies configurable properties of the concurrent computing environment, and initiates execution of the executable process, with the concurrent computing environment, to initiate configuration of the concurrent computing environment based on the configurable properties of the configuration.
US08041781B2
An improved system and method for supporting web system services is provided for storing data and context of client applications on the web. A client application may include a web system services interface for invoking web system services to support web applications to operate over the web using different devices that may store data and context of web applications as a web application document onto a web server. A web application document may be represented by components that may include view information, content, and context information. The application may also include a web system services user interface for providing a graphical user interface for a user to invoke web system services that may include a new document system service, a store document system service, and a restore document system service. A schema for context scope may be implemented for collecting context information relevant to the web application document.
US08041779B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method that includes a vehicle that exchanges information with the remote location by way of a communication network. A remote server transmits vehicle-related information to the vehicle by way of a communication system. Information may also be broadcast to and received by the vehicle by way of a broadcast communication system. A receiver of the vehicle provides user access to only a subset of the broadcast information based on user preferences of a user profile. The user may update the user profile by accessing and updating it at either the vehicle or by accessing a database. The user may access the database through a network, such as the Internet. The vehicle also selectively transmits vehicle-related information to the remote location when a predetermined event occurs. The vehicle-related information is compiled and analyzed at the remote location, and the analyzed information is transmitted back to the vehicle.
US08041776B2
A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server. The gateway server then relays the requested information back to the user's remote communication device.
US08041772B2
The present invention provides a method, system and program product for deploying and allocating resources, and addressing threats in an autonomic sensor network ecosystem. Specifically, under the present invention, the autonomic sensor network ecosystem includes a set (e.g., one or more) of sensor networks each having a set of sensor peers and at least one super peer; a set of micro grid gateways; and a set of enterprise gateways. Each micro grid gateway is typically adapted to receive requests from a sensor network, an enterprise gateway, and/or another micro grid gateway. Moreover, each micro grid gateway includes a request broker for receiving the requests; a request queue manager for queuing the requests; a scheduler for scheduling the requests; and a resource manager for monitoring the set of sensor networks.
US08041768B2
Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data include enabling instant messaging communication between a sender an at least one recipient through an instant messaging host. In addition, voice communication is enabled between the sender and the recipient through the instant messaging host.
US08041766B2
Presence information for an object in a digital image is determined. An identifier associated with at least one object depicted in the image is allowed to be stored as image metadata. The identifier is sufficient to determine presence information from at least one of a presence application and a presence roster list. Presence information for the at least one object is determined based on the identifier from the at least one of a presence application and a presence roster list. An action related to the object is performed using the determined presence information.
US08041751B2
Processing arrangements and methods are provided for the automated decoding or translation of information in healthcare data records, which are coded in a non-standardized or varying formats. A data record which contains information, a portion which is recognized and another portion of which is new, is decoded or translated using a statistical mapping rule. The mapping rule assigns a most likely translation value to the information based on the recognized portion of the information. The statistical mapping rules are established by analysis of a set of previously decoded data records.
US08041749B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, related to managing specification, enforcement, or auditing of electronic health information use. In general, data characterizing a request to modify access rights to health information is received and the access rights are modified in accordance with the request, where the modifying includes modifying a property characterizing access rights of a relationship between a first user and second users, or an organization of the second users. The access rights may be independent of the health information and modification of access rights may be independent of a security of the health information.
US08041746B2
Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method for creating a mapping includes obtaining a definition relating to a first schema, the definition comprising a first plurality of nodes to be mapped to a second schema comprising a second plurality of nodes. The method includes receiving at least one context value for the received definition, the context value being associated with at least one context category defined for the second schema. The method includes generating names corresponding to each of the nodes in the first plurality, the generated names being consistent with a naming rule for the second schema. The method includes mapping each of the nodes in the first plurality to a respective one of the nodes in the second plurality, wherein the context value and at least one of the generated names are taken into account in the mapping.
US08041744B2
In a modeling method and system, a model is created by using parametric basic elements and parameterized complementary elements, each having special parameters; such that a complementary object to be created with a parameterized complementary element is directly or indirectly, at least via one of its parameter values, associated with at least one basic object created with a basic element.
US08041731B2
Techniques are described herein for supporting efficient evaluation of pivot operations. In an embodiment, a pivoting query on a data table is received. The query identifies pivot columns, measure columns, and grouping columns. In response to receiving the query, a staging table that comprises new pivot columns, aggregated columns, and new grouping columns may be created. For each particular unique combination of values of the grouping columns and the pivot columns in the data table, stored values in the measure columns in the data table are aggregated for certain rows in the plurality of rows in the data table. Each row of the certain rows comprises the each particular unique combination of values of the grouping columns and the pivot columns in the data table. Results of aggregating are stored in the staging table. Data that has been populated in the staging table is transposed into a result set.
US08041728B2
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for applying query-level and parameter-level display profiles to abstract queries are provided. Display profiles allow users to utilize existing abstract queries for purposes of data analysis. In one embodiment, display profiles are used to change the scope of an existing abstract query or incorporate existing data processing functions into the abstract query.
US08041725B2
Providing a unique entry identifier, which is an identifier specific to a calendar entry. The calendar entry can be an entry associated with a set of different electronic calendars, each associated with a specific user. Data for each user specific calendar can be stored in a structured data store. A set of records for each user specific calendar can be maintained and utilized independent of other sets of records associated with other ones of the users. The unique entry identifier can be an identifier unique for the calendar entry within the associated set of records, and wherein the same unique entry identifier is utilized for the calendar entry within each of the different sets of records as a unique identifier for the calendar entry. For example, when calendar updates are conveyed via email among a set of users, shared meetings can always be associated with a unique entry identifier used by all calendaring systems.
US08041716B2
An apparatus, methods, and computer program products for selection of content. The content search method includes receiving a search request having search data including search terms, utilizing the search request to query against databases comprising transcripts of programs yet to be released, and returning results to the search request.
US08041702B2
A method and apparatus for searching for a documents residing on a network comprises receiving a search request from a user. The search request comprises one or more search terms of an ontology. The ontology includes a plurality of terms. One or more of the plurality of terms includes a plurality of sub-category terms. One or more documents residing on the network is identified based on the one or more search terms and an ontology index. The ontology index comprises a plurality of relationships between the plurality of terms and sub-category terms of the ontology and a plurality of documents residing on the network. One or more search results that describe the one or more documents is presented to the user. The one or more documents contain the one or more search terms, or one of the plurality of sub-category terms of the one or more search terms.
US08041699B2
A process is disclosed for retrieving information in large heterogeneous data bases, wherein information retrieval through visual querying/browsing is supported by dynamic taxonomies; the process providing the steps of: initially showing (F1) a complete taxonomy for the retrieval; refining (F2) the retrieval through a selection of subsets of interest, where the refining is performed by selecting concepts in the taxonomy and combining them through boolean operations; showing (F3) a reduced taxonomy for the selected set; and further refining (F4) the retrieval through an iterative execution of the refining and showing steps.
US08041697B2
Technologies are described herein for generating a semantic translation rule to support natural language search. In one method, a first expression and a second expression are received. A first representation is generated based on the first expression, and a second representation is generated based on the second expression. Aligned pairs of a first term in the first representation and a second term in the second representation are determined. For each aligned pair, the first term and the second term are replaced with a variable associated with the aligned pair. Word facts that occur in both the first representation and the second representation are removed from the first representation and the second representation. The remaining word facts in the first representation are replaced with a broader representation of the word facts. The translation rule including the first representation, an operator, and the second semantic representation is generated.
US08041695B2
This description provides tools and techniques for automatically extracting data from semi-structured documents. A computer-readable storage medium may contain computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to receive a request for data representing an inferred structure of an input document. For the request, the computer may determine whether a repository containing mined information includes the requested data. If the repository contains the requested data, the computer may return the data representing the inferred structure of the input document in response to the request.
US08041693B2
A method to control a computer is provided. The computer executes steps of designating the image data file, generating locator information to indicate a location of a corresponding storage folder based on a unique identification of the image data file, and creating the corresponding storage folder having the locator information, which indicates a location of the storage folder, as a folder name. Also, the computer may execute steps including making a copy of the designated image data file having the unique identification and the file name, storing the copied image data file in the corresponding storage folder created in the creating step, and deleting the copied image data file and the corresponding storage folder created in the creating step when the designation of the image data file is invalidated.
US08041692B2
A method for processing concurrent write operations in a computer system, the method comprising a first step of copying data residing in one or more source buffers to a contiguous intermediate buffer, prior to acquiring a lock for a write operation. In a second step, on acquiring the lock performing a translation operation between the intermediate buffer and a destination buffer, to process the write operation.
US08041684B2
Described are techniques for determining an implemented data protection policy. One or more recovery points corresponding to each of one or more storage objects are determined. A data protection method determined in accordance with a facility and replication type associated with each recovery point is selected for each of the one or more recovery points. A data protection category for each of the one or more recovery points is determined in accordance with the data protection method, a recovery point type, and a recovery point location associated with each recovery point. A data protection policy indicating an implemented data protection policy for each of the one or more storage objects for at least one data protection category is stored.
US08041667B2
A system for managing an account having at least one sub-account, including: a memory element, a processor, and an interface element for at least one specially programmed general-purpose computer. The memory element stores a transaction history for the account, an incentive previously offered to the account, and an artificial intelligence program (AIP). The transaction history includes at least one transaction involving the main account or sub-accounts from the at least one sub-account. The processor is for: comparing the transaction history with a metric; generating, using the comparison of the transaction history with the metric, a desired transaction involving the account and a business entity; and modifying the incentive using the AIP and the comparison of the transaction history with the metric. Rewarding of the modified incentive is conditional upon execution of the desired transaction. The interface element is for transmitting the desired transaction and the modified incentive.
US08041663B2
A system and method for method for assessing configurations includes steps or acts of: receiving configuration data related to configuration items and problem data related to problem tickets; classifying the configuration data into configuration classes; computing a class probability of the configuration classes; associating each configuration class with the problem tickets related to said configuration class; computing a ticket probability distribution of the problem tickets based on number of incidents; evaluating problem ticket characteristics per configuration class to determine a coefficient of trouble value for each configuration class; ranking the configuration classes according to their coefficient of trouble; wherein a highest ranking has the least coefficient of trouble; determining potentially optimal configurations based on the rankings; and providing to a user migration paths corresponding to the potentially optimal configurations.
US08041659B2
Techniques for motion recognition using multiple data streams are disclosed. Multiple data streams from inertia sensors as well as non-inertial sensors are received to derive a motion recognition signal from motion recognizers. These motion recognizers are originally constructed from a training set of motion signals and may be updated with received multiple sensing signals. In one aspect, multiple data streams are converted to device-independent motion signals that are applied with the motion recognizers to provide a generalized motion recognition capability.
US08041657B1
A method for providing digital works based on user preferences is described. Data associated with a plurality of digital works is analyzed. The plurality of digital works are classified based on the data analysis and on a first list and on a second list. The first list includes preferred words, and the second list includes non-preferred words. One or more digital works from the plurality of digital works are transmitted. The one or more digital works transmitted were classified as works to be transmitted using the first list.
US08041656B2
The invention includes a method and apparatus for configuring a self-learning network using feedback information received from an end user terminal communicating via the self-learning network. A method includes receiving feedback information from the end user terminal, generating configuration information for at least one network element of the self-learning network using the received feedback information, and configuring the at least one network element using the generated configuration information. The at least one network element of the self-learning network is configured by executing commands on each of the at least one network element and/or by propagating configuration information to each of the at least one network element. The feedback information may include user and/or terminal feedback information. The configuration information may include any information adapted for use in configuring the at least one network element of the self-learning network (and may also include configuration information for the end user terminal).
US08041655B2
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments an autonomic unit transmits an otoacoustic signal to counteract a potentially harmful incoming signal.
US08041646B2
An online payment method is disclosed which permits users to make realtime debit card payments over the Internet. The payor and payee pre-register with the system by sending their PAN, encrypted PIN and encryption key to the system database using a debit card reader, and then enter user names and secret IDs to be associated with the PAN and PIN numbers. When an online transaction is made the payor enters its user name and ID which is sent to the system along with the transaction amount and the payee user name. The system sends out a standard POS transaction using the stored PAN, encrypted PIN and encryption key. If approved it sends out a credit POS transaction to the payee in the same way.
US08041638B2
In some aspects, what is disclosed relates to a processor-based payment method for transferring user-provided payment data through a router that parses the payment data and transfers the parsed data to a plurality of receivers in distinct locations, detecting the parsed data at each of the plurality of receivers, and originating an ACH debit against the user, or an e-check, based on the parsed data.
US08041636B1
A method and apparatus for monitoring and dynamically adjusting insurance coverage tracks new personal and/or business property purchases and alerts a concerned party, such as the insured or the insurer, to the potential need for updating insurance coverage in light of the new personal and/or business property purchases.
US08041634B2
When a buyer's debt to a seller cannot be paid using an account issued to the buyer by an issuer within a payment processing system, then either or both the seller and the buyer are solicited to conduct future transactions payable on the account. If the debt can be paid using the account, then a sub-account is created unique to the seller and buyer. Transactions between the buyer and seller can be processed using the sub-account including the option of aggregating the debts prior to the processing. The credit limit of the sub-account can be set to match the amount of the aggregated debts.
US08041630B2
A graphical interface and method are provided for selectively displaying market information corresponding to a plurality of tradeable objects. According to one example method, a scanning feature is provided in relation to a number of tradeable object indicators. Upon detecting a predefined movement of a user input device in relation to the plurality of indicators, a graphical interface dynamically displays market information corresponding to the tradeable objects as a predefined movement of the user input device is detected in relation to the tradeable object indicators.
US08041623B1
Trading software may receive information from an exchange. The trading software may track historical bid and ask information for a tradeable object. The trading software may display historical market depth information for the tradeable object on a trading screen.
US08041617B1
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing a web-based graphical user interface to a legacy insurance data process system to increase the functionality and ease of use in issuing insurance quotes and policies, providing insurance information and other insurance related services. The system and method integrate use of Internet technology in business work flows, provide dynamic data entry for insurance coverage packages and pricing programs, offer easy access to value-added products and services, and enable local printing of professional insurance applications, proposals and forms to facilitate immediate delivery of professional-quality proposals to customers.
US08041616B2
An outsourced service level agreement (SLA) deliverable management method includes configuring SLA client and secondary SLA provider master data, procuring a secondary SLA provider provision services network, administering a secondary SLA provider human resource network, processing an SLA client provisioning requirement, processing an SLA provisioning service voucher, and processing payment of an SLA provisioning work order.
US08041615B1
A method of generating income includes receiving investment capital from an investor. The investment capital is invested in publicly traded master limited partnerships to generate a revenue stream. The investment capital is also invested into a private company. The private company is subsequently converted to a master limited partnership to generate an equity gain. A portion of the revenue stream and a portion of the equity gain are distributed to the investor.
US08041609B2
A system and method for vending digitized content over an Internet network path, at least a portion of which is wireless, such as an SDMA high data rate directional wireless path. Content in the form of IP packets is provided to a user terminal via a connect server in response to user requests, which can be real-time requests or which can be requests embodied in a user-defined or system-defined user profile. The user is billed using one or more of several billing paradigms, including by the content piece, by the number of IP packets sent to the user, by the length of time the user accesses the system, by the subscription, and so on.
US08041607B1
Method, system and computer code for generating and displaying an image of a custom product to a customer who is in the process of ordering a different product. The image is generated automatically without a customer request and incorporates information earlier provided by the customer. When possible, the custom product is presented with design features that are similar to the design features of the different product being ordered. Edit capability is provided to allow the user to make changes to the custom product, if desired.
US08041605B1
A system includes a master device and a slave device. The slave device is configured to provide a customer waiting to be seated at a restaurant with menu information for the restaurant, receive at least one of a drink order or a food order from the customer while the customer is waiting to be seated at the restaurant, and transmit the at least one of a drink order or a food order. The master device is configured to receive the at least one of a drink order or a food order from the slave device, and cause the at least one of a drink order or a food order to be forwarded to a kitchen of the restaurant based on at least one of a position of the customer on a waiting list or an estimated amount of time until the customer will be seated.
US08041603B2
A system and method are provided for reimbursing merchants for coupons used by the customers of those merchants is disclosed. Pursuant to the Present Invention, a Coupon Data File is prepared, identifying the products potentially subject to coupons and/or incentives, and the nature of the associated discount. A Transaction Log Data File is also prepared, describing one or more purchase transactions undertaken by consumers. Finally, a Transaction Log Processor analyzes the transaction log data, compares the information in the Transaction Log Data File with information in the Coupon Data File and tabulates coupons redeemed by consumers during the transactions associated with the information in the Transaction Log Data.
US08041596B2
Several methods for estimating search engine market share for individual and groups of websites are described. Keywords, search domains, seed websites, seed keywords and other starting points are used to estimate relative market share for websites identified in search results at one or more search engines.
US08041595B2
A networked computer system provides various services for assisting users in locating, and establishing contact relationships with, other users. For example, in one embodiment, users can identify other users based on their affiliations with particular schools or other organizations. The system also provides a mechanism for a user to selectively establish contact relationships or connections with other users, and to grant permissions for such other users to view personal information of the user. The system may also include features for enabling users to identify contacts of their respective contacts. In addition, the system may automatically notify users of personal information updates made by their respective contacts.
US08041587B2
An integrated safety management system includes a self inspection module, an incident management module, and a hazard reporting module. A corrective action module integrates the other modules. Each module accepts data corresponding to events or actions, accepts and displays completion indicators, and accepts and displays corrective action indicators.
US08041586B2
The present invention discloses a solution for improving shared space availability by dynamically responding user utilization behavior of shared space. In the system, automated sensors within a shared space can be used to detect when spaces are in use. Sensors such as motion detectors, infrared sensors, cameras, and the like can correlate space usage to a reservation system. When a space is reserved by a user, the system can verify space occupancy according to the reservation. If the space is unoccupied and the reservation time has not expired, the space can be automatically freed. If the excess time before reservation expiration is more than a threshold value (e.g., fifteen minutes) the system can penalize the user. Penalties can be applied for users that do not utilize reservations.
US08041575B2
A method for enabling voice driven interactions among multiple interactive voice response (IVR) systems begins by receiving a telephone call from a user of a first IVR system to begin a transaction; and, automatically contacting, by the first IVR system, at least one additional IVR system. Specifically, the contacting of the additional IVR system includes assigning tasks to the additional IVR system. The tasks require input from the user and the additional IVR system is secure and separate from the first IVR system. Moreover, the tasks can include a transfer of currency and a transfer of local information.
US08041571B2
A method and apparatus detect and localize electric faults in electrical power grids and circuit. High impedance faults are detected by analyzing data from remote sensor units deployed over the network using the algorithms of speech and speaker analysis software. This is accomplished by converting the voltage and/or current waveform readouts from the sensors into a digital form which is then transmitted to a computer located either near the sensors or at an operations center. The digitized data is converted by a dedicated software or software/hardware interface to a format accepted by a reliable and stable software solution, such as speech or speaker recognition software. The speech or speaker recognition software must be “trained” to recognize various signal patterns that either indicate or not the occurrence of a fault. The readout of the speech or speaker recognition software, if indicating a fault, is transmitted to a central processor and displayed to provide information on the most likely type of fault. Automatic or human decision is then implemented based on the generated information.
US08041567B2
Commercially available voice recognition systems are generally speaker-dependent, with the voice recognition system first being trained to the voice of the speaker before it can be used. A disadvantage with this method is that modified reference data has to be buffered and permanently saved in several steps when the speaker adaptation algorithm is executed, and thus requires a lot of memory space. This primarily negatively affects applications on devices with restricted processor power and limited memory space, such as mobile radio terminals for example. A method of speaker adaptation for a Hidden Markov Model based voice recognition system may address these issues. In the method, the memory space requirement and thus also the processor power required can be considerably reduced. This is achieved by using modified reference data in a speaker adaptation algorithm to adapt a new speaker to a reference speaker. The modified reference data is processed in compressed form.
US08041565B1
A speech-to-text conversion module uses a central database of user speech profiles to convert speech to text. Incoming audio information is fragmented into numerous audio fragments based upon detecting silence. The audio information is also converted to numerous text files by any number of speech engines. Each text file is then fragmented into numerous text fragments based upon the boundaries established during the audio fragmentation. Each set of text fragments from the different speech engines corresponding to a single audio fragments is then compared. The best approximation of the audio fragment is produced from the set of text fragments; a hybrid may be produced. If no agreement is reached, the audio fragment and set the text fragments are sent to human agents who verify and edit to produce a final edited text fragment that best corresponds to the audio fragment. Fragmentation that produces overlapping audio fragments requires splicing of the final text fragments to produce the output text file.
US08041554B1
The present invention is a methodology for developing high-assurance microcode. The method may comprise one or more of the following steps: (a) receiving a plurality of requirements detailing intended behavior of microcode (b) creating a model of microcode behavior; (c) generating microcode based on the model; (d) generating test cases based on the model; (e) simulating the behavior of the microcode; (f) translating the model into a verification tool-specific format; and (g) formally verifying the model using a verification tool.
US08041544B2
A design support device used to design a part in string or belt form, including: a part editing unit configured to edit a part by changing a position of a pass point through which the part passes; and a section comparison unit configured to compare a section having a plurality of consecutive pass points before the edition by the part editing unit with the sections after the edition by the part editing unit, and extracting the section in which relative positions or relative passing directions are different between two pass points in the sections.
US08041539B2
Principle Component Analysis (PCA) is used to model a process, and clustering techniques are used to group excursions representative of events based on sensor residuals of the PCA model. The PCA model is trained on normal data, and then run on historical data that includes both normal data, and data that contains events. Bad actor data for the events is identified by excursions in Q (residual error) and T2 (unusual variance) statistics from the normal model, resulting in a temporal sequence of bad actor vectors. Clusters of bad actor patterns that resemble one another are formed and then associated with events.
US08041533B2
A detection method and apparatus is provided. The detection apparatus includes at least two angular mounted lasers, a surface for receiving laser lines emitted by the angular mounted lasers, a camera for detecting a laser pattern formed by the laser lines on the surface, and a processor for analyzing the laser pattern. The lasers emit orthogonal laser lines on a surface of the device. The camera detects a laser pattern on the surface of the device and the processor analyzes the laser pattern to determine whether the position of the device is in pocket based on the analysis and position algorithms.
US08041532B2
In a measured-value converting process, a shape-condition converting process and an absolute coordinate system converting process (S16) are performed on a value measured by a sensor. In the shape-condition converting process, when a mobile terminal has a shape 1 and shape 2, the converting process is not performed (S12 and S13). When the mobile terminal has a shape 3, a converting process of rotating through 180° around YS axis is performed (S14). Moreover, when the mobile terminal has a shape 4, a converting process of rotating through 180° around ZS axis (S15) is performed. Therefore, even in an information processing apparatus of which a shape changes, a sensor which detects a movement of the information processing apparatus can be used as an input device, irrespective of the shape.
US08041531B2
A burn-in test apparatus and a semiconductor device using the same are disclosed. The burn-in test apparatus includes a flag signal generating unit configured to receive an external input signal and an external address externally inputted for a burn-in test and generate a flag signal, and a burn-in test unit configured to receive the flag signal, generate a toggled output enable signal, and drive an input/output line to toggle a signal on the input/output line.
US08041529B2
Methods and systems for managing virtual working pages are disclosed. One method includes storing a first set of parameters in a working page within the tested system, where the first set of parameters is used for calibration of the tested system. The method also includes storing a second set of parameters in a virtual working page within an observation system having a plurality of virtual working pages. The method further includes transferring the second set of parameters from the observation system to the tested system. The method also includes storing one or more parameters of the second set of parameters in the working page. A related user interface is also disclosed.
US08041524B2
A method of power factor correction without using current sensing or a multiplier is disclosed. A generated predictive pulse is used to charge and discharge a power factor correction (PFC) inductor so that the current in the PFC inductor has a similar phase angle as the input AC voltage. Each ON portion of the pulse is used for charging while each OFF portion is used for discharging. As the input voltage increases in phase, the predictive pulse gradually increases in ON time duty and the PFC inductor is charged in increasing amount and discharged in decreasing amount per pulse. When peak is reached the duty ratio is reduced each pulse and the PFC inductor current is reduced along with the input AC voltage source until phase angle reaches 180 degrees and the ON time becomes zero.
US08041521B2
Methods, apparatus, and products as disclosed for estimating power consumption of computing components configured in a computing system that include: selecting, by a power estimation module, a plurality of calibration datasets from a calibration dataset repository, each calibration dataset specifying calibration power consumption by one or more computing components in the computing system for a calibration workload at a plurality of calibration operating points; measuring, by the power estimation module, a current power consumption by one or more measured computing components in the computing system for a current workload at a current operating point; determining, by the power estimation module, an estimated power consumption for the measured computing components at a proposed operating point in dependence upon the selected calibration datasets and the current power consumption for the current workload at the current operating point; and administering the computing system in dependence upon the estimated power consumption.
US08041512B2
To provide a method of accurately and efficiently acquiring a candidate for a set of discrimination elements for identification. Provided is a method of acquiring a set of specific elements on a specific sequence for discriminating the specific sequence from a number of sequences, including the steps of acquiring a group of alignment data in which each of the number of sequences is subjected to alignment processing, and acquiring a set of elements capable of discriminating the specific sequence through computational processing on the group of alignment data.
US08041507B2
A meter support structure for a vehicle includes a leg portion of a meter stay that is joined to a top bracket disposed on an upper end of a steering shaft by way of a mounting portion at a lower end portion of the leg portion. An upper portion of the meter stay is bent rearwardly to form a meter support portion. The meter support portion extends to an area upward of the top bracket and a meter is mounted thereon. The meter is then fitted with a meter cover. A pressure contact portion extends downwardly from a trailing end of the meter support portion. A rubber cushion mounted to the pressure contact portion is pressed up against a receiver member fixed to a side of the top bracket. Support stiffness is thereby enhanced and vibration-proof support is thereby provided.
US08041500B2
Engine surge includes oscillations in engine torque resulting in bucking or jerking motion of a vehicle that may degrade driver experience. The present application relates to increasing reformate entering an example engine cylinder in response to engine surge.
US08041492B2
Controlling a drive system for a power machine having an engine is discussed. The method includes receiving a control signal and calculating a base output value based on the control signal. The base output value is compensated for a load applied to the engine. A signal indicative of the compensated output value is provided to a drive component.
US08041489B2
A method for controlling a transmission in a motor vehicle during acceleration from an idle condition begins when the vehicle is stationary, the engine is at idle, and the transmission is in the first gear range or ratio. When the vehicle begins to accelerate, the method includes the steps of monitoring the rate of vehicle acceleration and comparing the rate of vehicle acceleration to a rate of vehicle acceleration threshold. If the rate of vehicle acceleration is less than the acceleration threshold, then the transmission allows one of the currently engaged clutches to slip. This clutch slip reduces the torque load on the engine. The method then monitors the engine output speed. If the engine output speed exceeds an engine output speed threshold, then the clutch is fully applied.
US08041488B2
A method and apparatus for determining a motion transmission value that provides security of motion transmission between two components that transfer motion through frictional engagement. The motion transmission value provides security of motion transmission through the reaction of the motion transmitted to a change in the contact force between the components that are frictionally engaged. The contact force is modulated in a predetermined frequency range during the motion transmission, and the change in the motion transmitted during the modulation of the contact force is detected. The change in the motion transmitted is evaluated using a filtering process, and the motion transmission value is determined as the result of the evaluation.
US08041482B2
A seat sensor system including at least one seat sensor associated to a seat for sensing a status related to a seat occupancy and for generating an output signal indicative of the status and a control unit for communicating with the seat sensor. At least one transmitter for transmitting a data signal indicative of the output signal is associated with the seat and coupled to the seat sensor; and at least one receiver is coupled to the control unit for wirelessly receiving the data signal from the transmitter.
US08041481B2
A power steering system is disclosed herein that includes an electronic control unit that determines a set-point value for a damping moment in the power steering system. The system also includes a first sensor connected to the control unit and operable to determine a sign of a steering angle. The sign of the steering angle refers to a clockwise angle from dead center being designated as positive or negative and a counter-clockwise angle from dead center being assigned the other designation. The system also includes a second sensor connected to the control unit and operable to determine the sign of a steering wheel angular velocity. The sign of the steering wheel angular velocity refers to movement of the steering wheel in the clockwise direction being designated as positive or negative and movement in the counter-clockwise direction being assigned the other designation. The control unit can establish the set-point value for the damping moment with a predefined first damping multiplier when the steering angle and the steering wheel angular velocity have the same sign and with a predefined second damping multiplier when the steering angle and the steering wheel angular velocity have different signs.
US08041475B2
An electric parking brake system includes an electric parking brake mechanism that includes a brake which suppresses rotation of a wheel and an electric motor which applies or releases the brake, and that maintains a vehicle at a standstill while the brake is applied. A parking switch selectively outputs an application command for applying the brake and a release command for releasing the brake in response to an operation of an operating portion for the parking switch. A parking switch malfunction determination unit determines whether the parking switch malfunctions, and a parking brake automatic control unit automatically applies the brake by operating the electric motor when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off in response to an operation of an operating portion for the ignition switch, in a case where the parking switch malfunction determination unit determines that the parking switch malfunctions.
US08041474B2
A method is provided for reducing the energy consumption of a motor vehicle having at least one vehicle electric system, to which at least a first electric consumer is connected. In order to achieve an efficient vehicle electric system, which, in addition, contributes to a reduced energy consumption of a motor vehicle, in a first operating mode of the motor vehicle, the level of the electric load on the vehicle electric system without at least the first consumer is at a first level. In a second operating mode of the motor vehicle, the level of the electric load on the vehicle electric system without at least the first consumer is decreased temporarily to a second level that is lower than the first level. A device, which is intended for detecting the driving situation and is provided in the vehicle, recognizes an imminent specific driving situation on the basis of the previous behavior of the driver in controlling the vehicle and/or the behavior of the vehicle in advance and initiates a temporary switch in the level of the electric load on the vehicle electric system to the second lower level.
US08041461B2
A system and method are provided to control hydronic systems having a plurality of sources, including at least one of an on-demand source, a semi-on-demand source, and an intermittent source that are fluidly or thermally coupled to a plurality of load zones. The hydronic system device obtains performance measurements for system components to provide system metrics, including failure diagnostics, energy capture, and usage optimization. The hydronic system device may also calculate British Thermal Units produced and used by the plurality of sources and loads to calculate incentives, including renewable energy credits.
US08041454B2
System and method of dispensing disc-based media and other consumer products. A user can interact with an automated business system to select disc-based media for rental and/or purchase. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the interior of the automated business system and dispense the selection through a port to the user. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the port in a return process.
US08041440B2
Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method and a system for providing a selection of golden tools for better defect density and product yield. A golden tool selection and dispatching system is provided to integrate different components for robust golden tool selection and dispatching. The golden tool selection system selects a set of golden tools based on performance of a set of manufacturing tools and provides a fully automated operational environment to produce a product using the set of golden tools.
US08041432B2
An implantable medical device comprises a near field telemetry module to wirelessly receive first information into the IMD, a far field telemetry module to wirelessly receive second information into the IMD, and a processor in electrical communication with the near field telemetry module and the far field telemetry module. The processor is configured to establish, in relation to a communication signal received by the near field telemetry module, a time period during which communication via the far field telemetry module is available, and operate the IMD according to the received second information upon receiving third information via the near field telemetry link.
US08041429B2
A system and method for regulating one or more physiological functions controlled by a hypothalamus of an individual. In one embodiment, a stimulation is applied to at least a portion of a vestibular system of the individual, a subjective input is received from the individual based upon the individual's perceived response of the hypothalamus in regulating the one or more physiological functions, and the stimulation is adjusted based on the received subjective input.
US08041426B2
A method and system for calculating an atrio-ventricular delay interval based upon an inter-atrial delay exhibited by a patient's heart. The aforementioned atrio-ventricular delay interval may optimize the stroke volume exhibited by a patient's heart. The aforementioned atrio-ventricular delay interval may be blended with another atrio-ventricular delay interval that may optimize another performance characteristic, such as left ventricular contractility. Such blending may include finding an arithmetic mean, geometric mean, or weighted mean of two or more proposed atrio-ventricular delay intervals.
US08041422B2
An in-body information acquiring apparatus includes a function executing unit that realizes a predetermined function inside a body of a patient. A power-supply circuit includes a power unit that includes a cell and that outputs a first current and a first voltage; and a converter that converts the first current to a second current, which is a current required to operate the function executing unit for a predetermined time, and converts the first voltage to a second voltage, which is a voltage required to operate the function executing unit.
US08041417B2
Electrocardiogram data is received in association with a subject, the electrocardiogram data comprising a series of RR intervals and a series of QT intervals. A first value which indicates an amount by which uncertainty associated with the QT intervals is reduced given the RR intervals is generated. A second value which indicates an amount by which uncertainty associated with the RR intervals is reduced given the QT intervals is generated. The subject is determined to be associated with a low risk of cardiac dysfunction responsive to the first value exceeding the second value and a result of the determination is provided.
US08041414B2
The invention relates to a dual-modality imaging system and a method for dual-modality imaging of an imaged object, wherein a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus for acquiring MRI data and at least one optical imaging detector for acquiring optical imaging data are arranged to acquire the MRI data and the optical imaging data of the imaged object (10) simultaneously, the at least one optical imaging detector being a non-contact optical imaging detector.
US08041400B2
Disclosed is an event display method and apparatus for a mobile terminal, which displays events occurring in a mobile terminal on a multi time graphic (divided into a plurality of time graphics), thereby enabling easy checking and management of various types of events. For this, the event display method includes detecting at least one or more events in a mobile terminal, displaying a multi time graphic divided into a plurality of time graphics on a display screen, and locating the detected events on the multi time graphic.
US08041396B2
A wireless communication device may have several contact buttons, including, for example, a Mom button, a Dad button and a Home button. The device may also have a Send button and an End button. A child may press one of the contact buttons, then dial Send, and a call will be placed to the specifically denoted contact. Accordingly, a child may easily and efficiently use the present invention to quickly wirelessly communicate with another person, without the confusion of extraneous buttons. The wireless communication device also includes a system and method for emergency dialing. Emergency dialing is effected by pressing an emergency call button and the Send button. In this manner, accidental dialing of an emergency number is avoided. The wireless device can be remotely programmed such that a parent or other person may remotely program the numbers called when the contact buttons are pressed. Accordingly, if a parent or other person plan to change locations, the device may be remotely reprogrammed with a different contact number for that parent. The wireless communication device may be reprogrammed via a telephone call from a remote location or from a computer via the Internet.
US08041393B2
A basestation in a cellular communication system corrects frequency errors in signals generated within the basestation. The frequency errors may be corrected on the basis of signals transmitted by one or more other basestations within the network. As an alternative, the basestation may request information from one or more mobile devices that are also able to detect transmissions from other basestations.
US08041392B2
A radio equipment control for communicating plural radio equipment units including an identifier inserting unit for inserting into a frame an identifier for recognizing a connection relation of plural cascade-connected radio equipment units and a transmitting unit for transmitting the frame having the identifier inserted therein by the identifier inserting unit to the plural cascade-connected radio equipment units. The wireless communication apparatus includes a receiving unit for receiving the frame having the identifier inserted therein from the plural cascade-connected radio equipment units and a connection relation recognizing unit for recognizing the connection relation of the plural cascade-connected radio equipment units on the basis of the identifier of the frame received by the receiving unit.
US08041389B2
An improvement to a cellular camera phone comprising a source of illumination positioned adjacent to the camera unit and configured to illuminate a portion of an underlying surface within the field of view the camera unit; programming effective to (a) collect a current tracking image frame, (b) compare the current tracking image frame with a prior tracking image frame, (c) compute a relative displacement between the tracking image frames, and (d) store the current tracking image frame as a prior tracking image frame; and a wireless peripheral interface, wherein the wireless peripheral interface communicates the relative displacement to a computer. Also, a method of retrofitting a cellular camera phone to provide wireless mouse functionality comprising the steps of providing an accessory unit for engagement with the cellular phone configured to position a source of illumination adjacent to the camera unit and to illuminate a portion of an underlying surface within the field of view the camera unit; providing the aforedescribed programming, and providing programming to communicate the relative displacement to a computer.
US08041387B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a main body, a display unit rotatably attached to the main body via a coupling portion, first and second antennas provided in the display unit, a first mixing/distributing device provided in the display unit, first and second wireless communication modules provided in the main body, and a second mixing/distributing device provided in the main body. The signal transmission/reception between the first mixing/distributing device in the display unit and the second mixing/distributing device in the main body is executed via a cable which is inserted in the coupling portion.
US08041369B2
A plug-in network appliance is disclosed. In one aspect, a network appliance performs a bridge between two wireless communication formats. In another aspect, a network appliance is deployed to perform position location services. In another aspect, a mesh network comprising one or more network appliances is deployed. A mesh network comprising one or more network appliances may be deployed to perform position location services. A plug-in form factor is described. A network appliance may convert power received from a plug in a first format to power in a second format for powering various components. A network appliance may connect with a wireless network and/or a network connected through a plug. A plug-in network appliance may connect to a weight-bearing outlet. Various other aspects are also presented.
US08041363B2
The present invention increases the available spectrum in a wireless network by sharing existing allocated (and in-use) portions of the RF spectrum in a manner that will minimize the probability of interfering with existing legacy users. The invention provides interference temperature-adaptive waveforms, and a variety of physical and media access control protocols for generating waveforms based on measurement and characterization of the local spectrum. The invention measures the local spectrum at a receiving node, generates an optimal waveform profile specifying transmission parameters that will water-fill unused spectrum up to an interference limit without causing harmful interference to primary and legacy transmitters using the same frequency bands, and enables simultaneous transmit and receive modes at a multiplicity of transceivers in a wireless network. The invention also provides closed loop feedback control between nodes, co-site interference management, intersymbol interference mitigation, wide sense stationary baseband signaling and modulation, and power limited signaling for avoiding detection and interception.
US08041361B2
A method of network resource release processing is provided, which includes the following steps. After user equipment (UE) using idle mode signaling reduction (ISR) mechanism registers to two 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communication networks, when the UE changes from the 3GPP network to a non-3GPP communication network, a serving gateway (serving GW) receives a message sent from a peer endpoint network element (NE), and deletes network resources established by the two 3GPP communication networks for the UE according to the message. A mobility management NE and a serving GW are also provided. Through the method and device of network resource release processing, the resources are released when the UE using the ISR mechanism changes from the 3GPP network to the non-3GPP communication network.
US08041353B2
The present application discloses systems and methods for automatically adding a unique identifier associated with a cell to a neighbor cell list associated with another cell. In some embodiments, the method includes: selecting a particular mobile terminal from a set of mobile terminals; instructing the particular mobile terminal to obtain and report the unique identifier; receiving from the particular mobile terminal the unique identifier; and adding the unique identifier to the neighbor cell list, wherein the step of selecting the particular mobile terminal from the set of mobile terminals comprises determining which of the mobile terminals in the set appears to have a relatively high probability of obtaining the unique identifier within a certain window of time and selecting that mobile terminal.
US08041349B2
The present invention is to provide a home subscriber server configuration method and system that is accessible in switching to any one of plural HSS servers in a redundant configuration. Information stored in such plural HSS servers (e.g., HSS-A server 40A and HSS-B server 40B) are synchronized as identical information. When an interrogation for a particular HSS server to be accessed from the I-CSCF server 30 or the S-CSCF server 21 is received, the access information for the plural HSS servers 40A, 40B corresponding to the interrogation is returned after rearranging to the predetermined order of priority to the I-CSCF server 30 or the S-CSCF server 21 from which the inquiry is originated. If no response is received from either one of the HSS servers returned from the SLF server 50 within a predetermined time after the access or if no response is received to the resend operations, the I-CSCF server 30 or the S-CSCF server 21 selects the next HSS server from the plural HSS servers and gains access to such HSS server after switching thereto.
US08041346B2
A method and system for establishing a service relationship between a mobile communication device and a mobile data server for connecting to a wireless network are provided. A scripting-language capable device controller is used to interface communications between a scripting engine of an Internet browser and the mobile communication device in accordance with a communications protocol connecting them. Using the communications interface provided by the scripting-language capable device controller, a web page displayed in the Internet browser provides a user interface which receives requests to establish service relationships, obtains service data required for the service relationships from the mobile data server in accordance with device identifier and device capability data of the mobile communication device, and stores the service data on the mobile communication device.
US08041344B1
A determination regarding the appropriateness of sending a message can be based on one or more factors. For example, the determination can be an analysis of a message to determine the likelihood that the sender has the target physical condition and/or a likely degree or severity of the target physical condition. The analysis determines, with reference to a baseline of the user, one or more of a number of errors (spelling and/or grammar) in the message, a response time, a non-fluency level associated with the message, a spell check of the message and recipient information associated with the message. Based on this analysis, the message can be managed in accordance with one or more of sending the message after a delay, returning the message to a sender for approval, managing the message based on a profile and holding the message for management at a later time.
US08041326B2
A data transmission system includes a transmitter configured to transmit a data signal in the form of a data stream of data bursts in at least two transmission modes to a receiver, in the first mode a reference signal being transmitted by the transmitter in each data burst and being evaluated in the receiver, and in the second mode no reference signal being transmitted by the transmitter in each data burst. In the second mode, in place of the reference signal, additional redundancy data of the data signal are transmitted in each data burst.
US08041323B2
A portable electronic unit has a transmission-side section that transmits a signal and a receiving-side section that receives a signal from the transmission-side section. The receiving-side section includes a gain control amplification device that amplifies and outputs a signal from the transmission-side section. The gain control amplification device has a first amplification circuit that amplifies and outputs a signal from the transmission-side section, a detection circuit that detects and outputs a signal from the first amplification circuit, a gain control amplification circuit that amplifies and outputs a signal from the detection circuit, and a gain control circuit that controls a gain in the gain control amplification circuit in response to a level of a signal from the detection circuit.
US08041322B2
A radio-frequency receiver includes an RF amplification circuit which amplifies a received RF signal and generates an amplified RF signal, a mixing circuit which converts the amplified RF signal into an intermediate-frequency signal, an IF amplification circuit which generates an amplified IF signal, a first level detection circuit which detects a level of the amplified RF signal, a second level detection circuit which detects a level of the IF signal, a third level detection circuit which detects a level of the amplified IF signal, a RF reference level generation circuit which generates an RF reference level based on one of respective detection signal levels of the first and second level detection circuits, and an RF gain control circuits which controls an amplification gain of the RF amplification circuit so that a detection signal level of the third level detection circuit becomes equal to the RF reference level.
US08041320B2
A radio receiver for receiving first signals of a first frequency spectrum having principal energy in a first frequency band and second signals of a second frequency spectrum having principal energy in second and third frequency bands, located on either side of the first frequency band, includes (i) an input for receiving an incoming signal; (ii) frequency shifting means for frequency shifting the incoming signal to form an intermediate frequency signal; and (iii) a filter for filtering the intermediate frequency signal. The filter has a frequency response that has a first passband and a second passband separated by a central stopband. A control unit for controlling the frequency shifting means has first and second modes for reception of the first and second signals. In the first mode, the control unit controls the frequency shifting means so as to frequency shift the incoming signal so that (a) the first frequency band of the incoming signal is shifted onto one of the first and second passbands and (b) one of the second and third frequency bands of the incoming signal is shifted onto the central stopband. In the second mode, the control unit controls the frequency shifting means so as to frequency shift the incoming signal so that (a) the second and third frequency bands of the incoming signal are shifted onto, respectively, the first and second passbands and (b) the first frequency band of the incoming signal is shifted onto the central stopband.
US08041313B2
A system and method for wirelessly communicating using beamswitching is provided. A communications system includes a high-power signal cable coupled to a signal amplifier, a radio frequency circuit coupled to the high-power signal cable, and a control unit coupled to the radio frequency circuit. The high-power signal cable conveys a transmission signal produced by the signal amplifier. The radio frequency circuit includes a plurality of antennas, a passive network having a plurality of output ports and a plurality of input ports, each output port coupled to an antenna of the plurality of antennas, and a plurality of switches coupled to the high-power signal cable, each switch coupled to an input port in the plurality of input ports. The control unit produces the control signal based on a specified coupling of the high-power signal cable to the passive network.
US08041310B2
Methods and circuits for synthesizing two or more signals phase-locked to a common reference frequency signal are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method comprises generating first and second output signals phase-locked to a reference clock signal, using first and second phase-locked loop circuits. In response to a detected frequency error in the first output signal, the first output signal is corrected by adjusting a frequency-division ratio in the first phase-locked loop circuit. The second output signal is corrected, separately from the correction to the first output signal, by adjusting a frequency-division ratio in the second phase-locked loop circuit, using an adjustment parameter calculated from the detected frequency error. In another exemplary method, first and second output signals are generated as described above, using first and second phase-locked loop circuits. The first output signal is corrected by adjusting a frequency-division ratio in the first phase-locked loop circuit and generating a control signal to adjust the frequency of the reference clock signal, in response to detected frequency error in the first output signal. Because the second output signal is derived from the common reference clock signal, adjustments to the reference clock frequency will also adjust the frequency of the second output signal. Additional adjustments to the second output signal may be applied in some embodiments by adjusting a frequency-division ratio in the second phase-locked loop circuits. Circuits for implementing the described methods are also disclosed.
US08041307B2
An exemplary method of controlling wireless communications includes generating a control signal that indicates a desired transmission timing of a plurality of interference signals from a respective plurality of interference devices. The control signal is transmitted to the plurality of interference devices.
US08041306B2
A Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver includes a first RF transceiver group, a second RF transceiver group, local oscillation circuitry, and calibration control circuitry. Each of the RF transceiver group has an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. The local oscillation circuitry selectively produces a local oscillation to the first RF transceiver group and to the second RF transceiver group. The calibration control circuitry is operable to initiate calibration operations including transmitter self calibration operations, first loopback calibration operations, and second loopback calibration operations. During loopback calibration operations, test signals produced by an RF transceiver group are looped back to an RF receiver of another RF transceiver group.
US08041296B2
Data communication system and a method in a data communication system comprising a terminal 2, e.g. a mobile phone, adapted to communicate with an application server 4 using a wireless transmission protocol, preferably WAP, including a terminal profile. The wireless transmission protocol also includes an attached device's profile that is dynamically updated with data related to a device 12 attached to the terminal.
US08041289B2
An interactive system for providing multimedia data in response to interaction with lift-the-flap elements. The system may include a housing which forms a substantially planar surface configured to support at least one printed media sheet. The printed sheet may include at least one lift-the-flap element. The system may further include a playback device configured to provide multimedia data relating to the lift-the-flap element. The system may include a detector which is configured to detect a position of the lift-the-flap element and provide position information. The system may further include a processing unit configured to cause playback of the multimedia data via the playback device based on the position information provided by the detector.
US08041281B2
A cleaning device removes residual toner particles from a cleaning target, such as a photoconductor, which has a moving surface. The cleaning device includes a cleaning brush, a power circuit, and a cleaning member. The cleaning brush includes a brush rotation shaft, and the power circuit applies a first voltage of a first polarity to the brush rotation shaft. The cleaning member applies a second voltage of the first polarity to the cleaning brush. If the first polarity is negative, the cleaning member electrostatically removes toner particles having a positive polarity from the cleaning target. Then, the cleaning brush is triboelectrically charged to a second polarity, which is opposite to the first polarity, by contacting the cleaning target. Accordingly, the cleaning brush also removes residual toner particles having a negative polarity. Thus, the cleaning device removes both positively and negatively charged toner particles to clean the cleaning target.
US08041265B2
An image forming unit includes an image forming unit main body; and a developer storage unit detachably attached to the image forming unit main body. The image forming unit main body includes a developer retaining space for retaining developer and a supply opening for supplying developer to the developer retaining space. The developer storage unit includes a discharge opening for discharging developer to the developer retaining space. The image forming unit main body further includes a movable member moving relative to the discharge opening and the supply opening.
US08041263B2
A charging device includes: a to-be-charged member; a charging member that charges the to-be-charged member and is opposed to the to-be-charged member; a cover member that surrounds the charging member disposed inside of the cover member but has an opening at a site opposed to the to-be-charged member; a grid electrode that is disposed on the opening side of the cover member with respect to the charging member, the grid electrode being provided between the cover member and the to-be-charged member; and a protective member that is provided along a longitudinal direction of the grid electrode, the protective member protecting an end part of the grid electrode and having at least one opening that is provided between the to-be-charged member and an end part of the cover member on the to-be-charged member side.
US08041261B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive body, a light scanning lamp, and a lamp controller. The image forming apparatus has a surface capable of accepting an electric potential. The light scanning lamp can scan a lamp light toward the photosensitive body to change the electric potential of the photosensitive body. The lamp controller moves between a blocking position to block the lamp light from reaching the surface of the photosensitive body, and an unblocking position that is spaced from the blocking position and allows the lamp light to reach the surface of the photosensitive body.
US08041260B2
A member mounting arrangement mounts a proximity mounting member to a proximity object at a predetermined position relative thereto. The arrangement includes an intermediate fixing member attached to a fixing frame supporting the proximity object, the intermediate fixing member being adjustable in position in a direction to/from the proximity object, a fixing connecting portion attached to the intermediate fixing member while supporting the proximity mounting member, the fixing connecting portion being adjustable in position in the same direction as above, a regulating portion for regulating a separating distance between the proximity mounting member and the proximity object to a predetermined range, a first fixing portion for fixing the intermediate fixing member in position relative to the fixing frame, and a second fixing portion for fixing the fixing connecting portion in position relative to the intermediate fixing member.
US08041251B2
A developing device used for forming a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image carrier in an image forming device, comprises a developer carrier roller which is rotationally driven, and a toner thin layer forming member which is brought into contact with the developer carrier roller, wherein the developer carrier roller is formed in the shape of an inverted crown which is concave at the central portion in the direction of the rotation axis, and a starting point of the shape of the inverted crown is positioned further outside in the direction of the rotation axis than toner thin layer region formed by the toner thin layer forming member.
US08041250B2
A developing device according to an aspect of the invention includes: a housing; a developing roller comprising a roller main body having a circumferential surface, the developing roller being rotatably supported to the housing; and seal members respectively disposed to face both end portions of the circumferential surface of the roller main body with respect to a rotational axis direction thereof and to press contact with the roller main body. Each of the seal members comprises: a base material formed of an elastic element; and a sliding frictional member that is formed of fibers and contacts with the circumferential surface of the roller main body such that the roller main body frictionally slides on the sliding frictional member. Both edges of the circumferential surface of the roller main body with respect to the rotational axis direction thereof are brought into contact with the base materials.
US08041248B2
An image forming apparatus has a body frame and a slide frame. The slide frame is configured to be pulled out from the body frame along a sliding direction. A plurality of image forming cartridges is detachably mounted on the slide frame. A plurality of electrode members is mounted on the slide frame and aligned along the sliding direction so as to correspond to the image forming cartridges. A body-side contact portion of each of the electrode members electrically connected to the body frame. A cartridge-side contact portion of the electrode member electrically connected to the image forming cartridge. The image forming cartridge is connected to the body via the corresponding electrode member when the slide frame mounting the image forming cartridges is inserted to the body frame.
US08041240B2
This is a system to improve final xerographic image by providing uniformity in both pre-imaged and imaged photoconductive drums or belts. An ESV is placed after the exposure imaging station so that it can measure the voltage on the photoreceptor (PR) belt or drum obtaining a periodic photoreceptor signature. This signature is communicated to a controller and stored therein. After both pre-imaged and imaged signatures are obtained, the controller compensates for these signatures to all imaging runs thereafter to ensure uniform voltage and thereby uniform final images.
US08041232B2
An optical transmitter which modulates the phases and intensities of double pulses and then transmits them, includes a branching section which branches each of the input double pulses to first and second paths, a first optical modulator placed in the first path, second and third optical modulators placed in series in the second path, and a combining section which combines the double pulses having traveled through the first path with the double pulses having traveled through the second path to output double pulses. A control section controls such that each of the first and second optical modulators performs any one of relative intensity modulation and relative phase modulation on the double pulses passing through, and the third optical modulator performs relative phase modulation on the double pulses passing through.
US08041228B2
A transmitter (3) for generating a DQPSK-modulated optical signal, including: a splitter (7) for dividing an optical carrier signal into a first and second branch (8a, 8b), a first and second Mach-Zehnder interferometer (9, 10) in the first and second branch (8a, 8b), respectively, a phase shifter (11) in one of the branches (8b) generating a nominal phase shift of .pi./2, and a combiner (7′) for combining the optical output signals of the two branches (8a, 8b). The transmitter (3) has a feedback circuit (12) generating at least a first and second bias signal (15.1 to 15.3) for adjusting a bias of at least the first and second Mach-Zehnder interferometers (9, 10), the feedback circuit (12) includes a detector for generating at least a first and second feedback signal from a sample signal extracted from the optical signal after the combiner (7′), and for each bias signal: a local oscillator generating an auxiliary signal modulating the bias signal (15.1 to 15.3) at a pre-defined frequency (f1, f2, f3), a lock-in detector determining a phase difference between the feedback signal and the auxiliary signal, and a bias circuit for generating the bias signal (15.1 to 15.3) from an output signal of the lock-in detector, wherein the pre-defined frequencies of the auxiliary signals (f1, f2, f3) are different from one another (f1.noteq.f2.noteq.f3) and preferably no integer multiples of each other.
US08041223B2
A method of establishing a system delay time and a frame length in a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) system includes adjusting time lengths of an uplink (UL) frame, a downlink (DL) frame, a Transmit/receive Transition Gap (TTG), and a Receive/transmit Transition Gap (RTG); a Base Station (BS) transmitting a DL frame and receiving a UL frame; and a Mobile Station (MS) receiving the DL frame and transmitting the UL frame.
US08041220B2
A remote control device controls a medical device or a medical control device for controlling the medical device by infrared light communication, and includes: an infrared light emission unit for emitting infrared light for performing infrared light communication; a control unit for allowing the infrared light emission unit to emit first infrared light for conveying control information for control of the medical device, and second infrared light conveying predetermined information and having a frequency different from that of the first infrared light; and an infrared light reception unit for receiving the infrared light emitted from the infrared light emission unit. The control unit determines whether or not the infrared light received by the infrared light reception unit is the second infrared light.
US08041219B2
A method of optical communication includes generating an amplified optical signal from at least a portion of a first optical signal having a first carrier wavelength, λ1. The amplified optical signal is applied to Brillouin media to stimulate generation of a Brillouin effect signal at a wavelength λ2. The Brillouin effect signal is modulated to produce a second optical signal having a second carrier wavelength, λ2. In one embodiment, the first optical signal is a downstream optical signal and the second optical signal is an upstream optical signal of a passive optical network.
US08041211B2
A sampling optical pulse generation unit emits a sampling optical pulse. The sampling optical pulse has a period different from a predetermined offset time to integral multiplication of a clock period of a data signal, and the data signal modulates an optical signal of a monitoring target. An optical sampling unit performs sampling of the optical signal of the monitoring target using an electroabsorption optical modulator. The electroabsorption optical modulator has a characteristic in which an absorption index is changed with respect to light propagating through an optical path according to a level of an electric field. The optical signal of the monitoring target is input into one of two optical terminals of the electroabsorption optical modulator. The sampling optical pulse is input into another of the two optical terminals through a photocoupler. The absorption index with respect to the optical signal of the monitoring target is lowered by generating a mutual absorption saturation characteristic of the electroabsorption optical modulator when the sampling optical pulse is supplied, and the sampling of the optical signal of the monitoring target is performed to output an optical pulse signal from the other of the two optical terminals through the photocoupler.
US08041207B2
A photographing apparatus, including: a photographing section for generating photographed image data by performing a continuous shooting, and a controller for causing the photographing section to perform the continuous shooting with a continuous shooting speed thereof being slowed down in stages to correspond to a plurality of different continuous shooting speeds.
US08041202B2
A driving device includes a fixed section, a holding member, a driving section disposed at the fixed section and having a driving shaft, a first movable body having a bearing section friction-coupled with the driving shaft, a second movable body formed as a body separate from the first movable body and capable of moving in conjunction with the first movable body although not secured to the first moving body, and support means for supporting the second movable body with the fixed section and the holding member so as to allow the movable body to move in a predetermined plane.
US08041199B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a deicer system for heating water within a fluid receptacle to prevent ice from forming. The system may include a main body configured to be positioned within the fluid receptacle, a heating element adapted to heat the water, wherein the heating element is supported by the main body, and a concealing cover that is configured to hide the main body the said heating element from view. The concealing cover has a larger axial envelope than the main body and the heating element. The concealing cover may be shaped as a naturally existing object.
US08041197B2
A heating apparatus for heating a target object W is provided with a plurality of heating light sources, including LED elements for applying heating light having a wavelength within a range from 360 to 520 nm to the object. Thus, a temperature of only the shallow surface of the object, such as a semiconductor wafer, is increased/reduced at a high speed in uniform temperature distribution, irrespective of the film type.
US08041196B2
A heat radiating plate storage tray has a plate main body, and a plurality of first projection portions provided on a first surface of the plate main body. A heat radiating plate having a rectangular recessed portion on a surface thereof is capable of being mounted on the first surface of the plate main body, a top face of the first projection portion supports a bottom face of the recessed portion of the heat radiating plate, and a height of the first projection portion is larger than a depth of the recessed portion of the heat radiating plate.
US08041195B2
A vehicle entertainment system includes a video system mounted within a vehicle, a video monitor for presenting video content and a video source integrated therewith. The video source is a hard drive or flash memory. The vehicle entertainment system further includes a circuit board including an input/output assembly associated with the video source for the transmission of video content. The entertainment system also includes a common support member upon which the video source and circuit board are mounted. The input/output assembly includes a means for wireless transmission of video content to the video system.
US08041191B2
When the recording format of an image recorded on a magnetic tape (709) is changed, a playback time period of an image signal by a REC review function is extended. Even when the recording format is changed during playback of an image signal by the REC review function, an image (409) recorded in the recording format after change can be displayed after a blue-backed screen (408) is displayed. Therefore, the user can determine whether the blue-backed screen (408) is displayed due to switching of the system or due to an unrecorded part of an image signal. Hence, the user can be prevented from overwriting a new image signal on the recorded region of an image signal by mistake.
US08041183B2
Time stamps are attached to packets output from stream data input section by a time stamp-attaching section in a HDD, and the packets are then recorded into a HDD main unit. A stream data-generating section removes the time stamps from the packets subsequent to a predetermined amount of packets last recorded into the HDD main unit and controls the timing of the packets according to the time stamps, and the packets are transferred to an HDD. In the HDD, time stamps start to be generated according to the last predetermined amount of packets, and to the packets transferred thereafter, time stamps are attached in a similar fashion as in the HDD, so that the packets are recorded into the HDD main unit.
US08041177B2
A dust cap and a dust plug for installation with optical fiber connectors and optical fiber adapters respectively. The dust cap and the dust plug have features that protect an optical interface on the optical fiber connector and the optical fiber adapter from contamination. At least an exterior portion of the dust cap and the dust plug illuminate when installed on the optical fiber connector and the optical fiber adapter terminating an optical fiber transmitting visible light. The dust cap and the dust plug have features that reduce the intensity of a high power optical signal emitted from the optical fiber terminated by the optical fiber connector and optical fiber adapter. A first embodiment diffracts the optical signal, thereby reducing its intensity. A second embodiment disburses the optical signal, thereby reducing its intensity. A third embodiment absorbs high power frequencies of the optical signal and transmits certain visible frequencies. The dust cap and the dust plug function as a safe, visual fiber optic circuit continuity detector.
US08041175B2
A cable management panel including a chassis, a drawer, and an open-drawer locking arrangement. The open-drawer locking arrangement preventing inadvertent closing movement of the drawer relative to the chassis. The open-drawer locking arrangement including an activation arm accessible from the front of the drawer and a locking piece located at the rear of the drawer. The activation arm moving in a linear direction to engage the locking piece, causing the locking piece to rotate from a locking position to a non-locking position.
US08041174B2
A cable exit trough defining an insert aperture for receiving a modular cable management inserts. The modular insert providing an additional cable management device such as a curved guidewall. The cable management device may alternatively be fixed to the cable exit trough. Removable snap-mounted flanges may also be included in the exit trough. The exit trough may also include an exit cover having a cover plate and a pivot plate hingedly mounted thereto for easy access to the trough.
US08041171B2
This invention provides composite materials comprising nanostructures (e.g., nanowires, branched nanowires, nanotetrapods, nanocrystals, and nanoparticles). Methods and compositions for making such nanocomposites are also provided, as are articles comprising such composites. Waveguides and light concentrators comprising nanostructures (not necessarily as part of a nanocomposite) are additional features of the invention.
US08041166B2
The present disclosure relates to a fiber optic cable including an outer jacket having an elongated transverse cross-sectional profile defining a major axis and a minor axis. The transverse cross-sectional profile has a maximum width that extends along the major axis and a maximum thickness that extends along the minor axis. The maximum width of the transverse cross-sectional profile is longer than the maximum thickness of the transverse cross-sectional profile. The outer jacket also defines first and second separate passages that extend through the outer jacket along a lengthwise axis of the outer jacket. The second passage has a transverse cross-sectional profile that is elongated in an orientation extending along the major axis of the outer jacket. The fiber optic cable also includes a plurality of optical fibers positioned within the first passage a tensile strength member positioned within the second passage. The tensile strength member has a highly flexible construction and a transverse cross-sectional profile that is elongated in the orientation extending along the major axis.
US08041162B2
Techniques, apparatus and systems that use an optical probe head to deliver light to a target and to collect light from the target for imaging, monitoring, medical diagnostics and medical treatment applications.
US08041161B1
A method to maximize the coupling efficiency between a collimated, free-space optical signal and a fiber optic waveguide using an active optical element to steer and focus the collimated beam driven by an adaptive controller that periodically auto-calibrates the active optical element's parameters to maximize the measured power received by the waveguide using a gradient ascent optimization algorithm.
US08041156B2
A system and method for converting between a plurality of single-frame image data objects and a multi-frame image data object. Meta-data attributes common to each single-frame image data object from a source are considered to be shared meta-data attributes and associated with a multi-frame image data object. Perframe meta-data attributes and pixel data are not shared and are individually stored within the multi-frame image data object. In reverse, the number of perframe meta-data attributes within a multi-frame image data object from a source are examined and the corresponding number of single-frame image data objects are created. The shared meta-data attributes are copied into each single-frame image data object along with associated perframe meta-data attributes and pixel data. This conversion process can be applied as images are transmitted to the image manager/archive from the modality, as studies are retrieved from the image manager/archive, and as studies are requested.
US08041155B2
A comprehensive degree of relevance of other moving picture contents with respect to a moving-picture content to be processed is calculated by using any one of or all of content information, frame information, and image characteristics, to display a virtual space in which a visualized content corresponding to a moving picture content to be displayed, which is selected based on the degree of relevance, is located at a position away from a layout position of the visualized content corresponding to the moving picture content to be processed, according to the degree of relevance.
US08041153B2
A processing device has plural processing modules executing a processing; and plural connectors each having a linking section, an associating section, and a controller. The linking section is able to link with at least one other connector at an input side or an output side. The associating section associates the connector with one of the processing modules. In accordance with a linked state, the controller controls the processing module associated by the associating section.
US08041152B2
An image resolution increasing method include setting a first block which is included in a low resolution image and is located at a first position, and a second block which is included in a high resolution image and is located at a second position, and setting, as an increasing resolution block of the first block, a third block expressed by a second vector obtained by projecting a first vector representing the second block to a linear manifold as a set of vectors that indicate fourth blocks of the second block size, the fourth blocks becoming the first block due to reduced resolution, in a Euclidean space having, as the number of dimensions, a product of the number of pixels arranged vertically in the second block size and the number of pixels arranged horizontally in the second block size.
US08041146B2
A system and method of image processing employ mathematical deconvolution to estimate the magnitude and location of a target object within an image. Both the nature of internal reflections and the convolution process by which each internal reflection contributes to blurring of the acquired image data may be measured and modeled. In accordance with mathematical deconvolution techniques, the combined effects of these internal reflections may be reduced to the extend that respective contributions of the target object and each individual reflection may be distinguished and quantified.
US08041144B2
An apparatus and method for improving visibility of an image. The apparatus includes: a lookup table (LUT) generating module generating an LUT having image data in a high illuminance environment corresponding to image data of an input image set therein so as to increase lightness and chroma of the input image according to external illuminance; an image mapping module mapping the image data of the input image into the image data in the high illuminance environment on the basis of the generated LUT; and a local contrast increasing module increasing local contrast of the mapped image data using a parameter for adjusting the local contrast according to the external illuminance.
US08041128B2
The image processing apparatus comprises a wavelet transform unit, a frame buffer, a quantization unit, a bit plane coding unit, an arithmetic coding unit, and a stream generating unit, and converts an original image into coded image data hierarchically by using these units. A copyright level management table manages copyright levels to be permitted to users who use the coded image data. A copyright level recording unit records copyright level information on the corresponding profile into a header or other areas of the coded image data in consideration of such factors as users and regions to be provided.
US08041122B2
An image processing apparatus can generate a vector sequence representing each color region of a color image. The image processing apparatus divides the image into plural regions based on attribute information of the image, and extracts region boundary information relating to a boundary line between different regions. The image processing apparatus generates inter-edge point vector data for each boundary connecting a first edge point to a second edge point corresponding to intersections of boundaries between neighboring regions, based on the extracted region boundary information. The image processing apparatus identifies one or more inter-edge point vector data representing a boundary of each divided region based on the generated inter-edge point vector data, and generates individual region vector data.
US08041117B2
An image processing system includes an image input section, a first character-extracting section, a second character-extracting section and a synthesizing section. The image input section inputs images which are linked to each other in time series manner. The first character-extracting section extracts a character from a first image input by the image input section. The second character-extracting section extracts a character from a second image input by the image input section. The synthesizing section generates a character string in accordance with the character extracted by the first character-extracting section and the character extracted by the second character-extracting section.
US08041115B2
In a method and apparatus for determining a classification boundary between an object, such as a vehicle, and a background, using an object classifier, a trained classifier is configured to classify and recognize each of a plurality of object images and a plurality of background images. Next, a confidence probability density distribution function is calculated for the vehicle and the background using the determined confidence values for the vehicle images and background images. Once the probability density distribution functions for the vehicle and the background are calculated, the classification boundary between the vehicle and the background is determined using the probability density distribution functions for the vehicle or the background, or both, and a predefined model that is appropriate.
US08041114B2
Computer vision applications often require each pixel within an image to be assigned one of a set of labels. A method of improving the labels assigned to pixels is described which uses the quadratic pseudoboolean optimization (QPBO) algorithm. Starting with a partially labeled solution, an unlabeled pixel is assigned a value from a fully labeled reference solution and the energy of the partially labeled solution plus this additional pixel is calculated. The calculated energy is then used to generate a revised partially labeled solution using QPBO.
US08041110B2
An image processing circuit inputs pixels of an RGB Bayer array therein. A chroma value calculation circuit calculates a chroma factor (KL) for evaluating the chroma of a surrounding area of a specified pixel. A correlation value calculation circuit calculates correlation values for gray image and color image. If the chroma factor (KL) is larger than a threshold value (TH1), a correlation judgment method for color image and a pixel interpolation method for color image are selected, if the chroma factor (KL) is not larger than a threshold value (TH1) and larger than a threshold value (TH2), a correlation judgment method using a correlation value obtained by overall judgment on the correlation values for gray image and color image and a pixel interpolation method for color image are selected, and if the chroma factor (KL) is not larger than a threshold value (TH2), a correlation judgment method for gray image and a pixel interpolation method for gray image are selected.
US08041104B2
A pattern matching apparatus comprising: means for storing photographed image data of a semiconductor device; means for storing CAD data of said semiconductor device; an information input means for inputting information on the white band width contained in said image data; a pattern extracting means for extracting a pattern on the semiconductor device from said image data by using the white band width information; and a matching means for matching said pattern with the CAD data.
US08041103B2
Various methods and systems for determining a position of inspection data in design data space are provided. One computer-implemented method includes determining a centroid of an alignment target formed on a wafer using an image of the alignment target acquired by imaging the wafer. The method also includes aligning the centroid to a centroid of a geometrical shape describing the alignment target. In addition, the method includes assigning a design data space position of the centroid of the alignment target as a position of the centroid of the geometrical shape in the design data space. The method further includes determining a position of inspection data acquired for the wafer in the design data space based on the design data space position of the centroid of the alignment target.
US08041100B2
A first defect distribution superimposed image is formed by superimposing defect distributions on individual substrates processed by a causal equipment unit candidate on one another. Second defect distribution superimposed images are formed by superimposing, on one another, defect distributions on individual substrates processed by equipment units other than the causal equipment unit candidate in one same step as that executed by the causal equipment unit candidate. The first defect distribution superimposed image and the second defect distribution superimposed images are displayed in contrast on one display screen.
US08041097B2
To provide a confocal microscope for obtaining an extended image by easily determining the capturing range of an observation image without being aware of the shape of a sample to be observed, the confocal microscope comprises confocal image generating unit for generating a confocal image, first counting unit for counting a first number of pixels having a predetermined brightness level or lower among the brightness levels of the pixels of the confocal image, second counting unit for counting a second number of pixels obtained by extracting only a pixel that matches a predetermined condition for the confocal image, and boundary determining unit for detecting a boundary by determining whether or not the observation surface is within the image capturing range based on the first and the second numbers of pixels.
US08041095B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for pretreatment planning endovascular coil placement, comprising steps of: a) analyzing three-dimensional data enabling visualization of a volume of interest containing at least a part of a blood vessel with an aneurysm; b) determining the centerline of the vessel; c) determining the aneurysm diameter; d) determining the aneurysm dome height; e) creating a three-dimensional surface model of the aneurysm in the vessel, using the results from the previous steps; f) estimating the volume expansion of one or more coils with the aid of said surface model; and g) visual simulating at least one according to the estimated virtual coil being to place inside the aneurysm.
US08041090B2
A computer-implemented method of performing image processing for images of biological objects includes: storing definitions of a plurality of descriptors; receiving image data relating to an image of a reference population of biological objects; receiving image data relating to an image of a target population of biological objects; processing the reference population image data to obtain a reference set of measurements, containing data for each of the descriptors; processing the target population image data to obtain a target set of measurements, containing data for each of the descriptors; and selecting a combination of the descriptors on the basis of comparing the reference set with the target set to define a preferred combination of the descriptors for use in identifying characteristics of a further population of biological objects which are similar to those of the target population.
US08041089B2
A method for registering an anatomical structure using at least one marker attached to the structure includes: obtaining a three-dimensional model of the structure via an imaging method; obtaining at least two two-dimensional recordings of the structure from different angles; and ascertaining a spatial position and location of the three-dimensional model or a position and location of the three-dimensional model in a patient coordinate system based on a matching method that uses the position of the at least one marker in the at least two two-dimensional mappings such that the three-dimensional model of the structure matches the structure.
US08041083B2
A fingerprint sensing circuit for detecting a fingerprint of a user, including a signal source, at least a sensing unit, a resistor, an electrode, and a detecting circuit. The signal source provides a reference signal. The electrode is coupled to a reference level. The sensing unit generates a sensed value according to the electrode and the fingerprint of the user. The resistor is coupled between the signal source and the output node. The detecting circuit is coupled to the output node. The resistor, the sensing unit, and the electrode constitute a filter circuit to the signal source. At least a first signal is generated to the output node according to the reference signal and the sensed value, and the detecting circuit detects the first signal to generate a corresponding detected result indicative of the fingerprint.
US08041081B2
Upon extraction of a human figure region in an image, a face or facial part is detected in the image, and an estimated region which is estimated to include the human figure region is determined from position information of the detected face or facial part. The human figure region is extracted in the estimated region. Judgment is made as to whether at least a portion of the human figure region exists in an outline periphery region of the estimated region, and the estimated region is extended and updated so as to include a near outer region near the human figure region in the outline periphery region and outside the estimated region, in the case where a result of the judgment is affirmative. The human figure region is extracted in the extended and updated estimated region.
US08041077B2
A method of identifying motion within a field of view includes capturing at least two sequential images within the field of view. Each of the images includes a respective array of pixel values. An array of difference values between corresponding ones of the pixel values in the sequential images is calculated. A sensitivity region map corresponding to the field of view is provided. The sensitivity region map includes a plurality of regions having different threshold values. A presence of motion is determined by comparing the difference values to corresponding ones of the threshold values.
US08041073B2
Watermark information consists of several data symbols which are embedded continuously in an audio or a video signal using modulation with a pseudo-random sequence if spread spectrum technology is used. At decoder site the watermark information is regained using correlation of the received signal with a candidate pseudo-random sequence. Such correlation can be performed by one-dimensional real-symmetric fast Fourier transform of the two input signal vectors, which each consist of a section of N values of the input signal, to which section N−1 zeroes are attached, by multiplying one of the transformed vectors by the conjugated version of the other transformed vector, followed by inverse RFFT transform of that frequency domain product vector. However, if the level of a spread-spectrum watermark is too low or if too much noise had been added during the transmission of the audio or video signals, the correlation does not show a clear peak, which means that the watermark information bits cannot be recovered. According to the invention, the correlation result is improved by setting to zero in the frequency domain frequency bins of the vector which do not have a positive impact on the correlation peak at location zero, i.e. which frequency bins do not contribute to that peak. Thereby the noise level in the correlation or matched filter output is reduced and the watermark information items can be recovered or decoded correctly from the received watermarked audio or video signal.
US08041072B2
An audio output apparatus for converting an input audio signal into audio and outputting the audio includes a first oscillation enhancing panel for outputting the audio as a result of being oscillated; a second oscillation enhancing panel for outputting the audio as a result of being oscillated; a first transducer for allowing the first oscillation enhancing panel to oscillate on the basis of an audio signal, the first transducer being disposed in the first oscillation enhancing panel; and a second transducer for allowing the second oscillation enhancing panel to oscillate on the basis of an audio signal, the second transducer being disposed at a position on the second oscillation enhancing panel, the position on the second oscillation enhancing panel differing from the position corresponding to the position of the first transducer in the first oscillation enhancing panel.
US08041071B2
A diaphragm and a speaker unit which can prevent generation of abnormal sound by suppressing rolling phenomenon. The speaker unit has a diaphragm. The diaphragm includes a portion for supporting a voice coil, and a sound emitting portion formed continuously to one end thereof. The voice coil supporting portion has a shape extending reversely to the sound emitting direction. The sound emitting portion includes a step portion having a surface substantially perpendicular to the sound emitting direction, and a bent portion having a cross-section bent toward the inside of the voice coil supporting portion from one end of the step portion. Consequently, the voice coil supporting portion is movable to describe an arc having a radius substantially equal to the radius of curvature at the bent portion of the voice coil supporting portion and a basic point substantially identical to the center of the bent portion in the bending direction as the voice coil moves in the sound emitting direction or in the reverse direction. Rolling phenomenon can thereby be retarded, the voice coil supporting portion can be prevented from colliding against a magnetic circuit when the speaker unit is driven and generation of abnormal sound can be prevented.
US08041066B2
The present subject matter relates to the wireless stereo reception of first and second audio information by wireless hearing communication devices. One type of device which may employ the present subject matter is a hearing assistance device, such as a hearing aid. Various forms and protocols of signal transmission are employed in varying embodiments. The present subject matter includes various communication modes such as eavesdropping modes and relaying modes.
US08041064B2
It is an object of the invention to provide an MEMS microphone having a directionality. A card type MEMS microphone according to the invention comprises a substrate having a first through hole and a second through hole, an MEMS chip in which a space formed by a diaphragm electrode and a silicon substrate is mounted in a position to surround an outlet of the first through hole and which serves to convert a sound signal propagated to the diaphragm electrode into an electric signal, and an acoustic resisting member mounted in a position covering the first through hole at a substrate surface on an opposite side to a side on which the MEMS chip is mounted, and the substrate has a terminal for transmitting an electric signal output from the MEMS chip to an electronic apparatus and takes a shape of a card which can be attached to and removed from the electronic apparatus, and the second through hole is a hole which a sound signal passes to be propagated to the diaphragm electrode around the substrate.
US08041053B2
A vehicular sound effect generating apparatus has a controller for determining whether a transmission on a vehicle is a manual transmission or an automatic transmission based on whether a clutch signal is generated or not, and automatically changing weighting gain characteristics as acoustic correcting characteristics stored in a sound pressure adjuster depending on the determined transmission. The vehicular sound effect generating apparatus generates a sound effect in a vehicle cabin depending on the manual transmission or the automatic transmission.
US08041052B2
An audio selection circuit. The audio selection circuit includes a control/switch circuit having a first input, a second input, and a first output, and a signal detector module configured to detect an audio signal on the second input. If the signal detector detects presence of the audio signal on the second input, the signal detector is configured to transmit a control signal to the control/switch circuit, and the control/switch circuit is configured in response to the control signal to disconnect the first input from the first output and to connect the second input to the first output. Otherwise, the control/switch circuit is configured to connect the first input to the first output and to disconnect the second input from the first output.
US08041046B2
The present invention provides a sound field correcting system and a reverberation adjusting apparatus capable of correcting a reverberation time characteristic by an easy operation without setting a complicated parameter. A surround system 100 has a sound reproducing apparatus 120 for adjusting a reverberation component of sound on the basis of a reverberation characteristic of a listening room 10 and amplifying the sound by a speaker system 130; and a microphone 140 for collecting the amplified sound in a specific listening position in the listening room 10. The sound reproducing apparatus 120 includes: a test signal generating device 124 for generating a test signal; a space characteristic analyzer 127 for recognizing an attenuation characteristic indicative of attenuation with time in the listening room on the basis of the obtained amplified test signal, and calculating attenuation time in the listening position of the amplified sound on the basis of the recognized attenuation characteristic; and a signal processor 200 for adjusting the reverberation characteristic of the listening room 10.
US08041033B2
Some embodiments of a method and apparatus for encrypting and decrypting data have been presented. In one embodiment, a current initialization vector (IV) is generated based on a previous block of plaintext enciphered. Then a current block of plaintext is combined with the current IV to create a temporary block. An encipher may encipher the temporary block to generate a current block of ciphertext.
US08041013B2
Communicating a call having a number of dialogs includes initiating a call between a first endpoint and a second endpoint. A first connection for a primary dialog of the call is established according to a feature. The first endpoint determines that the primary dialog has reached a predetermined state, and determines whether the second endpoint is operable to accept the second connection for the secondary dialog. The second connection for the secondary dialog is established if the second endpoint is operable to accept the second connection.
US08041012B2
A system for voice-activated dialing including means for initiating a call through a first connection between a user's phone and a switch at a central office; responsive to the first connection, means for initiating a second connection over the implicit trunk between the switch and a voice over internet protocol gateway; responsive to the second connection, means for initiating a third connection between the voice over internet protocol gateway and a voice-activated dialing platform; responsive to a keyword sent from the user's phone to the voice-activated dialing platform, means for disconnecting the implicit trunk and signaling the switch to connect to the voice-activated dialing platform over the explicit trunk; and responsive to a dialed number sent from the user's phone to the voice-activated dialing platform, means for handing the call off from the internet protocol gateway to the switch at the central office to process through call the implicit trunk.
US08041001B2
With the object of enabling a subject to be imaged at an appropriate timing of shooting, an image diagnosing apparatus for shooting an image of the subject in an imaging space has a voice guidance unit which reproduces and outputs to the subject a prescribed voice guidance and a voice output control unit which causes the output timing of the voice guidance outputted from the voice guidance unit to correspond with the timing of shooting the image of the subject.
US08040999B2
A shift register circuit is provided that can suppress a decrease in a drive capability when a frequency of a clock signal increases. A unit shift register includes a first transistor for supplying a clock signal to an output terminal, a pull-up driving circuit for driving the first transistor, a second transistor for discharging the output terminal, and a pull-down driving circuit for driving the second transistor. In the pull-up driving circuit, the gate of a third transistor charging the gate of the first transistor is charged in accordance with activation of an output signal of preceding stage, and the potential at the gate of the third transistor is increased with a capacitive element. As a result, the third transistor operates in the non-saturated region.
US08040993B2
Disclosed is a signal processing method and apparatus in MIMO system. In a mobile communication system having a plurality of transmitting antennas, the present invention includes the steps of receiving a feedback signal including status information of at least one channel, segmenting one of the first data blocks to segment into at least one or more of the second data blocks, attaching a CRC to each of the at least one or more of the second data blocks, allocating the at least one or more second data blocks to a plurality of the transmitting antennas, respectively, and transmitting the at least one or more of the second data blocks. In a mobile communication system having a plurality of receiving antennas, the present invention includes the steps of receiving at least one data block including a CRC or dummy bits, acquiring channel status information using the CRC or dummy bits, and transmitting the channel status information.
US08040988B2
An integrated circuit device having a selectable data rate clock data recovery (CDR) circuit and a selectable data rate transmit circuit. The CDR circuit includes a receive circuit to capture a plurality of samples of an input signal during a cycle of a first clock signal. A select circuit is coupled to the receive circuit to select, according to a receive data rate select signal, one of the plurality of samples to be a first selected sample of the input signal and another of the plurality of samples to be a second selected sample of the input signal. A phase control circuit is coupled to receive the first and second selected samples of the input signal and includes circuitry to compare the selected samples to determine whether the first clock signal leads or lags a transition of the input signal. The transmit circuit includes a serializing circuit to receive a parallel set of bits and to output the set of bits in sequence to an output driver in response to a first clock signal. A select circuit selects, according to a transmit data rate select signal, data bits within an outbound data value to form the parallel set of bits received within the serializing circuit. Bits within the outbound data value are selected to achieve a first data rate when the transmit data rate select signal is in a first state, and to achieve a second data rate when the transmit data rate select signal is in a second state.
US08040983B2
System and method of locating an interferer and mitigating its effect for stations of a wireless local area network. Embodiments provide a protocol and mechanism to evaluate the interferer location relative to a wireless link and to take accurate actions to mitigate the interference effect for specific cases. A method includes classifying a location of an interferer relative to a wireless communication device based on a comparison with a clear-channel threshold and a noise-tolerability threshold of the device, categorizing a location of the interferer relative to a wireless link based on a combination of the interference categories for the transmitting and the receiving devices, and mitigating interference in the wireless network according to the categorization. For example, in some cases, mitigating includes adapting a noise-tolerability threshold of the transmitting device to allow transmission.
US08040976B2
A receiver and method is provided for sigma-delta converting an RF signal to a digital signal and downconverting to a digital baseband signal. The RF signal is split into N phases, as can be accomplished using a sample and hold circuit, and each phase is digitized, as can be accomplished using an analog-to-digital (A/D) sigma-delta converter. Polyphase decimation techniques and demodulation are applied to the phased signals to generate a demodulated digital signal. The demodulated digital signal is further downconverted to the appropriate baseband signal.
US08040972B2
A wireless communication apparatus that transmits a transmission signal and receives a reception signal via a wireless transmission channel, the wireless communication apparatus including circuitry for determining an expected signal attenuation along the wireless transmission channel, stored information providing correlation between a transmission level of the transmission signal into a first power consumption parameter for each possible modulation method, stored information providing correlation between an expected signal strength for a received signal into a second power consumption parameter for each possible modulation method, and a means for determining the modulation method and the level of the transmission signal that minimizes power consumption.
US08040970B2
A multi input multi output (MIMO) transceiver having a channel estimation module being responsive to received samples including channel state information (CSI) and operative to generate time domain beamforming parameters, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The multi input multi output (MIMO) transceiver further includes an adaptive beamforming parameters module coupled to receive said time domain beamforming parameters and operative to generate time domain adaptive beamforming parameters, said adaptive beamforming parameters module operative to process said time domain beamforming parameters to generate frequency domain adaptive beamforming parameters, a decoding module coupled to receive said frequency domain adaptive beamforming parameters and operative to generate data bits, a channel parameters module coupled to receive said data bits and operative to extract said time domain adaptive beamforming parameters, an encoding module coupled to receive said time domain adaptive beamforming parameters and operative to generate a data packet, said encoding module operative to encode said data packet to generate a modulated data stream, and a beamform matrices module coupled to receive said modulated data stream and operative to generate a beamformed data stream based on said frequency domain adaptive beamforming parameters, said MIMO transceiver operative to process said beamformed data stream to generate output signals and to transmit said output signals by forming beam patterns.
US08040969B2
A Multiple In Multiple Out (MIMO) communication system comprises an air interface scheduler for allocating air interface resource to a plurality of user equipments transmitting to a MIMO receiver. A vector processor of the scheduler determines a receive equalizer vector for the MIMO receiver for each of a plurality of user equipments in response to a channel matrix for the user equipment. The vector processor may specifically apply singular value decomposition to the channel matrix to determine the receive equalizer vector. An orthogonality processor then determines orthogonality measures between receive equalizer vectors for different sets of user equipments. A selection processor selects a set of user equipments to be allocated a shared MIMO air interface resource in response to the orthogonality measures. By scheduling in response to orthogonality of receiver operations, a reduced interference and/or reduced receiver complexity can be achieved.
US08040965B2
Techniques to process data for transmission over a set of transmission channels selected from among all available transmission channels. In an aspect, the data processing includes coding data based on a common coding and modulation scheme to provide modulation symbols and pre-weighting the modulation symbols for each selected channel based on the channel's characteristics. The pre-weighting may be achieved by “inverting” the selected channels so that the received SNRs are approximately similar for all selected channels. With selective channel inversion, only channels having SNRs at or above a particular threshold are selected, “bad” channels are not used, and the total available transmit power is distributed across only “good” channels. Improved performance is achieved due to the combined benefits of using only the NS best channels and matching the received SNR of each selected channel to the SNR required by the selected coding and modulation scheme.
US08040962B2
An efficient algorithm is described for use with OFDM receivers that characterizes the impulse response of a communication channel using frequency domain techniques that reduce computational and memory requirements, relative to time-domain cross-correlation methods, without sacrificing algorithm performance. An FFT engine is used to transform a time domain input sequence, the transformed sequence is multiplied by the conjugate of the expected sequence, the product of several sequences is averaged, then the FFT engine transforms the average back to a time domain sequence, the magnitude of which is the impulse response of the channel.
US08040961B2
Signal detectivity is improved by implementation of address adjustment to reorder samples and to discard undesired samples. Such reordering is utilized when the time order of received samples are distorted and/or corrupted, which can occur in at least three situations. If the samples are distorted in time order, the samples are rearranged to allow the samples to return to proper order. The samples, if corrupted, are discarded and replaced with zero samples.
US08040959B2
A method and apparatus for detecting symbols in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (“MIMO-OFDM”) system. A MIMO-OFDM receiver includes a first detector that estimates a symbol of a first MIMO-OFDM sub-carrier and a second detector that estimates a symbol of a second MIMO-OFDM sub-carrier. The second detector differs in complexity from the first detector. A detector control block is coupled to the detectors. The detector control block assigns the first detector to process the first MIMO-OFDM sub-carrier and assigns the second detector to process the second MIMO-OFDM sub-carrier. The detector control block computes a list metric for a sub-carrier. Based on the list metric the detector control block assigns a candidate symbol list length to the detector processing the sub-carrier. Alternately, the detector control block assigns one of a variety of detector types to a sub-carrier based on the sub-carrier list metric.
US08040947B2
A bitrate control device controls bitrate of video data and includes: a setting module that sets, for each frame in the video data, a target code amount to be used in encoding the frame by an encoding module for maintaining a given bitrate; an adjusting module that adjusts the target code amount set by the setting module based on given information; and a managing module that is configured to perform: saving a code amount corresponding to an amount reduced in the target code amount by the adjusting module in a virtual storage management buffer having a given upper limit, when the adjusting module adjusts to reduce the target code amount; and withdrawing a code amount corresponding to an amount increased in the target code amount by the adjusting module from the virtual storage management buffer, when the adjusting module adjusts to increase the target code amount.
US08040943B1
A method and an apparatus for slicing a multilevel analog signal using a two-level slicer having one threshold level to generate an analog error signal. The method may be performed by delaying a received multilevel analog signal in a plurality of serial analog stages (n), further delaying a multilevel analog signal tapped from stage n, combining the further delayed signal from stage n with an analog error signal e(t) to provide an analog weighting function Wn, wherein the combining of the delayed signal from stage n with Wn results in a plurality of signals XnWn, summing the plurality of signals XnWn, slicing a multilevel analog signal resulting from the summing of the plurality of signals XnWn using one threshold level to generate the analog error signal e(t), and combining the delayed signal from stage n with Wn.
US08040942B2
A method of detecting an outage includes determining at a source of data a quality metric of a link over which data is to be transmitted, modifying the quality metric by a quality metric margin, and declaring an outage event when power required for transmission of a reference signal exceeds power required for transmission of the reference signal determined form the modified quality metric. An apparatus for detecting an outage includes means for determining at a source of data a quality metric of a link over which data is to be transmitted, means for modifying the quality metric by a quality metric margin, means for determining a maximum rate of data in accordance with said modified quality metric, and means for declaring an outage event when power required for transmission of data at the maximum rate of data exceeds maximum allowable transmission power.
US08040941B2
A device of dynamic communication of information allows, on the average, non-integer bits per symbol transmission, using a compact code set or a partial response decoding receiver. A stream of selectable predetermined integer bits, e.g., k or k+1 data bits, is grouped into a selectable integer number of bit vectors which then are mapped onto corresponding signal constellations forming transmission symbols. Two or more symbols can be grouped and further encoded, so that a symbol is spread across the two or more symbols being communicated. Sequence estimation using, for example, maximum likelihood techniques, as informed by noise estimates relative to the received signal. Each branch metric in computing the path metric of a considered sequence at the receiver is weighted by the inverse of the noise power. It is desirable that the constellation selection, sequence estimation and noise estimation be performed continuously and dynamically.
US08040939B2
The picture mode controller for flat panel and flat panel display device including the same includes an input unit to input a first timing signal indicating transmission sections for pixel data, and a second timing signal indicating a transmission time of each pixel data, a pseudo timing signal generating unit to generate a first pseudo timing signal to be used as the first timing signal, a first selecting unit to selectively output the first timing signal and the first pseudo timing signal to allow one of a video picture mode and a black picture mode to be designated, and a selection control unit to control a selecting operation of the first selecting unit based on whether the first timing signal is input from the input unit and whether a period of the second timing signal changes.
US08040934B2
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser capable of reducing parasitic capacitance while suppressing power consumption, and a method of manufacturing thereof are provided. The vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes a columnar mesa including, on a substrate, a first multilayer reflector, an active layer, and a second multilayer reflector in order from the substrate side, and also including a current narrowing layer. The columnar portion of the mesa including the active layer and the current narrowing layer is formed within a region opposed to the first multilayer reflector and a region opposed to the second multilayer reflector, and a cross section area of the columnar portion is smaller than a cross section area of the second multilayer reflector.
US08040931B2
A method of fabricating a color laser, comprising growing a first thin layer of ionic crystal on a substrate. The crystal can comprise many types of ionic crystals, such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride. A second thin layer of a different type of ionic crystal can be deposited above the first ionic crystal layer, such as lithium fluoride or sodium fluoride. An inert metal layer can be deposited between the first and second layers of ionic crystal and above the second layer of ionic crystal. When the first and second ionic crystal layers are radiated with gamma rays, they form color centers at the spots radiated. Because of the difference in crystalline properties of the two different ionic crystal centers, their color centers have different wavelengths. Each of the ionic crystal layers emit light at different characteristic wavelengths when illuminated at their unique absorption frequencies, and can be made to lase separately.
US08040929B2
Embodiments described herein include a system for producing ultrashort tunable pulses based on ultra broadband OPA or OPG in nonlinear materials. The system parameters such as the nonlinear material, pump wavelengths, quasi-phase matching periods, and temperatures can be selected to utilize the intrinsic dispersion relations for such material to produce bandwidth limited or nearly bandwidth limited pulse compression. Compact high average power sources of short optical pulses tunable in the wavelength range of 1800-2100 nm and after frequency doubling in the wavelength range of 900-1050 nm can be used as a pump for the ultra broadband OPA or OPG. In certain embodiments, these short pump pulses are obtained from an Er fiber oscillator at about 1550 nm, amplified in Er fiber, Raman-shifted to 1800-2100 nm, stretched in a fiber stretcher, and amplified in Tm-doped fiber. To produce short pulses in the 900-1050 nm wavelength range, the pulses are frequency-doubled with a chirped frequency doubler for nearly bandwidth-limited output.
US08040915B2
A system, method and computer program product that facilitates communication between devices that implement at least one proprietary feature in a DOCSIS-compliant broadband communication system. A logical channel is established for communication between a first device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS), that implements at least one proprietary feature, and other devices that also implement the at least one proprietary feature. Registration information is then received from a second device, such as a cable modem, wherein the registration information indicates that the second device also implements the at least one proprietary feature. In response to receiving the registration information, the second device is assigned to the logical channel.
US08040902B1
A multi-chassis router allows an administrator to deliver commands from a single interface. Additionally, the multi-chassis router presents a software image consistent with that of a standalone router and uses commands and configurations consistent with those used by a standalone router. The multi-chassis router automatically distributes, processes and responds to administrator commands a single unit, minimizing time required to administer the multi-chassis router. In effect, an administrator does not need to account for the multiple chassis configuration, and an administrator familiar with the control and commands for a standalone router can use that knowledge to effectively control the operation of the multi-chassis router.
US08040899B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing automatic protection switching for media packets, such as ATM cells or IP packets that carry media content, in a device that includes an Ethernet switching fabric are disclosed. According to one method, first and second packet network interfaces of the device are configured to function as working and protection APS interfaces. At least one of a media processing resource and an Ethernet switch fabric of the device are configured to replicate egress media packets from the media processing resource to the working and protection APS interfaces. Egress media packets from the media processing resource are forwarded to the working and protection APS interfaces via the switch fabric. Ingress media packets received at the working APS interface are forwarded to the media processing resource via the Ethernet switch fabric. Media packets received at the protection APS interface are discarded.
US08040897B2
In one embodiment, bridges in a computer network maintain a per-port mapping table for each of its ports, where each mapping table maps, for each virtual connection (of more than 4K) at a respective port, i) frame encapsulation fields that uniquely identify a particular virtual connection at the respective port to ii) a particular multiple spanning tree (MST) instance. The bridges may then compute a checksum of a particular mapping table for a particular port, and share the checksum with a corresponding port interconnected with the particular port (e.g., of another bridge). Upon determining that the mapping tables at the corresponding ports match in response to the checksums matching, frames may then be forwarded between the ports based on the particular mapping table.
US08040894B2
A system and method to adjust dynamically network speed or bandwidth allocation. A network connection is established at some initial speed. The bandwidth usage through the connection is monitored, and when the connection speed becomes congested with data, the connection is dropped and a higher-speed connection is established.
US08040887B2
An apparatus (D) is dedicated to processing E1 data frames in communications network equipment (ETPL) including at least one E1 line interface unit (LIU1). The apparatus (D) includes a processor adapted, on receiving from at least one E1 interface unit (LIU1) at least one E1-type frame addressed to a given E1 destination port, to encapsulate that E1-type frame in a payload data field of an Ethernet frame in order to send it to an Ethernet destination port providing access to the given E1 destination port.
US08040882B2
A method includes for determining a plurality of fields of a packet associated with a routing of the packet, wherein each field of the plurality of fields includes one or more bits. Arranging the bits of the plurality of fields into a plurality of ordered partitions of a search sequence, the search sequence being associated with a plurality of searches, wherein the searches are based on the bits included in one or more of the ordered partitions. Providing, to a routing table including routing information associated with the routing of the packet, one or more of the ordered partitions of the search sequence, wherein the routing table is structured based on the search sequence. Receiving, based on the plurality of searches, the routing information associated with the routing of the packet from the routing table. Routing the packet based on the routing information.
US08040878B2
A multi-service transport apparatus for integrated transport networks that may have an electrical matrix, termination function means handling signals incoming at said apparatus input, a plurality of termination function means interfacing different layers, and adaptation function means. The termination function means handling incoming signals are implemented in input/output port devices; the termination function means interfacing different layers and said adaptation function means are implemented in adapter devices. The matrix performs exclusively the switching of the incoming signals that are already terminated and adapted by said input/output port devices and by said adapter devices and it is transparent with respect to the signal format. The switch may have a time division multiplexing matrix provided with a number of matrix inputs and a number of matrix outputs; source address generators, connected to matrix outputs of the time division multiplexing matrix.
US08040872B2
A MVAC spoofed frame or a loop frame generated by a user is prevented from obstructing communication and the source port ID of a fraud is reported to the network administrator. A MAC frame forwarding apparatus adds the input port ID and the source MAC address of a received frame. The MAC frame forwarding apparatus has a frame forwarding management table and a frame discarding management table. The frame discarding management table has a MAC address to be discarded, indicating a received frame to be discarded if the address matches the source MAC address of the received frame, a target port ID, and the number of discarded frames. A management apparatus discards a received frame if the source MAC address matches the MAC address to be discarded and counts the number of discarded frames. If the number of discarded frames exceeds a predetermined level, the port ID, the MAC address, and the number of discarded frames are reported to the management apparatus, and the source port of the fraud is reported to the administrator.
US08040868B2
A communication system and method for measuring communication channel qualities of one or more partial bands of a communication band is provided. A mobile station represents measured communication channel qualities of the partial bands by relative value information in a frequency direction and/or time direction and selectively communicates the relative value information to a base station. The relative value information in the frequency direction represents a difference in the communication channel qualities of the partial bands at a first timing. The relative value information in the time direction represents a difference between the communication channel qualities of the partial bands at a second timing and the communication channel qualities of the partial bands at a time prior to the second timing.
US08040863B2
Systems and methods for determining whether a node in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network should advertise as a borrower or a lender of bandwidth, or alternatively not advertise as either a borrower or lender of bandwidth. The method comprises establishing an ad-hoc network between nodes configured to be a borrower of bandwidth or a lender of bandwidth. At least one of the nodes advertises to be the borrower of bandwidth or the lender of bandwidth in the ad hoc network based on at least one selected factor.
US08040858B2
A system and methods (300, 500) are disclosed for enabling communications between a communication device and a wireless access point. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a multimode communication device (MCD) (106) having a controller (214) for managing operations of a multimode wireless transceiver (202) supporting communications on a plurality of wireless access technologies (103). The controller can be programmed to transmit (324) to a network management system (NMS) (100) over a first wireless access technology a request for configuration information associated with a wireless access point, receive (326) the configuration information from the NMS, and enable (320) communications with the wireless access point over a second wireless access technology according to the configuration information. Embodiments for the NMS are also disclosed.
US08040848B2
To improve throughput of the whole system while reducing power consumption. In a mobile communication system comprising a mobile station apparatus and a base station apparatus, the base station apparatus creates an interference information table based on channel quality of an uplink channel, and at the same time, transmitting the interference information indicator table to the mobile station apparatus, and the mobile station apparatus determines a state of interference in an uplink frequency band based on the interference information indicator table, determines a frequency band of a measurement pilot channel, which is a pilot channel used to determine received quality, and make a request to the base station apparatus for a transmission resource. For example, the mobile station apparatus determines a frequency band with lowest interference among the uplink frequency bands as a frequency band of the measurement pilot channel.
US08040841B2
If a WiMAX base station cannot receive a ranging signal from a WiMAX-embedded wireless terminal or if adjustment is not completed even after the WiMAX-embedded wireless terminal adjusts a parameter depending on adjusted value information for a pre-determined number of times, negotiation is performed via a heterogeneous network to establish a communication connection for upstream communication from the WiMAX-embedded wireless terminal to the WiMAX base station, and only downstream communication from the WiMAX base station to the WiMAX-embedded wireless terminal is performed via a WiMAX network.
US08040827B2
A method of transmitting subframe designating information in downlink in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The present invention includes generating the subframe designating information for designating a subframe of a specific type in a radio frame and transmitting the generated subframe designating information to a user equipment, wherein the subframe designating information includes initial location information indicating an initial location of the subframe of the specific type on the radio frame and period information indicating a period for the subframe of the specific type to be repeated.
US08040819B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a customer premises equipment (CPE) apparatus includes a first communications unit and a processing unit. The first communications unit is adapted to send and receive messages over an upstream network. The processing unit is adapted to control the sending and receiving of messages through the first communications unit. The processing unit is adapted to perform each of a plurality of first sequence tests until the first sequence tests are exhausted, and each of a plurality of second sequence tests until one of a second sequence test passes or the second sequence tests are exhausted. The processing unit is adapted to receive test results from the performed test and to configure the CPE based upon the performed test results.
US08040817B2
A wireless communication device performs a wireless communication with a communication target device via an intermediate device. A route-information obtaining unit obtains communication route information indicating a communication route to the communication target device. A quality-information obtaining unit obtains quality information indicating quality of a signal received by a device included in the communication route indicated by the communication route information. A route selecting unit selects an optimum communication route to the communication target device based on the quality information.
US08040815B2
A method, wireless controller, and information processing system that define communication channel allocation. Communication channel allocation commands associated with a first network are monitored (102). The first network (102) comprises a plurality of communication frequencies assigned by the communication channel allocation commands. A set of communication frequencies are determined that have been assigned to wireless devices (108) associated with the first network (102) in response to the monitoring. A specification of unused communication frequencies within the plurality of communication frequencies are transmitted to a second network (104) in response to the determining.
US08040814B2
The relay apparatus relays frames in which a plurality of network identifiers are set and comprises a frame determining unit, a converting unit, and a sending unit. The frame determining unit determines whether a frame received at a communication port is a specific frame or not. The converting unit converts, when it is determined that the received frame is a specific frame and when the communication port is a blocking port, a network identifier set in the specific frame to another network identifier among the plurality of network identifiers. The sending unit sends the specific frame, the network identifier of which has been converted by the conversion unit, from a port opposing the communication port.
US08040813B2
An apparatus is provided which includes a common signal node operable to conduct a first signal, a first circuit coupled to the common signal node to utilize the first signal and a signal-handling element coupled to the common signal node. The signal-handling element includes an isolating circuit coupled to the first conductor, a second conductor operable to conduct an output of the isolating circuit, and a signal-handling circuit coupled to the second conductor. The signal-handling circuit is operable to perform a signal-handling function in response to the output of the isolating circuit. By virtue of the isolating circuit, the signal-handling circuit and the first circuit are isolated from the second conductor and the signal-handling circuit. Preferably, the achieved isolation permits a communication signal included in the first signal to be conducted within a communication apparatus with less capacitance, and producing less return loss of that signal.
US08040811B2
A system and method for collecting network performance information from a packet network. The method may include requesting network performance information from network communications devices on a packet network, collecting the network performance information from the network communications devices, where the network performance information is indicative of communications of real-time content and non-real-time content, and storing the network performance information in a configuration distinguishing the network performance information indicative of communications of real-time content.
US08040805B2
A gateway apparatus for interfacing an access network 1 to a service network 3, the apparatus comprising an input for receiving access requests from the access network at a first flow rate, an output for forwarding access requests to a gateway controller at a second flow rate, and a flow controller for controlling the flow of access requests from said input to said output. The flow controller comprises a receiver for receiving a restrict ion value from the gateway controller, first processing means for determining whether the received restriction value is more restrictive than any currently in use restriction value and, if so, for determining a leak rate on the basis of the received restriction value and the current second flow rate, and second processing means for allowing access requests to pass to said output at a rate up to the determined leak rate at least until a further restriction value is received.
US08040801B2
An out-of-band signaling model media control (MC) terminal for an HPNA network includes a QoS management entity (QME) and an admission control entity (ACE) and provides end-to-end QoS by passing the QoS requirements from higher layer to the lower layers of the HPNA network. The QME receives an end-to-end QoS message characterizing a session for a user application. The ACE performs an admission control decision relating to the session based on the end-to-end QoS message characterizing the QoS stream. A resource control module, when part of the ACE, performs at least one admission control decision relating to the session based on a resource permission, and a policy control module, when part of the ACE, performs at least one admission control decision relating to the session based on a policy permission.
US08040796B2
A system comprising a SIP failure chandler, wherein the SIP failure handler monitors SIP failures and issues an alert and reroutes call traffic based on a service group number if a SIP failure threshold is exceeded wherein the service group number is associated with a detected failure, where the service group comprises a plurality of IP addresses.
US08040780B2
In the optical pickup device, while reflection light reflected from the optical multi-layer disc is divided into a plurality of regions so as to produce a plurality of divided optical beams, the divided optical beams are focused onto different positions on a photodetector, and a focus error signal is detected by employing a plurality of the divided optical beams by utilizing the knife edge method, and further, a tracking error signal is detected by employing a plurality of the divided optical beams. Furthermore, the dividing regions of the optical beam and light receiving parts are arranged in such a manner that stray light derived from other layers of the optical disc is not entered to a servo signal-purpose light receiving part of the photodetector when the divided optical beam is focused onto a target layer of the optical disc.
US08040777B2
An information recording method using a recording medium includes forming a plurality of recording pulses in accordance with both a reference waveform having been stored in the recording medium and data regarding a shifting value relying on material of the recording medium also having been stored in the recording medium in a table manner, and recording information included in the plurality of recording pulses to the recording medium. The recording information is arranged to be stored according to the material of the recording medium.
US08040774B2
An optical disk device has: a detector (11) that converts a reflected light from an optical disk (5) and a reflected light of an incident light from a light source (1) side of a solid immersion lens (4), into electric signals and outputs the signals; a subtracter (15) that computes the output signal of the detector (11) according to a predetermined rule and outputs the result as a tilt detection signal; a CPU (21), an amplifier/phase compensation circuit (16), a switch (17) and an actuator (13) that perform tilt control for controlling tilt of the solid immersion lens (4) with respect to the optical disk (5) using the tilt detection signal; and the CPU (21), a nut (24), a feed screw (25), a decelerator (26) and a stepping motor (27) that perform gap adjustment for changing the gap of the solid immersion lens (4) and optical disk (5), and in the process of adjustment of gap between the solid immersion lens (4) and optical disk (5), the CPU (21) enables tilt control by closing the switch (17) according to the tilt detection signal.
US08040770B2
A recording power adjustment process to adjust a recording power is carried out in each recording layer of a multilayered optical disc, and a shift test writing process to adjust the pulse condition of a recording pulse is carried out only with regard to some of the respective recording layers. Then, based on the processing result of the recording power adjustment process and the processing result of the shift test writing process, a processing result of the shift test writing process in each of the recording layers, to which the shift test writing process has not been performed, is predicted. Then, information is recorded on a corresponding recording layer of the multilayered optical disc while adjusting the pulse condition of the recording pulse based on the processing result of the shift test writing process or the prediction result.
US08040766B2
An apparatus for compensating for a defect of a storage medium of an optical driving includes a memory to store sample values of a servo driving signal during at least one track sampled by a first signal and cycle information about the first signal; a servo driving signal estimator to estimate a servo driving signal during at least one next track using the sample values, the cycle information about the first signal, and cycle information based on a second signal; and a transmitter to transmit the servo driving signal estimated by the servo driving signal estimator to a servo driver of the optical driving device during a defect section of the storage medium; wherein the first signal is synchronized with a radial direction of the storage medium; and the second signal has a frequency higher than the first signal.
US08040762B2
A disk changer device including a disk changer mechanism having a drive that can reproduce a disk, a holding mechanism including at least two holding sections, where each of the holding sections can hold the disk, and a picker configured to transfer a disk inserted into the drive to any of the holding sections, a memory configured to store information about the reproduced disk and information about the date and time when the disk is reproduced as reproduction history information when the disk existing in the drive is reproduced, and a control unit configured to determine the position of each of the holding sections where a plurality of the disks held in the holding mechanism is held based on the reproduction history information, and let the disks be held at the determined holding positions is provided.
US08040760B2
In a particular embodiment, an optical transducer includes at least three optically conductive blades arranged symmetrically about a center gap. The optical transducer is adapted to receive polarized light from a light source and to focus the polarized light onto a recording medium while conserving polarization of the polarized light.
US08040759B2
Device that assists in maintaining the position of a date indicator disc (2; 3) for a timepiece, the position of the date indicator disc (2; 3) being indexed by a jumper spring (50; 50′), said device being characterized in that it includes a locking member (52; 52′) which, outside the date indication correction phases, keeps the jumper spring (50; 50′) locked, said locking member (52; 52′) moving away in the date indication correction phase to release the jumper spring (50; 50′).
US08040758B1
A wrist-worn apparatus for monitoring a user's performance while playing golf includes a user input, a processor, a heart rate monitor, a timer, a user input, a display, a processor and a memory for storing a plurality of inputted golf parameters that pertain to a round of golf. The apparatus obtains and displays the user's heart rate, providing feedback on the user's heart rate during a round of golf. In addition, the apparatus can store various inputted golf parameters and compute calculated statistics one or more rounds of golf.
US08040753B2
A signal capture system and method is used to capture a data signal using a data strobe signal having a preamble of strobe signal transitions. The system includes a data latch circuit receiving the data signal. The data latch circuit is clocked by transitions of the data strobe signal to capture respective bits of data corresponding to the data signal. A decoder receives a memory command signal and generates a data start signal after a delay period from receiving the memory command signal if the command signal corresponds to a read or a write command. The receipt of read or write command signals is used by a control circuit to identify the start of valid read or write data signals. The control circuit then outputs the captured data signals responsive to the data start signal, thereby ignoring the transitions in the preamble of the data strobe signal.
US08040744B2
Techniques for the management of spare blocks in re-programmable non-volatile memory system, such as a flash EEPROM system, are presented. In one set of techniques, for a memory partitioned into two sections (for example a binary section and a multi-state section), where blocks of one section are more prone to error, spare blocks can be transferred from the more error prone partition to the less error prone partition. In another set of techniques for a memory partitioned into two sections, blocks which fail in the more error prone partition are transferred to serve as spare blocks in the other partition. In a complementary set of techniques, a 1-bit time stamp is maintained for free blocks to determine whether the block has been written recently. Other techniques allow for spare blocks to be managed by way of a logical to physical conversion table by assigning them logical addresses that exceed the logical address space of which a host is aware.
US08040742B2
A semiconductor device that may include temperature sensing circuits is disclosed. The temperature sensing circuits may be used to control various parameters, such as internal regulated supply voltages, internal refresh frequency, or a word line low voltage. In this way, operating specifications of a semiconductor device at worst case temperatures may be met without compromising performance at normal operating temperatures. Each temperature sensing circuit may include a selectable temperature threshold value as well as a selectable temperature hysteresis value. In this way, temperature performance characteristics may be finely tuned. Furthermore, a method of testing the temperature sensing circuits is disclosed in which a current value may be monitored and temperature threshold values and temperature hysteresis values may be thereby determined.
US08040725B2
A flash memory device includes a cell array and a read voltage adjuster. The cell array includes a first field having first memory cells and a second field having second memory cells. The read voltage adjuster determines a read voltage for reading first data from the first memory cells of the first field with reference to second data read from the memory cells of the second field.
US08040724B2
A magnetic random access memory includes: a magnetic recording layer including a ferromagnetic layer and having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; and a magnetic reading layer provided on the magnetic recording layer and used for reading information. The magnetic recording layer includes: a magnetization switching area having reversible magnetization; a first magnetization pinned area connected to a first boundary of the magnetization switching area and having magnetization whose direction is pinned in a first direction; and a second magnetization pinned area connected to a second boundary of the magnetization switching area and having magnetization whose direction is pinned in a second direction. The magnetic reading layer includes: a magnetic sensing layer whose direction of magnetization changes based on a direction of the magnetization of the magnetization switching area; a nonmagnetic barrier layer provided on the magnetic sensing layer; and a pinned layer provided on the nonmagnetic barrier layer.
US08040711B2
Optically-coupled memory systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system memory includes a carrier substrate, and a controller attached to the carrier substrate and operable to transmit and receive optical signals, and first and second memory modules. The module substrate of the first memory module has an aperture formed therein, the aperture being operable to provide an optical path for optical signals between the controller and an optical transmitter/receiver unit of the second memory module. Thus, the system memory provides the advantages of “free space” optical connection in a compact arrangement of memory modules. In an alternate embodiment, the first memory module includes a beam splitter attached to the module substrate proximate the aperture. In another embodiment, the first and second memory modules are staged on the carrier substrate to provide an unobstructed path for optical signals. In another embodiment, the optical transmitter/receiver unit projects outwardly from the module substrate to provide an unobstructed path for optical signals.
US08040702B2
Three or more circuits, in which series-connected low-voltage and high-voltage side switches including MOSFETs including parasitic diodes are connected across positive and negative terminals of each of smoothing capacitors, are connected in series. One of elementary series circuits, each including a capacitor and an inductor, is disposed between any adjacent two of the circuits with the elementary series circuits set to have the same period of resonance. The MOSFETs of rectifier circuits are brought into an ON state simultaneously with the MOSFETs of a driving inverter circuit and brought into an OFF state earlier than the MOSFETs of the driving inverter circuit by a period of time not exceeding a time period equal to (period of resonance)/2. A resonance phenomenon of the capacitor and the inductor is used and conduction loss in the rectifier circuits is reduced in DC/DC power conversion performed through charging and discharging operation of the capacitor.
US08040697B2
A resonant circuit has two parallel resonant branches and one assistant inductor connecting the two resonant branches. Each resonant branch has a series capacitor and a series inductor connected in series. The other end of the series inductor is for connecting to a primary side of a transformer unit. The resonant circuit can provide two characteristic resonant frequencies fr and fm, so that a resonant power converter using the resonant circuit has an operating frequency fs that satisfies fs>fr or fm
US08040695B2
At least some aspects of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for controlling an uninterruptible power supply and subsystems of a UPS. A first aspect of the invention is directed to a method of controlling a DC-DC converter having a predetermined maximum peak load current value. The DC-DC converter has first and second outputs to couple to a load with a capacitor coupled across the first and second outputs. The method includes in a first mode of operation, charging the capacitor to a predetermined output voltage value, and in a second mode of operation, providing output current having the maximum peak load current value to a load coupled to the output of the DC-DC converter, wherein a first portion of the output current is provided by the DC-DC converter and a second portion of the output current is provided by discharging the capacitor to a voltage value that is less than the predetermined output voltage value.
US08040693B2
The present invention is directed toward a device that vertically mounts a patch panel to a server cabinet. The device includes a main bracket, a lower mount bracket and rail mount brackets. The main bracket includes an upper end and a lower end. The lower mount bracket is adjustably secured to the lower end of the main bracket. One of the rail mount brackets is adjustably secured to the upper end of the main bracket and a second rail mount bracket is adjustably secured to a lower end of the lower mount bracket. The rail mount brackets secure the device to the server cabinet.
US08040691B2
An in-wall video/audio signal adapter device including a first adapter and a second adapter. The first adapter includes a transmitter unit fixed on a mount. The mount can be locked in a first cavity previously formed on a wall. The second adapter includes a receiver unit fixed on a mount. The mount can be locked in a second cavity previously formed on the wall. CAT5/CAT6 Internet signal transmission cables are previously embedded in the wall. The Internet signal transmission cables are connected between the first adapter and the second adapter.
US08040683B2
An Active edge connector for memory modules has a base including two PCB sides and a spacer separating the sides, with driver chips mounted on each side of each side, printed wiring electrically connecting a first set of electrical signals from each of the driver chips to a mother board on which the connector is mounted, and printed wiring for electrically connecting a second set of electrical signals from each of the driver chips to a memory module inserted in the edge connector. When a group of connectors are mounted on a mother board, electrical signals arriving at the first connector are routed to its driver chips, producing re-driven signals to the next connector, and so on. A decoder circuit provides addressing signals determining the last such connector to which the signals are intended, and which prevents the signals from going to any connectors containing memories not addressed.
US08040663B1
An interlock arrangement includes a pair of slidable lockouts operatively associated with utility and generator side switches of an electrical panel. Together with either an interlinked member or a rocker lockout, the interlock arrangement sequences manual switching of the utility and generator side switches according to a pre-defined switching sequence, such as a seven step sequence or a five step sequence.
US08040656B2
An array variable capacitor apparatus includes a line unit including a ground line and a signal line which operates as a lower electrode; and a plurality of plates which are engaged with the line unit to generate capacitance and which operate as upper electrodes, the plurality of plates being arranged in an array pattern and having different degrees of stiffness.
US08040654B2
The invention relates to a relay controller (500) for controlling an excitation current of a relay (300), wherein the relay controller (500) is designed, upon the energization of the relay (300) by means of a switch (210, 211, 221), to control the excitation current through the excitation winding (310) of the relay (300) in such a way that through the excitation winding (310) there flows firstly a pull-in current and, after a pull-in time has elapsed, through the excitation winding there flows a holding current that is lower than the pull-in current, and wherein the relay controller (500) is designed, upon the switching-off of the relay by means of the switch (210, 211, 221), to feed a commutation current that flows through the excitation winding (310) to the commutation device (400) through the first terminal (501) and through the second terminal (502) of the relay controller (500).
US08040653B2
A surge protector includes a body having an outer surface, and a clamp snapped on the body. The clamp includes spring clips. The spring clips have at least two support areas that are in a substantially same plane. The surge protector may also include a center electrode and terminal electrodes on ends of the body.
US08040639B2
An integrated microactuator slider. The microactuator includes a substrate having a fixed portion and a moveable portion. The microactuator also includes a slider communicatively integrated within the moveable portion of the substrate. The slider includes a read/write head for reading data from or writing data to a data storage device. The microactuator further includes a force generator communicatively integrated within the substrate. The force generator is for causing movement of the moveable portion of the substrate.
US08040637B2
A drive is provided executing high-speed oscillatory motion. A voice coil motor in a pixel shifter includes a coil of a rectangular shape producing thrust along an axis, a flap fixing the coil, and flat springs giving to the flap an urging force against the thrust. An oscillation axis of the flap is parallel to the axis and located between another axis that is parallel and opposite to the axis and still another axis that is parallel to the axis and passes over a centroid of the coil. This reduces the value of the inertia per unit torque.
US08040626B2
A method and apparatus for reducing noise in a communication signal is provided. The method includes converting raw channel data from the communication signal to a sequence of transition code symbols, each symbol having a plurality of bits, each bit having a position within the symbol. The method also includes sending the bits of each symbol to a plurality of bins, each bin corresponding to the position of each bit within the symbol. For each bin having a number of transitions greater than a number of non-transitions, the method also includes flipping every bit in the bin and setting a corresponding bit in a flip control word to a first value. The method still further includes binary adding the flip control word to each transition code symbol.
US08040625B1
A disk drive to condense a defect scan log for a disk is disclosed. The disk drive comprises: a disk including a plurality of tracks having a plurality of wedges; a head to perform read operations from the disk including reading defects on the disk; and a processor. The processor controls operations in the disk drive including: determining a plurality of defect zones, wherein each defect zone includes a plurality of physical locations on the disk; detecting defects on the disk; recording the defects into the defect scan log as log entries, wherein the log entries comprise a location parameter related to the defect location on the disk; determining that the number of defects detected in a first defect zone exceed a first threshold; and combining the log entries of the first defect zone into a coalesced log entry.
US08040623B2
A compact auto focus lens module includes a piezoelectric actuator, an elastic element, at least two guiding fixtures, and a lens barrel with an optical lens set therein. By elastic force of the elastic element, a friction is generated between the lens barrel and the piezoelectric actuator. While being applied with a voltage, the lens barrel driven by the movement of the piezoelectric actuator moves along the optical axis under the guidance of the guiding fixtures. Due to fewer elements, compact volume, and light weight, the design is applied to a miniature auto focus lens modules so as to achieve effects of fast movement, stable focusing and reduced tilting.
US08040617B2
A 3-dimensional image display device having wide viewing angles using Fresnel lenses is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the invention, the 3-dimensional image display device includes an image source providing part for providing an image source, a first Fresnel lens refracting and transmitting the image source that is incident from the image source providing part, and a second Fresnel lens for generating a 3-dimensional image by refracting and transmitting the image source transmitted from the first Fresnel lens. At least one of the first Fresnel lens and the second Fresnel lens is a curved type Fresnel lens surface. The present invention can maximize the display area for a 3-dimensional image and realize the 3-dimensional image having wide viewing angles without distortion on the left and right boundaries.
US08040615B2
A zoom lens is provided with comprising a plurality of lens groups including, in order from an object, a first lens group G1 having positive refractive power, a second lens group G2 having negative refractive power, a third lens group G3, and a fourth lens group G4, upon zooming from a wide-angle end state W to a telephoto end state T, a distance between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2 increasing, a distance between the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3 decreasing, and the most image side lens group among the plurality of lens groups moving along an optical axis with a trajectory having convex shape facing the object side, and given conditional expressions being satisfied, thereby excellently correcting chromatic aberration in a farther away shooting range, capable of having excellent optical performance with being compact.
US08040611B2
It is disclosed that a color separation optical system improves color reproducibility by obtaining a characteristic which approximates an ideal spectral characteristic in view of influence of polarization separation caused according to the magnitude of an incidence angle. In the color separation optical system, a curve representing a characteristic of a green-reflecting dichroic film DG has a shape along the characteristic curve representing an ideal spectral characteristic corresponding to green light. Further, the characteristic of the blue-reflecting dichroic film DB is associated with that of the green-reflecting dichroic film DG. A part, in which the transmittance of the blue-reflecting dichroic film DB changes from a low transmittance to a high transmittance, in the transmittance characteristic curve representing the characteristic of the blue-reflecting dichroic film DB is included in a predetermined wavelength region associated with the characteristic of the green-reflecting dichroic film DG.
US08040607B2
A bilayer transmission diffraction grating having antireflection lines having rectangular cross-section over grating lines having trapezoidal cross-section is described. The process-dependent grating line profile is accounted for by characterizing the grating line profile and performing electromagnetic wave diffraction simulations, whereby a grating duty cycle is selected that results in an improvement of overall diffraction efficiency and/or reducing polarization dependent loss of a diffraction grating having the characterized grating line profile. Grooves in the substrate between the grating lines further improve diffraction efficiency and reduce polarization dependent loss. The entire grating line profile, including the antireflection line, the grating line, and the groove in the substrate between the grating lines, can be defined using a single etch mask, which reduces process and equipment related manufacturing costs.
US08040598B2
A microscope for observing an object selectably using the bright-field transmitted light contrast procedure or the incident-light fluorescence contrast procedure. During the bright-field transmitted light contrast procedure, an illumination beam path is directed from a bright-field light source to the object and an imaging beam path is directed from the object through the microscope objective into the microscope tube, which includes a fluorescence unit that includes a fluorescence excitation light source, an illumination optical system, a filter set having at least one excitation filter and at least one emission filter, as well as a beamsplitter. The fluorescence unit is mounted movably, so that in a first end position of movement the beamsplitter and the emission filter are out of the imaging beam path of the microscope and in a second end position of movement they are in the imaging beam path between the microscope objective and the microscope tube.
US08040595B2
Methods and apparatus for reconstructing a wave, including interpolation and extrapolation of the phase and amplitude distributions, with application to imaging apparatus, such as microscopes.
US08040593B2
Example embodiments relate to a transflective display apparatus using dielectrophoresis and a method of manufacturing the transflective display apparatus. The display apparatus may include a display panel; a backlight unit providing the display panel with light for forming an image; and a reflective plate arranged under the backlight unit. The reflective plate may reflect external light incident thereon via the display panel back to the display panel. The display panel may include a plurality of pixel areas transmitting or blocking light using dielectrophoresis.
US08040591B2
A reflective display having a plurality of transparent hemi-beads (60), each having a reflective region (80) surrounding a non-reflective region (82). Light absorbing, electrostatically charged ions are dissolved in an electrophoretic medium (20) maintained adjacent the hemi-beads. A voltage applied across the medium moves many ions into an evanescent wave region adjacent the hemi-beads where the ions absorb light, frustrating TIR at the reflective regions. Ions in the evanescent wave region also absorb light which does not undergo TIR and which would otherwise pass through the non-reflective regions. An opposite voltage applied across the medium moves many ions away from the hemi-beads, allowing light to undergo TIR at the reflective regions. The display's brightness can be enhanced by providing a backplane electrode (48) having reflective regions (108; 110, 112) for reflecting back through the hemi-beads light which passes through the non-reflective regions to the backplane electrode.
US08040588B2
An interferometric modulator array device with backlighting is disclosed. The interferometric modulator array device comprises a plurality of interferometric modulator elements, wherein each of the interferometric modulator elements comprises an optical cavity. The interferometric modulator array includes an optical aperture region, and at least one reflecting element is positioned so as to receive light passing through the optical aperture region and reflect at least a portion of the received light to the cavities of the interferometric modulator elements. In some embodiments, the interferometric modulator elements may be separated from each other such that an optical aperture region is formed between adjacent interferometric modulator elements.
US08040578B2
There are provided: a document feeding section for conveying a document; a first reading section for reading at least one side of the document conveyed by the document feeding section; a second reading section for reading other side of the document conveyed by the document feeding section; and a blank determining portion for determining whether the other side of the document is blank in accordance with image data of the document read by the second reading section. In a case where the blank determining portion determines that the other side is blank, one side of the document is read by the first reading section, and thereafter the document feeding section discharges the document.
US08040577B2
In an image reading apparatus, a retreat control device moves a conveyance target through a conveyance mechanism, when a stop operation is performed by a stop control device, in an opposite direction to an image reading direction to a position further from a restart reference position set by a position setting unit. A reading control device again moves the conveyance target, which has been moved by the retreat control device, at a constant speed in the image reading direction under a predetermined condition; inputs a line start signal to a reading unit when an offset time set by a time setting unit has elapsed from a time point when the conveyance target reaches the restart reference position; and periodically inputs a line start signal to thereby cause the reading unit to perform a reading operation from a point; where the reading unit is located when the offset time has elapsed.
US08040568B2
A color management method, system and storage medium output 4+ color separation signals to a 4+ (5 or more) color print engine. An input source color is converted into virtual intermediate CMYK separation signals using a 4-color management tool, which may be a conventional tool. These virtual intermediate CMYK separation signals are received as input within a digital front end (DFE), which transforms the intermediate signals into 4+ separation signals, such as for a 6-color print engine. A transformation unit of the DFE passes some of the input separation signals through directly as output (without transformation) while transforming others by splitting them into light and dark separation signals, such as light and dark cyan or magenta using a blend curve that will output the same tonal quality. The transformation unit may use a blending curve that takes into account ink-limit constraints and may maximize light colorant usage to improve image smoothness in light image regions.
US08040567B2
An image processing method configured to produce image data output from an image forming apparatus configured to form an image by using a recording head composed of a liquid ejecting head having plural arranged nozzles configured to eject a liquid drop and an energy generating device configured to generate ejection energy corresponding to each nozzle while conducting a halftone processing configured to covert input image data to an N value which is less than a tone (M value) thereof (N value: M>N≧2) is provided, wherein a halftone processing configured to substantially reduce a driving frequency of a driving wave pattern applied to the energy generating device is conducted when a liquid drop with a drop size causing ejection irregularity or a liquid drop from a nozzle causing ejection irregularity is ejected.
US08040563B2
A method for printing an image includes: generating a third table in which a second table, indicating a relationship between one of a plurality of brightness values and an amount of ink of an achromatic color for representing the one of the brightness values, is embedded in the first table, indicating a relationship between a color defined by each of the first lattice points and amounts of the ink of the achromatic color and ink of chromatic colors; converting first RGB components of the image data corresponding to a character area into the RGB components defined by the some of the lattice points based on brightness values of the RGB components of the image data, thereby generating modified image data; converting the RGB components of the modified image data into amounts of the ink o; and printing the image in accordance with the converted amounts.
US08040555B1
Methods, algorithms, software, apparatuses and systems for processing image data for imaging devices having irregular scan paths (e.g., scan paths that deviate from a conventional horizontal and/or straight line). The irregular scan paths generally correspond to actual locations of a line of output from an image output device (e.g., a printer). The method generally includes steps of selecting one or more of the input pixels, correlating a location of the selected pixel with a location on an irregular scan path, and producing an adjusted pixel based on a value of the selected pixel, the location on the irregular scan path, and/or values of one or more pixels near the selected pixel. The present invention advantageously allows for processing an input image for an output device with an irregular scan path using only enough working memory for a relatively small number of pixel rows even if the irregular scan path traverses a relatively large number of rows in the output image.
US08040554B2
A method of revealing hidden content associated with a printed substrate using a handheld display device having touch-sensitive screen and a transceiver for sending and receiving digital information. The method comprises the steps of: imaging an area of the substrate containing printed content and generating image data using an optical sensor; determining interaction data using the image data, the interaction data identifying a substrate identity; retrieving display data comprising first data corresponding to the printed content and second data corresponding to the hidden content; and displaying, on the touch-sensitive screen, display information based on the display data. The display information includes first content corresponding to the printed content and second content corresponding to the hidden content, thereby revealing the hidden content on the screen.
US08040547B2
To print, by discriminating a second user, print data unprintable by first user's printing authority, a control method for an image forming apparatus, printing print data specified by user discrimination information, comprises: reading discrimination information; obtaining printing authority information corresponding to first user discrimination information for discriminating a first user specified by discrimination information of the first user; judging whether input print data can be printed based on the printing authority information corresponding to the obtained first user discrimination information; determining, if judged that the input print data is unprintable based on the printing authority information corresponding to the first user discrimination information, printable print data based on printing authority information corresponding to second user discrimination information for discriminating a second user specified by discrimination information of the second user; and printing the printable print data.
US08040546B2
A multifunction device has a plurality of functions. The multifunction device includes an input unit, a general-purpose process unit, a single specific process unit, and an output unit. The input unit receives image data. The general-purpose process unit implements a plurality of tasks for each of the plurality of functions. The plurality of tasks includes compression of the image data in a compression format and expansion of the image data which has been compressed. The single specific process unit is controlled by the general-purpose process unit. The specific process unit implements only two tasks, one task being compression of the image data in the compression format for each of the plurality of functions, the other task being expansion of the image data which has been compressed for each of the plurality of functions. The output unit outputs the image data. The general-purpose process unit determines which the general-purpose process unit or the specific processing unit should implement the compression/expansion.
US08040545B2
A method and system are provided for printing content according to print capabilities of a network of image forming apparatuses using a device. At least one image forming apparatus forming a network with the device is searched and a list is provided of at least one extensible hyper text markup language (XHTML)-Print template, which can be processed by an image forming apparatus selected from among the searched image forming apparatuses. XHTML-Print data of content is created using an XHTML-Print template selected from the list of XHTML-Print templates and the created XHTML-Print data is transmitted to the selected image forming apparatus. The transmitted XHTML-Print data is analyzed and the content printed. Accordingly, printing is performed by supporting specific XHTML-Print templates for providing functions, differentiated according to types of image forming apparatus, as well as supporting limited XHTML-Print templates applicable to all image forming apparatuses.
US08040543B2
An instruction file execution device which includes a receiver, a comparison section and a job execution section. The receiver receives an instruction file and a usable money amount, which instruction file describes a job flow which defines linking of a number of jobs. The comparison section compares an execution charge of a job being handled of the jobs of the instruction file received by the receiver with the usable money amount received by the receiver. If the comparison section determines that the usable money amount is greater than or equal to the execution charge, the job execution section executes the job being handled.
US08040541B2
A document security system for securely printing documents that are uniquely marked on each page of ordinary or specialized paper with a security mark such that copying and or alteration is prevented, the security mark comprising information relating to the document and further being unique to each page having specific information relating to each page of the document.
US08040540B2
A communication information processing device that includes a reception component, an image processing component, a memory component and a control component is provided. The reception component receives communication information through an external communication line. The image processing component performs image processing on image information. The memory component is provided for memorizing image information for image processing by the image processing component, and that memorizes image information and the communication information received by the reception component. The control component, when a pre-specified setting condition is satisfied, controls the memory component so as to delete the communication information memorized in the memory component and to memorize image information to be used by the image processing component as a priority.
US08040538B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a first input unit that allows a user to input a biometric data of the user; a storage that stores a setting data corresponding to the biometric data; a setting unit that sets the setting data corresponding to the biometric data as a setting condition when the biometric data is inputted by the first input unit; a processing unit that performs a processing in accordance with the setting condition; a transmission unit that transmits the biometric data to an external device.
US08040535B2
There is provided an image forming apparatus that can reduce the burden placed on the user by avoiding input errors and a complicated input operation when making settings for a color/black-and-white mixing operation and can perform a proper recovery even when a sheet determined to be abnormal is included in other sheets. Images are formed on sheets by an MFP 104 in accordance with an image forming job. The sheets on which the images have been formed are conveyed to a stacker tray 1207 detachably attached to the MFP 104. Information relating to the image forming job for the sheets conveyed to the stacker tray 1207 is written into a storage device 1202 provided in the stacker tray 1207.
US08040533B2
Techniques are provided for performing font subsetting. One or more font subsetting parameters are received. The one or more font subsetting parameters indicate a granularity level for which font subsetting is performed for portions of a data container. The font subsetting parameters indicate a font subsetting granularity level other than an entire document associated with the data container. A first portion of the data container is determined in accordance with the font subsetting granularity level. A subset of font data for at least one font family is determined in accordance with what font data for the at least one font family is actually used by the first portion. The subset of font data is embedded in an output for a consumer.
US08040531B2
An image-forming device includes an image-forming unit, a sensor, a screening unit, an excluding unit, and a determining unit. The image-forming unit forms a plurality of marks on an object. The sensor detects a light reflected on the object, the reflected light including a plurality of waveforms. The screening unit screens the plurality of waveforms into a plurality of mark waveforms corresponding to the plurality of marks respectively and a plurality of noise waveforms other than the plurality of mark waveforms. The excluding unit excludes a mark waveform adjacent to the noise waveform from the plurality of mark waveforms. The determining unit determines a position of each mark based on the plurality of mark waveforms from which the mark waveform adjacent to the noise waveform is excluded.
US08040526B2
An implantable product includes an optical cavity structure with first and second parts, each of which can operate as an optical cavity. The first part includes a container with at least one opening through which bodily fluid can transfer between the container's interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body. The second part includes a container that is closed and contains a reference fluid. The implantable product can also include one or both of a light source component and a photosensing component. Photosensed quantities from the first part's output light can be adjusted based on photosensed quantities from the second part's output light. Both parts can have their light interface surfaces aligned so that they both receive input light from a light source component and both provide output light to a photosensing component.
US08040517B1
A sensor to simultaneously detect light and acoustic waves is presented. The sensor includes one or more optical fibers and a diaphragm disposed near one end of at least one of the one or more optical fibers. The diaphragm is configured to vibrate upon incidence of acoustic waves from an arc flash and reflect a light beam into at least the one of the one or more of the optical fibers. A semi-transparent region is disposed around the one or more optical fibers to diffuse light originating from the arc flash into at least one of the one or more optical fibers.
US08040513B2
There is provided a microscope device comprising: means for creating a collimated beam of light collected from a sample and comprising at least a first spectral range and a second spectral range, means for separating the collimated beam into a first beam containing a higher percentage of light of the first spectral range than light of the second spectral range and a second beam containing a lower percentage of light of the first spectral range than light of the second spectral range, means for reflecting the first beam, means for reflecting the second beam, means for combining the first beam and the second beam, a detector, and means for imaging the combined first and second beam onto the detector in order to create an image of the sample on the detector, wherein the means for reflecting the first beam and the means for reflecting the second beam are arranged in such a manner that the image created by the first beam and the image created by the second beam are shifted relative to each other on the detector, wherein the means for reflecting the first beam is adapted to invert handedness of the first beam, and wherein the means for reflecting the second beam is adapted to preserve handedness of the second beam.
US08040504B2
Provided is a method and apparatus for inspecting a defect of a shape formed on a substrate. Primary inspection is sequentially performed on specific patterns in a plurality of divided regions of the substrate by using an optical method, and one or more regions on which secondary inspection is to be performed are selected from the regions. One or more defects are detected by performing the secondary inspection using an electron beam on the selected regions.
US08040503B2
A method and apparatus of inspecting a sample, in which the sample is inspected under a plurality of inspection conditions, and inspection data obtained by inspecting the sample under each of the plurality of inspection conditions and position information on the sample of the inspection date in correspondence with the respective inspection conditions, are stored. The inspection data for each of the plurality of inspection conditions is against each other by the use of the position information on the sample to determine a position to be inspected in detail, and an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail is obtained. The obtained image is classified, the inspection condition of the sample by the use of information of classification of the image is determined.
US08040498B2
Method and system for identification of a changed state of a fluid with respect to a reference state of the same fluid, the fluid having an optical parameter changing with the change of the state of the fluid. The method comprises: a) providing an optical arrangement including a transparent enclosure with a portion of the fluid, and an object observable through the optical arrangement, the arrangement being designed such that an image of the object in the changed state of the fluid is optically distinctive from an image of the object in the reference state of the fluid due to change of the optical parameter, at least one of the images being predetermined; b) illuminating the object with diffuse light; c) observing a current image of the object though the optical arrangement along an optical axis; and d) comparing the current image to the predetermined image to identify the changed state of the fluid. The comparison and the identification may be performed by eye or by a sensor with a logical circuit.
US08040494B2
The present invention relates to devices and methods for the qualitative and/or quantitative detection of particles. In particular, the invention relates to devices for the detection of particles, comprising a reaction chamber formed within a chamber body between a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is located opposite to the first surface, and one or more displacers, wherein the distance between the first surface and the second surface is variable via the one or more displacers at least in one or more parts of the surface area of the first surface and/or the second surface. The invention also relates to corresponding methods for the detection of particles, comprising positioning a sample supposed to comprise one or more species of particles to be detected in a reaction chamber, displacing at least a part of the sample within the reaction chamber via the one or more displacers; and detecting/determining a value indicative for the presence and/or number of one or more species of particles.
US08040491B2
An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
US08040486B2
The object of the invention is to provide a liquid crystal spacer-forming ink that can sufficiently reduce the dot diameter of liquid crystal spacers formed by ink jet printing, and specifically it provides a liquid crystal spacer-forming ink with a surface tension of at least 28 mN/m at 25° C. and a viscosity of no greater than 50 mPa·s at 25° C.
US08040483B2
A semiconductor device of the present invention includes an insulating substrate, a nonvolatile memory formed above the insulating substrate and having a memory holding portion, and at least one light-shielding body covering an upper side, an under side, or both sides of the memory holding portion, wherein at least one of the light-shielding bodies is installed in such a way that a protrusion degree of the light-shielding body, which is defined by (a length of the light-shielding body protruded from the memory holding portion)/(a distance between the light-shielding body and the memory holding portion), is 0.1 or more.
US08040481B2
An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate; a gate line disposed in a first direction on the first substrate; a data line disposed in a second direction on the first substrate, the data line crossing the gate line to define a pixel region; pixel electrodes and common electrodes disposed in the first direction in the pixel region, the pixel electrodes and the common electrodes generating an in-plane electric field within the pixel region; first and second common lines disposed parallel to the data line at right and left sides of the pixel region; a first common electrode connection line connecting at least two common electrodes and forming a first common electrode overlapping region by overlapping the first common line; and a second common electrode connection line connecting at least two other common electrodes and forming a second common electrode overlapping region by overlapping the second common line, wherein the first common electrode overlapping region and the second common electrode overlapping region have substantially the same area.
US08040470B2
The invention provides a method for producing a partition wall for a color filter having: forming a photosensitive resin layer containing a radical polymerizable monomer, a photopolymerization initiator, a binder and a colorant on at least one surface of a substrate; and exposing the photosensitive resin layer to light at an illumination intensity of 50 mW/cm2 or more in a pattern shape and developing the photosensitive resin layer to form a partition wall that separates color pixel portions, wherein liquid droplets are applied to form the color pixel portions. The invention further provides a substrate having the partition wall for a color filter, a color filter for display element having the substrate and color pixel portions, a method for producing the color filter, and a display device having the color filter for a display element and a method for producing the display device.
US08040463B2
The device includes a support substrate, a reflective electrode on the support substrate; an AlGaInP-based semiconductor film including a light-emission layer and is provided on the reflective electrode, and a surface electrode provided on the semiconductor film. The surface electrode includes an ohmic electrode constituted by electrode pieces disposed on the semiconductor film in a distributed manner; the reflective electrode is constituted by a line electrode and dot electrodes provided on both sides of each of the electrode pieces, along the electrode pieces; the surface electrode and the reflective electrode are disposed so as to satisfy the following equations: b>a, and 0.8(a2+2ab)1/2
US08040461B2
A liquid crystal display, comprising: a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight module. The backlight module comprising: a reflection unit, a light emitting unit, and a compound diffusion plate structure. The light emitting unit has a plurality of light emitting components installed within the installation space of the reflection unit. The compound diffusion plate structure is placed on one side of the light emitting unit, comprising: a body unit and a printing micro diffusion unit. The body unit has a main layer, and a plurality of micro diffusion particles formed inside the body unit, allowing light to diffuse within the body unit. The printing micro diffusion unit has a plurality of convex lens units formed on a light entrance plane or a light exit plane of the body unit by means of printing.
US08040457B2
A backlight assembly having lamp sockets and a side mold is provided. The backlight assembly includes a lamp emitting light, a lamp socket into which the lamp is inserted, and a side mold having at least one portion of a bottom surface thereof opened and including a supporting portion, a side wall formed at one side of the supporting portion, a sloping portion inclined downwardly at a side opposite to the supporting portion, and at least one socket connection portion receiving the lamp socket.
US08040454B2
A liquid crystal display includes a cover bottom and a cover shield. The liquid crystal display includes a nut coupled to a bracket through a fastening bolt. An upper portion and a lower portion of the nut have different diameters.
US08040449B2
A thin film transistor array panel includes a substrate; a gate electrode formed on the substrate; a data line formed on the substrate; a gate insulating layer formed on the data line and the gate electrode, and having a first contact hole exposing the gate electrode, and a second contact hole exposing the data line; a gate line intersecting the data line, and connected to the gate electrode through the first contact hole; a semiconductor formed the gate insulating layer, and including a channel of a thin film transistor; a source electrode connected to the data line through the second contact hole; a drain electrode opposite to the source electrode with respect to the channel on the semiconductor; a passivation layer having a third contact hole exposing the drain electrode; and a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode through the third contact hole are included.
US08040434B2
An information storage medium containing subtitles and a subtitle processing apparatus, where the information storage medium includes: audio-visual (AV) data; and subtitle data in which at least one subtitle text data and output style information designating an output form of the subtitle texts are stored with a text format. With this, output times of subtitle texts included in the text subtitle data can be overlapped, a subtitle file can be easily produced, and subtitles for an AV stream can be output with various forms.
US08040433B2
A video output apparatus includes a video output unit which outputs a video signal while switching the format of the video signal between a first format and a second format for expressing color differently. The video output apparatus also includes a mute signal generation unit which generates, as a muting video signal, a specialized video signal expressing a color in which the difference between the color displayed when the specialized video signal is interpreted in its own format and the color displayed when the specialized video signal is interpreted in a different format is a minimum. The video output apparatus further includes a selection unit, which selects one of the video signal outputted by said video output unit and the mute signal generated by said mute signal generation unit and outputs the selected signal, and a control unit, which causes the selection unit to select the mute signal in a period including the switch performed by the video output unit.
US08040423B2
An image-pickup apparatus for picking up an image using a solid-state image pickup device. The apparatus includes a first and a second input receiving parts for receiving different input signals in accordance with a user's input operation, an image-pickup-condition determination part for determining an optimum image-pickup condition to be set at image-pickup time, and an image-pickup controller for controlling such that the image-pickup-condition determination part starts a determination operation at input-signal receiving time of the first receiving part, when the input signal is received continuously and the second input receiving part receives an input signal after the optimum image-pickup condition is determined, an image picked up by applying the image-pickup condition determined to be the best is captured, and when the second input receiving part receives the input signal on the other conditions, a plurality of pickup images are captured continuously by applying different image-pickup conditions in sequence.
US08040419B2
According to the image reproducing device, the image reproducing method, the image reproducing program and the image capturing device of the present invention, if a face image is not detected in an image, a main object can be zoomed by detecting the center part of the image or a focused object. If a plurality of face images are detected from an image, the detected face images can be zoomed in order by simple operation.
US08040405B2
The present invention relates to solid-state imaging apparatus such as digital camera for outputting video signals, and more particularly relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus in which vertical stripe-like noise and horizontal shading can be corrected.
US08040403B2
An image capturing apparatus having a shutter for making an image capturing element enter a light-shielded state or a light-unshielded state comprises an image capturing condition storing unit for storing a plurality of image capturing conditions, a dark-time image data storing unit for storing a plurality of pieces of dark-time image data captured with the image capturing element under the image capturing conditions in the light-shielded state, a bright-time image data storing unit for storing bright-time image data captured with the image capturing element in the light-unshielded state, a dark-time image data extracting unit for extracting a dark-time image captured under an image capturing condition corresponding to an image capturing condition under which the bright-time image is captured, and a correcting unit for correcting the bright-time image data based on the dark-time image data extracted by the dark-time image data extracting unit.
US08040393B2
A plurality of flicker detection frames are formed by dividing an image into a plurality of frames. A flicker detection circuit performs detection of luminance data for each of the flicker detection frames. The differences between the luminance data of the preceding frame and the current frame, and between the luminance data of the current frame and the following frame with respect to each of the flicker detection frames are taken, a flicker component is extracted, and the flicker frequency is calculated, by a flicker frequency determination program in a microcomputer. Then, the space between the flicker detection frames in which a crest or trough of the extracted flicker component appears is measured, and the results are converted into the flicker frequency. The frame rate of the image pickup signals is controlled so as not to be synchronized with the flicker frequency.
US08040378B2
A color material specifying unit of a digital camera generates color material specification data that specifies a color material to be used when forming an image in a printer. A transmitting unit transmits, to the printer, print instruction data including the color material specification data generated by the color material specifying unit, and image data stored in a storage unit. A receiving unit of the printer receives the image data and the print instruction from the digital camera. A color material specification retrieving unit retrieves the color material specification data from the digital camera. By using the color material specified based on the color material specification data, an image output unit forms the image from the image data received by the receiving unit, and prints the formed image on a recording paper.
US08040372B2
An encapsulated endoscope in which exposure amount is controlled at the light source side, and a MOS image sensor is not required to mount a vertical scanning circuit for electronic shutter which is to provide an exposure amount control function. Therefore, since a vertical scanning circuit for electronic shutter is not mounted, the sensor area can be made smaller so that size of the interior of the encapsulated endoscope can be reduced.
US08040362B2
An output enable signal transformation device for a gate driver in an LCD device includes a reception terminal coupled to a timing generator of the LCD device for receiving an enable synchronization signal, an enable clock signal and a plurality of enable control signals generated by the timing generator, a shift register module coupled to the reception terminal for shifting the enable synchronization signal according to the enable clock signal, a multiplexer module coupled to the shift register module and the timing generator for generating a plurality of output enable signals according to the enable synchronization signal and the plurality of enable control signals, and an output terminal coupled to the multiplexer module and a logic circuit of the gate driver for outputting the plurality of output enable signals to the logic circuit.
US08040357B1
Embodiments of the present invention pixel processing system and method provide convenient and efficient processing of pixel information. In one embodiment, quotient-remainder information associated with barycentric coordinate information indicating the location of a pixel is received. In one exemplary implementation quotient-remainder information is associated with barycentric coordinate information through the relationship c divided by dcdx, where c is the barycentric coordinate for a particular edge and dcdx is the derivative of the barycentric coordinate in the screen horizontal direction. The relationship of a pixel with respect to a primitive edge is determined based upon the quotient-remainder information. For example, a positive quotient can indicate a pixel is inside a triangle and a negative quotient can indicate a pixel is outside a triangle. Pixel processing such as shading is performed in accordance with the relationship of the pixel to the primitive.
US08040355B2
Textures are transferred between different object models using a point cloud. In a first phase, a point cloud in 3-D space is created to represent a texture map as applied to a first, or “source,” object model. In a second phase, a value for a target texel of a texture map associated with a second, or “target,” object model, is determined by identifying the 3-D location on a surface defined by the target object model that maps to the location of the target texel and assigning a value based on the nearest point (or points) to that location in the 3-D point cloud. To the extent that differences between the source and target object models are minor, the texture transfer can be accomplished without loss of information or manual cleanup.
US08040348B2
A combined sectional view is produced by obtaining a section plane based on one of a plurality of section lines, which is currently set as a target, and on a cut face along the target section line, obtaining an adjacent section plane passing a crossed point between a connected section line, which is connected to the target section line, and the target section line and being perpendicular to a plane including the plurality of section lines and to the section plane, specifying one or more elements and/or parts of elements of a three-dimensional model, which are necessary to draw a sectional view of the model, with respect to the section plane and the adjacent section plane, projecting the specified elements and/or the parts of the elements to obtain a sectional view corresponding to the target section line, and combining a plurality of sectional views obtained by executing the above-described processes for each of the section lines.
US08040345B2
The invention provides a system for modeling three-dimensional objects using hybrid geometric/volumetric representation, wherein sharp edges are created by a geometric representation that is connected to the volumetric representation. The system creates, maintains, and updates the hybrid representation according to user input. The system also provides for conversion of the hybrid representation into either a wholly geometric representation or a wholly volumetric representation, as may be needed for output to a given device, such as a display device, a printer, and/or a fabricating device.
US08040340B2
A control circuit for a start-up circuit that induces current flow in a bandgap circuit during a start-up phase is disclosed. A comparator passes a power supply to the start-up circuit according to an internal node of the bandgap circuit after the start-up phase. An activating circuit is used to activate the comparator to obtain the power supply at an output earlier than another output node of the comparator.
US08040326B2
This relates to adding multi-touch functionality to a display without the need of a separate multi-touch panel or layer overlaying the display. Instead, embodiments of the invention can advantageously utilize existing display circuitry to provide multi-touch functionality while adding relatively little circuitry that is specific to the multi-touch functionality. Thus, by sharing circuitry for the display and the multi-touch functionalities, embodiments of the invention can be implemented at a lower cost than the alternative of superimposing additional multi-touch related layers onto an existing display panel. Furthermore, since the display and multi-touch functionality can be implemented on the same circuit, they can be synchronized so that noise resulting from the display functionality does not detrimentally affect the multi-touch functionality and vice versa.
US08040324B2
In a movement detection method for multiple objects on a capacitive touchpad, the waveform of sensed values on the touchpad is monitored for its variation to determine respective movements of the objects on the touchpad, and various operational gestures are further determined exactly.
US08040318B2
The electrophoretic display panel(1) for displaying a picture and subsequently displaying a subsequent picture has a pixel(2) having an electrophoretic medium (5) having first and second charged particles (6,7) and an optical state depending on the positions of the particles (6,7) in the common region (30) of the pixel (2). Furthermore, transition control means are able to control a transition of the first and the second particles (6,7) being in substantially separated domains of the common region (30) for displaying the picture to substantially separated domains of the common region (30) for displaying the subsequent picture. For the display panel (1) to be able to have an attainable optical state for displaying the subsequent picture which is unequal to the optical state determined by the mixture of the first and second particles (6,7), even if the particles (6,7) have substantially equal electrophoretic mobilities, the transition control means are further able to control the first and the second particles (6,7) to be in substantially separated domains of the common region (30) during the transition.
US08040316B2
A display element includes a display substrate that comprises a liquid crystal; and a plurality of diffraction gratings having different diffraction modes, arranged in regions of the single display substrate that are different from one another.
US08040308B2
A display device displays images with a plurality of signal lines and includes spare lines, each being arranged to be connectable to the signal lines so as to be used for recovery of the signal lines from disconnection. Each of the spare lines has constricted sections for cutting. With this arrangement, it is possible to easily and properly recover the signal lines from disconnection.
US08040307B2
A 2D/3D image display device including a display unit with a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixels, the plurality of gate lines crossing the plurality of data lines, and the plurality of pixels being coupled to the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines; and a controller for receiving an input signal and setting a first driving frequency or a second driving frequency according to the input signal. An image of one frame operating according to the second driving frequency receives and displays the same image data for each of a first period and a second period, a video signal transmitted to one of the plurality of pixels for the first period has first polarity, and a video signal transmitted to one of the plurality of pixels for the second period has second polarity.
US08040302B2
In an organic light emitting display, a first pixel and a second pixel share a data line, a select scan line, and a driving element, and a field is divided into first and second subfields. An organic light emitting element of the first pixel is driven by a first emission control signal transmitted to a first emit scan line, and an organic light emitting element of the first pixel is driven by a second emission control signal transmitted to a second emit scan line. The first emission control signal has a low-level pulse in the first subfield, the second emission control signal has a low-level pulse in the second subfield, and a select signal transmitted to the select scan line has a low-level pulse in each of the first and second subfields. In addition, a scan driver for driving the select signal line, the first emit scan line, and the second emit scan line is provided.
US08040299B2
An active matrix for an organic light-emitting diode display screen, including: pixels arranged in rows and in columns, each pixel including, a pixel electrode capable of accommodating an organic light-emitting diode on the surface, and first and second current drivers connected to said pixel electrode, wherein the first and second current drivers each include a current control transistor connected between a supply voltage Vdd and said pixel electrode and at least a first switching transistor that controls a gate of said current control transistor.
US08040295B2
In a PDP apparatus provided with a PDP having (X, Y, A) and various drivers, two adjacent Ys in a plurality of Ys are commonly connected by a wiring so as to form one set unit, in the vicinity of a connection portion of the PDP and the drivers. A two-stage reset and address operation control using a reset operation including an address disable operation is used for a control unit including a plurality of display lines (L) of the set units. In a plurality of Ls as objects of drive display, the reset and address operation of first Ls (Lo) corresponding to Ys on one side of set units and that of second Ls (Le) corresponding to Ys on the other side thereof are performed separately in former and latter periods, and then, sustain operations of the first and second Ls on both sides are performed simultaneously.
US08040294B2
A plasma display apparatus includes: an electrode of a discharge cell; a first transistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal being connected to the electrode; a first capacitor having a first terminal to receive a control signal having either a low level voltage or a high level voltage; a push-pull circuit including a first power terminal, a second power terminal connected to the first terminal of the first transistor, an input terminal connected to a second terminal of the first capacitor, and an output terminal connected to a gate of the first transistor, the push-pull circuit outputting either a voltage of the first power terminal or a voltage of the second power terminal to the output terminal; a floating power source having a positive terminal connected to the first power terminal and a negative terminal connected to the second power terminal; and a first diode connected between the first terminal of the first transistor and the second terminal of the first capacitor.
US08040292B2
A head-mounted display system displays information via a matrix display element mounted within a housing that is positioned relative to at least eye of a user. The display is connected to a video or information source such that the user can view information or images shown on the display. The display can be mounted to a frame so that the user can move the display in and out of the user's field of view without adjusting the supporting harness that holds the display on the user's head.
US08040288B2
Systems and methods for providing an antenna enabling hemispherical coverage are disclosed. The system includes a conductive enclosure having an open portion and a closed portion. The system further includes a pair of perpendicularly-disposed dipole antennas. Each antenna of the perpendicularly-disposed dipole antennas includes a pair of conductors extending to a pair of tips disposed outside of the open portion of the conductive enclosure. The system further includes a hybrid coupler having a pair of output terminals coupled to each pair of conductors of each antenna of the perpendicularly-disposed dipole antennas. The hybrid coupler is configured to apply signals of equal magnitude to the each antenna of the perpendicularly-disposed dipole antennas that differ in phase by ninety degrees.
US08040283B2
An antenna applied in a communication device is provided. The antenna includes a conductive supporting portion, a radiator and a grounding portion. The radiator operates in a first frequency band. The grounding portion is connected to the radiator through the conductive supporting portion. The grounding portion includes a cavity extended from a top surface of the grounding portion into the interior of the grounding portion. A resonant cavity operating in a second frequency band is formed between the radiator and the cavity.
US08040280B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for computing the location of a radio beacon by using received signal strength (RSS) and multiple frequencies. The apparatus and method of the present invention computes the location of a radio beacon without limitation in distance by using multiple frequencies and received signal strength to resolve the problem of phase ambiguity. A radio beacon location computing system includes a plurality of base stations configured to receive signals of multiple frequencies transmitted from the radio beacon, and detect and output phase differences and received signal strength; and a location computing server configured to receive the phase differences and the received signal strength outputted from the respective base stations, acquire calculation distances based on the phase differences, remove phase ambiguity from the calculation distances based on the received signal strength, and compute the location of the radio beacon.
US08040273B2
According to one embodiment, a radar includes multiple antenna elements coupled to an image processing application. The antenna elements have a differing vertical spatial separation relative to one another and are configured to transmit a radio-frequency signal toward a stationary object and receive multiple reflected radio-frequency signals from one or more internal features of the building. The image processing application receives the reflected radio-frequency signals as the antenna elements are moved horizontally with respect to the stationary object. From these reflected radio-frequency signals, the image processing application generates imagery of the stationary object according to phase variations in the plurality of received radio-frequency signals. The imagery depicting vertical characteristics of the one or more internal features of the building.
US08040267B2
A decoder device has a reference voltage generating section for outputting first and second threshold level signals, a first comparator for comparing a stair-stepped waveform input signal and the first threshold level signal to output a comparison result, a second comparator for comparing the input signal and the second threshold level signal to output a comparison result, and a logical operation section for performing a logical operation between output signals of the first and second comparators to output a signal decoded from the input signal. A threshold level represented by the first threshold level signal intersects a riser section of one stepped waveform out of two adjacent stepped waveforms in the input signal, and a threshold level represented by the second threshold level signal intersects a riser section of the other stepped waveform out of the two adjacent stepped waveforms of the stair-stepped waveform input signal.
US08040265B2
The disclosed invention provides apparatus and methods that can convert frequencies of time-encoded signals. In one aspect, a down-converter circuit includes low-pass filters, a switch, a time encoder, and an output low-pass filter. In another aspect, an up-converter circuit includes an analog or digital input time encoder, low-pass filters, a switch, an output time encoder, and a time-encoded band-pass filter. In yet another aspect, a complete receiver system is provided. The receiver system can operate effectively with signals in the radio frequency range.
US08040262B2
Provided are a meta data encoding/decoding method and apparatus. The meta data decoding method includes decoding a media signal containing a media object, and decoding meta data corresponding to the media object. During the decoding of the meta data signal, decoding of the meta data is skipped when the meta data that is to be decoded is identical to already decoded meta data.
US08040257B2
An interconnecting apparatus for interconnecting a pilot station of an aircraft to at least one aircraft zone includes a device for communicating between the pilot station and the aircraft zone. The aircraft zone includes a device permitting a person present in the aircraft zone to identify themselves and a display device indicating a functional status of the aircraft. The pilot station includes a display device indicating a location of each person being identified in the aircraft zone.
US08040254B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems for controlling and adjusting traffic light timing patterns, and more particularly, to a method and system for controlling and adjusting traffic light timing patterns based on input variables related to known or predicted events, and for gradually changing traffic light intervals over time.
US08040252B2
A signal sequence of a traffic signal is notified for a driver of a vehicle that is heading for an intersection by using a signal sequence notification apparatus. If the apparatus determines, based on received signal sequence information, that the information indicates that the traffic signal is currently allowing an entrance into the intersection having the next signal sequence indicating that entrance is not allowed with no right turning permission, the driver receives warning about the entrance into the intersection. The warning thus decreases the possibility of the vehicle to be brought to a standstill in the intersection due to the traffic signal that has a signal sequence of no right/left turn by the right/left turn light after a signal change from GO to STOP regarding the straight traffic.
US08040250B2
A technique usable with a well includes disposing a retractable line in a conduit having an open end located above a region of interest in the well. The retractable line comprises a sensing portion that, when the line is deployed, extends from the open end of the conduit and into the region of interest. Information observed by the sensing portion in the region of interest is communicated to the surface. When further well operations are to be performed in the region of interest, the retractable line is retracted until the sensing portion is located above the region of interest and below the surface. After the well operation is completed, the retractable line may be re-deployed such that the sensing portion again extends through the open end of the conduit and into the region of interest to continue observing characteristics associated with the well.
US08040247B2
The present invention discloses a system and a process for rapidly detecting drowsiness in a individual operating a machine. The system can capture a plurality of facial images of the individual and compare one or more facial parameters from the images to a plurality of stored high priority sleepiness facial actions that are in a prioritized action database. Based on the comparison, a current level of sleepiness can be determined for the individual and an actuator can be actuated in order to alert the individual and possibly any other individuals that may be in the vicinity.
US08040244B2
A closure includes a closing member for sealing an opening of a pressurized container. The closing member may include a passive electronic sensor coupled thereto that includes a status register that may be readable by, for example, a RFID reader. The status register is responsive to a pressure change in the pressurized container caused by an insertion of the closing member into the opening or an extraction of the closing member from the opening. The status value in the status register indicates whether the pressurized container has been tampered with. An identification register may include a pressurized container identification encrypted with the private key of the manufacturer, which can be decrypted for comparing to identification on the pressurized container to identify tampering.
US08040235B2
A relay apparatus includes a plurality of connecting terminals, such as a modem connecting terminal, a power line connecting terminal, an electric appliance connecting terminal and an antenna line connecting terminal; a selector that selects at least one connecting terminal from among the plurality of connecting terminals to transmit and receive a communication signal; and a control circuit that controls the selector. The relay apparatus further includes a first communication filter that passes signals in a frequency band used for communication by a power line communication modem and that blocks signals in other frequency bands, and a second communication filter that passes signals in a frequency band used for communication by another electric appliance and that blocks signals in other frequency bands.
US08040229B2
An object is to provide a method capable of reducing calculation number of times for obtaining a primary regression line of a slip ratio and acceleration, and detecting a decrease in internal pressure of tires with high accuracy even in the case where is no evenness in a road surface.The present invention is a method for alarming decrease in tire air-pressure including the steps of: detecting rotational information obtained from tires installed in a vehicle; respectively calculating a wheel velocity, a vehicle acceleration and a slip ratio of the front wheel and a slip ratio of the rear wheel from the rotational information of the respective tires; accumulating the vehicle acceleration and the slip ratio of the front wheel and the slip ratio of the rear wheel; obtaining a primary regression coefficient of the vehicle acceleration and the slip ratio of the front wheel and the slip ratio of the rear wheel; and judging whether or not the tires are decreased in the air pressure upon comparing the primary regression coefficient and a reference value of the primary regression coefficient preliminarily calculated in the above step when air pressure in the tires is the reference internal pressure.
US08040225B2
Aimed at providing an electronic authentication system for a motorcycle excellent in the handlability and operability, operations of turning an ignition knob, and of opening a accommodation lid and a fuel lid, disposed in the front portion of the vehicle, are permitted, when agreement of ID information was judged. The steering bar was made unlockable by operating the ignition knob after agreement of the ID information was judged, and the seat was made unlockable by further operating the ignition knob.
US08040218B2
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable media are provided for acquisition of a lockbox position. For example, in one embodiment a method is provided which receives positional data for a lockbox. After receiving the lockbox, when the lockbox is associated with one listing, the method determines proximity of the positional data to that one listing. If however, there is more than one listing within a predetermined distance of the positional data, the method compares the positional data with each listing in the plurality of listings. Thereafter, the method transmits a query, which includes at least, a result of the comparison. Embodiments of the invention also include other methods, computer-readable media, apparatuses, and systems that contain features similar to the features in the above described method.
US08040217B2
A moveable barrier operator actuates an actuator thereby causing a message to be formed. The message indicates that the user at the moveable barrier operator requires assistance. A communication channel is established between the moveable barrier operator and an assistance center. The message is transmitted to the assistance center over the communication channel. An assistance action is performed to provide assistance to the user at the moveable barrier operator.
US08040204B2
Disclosed is a radio-frequency divider comprising: an input port; and two output ports, separated by a bridge bar, wherein the divider is arranged in microstrip form and the microstrip structure takes the form of a generally tapering section connecting the input port to the bridge bar such that the input port is positioned at the relatively thinner end of the tapering section and the bridge bar is positioned at the relatively wider end of the tapering section. Also disclosed is a corresponding method. The divider is able to operate equally as a combiner.
US08040203B2
The present invention provides a filter circuit that can achieve both sharp bandpass characteristics and high power handling capability. The filter circuit includes: an input terminal that has a signal input; a four-port device that divides input signals; a band stop filter that has the center frequency of the input signals within the stopband, and causes the out-of-stopband signals among the input signals to pass; two bandstop resonators circuits that cause the signals passing through the band stop filters to pass, and reflect the signals; open ends that are connected in parallel to the two bandstop resonators circuits; and an output terminal that outputs the signals reflected by the band stop filters and the bandstop resonators circuits and combined at the four-port device.
US08040197B2
A crystal oscillator includes a crystal unit and a voltage-variable capacitive element that is connected to the crystal unit in series, the crystal oscillator varying an oscillation frequency by applying a control voltage between terminals of the voltage-variable capacitive element and by varying a series equivalence capacitance at a side of the oscillator circuit when observed between terminals of the crystal unit. The crystal oscillator further includes a first resistor and a second resistor for dividing the control voltage. At least one of the first resistor and the second resistor is a temperature sensing resistor, the resistance of which changes depending on a temperature, so as to correct frequency temperature characteristics of the oscillation frequency.
US08040196B2
A digitally controlled oscillator includes a ring oscillator, a parallel resistor bank connected to a first terminal of the ring oscillator and having a resistance that varies according to a digital code, and a serial resistor bank connected to a second terminal of the ring oscillator and having a resistance that varies according to the digital code. A frequency of the ring oscillator linearly varies with a variation in the resistance of the parallel resistor bank and the resistance of the serial resistor bank according to the digital code.
US08040191B2
A PLL circuit includes first and second charge pump circuits controlling an output voltage according to an output signal of a phase comparator, a first filter filtering out predetermined frequency component included in a signal generated according to current output from the first charge pump circuit, and outputting the signal as a first voltage signal, a second filter inputting a current output from the second charge pump circuit and outputting a predetermined constant voltage as a second voltage signal, a voltage control unit outputting a third voltage signal according to a comparison result between the first voltage signal output from the first filter and a reference voltage signal, and a voltage controlled oscillator that has a first low gain property, a second low gain property, and a high gain property, and is controlled by the first to third voltage signals to generate an oscillating frequency.
US08040190B2
A phase-locked loop includes: a variable oscillator connected to a first resonator, said oscillator being able to deliver an output signal at a first output frequency Fout1, a first frequency divider receiving the output signal and able to convert it into a divided frequency signal Fout1/n, a reference oscillator connected to a second so-called reference resonator, delivering a reference signal at a low reference frequency Fref, generating an electrical dissipation lower than a microampere, a phase comparator measuring the phase error between the divided frequency signal Fout1/n and the reference signal and being able to produce a test signal, a low-pass filter or an integrating circuit able to filter the test signal and able to generate a voltage or a control word designed to control the voltage-controlled or digitally controlled oscillator.
US08040188B2
The present invention relates to a low noise cascode amplifier comprising a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a first inductor, and a second inductor. Furthermore, the first transistor can connect with the second transistor via the first inductor, and the second transistor can connect with the third transistor via the second inductor; thereby, a cascode device can be formed. The inductor and the parasitic capacitances can resonate at high frequency, so that the noise figure of the cascode amplifier can be reduced.
US08040183B1
The present invention is an H-bridge power amplifier circuit which includes diodes connected in parallel with MOSFET switch pairs of the circuit, each MOSFET switch pair including a MOSFET switch and a reverse-conduction blocking switch. Further, the circuit includes a snubber inductor which is connected to the switch pairs and the diodes. The circuit further includes a control branch/control sub-circuit having a snubber capacitor and a control MOSFET switch. The circuit is configured for: blocking MOSFET negative current to prevent body diode conduction; inhibiting/preventing turn-off losses of the MOSFETs; and reducing switching losses associated with operation into inductive mistuning.
US08040179B2
Described herein is an apparatus and method for estimating the amount of power that is to be consumed by an amplifier. An estimation section may be determined based on frame data of an input signal that is to be input to the amplifier. The estimation section may be stored to in a predetermined section, and the amount of power to be consumed by the amplifier may be estimated in advance based on the stored signal. The predetermined section may be determined in consideration of response a characteristic of a power supply of the amplifier. The amount of power may be calculated by assigning weight to the stored signal.
US08040170B2
During a period of preparation for actual operation, a reference clock is supplied to both a comparison clock input portion and a feedback clock input portion of a phase comparator while a feedback loop of a PLL (phase-locked loop) is interrupted, and a delay of a reset signal within the phase comparator is adjusted so as to reduce a detection dead zone of phase differences in the phase comparator.
US08040168B2
The charge pump circuit includes: a first switch for controlling either one of push operation and pull operation based on a first control signal; a current mirror circuit composed of a transistor different in attribute from the first switch; and a second switch composed of a transistor same in characteristic as a transistor constituting the first switch, for controlling input of a current into the current mirror circuit based on a second control. The other operation, the push operation or the pull operation, is performed with a current output from the current mirror circuit.
US08040166B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides a frequency multiplier. In some embodiments, the frequency multiplier includes: a first transistor and a second transistor, wherein a first terminal of the first transistor is connected to a third terminal of the second transistor through a first capacitor, and a first terminal of the second transistor is connected to a third terminal of the first transistor through a second capacitor. The frequency multiplier may also include a balun, wherein the third terminal of the first transistor is connected to a terminal of the balun, and the third terminal of the second transistor is connected to a different terminal of the balun.
US08040165B2
Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a differential driver that is disposed between a first power supply and a second power supply and drives differential input signals to generate differential output signals; and a control signal generation circuit that generates a first control signal for controlling a voltage level of each of the differential output signals. When each of a pair of output signals forming the differential output signals is changed from a voltage level corresponding to the first power supply to a voltage level corresponding to the second power supply, an amount of change in the voltage level of the corresponding output signal is controlled based on the first power supply.
US08040161B2
A power semiconductor drive circuit device includes: an electronic control device generating a control input signal; a signal transfer circuit device having a main path and a self-diagnosis functional block; and a power semiconductor driven by the control output signal from the signal transfer circuit device. The self-diagnosis functional block includes: a feedback pulse transmitter circuit; a second signal transfer circuit; and a second receiver circuit. The second receiver circuit compares the control output signal with the control input signal so as to find out whether the control output signal is matched or unmatched with the control input signal, and then outputs a result to a comparison signal output terminal. A signal outputted to the comparison signal output terminal is transferred to the electronic control device.
US08040155B2
Various systems and methods are provided for integrated circuit clocking. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit system includes a plurality of combinational logic groups, each combinational logic group having a propagation time; and means for delaying a synchronizing clock signal supplied to at least one of the plurality of combinational logic groups based upon a period of the synchronizing clock signal and the propagation time of the at least one combinational logic group. In another embodiment, a method includes delaying a clock signal to produce a delayed clock signal and communicating the clock signal and the delayed clock signal to separate groups of the combinational logic circuit during a clock cycle that results in a reduction in power consumption by the combinational logic circuit.
US08040152B1
A programmable logic device (PLD) is provided that includes: a plurality of programmable logic blocks, the plurality of programmable logic blocks being associated with a first configuration data shift register operable to shift in configuration data for the plurality of programmable logic blocks; a plurality of input/output (I/O cells), each I/O cell associating with a corresponding set of I/O configuration memory cells; and a plurality of boundary scan cells corresponding to the plurality of I/O cells, each boundary scan being configurable to form a second data shift register for the I/O configuration memory cells.
US08040149B2
Systems and methods for frequency specific closed loop feedback control of integrated circuits. In one embodiment, a plurality of controllable inputs to an integrated circuit is adjusted to achieve a frequency specific predetermined value of a dynamic operating indicator of the integrated circuit at the desired specific operating frequency. The predetermined value is stored in a data structure within a computer usable media. The data structure comprises a plurality of frequency specific predetermined values for a variety of operating frequencies. An operating condition of an integrated circuit is controlled via closed loop feedback based on dynamic operating indicators of the measured behavior of the integrated circuit.
US08040147B2
A holding section (2) holds a probe card (1). Transport mechanisms (3a to 3d) have the function of transporting the probe card (1) from the holding section (2). A lock mechanism (4) is provided for the transport mechanism (3d). When the probe card cassette is placed in prober equipment, the lock mechanism (4) is released to allow the probe card (1) to be transported from the holding section (2) by the transport mechanisms (3a to 3d). When the probe card cassette is not placed in the prober equipment, the lock mechanism (4) operates to fix the probe card (1) in the holding section (2).
US08040146B2
There are provided an inspection apparatus and method that can locally perform sample temperature regulation, so that the sample drift can be suppressed. There are included a sample stage 109 that holds a semiconductor sample 118, multiple probes 106 used to measure electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device on the semiconductor sample 118, a power source that applies voltage and/or current to the probe 106, a detector that measures electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device on the sample with which the probe is brought into contact, and an electromagnetic wave irradiating mechanism that irradiates electromagnetic wave on a measurement section of the semiconductor sample 118.
US08040144B2
An interface circuit includes a reference voltage generation circuit to generate a reference voltage, a differential voltage signal generation circuit to convert send data input in sending data into a pair of differential voltage signals and output the pair of differential voltage signals based on the reference voltage generated by the reference voltage generation circuit, a receiver to convert a pair of differential voltage signals input in receiving data and output received data, and a receiver test circuit to perform a sensitivity test of the receiver, the receiver test circuit having a resistance circuit to generate a pair of differential voltage signals having a potential difference being necessary for the sensitivity test of the receiver.
US08040142B1
A technique for recognizing and rejecting false activation events related to a capacitance sense interface includes measuring a capacitance value of a capacitance sensor within the capacitance sense interface to generate a measured capacitance value. The measured capacitance value is analyzed to determine a baseline capacitance value for the capacitance sensor. The baseline capacitance value may be updated based at least in part upon a weighted moving average of the measured capacitance value. The measured capacitance value may also be analyzed to determine whether the capacitance sensor was activated during a startup phase and to adjust the baseline capacitance value in response to determining that the capacitance sensor was activated during the startup phase.
US08040138B2
A planar type frequency shift probe that utilizes resonance of electromagnetic waves and includes a main body with a conductor plate and a coaxial cable. The main body includes a long narrow space, which has predetermined width and length and has an opening on the periphery of the main body, as well as the first surface part and the second surface part. The surface conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to the first surface part while the core conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to the second surface part via a lead wire.
US08040125B2
A device, in particular, a multi-channel oscilloscope, for the analysis of at least one measured signal transmitted via a multi-channel system, with several measurement channels. The device includes in each case a sampling device, a baseband mixing device, and a filter device, and an analysis device. The measured signal is supplied to the measurement channels and to the respective sampling devices for simultaneous sampling. The sampled measured signal is supplied to the baseband mixing devices connected downstream of the sampling devices for the mixing of the measured signal down into the baseband, to the filter devices connected downstream of the baseband mixing devices for the decimation of the sampled values of the measured signal in the baseband and to the analysis device connected to the filter devices for the analysis of the measured signal.
US08040124B2
A current branch circuit is electrically coupled with a Faraday cup and an operation amplifier separately. The Faraday cup, the current branch circuit and the operation amplifier are formed as a portion of an ion implanter. When the Faraday cup is electrically coupled with a ground through a conductive structure formed by an ion beam received by the Faraday cup, a current flows from the output of the operation amplifier to the current branch circuit to balance another current flow from the current branch circuit through the Faraday cup to the ground. By dynamically monitoring the voltage of the output of the operation amplifier, current flows through the Faraday cup to the ground and through the resistance of the conductive structure can be dynamically monitored. Accordingly, the difference between the ion current measured by the Faraday cup and the real ion current implanted to the wafer can be dynamically acquired to avoid overdosage of the wafer with the ion beam.
US08040120B2
A switching DC-DC converter includes: an output voltage detecting unit configured to detect a DC output voltage; an error amplifying unit configured to compare the detected output voltage and a reference voltage and configured to supply an amplified error signal between the detected output voltage and the reference voltage to the pulse width modulating unit; and a single oscillating unit connected to an output of the output voltage detecting unit and an output of the error amplifying unit and operable on a first oscillating mode and a second oscillation mode. The oscillating unit on the first oscillating mode controls a switching frequency of the power switch based on the detected output voltage. The oscillating unit on the second oscillating mode controls the switching frequency of the power switch based on the amplified error signal.
US08040116B2
Automatically configurable dual regulator type circuits and methods are provided. On embodiment of the invention includes an automatically configurable dual regulator type circuit. The circuit comprises a high-side switching device (HS-SD) coupled to a low-side switching device (LS-SD) at an output node. The circuit further comprises a control logic device that turns on the HS-SD to provide an output current to a user selected circuit configuration through the output node, turns off the HS-SD after a voltage fed back from an output terminal of the user selected circuit configuration exceeds a first threshold and sets a regulator type configuration mode based on the presence or absence of a flyback period at the output node after the HS-SD has been turned off.
US08040115B2
A power regulation circuit includes at least a first regulator connected to a second regulator in series forming a first regulator pair and a third regulator connected to a fourth regulator in series forming a second regulator pair. The first regulator pair is connected in parallel with the second regulator pair. Each individual regulator is configured to separately regulate an input voltage to a predetermined regulated output voltage. The second regulator pair regulates the input voltage if a short condition occurs within the first regulator pair and the second and fourth regulators each regulate the input voltage if an open condition occurs within the first or third regulator respectively.
US08040114B2
A controller for use in a power factor correction (PFC) converter includes a power factor correction controller circuit coupled to output a drive signal to switch a power switch between an on state and an off state to transfer energy to an output of the PFC converter. The controller also includes an switching frequency adjuster coupled to output a frequency adjust signal to the power factor correction controller circuit to adjust an average switching frequency of the power switch in response to a load signal representative of a load coupled to the output of the PFC converter, wherein the frequency adjust signal is responsive to a range of load conditions.
US08040109B2
Poor contact on a terminal face that is likely to especially occur with a dry battery with low electromotive force can be appropriately inspected and suppressed. Moreover, the inspection can be highly efficiently performed in a non-contacting state. Also, a cylindrical dry battery in which the poor contact on the terminal face is certainly suppressed is provided. An apparatus 50 that inspects an electric contact at an outer surface of a positive terminal 12 and a negative terminal 32 of a dry battery 10, includes: a light-emitting section 51 that makes a light incident on a part to be measured on a terminal face of the battery; a light-receiving section 52 that detects a reflection state of the light from the part to be measured, and a measurement processing section 55 that quantifies gloss level of the part to be measured based on detection with the light-receiving section 52, wherein evaluation data of the electric contact is obtained with measurement values of the gloss level.
US08040104B2
A workstation including a workstation body, a horizontal omni-directional moving carrier, a sensor mechanism, a grabbing device, and a control unit is provided. The horizontal omni-directional moving carrier carries the workstation body. The sensor mechanism includes an oscillating bar and a plurality of electrodes. The oscillating bar pivoted on the workstation body leans against an autonomous mobile device when the device enters the workstation. The electrodes, disposed on the oscillating bar, electrically connect the autonomous mobile device when the oscillating bar leans against the autonomous mobile device. The grabbing device is disposed on the workstation body. The control unit is electrically connected to the electrodes and the grabbing device. When the oscillating bar leans against the autonomous mobile device, the control unit receives a signal from the electrodes and drives the grabbing device to grab the autonomous mobile device, such that the workstation body aligns with the autonomous mobile device.
US08040101B2
A current source rectifier is provided at an output of an alternating current generator, an alternating current motor is connected to an output of the rectifier via a voltage source inverter, furthermore, two arms having switching elements connected in inverse parallel to diodes are connected to the output of the rectifier, and one terminal of a direct current power source capable of a power supply and absorption is connected to a midpoint between the arms, while the other terminal thereof is connected to a neutral point of motor coils or generator coils, thereby eliminating a need for a large volumetric reactor in a direct current chopper, achieving a downsizing of the circuit.
US08040100B2
A system for calculating control pulse duration for optimal stepper motor performance. Duration of control pulses to a stepper motor is increased until stepper motor function begins. The duration of control pulses continues to be increased. It is determined whether stepper motor failure is detected. In response to detecting a failure, the duration of control pulses at the time of the failure is recorded. The duration of control pulses is decreased until stepper motor function is restored. The duration of control pulses continues to be decreased. It is determined whether a second failure is detected. In response to detecting a second failure, the duration of control pulses at the time of the second failure is recorded. A control pulse duration is calculated that optimizes performance of the stepper motor using recorded control pulse duration data. The calculated control pulse duration is applied to the stepper motor.
US08040093B2
A motor controller for an axial-gap motor permits a reduced size of the entire system of including a drive circuit and a power source of the motor, reduced cost, and higher reliability to be achieved by controlling the energization mode of the motor. The motor controller has a torque command determiner which inputs a first DC voltage to a first inverter at least either when a rotor is at a halt or when the number of revolutions of the rotor is a predetermined number of revolutions or less, supplies a field axis current for changing the magnetic flux of a field of the rotor to a first stator from the first inverter such that the amount of energization is temporally changed, converts an induced voltage developed in a second stator by the supplied field axis current into a second DC voltage by a second inverter, and outputs the second DC voltage, thereby charging a second battery.
US08040083B2
In a motor drive control system configured to include a converter capable of stepping up the voltage, when the locked state of MG2 operating as an electric motor does not occur (NO in S130), a voltage command value VHref for the converter output voltage is set according to respective required voltages of MG1 operating as an electric generator and MG2 (S140). In contrast, when the locked state of MG2 occurs (YES in S130), the voltage command value VHref is set to a limit voltage Vlmt or less for limiting the voltage step-up by the converter (S150, S180). When the locked state occurs, the converter output voltage is decreased and accordingly the DC voltage switched by the inverter is lowered, so that a switching loss at the switching device forming a part of the inverter is reduced and the temperature increase due to the heat generation can be suppressed.
US08040078B1
A LED dimming circuit is provided. The LED dimming circuit has an LED driver, an LED dimmer, and at least one LED light source. A resistor is connected between a dimming control output of the LED dimmer and dimming control input of the LED dimmer. The LED dimming circuit may optionally include a fluorescent slide dimmer. The fluorescent slide dimmer may have a first connection to the dimming control input of the LED dimmer and a second connection to a circuit common of the LED dimmer. A method of providing an LED dimming circuit for dimming at least one LED light source using a fluorescent dimmer is also provided.
US08040076B2
A monitoring device for monitoring at least one fluorescent lamp, particularly in areas at risk of explosion, which fluorescent lamp has a lamp tube with electrodes arranged on the ends thereof in the form of coils, and lamp sockets assigned to said electrodes, is improved for preventing large temperature increases in a corresponding fluorescent lamp, particularly in areas at risk of explosion, by complying with the appropriate explosion safety measure, in that the monitoring device has at least one temperature measuring device assigned to a coil, and one electro-mechanical interruption device with which the energy supply to the fluorescent lamp can be interrupted upon reaching a preset critical temperature value.
US08040067B2
A magnetron including a cathode, an anode axially aligned with the cathode and including a plurality of radial vanes defining resonant cavities, an output coupler connected to a first set of the vanes, a second set of vanes not connected to the output coupler, and extensions formed on only the vanes of the second set, the extensions extending in the axial direction towards the output coupler in a direction parallel to the axis of the anode, the extensions not being connected to the output coupler, whereby a capacitance between the axial extensions and the cathode at least partly compensates for the capacitance between the output coupler and the cathode.
US08040066B1
A flesh illuminating device (FID) (10) that is comprised of three major elements: an electronic control unit (ECU) (12), an LED assembly (50) and a flesh attachment assembly (70). The ECU (12) and the LED assembly (50) are attached to the flesh attachment assembly (70) which is dimensioned to allow the LED assembly (50) to be attached to a selectable section of flesh. The section of flesh can consist of either an arm, a hand, a leg, a foot, at least one ear lobe or at least one breast. When the FID (10) is manually or remotely turned ON, the LED assembly (50) which preferably consists of at least one LED (60), illuminates causing the selected section of flesh to illuminate.
US08040062B2
Provided is an electroconductive laminate having a substrate and an electroconductive film formed on the substrate, wherein the electroconductive film has a multilayer structure having an oxide layer and a metal layer alternately laminated from the substrate side in a total layer number of (2n+1) (wherein n is an integer of at least 1); the oxide layer predominantly contains zinc oxide and titanium oxide having a refractive index of at least 2.3; the oxide layer has an atomic ratio of titanium to a total amount of titanium and zinc of 15-50 atomic %; and the metal layer predominantly contains silver or a silver alloy. Also provided is a process for producing the electroconductive laminate.
US08040054B2
An organic electroluminescence type display apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a thin film transistor formed on an insulating substrate; and an organic EL device connected to the thin film transistor and including at least an anode, an electroluminescence layer, and a cathode stacked on each other in this order. The anode includes: an Al alloy film having conductivity and including at least one kind of Group 8 3d transition metals, and oxygen, the at least one kind of the Group 8 3d transition metals and the oxygen being added to aluminum; and an amorphous ITO film formed on the Al alloy film.
US08040047B2
To provide a long lifetime light-emitting element, in particular, to provide a long lifetime white light-emitting element, and to provide a light-emitting element having high luminous efficiency, in particular, to provide a white light-emitting element having high luminous efficiency. In a light-emitting element having, between an anode and a cathode, a first light-emitting layer containing a first light-emitting substance and a second light-emitting layer containing a second light-emitting substance which is provided to be in contact with the first light-emitting layer, the first light-emitting layer is divided into a layer provided on the anode side and a layer provided on the cathode side. At this time, a host material having a hole-transporting property is used for the layer provided on the anode side, and a host material having an electron-transporting property is used for the layer provided on the cathode side.
US08040044B2
Disclosed is an organic light emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same. The organic light emitting device includes a first electrode, one or more organic compound layers, and a second electrode. The first electrode includes a conductive layer and an n-type organic compound layer disposed on the conductive layer. A difference in energy between an LUMO energy level of the n-type organic compound layer of the first electrode and a Fermi energy level of the conductive layer of the first electrode is 4 eV or less. One of the organic compound layers interposed between the n-type organic compound layer of the first electrode and the second electrode is a p-type organic compound layer forming an NP junction along with the n-type organic compound layer of the first electrode. A difference in energy between the LUMO energy level of the n-type organic compound layer of the first electrode and an HOMO energy level of the p-type organic compound layer is 1 eV or less. One or more layers interposed between the conductive layer of the first electrode and the second electrode is n-doped or p-doped with an organic material or an inorganic material.
US08040035B2
A method of producing a cathode for use in an x-ray tube assembly is provided including machining an emission aperture into a cup emission surface portion of a cup structure. The cup structure is comprised of a cup base portion opposite the cup emissions surface portion. Electro-discharge machining is used to form an electro-discharge machining slot into the cup structure to provide access to the interior of the cup structure. Electro-discharge machining is used to form a transverse coil chamber within the interior by way of the electro-discharge machining slot such that the transverse coil chamber is formed between the cup base portion and the cup emissions surface portion while retaining an essentially contiguous emissions surface perimeter surrounding the emission aperture.
US08040032B2
A safety lamp connector assembly for use with at least one of more lamps comprising: an end cap for the lamp and a smooth action, spring loaded, twist locking, socket for receiving the end cap.
US08040031B2
A lamp with an outer bulb is provided. The outer bulb is attached to an attaching member of a base by simple and convenient fabrication, and reliably prevents detachment of the outer bulb from the attaching member. An outer peripheral surface of a supporting post formed to the attaching member of the base and an inner peripheral surface of the outer bulb define a gap therebetween that may receive a heat resistant adhesive or filler. Convex portions facing the gap may be formed to the outer peripheral surface of the supporting post and the inner peripheral surface of the outer bulb, respectively, and a joint body for joining the outer bulb and the supporting post is defined between the outer peripheral surface of the supporting post and the inner peripheral surface of the outer bulb by the adhesive or filler in the gap.
US08040028B2
An apparatus for providing a photoluminescent light source is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a light source that emanates light of a particular spectrum, photoluminescent material which converts light from the light source to light of another spectrum, and a selective mirror which reflects light generated by the light source and transmits light generated by the photoluminescent material. The photoluminescent material may be arranged so as to provide a plurality of light sources that emanate light of various colors.
US08040025B2
Striped sheets each having a structure in which two types of first layers and second layers are stacked in the X direction are prepared. More specifically, first raw material sheets having the same composition as the first layers and second raw material sheets having the same composition as the second layers are regularly alternately stacked in the X direction to prepare a uniaxial stack. The uniaxial stack is then cut along the X direction to prepare the striped sheets. A large number of striped sheets and a large number of homogeneous sheets are then collected to form a sheet group. The striped sheets and the homogeneous sheets are alternately stacked in the Y direction different from the X direction to prepare a biaxial stack having two stacking axes in the X direction and the Y direction. The biaxial stack is fired to produce a ceramic structure.
US08040022B2
Piezoelectric elements for power generation and/or actuation are described. An aspect is directed to generators utilizing piezoelectric elements for electrical power generation. Such a generator can use one or more arrays of piezoelectric cantilevers for electrical power generation in conjunction with modulated air pressure used for exciting the cantilevers. The pressure level/modulation and cantilever area can be controlled variables for maximizing the bending, and hence energy generation, of the cantilevers. A further aspect is directed to hydraulic fluid actuators utilizing a pumping mechanism that includes a piezoelectric element. The linear actuators can advantageously utilize the high force and high frequency characteristics of a piezoelectric membrane in conjunction with a large stroke and actuation direction conversion afforded by hydraulic transmission.
US08040017B2
A piezo actuator includes an adaptation element, which is configured to adapt the piezo actuator to a controller for inductive loads, particularly to a converter for actuating inductive loads. The adaptation element allows use of controllers or converters of numerical control systems, which normally are used for actuating servo motors. Therefore it is no longer necessary to provide specially designed hardware for the actuation of piezo actuators, but instead the above-mentioned controllers can be used. Furthermore, as a result of the adaptation element, the piezo actuators can be integrated in the bus of the numerical control system. This allows communication in real time via the NC bus.
US08040008B2
The axial gap motor includes the rotor having: a rotor frame including a plurality of ribs extending in a radial direction, an inner circumferential side annular shaft, and an outer circumferential side annular rim, which are integrally coupled to each other through the ribs; the shaft has shaft side rib mounting holes through which the ribs are mounted, the rim has rim side rib mounting holes through which the ribs are mounted, the ribs have radial inner ends mounted and fixed into the shaft side rib mounting holes and radial outer ends mounted and fixed into the rim side rib mounting holes, and in the rotor frame, the main magnets and the sub magnets are alternately disposed in the circumferential direction, between the shaft and the rim.
US08040007B2
An electric machine system includes an electric machine and a companion device. The electric machine has a stationary member and a movable member that, by interaction of magnetic fields, at least one of moves relative to the stationary member or generates electricity when moved relative to the stationary member. One of the stationary member and the movable member includes a permanent magnet. The companion device is coupled to the electric machine to communicate mechanical movement with the movable member. In certain instances, the electric machine system has adaptations for operation of the electric machine system subsea and/or in a corrosive environment.
US08040005B2
A housing assembly for an electric motor includes a sealed plastic enclosure having a body portion having a nose and an open end opposite from the nose. The open end provides access to an interior region of the plastic enclosure. The housing assembly also includes a metal sleeve located within the interior region of the plastic enclosure, and a magnet structure located within an interior region of the metal sleeve.
US08040003B2
Present invention prevents connection terminals for connecting stator windings to external conductive wires from densely concentrating on a bobbin. A multipolar generator includes a stator core 10 on which salient poles 11 of integral multiples of “3” are provided, and main windings 17 wound around the salient poles 11. Auxiliary machine windings 18 to 20 in place of the main winding 17 are wound around at least one of three salient poles 11 provided at intervals of integral multiples of “3” from the salient poles 11 of both ends of six continuous salient poles 11 around which the winding start and winding finish of the main winding 17 are wound. The auxiliary windings are arranged each other at intervals of integral multiples of “3”. When the number of the auxiliary windings is 2 or less, the salient pole 11 around which the other auxiliary winding should be wound, is empty.
US08039996B2
An electrically responsive ink composition comprising at least one electrically responsive optical-state change material, at least one electrolyte material, at least one solvent, and at least one binder material, wherein the ink composition has a viscosity between about 0.1 centipoise and about 10,000 centipoise, and a maximum optical absorbance in a range from about 200 nanometers to about 800 nanometers; and wherein the ink composition is capable of transforming from a first optical state to a second optical state upon exposure to an electrical stimulus. The electrically responsive ink composition may be used to deposit an electrically responsive coating composition, which may be used as part of an anti-theft system for optical articles. Articles comprising electrically responsive coating compositions are also disclosed, as are methods for activation.
US08039989B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a low cost multiple output redundant power supply. Disclosed is a power supply that includes a primary stage for regulating voltage on an internal bus. The power supply includes a first regulator stage and a second regulator stage connected to the internal bus. The first regulator stage regulates voltage on a bus configured to connect to a first system. The second regulator stage regulates voltage on a bus configured to connect to a second system. The each regulator stage continues to operate in the event the other regulator stage is not operating. A disconnecting means is connected between the primary stage and the each regulator stage for isolating the failed regulator stage from the other regulator stage and the primary stage.
US08039983B2
Systems and methods for providing AC power from multiple turbine engine spools are disclosed. A system in a particular embodiment includes a turbofan engine having a compressor, a first turbine and a first shaft connected between the compressor and the first turbine, and a fan, a second turbine and a second shaft connected between the fan and the second turbine. The system can further include a state power bus and a first energy converter coupled between the first shaft and the power bus, with the first energy converter including a starter/generator, and being positioned to convert a first variable frequency energy transmitted by the first shaft to a first generally constant frequency energy. A second energy converter can be coupled between the second shaft and the power bus, with the second energy converter including a generator and being positioned to convert a second variable frequency energy transmitted by the second shaft to a second generally constant frequency energy, with the second generally constant frequency energy in phase with and at generally the same frequency as the first generally constant frequency energy. A controller can be operatively coupled to the starter/generator and the generator, e.g., to control the functions of these devices.
US08039981B2
A method for monitoring blade frequencies of a wind turbine and a monitoring system are provided. An accelerometer is attached to a rotating hub of a wind turbine measuring vibrations of the hub. To extract vibration signals originating from each blade, the vibration signals are combined with measuring signals from the azimuth angle sensor. Alternatively, the azimuth angle is found by using the measured accelerations in two directions representing the centrifugal forces and vibrating forces of the hub and feeding these signals into a phase locked loop unit establishing a phase of the rotating hub representing the azimuth angle. To extract each blade frequency, a Fast Fourier Transformation is used on the signals from the accelerometer. To monitor a severe change in each blade frequency, each blade frequency is compared to other blade frequencies and an alarm is set when a given level is reached and the wind turbine is stopped.
US08039979B2
It is an object to supply, to the utmost extent, reactive power according to a demand of a utility grid side while maintaining the power factor within a predetermined range. The wind turbine generator system includes a main controller 19. The controller 19 includes a first controller 31 performing constant-reactive-power regulation, a second controller 32 performing constant-power-factor regulation, a judging unit 34 for judging whether a present operating condition is within a predetermined operating region, and a control-switching unit 35 for switching from the first controller 31 to the second controller 32 when the first controller 31 is performing the constant-reactive-power regulation and the judging unit 34 detects a deviation from the operating region.
US08039971B2
Electronic circuit arrangement, includes a chip and a chip carrier having a substrate and a chip contact location. At least the chip contact location is provided with a soldering layer. The chip includes a bonding layer. A silver layer for eutectic bonding with the bonding layer is provided on the soldering layer in the region of the chip contact location.
US08039967B2
A wiring substrate includes a silicon substrate, a through hole formed to penetrate the silicon substrate in a thickness direction, an insulating layer formed on both surfaces and side surfaces of the silicon substrate and an inner surface of the through hole, a penetration electrode formed in the through hole, a wiring layer formed on at least one surface of the silicon substrate and connected to the penetration electrode, and a metal wire terminal connected to the wiring layer and formed to extend from one surface of the silicon substrate to a side surface thereof. The metal wire terminal on the side surface of the electronic device is connected to the mounting substrate such that a substrate direction of the electronic device in which an electronic component is mounted on the wiring substrate intersects orthogonally with a substrate direction of the mounting substrate.
US08039963B2
A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a seal ring structure. The seal ring structure includes a first metal layer including a though hole, the through hole having a bottom portion filled with an insulating material, and a second metal layer formed on the first metal layer. The second metal layer has a projected portion projecting from a bottom of the second metal layer and the projected portion is inserted into a top portion of the through hole.
US08039962B2
A semiconductor chip may include a wafer, a semiconductor device formed on the wafer, a first dielectric layer formed on the wafer and the semiconductor device, a first metal interconnection formed on the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer formed on the first dielectric layer and the lower interconnection, and a third dielectric layer formed on the second dielectric layer. A second metal interconnection may be formed in the third dielectric layer, a first nitride layer formed on the third dielectric layer and the first metal interconnection, a via hole extending through the wafer, the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer, the third dielectric layer and the first nitride layer, a via formed in the via hole and a third metal interconnection formed on the first oxide layer, an exposed upper end of the via and the second metal interconnection.
US08039960B2
An electrical interconnect within a semiconductor device consists of a substrate with a plurality of active devices. A contact pad is formed on the substrate in electrical contact with the plurality of active devices. A passivation layer, first barrier layer, adhesion layer, and seed layer are formed over the substrate. An inner core pillar including a hollow interior is centered over and formed within a footprint of the contact pad. A second barrier layer and a wetting layer are formed over the single cylindrical inner core pillar and hollow interior. A spherical bump is formed around the second barrier layer, wetting layer, and single cylindrical inner core pillar. A footprint of the spherical bump encompasses the footprint of the contact pad. The spherical bump is electrically connected to the contact pad.
US08039959B2
A microelectronic connection component includes a substrate having a first surface, a second surface and a peripheral edge. First and second terminals are exposed at the first surface of the substrate. Wire bond pads are exposed proximate the peripheral edge of the substrate at the first surface. First conductive paths couple the first terminals to the wire bond pads. Bonding leads extend beyond the peripheral edge of the substrate. Second conductive paths couple the second terminals to the bonding leads.
US08039953B2
Heat sink structures employing carbon nanotube or nanowire arrays to reduce the thermal interface resistance between an integrated circuit chip and the heat sink are disclosed. Carbon nanotube arrays are combined with a thermally conductive metal filler disposed between the nanotubes. This structure produces a thermal interface with high axial and lateral thermal conductivities.
US08039950B2
The invention relates to a cover wafer with a core and with an inside, whereby the inside has one or more annular outer areas, (an) annular area(s), which inwardly adjoin(s) the outer area(s), and has (a) inner area(s), and to a component cover with only one annular outer area on its inside. The invention is characterized in that at least area(s) has/have a buffer layer, which has a wetting angle of <35° for a metallic eutectic solution that melts in a range of >265° C. to 450° C. The invention also relates to a component cover having one of the areas which has said buffer layer in a comparable manner. The invention additionally relates to a wafer component or to a component, which can be inserted using microsystem technology and which has a cover wafer or component cover applied with the aid of a solder material, and to a method for the production thereof.
US08039948B2
A device mounting board for a device to be mounted on, comprising: a substrate; and a laminated film composed of a plurality of insulating layers formed on one side of the substrate. Here, any of the second and subsequent insulating layers from the substrate is a photosolder resist layer containing a cardo type polymer. The photosolder resist layer has a thickness smaller than that of the insulating resin film arranged between the photosolder resist layer and the substrate.
US08039944B2
An electrical connection device and assembly method thereof includes a substrate with a plurality of contacting portions arranged on a surface thereof; a chip module having a plurality of terminals inclining in one direction and compressed and contacted with the contacting portions correspondingly; at least one restricting structure which restricts the chip module to move a distance relative to the substrate depending on the compression deformation of the terminals when the terminals are contacted with the contacting portions; and at least one elastic element just producing deformation when the chip module moves the distance. When the terminals are compressed and contacted with the contacting portions, the restricting structure restricts the chip module to move the distance depending on the compression deformation of the terminals, so that the elastic element just produces deformation, which make the chip module only move in the direction opposite to the deformation direction of the terminals.
US08039929B2
A CMOS device comprising a FinFET comprises at least one fin structure comprising a source region; a drain region; and a channel region comprising silicon separating the source region from the drain region. The FinFET further comprises a gate region comprising a N+ polysilicon layer on one side of the channel region and a P+ polysilicon layer on an opposite side of the channel region, thereby, partitioning the fin structure into a first side and a second side, respectively. The channel region is in mechanical tension on the first side and in mechanical compression on the second side. The FinFET may comprise any of a nFET and a pFET, wherein the nFET comprises a N-channel inversion region in the first side, and wherein the pFET comprises a P-channel inversion region in the second side. The CMOS device may further comprise a tensile film and a relaxed film on opposite sides of the fin structure adjacent to the source and drain regions, and an oxide cap layer over the fin structure.
US08039925B2
A plurality of devices, such as devices that are utilized for implementing radio frequency applications, can be formed in the same substrate. Each of these devices may be formed over a triple well that includes at least one well capable of being biased. Each of the wells is coupled to a well bias through a resistor. In some embodiments, a plurality of wells operating at a relatively high frequency may be connected to the same bias potential, each through separate resistors. The noise coupling may be reduced through the use of the bias resistors.
US08039919B2
In a memory device having a carbon nanotube and a method of manufacturing the same, the memory device includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode having a first void exposing a sidewall of a diode therein, an insulating interlayer pattern having a second void exposing a portion of the lower electrode between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and a carbon nanotube wiring capable of being electrically connected with the diode of the upper electrode by a voltage applied to the lower electrode. The memory device may reduce generation of a leakage current in a cross-bar memory.
US08039912B2
Anchor systems and methods anchor components of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device to a substrate. An exemplary embodiment has a trace anchor bonded to a substrate, a device anchor bonded to the substrate, and an anchor flexure configured flexibly couple the trace anchor and the device anchor to substantially prevent transmission of a stress induced in the trace anchor from being transmitted to the device anchor.
US08039911B2
The MEMS sensor according to the present invention includes a diaphragm. In the diaphragm, an angle formed by two straight lines connecting supporting portions and the center of a main portion with one another respectively is set to satisfy the relation of the following formula (1): (A2/A1)/(B2/B1)≧1 (1) A2: maximum vibrational amplitude of the diaphragm in a case of working a physical quantity of a prescribed value on the diaphragm A1: maximum vibrational amplitude of the diaphragm in a case of working the physical quantity on the diaphragm in an omitting structure obtained by omitting one of the supporting portions from the diaphragm B2: maximum stress caused in the diaphragm in the case of working the physical quantity on the diaphragm B1: maximum stress caused in the diaphragm in the case of working the physical quantity on the diaphragm in the omitting structure.
US08039910B2
An electro-acoustic sensing device including a sensing chip, a carrier chip and a sealing element is provided. The sensing chip is for electro-acoustic transuding and thereby outputting an electrical signal. The carrier chip disposed below the sensing chip has at least one second connecting point, at least one electrical channel and at least one channel connecting point. The second connecting point is electrically contacted with the first connecting point. The second connecting point and the channel connecting point are located at different surfaces of the carrier chip. The electrical channel passes through the carrier chip and electrically connects the second connecting point and the channel connecting point. The electrical signal is transmitted to the channel connecting point via the first and the second connecting points and the electrical channel. The sealing element is disposed between the sensing chip and the carrier chip for air-tight coupling the two chips.
US08039904B2
A memory cell includes a FinFET select device and a memory element. In some embodiments a memory cell has a contact element coupled between a surface of the fin and the memory element.
US08039900B2
The stacked semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a multi-layered insulation layer pattern having at least two insulation layer patterns and an opening, an active layer pattern formed on each of the insulation layer patterns, a first plug including single crystalline silicon-germanium, a second plug including single crystalline silicon, and a wiring electrically connected to the first plug and sufficiently filling up the opening. The insulation layer patterns are vertically stacked on the semiconductor substrate and the opening exposes an upper face of the semiconductor substrate. A side portion of the active layer pattern is exposed by the opening. The first plug is formed on the upper face of the semiconductor substrate to partially fill the opening. The second plug is partially formed on the first plug, and has substantially the same interface as that of the first plug.
US08039899B2
An electrostatic discharge protection device includes a first well comprising a MOS transistor; a second well comprising a first impurity region to which a first voltage is applied, and a second impurity region connected to an input/output pad, the second well being disposed adjacent to the first well; and a third well comprising a third impurity region to which the first voltage is applied, the third well being disposed adjacent to the second well.
US08039895B2
According to some embodiments of the invention, transistors have channel regions between channel-portion holes. Methods of forming the same include at least two channel-portion holes disposed in a semiconductor substrate. Line patterns are formed in parallel to be spaced apart from each other on a main surface of the semiconductor substrate to fill the channel-portion holes. A channel region is disposed in the semiconductor substrate below the line patterns. At this time, the channel region is formed between the channel-portion holes and also covers lower portions of the channel-portion holes. Driving current capability and refresh characteristics of DRAMs utilizing the inventive transistors are improved.
US08039889B2
A non-volatile memory device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first section including a substantially planar first top surface, a second section including a substantially planar second top surface, and a sidewall extending between the first and second top surfaces. The second top surface of the substrate is closer to a bottom surface of the substrate than is the first top surface. A charge storage pattern extends on the first and second top surfaces of the substrate and along the sidewall therebetween. A source region in the first section of the substrate extends from the first top surface into the second section of the substrate and has a stepped portion defined by the sidewall and the second top surface. Related fabrication methods and methods of operation are also discussed.
US08039888B2
A method of forming a conductive spacer on a semiconductor device. The method includes depositing a polysilicon layer on the semiconductor device, selectively implanting dopant ions in the polysilicon layer on a first side of a transistor region of the semiconductor device to define a conductive spacer area, and removing the polysilicon layer except for the conductive spacer area. Optionally, a silicidation process can be performed on the conductive spacer area so that the conductive spacer is made up of metal silicide.
US08039886B2
A depletion-type NAND flash memory includes a NAND string composed of a plurality of serially connected FETs, a control circuit which controls gate potentials of the plurality of FETs in a read operation, a particular potential storage, and an adjacent memory cell threshold storage, wherein each of the plurality of FETs is a transistor whose threshold changes in accordance with a charge quantity in a charge accumulation layer, the adjacent memory cell threshold storage stores a threshold of a source line side FET adjacent to a source line side of a selected FET, and the control circuit applies a potential to the gate electrode of the source line side FET in the read operation, the applied potential being obtained by adding a particular potential stored in the particular potential storage to a threshold stored in the adjacent memory cell threshold storage.
US08039885B2
An MRAM is disclosed that has a MTJ comprised of a ferromagnetic layer with a magnetization direction along a first axis, a super-paramagnetic (SP) free layer, and an insulating layer formed therebetween. The SP free layer has a remnant magnetization that is substantially zero in the absence of an external field, and in which magnetization is roughly proportional to an external field until reaching a saturation value. In one embodiment, a separate storage layer is formed above, below, or adjacent to the MTJ and has uniaxial anisotropy with a magnetization direction along its easy axis which parallels the first axis. In a second embodiment, the storage layer is formed on a non-magnetic conducting spacer layer within the MTJ and is patterned simultaneously with the MTJ. The SP free layer may be multiple layers or laminated layers of CoFeB. The storage layer may have a SyAP configuration and a laminated structure.
US08039879B2
A semiconductor has an IGBT active section and a control circuit section for detecting an IGBT abnormal state. A collector region is formed on the back surface side (i.e., on the IGBT collector side) in a selective manner, namely right under the IGBT active section.
US08039872B2
A nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a Group III nitride semiconductor; and an insulating film containing oxygen formed on the surface of the Group III nitride semiconductor, wherein the nitrogen concentration in a region provided with the insulating film is higher than the nitrogen concentration in a region not provided with the insulating film on the surface of the group III nitride semiconductor.
US08039869B2
A gallium nitride device substrate comprises a layer of gallium nitride containing an additional lattice parameter altering element located over a substitute substrate.
US08039868B2
A design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design. The design structure includes first and second silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) formed in a substrate. Further, the first and the second SCRs each include at least one component commonly shared between the first and the second SCRs.
US08039866B2
A mount for a semiconductor device includes a carrier, at least two metal leads disposed on a bottom surface of the carrier, and a cavity extending through a thickness of the carrier to expose a portion of the top surfaces of the metal leads. A semiconductor light emitting device is positioned in the cavity and is electrically and physically connected to the metal leads. The carrier may be, for example, silicon, and the leads may be multilayer structures, for example a thin gold layer connected to a thick copper layer.
US08039858B2
In a fluorescer solution, a plurality of types of fluorescent particles are contained in a resin liquid. Average particle sizes of these fluorescent particles decrease as densities of the types increase. In other words, average settling rates vs of the types of the fluorescent particles ascertained by v s = D p 2 × ( ρ p - ρ f ) × g 18 × η are equal to each other, where Dp is an average particle size of each of the types of fluorescent particles, pp is a density of each of the types of fluorescent particles, pf is a density of the resin liquid, η is a viscosity of the resin liquid, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and vs is an average settling rate of each of the types of fluorescent particles.
US08039856B2
A light emitting diode module for a line light source includes a circuit board having a wire pattern formed thereon and a plurality of LED chips directly mounted and disposed in a longitudinal direction on the circuit board and electrically connected to the wire pattern. The module also includes a reflecting wall installed on the circuit board to surround the plurality of LED chips, reflecting light from the LED chips. The module further includes a heat sink plate underlying the circuit board to radiate heat generated from the LED chip.
US08039854B2
Exemplary embodiments provide semiconductor devices including high-quality (i.e., defect free) group III-N nanowires and uniform group III-N nanowire arrays as well as their scalable processes for manufacturing, where the position, orientation, cross-sectional features, length and the crystallinity of each nanowire can be precisely controlled. A pulsed growth mode can be used to fabricate the disclosed group III-N nanowires and/or nanowire arrays providing a uniform length of about 10 nm to about 1000 microns with constant cross-sectional features including an exemplary diameter of about 10-1000 nm. In addition, high-quality GaN substrate structures can be formed by coalescing the plurality of GaN nanowires and/or nanowire arrays to facilitate the fabrication of visible LEDs and lasers. Furthermore, core-shell nanowire/MQW active structures can be formed by a core-shell growth on the nonpolar sidewalls of each nanowire.
