US08046840B2
A method is provided for use in distributing access to a data item. The method includes allowing multiple transfers between computers of a single instance of permission to gain access to the data item, the transfers occurring across data connections and including a first transfer between a first computer and a second computer and a subsequent transfer between the second computer and a third computer, wherein at any one time only one computer retains the instance of permission and is able to use the instance of permission to gain access to the data item.
US08046839B2
Parents can desire to limit content viewable upon a mobile device and a universal integrated circuit card can be programmed to limit viewing upon the mobile device. A user completes a service request form that includes an allowable view threshold for content upon the mobile device. The request can transfer to a service provider, sometimes via a base station. A subscription manager can forward the threshold back to the mobile device and the mobile device can program the threshold upon secure storage. When content is received, it can be compared against the threshold and a determination can be made on if the content is allowable to view in light of the threshold.
US08046833B2
A policy component includes policy configuration information. The policy configuration information contains one or more rules. Each rule and group of rules can be associated with a set of response actions. As the nodes on the monitored networks change or intrusive actions are introduced on the networks, network change events or intrusion events are generated. The policy component correlates network change events and/or intrusions events with network map information. The network map contains information on the network topology, services and network devices, amongst other things. When certain criteria is satisfied based on the correlation, a policy violation event may be issued by the system resulting in alerts or remediations.
US08046832B2
A system and method facilitating detection of unsolicited e-mail message(s) with challenges is provided. The invention includes an e-mail component and a challenge component. The system can receive e-mail message(s) and associated probabilities that the e-mail message(s) are spam. Based, at least in part, upon the associated probability, the system can send a challenge to a sender of an e-mail message. The challenge can be an embedded code, computational challenge, human challenge and/or micropayment request. Based, at least in part, upon a response to the challenge (or lack of response), the challenge component can modify the associated probability and/or delete the e-mail message.
US08046831B2
Security components of managed computers are configured using inoculation data. Inoculation data can be retrieved from an inoculation data provider. The inoculation data provider analyzes unauthorized software applications to develop inoculation data. The inoculation data configures the security component to deny access to resources to unauthorized software applications. Inoculation data can be embedded into a script, which is distributed via a management protocol to one or more managed computers from a management computer. Resources can include files, storage paths, memory, registry keys, processor priority, services, dynamic link libraries, archives, browser cookies, and/or ActiveX controls, Java applets, or classes thereof.
US08046824B2
A method and apparatus provide generic mechanism for a network application server. A receiver receives a request from a user equipment to provide authentication information to a network application function. A determining unit determines a key of a generic authentication architecture to integrate additional network application servers by extending an existing standard for user security settings. A providing unit provides the authentication information to the network application function.
US08046823B1
Systems and methods are provided which implement a bridge server to provide user access to one or more secure applications. A bridge server of embodiments is disposed between a user and a secure application and invokes bridge server security protocols with respect to the user and secure application security protocols with respect to the secure application. In operation according to embodiments, client applications will link into a bridge server, the user will be authenticated by the bridge server, and a valid user will be correlated to an account of the secure application by the bridge server. Bridge servers of embodiments facilitate providing features with respect to secure application user access unavailable using the secure application security protocols.
US08046816B2
A digital broadcast receiver and an upgrading method thereof that can achieve an upgrade stabilization. The digital broadcast receiver includes a tuner to receive broadcast data of a selected channel, a demultiplexer to separate new middleware data and information data corresponding to the new middleware data from the broadcast data, a memory to pre-store previous middleware data and to store the new middleware data and the information data, and a controller to determine whether to store the new middleware data in the memory based on the information data. If storage of the new middleware data is completed, the controller checks whether an upgrade is successful by executing the new middleware data, and if the upgrade fails, the controller executes the previous middleware data pre-stored in the memory. Thus, the receiver upgrades the received middleware program in a stable manner.
US08046811B2
A system and method automates a scheduled retrieval, storage, and access of media data. Media data is retrieved from an external source and downloaded to an end user media device storage for subsequent playback at the end user media device. Media data is accessible from the end user media device storage based upon criteria including a selection of the end user, rules regulating the media data, and whether a playback time of the media data is sufficient to retrieve additional media data. The system performs regularly scheduled dynamic controls to determine whether additional media data is required for continuous and uninterrupted access of the media data.
US08046806B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing downstream signals to a plurality of receiver networks. A receiver network (i.e., a networked multimedia system) includes a splitter/isolation module (SIM), a primary set-top terminal (STT), and at least one point of deployment module. The point of deployment module communicates with the primary STT via the SIM over coaxial cable. Accordingly, the point of deployment module and connected television utilize some or all of the features including hardware and software that are included in the primary STT via the networked multimedia system.
US08046804B2
A navigation interface display system generates a navigation element that organizes television programming data in an easy-to-use manner. The navigation element employs a hierarchical display protocol for a plurality of selection items that represent the various television programs, channels, and/or networks. The hierarchical display scheme displays a limited number of active selection items at a first magnification level and additional active selection items at a second magnification level. In addition, the selection items are displayed on distinctive areas or features of the navigation element, where such features represent different content genres or categories. Subcategories can also be displayed in a hierarchical manner, thus providing additional information related to the content as the magnification level of the navigation element changes.
US08046803B1
A multimedia distribution system is provided that includes a multimedia distributor and a customer device. The multimedia distributor is in communication with a multimedia producer. The multimedia producer produces multimedia content. The multimedia distributor encodes the multimedia content with a metatag. The customer device is in communication with the multimedia distributor and is configured to present the multimedia content to a customer and provide the customer with a plurality of options for the customer to obtain additional information about a subject of the metatag. The multimedia distributor encodes the multimedia content with the metatag based on information about the customer.
US08046800B2
A client system for remotely controlling a video recorder receives program data from a remote server in response to user input selecting a time sequential signal from a program schedule guide provided by the remote server, via the Internet, email, a computer-readable medium, or a broadcast signal. The user input is transmitted to the remote server over the Internet from the client system or a remote location. The client system determines when it is time to record the time sequential signal based at least in part upon the program data, which includes broadcast time, channel, and duration. Upon determining it is time to record, the client system tunes to, receives, and records the transmission of the time sequential signal.
US08046799B2
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing media program information to a user is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of accepting a command to provide a menu guide from a plurality of menu guides defining a media program information space segmented by a daypart, wherein the menu guide is associated with a first daypart, and providing a menu guide comprising a menu guide content portion presenting at least some of the media program information. The apparatus comprises a receiver having a tuner for receiving the media program and the media program information, a processor, communicatively coupled to the tuner for providing a menu guide having a menu guide content portion presenting at least some of the media program information, wherein the menu guide is selectable from a plurality of menu guides together defining a program information space segmented by a daypart. The foregoing daypart-based presentation of the media program information provides for an efficient use of display space by initially providing information programs the user is likely to be interested in, while still permitting the user to intuitively navigate to other media program information as well.
US08046792B2
A comprehensive mechanism is provided for broadcasting and accessing multiple audio sources in connection with the viewing of a television program. In the preferred embodiment, the first step in providing audio is collecting the audio through the use of standard audio capture techniques. Next, the audio is distributed by either of in-band via broadcast or out-of-band techniques. In-band audio is preferably provided via an MPEG stream associated with the current television program. Out-of-band (OOB) audio can be broadcast as well, although it is preferable to select which channel is distributed upstream first, rather than broadcast all channels downstream and consume bandwidth for unselected audio. Thus, it is preferred that only the desired audio channel(s) are sent over the OOB channel. The audio is preferably tagged with metadata, such that information describing the audio accompanies each audio channel. This allows, for example, a description of the audio to be provided to the viewer as part of a selection mechanism (see below), and/or provides control information that is used by the system, for example to configure the system for a particular type of audio processing, e.g. DTS; display accompanying graphic information; such as an ad; or engage a viewer authentication/billing mechanism, for example to provide upstream information concerning the viewer's selections. With either system, the viewer operates a set top box to select the appropriate audio channel(s) and route the television audio to a television or to a separate amplifier and speakers for reproduction.
US08046791B1
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US08046789B2
Disclosed is a broadcast receiving apparatus which blocks a broadcast content in accordance with a plurality of broadcast content blocking standards, including a storing section to store rating data of the plurality of broadcast content blocking standards, each piece of the rating data being corresponding with one of first rating levels, a selecting section to select one of second rating levels, and a broadcast content blocking section to block one broadcast content in accordance with one of the second rating levels selected by the selecting section and in accordance with one of the first rating levels which is set at the storing section according to rating data extracted from data of the one broadcast content.
US08046782B2
The tray carry-out method for a disc changer device, comprising, while transporting the tray from a recording/reproducing position to a stand-by position by driving the first motor, starting to drive the second motor for bringing a tray driving gear unit into a tray simultaneously transportable state, and upon completion of the transport of the tray to the stand-by position, with the tray driving gear unit being set to the tray simultaneously transportable state, starting to drive the second motor to carry out the tray from the stand-by position to an exchange position.
US08046780B1
A system and method provides efficient message processing of assets by placing all messages in a queue as they are received from an information feed. Messages are grouped according to the entities with which they are associated and messages within each group are sorted according to the time the message was generated by the information feed. Messages are processed in the order in which they were generated using a system that accounts for delayed or out-of-order messages by evaluating the message state, comparing it to the last stored state, and delaying the processing of messages arriving ahead of earlier-generated messages.
US08046776B1
A method and system for transferring a firmware file between a host system and a device driver, wherein the host system includes an operating system segmented into a user space and a kernel space is disclosed. Aspects of the exemplary embodiment include using a first type of process file system command in the user space to initiate a transfer of the firmware file between the host system and the device driver, wherein the firmware file exists in the user space and the device driver exists in the kernel space; and using a second type of process file system command in the user space to transfer the firmware file between the user space and the device driver in kernel space.
US08046775B2
A system, apparatus, and method for allocation mode switching on an event-driven basis are described herein. The allocation mode switching method includes detecting an event, selecting a bandwidth allocation mode associated with the detected event, and allocating a plurality of execution cycles of an instruction execution period of a processor core among a plurality of instruction execution threads based at least in part on the selected bandwidth allocation mode. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08046770B2
Exemplary embodiments relate to methods, systems, and computer program products for managing productivity. Methods include establishing a planned execution time for performing a task. The task is assigned a unique identifier. Methods further include comparing the planned execution time with an actual execution time for performing the task and, based upon the results, calculating an efficiency rating. The actual execution time is extracted from a task dispatch system via the unique identifier. Methods also include associating the efficiency rating with one or more of: an individual performing the task, a supervisor of the individual performing the task, a group of individuals with which the individual performing the task is associated, and an organization associated with the individual performing the task.
US08046765B2
A method comprises receiving into a planning tool a representative workload for a consumer. The method further comprises receiving into the planning tool quality of service desires of the consumer which define permitted degraded performance. In certain embodiments, the permitted degraded performance is time-limited wherein demands of the representative workload may exceed a pre-defined utilization constraint for at least one resource servicing the demands for no more than a pre-defined amount of contiguous time. The planning tool determines an allocation of demand of the consumer for each of a plurality of different classes of service (COSs). In certain embodiments, a first COS provides guaranteed resource access for servicing demand allocated thereto, and a second COS provides non-guaranteed resource access for servicing demand allocated thereto. In certain embodiments, the allocation of demand to the different COSs may be determined for both a normal mode and a failure mode of operation.
US08046762B2
An image processor keeps itself capable of executing a communication process with an external apparatus even in an energy-saving state, and offers a job reservation function while reducing power consumption as much as possible. The image processor has an energization switching circuit that makes switchover separately in energizing/deenergizing each of a plurality of function blocks, which execute a job, independent of energization of a Network Interface Card (NIC). The NIC has functions of counting the present time, obtaining a scheduled time and reserved job information on a reserved job to be executed at the scheduled time, identifying the reserved job to be started for execution on the basis of a counted time and the scheduled time included in the reserved job information, and starting up a function block needed for execution of the identified reserved job through control over the energization switching circuit.
US08046758B2
Adaptive modifications of spinning and blocking behavior in spin-then-block mutual exclusion include limiting spinning time to no more than the duration of a context switch. Also, the frequency of spinning versus blocking is limited to a desired amount based on the success rate of recent spin attempts. As an alternative, spinning is bypassed if spinning is unlikely to be successful because the owner is not progressing toward releasing the shared resource, as might occur if the owner is blocked or spinning itself. In another aspect, the duration of spinning is generally limited, but longer spinning is permitted if no other threads are ready to utilize the processor. In another aspect, if the owner of a shared resource is ready to be executed, a thread attempting to acquire ownership performs a “directed yield” of the remainder of its processing quantum to the other thread, and execution of the acquiring thread is suspended.
US08046757B2
A method for installing ActiveX controls is disclosed. The method comprises transmitting a webpage to a user client, the webpage containing information of an ActiveX control necessary for the operation of the webpage in the form of a parameter; and receiving ActiveX control request information included in the parameter from the user client; wherein the webpage contains information of an integrated installer ActiveX control, which includes a module for installing the ActiveX controls necessary for the operation of the webpage in the form of an OBJECT tag, and contains script, which calls the module of the integrated installer ActiveX control and controls the installation of the ActiveX controls necessary for the operation of the webpage; and through the control of the script, the user client determines whether or not the ActiveX controls necessary for the operation of the webpage is installed and downloads ActiveX controls that need to be installed.
US08046756B2
A program that is to be preferentially loaded into a memory is stored in a specific memory and the program stored in the specific memory is changeable to another program. Thus, the program that is to be preferentially loaded into the memory is thereby made changeable.
US08046748B2
A method and system to emulate an M-bit instruction set. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are a method comprising fetching at least a portion of an instruction (the instruction from a first instruction set that is not directly executable by a processor), indexing into a table to an index location (the index location based on the at least a portion of the instruction), executing a first series of instructions directly executable by the processor (the first series of instructions pointed to by the table at the index location), and thereby emulating execution of the instruction from the first instruction set.
US08046742B1
A technique to generate an executable task includes inspecting a task specification data structure to determine what software entities are to be generated to create the executable task, inspecting the task specification data structure to determine how the software entities will be linked after generating the software entities, inspecting the task specification data structure to determine logic to be executed by the software entities, and generating the software entities to create the executable task.
US08046726B2
A method of waiving verification failures is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of circuit error files by performing a plurality of physical verifications on a plurality of circuit designs, the circuit error files containing a plurality of circuit errors of the circuit designs, (B) generating a system error file by performing an additional physical verification on a system design, the system error file containing a plurality of system errors of the system design, the system design incorporating the circuit designs and (C) generating a valid error file by removing the circuit errors from the system error file, the valid error file containing a plurality of valid errors comprising a subset of the system errors.
US08046723B2
A method for correcting a layout with a pitch change section may include disposing a pattern layout with the pitch change section having a first pattern and a second pattern at a pitch relatively larger than that of the first pattern, measuring the pitch change from the pattern layout, a step of measuring an aerial image intensity by performing a simulation operation on the area with the pitch change section; modifying the pitch of the layout in the pitch change section based on a threshold intensity value at which the pattern is formed; and processing the layout correction to cause the pitch to exist within the threshold range by comparing the image intensity of the modified layout with the image intensity of the reference area.
US08046715B2
A computer system creates and displays a map image based upon a value database associating a plurality of values each with a geographic location in a geographic area and a map program associating each location with a map image location. The computer system assigns one of a plurality of symbols to each geographic location based upon its associated value. The symbol is then displayed on the map image at the map image location associated with the geographic location.
US08046714B2
A menu displaying method for displaying a menu containing a plurality of menu items on a display screen comprises a menu item arrangement step of arranging the menu items in a prescribed three-dimensional virtual body to squarely face the display screen so that each menu item will have at least a viewable part that is not screened by other menu items in front of the menu item and a menu item moving step of moving the menu items arranged in the menu item arrangement step according to a prescribed user operation while keeping the menu items squarely facing the display screen. By the menu displaying method, a large number of menu items can be displayed on a screen while minimizing deterioration of viewability of the menu items.
US08046713B2
A mobile phone (1) includes: a blank area detection section (55) which detects a blank area whose size is determined by subtracting, from an entire area of a display screen, an image display area where an image is displayed and a character string display area where a character string is displayed; and a reposition control section (51) which changes the position or size of at least one of the image and the character string from an initial state, in such a way as to allow the image and the character string to be displayed in a single display screen. On this account, an image and a character string associated therewith are efficiently displayable in a single screen.
US08046706B2
An apparatus for providing multiple screens and a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens are provided. The apparatus for providing multiple screens includes a service processing module producing at least one of logical screens and display screens for displaying a service, and an output module mapping the logical screens to arbitrary locations on the display screens and providing the display screens to a plurality of physical display devices.
US08046705B2
Systems and methods according to the present invention provide a control framework for organizing, selecting and launching media items including graphical user interfaces coupled with an optional free space control device for collection of the basic control primitives of point, click, scroll, hover and zoom which permit for easy and rapid selection of media items, e.g., movies, songs etc., from large or small collections. The remote control maps natural hand movements and gestures into relevant commands while the graphical display uses images, zooming for increased/decreased levels of detail and continuity of GUI objects to provide easy organization, selection and navigation among the media items by a user.
US08046704B2
A system and method for determining compliance for one or more information technology services may generate on the spot compliance reports based on real-time data. Compliance data may be retrieved or received from a variety of sources including incident diagnostic utilities, manual data entry and third-party software or applications. A compliance system and method may monitor the data being generated from each of the various sources in a real-time fashion, generating compliance information based thereon.
US08046696B2
A community accessed via a portal can be provided that maintains user membership during collaboration on various projects. The members of the community can have access to and share multiple resources. A resource can have a menu associated with it wherein the menu is dynamically displayed on the portal page upon the user right clicking on the resource. Each menu can have several menu items that when selected, execute various actions associated with the resource or perform some other community function. For example, the menu item can call a page flow action, a Javascript function or make a dynamic content update. An active menu tag library can be provided that allows a developer to create customizable new menus and menu items for a given resource by including a tag and specifying tag parameters.
US08046671B2
An apparatus and a method for adapting data in a communications system to be transmitted from a sender to a receiver, to a transport unit of a predefined size involve representing said data as a combination of bits over a finite field, wherein said data comprises of an information part and a control part; adapting said represented data to fit said predefined size of said transport unit, by expressing both said information and control parts with bits, wherein said bits are less in number that said represented combination of bits and a number of removed bits is known to said receiver, said removed bits comprise of bits from both said information and control parts.
US08046669B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring the performance of a read channel. A number of detection techniques, such as SOVA and maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) detectors, produce a bit decision and a corresponding reliability value associated with the bit decision. The reliability value associated with the bit decision may be expressed, for example, in the form of log likelihood ratios (LLRs). The reliability value can be monitored and used as a performance measure. The present invention provides a channel performance measure that generally correlates directly to the BER but can be collected in less time.
US08046657B2
According to a method and apparatus taught herein, a decoding circuit and method decode linear block codes based on determining joint probabilities for one or more related subsets of bits in received data blocks. The use of joint probabilities enables faster and more reliable determination of received bits, meaning that, for example, joint probability decoding requires fewer decoding iterations than a comparable decoding process based on single-bit probabilities. As a non-limiting example, the decoding circuit and method taught herein provide advantageous operation with Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes, and can be incorporated in a variety of communication systems and devices, such as those associated with wireless communication networks.
US08046652B2
Built-in self-test using embedded memory and processor in an application specific integrated circuit
A test method for an ASIC uses an embedded processor in the ASIC to execute test routines from an embedded memory or an external memory. During ASIC production, the test routines can comprehensively test of the blocks of the ASIC without a complicated test pattern from test equipment. The test routines can also perform power-up tests in systems or end products containing the ASIC. Test selection, activation, and result output can be implement using a few terminals of the ASIC.
US08046647B2
An integrated circuit comprising: at least one test input for receiving test data; test control circuitry between the at least one test input and circuitry to be tested; wherein the test data is clocked in on a rising clock edge and a falling clock edge.
US08046639B1
A system and method for accurately modeling a fault log is provided for validating one or more elements of fault detection and logging logic for a real-time fault log of a digital system such as, for instance, a computer processor. The method includes injecting one or more known faults into a data path and/or a control path of the computer processor and spawning an individual tracking thread for each of the injected faults. The tracking threads may be synchronized at a predefined synchronization point that is selected as a function of a collective logging delay representing the time required for each of the injected faults to reach a real-time logging point within the computer processor. Once synchronized, the tracking threads may be input into a fault logging specification for fault behavior and/or system impact modeling and fault prioritization for use in generating a fault log model for comparison to the real-time fault log maintained within the computer processor.
US08046636B2
Methods and apparatus for logging, analysis, and reporting of events such as reboots in a client device (e.g., consumer premises equipment in a cable network) using applications. In one aspect, an improved event logging and monitoring system is provided within the device with which the application(s) can interface to record event or error data. In one exemplary embodiment, the client device comprises a digital set-top box having Java-enabled middleware adapted to implement the various functional aspects of the event logging system, which registers to receive event notifications (including resource exhaustion data) from other applications running on the device. The network operator can also optionally control the operation of the logging system remotely via a network agent. Improved client device and network configurations, as well as methods of operating these systems, are also disclosed.
US08046629B1
A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system comprises N storage arrays, wherein each of the N storage arrays comprise a target processing module and 1 to M hard disk drives, where M and N are integers greater than 1. A data processing module selectively assigns error checking and correcting (ECC) processing for data blocks to selected ones of the target processing modules in a non-overlapping manner. A switch module provides communication paths between the data processing module and the N storage arrays and between each one of the N storage arrays and others of the N storage arrays.
US08046623B2
A multimedia processing system for processing a program stream containing a program clock reference information. The system comprises a clock generator, a timer, a modifier, a processing unit, a parser and a compensator. The clock generator generates a clock signal. The timer receives the clock signal and generates a time information. The modifier incorporates a timing reference information into the program stream, wherein the timing reference information is provided according to the time information and the program clock reference information. The processing unit processes the program stream to generate a data stream incorporated with the timing reference information. The parser extracts the timing reference information from the data stream. And, the compensator generates a control signal according to the timing reference information. Wherein the clock generator receives the control signal and adjusts the clock signal.
US08046620B2
An interactive device having time synchronization capability is provided. In one embodiment of the present invention, the interactive device has a computer processor that stores an internal clock. The computer processor may be preprogrammed to generate announcements based on a particular time of the internal clock. A user may input and adjust the time of the internal clock. In another embodiment of the present invention a setup module is provided. A setup module is an operative device that includes a computer processor that stores a setup time. The setup module establishes a connection with an interactive device, and time synchronizes the interactive device such that the internal clock of the interactive device is running the same time as the setup module. The setup module is capable of synchronizing the internal clock of multiple interactive devices, despite the interactive devices being programmed on separate occasions. In addition, the setup module is capable of programming a number of interactive devices in a quick and efficient manner, thereby keeping the manufacturer's costs low. The computer processor of the interactive device runs a software program which enables the interactive device to be synchronized by the setup module via a hard-wired connection or wireless means such as infrared (IR) and/or radio frequency (RF) signals.
US08046618B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor chip including: a plurality of processing devices that can communicate with each other; wherein each of the processing devices includes an arithmetic unit, an individual memory connected to the arithmetic unit on a one-to-one basis, and a control unit configured to independently control turning on and off of operation of the arithmetic unit and the individual memory.
US08046614B2
A computer system comprises host processor and a network interface, wherein the host processor includes resources supporting a full power mode, a lower power mode and a power down mode, as seen in standard system bus specifications such as PCI and InfiniBand. The network interface includes a medium interface unit coupled to network media supporting a least high speed protocol, such as a Gigabit Ethernet or high-speed InfiniBand, and a lower speed protocol, such as one of 10 Mb and 100 Mb Ethernet or a lower speed InfiniBand. Power management circuitry forces the medium interface unit to the lower speed protocol in response to an event signaling entry of the lower power mode. In the lower power mode, the network interface consumes less than the specified power when executing the lower speed protocol, and consumes greater than the specified power when executing the high speed protocol. Logic in the network interface operates in the lower power mode, and uses the lower speed protocol to detect a pattern in incoming packets. In response to the detection of said pattern, the logic issues a reset signal to the host processor. Thus, the network interface operates as a wake-up device in the lower power mode, using the lower speed protocol.
US08046594B2
An electronic device includes electronic components, including: a power switching unit to output a power switching signal; a first power input unit to receive first power from one of a plurality of external power devices; a second power input unit to receive second power from one of the external power devices; a power converting unit to convert the first power received through the first power input unit into driving power having a voltage level to drive each electronic component, and to supply the driving power to each electronic component; and a power management unit to control the power converting unit to be enabled when the second power is input through the second power input unit, and control whether the power converting unit is enabled corresponding to the power switching signal from the power switching unit, when the second power is not input through the second power input unit.
US08046587B2
One feature provides a method for granting authenticated access to off-line, limited-resource mobile devices. A public-private key pair is generated by a service provider and the public key is used to digitally sign a username and (possibly) access privileges to obtain a password for technician. The public key is securely distributed to mobile devices. When off-line, a mobile device may authenticate access to restricted functions of the mobile device by a technician. The technician provides its username, access privileges and password to the mobile device. The mobile device then uses the public key, username and access privileges to verify the password. To invalidate an old username and password, the service provider replaces the public-private key pair with a new public-private key pair.
US08046582B2
A digital signature generation apparatus includes memory to store finite field Fq and section D(ux(s, t), uy(s, t), s, t) as secret key, section being one of surfaces of three-dimensional manifold A(x, y, s, t) which is expressed by x-coordinate, y-coordinate, parameter s, and parameter t and is defined on finite field Fq, x-coordinate and y-coordinate of section being expressed by functions of parameter s and parameter t, calculates hash value of message m, generates hash value polynomial by embedding hash value in 1-variable polynomial h(t) defined on finite field Fq, and generates digital signature Ds(Ux(t), Uy(t), t) which is curve on section, the x-coordinate and y-coordinate of curve being expressed by functions of parameter t, by substituting hash value polynomial in parameter s of section.
US08046580B2
An encoding data processing apparatus is described which is operable to generate protected compression encoded data representative of protected media signals. The apparatus comprises a data analyser which is operable to receive compression encoded data representative of the media signals and to select low perceptibility data bits in the compression encoded data which when altered would have a relatively low perceivable effect on the media signals recovered from compression decoding the compression encoded data after the selected bits had been altered. The bits are selected in accordance with predetermined criteria. The apparatus also comprises an information validation engine which is operable to form a normalised version of the compression encoded data by setting the selected data bits in the compression encoded data to a predetermined value and to generate a secure hash value of the normalised version of the compression encoded data. The information validation engine then forms the protected compression encoded data by replacing the selected data bits of the normalised compression encoded data with the data bits of the secure hash value. By generating a secure hash of the normalised bitstream rather than the original bitstream, subsequent authentication of the bitstream to verify that the bitstream has not been changed becomes possible without increasing the size of the bitstream.
US08046575B2
A method for automatically restoring a system configuration with a single key in a computer having a power button is provided. The method includes detecting a press mode of the power button; determining a relevant restoring item according to the press mode; performing a process for restoring the system configuration corresponding to the restoring item, which aims at updating/recovering the system configuration, or clearing the system configuration setting stored in a CMOS memory; and performing a normal boot process.
US08046574B2
Boot code is partitioned into a plurality of boot code partitions. Processors of a multiprocessor system are selected to be boot processors and are each provided with a boot code partition to execute in a predetermined boot code sequence. Each processor executes its boot code partition in accordance with the boot code sequence and signals to a next processor the successful and uncompromised execution of its boot code partition. If any of the processors does not signal successful completion and/or uncompromised execution of its boot code partition, the boot operation fails. The processors may be arranged, with regard to the boot operation, in a daisy chain, ring, or master/slave arrangement, for example.
US08046568B2
The present invention relates to the field of (micro)computer design and architecture, and in particular to microarchitecture associated with moving data values between a (micro)processor and memory components. Particularly, the present invention relates to a computer system with an processor architecture in which register addresses are generated with more than one execution channel controlled by one central processing unit with at least one load/store unit for loading and storing data objects, and at least one cache memory associated to the processor holding data objects accessed by the processor, wherein said processor's load/store unit contains a high speed memory directly interfacing said load/store unit to the cache. The present invention improves the of architectures with dual ported microprocessor implementations comprising two execution pipelines capable of two load/store data transactions per cycle. By including a cache memory inside the load/store unit, the processor is directly interfaced from its load/store units to the caches. Thus, the present invention accelerates data accesses and transactions from and to the load/store units of the processor and the data cache memory.
US08046560B1
Serial number based storage device allocation is disclosed. A serial number associated with the storage device is mapped to a device file associated with the storage device on a host having a connection to the storage device. The serial number is mapped to a device address by which the storage device is known to a library with which the storage device is associated. A request requiring that an available storage device be allocated to service the request is received. The storage device is allocated, based at least in part on the serial number to device file and serial number to device address mappings, to service the request.
US08046556B2
A method, system and computer readable medium for managing low memory in a first computing device are provided. The system is configured to cause part of the memory allocated to a specialized application to be held in reserve so that it can be used to support the specialized application during an occurrence of low memory, thus providing time for data backup or remedial steps to be carried out before the affected application crashes.
US08046553B1
An apparatus and method for faster recovery of validated continuous data protection time images. In one embodiment of the method, an image validation process is initiated. In response, a first write transaction is generated for writing first new data to a first image of a data object that existed at prior time T1. The first new data is written to a first storage. Thereafter data contents of the first storage are copied to a first memory object. Finally, the first memory object is linked with the first image.
US08046552B2
Embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems for tracking metadata changes during copying in a storage system. One embodiment includes a method that uses a bitmap and two fences to track changes to metadata while a copy of the metadata is being transferred from a source disk array to a destination disk array.
US08046550B2
Backup systems and methods are disclosed for a virtual computing environment. Certain examples include a system having a backup management server that communicates with a host server having at least one virtual machine. The management server coordinates with the host server to perform backup copies of entire virtual machine disks from outside the guest operating system of the virtual machine. In certain examples, such backup systems further utilize a volume shadow copy service executing on the host server to quiesce virtual machine applications to put data in a consistent state to be backed up. The backup system then utilizes hypervisor snapshot capabilities of the host server to record intended changes to the virtual machine disk files while such files are being copied (e.g., backed up) by the host server. Such recorded changes can be later committed to the virtual machine disk files once the backup operation has completed.
US08046547B1
Techniques for continuous data protection can include creating snapshots of one or more underlying storage volumes upon specific file system events. Generating snapshots upon every file close event can protect the files in a storage system by keeping a snapshot of every version or modification of each file. Removal of redundant snapshots can mitigate the impact on storage capacity associated with creating these large numbers of volume snapshots upon each file close event. Additionally, file closure lists can be employed to allow generating snapshots only when a previously closed file is reopened. Such an approach can protect the previous version of a file prior to the opening of a new version of the file. Such an approach can also mitigate storage capacity impact without the creation of redundant snapshots.
US08046539B2
A method and apparatus for the synchronization of distributed caches. More particularly, the present invention to cache memory systems and more particularly to a hierarchical caching protocol suitable for use with distributed caches, including use within a caching input/output (I/O) hub.
US08046537B2
A storage management method for use in a storage area network is provided. The storage area network comprises a plurality of host data processors coupled to a virtualization engine, which is coupled to a plurality of physical storage media. Each physical storage media is assigned a tier level. The method comprises storing a threshold storage access value associated with each tier level, presenting virtual disk(s) to a host data processor and receiving I/O requests to the virtual disk from the host data processor. Additionally, metadata is stored which identifies the tier level of the physical storage to which the block corresponds, mappings between the block and blocks of a virtual disk, and an access rate to the data. The access value is periodically compared to at least one threshold rate associated with its tier level. Depending on the result, storage block(s) may be marked for migration to another tier level.
US08046531B2
In a storage apparatus comprising a communication interface that receives an I/O request sent from a host apparatus, a storage device controller that performs writing and reading of data with respect to a storage device, and a cache memory that stores data to be written in the storage device or data read from the storage device, a journal volume operated as a volume for which update writing is prohibited and write once is permitted is provided, on the basis of a storage area provided by the storage device, and a virtual volume is provided as a volume accessible from the host apparatus, the journal volume being the entity of the virtual volume, the virtual volume being a volume for which an attribute (Read/Add) that permits only reading and write once is settable.
US08046524B2
Command cycles incorporate mechanisms to inform a host processor in advance of a need to service the memory so that the host can respond when it suits the host, but in time for the service to be performed before a catastrophic failure. The regular host cycle need not be interrupted for such notification.
US08046519B2
A metering system configured to couple to multiple specialty systems, such as a control system. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are processing units comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a communication port configured to coupled to a backbone communication network of a control system. The memory stores a program that causes the processor to selectively participate (over the communication port) as a processing unit of a control system of a first manufacturer (the control system implements a first proprietary communication protocol between processing units), and to participate (over the communication port) as a processing unit of a control system of a second manufacturer different than the first manufacturer (the control system of the second manufacturer implements a second proprietary communication protocol between the processing units).
US08046518B1
A system, method, and processor executable instructions to isochronously communicate in standard USB mode laser printer scan data from a host computer to a laser printer. The host computer transmits a data stream that includes data packets having laser printer scan data, error detection information, and correction packets such as parity packets for use to reconstruct packets having an error. The laser printer receives the data stream, processes the error detection information, data packets and parity packets, and provides a continuous stream of laser printer scan data for printing.
US08046511B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for efficiently implementing signal processing cores as application specific processors. A signal processing core, such as a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) core or a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) core includes a data path and a control path. A control path is implemented using processor components to increase resource efficiency. Both the data path and the control path can be implemented using function units that are selected, parameterized, and interconnected. A variety of signal processing algorithms can be implemented on the same application specific processor.
US08046509B2
Systems and methods for commonality factoring for storing data on removable storage media are described. The systems and methods allow for highly compressed data, e.g., data compressed using archiving or backup methods including de-duplication, to be stored in an efficient manner on portable memory devices such as removable storage cartridges. The methods include breaking data, e.g., data files for backup, into unique chunks and calculating identifiers, e.g., hash identifiers, based on the unique chunks. Redundant chunks can be identified by calculating identifiers and comparing identifiers of other chunks to the identifiers of unique chunks previously calculated. When a redundant chunk is identified, a reference to the existing unique chunk is generated such that the chunk can be reconstituted in relation to other chunks in order to recreate the original data. The method further includes storing one or more of the unique chunks, the identifiers and/or the references on the removable storage medium.
US08046508B2
An integrated circuit for a smart card in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes at least one data terminal for providing communications with a host device and a processor for providing an attachment signal on the at least one data terminal for recognition by the host device. Further, the processor also cooperates with the host device to perform an enumeration based upon at least one default descriptor. In addition, based upon a system event, the processor selectively removes the attachment signal from the at least one data terminal and thereafter again provides the attachment signal on the at least one data terminal and cooperates with the host device to perform a new enumeration based upon at least one alternate descriptor.
US08046500B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for coordinating storage requests in a multi-processor/multi-thread environment. An append/invalidate module generates a first append data storage command from a first storage request and a second append data storage command from a second storage request. The storage requests overwrite existing data with first and second data including where the first and second data have at least a portion of overlapping data. The second storage request is received after the first storage request. The append/invalidate module updates an index by marking data being overwritten as invalid. A restructure module updates the index based on the first data and updates the index based on the second data. The updated index is organized to indicate that the second data is more current than the first data regardless of processing order. The modules prevent access to the index until the modules have completed updating the index.
US08046491B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to request from an alternate communication device a log of subscribed content acquired by the alternate communication device from an alternate source, identify from the log a desired portion of the subscribed content, and transmit to the alternate communication device a peer-to-peer request for the desired portion of the subscribed content according to one or more available subscriptions. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.
US08046489B2
A system processes a communication session to be set up via a communication path from an originating location to a destination location through a network. A common Service Level Agreement (SLA) registry contains Quality-of-Service (QoS) related parameters representative of QoS valid for the domains between originating and destination locations. A QoS processor processes QoS related parameters retrieved from the SLA registry, for predicting the end-to-end QoS values for one communication path between originating and destination locations and for ranking or selecting or both ranking and selecting, based on predicted end-to-end QoS values, one or more recommended communication paths between the originating and destination locations. The QoS processor processes QoS parameters retrieved from the SLA registry and predicts end-to-end QoS values representative of all communication paths between network domains and for storing said predicted end-to-end QoS values in a QoS registry for selection and/or ranking actions for new session requests.
US08046484B2
A method of transmitting data is disclosed. The method transmits data from a source device over a contention channel in a centralized network to more than one device on the channel, including a central coordinator. The method then waits for a data acknowledgment signal from the central coordinator as an indicator of successful reception of the data by any device to which the data was transmitted.
US08046483B2
An apparatus and method for providing a pause function of a broadcasting streaming in a terminal are disclosed. A player of the terminal includes a temporary storage buffer. When a key for a pause of broadcasting streaming is inputted, reproducing of streaming is suspended and broadcasting streaming packet data is continuously received from a network and temporarily stored in the temporary storage buffer. When a pause release key is inputted, the broadcasting streaming packet data starts to be reproduced starting from a time point of the pause. Thus, a pause function is provided for a streaming service of broadcasting content whose reproducing rate cannot be controlled by a user.
US08046476B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing access controlled event subscription and notification and event access change alerts. In some embodiments, the systems and methods of the present invention operate within a SIP infrastructure. As such, SIP SUBSCRIBE messages and SIP NOTIFY messages are used for subscribing to and receiving notifications related to access control. According to some embodiments, event access change alerts are used in conjunction with access controlled event subscription to provide an efficient method for providing access controlled event subscription using current access control information.
US08046475B2
A portable communication terminal apparatus which is connected to a router through a cable includes a storage which stores a plurality of allocated Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, a detector which detects information on the cable connected to the router, and an address setting part which sets one of the plurality of IP addresses as a network IP address based on the detected information on the cable.
US08046474B2
A communications terminal selection unit acquires, upon receipt of a call origination request, presence information including terminal information on terminals available to a call terminator from a presence management unit, and selects a specific terminal, if there are a plurality of terminals available to the call terminator based on the presence information, based on terminal selection information in which at least whether communication quality or charge takes priority is defined beforehand by the call terminator, notifying a call transfer unit of the selected terminal as a transfer destination terminal for call transfer.
US08046472B2
The present invention provides techniques for managing, supporting and empowering Independent Agents to offer a method for enabling expert Service Providers to deliver, and charge for, advice to consumers, by connecting two parties in real time. The present invention also provides the method and techniques for expert Service Providers, in turn, to provide their service through a multiplicity of Independent Agent channels without the potential for communication device conflict; thereby ensuring successful connections for consumers.
US08046471B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for communicating a message comprising hierarchical information with respect to a plurality of message transport mechanisms, and a plurality of transport managers adapted to communicate with the message transport mechanisms for transmission of a message to a particular destination via any one of the message transport mechanisms according to the hierarchical information.
US08046464B2
A method of managing resources of an information system relative to clients of the system. A quality of service (QoS) message is received from a client expressing QoS requirements as parameter values. A contract is established with the client for quality of service based on the one or more parameter values. One or more resources of the system are allocated to the client based on the contract. This method enables uniform resource management and polymorphic resource allocation across multiple middleware platforms.
US08046462B2
The invention relates to observing requests, deriving quality of service (QoS) demands and scheduling the network's resources in terms of QoS. A scheduler is modulating the QoS based on service usage and user-behavior just-in-time. It relates to a method for efficient use of network resources by just-in-time modulation of quality of service based on real-time service-usage and user-behavior comprising steps recording events, generating a synthesis of user-behavior for a QoS user profile according to QoS user preferences, predicting required QoS demand based on current user behavior and user QoS profile, according to QoS user preferences, deriving and propagating QoS demands and allocations, and co-ordination of QoS request of a manifold of users, based on requests, QoS user profiles, QoS user preferences and resources. Further it relates to computer software product, client terminals, a scheduler server, a network element, and a network.
US08046451B2
In a hierarchical tree-based protection scheme, a node in a mesh network is designated as a root node of a spanning hierarchical protection tree and subsequently invites each adjacent node to become its child within the tree. If the inviting node provides a more capacious protection path to the root node than is currently enjoyed by the invitee, the invitee designates the inviting node as its primary parent and assumes a new tree position. Otherwise, the invitee designates the inviting node as a backup parent. A node assuming a new tree position invites all adjacent nodes except its parent to become its child. The invitations propagate throughout the network until a spanning hierarchical protection tree is formed. Upon a subsequent failure of a straddling link, the tree may be used to re-route data. Further, given a tree link failure, protection switching is quickly achieved at a disconnected node through use of a backup parent as the new primary parent. Dynamic tree reconfiguration in the event of network topology changes may be limited to the network area surrounding the change.
US08046427B2
A network system includes a directory server configured to provide service definition information through a network, and a terminal device configured to receive the service definition information. The directory server may include a server communication unit, a service definition information storing unit configured to store main information and auxiliary information as part of service definition information, and a service definition information transmission control unit that retrieves the service definition information from the service definition information storing unit and transmit the same to the terminal device. The terminal device may include a terminal communication unit, an outputting unit, an input receiving unit and an output control unit. When received the service definition information from the directory server, the output control unit controls the outputting unit to output the main information, and when the input receiving unit receives a predetermined input instruction, the auxiliary information is output.
US08046423B2
A method, system and program product for controlling memory overload for a computer system. The invention determines heap utilization of a server; determines a maximum session lifetime a configured percentile of at least one session; determines a traffic rate (comprised of an average traffic rate received from a proxy server and a variance of traffic rate received from a proxy server); and calculates a maximum traffic rate, wherein the maximum traffic rate determines the heap utilization at a maximum heap percentage.
US08046421B2
The present invention provides improved techniques for managing storage resources, such as disk drives, I/O ports, and the like in a network based storage system according to a user position within the network. Embodiments according to the present invention can provide a relatively high performance storage access environment for the mobile users moving around a wide area. For example, in one applicable environment, there are several data centers in the wide area, and each data center has a local storage system that is connected to the other storage systems through a network. Copies of a user's volume can be made in some of the storage systems. A remote copy function is utilized for making real time copies of the user's volume.
US08046414B2
A method for accessing email attachments from a mobile vehicle is disclosed. The method enables the user to contact a call center, and receive email attachments in a mobile vehicle telematics control unit. The telematics control unit determines whether the email attachment is audio-only, or whether it includes video elements. The telematics control unit then routes audio-only attachments to an audio device, and attachments having video elements to a display screen.
US08046406B2
A data logging system that utilizes a schedule of data transfer periods for transferring data from devices to a server. A communication of an actual data transfer size of stored data in a first device of the devices is obtained by the server from the first device. A corresponding future data transfer size of the stored data is estimated by the server, based on a historic data transfer size for data previously transferred from the first device to the server. The schedule is currently based on the historic data transfer size for the first device. The server updates the schedule if the server has determined that a difference exists between the actual data transfer size and the corresponding estimated future data transfer size. A transmission from the first device of the data actually stored in the first device is received by the server in accordance with the schedule.
US08046399B1
A computer processor including a single fused-unfused floating point multiply-add (FMA) module computes the result of the operation A*B+C for floating point numbers for fused multiply-add rounding operations and unfused multiply-add rounding operations. In one embodiment, a fused multiply-add rounding implementation is augmented with additional hardware which calculates an unfused multiply-add rounding result without adding additional pipeline stages. In one embodiment, a computation by the fused-unfused floating point multiply-add (FMA) module is initiated using a single opcode which determines whether a fused multiply-add rounding result or unfused multiply-add rounding result is generated.
US08046396B2
A technique for interpolating a series of samples includes constructing a mathematical model of the series that describes its large signal behavior. The model is subtracted from the original series to yield a residue. A discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is taken of the residue, and the DFT is zero-padded. An inverse DFT of the padded result yields an interpolated residue, which is then added back to the mathematical model to construct an interpolated version of the series of samples. Using this technique, accurate interpolation can generally be attained even when the series of samples is not coherently sampled.
US08046394B1
In a database system, a query to perforin an ordered analytic function is received. The query contains a clause specifying creation of dynamic partitions, where the clause contains a partitioning condition to specify the dynamic partitions. During processing of the query, the dynamic partitions are identified based on evaluating the partitioning condition.
US08046382B2
Disclosed is a method and system for retrieving a software object based on a query and customizing a metadata of the software object by adding a property, a property value, a search key and a search key value to the metadata. An index is created on the software object based on the search key value and the metadata and the software object is persisted.
US08046377B2
A method of executing a distributed join query for a set of documents includes communication between a first server and a second server. In the first server, a first tuple list is generated from a first list of documents matching a precondition part of the query. A first set of value identifiers of attributes associated with the first list of documents is extracted from the first tuple list. A first set of dictionary keys is generated from the set of value identifiers. Then, the first set of dictionary keys is sent with a join condition attribute to a second server. In the second server, the first set of value identifiers is converted to a second set of value identifiers of attributes associated with the second server based on the set of dictionary keys. Then, a lookup of documents is performed based on the second set of value identifiers.
US08046372B1
A computer system and method for determining whether the subject matter described in a received document is substantially similar to the subject matter of other documents in a document corpus, such that the received document can be considered a duplicate document. After receiving a first document, a set of tokens for the first document is generated. A non-fielded relevance search on a token index is executed. The relevance search returns a set of candidate duplicate documents with scores corresponding to each candidate document. For each candidate document with a score above a threshold, filtering is performed on each candidate document to determine whether each candidate document is a true duplicate of the first document. A set of candidate documents with a score above the threshold that were not disqualified as candidate documents is then provided.
US08046370B2
This disclosure relates to performing a query for a search term of a database containing a plurality of structured documents. Those structured documents that do not include the search term are ferreted or filtered out during an initial search. Matched structured documents which are those structured documents that do contain the search term are evaluated by ranking the individual elements based on how well each individual element matches the search term, and indicating to the user the ranking of the individual elements wherein the individual elements can be accessed by the user.
US08046369B2
Improved techniques for assigning ratings to media assets are disclosed. A rating for a media asset collection can, for example, be determined by examining the ratings of all user-rated media assets in that media asset collection. Additionally or alternately, a rating for media assets in a group of media assets can, for example, be determined by examining the rating of the group of media assets.
US08046368B2
A document retrieval is performed with similarities between documents in numeric data taken into consideration. To this end, generated is a set E of intervals in which each element of a set D of numeric values representing a feature A is included in any one of the intervals. Each numeric value in each document is indexed by assigning, with 1, an interval including an element x of the set D, and with 0, an interval without the element x. Each document data including numeric values is indexed by indexing its text part with term frequencies, and by indexing its numeric-value part with the above-described numeric value indexing scheme. By use of indices thus created for each of the document data, similarities between the document data are calculated using a vector space model or a probability model, and the document data are presented in order of similarity.
US08046364B2
A method and system for analyzing a patent disclosure is disclosed. The method and system comprise a disclosure analysis and a separate claims analysis, such that each analysis may be performed independently. Missing and incorrect reference labels are identified within the disclosure. Antecedent basis and specification support are checked for the claim elements. Terms within the specification that do not have a reference number, but may require one, are identified, provided that they fit the profile of one of a set of particular lexical patterns.
US08046359B2
In order to reproduce the content output before, an MFP includes an HDD to store data which includes a plurality of page data having corresponding page numbers, an instruction accepting portion to accept a page number of one of the page data to be displayed on a projector, a display control portion to cause the page data of the accepted page number to be displayed on the projector, a history storing portion to store, for each of the page data displayed, history information in which the page number of the page data, the actually displayed time of the page data, and the actually displayed order of the page data are associated with each other, and a redisplay control portion to cause the plurality of page data to be displayed on the projector based on the history information on the condition that the history information is designated.
US08046356B2
A system receives, from a first user, a communication request for a second user and determines, in response to receiving the communication request, whether a trigger is satisfied. The system may aggregate, in response to determining that the trigger is satisfied, content of different types to form multimedia content and provide the multimedia content to the first user.
US08046347B2
Methods and systems for reconstructing a full query based on a partial query are disclosed. Existing interfaces for search engines may be rigid and require users to submit full queries to perform searched. The methods and systems described herein may solve these problems by allowing a flexible way for users to submit a partial query and reconstruct a full query based on the partial query. A search may then be performed using the reconstructed query.
US08046342B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing a real time answering service by using communication media capable of transmitting and receiving data and voice. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a real time answering service system using communication media capable of transmitting and receiving data and voice, the system including: a questioner terminal for making out question information in real time and connecting to a real time answering service server; an answerer terminal for connecting to the real time answering service server in order to make out answer information about the question information inputted from the questioner terminal in real time; an evaluator terminal for making out evaluation information about the answer information inputted from the answerer terminal; and a real time answering service server for storing the question information inputted from the questioner terminal in a question information database; receiving from the answerer terminal the answer information about the question information inputted from the questioner terminal and storing the answer information in an answer information database; and evaluating the answer information through the evaluator terminal and providing the evaluated answer information to the questioner terminal.
US08046331B1
A method and apparatus for recreating placeholders comprising selecting at least one object of information in an archive, determining a source location for the selected at least one object of information, accessing the selected at least one object of information, and recreating a placeholder from the selected at least one object of information.
US08046324B2
In some example embodiments, a system and method are illustrated as including receive pattern data that includes transaction data relating to transactions between persons. Next, the system and method may include building at least one secondary network based upon the pattern data. Additionally, the system and method may include displaying the at least one secondary network.
US08046323B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for setting a bookmark for a resource accessed by a user, and for using the bookmark. The bookmarking method includes: collecting screen context information for the real text in the current screen of the resource in response to a request to bookmark the current screen of the resource; and storing address information and the screen context information of said resource as a bookmark to be used to return to said specific section of the resource. The method of providing a specific section of a resource based on a preset bookmark can include: downloading the resource content identified by said address information to a memory in response to a user's request to reopen the resource; collecting screen context information for the downloaded resource content; comparing the screen context information of the downloaded resource content with the screen context information indicated by said bookmark, selecting the specific section of the downloaded resource according to the rule of fuzz matching, and displaying the selected specific section of the resource in the display window.
US08046320B2
In one aspect, a command and control (C2) system includes a domain-independent architecture comprising an ontology model. The ontology model includes a resource aspect configured to receive entities specific to a domain, a responsibility aspect configured to receive actions specific to the domain and performed by the entities, a rules aspect configured to receive rules specific to the domain and associated with the actions and a results aspect configured to receive effects specific to the domain and associated with the actions.
US08046293B2
A computer trading system for determining a calculated value for a user defined contract on a future characteristic(s) of a financial market comprises a receiving component for receiving a parameter(s) from a user defining the user defined contract and receiving financial market data concerning the financial market. The system includes a calculating component operable to determine a calculated value, such as a price, payout, or odds, for the user defined contract based on the parameter(s) and the financial market data and a transmission component for transmitting the calculated value to the user. The receiving component may also receive an order for the user defined contract from the user based on the calculated value to thereby create an obligation for a bookmaker to pay a payout amount upon the occurrence of the future characteristic(s) of the financial market satisfying the parameter(s).
US08046291B2
Techniques are described for securitizing, administrating and trading various index shares securitized by derivative, cash-settled instruments on the underlying index.
US08046289B2
Systems and method for facilitating trading in a financial exchange including generating a pitcard interface on a wireless handheld computer. The pitcard interface includes a plurality of information display windows; a plurality of user input controls; and a view-specific data window, wherein the selection, order and arrangement of data in the view-specific data window is dependent upon the view currently selected by the user. In particular examples the wireless handheld computer allows a user to customize the particular interface components with shortcuts, hints, and/or auto-fill capabilities that enable the user to enter transaction information quickly and efficiently. Because these customizations are selected for a specific user, they support the needs of the specific user and are more efficient than direct entry of all transaction information using keyboard/keypad entry devices.
US08046283B2
A system and method for money management in an electronic trading environment are presented. According to one embodiment, a trader may configure a plurality of filters, each including at least one filter criteria and filter condition. When a money management module detects a new order, the money management module intercepts the order and determines if the order matches one or more predefined filters. If the order matches one or more filters then conditions associated with the applicable filter(s) are applied to the order. The application of one or more conditions to an order may result in sending a modified order, preventing the order from reaching the exchange, or sending order to the exchange without any modifications.
US08046281B1
Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to automatically making an initial claim assignment. The systems include information collection subsystems, skills assessment subsystems and assignment recommendation subsystems that provide a customer service representative with a recommendation for the best-suited available claim handler. The customer service representative may accept or override the recommendation in making the claim handler assignment. The determination of the best-suited available claim handler is made by correlating these skills required for handling a particular claim, the skills of the claim handlers, and an algorithm takes into account the claim handler's current loss assignment count, number of hours spent, and future availability.
US08046279B2
A system and method comprises simulating a multiple lot auction using a sequencing rule until bidding on all lots is closed, simulating the multiple lot auction using a different sequencing rule until bidding on all lots is closed, and comparing results of the simulated auctions with both sequencing rules.
US08046264B2
A method and system of marketing a consumable may include alerting a customer, via a printer status application, to the status of a consumable in a printing device. A printer identifier may be identified for the printing device via the printer status application. Information about a plurality of product selling entities and associations between each entity and one or more printer identifiers may be maintained in a computer-readable medium. The product selling entity that corresponds to the printer identifier may be determined. The customer may be directed to the product selling entity.
US08046260B2
A method for authorizing return of a purchase by a customer to a merchant by an interaction of a customer chip card upon which a customer transaction history is stored and a merchant POS terminal upon which predetermined data is stored, the method comprising the steps of, (a) reading at least part of the customer transaction history from the customer chip card, (b) comparing the part of the customer transaction history read from the customer chip card with the predetermined data, and (c) issuing to the merchant a message from the POS terminal based upon the outcome of the comparison.
US08046259B1
A method and system for conducting a chat session with multiple chat members. The chat system receives chat comments from the chat members. The chat system attempts to identify a topic or subject of the chat comment. The chat system may then retrieve product or product category advertisements relevant to the identified topic. The chat system then effects the display of the chat comment along with the retrieved advertisements to each chat member. The chat system thus dynamically recognizes the topic of chat comments and displays relevant additional information along with the chat comments.
US08046254B2
A method of predicting expected performance of a processing center system is provided. The method includes receiving performance information from a performance monitoring system associated with the processing center system. A computer model of the processing center system is developed based on the performance information. The method further includes generating predictions based on the computer model, and analyzing the predictions to generate performance scenarios for the processing center system.
US08046252B2
A technique is provided that supports making evaluations of impact on a business performance indicator, which varies depending on timing at which a change of plan is decided. A sales plan evaluation support system, includes: a unit which obtains master information that includes a sales plan of a product and is used as input for material requirements planning (MRP) calculation; a first MRP calculating unit which obtains a first order-placement plan through MRP calculation by using the master information as input, the first order-placement plan including an ordered-item count and an order-placement date of a required item for the product; a revision timing setting unit which sets timing for revising the sales plan; a master modifying unit which modifies the master information; and a second MRP calculating unit which obtains a second order-placement plan through MRP calculation by using an order-placement plan having an order-placement date preceding the revision timing included in the first order-placement plan, as an order-placement plan which has been implemented prior to the revision timing, and by using, as input, master information modified by the master modifying unit, the second order-placement plan including an ordered-item count and an order-placement date of a required item for the product.
US08046248B2
Techniques are described for identifying items that have recently undergone an interest burst. Items that have recently undergone an interest burst are identified by comparing how many interest-actions have been performed on the items during a current time window against how many interest-actions have been performed on the items historically. Various tests are performed to rule out candidates that are not likely to be of interest to other users. In addition, various spam detection techniques are described for reducing the possibility that the items that are listed as interest burst items are listed because of spam.
US08046241B1
A computer assisted pain assessment method where the patient is presented with successive computer screens: a first screen with a human body replica on an interactive touch screen for the patient to shade his or her area of pain being experienced and then presented with a second screen with a color spectrum scale for the patient to select a pain intensity from minimum to maximum by moving a pointer to indicate the pain intensity, a check the box for type of pain where the patient checks a box indicating his or her type of pain, and a gray scale for indicating a depth of pain where the patient moves a pointer between superficial or bone level. Upon completion of these two screens, the next computer screen presents the human body replica with the pain area shown by particular marking for the area of pain, the selected type of pain by a unique pattern for the area of pain and the pattern colored for the particular intensity as selected on the second screen. The patient then is asked to confirm the pain. If confirmed, the patient would activate the finish button on the navigation bar. The patient inputs are processed by the computer along with the patient history and vital statistics, and an on-screen report is available to the clinician or physician to review and print out. A main feature of the report is the Objective Pain Value computed from the area shaded relative to the body replica area and the pain intensity chosen on a color spectrum scale.
US08046234B2
Method and apparatus for encoding/decoding audio data with scalability are provided. The method includes slicing audio data so that sliced audio data corresponds to a plurality of layers, obtaining scale band information and coding band information corresponding to each of the plurality of layers, coding additional information containing scale factor information and coding model information based on scale band information and coding band information corresponding to a first layer, obtaining quantized samples by quantizing audio data corresponding to the first layer with reference to the scale factor information, coding the obtained plurality of quantized samples in units of symbols in order from a symbol formed with most significant bits (MSB) down to a symbol formed with least significant bits (LSB) by referring to the coding model information, and repeatedly performing the steps with increasing the ordinal number of the layer one by one every time, until coding for the plurality of layers is finished. According to the method, fine grain scalability (FGS) can be provided with a lower complexity and a better audio quality can be provided even in a lower layer.
US08046229B2
The present invention is a server-side method and apparatus that enables visually-impaired users to navigate websites and hear high-quality streaming audio of narration and descriptions of each website. The system involves creating an audible website corresponding to an original website by utilizing voice talent to read and describe web content and create audio files for each section within an original website, then assigning a hierarchy and navigation system based on the original website design. To implement the system, a small program is installed on the home page of an original website which plays a tone upon a user's visit indicating that the website is accessible with the present invention. Upon hearing the tone, a user presses a key on the keyboard to exit the original website and enter the audible website. Audible narration is played through the user's computer, reading text and describing non-text information. The narration includes menus for navigating the site which have a hierarchy substantially similar to that of the original website. Users navigate the website menus and move from website to website by making keystroke commands.
US08046226B2
The present invention relates to a system and methods for preparing reports, such as medical reports. The system and methods advantageously can verbalize information, using speech synthesis (text-to-speech), to support a dialogue between a user and the reporting system during the course of the preparation of the report in order that the user can avoid inefficient visual distractions.
US08046201B1
A method of creating and using a hardware independent communication interface block for block diagram environments is disclosed. The communication interface block includes user-selectable parameters controlling how a system being modeled by a block diagram communicates with image and data acquisition devices and control instruments or other electronic device interfaced with an external system. Based on the user selected parameters, the communication interface block calls an appropriate constructor to create an instrument object or acquisition device object which is used to enable communication with the control instrument or acquisition device respectively. The instrument object/acquisition device object calls a software driver appropriate for the hardware interface of the control instrument/acquisition device. The use of a common interface block provides scalability and ease of use to the block diagram environment when interacting with control instruments and acquisition devices.
US08046194B2
A method for predictive maintenance for a magneto-inductive flow-measuring device and/or to a method for determining electrical conductivity of a medium flowing through a magneto-inductive flow-measuring device, wherein the magneto-inductive flow-measuring device includes a magnet system, which produces a magnetic field passing through the measuring tube essentially transversely to a measuring tube axis; at least two measuring electrodes coupled with the medium, having a defined rest potential and being arranged in a region of the measuring tube lying essentially perpendicularly to the magnetic field; and a control/evaluation unit, which delivers information concerning volume- or mass-flow of the medium on the basis of measurement voltage induced in the measuring electrodes. A first exciting signal with a first frequency (f1) and at least a second exciting signal with a second frequency (f2), or an exciting signal containing at least two frequencies (f1, f2) are/is applied to the measuring electrode in such a manner that the average value of the exciting signals or exciting signal coincides, at least approximately, with the average value of the electrode potential of the measuring electrode. On the basis of at least one impedance value measured between measuring electrode and reference potential, conductivity of the medium and/or change on the surface of the measuring electrode are/is detected.
US08046189B2
A motion sensing program for executing a motion sensing based on at least a biaxial output of a magnetic sensor, which includes the steps of determining with respect to execution of the motion sensing based on the output of the specific biaxial output of the magnetic sensor upon its rotation in a predetermined direction, and identifying the rotating direction when execution of the motion sensing is determined.
US08046181B2
An apparatus estimates SOH of a battery based on a battery voltage variation pattern. A data storing unit obtains and stores battery voltage, current and temperature data from sensors, at each SOH estimation. A first SOC estimating unit estimates first SOC by current integration using the battery current data. A second SOC estimating unit estimates open-circuit voltage from the voltage variation pattern, and calculates and stores second SOC corresponding to the open-circuit voltage and temperature using correlations between the open-circuit voltage/temperature and SOC. A weighted mean convergence calculating unit calculates and stores convergence value for weighted mean value of ratio of the second SOC variation to the first SOC variation. A SOH estimating unit estimates capacity corresponding to the weighted mean convergence value using correlation between the weighted mean convergence value and the capacity, estimates relative ratio of the estimated capacity to an initial capacity, and stores it as SOH.
US08046180B2
A model-based system and method for analyzing power source performance and optimizing operational costs are provided. Data from the power source (such as a battery) and/or a device associated with the power source is analyzed and processed to predict an operating life of the power source. This could allow, for example, a power source replacement schedule to be generated for the device. If the analysis indicates that abnormal conditions exist or that any user-defined alerts are warranted, a message could also be sent to an operator terminal. The system and method may continue to monitor the device and thus provide real-time data. The data may also be stored in memory, collected over time, and analyzed or used in various ways. The system and method thus provide a cost effective and reliable analysis of power source performance and any associated operational and replacement costs.
US08046167B2
A method and a processing device may provide navigational information including non-photographic cues, such as, contextual color, texture, and structure cues, corresponding to physical entities visible to a party traveling along a determined route. In one embodiment, the non-photographic cues may be previously stored in a database. In another embodiment, non-photographic cues may be extracted from at least one provided image of a geographic area. In a third embodiment, a sequence of non-photographic cues may be automatically extracted from at least one image of a geographic area and, if the sequence of non-photographic cues was not previously saved, the sequence of non-photographic cues may be saved, along with related information, for later use when the sequence of non-photographic cues corresponds to a desired location. The provided navigational information may be presented in a number of ways including a simplified map, textual instructions, or generated speech.
US08046165B2
The invention relates to a device for assisting in the navigation of an aircraft in an airport zone comprising a surface navigation system and means of acquiring in real time, while navigating on the ground or in flight, new information or temporary information relating to the navigation in the airport zone. The surface navigation system uses information relating to the navigation in the airport zone. The information is previously stored in a database on board the aircraft. The device includes means for decoding and analysing the new or temporary information relating to the navigation in the airport zone, means of filtering the information according to the airport concerned and the validity date of the information, means of correlating the information with the information previously stored, and means of displaying the information.
US08046156B2
This control apparatus estimates a full combustion correspondence period CP, which is the period from an ignition timing SA to a combustion completion time CAe, and controls a VVT advancement amount (burnt gas quantity, overlap period, intake valve open timing) such that the estimated full combustion correspondence period CP coincides with a constant target full combustion correspondence period CPtgt. The full combustion correspondence period CP substantially maintains a one-to-one relation with the VVT advancement amount at which HC, CO2, etc. start to increase, even when the ignition timing SA changes. Thus, even when the ignition timing changes, the burnt gas quantity (overlap period) can be properly controlled. As a result, without increasing the discharge quantities of HC and CO, the discharge quantity of NOX can be reduced. In addition, pumping loss can be reduced, whereby fuel consumption can be improved.
US08046150B2
A temperature comparison module generates a temperature difference between an engine coolant temperature and a radiator coolant temperature. An energy determination module determines an energy value corresponding to heat energy generated by an engine. The heat energy increases at least one of the engine coolant temperature and the radiator coolant temperature. A diagnostic module generates a comparison of the temperature difference and the energy value and determines a status of a thermostat associated with the engine based on the comparison.
US08046142B2
An improved method and apparatus for estimating driveline lash in a vehicle powertrain is provided herein. The method includes: determining if the powertrain is transitioning through driveline lash, e.g., driver commanded torque value changes sign, and then stays between a minimum and maximum commanded torque threshold for a calibrated time; if the powertrain is transitioning through driveline lash, determining when the driveline lash is taken up, e.g., when the transmission output acceleration exceeds a threshold minimum output acceleration, and thereafter changes sign; determining when the estimated lash state changes from neutral to a positive or negative state, which may be inferred from the axle torque estimate behavior; determining the time difference between when the driveline lash is taken up and when the estimated lash state changes from neutral to a positive or negative state; and updating the adaptive lash estimate if the aforementioned time difference is not equal to zero.
US08046130B2
A motion control system is applied to a vehicle, which has front wheel side suspensions with an anti-dive geometry and rear wheel side suspensions with an anti-lift geometry. A degree of an anti-lift effect of the anti-lift geometry is larger than a degree of an anti-dive effect of the anti-dive geometry. Normally, a controller controls a hydraulic unit such that a brake force distribution between front wheels and rear wheels during a braking-period is adjusted to a basic distribution. In contrast, in a state where abrupt application of brakes is started, the controller controls the hydraulic unit such that the brake force distribution is adjusted to a first distribution, at which a brake force respectively applied to the rear wheels is larger than that of the basic distribution only for a predetermined short time period upon starting of the application of the brakes.
US08046129B2
A system and method of controlling engine vibration mounted within a vehicle including at least one hydraulic mount, each mount including a fluid chamber. A pair of accelerometers sense relative acceleration across the mount between the engine and the frame and generate a relative acceleration signal. A control unit is electrically connected to the accelerometers. The control unit is adapted to generate an electronic control signal in response to the relative acceleration signal. The control device is responsive to the electric control signal for controlling the damping force of the hydraulic mount. A control algorithm calibrates the control unit such that maximum vibration damping occurs at and around the engine resonance bounce frequency.
US08046128B2
A fault clearing system and method for an engine control system includes a plurality of processor modules to control and monitor the engine and set a plurality of faults. The plurality of processor modules includes an electronic throttle control (ETC) module to control and monitor a throttle of the engine, and a plurality of engine sensors and ETC sensors. An ETC diagnostic module monitors the ETC sensors and engine sensors, with the ETC diagnostic module setting a low voltage induced fault. The ETC diagnostic module will also enter one of a plurality of low voltage states in response to the low voltage induced fault. The ETC diagnostic module selectively controls the ETC module and selectively clears the faults in the ETC module and plurality of processor modules upon entry into one of the low voltage states.
US08046125B2
The present invention provides a method for determining an optimal operation point with respect to SOC in a hybrid electric vehicle, in which, as a conversion factor (fuel equivalent factor) that can quantitatively compare the amount of fuel consumed by an engine with electrical energy consumed by a motor, a factor for obtaining a desired final SOC with respect to an initial SOC is determined, and an optimal operation state based on a current SOC of the hybrid electric vehicle is determined using the factor, thus improving fuel efficiency of the hybrid electric vehicle.
US08046109B2
A method for controlling operation of a wind turbine included within a power generation and delivery system is described. The method includes measuring at least one operating condition of the power generation and delivery system. The method also includes transmitting, to a power limiter system, an operating condition feedback signal that corresponds to the operating condition. The method also includes analyzing the operating condition feedback signal to identify an occurrence of a grid contingency event and generating a real current command signal corresponding to an occurrence of a grid contingency event. The method also includes transmitting the real current command signal to a controller and applying the real current command signal to power converter performance to facilitate reducing pole-slipping. The method also includes storing, in a memory, at least one variable corresponding to the operating condition upon the occurrence of a grid contingency event.
US08046107B2
A refrigeration system comprising a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser for condensing refrigerant to a liquid, an evaporator for evaporating liquid refrigerant from the condenser to a gas, an inner control loop for optimizing a supply of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator, and an outer control loop for optimizing a level of refrigerant in the evaporator, said outer control loop defining a supply rate for said inner control loop based on an optimization including measurement of evaporator performance, and said inner control loop optimizing liquid refrigerant supply based on said defined supply rate. Independent variables, such as proportion of oil in refrigerant, amount of refrigerant, contaminants, non-condensibles, scale and other deposits on heat transfer surfaces, may be estimated or measured. A model of the system and/or a thermodynamic model approximating the system, for example derived from temperature and pressure gages, as well as power computations or measurements, is employed to determine or estimate the effect on efficiency of deviance from an optimal state. Various methods are provided for returning the system to an optimal state, and for calculating a cost-effectiveness of employing such processes.
US08046103B2
A system is employed for defining a position (location) of a receiving element inside an area surrounded by a wire loop, along the perimeter (a perimeter wire loop), of a work area or other bounded area. In particular, the system can determine whether the receiver is inside or outside the loop, and evaluate its distance from the perimeter wire.
US08046098B2
Disclosed is a curved surface forming method for a metal plate. Nonlinear finite element analysis of elasto-plastic large deformation is performed on the metal plate. The metal plate to be worked is formed so as to have a three-dimensional target curved surface on the basis of the analysis results using a plurality of forming punches connected to a hydraulic apparatus. The curved surface formation method is very useful when the metal plate is worked for small quantity batch production.
US08046096B2
A process control system integrates the collection and analysis of process control data used to perform certain computationally expensive process control functions, like adaptive model generation and tuning parameter generation, in the same control device in which one or more of the process control routines are implemented, to thereby provide for faster and more efficient support of the process control routines. This system replaces a layered approach using multiple processing devices by integrating an analytical server which performs computationally expensive analyses used by one or more control routines directly into the real-time control device in which the one or more control routines are located. This integration provides the ability to analyze large quantities of data for multiple process loops controlled by a particular device in a fast and efficient manner.
US08046092B2
In one embodiment, the method includes receiving the audio signal having configuration information and multi-channels, and reading a first indicator from the configuration information. The first indicator indicates whether or not channel mapping information is included in the configuration information. The channel mapping information is read from the configuration information if the first indicator indicates that the channel mapping information is included in the configuration information. The channel mapping information indicates to which speaker in a reproduction device to map each channel in the audio signal. A second indicator is also read from the configuration information. The second indicator indicates whether or not channel rearrangement information is included in the configuration information. The channel rearrangement information is read from the configuration information if the second indicator indicates that the channel rearrangement information is included in the configuration information. The channel rearrangement information indicates a rearrangement of the multi-channels. The multi-channels are decoded based on the channel mapping information and channel rearrangement information.
US08046080B2
An implantable medical device comprising a far field RF transmitter and receiver, a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the RF transmitter and receiver, and a wakeup timer circuit integral to, or communicatively coupled to, the controller. The controller is configured to initiate power up of the RF transmitter and receiver during a wakeup interval defined by the wakeup timer circuit, detect a digital key received from a second device during the wakeup interval, transmit a response using the RF transmitter when the digital key is received, and receive a communication from the second device and resynchronize the wake-up timer according to a time of the communication.
US08046079B2
A telemetry system for data transmission between an implantable medical device and an external system includes a plurality of channels each representing a frequency band within a predetermined frequency range. The data transmission is performed using at least one active channel at any instant. Channel hopping is performed upon detecting an interruption of communication, such that a scan is performed through an array of channels selected from the plurality of channels. If a data frame is not successfully transmitted, it is repeatedly re-transmitted using the current and/or the next active channels until its transmission becomes successful.
US08046078B2
Directly modulating a beam of photons onto the retinas of patients who have vision impairment or blindness. Its purpose is to supply enough imaging energy to retinal prosthetics implanted in the eye which operate essentially by having light, activating photoreceptors, or photoelectrical material. Providing sufficient light amplification logarithmically. Output light level being at a safe level. Providing balanced biphasic stimulation with no net charge injection into the eye. Optical and electronic magnification is used for the image with an optical zoom lens. It would not be feasible to zoom in on items of particular interest or necessity. Without proper adjustment, improper threshold amplitudes would obtain, also uncomfortable maximum thresholds. Proper adjustment for the threshold amplitudes and maximum comfortable thresholds is provided. The individual stimulation sites in the retina give different color perceptions, then colors of the viewed scene is correlated with specific stimulation sites to provide color vision.
US08046077B2
Methods of selective neuromodulation in a live mammalian subject, such as a human patient. The method comprises applying an electrical signal to a target site in the nervous system, such as the brain, where the electrical signal comprises a series of pulses. The pulses includes a waveform shape that is more energy-efficient as compared to a corresponding rectangular waveform. Non-limiting examples of such energy-efficient waveforms include linear increasing, linear decreasing, exponential increasing, exponential decreasing, and Gaussian waveforms. The parameters for the energy-efficient waveform are chosen to selectively activate neural tissue on the basis of axonal diameter.
US08046076B2
A system and method for introducing one or more stimulating drugs and/or applying electrical stimulation to the brain to treat mood and/or anxiety disorders uses an implantable system control unit (SCU), specifically an implantable signal/pulse generator (IPG) or microstimulator with one or more electrodes in the case of electrical stimulation, and an implantable pump with one or more catheters in the case of drug infusion. In cases requiring both electrical and drug stimulation, one or more SCUs are used. Alternatively and preferably, when needed, an SCU provides both electrical stimulation and one or more stimulating drugs. In a preferred embodiment, the system is capable of open- and closed-loop operation. In closed-loop operation, at least one SCU includes a sensor, and the sensed condition is used to adjust stimulation parameters.
US08046073B1
A lead-connection system includes a lead and a connector. The lead includes a distal end, a proximal end, a plurality of electrodes disposed at the distal end, a plurality of terminals disposed at the proximal end, and a plurality of conductor wires electrically coupling each of the plurality of electrodes to a different one of the plurality of terminals. The connector defines a port for receiving the proximal end of the lead and a plurality of connector contacts. The number of connector contacts is greater than the number of terminals disposed on the proximal end of the lead. When the connector receives the proximal end of the lead, each of the terminals disposed on the proximal end of the lead makes electrical contact with at least one of the connector contacts of the connector and no two terminals make electrical contact with a same one of the connector contacts.
US08046062B2
Systems and methods of managing features or functions of an implantable cardiac device involve forming a baseline evoked response template prior to delivery of defibrillation therapy to a patient's heart, and acquiring a post-shock evoked response signal subsequent to defibrillation therapy delivery. The baseline evoked response template is compared to the post-shock evoked response signal. A determination is made whether to enable, disable or adjust a cardiac device feature based on the comparison. The cardiac device feature may be a therapy feature, a monitoring feature, or a diagnostic feature.
US08046061B2
A system and method for providing pacing pulses after a cardioversion/defibrillation shock, where the pacing pulses have a pacing rate at an initial value. The pacing rate is decreased from the initial value until at least one intrinsic cardiac contraction is detected. In one embodiment, the pacing rate is decreased by a set amount after pacing a set number of cardiac cycles. Providing the set number of pacing pulses and decreasing the pacing rate by the set amount is then repeated until at least one intrinsic cardiac contraction is detected. An intrinsic cardiac rate is then determined from the at least one intrinsic cardiac contraction. The pacing rate is then increased and maintained to be above (i.e., greater than) the intrinsic cardiac rate.
US08046055B2
A sentinel lymph node detecting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light source unit 2, illuminating an excitation light 10 and an illumination light 11 onto a biological observation location 20 that includes a sentinel lymph node 21 near a tumor, into which a fluorescent dye that emits fluorescence is injected; an optical filter 3, transmitting a fluorescence image 11 and a normal image 13; an image pickup device 5, disposed integral to the light source unit 2 and picking up the fluorescence image 11 and the normal image 13 transmitted through the optical filter 3; and an image display device 7, displaying the observation images that have been picked up. The wavelength of the illumination light 11 is set to a value close to the wavelength of the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent dye.
US08046050B2
A surgical tracking system includes a wireless position sensor, which is adapted to be implanted in a bone of a subject, and responsively to externally-applied magnetic fields within a working volume of the tracking system, to generate and transmit sensor signals indicative of coordinates of the position sensor within the bone. A plurality of field generator coils are adapted to generate the magnetic fields so as to define the working volume. The field generators are fixed in predetermined locations to a reference structure, which is movable relative to the subject in order to position the working volume so as to intercept the bone. A system controller is coupled to receive and process the sensor signals so as to determine the coordinates of the position sensor within the bone.
US08046046B2
A RF array coil system and method for magnetic resonance imaging are provided. The array coil system includes an anterior coil section having a main anterior coil section and at least one secondary anterior coil section removably attachable to the main anterior coil section. The array coil system further includes a posterior coil section having a main posterior coil section and at least one secondary posterior coil section removably attachable to the main posterior coil section.
US08046043B2
An extraction device for extracting an analyte from living tissue is disclosed that comprises a power source; a first electrode and second electrode connected to the power source; and a holding unit for holding a collecting medium for collecting analyte extracted from living tissue, wherein the collecting medium is in contact with both the first electrode and second electrode continuously. An analyzer comprising the extraction device, method for extracting an analyte, and method for extracting and analyzing an analyte are also described.
US08046038B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a portable wireless apparatus capable of maintaining high quality of a communication in various using configurations obtained by a two-axis hinge mechanism.A portable wireless apparatus (100) having a two-axis hinge portion includes a first antenna (102) which is suitable for a talking state and a second antenna (104) which is suitable for a waiting state. The first antenna (102) or the second antenna (104) is selected based on a result of opening/closing detection decided from an angle α of a first axis (106) and the result of opening/closing detection decided from an angle β of a second axis (107). Consequently, it is possible to select either of the antennas which is not influenced by hands or fingers of a user.
US08046035B2
A slide type mobile terminal according to an aspect of the invention comprises: a main body having buttons and a slide part having a display, wherein the buttons comprise at least one open button that is open to the exterior and at least one hidden button that is not open to the exterior when the slide part is opened with respect to the main body, the slide part comprises at least one push protrusion corresponding with at least the hidden button, and the main body and the slide part are joined by a connection means which allows sliding of the slide part with respect to the main body. With such a composition, the invention allows for a larger display on the slide part and provides a slide type mobile terminal which can have various functional buttons.
US08046033B2
A mobile terminal including an upper body having an upper surface, a display located at the upper body, a lower body having first and second upper surfaces, the upper body being connected to the lower body for movement between a closed configuration in which the upper body completely covers the second upper surface and an open configuration in which the upper body partially covers the second upper surface to expose a portion of the second upper surface, the upper surface of the upper body being substantially co-planar to the first upper surface of the second body in the open and closed configuration, a first camera located at one of the upper body and the lower body, and at least one camera-dedicated key located at said portion of the second upper surface exposed in the open configuration, the at least one camera-dedicated key being configured to control the first camera.
US08046029B2
A method selects antennas in a wireless network including a base station and one or more transceivers. The base station specifies times, subcarriers and subsets of antennas to use to transmit sounding reference signals (SRS) to the base station. Then, the transceiver transmits the SRS according to the specified times and subcarriers using different subsets of the set antennas. The SRS are received in the base station, and the base station selects one of the different subset of the antennas based on the received SRS, and indicates the selected subset of the antennas to the transceiver.
US08046018B2
Method and apparatus for determining a transmission configuration for a dedicated channel in a wireless communication system. In one embodiment, an optimum configuration is determined based on minimizing Peak-to-Average Ratio (PAR) of the channel. The configuration is defined as a transmission pair of transmission branch and spreading code. The transmission branch may be the In-Phase (I) branch or the Quadrature (Q) branch. PAR analysis may be performed off-line to determine the optimum configuration. In operation, if the spreading code of the optimum configuration is used by another channel, the next best optimum code is used.
US08046014B2
The present invention determines which messages to display in message threads to a user. An electronic communication device receives and stores numerous SMS messages transported through an SMS network, but the SMS messages are sent without explicit linking information such as a previous message or subject line. A threading module applies threading rules to determine which messages to correlate into an SMS message thread through implicit link information. The threading rules thread outgoing messages sent in response to an incoming message from a user, or incoming messages where a previous outgoing message was sent to the user. An SMS application displays threads in a user interface and indicates messages threads with an icon in one view, and displays an expanded message thread in another view.
US08046012B2
A system and method for narrowcasting text messages to a plurality of cellular phones. The system and method allow a potential user to opt in to receive the text messages the user wants to receive. The potential user can opt in through a computer network based web page. Once the potential user sends a sign up request application to participate via the computer network, the user will receive a first text message containing an authorization code on their cell phone. The user enters the authorization code into the web page and sends the authorization code. Receipt of the authorization code back through the computer network will trigger the phone number of the potential user to be added to a list of authorized text message receivers. A narrowcaster then instructs the central computer to narrowcast text messages to the phone numbers on the list that have indicated they want to receive messages on a certain topic.
US08046011B2
A computing system configured to receive an SMS message generated by a wireless device and include an indicia of an address, such as a telephone number, associated with a destination wireline device (e.g., telephone). The computing system may be configured to access a database located on a network and to store parameters defining type and usage of blocks of address identifiers (e.g., NPA-NXX block of telephone numbers). The computing system may further be configured to determine whether type and usage parameters associated with the destination wireline device are within a block of address identifiers defined to share communications between wireless and wireline networks. The computing system may further route the SMS message to the destination wireline device in response to determining that the type and usage parameters enable sharing between wireless and wireline networks.
US08046000B2
The present invention allows mobile terminals to receive location-based information upon entering a local wireless zone established by an access point. The access point includes or is associated with one or more servers, which may provide the location-based information and control access. The local wireless zone is a limited area in which communications between the access point and the mobile terminal are possible. Once the mobile terminal enters into one or more local wireless zones, the presence of the mobile terminal in the local wireless zone is detected. Once detected, the mobile terminal is afforded access to a server on which the location-based information is stored. The server is associated with the local wireless zone.
US08045992B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for downlink and uplink control feedback signaling. In some embodiments, one or more bits indicating a validation of control feedback may be transmitted in a downlink transmission. In some embodiments, a channel quality indicator value and an indication of a length of the channel quality indicator value may be transmitted in an uplink transmission. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08045984B2
A method of informing a network of a change of user equipment capability includes: receiving, by a network, a register request message carrying information of new user equipment capability to from a user equipment; analyzing, by the network, the register request message, and storing the information of new user equipment capability for reference by subsequent establishment of a session; stopping a current registration timer on the server side set for the user equipment; initiating a new registration timer on the server side for the user equipment; and sending a response message carrying information of the new registration timer on the server side to the user equipment so as to reset a registration timer on the user side based on information of the new registration timer on the server side in the response message. The capability change is informed to the network in time.
US08045981B2
Techniques for efficiently performing system search to obtain service from a wireless system as quickly as possible are described. A terminal initially looks for service from a first (e.g., W-CDMA) system. The terminal identifies network(s) in the first system from which service was received in the past and performs acquisition on each network to look for service. If service is not found for the first system, then the terminal performs a search for a second (e.g., GSM) system. If service is found on the second system, then the terminal obtains service from the second system and avoids a frequency scan for the first system. Otherwise, the terminal performs a frequency scan for the first system using the search results for the second system. The terminal may obtain a list of RF channels detected for the second system and may omit these RF channels and possibly some other RF channels around these RF channels from the frequency scan.
US08045979B2
Provided is a mobile telephone easily associating ringing tones and an address book. A control unit implementing the mobile telephone includes an input unit accepting input of data, an instruction detecting unit detecting an instruction for executing an action specific to the mobile telephone based on the input data, a flag setting unit setting for each address a flag for discriminating an address to be assigned a ringing tone from an address not to be assigned the ringing tone, a ringing tone retrieving unit retrieving the ringing tones assignable to the address book, a registrant-by-registrant basis ringing tone assigning unit executing an operation for assigning the ringing tone to each address book based on an entered instruction and the result of the retrieval by the ringing tone retrieving unit, and an output unit writing the flag set by the flag setting unit in a storage unit.
US08045977B2
A method of maintaining datalink network throughput in a communications channel by delaying lower priority messages is provided. The method comprises receiving periodic channel occupancy data from a radio, and updating channel occupancy status from the channel occupancy data. A determination is then made whether the channel occupancy has reached a first predetermined occupancy threshold. If the first predetermined occupancy threshold has been reached, high priority messages are transmitted, and medium and low priority messages are stored. If the first predetermined occupancy threshold has not been reached, a determination is made whether the channel occupancy has reached a second predetermined occupancy threshold that is less than the first predetermined occupancy threshold. If the second predetermined occupancy threshold has been reached, high and medium priority messages are transmitted, and low priority messages are stored. If the second predetermined occupancy threshold has not been reached, messages of all priorities are transmitted.
US08045966B2
The present invention is a method for establishing and identifying a communication pair in a wireless AV system and provides a system in which notification is provided to a user in a case where a wrong pair that the user does not intend to establish among plural AV devices is established.A wireless AV system is a wireless system comprising one or more transmission-side devices and one or more reception-side devices, each of the one or more transmission-side devices comprises means for issuing its own ID with respect to the one or more reception-side devices, the one or more reception-side devices comprising means for storing the ID received from a transmission-side device.
US08045961B2
A method and apparatus for wireless authentication, secure automatic access to application and to systems and for providing an alarm to users upon detecting that a monitored device is not within a desired proximity using a BLUETOOTH apparatus are described.
US08045940B2
An integrated circuit, IC, for reception of radio frequency; RF, signals in an antenna network system, the IC comprising: a plurality of amplifying paths to cover a plurality of radio frequency bandwidths or standards, each amplifying path comprising at least one low noise amplifier, at least one variable attenuator unit, and/or at least one gain flattening unit, each of the low noise amplifier, the attenuator unit, and the gain flattening unit being adapted to operate at a respective radio frequency bandwidth or standard; at least one control interface connected with at least one of the low noise amplifier, the attenuator unit, and the gain flattening unit on each amplifying path and adapted for communication with a digital processing unit to control operation of the at least one of the low noise amplifier, the attenuator unit, and the gain flattening unit.
US08045939B2
The present invention relates to a method for controlling an amplifier unit having at least one drive signal input connection 1, at least one power supply voltage input connection 2 and an output connection 4. The amplifier unit comprises at least one amplifier, and the method comprises the steps of: feeding each amplifier by a drive signal from said at least one drive signal input connection 1, and feeding each amplifier by a power supply voltage from said at least one power supply voltage input connection, whereby said amplifier unit has defined output characteristics at the output connection 4 and a predetermined power supply voltage at a maximum RF output power for a RF signal. The method further comprises the steps of: operating at least one amplifier with RF output voltage characteristics to obtain a reduced shunt loss, compared to a reference shunt loss, at the output connection 4. The reference shunt loss is obtained when operating each amplifier as a class B amplifier having the defined output characteristics at the output connection 4 and the predetermined power supply voltage at a maximum RF output power for the RF signal, and modulating the power supply voltage to each amplifier to reduce excessive voltage drop over the amplifier.
US08045938B2
Provided is a discrete filter capable of increasing degree of freedom of design including a DC gain. A sampling mixer (100) includes: a control signal generation unit (104) which generates a control signal including an SO signal; a Ch (6) which successively integrates reception signals sampled by an LO signal frequency as discrete signals; a plurality of Cr (7, 8) which successively integrate discrete signals at a timing based on the control signal; Cb (15) which alternately integrates the discrete signals successively integrated by the respective Cr (7, 8); and a gain control capacitance unit (110) which has gain control capacitors (44, 45, 46) connected in parallel to the respective Cr (7, 8) and integrating the discrete signal and a reset switch (47) for resetting the discrete signal of the gain control capacitors (44, 45, 46) integrated in the past, upon connection between one end of Cr (7) and Cb (15).
US08045933B2
Mobile phone terminal, having a transmitter stage, a receiver stage and an antenna switch-over and adapter stage which each have an arrangement of passive structural elements, which arrangement is assigned a multiplicity of electrostatic-mechanical microswitches or microrelays and which can be programmed by actuating a predetermined configuration of the microswitches or microrelays in, in each case, at least one functional parameter, in particular the frequency characteristic, and a programmable control unit.
US08045931B2
A base station (BS) (110) in a wireless network (100) establishes power levels for transmitting messages acknowledging receipt of packet data from a mobile communications device (MCD) (114). In one implementation, the BS infers whether the MCD received a given acknowledgement message by considering whether (306, 316) the next communication from the MCD comprises new packet data, and whether (310, 320) that data comprises re-transmitted data. The BS adjusts (312, 314, 322, 324) transmit power level for future acknowledgement messages according to whether the MCD received past acknowledgement messages. In a different implementation, actual/estimated transmit power from a serving base station to a given MCD is averaged (404), and increased (406) by a prescribed amount to yield a target level. Whenever the non-serving base station transmits messages acknowledging receipt of packet data from the MCD, the non-serving base station transmits (408) at the target level.
US08045928B2
A test system for adjusting a wireless communication device by impedance loading features includes a power supply for generating a plurality of voltages, a test fixture coupled to the power supply for generating impedances corresponding to a plurality of impedance loading areas, a test equipment coupled to a test point of the wireless communication device via the test fixture for measuring a plurality of radio frequency characteristic sets of the wireless communication device, and a decision device coupled to the test equipment for determining an optimal impedance loading area of the wireless communication device according to the plurality of radio-frequency characteristic sets.
US08045912B2
Disclosed herein is an image forming system including: an image forming unit for forming images based on a plurality of document pages on a plurality of recording media to form a printed matter; a special sheet feeding unit for storing a special sheet group constituting one set in which a plurality of different types of special sheets are arranged in a predetermined order; a special sheet setting input unit for accepting the number of the special sheets constituting the one set and a page of which the special sheet is inserted into the plurality of recording media; a division setting input unit for accepting an instruction for dividing the printed matter into a plurality of groups by carrying out a post-processing for the printed matter; and a control unit for setting a special sheet inserted into a first place in each of the plurality of groups to a special sheet arranged at a top of the one set when the special sheet setting input unit accepts the page of which the special sheet is inserted and when the division setting input unit accepts the instruction for dividing the printed matter into the plurality of groups.
US08045908B2
A fixing device has a presser member, a slide member and a pressure belt. Both ends of the presser member are positioned outside both ends of the slide member. Both ends of the slide member are positioned outside both ends of the pressure belt. Thereby, the slide member and the pressure belt are improved in service life, so that the fixing device as a whole is improved in service life.
US08045906B2
A belt-type fixing device having therein an endless fixing belt, a pressure roller arranged inside the aforesaid fixing belt and a pressure member that presses the fixing belt against the pressure roller, wherein a toner image on a recording material is fixed in a nip portion formed between the fixing belt and the pressure member, and wherein the pressure roller has an elastic layer made of solid rubber, and the elastic layer is covered by a resin layer, and further plural undulations are formed in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roller.
US08045903B2
A developing device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus has a first roller and a second roller disposed in a peripheral contact with the first roller to define a contact region therebetween so that the first roller is capable of supplying and collecting a toner to and from the second roller in the contact region. The first roller has a core and a polyurethane foam layer. The polyurethane foam has an open ratio of cells of 2% or more and 50% or less and a hardness of 1 gf/mm or more and 6 gf/mm or less, the hardness being defined by a load per unit length in a longitudinal direction of the first roller, the load being determined by forcing the peripheral surface of the polyurethane foam layer against a substrate, measuring a load necessary for the polyurethane foam layer to be compressed by 30% in thickness, and dividing the load by a length of the polyurethane foam layer in the longitudinal direction. The first and second rollers are disposed so that the contact region has a peripheral width of 3 mm or more and 8 mm or less.
US08045895B2
A developing device has: a developer housing chamber in which developer is housed; a developer holding member holding developer by magnetic force; a partitioning wall having an overlapping region that, in a transparent plan view, is positioned upward of the developer holding member and overlaps the developer holding member in an up/down direction; and an opening portion formed in the overlapping region of the partitioning wall. The partitioning wall is a portion of a separating wall of the developer housing chamber, and is provided between the developer housing chamber and the developer holding member.
US08045894B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of photosensitive members; at least one retaining member configured to temporarily retain remaining developer remaining on a corresponding photosensitive member; a belt arranged opposite to the plurality of photosensitive members; a cleaning device configured to collect developer on the belt; a remaining developer collecting unit configured to cause the remaining developer retained by the retaining member to be transferred onto the belt via the photosensitive member and thereafter to be collected by the cleaning device; and a plurality of developing devices each including a development chamber in which is provided a developing roller for supplying developer to the corresponding photosensitive member, and a developer storage chamber arranged above the development chamber and configured to store developer. Each development device includes a circulation mechanism configured to circulate developer between the development chamber and the developer storage chamber.
US08045878B2
A device for fusing a predetermined toner image on a paper and which electrically insulates a heating body of a fusing unit from a power supply unit by heating the heating body using an induced current generated by a transformer. The fusing device includes an insulation unit for generating an induced current in response to an alternating current, a heating body heated by the generated induced current, a toner fusing unit which fuses the toner image on the paper using the heat received from the heating body, and a tube-expansion adhesion portion closely adhering the heating body to the toner fusing unit using a predetermined tube-expansion pressure.
US08045873B2
In an image forming apparatus, when photosensitive members 4Y, 4M, 4C are in contact with a transfer belt, then color adjustment is performed. When the photosensitive members 4Y, 4M, 4C are not in contact with a transfer belt, i.e., only a photosensitive member 4Bk is in contact with the transfer belt, then only black adjustment is performed.
US08045870B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a charging unit which charges a surface of the image carrier; a brush which removes toner remaining on the image carrier by rubbing the surface of the image carrier; a cleaning blade provided downstream of the brush in a rotational direction of the image carrier, which removes the toner remaining on the image carrier; a surface potential measuring sensor which measures a surface potential of the image carrier between the brush and the cleaning blade; and a controller which causes the surface potential measuring sensor to conduct a measuring operation and adjusts the surface potential of the image carrier between the brush and the cleaning blade on the basis of a measurement result.
US08045851B2
Methods and apparatuses for automatic restoration detection and automatic restoration of optical communication system are disclosed. In the methods, a first station sends an automatic restoration detection message to a second station at the opposite side of a failed link; in response to receiving an automatic restoration request message, determines that the link has been repaired in two directions, and sends an automatic restoration confirmation message to the second station; or in response to receiving the automatic restoration detection message, determines that the link from the second station to the first station has been repaired, and sends the automatic restoration request message to the second station; in response to receiving the automatic restoration confirmation message, determines that the link has been repaired in two directions; and switching to normal working states. The safety problem that the laser leakage occurs in the failed link is solved.
US08045826B2
The image processing procedure of the invention receives mosaic image data and calculates a vertical-direction color difference component with regard to each of pixel columns in the mosaic image data in a vertical direction and a horizontal-direction color difference component with regard to each of pixel rows in the mosaic image data in a horizontal direction. The image processing procedure subsequently selects pixels from the mosaic image data, and compares the sign of the vertical color difference component of the target pixel to the signs of the vertical color difference components of the pixels above and below the target pixel, compare the sign of the horizontal color difference component of the target pixel to the signs of the horizontal color difference components of the pixels to the left and to the right of the target pixel, sets the corresponding edge map value of a corresponding edge map to 1 where the signs in one or more of the comparisons are not equal, and sets the corresponding edge map value of the corresponding edge map to 0 where the signs in all of the comparisons are equal.
US08045824B2
Disclosed are a wavelet transformation-based image encoder, decoder and method for generating a thumbnail image. In the present invention, an original image is tiled according to a preset tiling scheme, and wavelet transformation is performed for each tiled image. An LL image is extracted from the tiled image and range mapping is performed for the color values of each pixel of the extracted LL images. After the range mapping of the color values according to the pixels, a thumbnail image is generated by reconstructing the LL images according to the predetermined tiling scheme. According to the present invention as described above, when an encoder using a wavelet transformation method encodes the original image into a wavelet image or a decoder using wavelet transformation method decodes the wavelet encoded image into the original image, the thumbnail image can be easily generated.
US08045823B2
The present invention displays text within a region by identifying text boxes within the region. To identify the text boxes, the invention uses scan lines that are spaced at intervals that are smaller than the text height of the text to be placed in the boxes. These scan lines are combined to identify the full text boxes. Additionally, under the invention, a region is transformed before text boxes are generated for the region. The transform is an inverse of a text transform that is applied to the text placed in the region. This allows rotated and skewed text to be placed in the region. The invention also facilitates displaying a single text string across several disjointed regions.
US08045811B2
A computed tomography system has a stationary part, a rotatable part mounted for rotation around an object to be examined and an interface between the stationary part and the rotatable part. The rotatable part includes an x-ray source, a sensor array for detecting x-rays passing through the object to produce projection data samples, a compressor that compresses the projection data samples and a storage device that stores the compressed samples. The storage device on the rotatable part can include one or more solid state drives. For image reconstruction, the compressed samples are retrieved from the storage device, transferred across the interface to the stationary part. A decompressor at the stationary part decompresses the received compressed samples and provides decompressed samples to the image reconstruction processor. This abstract does not limit the scope of the invention as described in the claims.
US08045800B2
Systems and methods of segmenting images are disclosed herein. The similarity of images in a set of images is compared. A group of images is selected from the set of images. The images in the group of images are selected based on compared similarities among the images. An informative image is selected from the group of images. User-defined semantic information of the informative image is received. The group of images as a graph is modeled as a graph. Each image in the group of images denotes a node in the graph. Edges of the graph denote a foreground relationship between images or a background relationship between images. One or more images in the group of images are automatically segmented by propagating the semantic information of the informative image to images in the group of images having a corresponding graph node that is related to a graph node corresponding to the informative image. Segmentation results can be refined according to user provided image semantics.
US08045795B2
An image processing apparatus includes a calculating unit configured to calculate an evaluation amount of poor color tone for every pixel in an image and an extracting unit configured to extract a candidate pixel having the poor color tone on the basis of the evaluation amount. The evaluation amount is calculated from red and green components of the image.
US08045788B2
An inspection tool includes a camera for obtaining images of a wafer and a controller configured for performing light source flat field correction, optical image warping correction, and optical image scale correction of the images. In operation, separate inspection tools are calibrated separately to obtain a characteristic response with respect to imaging and/or illumination for each such inspection tool. A standard target is then imaged by each inspection tool and the response of each of the inspection tools is normalized to ensure uniformity of the output of each inspection tool with respect to the other inspection tools.
US08045786B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for optimizing a metrology tool, such as an optical or scanning electron microscope so that minimum human intervention is achievable during the optimization. In general, a set of specifications and an initial input data are initially provided for a particular target. The specifications provide limits for characteristics of images that are to be measured by the metrology tool. The metrology tool is then automatically optimized for measuring the particular target so as to meet one or more of the provided specifications without further significant human intervention with respect to the metrology tool. In one aspect, the input data provided prior to the automated optimization procedure includes a plurality of target locations and a synthetic image of the particular target.
US08045782B2
A computer-based method for the development of an image analysis protocol for analyzing image data, the image data containing images including image objects, in particular biological image objects such as biological cells. The image analysis protocol, once developed, is operable in an image analysis software system to report on one or more measurements conducted on selected ones of the image objects. The development process includes providing functions for selecting predetermined image analysis procedures, the functions allowing the user to define: at least one first target identification setting for identifying a first target set of image objects in the image data; at least one second target identification setting for identifying a second target set of image objects in the image data; a relationship between the first and second set of image objects; and one or more measurements which are to be reported for the image data, the measurements being conducted using the defined relationship.
US08045781B2
An X-ray computed tomography apparatus scans a subject to be examined with cone beam X-rays, and generates reference volume data on the basis of projection data. This apparatus extracts a cone beam artifact component contained in the reference volume data on the basis of the typical shape and direction of the cone beam artifact component. This apparatus generates resultant volume data with the reduced cone beam artifact by subtracting the cone beam artifact component from the reference volume data.
US08045779B2
A method for quantitative evaluation of an image and/or of an image sequence of tissue or tissue samples for the presence of pathological changes using a database in which there are stored pattern image data and/or pattern image data sequences of tissue patterns that have been identified as predominantly or definitely benign or malignant, and for each sample a weighting factor is stored which indicates whether the pattern occurs predominantly in benign or in malignant tissue changes; it is then analyzed whether any of the pattern images stored in the database are present, within predetermined tolerances, in the image and/or in the sequence of images; based on the sum of the weighting factors of the patterns present, an evaluation factor is formed and made available for further use or output.
US08045776B2
A method is provided for processing an image. The method comprises identifying one or more contours or surfaces in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image generated from a set of projection data. The set of projection data is differentially processed based on the identification of those data points that largely define one or more contours or surfaces. An enhanced image set is reconstructed from the set of processed projection data.
US08045774B2
A method for creating material-selective volume images of various material components of an object to be examined is proposed. The method is based on multi-spectral projected images captured from various directions of projection, the images being captured using an X-ray machine, and makes it possible to quantitively exactly determine the material-selective volume images by way of iteration.
US08045770B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems for conducting three-dimensional image analysis and diagnosis and possible treatment relating thereto. The invention includes methods of handling signals containing information (data) relating to three-dimensional representation of objects scanned by a scanning medium. The invention also includes methods of making and analyzing volumetric measurements and changes in volumetric measurements which can be used for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment.
US08045767B2
A method for reconstructing a fingerprint image from a plurality of frames captured from swipe fingerprint sensor is disclosed. The method is based on a motion estimation between consecutive fingerprint frames. Only a portion of each frame is used to obtain the motion estimate to minimize system resources necessary for reconstructing the fingerprint image.
US08045763B2
An apparatus (10) for recognizing and determining the position of at least one teat cup (401, 402, 403, 404) of at least one teat cup magazine (42, 421, 422). The apparatus (10) emits waves (20) into a region (A) which is expected to contain a teat cup or teat cups (401, 402, 403, 404). The apparatus (10) also includes a detector (260) for detecting reflections of the waves (20). The apparatus (10) also includes a unit (24) for evaluating the reflections in order to determine if the reflections originate from the teat cup or cups (401, 402, 403, 404). Furthermore, the apparatus (10) also includes a unit (26) for determining the position of the teat cup or cups (401, 402, 403, 404) if it is established that the reflections originate from the teat cup (401, 402, 403, 404).
US08045757B2
An image monitoring system may include an object area detection processing section and an object area tracking processing section. The object area detection processing section may be configured to detect object area information from an image obtained by an input image signal on a basis of the input image signal. The object area tracking processing section may be configured to perform object area tracking processing by associating a current object area with a past object area on a basis of the object area information detected by the object area detection processing section. The object area tracking processing section may associate the current object area with the past object area using unique identifying information. The object area tracking processing section may continue to retain identifying information given to a predetermined object area that has disappeared, and may give the retained identifying information to the predetermined object area when the predetermined object area reappears.
US08045755B2
This invention relates to a method to select, in an input image, pixels that can be watermarked by replacing their colour by a metameric colour. It comprises the following steps: correct the input image by applying a predetermined gamma law, convert the input image into a ‘metameric’ image in which the colours of the input image pixels are replaced by metameric colours, simulate the capture of the input image and of the metameric image by a camcorder in order to generate respectively a captured input image and a captured metameric image, determine, in a colour space and for each pixel of the input image, the distance between the colour of said pixel in the captured input image and in the captured metameric image, and select the pixels of the input image for which the distance is greater than a threshold. The invention also concerns a watermarking method based on metamerism.
US08045754B2
In a watermark processing system, a watermark detector detects first information represented by a watermark from an image, a watermark encoder decodes and error-corrects the first information and re-encodes it to second information, and a watermark eraser identifies the position of the tint-block pattern included in the watermark according to the second information and produces a watermark-erased image from which the watermark is erased.
US08045734B2
A silicon based microphone sensing element and a method for making the same are disclosed. The microphone sensing element has a diaphragm with adjoining perforated plates on the front side of a conductive substrate. The diaphragm is aligned above a back hole in the substrate wherein the front opening of the back hole is smaller than the diaphragm. The diaphragm is supported by mechanical springs each having one end attached to the diaphragm and another end connected to a rigid pad anchored on a dielectric spacer. The diaphragm, perforated plates, and mechanical springs are preferably made of the same film and are suspended above an air gap that overlies the substrate. A first electrode is formed on one or more rigid pads and a second electrode is formed at one or more locations on the substrate to establish a variable capacitor circuit. Different embodiments are shown that reduce parasitic capacitance.
US08045729B2
A multiprocessor system used in a car, home, or office environment includes multiple processors that run different real-time applications. A dynamic configuration system runs on the multiple processors and includes a device manager, configuration managers and data manager. The device manager automatically detects and adds new devices to the multiprocessor system, and the configuration manager automatically reconfigures which processors run the real-time applications. The data manager identifies the type of data generated by the new devices and identifies which devices in the multiprocessor system are able to process the data.
US08045728B2
It is possible to shorten a delay time from utterance to output from a speaker even in a conference audio system including an automatic mute release device. An A/D converter that converts audio signals from a plurality of microphones into digital signals, an audio level detector that detects utterance or silence depending on the level of the converted digital signal, an audio data storage unit that temporarily stores the digital signal for which the audio level detector detected utterance, a controller that controls the storage of audio data in the audio data storage unit and the reading of the audio data, and a D/A converter that converts the read audio data into analog audio signals are provided. The controller hastens read timing of the audio data in accordance with a time period of silent portion when the audio level detector detects silence in a series of the audio data.
US08045725B2
A vehicle has an electric drive mode, a body defining a vehicle interior, a first and second set of audio speakers positioned outside and inside of the interior, respectively, and a controller. The controller generates an acoustic signal, broadcasts the acoustic signal via the first set of speakers during an electric drive mode, and generates and broadcasts a cancelling signal via the second set of speakers. The broadcasts are coordinated to substantially cancel an attenuated portion of the acoustic signal resulting from propagation of the acoustic signal into the interior. A method cancels a synthesized sound within a vehicle interior by collecting vehicle operating values, generating an acoustic signal as the synthesized sound during an electric drive mode, and processing the acoustic signal to generate a modified acoustic signal approximating an attenuated portion of the acoustic signal propagating into the vehicle interior.
US08045724B2
A signal processing circuit is intended for use in a noise reduction system, which produces a target filter characteristic that would achieve optimal noise cancellation, the target filter characteristic including a resonant peak at a first frequency. The signal processing circuit comprises an analogue filter, which has an amplitude response that has a peak or trough at a center frequency, and has a phase response that switches polarity at the center frequency and tends to zero with increase or reduction in frequency away from the center frequency. The center frequency in the amplitude response is substantially equal to the first frequency. The analogue filter may be in the form of a series inductive-capacitive-resistive circuit, where the inductive component is in the form of a gyrator.
US08045721B2
A method (200) for improving quality of output audio (126). The method can include detecting an output acoustic signal (128) and generating a receive audio signal (134) based, at least in part, on the detected output acoustic signal. A frequency domain representation (140) of the receive audio signal can be compared to a frequency domain representation (138) of a source audio signal (124) from which the output acoustic signal is generated. At least one distortion signal (142) in the receive audio signal can be identified, and the source audio signal can be selectively equalized to reduce an amplitude of the source audio signal at a frequency that correlates to the distortion signal.
US08045712B2
A method and an element of ciphering by an integrated processor of data to be stored in a memory, including applying a ciphering algorithm which is a function of a key specific to the integrated circuit and of an initialization vector, and of memorizing at least the ciphered data, the initialization vector depending at least on the address of storage of the data in the memory.
US08045704B2
According to an aspect of the invention, an electronic apparatus including: an outer case; an inner case corresponding to the outer case; an engagement nail having a first nail face directed to a first direction from the outer case toward the inner case and a second nail face directed to a second direction from the inner case toward the outer case, the engagement nail being extend from the outer case; and a resilient wire disposed on a certain position on the inner case along an edge of the inner case, the certain position corresponding to the engagement nail, wherein, at a first state, the resilient wire is movable in a third direction from the edge toward the resilient wire by the first nail face pushing the resilient wire, and wherein, at a second state, the resilient wire is movable in a fourth direction from the resilient wire toward the edge to run on the second nail face.
US08045703B2
There is disclosed a multi-carrier transceiver system for use in echo cancellation. The transceiver system is arranged to generate from input data a multicarrier transmit signal comprising a plurality of multi-carrier data blocks. The transceiver system also has a multi-carrier signal receiver responsive to an input multi-carrier receive signal received from a remote signal transmitter. An echo canceller is arranged to generate from a pair of multi-carrier data blocks (u) a set of frequency-domain echo parameters for use in generating an echo signal, to generate the echo signal using the frequency-domain echo parameters, and to input the echo signal to the multi-carrier signal receiver for use in generating an echo-cancelled receive signal from the input receive signal and the echo signal.
US08045700B2
A method is presented of providing voice communication, including receiving at a set-top box device a selection of a first contact, receiving data indicating that a first call has been placed to a phone associated with the first contact, and sending data to a display device coupled to the set-top box device indicating that the first call has been placed to the phone associated with the first contact. The method may further include sending data identifying the first contact and the user phone to a communication server of an Internet Protocol Television system, wherein the communication server places the first call to the phone associated with the first contact and routes the first call to the user phone.
US08045698B2
An apparatus and method for maintaining data for multi-channel communication queuing associated with different media formats such as telephone, email, and fax. A list of agent data includes information related to types of communication media an agent can access. The data can further include information related to an agent's skills, a list of media routes, statistics for communication channels of specified media types, statistics for an agent, and journals for work items. Priority values for the media routes, the maximum number of queued items for the media routes, and times for escalating a work item can also be included.
US08045694B2
An interface for use in a telephone communication system provides for connection of a telephone switch to an IP network, allowing data signals between the telephone switch and a VMS to be transmitted by the IP network. In addition to transmission of the signals over an IP network, the interface can be configured to provide additional functionality including translation of the message protocol; connection of the interface to a network operations center; verification of message accuracy and completeness; acknowledgment of the receipt of a message; activation/deactivation of a message waiting indicator; connection to an SS7 network; back-up transmission between the IP network and the switch; and proxy/redirect of voice signals.
US08045690B2
Systems and methods for providing location information associated with a calling party are disclosed. Generally, a query is received from a network element. A location associated with a calling party is identified in response to receipt of the query, and an indication of the location is transmitted for delivery to a called party.
US08045681B2
A method for operating a communications link between two telecommunications device requires that speech information be transmitted in a speech channel and data signals are transmitted in a data channel that is separate from the speech channel. This provides a particularly user-friendly, convenient method for operating a telecommunications link. To achieve this, display control commands are transmitted in the data channel as data signals, the display control commands triggering a display on a screen of the telecommunications device that receives the display control commands.
US08045678B2
In one embodiment, a method includes applying an output of a substantially monochromatic x-ray beam source to a target tissue along a first path, tuning the output of the substantially monochromatic x-ray beam source, and applying an output of a substantially monochromatic x-ray beam source to a target tissue along a second path different from the first path. The energy of the output of the substantially monochromatic x-ray beam source at the target tissue substantially corresponds to a binding energy level of an electron shell in an atom within the target tissue along the first path. The tuning tunes the substantially monochromatic x-ray beam source such that an energy of the output of the substantially monochromatic x-ray beam source at the target tissue along the second path substantially corresponds to a binding energy level of an electron shell in an atom within the target tissue.
US08045670B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides a phase locked loop that operates on clock signals derived from an RF clock signal generated by the phase locked loop. A frequency reference input provides a reference clock. A controllable oscillator generates the RF clock signal. A phase detection circuit operates on the reference clock to provide digital phase error samples indicative of a phase difference between the reference clock and the RF clock. An interpolator is coupled to the phase detection circuit for performing a sample rate conversion between the reference clock and the clock derived from the RF clock signal.
US08045669B2
In one aspect, a digital PLL (DPLL) operates based on fractional portions of input and output phases. The DPLL accumulates at least one input signal to obtain an input phase. The DPLL determines a fractional portion of an output phase based on a phase difference between an oscillator signal from an oscillator and a reference signal, e.g., using a time-to-digital converter (TDC). The DPLL determines a phase error based on the fractional portion of the input phase and the fractional portion of the output phase. The DPLL then generates a control signal for the oscillator based on the phase error. In another aspect, a DPLL includes a synthesized accumulator that determines a coarse output phase by keeping track of the number of oscillator signal cycles based on the reference signal.
US08045665B2
A method and apparatus for efficiently transmitting large multimedia data over a wireless network are provided. A wireless device includes a device information reading unit which receives and reads information regarding available capabilities of devices included in a wireless network; a control unit which selects a first device which can process a video stream and a second device which can process an audio stream from the devices based on the information; a stream generation unit which generates a video stream and an audio stream which form the same content; and a wireless transmission/reception unit which transmits the generated video stream to the first device and transmits the generated audio stream to the second device.
US08045652B1
A method for communication includes receiving a spatially-multiplexed signal using multiple receivers to produce multiple respective received signals. The spatially-multiplexed signal includes multiple simultaneously-transmitted symbols, which are selected from respective sets of constellation symbols, each constellation symbol representing a respective set of values of a group of data bits. Combinations of the constellation symbols are traversed iteratively. Each combination includes one constellation symbol from each of the sets of the constellation symbols and represents N data bits. The traversed combinations are searched for a combination that matches the received signals. During traversal of the combinations, at least 2N measures of likelihood regarding the values of the data bits represented by each traversed combination are accumulated. The accumulated measures of likelihood are processed to produce soft bit metrics. The values of the data bits carried by the multiple transmitted symbols are reconstructed responsively to the soft bit metrics.
US08045649B2
The invention provides carrier recovery systems and carrier recovery methods. The carrier recovery system comprises a compensation signal generator, a compensation device and a mode selector. The compensation signal generator generates a compensation signal based on a coherent demodulated signal. In a first mode, the compensate device is couple behind an equalizer; the coherent demodulated signal is generated by the compensation device which compensates the output of the equalizer with the compensation signal. In a second mode, the compensate device is coupled prior to the equalizer, compensating the output of a synchronizer with the compensation signal to generate the input of the equalizer. In the second mode, the compensation signal generator receives the output of the equalizer as the coherent demodulated signal. The mode selector switches the carrier recover system from the first mode to the second mode when an estimated frequency offset satisfies a first criterion.
US08045641B2
A method is disclosed for generating data encoded RF (radio frequency) waveform without a separate memory device/chip. The hardware in the proposed method consists of entities performing the operations of time-delay (B), phase shifting (C), attenuation, power dividing (D) and power combining (E). An integral part of the invention is the application of the method in designing radio frequency identification devices or RFID-tags.
US08045635B2
An inter-symbol interference cancellation method for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access system is provided. The inter-symbol interference cancellation method includes transmitting, at a base station, an OFDMA symbol having a first half part and a second half part divided in time; receiving, at a mobile station, the OFDMA symbol; and restoring the OFDMA symbol by repeating one of the first half part or the second half part. The ISI cancellation method for an OFDMA communication system of the present invention uses an OFDMA symbol having two identical parts sequentially arranged in time, whereby it is possible to recover a transmitted OFDMA symbol if at least one of the two parts is successfully received.
US08045634B2
Methods and apparatus for use in reducing residual phase error (RPE) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communication signals are described. In at least one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus includes a residual phase error estimator configured to estimate a residual phase error at least partially based on a plurality of phases of a first channel-compensated received signal and a plurality of phases of a sliced version of the first channel-compensated received signal. The residual phase error estimator is configured to correct a channel estimate at least partially based on the residual phase error estimate to thereby generate a corrected channel estimate. The apparatus includes a channel compensator configured to generate a second channel-compensated received signal at least partially based on a received signal and the corrected channel estimate.
US08045631B2
An apparatus for detecting an OFDM symbol encoded with a transmitted sequence including a filter having coefficients based on a simplified version of the transmitted sequence is disclosed. A computer program product having code and a wireless communications apparatus for performing the method are also described herein.
US08045626B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to realize a signal transmitter which is capable of reducing power consumption and which can be easily designed. A differential transmitter block outputs differential output signals fixed to a predetermined logic signal to a differential receiver block and disconnects terminating resistors from a signal transmission path in an idle state. In the differential receiver block, a differential comparator outputs a logic determined by symbols of the differential output signal from the differential transmitter block, and an operating state detector detects the idle state upon detection that time successively outputting a predetermined logic by the differential comparator reaches a predetermined time, and controls switches so as to disconnect the terminating resistors from the signal transmitter in the receiving side upon detection of the idle state.
US08045624B2
A bit stream generating apparatus comprising header information multiplexer for multiplexing a first coded bit stream, encoded in the H.263 coding scheme, including the first header information of the H.263 coding scheme with the second header information of MPEG-4 coding scheme before the first header information for ensuring compatibility with the MPEG-4 coded bit stream encoded in the MPEG-4 coding scheme, wherein the header information multiplexing means multiplexes the image coded data with video object start code and video object identification number of MPEG-4 coding scheme as the second header information for ensuring compatibility with the MPEG-4 coded bit stream.
US08045622B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for decoding image data including I-picture, P-picture, and B-picture encoded data. A method includes receiving encoded image data and selectively performing a modified inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) process to generate output pixel array blocks at a lower resolution than the resolution of the received image data. The image data can be 8×8 pixel array blocks, which are used to produce lower resolution pixel array blocks such as, for example, 4×8 or 4×4 pixel array blocks. In certain instances, after the IDCT process is performed, the resulting pixel data is up-sampled before motion compensation is performed. Furthermore, in certain instances, the resulting pixel data is subjected to motion compensation and scaled to display size prior to display.
US08045621B2
An image coding method and apparatus considering human visual characteristics are provided. The image coding method comprises (a) modeling image quality distribution of an input image in units of scenes such that the quality of an image input in units of scenes is gradually lowered from a region of interest to a background region, (b) determining a quantization parameter of each region constituting one scene according to the result of modeling of image quality distribution, (c) quantizing image data in accordance with the quantization parameter, and (d) coding entropy of the quantized image data.
US08045613B2
A module for generating real-time, multiple-resolution video streams and the architecture thereof are disclosed. A module for generating multiple-resolution video streams as well as the architecture thereof for use with a video encoder includes a system bus, an external memory and a main processor. The main processor and the external memory are coupled to the system bus. The main processor includes a microprocessor, a main arithmetic unit and a secondary arithmetic unit. By applying the present invention, a less time-consuming arithmetic module can synchronously perform together with a more time-consuming arithmetic module, thereby reducing idle time and increasing hardware efficiency and parallelism.
US08045605B2
There is provided a jitter amplifier circuit for amplifying jitter included in an input signal. The jitter amplifier circuit includes a distorting circuit that receives the input signal, and distorts a waveform of the input signal so as to generate a harmonic component of the input signal, and a filter that passes, out of the distorted signal output from the distorting circuit, a harmonic component of a certain order which is determined in accordance with an amplification ratio of amplifying the jitter.
US08045601B2
A Discrete Multitone Modulation (DMT) system and method with the capability to adapt the system bit rate on-line in a seamless manner. The DMT system provides a robust and fast protocol for completing this seamless rate adaptation. The DMT system also provides a framing and encoding method with reduced overhead compared to conventional DMT systems. The DMT system and method provide seamless rate adaptation with the provision of different power levels. This framing and encoding method enables a system with seamless rate adaptation capability. The system and method of the invention can be implemented in hardware, or alternatively in a combination of hardware and software.
US08045598B2
A technique and system is disclosed for controlling power in a spread spectrum system. A fast slot of a frame is received where the frame is divided into a number of fast slots. The received power is measured on the fast slot. A second fast slot is transmitted at a second time with a transmit power setting and a variable spreading factor. The transmit power setting and the variable spreading factor is adjusted based on the received power. The variable spreading factor affects the total number of fast slots that are transmitted.
US08045589B2
Provided is a radio communication method including: notifying a reception-side radio communication apparatus of omitted-source-address information indicating a first source address permanently assigned to a source device of a first data frame to be transmitted to the reception-side radio communication apparatus; determining whether or not the first source address is identical to a second source address permanently assigned to a source device of a second data frame to be transmitted to the reception-side radio communication apparatus; and transmitting the second data frame to the reception-side radio communication apparatus after omitting transmission of the second source address and also adding, to the second data frame, an omission indication indicating that the second source address is omitted, if the first source address is determined to be identical to the second source address.
US08045587B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for reconstructing a control message, an apparatus for restoring a control message, a method of reconstructing a control message, and a method of restoring a control message. To this end, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for reconstructing a control message, the apparatus including an index parameter generating section that classifies a plurality of first parameters in a control message according to a predetermined criterion to generate group information and generates one or more index parameters corresponding to the group information, and a control message reconstructing section that reconstructs the control message on the basis of the group information and the index parameters. According to the present invention, the size of a control message to be transmitted and received between a base station and a terminal can be reduced, thereby providing more additional services to the terminal through a limited radio resource.
US08045581B2
A method for information transfer allowing for native transfer of voice, data, and any other digital service information over a passive optical network, comprising; the LT transmitting downstream in serially ordered frames broadcast to all of the NT's at a fixed interval; the NT's transmitting upstream in serially ordered frames, said frames being divided into serially ordered time slots, at most one NT transmitting information for at most one service type in each slot; the LT and the NT's exchanging management information, and the LT and the NT's natively transporting service information to each other in both the upstream and downstream directions, according to said management information exchanged between the LT and the NT's.
US08045579B2
The invention relates to a method for managing communication connections in a communication system, comprising the following steps: generation of a connection request with a source network address internally valid in the communication system, over at least one network address translating network node to a network element outside the communication system, acceptance of a connection confirmation with a valid network address of a network element outside the communication system, providing the source network address internally valid in the communication system an the network address valid outside the communication system to a connection entry provided on the network element outside the communication system.
US08045576B2
Methods and apparatus to manage power consumption in wireless devices are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus comprises performing a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI) scan to determine a beacon interval and a first beacon time for a wireless channel, calculating a second beacon time for the wireless channel based on the beacon interval and the first beacon time, and performing a second RSSI scan for the wireless channel during a time interval that includes the calculated second beacon time. In some examples, the wireless channel is a wireless channel that was previously identified as active, is a wireless channel that previously had the highest received power level, and/or is selected from a list of popular or frequently used channels. Additionally or alternatively, when a wireless channel with sufficient signal level is identified, scanning for additional channels is not performed.
US08045568B2
The present invention provides a service node, which extends the services of a carrier's multimedia subsystem (MS), such as an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), to enterprise networks in an efficient and effective manner. As such, MS subscribers gain access to enterprise services in addition to the carrier's services provided via the carrier's circuit switched subsystems (CS) and packet subsystems (PS). The service node acts as a liaison between enterprise application servers and the MS, such that the enterprise application servers appear as MS application servers to the MS. The service node provides user identifier and protocol translation between enterprise and MS user identifiers and protocols, respectively. As such, enterprise application servers can access the MS as well as be accessed by the MS to support user mobility, with continuity of services, between the enterprise and carrier networks.
US08045553B2
Packet data structure formation methods include receiving a request to create a data structure for representing a packet. The request may refer to two or more fields to be included in the packet. The methods further include determining bit values and packet positions associated with the fields and, based on the determining, creating a set of bits comprising the packet. The set of bits include the bit values in the packet positions. The method further includes storing the set of bits using the data structure.
US08045551B2
Systems and methods for private network-to-network interface out-of-band signaling and path blocking
The present invention provides systems and methods to mix In-Band (IB) and Out-of-Band (OOB) signaling mechanisms under the Private Network-to-Network (PNNI) protocol for optical control plane connectivity. The present invention provides mechanisms for establishing and controlling OOB control plane communications. By default, the mechanisms treat all links as IB to discover nodes and links using IB mechanisms. For any blocked links, the link can be configured as OOB if there is a data communication network (DCN) connection to the remote node.
US08045544B2
A method of providing communication service, includes receiving user identification information and first communication service criteria. The user identification information identifies a user, while the first communication service criteria describe a first communication service requested by the user. The method also includes generating a first communication service order based on the first communication service criteria. The first communication service order includes the user identification information and the communication service criteria;The method further includes selecting premise equipment for the user and generating an equipment order, wherein the equipment order includes the user identification information and identifies the selected premise equipment. Additionally, the method includes transmitting the first communication service order to a first service provider and transmitting the equipment order to an equipment provider.
US08045543B2
A technique for supplying alternative contact information when a communication attempt is unsuccessful is described. The technique comprises receiving an inquiry that includes an indication of an unsuccessful communication attempt and an identifier or address for the target of the failed communication attempt. Next, it is determined whether the identifier or address is associated with a group. If so, a response is generated, the response including one or more other identifiers or addresses associated with the group. Finally, the generated response is transferred in response to the inquiry.
US08045542B2
The present invention relates to a method, transmitting device (10) and system for providing user plane traffic during a state of inactive user plane of a connection to an access network. A sequence of successive packet headers, adapted to continue a header sequence transmitted until the start of the state of inactive user plane is generated, and respective dummy portions are added to the sequence of successive packet headers. The generated stream of data packets is then transmitted from the transmitting device (10) via the unlicensed mobile access network during the state of inactive user plane so as to obtain a continuous stream of user data irrespective of the state of inactive user plane. Thereby, user plane traffic can also be provided during states of inactive user plane of the transmitting device (10), e.g. holding states, call setup states or mute states, and real-time traffic requirements can be met.
US08045536B2
A transmitter/receiver system for high data transfer in a wireless communication system includes a physical layer processor that comprises an FEC coder, a demultiplexer and a plurality of modem processors. The FEC coder applies error correction codes to the high data rate signal. Thereafter, the demultiplexer distributes portions of the coded high data rate signal to the modem processors. Each modem processor processes its respective portion of the coded signal for transmission in an independent channel.
US08045532B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receive a connection event message including information identifying a wireless node, wherein the identifying information comprises a wireless node identifier and an area code associated with the wireless node; determine, based on the area code, whether the wireless node is connected to its home wireless network region; add the identifying information to a location services table; and if the wireless node is not connected to its home network region, transmit a remote connection event message to a home area code authority server corresponding to the wireless node.
US08045530B2
A method and device for routing data packets of a wireless terminal device in a communication network. When Open system Authentication is used, the system operates similarly as the current Nokia Operator Wireless LAN system, in which the terminal device and the access controller are the parties involved in the authentication. The access controller relays information relating to the authentication between the terminal device and an authenticating server, and it is capable of updating independently the list of users it maintains. When authentication according IEEE 802.1X authentication, the access point operates according to the IEEE 802.1X standard, serving as the authenticating party and relaying information relating to the authentication between the terminal device and the authentication server. In addition, the list maintained by the access controller is updated after a successful authentication, for example by the access point or the authenticating server.
US08045529B2
A terminal station radio communication device belongs to a second radio communication system which shares a frequency channel with a first radio communication system in which a radio terminal station communicates with a radio base station in a predetermined time period using a predetermined frequency channel. The terminal station radio communication device includes: a transmission power determining unit which sets up signal transmission power, the signal transmission power being usable for communications between radio communication devices belonging to the second radio communication system, and being determined such that reception power at the radio base station is below a predetermined threshold; a synchronizer enabling the radio terminal station to obtain timing information to start signal transmission; and a signal transmitter starting transmitting the signal at the timing represented by the timing information and terminating the signal transmission within a predetermined time period.
US08045521B2
Interworking in a multi-protocol revision based Evolution Data Only/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) communication system is described. In this scheme, an access terminal (AT) and an access network (AN) perform session configuration in multi-protocol scenarios. The AT maintains a set indicating all the protocol revisions it supports. The AT and AN start their session negotiation with the subtypes corresponding to the highest protocol revision supported by AT and AN. There are two scenarios in which AT sends the Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) request message with protocol revisions: power up and idle handoff.
US08045515B2
A method of signal transmission according to one embodiment includes requesting a packet data serving node to filter a specified traffic flow from among a stream of packets. The method also includes requesting a radio access network to provide an indicated quality-of-service (QoS) treatment for the flow over a wireless air interface. The method further includes rescinding the request to filter or the request to provide a QoS treatment in response to a failure of the other request.
US08045514B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting frames in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), each station in the WLAN determines whether there is another station in a hidden state. The station transmits a frame to an Access Point (AP) without performing an Request To Send/Clear To Send (RTS/CTS) mechanism when there is another station in a hidden state, thereby improving use efficiency of the wireless network and minimizing frame transmission delay.
US08045509B2
There is provided a movement detection method of a mobile node in a DSMIP6 environment. The movement detection method includes performing neighbor unreachability detection in a network to which a mobile node moves, confirming network movement detection and simultaneously performing IPv4 address allocation when the neighbor unreachability detection fails, performing router discovery at the same time as the IPv4 address allocation, recognizing the movement detection into the IPv4 network when the IPv4 address allocation succeeds, and recognizing the movement detection into the IPv6 network when the router discovery and the IPv6 router discovery succeed. Therefore, the movement detection method can be useful to continuously perform operations as defined in a DSMIP6 specification so as to confirm whether the network to which the mobile node moves is an IPv6 network or an IPv4 network and detect movement to the confirmed network, and to perform a binding update in time.
US08045502B2
In a communication network (100), a method (400) of reserving X slots (610) for transmitting data from a source device (110A) to a destination device (110D) via multi-hop relay includes sending a first hop reservation request from the source device (110A) to a second device (110), for transmitting data from the source device to the destination device. The first hop reservation request identifies the source device, the destination device, and X proposed slots (610) to be reserved for the first hop. The source device then receives a first message, addressed to the source device from the second device, indicating that the first hop reservation request is pending and that the X slots proposed by the source device have been reserved by the second device. Later, the source device receives a subsequent message indicating whether a final hop reservation request has been accepted by the destination device.
US08045499B2
The present invention discloses, in a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having at least one repeater, a plurality of channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, a repeater receives a message that identifies a channel that is selected to serve as a rest channel for the system. The channel that is currently serving as the rest channel for the system is monitored by subscriber units that are idle in the system. If the repeater determines that the channel selected to serve as the rest channel is hosted by the repeater, the repeater periodically transmits an identity of the channel as the channel currently serving as the rest channel on at least the channel.
US08045497B2
A system for allocating a wireless resource for a Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA) communication is provided. The system for allocating the wireless resource for the SDMA communication includes: a channel state recognition unit to recognize a channel state of wireless channels generated among adjacent nodes including a source node, a relay node, and a destination node; and a wireless resource allocation unit to control at least one of an amount of channel state information fed back from the destination node to the source node, and a relay level of a relay signal, the relay signal being generated by relaying a source signal transmitted from the source node, according to the channel state.
US08045495B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for resource allocation for multicast data in a broadband wireless access system. In the method, multicast packets are scheduled. Thereafter, a resource allocation message for the scheduled multicast packets divided into a second multicast resource allocation message including information of a user group using a multicast ID and a first multicast resource allocation message including information transmitted in common to users of the user group, and the corresponding message including changed information is transmitted for a change of information. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a waste of resource that is due to the duplicate transmission of some fields of resource allocation information about multicast data.
US08045494B2
A system (400), device (500) (401), and method are provided for power saving in a wireless communication network (400), where all devices (401i) regularly transmit a beacon (600) but can enter a hibernation mode in which they do not transmit beacons (600) and operate in a power-saving state. A device (400) announces the start (303) and duration (304) of the hibernation period in its beacon (600) prior to its hibernation period. The neighboring devices (401i) keep information on the presence of the beacon (600) of the hibernating device (401) in their own beacons (600) in order to block the beacon slot (204) for the hibernating device (401) during its sleep time. Devices (401i) furthermore include an information element (604) in their beacons (600) that contains all receiver addresses for which a device (401i) has data pending to be sent.
US08045486B2
Active directory (AD) Domain Controllers (DC) discovery includes determining the topology of the network, such as the nodes and connections in the network. For example, synthetic data may be transferred within the network and traced to determine the presence and relationships of the various network components. Alternatively, other mapping techniques are based upon mapping a known set of nodes to determine the relationship of the nodes. Next, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) commands are forwarded to the various nodes to identify the AD DC within a range of IP addresses discovered during the mapping of to the topology of the network.
US08045474B2
A method and apparatus for tracking at least one Layer-2 (L2) resource of a network device is provided. The method includes monitoring software operations on the L2 resource. The method further includes monitoring the state of the L2 resource in a corresponding hardware device (e.g., the network device). The L2 resource may be at least one of a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifier, a MAC address, and a VLAN identifier pair.
US08045467B2
Data packet processing is described. A set of first data packets is accessed. A number of the first data packets are identified as candidate data packets to be potentially transmitted over a network to a receiver. The number of candidate data packets is then reduced so that a number of second data packets comprising error correction information for one or more of the first data packets can be increased.
US08045466B2
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of sending, from a processing system, a message to a destination identified in the message, the destination being one of a plurality of destinations, the message being sent via an intermediate module, each of the processing system and the destinations being connected to the intermediate module by individual point-to-point connections, comprising: resolving the address of the destination identified in the message; sending the message and the resolved address across the connection to the intermediate module; and at the intermediate module, receiving the message and resolved address, selecting, based on the resolved address, through which of the point-to-point connections the message should be sent; and sending the message through the selected connection.
US08045463B2
In example methods and algorithms, a node in a wireless mesh network calculates an estimated cost for a packet flow through the node. The estimation may be based on the back-log at the node and the cost of downstream neighbor nodes for the flow. Further, selection of a downstream flow and a downstream neighbor node may be based on the estimation. A packet re-ordering algorithm is also described which intercepts packets received at a node and delays delivery of the packet to the IP layer if an earlier packet in the sequence of packets has not been received.
US08045442B2
An optical information recording/reproducing device includes a liquid optical element containing a liquid crystal polymer layer in an optical head. A liquid crystal optical element drive unit drives a liquid crystal optical element having a first pattern electrode divided into a plurality of region at one side of the liquid crystal polymer layer in the optical axis direction. The first pattern electrode includes a first region arranged to surround the optical axis and second to ninth regions arranged outside the first regions in such a manner that the circumference is divided eight portions. The liquid crystal optical element drive unit applies a first effective voltage to the first region, a second effective voltage to the second and the sixth region, a third effective voltage to the third and the seventh region, a fourth effective voltage to the fourth and the eighth region, and a fifth effective voltage to the fifth and the ninth region. An average value of the second and the fourth effective voltage and an average value of the third and the fifth effective voltage are identical to the first effective voltage. The voltage applied to the respective regions of the pattern region of the liquid crystal optical element is decided in a short time so as to optimize the quality of the reproduction signal.
US08045436B2
The present invention provides an apparatus of an optical disc drive for adjusting a focus error signal. The apparatus includes a focus offset determining unit and an adjusting module. The focus offset determining unit is utilized for determining a target focus offset corresponding to a target condition, and the adjusting module is coupled to the focus offset determining unit and utilized for receiving the focus error signal and adjusting the focus error signal with the target focus offset to generate an adjusted focus error signal.
US08045431B2
In the multi-tone demodulation (MTD) technique, even if an input bandwidth is widened to obtain a larger SNR gain, an increase in the signal to noise ration (SNR) gain cannot always be obtained due to clock jitter that increases clock noise. Also, noise is sometimes superimposed on the clock supplied to an analog to digital converter circuit (ADS) and the noise lowers the performance. Accordingly, the optical disc apparatus loosely regulates the bandwidth of a pulsed read signal; boosts the high-frequency components of a waveform of a driving signal of a laser diode; and synchronizes autonomously a driving clock of the ADC and a digital to analog converter circuit (DAC) with a clock of the pulsed read signal.
US08045430B2
A recording medium of writable once type, and a method and apparatus for managing a defective area on the recording medium are provided. The method includes detecting an existence of a defective area within a data area of the recording medium once data are written onto the data area in a data writing operation; writing data written in the defective area onto a spare area of the data area if the defective area is detected; writing temporary management information pertaining to the defective area, onto a temporary management area on the recording medium; and writing access information for accessing the temporary management information, onto a reserved area on the recording medium.
US08045417B2
A system and method for locating subsurface diffractors. The method operates on two-dimensional (2-D) seismic data that includes one or more 2-D seismic lines. The 2-D seismic data may be preprocessed to enhance diffracted energy. For each hypothetical diffractor location in a set of hypothetical diffractor locations, the method involves analyzing at least a subset of the seismic traces of the one or more 2-D seismic lines, in order to compute a value indicating an extent to which those seismic traces contain diffraction arrivals consistent with the hypothetical diffractor location. The method may further involve generating, storing and displaying an image (or map) based on the computed values. The image may illustrate areas of high, intermediate and low diffraction, and may be used to assess the formation.
US08045415B2
Techniques are disclosed for reading operating parameters from programmable elements on memory devices to configure a memory system. More specifically, programmable elements, such as antifuses, located on a memory device are programmed during fabrication with measured operating parameters corresponding to the memory device. Operating parameters may include, for example, operating current values, operating voltages, or timing parameters. The memory device may be incorporated into a memory module that is incorporated into a system. Once the memory module is incorporated into a system, the programmable elements may be accessed such that the memory system can be configured to optimally operate in accordance with the operating parameters measured for each memory device in the system.
US08045409B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cells that are arranged at intersections of a word line with bit line pairs, a precharge circuit that is arranged for each of the bit line pairs and is configured to precharge each of the bit line pairs, and a Y-switch circuit that is arranged for each of the bit line pairs and is configured to select each of the bit line pairs. The semiconductor memory device further includes a mode switching unit that switches the normal mode and the test mode in accordance with a mode selection signal that is externally supplied, a plurality of individual control units that control operation of each of the precharge circuits in accordance with operation of each of the Y-switch circuits in the normal mode, and a block control unit that collectively turns off all of the precharge circuits in the test mode.
US08045394B2
A semiconductor memory device in accordance with the present invention is able to facilitate detecting whether a word line fails or not by floating the word line. The semiconductor memory device includes a word line driver, and a floating controller. The word line driver is configured to control a word line to be enabled/disabled. The floating controller is configured to control the word line driver to float the word line in response to a word line floating signal.
US08045392B2
The programming method of the present invention minimizes program disturb by initially programming cells on the same word line with the logical state having the highest threshold voltage. The remaining cells on the word line are programmed to their respective logical states in order of decreasing threshold voltage levels.
US08045386B2
Methods and apparatus for programming a memory cell using one or more blocking memory cells facilitate mitigation of capacitive voltage coupling. The methods include applying a program voltage to a selected memory cell of a string of memory cells, and applying a cutoff voltage to a set of one or more memory cells of the string between the selected memory cell and a select gate. The methods further include applying a pass voltage to one or more other memory cells of the string between the selected memory cell and the select gate. Other methods further include applying other pass voltages, other cutoff voltages and/or intermediate voltages to still other memory cells of the string.
US08045384B2
Program disturb is reduced in a non-volatile storage system during a programming operation by switching from using programming pulses of a longer duration to programming pulses of a shorter duration, partway through the programming operation. A switchover point can be based on temperature, selected word line position and/or tracking of storage elements to a trigger state. The switchover point occurs sooner for higher temperatures, and for drain side word lines. The trigger state can be selected based on temperature. A portion of storage elements which are required to reach the trigger state to trigger a switchover can also be set a function of temperature. Programming pulses of a shorter duration improve channel boosting for inhibited storage elements, thereby reducing program disturb for these storage elements.
US08045383B2
A non-volatile memory device may include a semiconductor substrate including an active region at a surface thereof, a first memory cell string on the active region, and a second memory cell string on the active region. The first memory cell string may include a first plurality of word lines crossing the active region between a first ground select line and a first string select line, and about a same first spacing may be provided between adjacent ones of the first plurality of word lines. The second memory cell string may include a second plurality of word lines crossing the active region between a second ground select line and a second string select line, and about the same first spacing may be provided between adjacent ones of the second plurality of word lines. Moreover, the first ground select line may be between the second ground select line and the first plurality of word lines, and the second ground select line may be between the first ground select line and the second plurality of word lines. Moreover, portions of the active region between the first and second ground select lines may be free of word lines, and a second spacing between the first and second ground select lines may be at least about 3 times greater than the first spacing. Related methods are also discussed.
US08045380B2
A flash memory and a program method of the flash memory include applying a pass voltage to word lines to boost a channel voltage, which is discharged to a ground voltage. A program voltage is applied to a selected word line and a local voltage is applied to at least one word line supplied with the pass voltage while the program voltage is being applied to the selected word line. The local voltage is lower than the pass voltage and equal to or higher than the ground voltage. The boosted channel voltage may be discharged before the program voltage is applied to the selected word line.
US08045379B2
A semiconductor device includes an N-type insulated-gate field-effect transistor including a first insulating layer that is provided along side walls of a gate electrode, has a negative thermal expansion coefficient, and applies a tensile stress to a channel region of the N-type insulated-gate field-effect transistor. The device also includes a P-type insulated-gate field-effect transistor including a second insulating layer that is provided along side walls of a gate electrode, has a positive thermal expansion coefficient, and applies a compression stress to a channel region of the P-type insulated-gate field-effect transistor.
US08045376B2
A flash memory device including memory cells, each memory cell configured to store bits, a sensing circuit configured to sequentially sense, for each memory cell, sets of the bits of the memory cell, a data rearrangement unit configured to receive words of data and to rearrange bits of the words to be stored in the memory cells, and an output circuit configured to output a group of the words using the sets of bits from one sensing, at least as early as during a subsequent sensing of sets of bits.
US08045374B2
A suitable erase verification (ERSV) method of a flash memory apparatus is provided, which is different from the conventional ERSV method. That is, by managing the ERSV operation on the flash memory after at least once of erase operation, a flash memory controller in the flash memory apparatus selectively assigns at least one of de-selected sectors instead of all of the de-selected sectors to perform the ERSV. Therefore, by managing the ERSV operation on the flash memory, the time for the ERSV operation thereon is reduced.
US08045372B2
A flash memory device includes a plurality of memory cell blocks, an operating voltage generator, a block switching unit and a voltage supply circuit. Each of the plurality of memory cell blocks includes select lines and word lines, and has pass word lines included between the select lines and the word lines. The operating voltage generator outputs operating voltages to global select lines, global word lines and global pass word lines. The block switching unit connects the global word lines to the word lines and the select lines in response to a block select signal. The voltage supply circuit is connected to the select line and the pass word line, and is configured to supply the select line and the pass word line with a ground voltage in response to a block select inverse signal.
US08045369B2
The invention provides a semiconductor device including a memory of a simple structure to provide an inexpensive semiconductor device and a driving method thereof. The semiconductor device of the invention includes a phase change memory including a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells, a control circuit that controls the phase change memory, and an antenna. The memory cell array includes a plurality of bit lines that extend in a first direction and word lines that extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each of the plurality of memory cells includes a phase change layer provided between the bit lines and the word lines. In the semiconductor device having the aforementioned structure, one or both of a conductive layer that forms the bit lines and a conductive layer that forms the word lines transmits light.
US08045354B2
A method for operating a matrix converter to convert n phases of a generator into alternating voltage with nr (nr
US08045348B2
A controller for a switching mode power supply includes two semiconductor chips. The first semiconductor chip has a high-voltage startup transistor coupled to a high voltage supply input terminal and configured to provide a charging current in a startup phase or protection mode of a switching mode power supply (SMPS) and to provide substantially no current in a normal operation phase of the SMPS. The second semiconductor chip has a control circuit for controlling the switching mode power supply. The second semiconductor chip also has first and second on-chip high-voltage resistors coupled to the high-voltage supply input terminal and the high-voltage startup transistor in the first semiconductor chip. The first and the second on-chip high-voltage resistors are configured to provide a voltage and a current related to a voltage at the high-voltage supply input terminal.
US08045343B2
A server carrier assembly includes a server carrier configured for receiving a server therein, and a cable collecting structure mounted to the server carrier. The cable collecting structure includes a bracket and at least one receiving portion extending from the bracket. A space between the bracket and the receiving portion is defined for collecting at least one cable of the server. At least one opening is defined in the bracket and configured for the cable of the server to extend there through.
US08045339B2
A multiple component mounting system includes a first carrier including a base. A plurality of first component coupling members are located on the base and define a first component channel. At least one of the first component coupling members include a first resilient member that is operable to engage a first component when the first component is located in the first component channel in order to secure the first component to the base free of the use of a tool. A plurality of second component coupling members are located on the base and define a second component channel. At least one of the second component coupling members include a second resilient member that is operable to engage a second component when the second component is located in the second component channel in order to secure the second component to the base free of the use of a tool. A plurality of second carrier coupling members are located on the base and operable to secure the base to a second carrier that may then be mounted to an information handling system chassis.
US08045338B2
This structure for mounting an indicator unit on an electronic apparatus includes an indicator unit including a wiring board and a lens member having a first pressing portion pressing a first surface of the wiring board and a housing of an electronic apparatus, mounted with the indicator unit, including a second pressing portion pressing a second surface of the wiring board. The wiring board is so held between the first pressing portion of the lens member and the second pressing portion of the housing as to be fixed.
US08045334B2
Component adapted for being mounted on a substrate and a method of mounting a surface mounted device
A supporting component (1) adapted for being mounted on a substrate (11) and for serving as a support for a surface mounted device (15) comprises a body (2) having a first surface (3) adapted for being mounted on the substrate (11), and a second surface (4) being adapted for supporting the surface mounted device (15). The second surface (4) is inclined in relation to the first surface (3). The supporting component (1) further comprises a first supporting component conductor (6) adapted for forming an electrical contact between a first substrate conductor (12) of the substrate (11) and a first electrode (16) of the surface mounted device (15). In a method of mounting a surface mounted device (15) in an inclined manner on a substrate (11) the supporting component (1) is mounted on the substrate (11) with the surface mounted device (15) on top of it.
US08045320B2
A capacitor includes a wound element, and externally take-out electrode members corresponding respectively to a first pole and a second pole and connected to each one of end faces of the wound element. This capacitor features that the wound element is positively fixed to the externally take-out electrode members, and has advantageously a small internal resistance. Collectors in inner circumference region of the wound element are bent in an opposite direction to a core of a winding shaft, and collectors in an outer circumference region are bent toward the core of the winding shaft. End faces of these collectors are connected to a lid, thereby forming a first pole of the capacitor, and end faces of those collectors are connected to a housing, thereby forming a second pole of the capacitor.
US08045314B2
A method of converting atmospheric electrical discharge to a useable form of energy by arresting, storage and retransmission of lightning induced electrical discharge is disclosed. The invention discloses methods of deploying this technology even in isolated locations where no electricity infrastructure exists. Additionally, the potential for achieving in excess of 1 GWe of electrical power supply at costs orders of magnitude lower than fossil fuel or solar is also disclosed. Isolated collection units are disclosed. A method of deployment of these devices on individual cars and recharge stations is disclosed which in effect unplugs these automotive and recharge stations from the grid. This capability significantly decreases their dependence on the electricity grid infrastructure, enabling a much more enhanced rollout capability for the industry. The concept of Energy Dams is disclosed. These are facilities with substantial electrical energy storage capacities with the capability of receiving energy feeds from various generation sources.
US08045312B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a printed circuit board including a first rigid circuit board layer having a first signal trace arrayed on it, a second rigid circuit board layer having a second signal trace arrayed on it, a first signal path coupled between the first signal trace and the second signal trace, an electrostatic discharge device located between the first rigid circuit board layer and the second rigid circuit board layer, the electrostatic discharge device having a first electrode coupled to the first signal path, an electrostatic discharge reactance layer coupled to the first electrode, and a second electrode coupled to the electrostatic discharge layer but not coupled to the first signal path. The circuit board also having a ground plane, where the ground plane is coupled to the second electrode.
US08045311B2
A load driving and diagnosis system controls the feed and block of a load current flowing into an inductor such as a solenoid. The load driving and diagnosis system holds a counter-electromotive force, which is developed when the load current is blocked, at a voltage higher than a supply voltage so that the load current will decay for a short time. When an overcurrent condition is established in the load driving and diagnosis system because of a short circuit to a power supply, a malfunction of a circuit or destruction thereof may take place. In addition to a voltage holding means that holds a switching circuit output voltage at a predetermined voltage, a voltage holding means having a different predetermined voltage set therein is included. Moreover, a selection switch that switches the predetermined voltages according to a detected overcurrent condition is included.
US08045306B2
An electrical-overstress (EOS) protection circuit for an electronic device includes series-connected resistors, a mode-control switch, and a bias circuit. The series-connected resistors are electrically coupled between an input and an output, and the mode-control switch is electrically coupled between the output and a ground. The bias circuit is electrically coupled to the input for generating a mode-control signal to control the mode-control switch. The bias circuit generates the mode-control signal in a way such that the mode-control switch is open in a normal mode and closed in an EOS mode.
US08045296B1
An integrated lead flexure having a spring metal layer, a dielectric insulating layer on a side of the spring metal layer, a conductor layer on the side of the insulating layer opposite the spring metal layer and a coverlay on the side of the conductor layer opposite the insulating layer. The flexure further includes base region, a gimbal region extending from the base region, and a tail region extending from the base region opposite the gimbal region. The conductor layer includes terminal pads at the tail region and head bond pads at the gimbal region. Traces in the conductor layer extend between the terminal pads and the head bond pads across the tail, base and gimbal regions. One or more spring metal windows in the spring metal layer at the tail region are adjacent to substantial portions of at least some of the traces. One or more coverlay windows in the coverlay at the tail region are adjacent to substantial portions of the tail region spring metal windows.
US08045291B2
A perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole layer exposed to an opposing surface opposite a recording medium, applying a perpendicular recording magnetic field to the recording medium; a return yoke layer disposed in the opposing surface opposite the recording medium above or below the main magnetic pole layer, the return yoke layer receiving the recording magnetic field returning thereto after passing through the recording medium; and a planarized nonmagnetic layer filling the surroundings of the return yoke layer to planarized the return yoke layer. Inclined or curved surfaces are formed at both sides in a track width direction of the return yoke layer, the inclined or curved surfaces gradually broadening the dimension of the return yoke layer in the track width direction as the inclined or curved surfaces extend from front end surfaces thereof exposed to the opposing surface opposite the recording medium in the height direction. A cohesive layer is disposed between the return yoke layer and the planarized nonmagnetic layer to increase the cohesive properties between the return yoke layer and the planarized nonmagnetic layer compared with the case in which the return yoke layer is directly connected to the planarized nonmagnetic layer.
US08045286B2
A contact type thin film magnetic head and method of using the same are provided. The contact type thin film magnetic head comprises a head element that is provided on a disk-facing surface of a slider, a magnetic disk, and heating elements disposed in a plane position different from that of the head element. A protective layer covers the heating elements and the head element. The heating elements and the protecting layer are formed on the disk-facing surface of the slider. The protective layer protrudes further toward the magnetic disk than the head element.
US08045278B2
Along an optical axis from an object side to an image side, a short overall length imaging lens system with four lenses includes a first lens with positive power that is a meniscus spherical/aspherical lens with a convex surface on the object side; an aperture stop; a second lens with negative power that is a meniscus aspherical lens with a convex surface facing the object side; a third lens with positive power that is a meniscus aspherical lens and a concave surface on the object side; and a fourth lens with negative power that is a biconcave aspherical lens with at least one inflection point in the effective diameter range of the optical surface on the image side so as to make the positive power gradually change into negative power. Moreover, the imaging lens system satisfies the following conditions: 0.25 ≤ d 2 + d 4 + d 6 f s ≤ 0.40 ; 0.8 ≤ Y · tan ( ω ) Bf ≤ 2.7 Thereby the imaging lens system provides good aberration correction with reduced overall lens length. Moreover, due to simple shape of the optical surface of each lens, the lens is easy to be produced, the lens system is minimized and the cost is reduced.
US08045277B2
A cam locus of the cam surface on the image plane side of the first group cam groove of the rotating cylinder has an angle to a flat surface where the optical axis crosses perpendicularly. When the cam follower engages with the cam surface on the image plane side, an impact force is dispersed into the optical axis direction and the rotating direction of the rotating cylinder, and a load on the cam follower and male helicoid is reduced. When the first group lens system is pressed by a light load, the cam follower of the first group lens movement frame engages with the cam surface on the image plane side, and an angle of the cam surface is equal to an angle of a force occurring in the rotating direction. Therefore, the rotating cylinder does not rotate easily, and returns to its previous position when the load is removed.
US08045271B2
The present invention is to provide a laser irradiation technique for irradiating the irradiation surface with the laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution using a cylindrical lens array without being affected by the intensity distribution of the original beam. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator is divided by two kinds of cylindrical lens arrays into a plurality of beams, which are two kinds of linear laser beams with their energy intensity distribution inverted each other, and the two kinds of linear laser beams are superposed in a minor-axis direction. This can form the linear laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution on the irradiation surface.
US08045268B2
In a refraction lens having an aspheric shape formed thereon and having a positive power, a diffraction grating is formed on at least one of the faces of the refraction lens. In order to reduce the curvature of field and the chromatic aberration in a well-balanced manner, the zonal pitch of the diffraction grating is constituted so as to satisfy the following conditional expression. [ eq . 19 ] 0.21 m 2 v d λ f h max < Λ min < 0.30 m 2 v d λ f h max ( 1 ) Herein, Λmin is a minimum zonal pitch 12; m is an order of diffraction; νd is an Abbe number of the lens substrate material with respect to the d-line; λ is a wavelength; f is an effective focal length; and hmax is an effective radius 13 of the face on which the diffraction grating is formed.
US08045263B2
A device for wide-field and high resolution imaging of an object surface includes first and second imaging modalities, a lens associated with the second imaging modality. The first imaging modality is high resolution with a first observation line. The second imaging modality is arranged in an image plane at a first angle with respect to an object plane and has a second observation line and a wider imaging field than the first imaging modality. The lens associated with the second imaging modality is arranged in a lens plane at a second angle with respect to the object plane, where the second angle being equal to about one-half of the first angle. The first and second imaging modalities are mutually arranged such that the first and second optical axes intersect at a point on the object plane.
US08045260B2
The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor lasers and laser projection systems. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of operating a laser projection system is provided. According to the method, the laser projection system is utilized to display a sequence of pixelized image frames comprising an alternating sequence of relatively high intensity active projection periods ModON and relatively low intensity inactive projection periods ModOFF. A complementary control signal transitions between an active state QON during the relatively high intensity active projection periods ModON and an inactive state QOFF during the relatively low intensity inactive projection periods ModOFF. The transition of the complementary control signal from the inactive state QOFF to the active state QON is conditioned to anticipate initiation of relatively high intensity active projection periods ModON such that it is optimized upon initiation of the relatively high intensity active projection periods ModON. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US08045253B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for obtaining images of objects with higher resolution than the diffraction limit. In one aspect, a method for collecting evanescent waves scattered from an object comprises electronically configuring a reconfigurable device to operate as a grating for one or more lattice periods using a computing device. Propagating waves scattered from the object pass through the reconfigurable device and a portion of evanescent waves scattered from the object are projected into the far field of the object. The method includes detecting propagating waves and detecting the portion of evanescent waves projected into the far field for each lattice period using an imaging system.
US08045251B2
Techniques for producing higher fidelity interferometer measurements by reducing sensitivity to spurious sources include reducing the coherence length of an electromagnetic beam. In addition, multiple surfaces within an optical system may be measured by electronically tuning the position of a coherence plane along the optical paths of an interferometer. A phase modulator is used in conjunction with a long coherence length electromagnetic source to generate beams for each leg of an interferometer. Providing a controlled broadband RF signal to the phase modulator increases the bandwidth of the beam and thereby reduces the coherence length of the beam. This reduces the spurious contributions to the output interference fringes from undesired surfaces along the beam path.
US08045248B2
An optical scanning device includes a light source, a light-beam splitting unit, a deflector, and a scanning optical system. The light-beam splitting unit splits a light beam from the light source into a plurality of light beams, so that the light beams are each incident to any one of reflecting surfaces of the deflector while having a phase difference of approximately π/2. The scanning optical system receives the light beams from the deflector and projects each of the light beams onto a corresponding target surface.
US08045243B2
Synthesized images having unpredictable appearances are obtained when generating the synthesized images by arranging a plurality of images in predetermined formats. A monotone image generating section generates a plurality of monotone images, by converting each of a plurality of images into monotone images of random hues. A synthesizing section arranges the plurality of monotone images in the predetermined layout, to generate the synthesized image.
US08045232B2
An image display medium displays an image including a first region having a first composite image. The first composite image includes a first display image and a first latent image. The first display image includes at least one of a first halftone dot image and a first line image having a first linearity. The first halftone dot image and the first line image have such densities as are not reproduced by copying. The first latent image includes at least one of a second halftone dot image and a second line image having a second linearity. The second halftone dot image and the second line image have such densities as are not reproduced by copying. The first and second linearities produce different moiré patterns when the first display and the first latent images are enlarged by a first common optical system.
US08045225B2
An image forming apparatus includes a data recording unit to store a misregistration amount of a scanning line from an ideal scanning line when a plurality of laser beams is scanned in a main scanning direction, a calculation unit to calculate a shape of the scanning line based on the misregistration amount stored, and to determine a scanning line curvature cancellation curve which cancels misregistration of the calculated shape of the scanning line, and an image forming unit to form an image that reflects the scanning line curvature cancellation curve by shifting image data which is read out from a memory unit in a sub scanning direction according to the scanning line curvature cancellation curve. The image forming unit corrects the amount of misregistration which is smaller than a main scanning line interval by adjusting a transfer point at which the image data is shifted in the sub scanning direction.
US08045221B2
An image-processing device includes: a color conversion unit that converts an input image data expressed by a combination of light's primary colors into an intermediate image data in which a color of each pixel is expressed by a combination of basic printing colors; a density correction unit that corrects the intermediate image data so that density of a pixel of the intermediate image data corresponds to that of a corresponding pixel of the input image data; an identifying unit that identifies an area in which the density is close to a prescribed value by analyzing the intermediate image data; and an output unit that corrects a density distribution in a pixel of the intermediate image data contained in the area in accordance with a prescribed distribution function and outputs the result.
US08045218B2
A digital image processing method. The method includes printing a first set of reference marks on one side of a substrate with a first print engine; printing a second set of reference marks on the same side of the substrate as the first set of reference marks with a second print engine; sensing both sets of reference marks on the substrate with an image sensing unit and generating a digital image of the reference marks; performing image analysis on the digital image to obtain an image-to-image distortion map where the image-to-image distortion map is a local measure of difference between the first set of reference marks and the second set of reference marks; and generating a compensated customer image by using the image-to-image distortion map to reduce registration errors when using the first and second print engines.
US08045206B2
When a setting relating to the print quality of a printer 3 is changed (T601), sending of ssdp:byebye to PCs 2 (T603) and time measurement by a timer 37 (T605) are executed. Then, after the elapse of 30 seconds from the start of time measurement by the timer 37, ssdp:alive is sent to the PCs 2 (T615). Even if a paper size related setting change (T607) or multiple page printing (condensed printing) setting change (T609) is made during this 30-second interval, ssdp:alive is not sent to the PCs 2 for those changes executed during the 30-second interval.
US08045203B2
A method for a computer includes determining a call-in fax telephone number called by a facsimile transmission device, receiving the facsimile transmission from a facsimile transmission device including a digitized representation of a transmission page including an optical representation of a e-mail address, determining the e-mail address optically, which is independent of the call-in number, determining a graphics template associated with the call-in number, combining a digitized representation of the transmission page with the graphics template to form a digitized representation of a composite page, formatting the digitized representation of the composite page into a second format, determining additional service provider data in response to the facsimile or the scanned image, and transmitting the additional service provider data and the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format to the electronic destination address.
US08045201B2
The printing apparatus includes: a printing device which prints onto a prescribed print medium; a print result prediction device which predicts a print result on the print medium and accordingly outputs print result prediction data including image region print result prediction data for an image region and text region print result prediction data for a text region, the image region and the text region being recognized as an image and a text, respectively, by a person viewing a correct print result, the text region print result prediction data including a text code; an image reading device which optically reads in the print result on the print medium and accordingly outputs print result read data, the image reading device being disposed on a downstream side of a printing position of the print medium and on an upstream side of an output position of the print medium in a conveyance path along which the print medium is conveyed; and a print result judgment device which judges a printing failure on the print medium in accordance with the print result prediction data outputted from the print result prediction device and the print result read data outputted from the image reading device.
US08045192B2
An image processing apparatus disclosed in the present application includes a destination designation receiving unit that receives a designation of a destination to which image data is transmitted; a security information acquiring unit that acquires security information of the destination; and an image data transmitting unit that transmits the image data to the destination, using the security information acquired by the security information acquiring unit.
US08045186B2
An image processing system includes a profile generating section, a designating section, a calculating section and a correcting section. The profile generating section generates a color conversion profile based on first colorimetric values obtained from a first color chart output from a target device and second colorimetric values obtained from a second color chart from an output device other than the target device. The calculating section calculates difference information between a first data value obtained by converting a designated color into a device-independent color space and a second data value obtained by converting the designated color using the color conversion profile into a second color and converting the second color using the device-independent color space. The correcting section corrects the first colorimetric values based on the difference information. The profile generating section generates the color conversion profile again based on the corrected first colorimetric values.
US08045178B2
An interferometric tracking device is disclosed. A first grating is optically coupled to a second grading such that the second grating is rotationally offset from the first grating. Imaging optics are adapted to image light passing through the first and second gratings onto a focal plane array. A plurality of wedge plates are optically disposed between the imaging optics and the second grating, such that the wedge plates generate a plurality of spots on the FPA when light from a point source is incident upon the first grating.
US08045177B2
An apparatus and method according to an exemplary embodiment of to the present invention can provide imaging information associated with at least one portion of a sample. For example, at least two first different wavelengths of at least one first electro-magnetic radiation within a first wavelength range may be provided on the portion of the sample so as to determine at least one first transverse location of the portion. At least two second different wavelengths of at least one second electro-magnetic radiation may also be provided within a second wavelength range provided on the portion so as to determine at least one second transverse location of the portion. It is possible to obtain a relative phase between at least one third electro-magnetic radiation electro-magnetic radiation being returned from the sample and at least one fourth electro-magnetic radiation returned from a reference to determine a motion of the portion or of particles within or on the portion, whereas the motion is effectuated by at least one of a sound wave. Further, the imaging information of the portion can be provided based on the first transverse location, the second transverse location and the motion.
US08045173B2
A method for linear filtering of noise in a SPR sensorgram generated from a surface plasmon resonance apparatus is provided. The method includes providing a linear filter of variable length to filter an output signal in the sensorgram. The method further includes determining an optimal length of the linear filter based on a slope of the signal in the sensorgram and multiple timing of occurrences of events during measurement of refractive index in the apparatus to reduce noise in the sensorgram.
US08045167B2
The present disclosure is drawn to methods, devices, and systems for determining solid content of inks, including a device comprising a chamber configured to hold an ink sample having ionic particulates in a liquid vehicle, a first opening in the chamber for filling the chamber with the ink sample, a second distinct opening in the chamber for removal of the liquid vehicle, a deposition electrode at least partially defining the chamber, a counter electrode, a power supply connected to the deposition electrode and the counter electrode for creating an electric field inside the chamber, and a densitometer optically coupleable to the deposition electrode for measuring the optical density of ionic particulates. Additionally, the device can be operable to separate the ionic particulates from the liquid vehicle by deposition of the ionic particulates at the deposition electrode and/or the device can be operable to measure the optical density of the ionic particulates after migration to the deposition electrode.
US08045163B2
The present invention relates to methods for manufacturing polarization sensitive respectively polarizing filters and to their application to polarizing photosensors used to measure the polarization of incident light, further to designs of polarization sensors measuring angles of rotation and strong electric or magnetic fields as well as to reproducing polarization equipment reproducing polarized signals or to reproduce independent signals.
US08045157B2
Since a spectroscopic module (1) has a plate-shaped body section (2), the spectroscopic module can be reduced in size by reducing the thickness of the body section (2). Moreover, since the body section (2) is plate-shaped, the spectroscopic module (1) can be manufactured, for example, by using a wafer process. More specifically, by providing lens sections (3), diffraction layers (4), reflection layers (6) and light detecting elements (7) in a matrix form on a glass wafer which becomes many body sections (2) and dicing the glass wafer, many spectroscopic modules (1) can be manufactured. This enables easy mass production of spectroscopic modules (1).
US08045156B2
The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to a system and method for obtaining spectra of highly scattering pigmented layers and providing a spectral reflection ratio, which can be correlated to photoreceptor electrical performance. The present embodiments employ the use of dark field microscopy in combination with a noise reducing normalization technique to provide real-time production adjustments to optimize photoreceptor characteristics and/or performance.
US08045148B2
A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
US08045134B2
An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed that has a measurement system or a prediction system for measuring and/or predicting, respectively, an effect associated with a temperature fluctuation of the immersion liquid, and a control system for controlling the or another effect associated with the temperature of the immersion liquid, on the basis of the measurement and/or prediction obtained by the measurement system and/or prediction system, respectively. An associated control system and device manufacturing method is also disclosed.
US08045131B2
The present invention provides a transparent liquid crystal display device which is less in display characteristics and viewing angle dependency and can provide bright images and high contrasts. The transparent liquid crystal display device comprises at least: a backlight; a polarizer; a second optical anisotropic layer with a retardation of 50 to 180 nm at a wavelength of 550 nm; a first optical anisotropic layer with a retardation of 20 to 140 nm at a wavelength of 550 nm; a homogeneously aligned liquid crystal cell comprising upper and lower substrates facing each other and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the upper and lower substrates; a third optical anisotropic layer with a retardation of 50 to 200 nm at a wavelength of 550 nm; and a polarizer, arranged in piles in this order from the backlight, wherein the first optical anisotropic layer comprising at least a liquid crystal film with a fixed nematic hybrid liquid crystal alignment structure.
US08045124B2
A liquid crystal display device including a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer sealed between the pair of substrates, and a seal member for sealing peripheries of the substrates. The seal member may be of rectangular shape in plan view, thereby defining two end parts and two side parts, with one of the end parts including an injection port. The device may also include one or more structures formed near the seal member for slowing an injection speed of a liquid crystal when it is injected into a space between the substrates. The structures may be formed integrally with the seal member. In certain embodiments, a thickness of the liquid crystal layer in a vicinity of the seal member is less than that of the liquid crystal layer in a display region, due to the structure. Also, in certain embodiments, the structures are generally L-shaped, in plan view.
US08045117B2
A display element has an arrangement that allows the pixel to have at least two domains in which the medium shows optical anisotropies of different directions when a force (for example, an electric field) is applied or when no force is applied. It is preferable that directions of the optical anisotropies occurred in the respective domains when the electric field is applied respectively have 45 degrees±10 degrees with absorption axes of polarizers, and that the directions of the optical anisotropies occurred in the respective domains when the electric field is applied make 90 degrees±20 degrees.
US08045111B2
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes steps of preparing first and second substrates, forming alignment films on one surfaces of the first and second substrates, respectively, performing rubbing treatment on the alignment films, screen-printing a seal member on the one surface of the first substrate so as to surround a display area, and stacking the first and second substrates on each other while the first surfaces face to each other, with rubbing directions of the alignment films on the first and second substrates being parallel to each other, and joining the first and second substrates through the seal member by curing the seal member while the first and second substrates are bonded to each other through the seal member. The screen-printing is performed while a squeegee is moved in a direction parallel to the rubbing direction of the alignment film formed on the first substrate.
US08045110B2
Provided are an LCD capable of improving an image quality and an aperture ratio by uniform alignment of liquid crystal, and a method for fabricating the LCD. A first ion beam is irradiated onto an alignment layer formed on a substrate in a first direction, and a second ion beam is irradiated onto the alignment layer in a second direction that is symmetrical or asymmetrical to the first direction with respect to a line perpendicular to the substrate. Accordingly, the entire surface of the alignment layer can be uniformly aligned. Consequently, light leakage can be prevented and thus an image quality can be enhanced. Also, a black matrix margin can be reduced and an aperture ratio can be enhanced.
US08045103B2
The present invention provides a color filter substrate which can suppress a reverse tilt domain from being generated in a liquid crystal layer near a boundary between a colored layer and a bank without forming a flattening layer on the colored layer. The color filter substrate of the present invention is a color filter substrate including a substrate, an insulating film having transparency, a bank, and a colored layer, the insulating film being arranged on the substrate, the bank and the colored layer being arranged on the insulating film, the colored layer being surrounded by the bank, wherein a thickness of the insulating film in a region overlapping with the center of the colored layer is smaller than a thickness of the insulating film in a region overlapping with an edge of the colored part.
US08045100B2
An optical sheet includes a reflective polarizer and a filter layer. The reflective polarizer reflects a part of incident light and transmits another part of the incident light. The filter layer selectively reflects the transmitted light passed through the reflective polarizer. The filter layer reflects at least one of a first wave band that is an overlapped area between a green peak and a blue peak in the spectrum of incident light, and a second wave band that is an overlapped area between a green peak and a red peak in the spectrum of incident light.
US08045095B2
A backlight apparatus has a housing composed of a first frame and a second frame, each having a side wall, put together, an optical guide plate housed in the housing, and a reflector inserted between the side surface of the light guide plate and the side wall of the housing. A reflector guide is formed on the side wall of the housing, and has a tilted surface tilted toward an insertion direction of the reflector.
US08045091B2
A backlight unit according to the embodiment comprises an LED module comprising an LED; a case supporting the LED module; a fixing part fixing the LED module to the case; a reflective sheet comprising an opening for exposing the LED on the LED module and the fixing part; and a guide pin fixing the reflective sheet to the case.
US08045090B2
A display unit has a display module and a housing case holding the display module. The housing case has a first member made of an electrically conductive material and a second member. The second member has an inner edge portion superposed with an outer edge portion of the first member and is made of an electrically nonconductive material. The second member is positioned outside the first member and is fixed to the first member. The first member has a step in its outer edge portion. The step extends over a whole area superposed with the second member. The step has an inner wall protruding and end outer wall dented as compared with a middle portion inside the outer edge portion of the first member. The second member has an inner edge portion arranged in a recess of the outer wall of the step.
US08045087B2
Provided is an LCD device. The LCD device includes liquid crystal panel, a mold frame, and an impact absorbing member. The liquid crystal panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal panel is seated on the mold frame. The impact absorbing member is formed between the liquid crystal panel and the mold frame.
US08045085B2
Provided are a liquid crystal display module and a method for manufacturing the same. The liquid crystal display module comprises a liquid crystal panel, a backlight unit, a support main, and a top cover. The backlight unit is disposed in rear of the liquid crystal panel. The support main comprises a rectangular frame for laminating and housing the liquid crystal panel and the backlight unit, and a metal cover disposed around an outer sidewall surface and a bottom surface of the rectangular frame. The top cover covers a front edge of the liquid crystal panel, and is combined with a side part of the support main.
US08045066B2
An integrated receiver with channel selection and image rejection substantially implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit is described. A receiver front end provides programmable attenuation and a programmable gain low noise amplifier. Frequency conversion circuitry advantageously uses LC filters integrated onto the substrate in conjunction with image reject mixers to provide sufficient image frequency rejection. Filter tuning and inductor Q compensation over temperature are performed on chip. The filters utilize multi track spiral inductors. The filters are tuned using local oscillators to tune a substitute filter, and frequency scaling during filter component values to those of the filter being tuned. In conjunction with filtering, frequency planning provides additional image rejection. The advantageous choice of local oscillator signal generation methods on chip is by PLL out of band local oscillation and by direct synthesis for in band local oscillator. The VCOs in the PLLs are centered using a control circuit to center the tuning capacitance range. A differential crystal oscillator is advantageously used as a frequency reference. Differential signal transmission is advantageously used throughout the receiver.
US08045062B2
A method for color tone correction is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of first intermediate components by scaling a plurality of first color components towards a first ideal color, wherein the first color components (i) are for a first plurality of pixels in an input video signal and (ii) fall inside a first region of a color space, (B) generating a plurality of first corrected components by adjusting the first intermediate components such that a first mapping of the first color components to the first corrected components is both (i) continuous in the color space and (ii) non-overlapping in the color space and (C) generating an output video signal by combining the first corrected components with a plurality of unaltered color components, wherein the unaltered color components (i) are for a second plurality of the pixels and (ii) fall outside the first region.
US08045061B2
A method and apparatus remove color noise of an image signal in which a distortion of a YCbCr color space caused by noise is corrected using correlations between color channels in the YCbCr color space of low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) components of an image signal while maintaining the HF component. The apparatus includes: a separator separating the image signal including a luminance signal and a chrominance signal into an LF component and an HF component; an LF noise remover removing noise of the LF component from the image signal; an HF noise remover applying a linear variation rate of the chrominance signal with regard to the luminance signal of the noiseless LF component to the HF component separated from the image signal and generating a new HF component; and a combiner combining the noiseless LF component and the new HF component.
US08045052B2
The invention relates to an image processing device (1, 48, 51) including: several image signal inputs (2-9) for receiving a respective image input signal, the signals being unsynchronized; at least one image signal output (23-26) for emitting at least one image output signal; a combiner (22) for combining the different image input signals to form the image output signal; several synchronizers (14-21), which are respectively connected downstream of the image signal inputs (2-9) and which synchronize the unsynchronized image input signals; and several distorters or rectifiers for distorting or rectifying the individual image input signals before they are combined to form the image output signal. According to the invention, the distorters or rectifiers are formed by the individual synchronizers (14-21) and the image input signals are distorted or rectified independently of one another by one or more synchronizers (14-21). The invention also relates to an associated operating method.
US08045045B2
Image pickup apparatus, control method for the same, and program for implementing the control method
An image pickup apparatus which is capable of optimizing the responsiveness of linear changes in focus to operations of a ring member without sacrificing the operability of the ring member, while using a small-sized, low-cost ring member for manual operations. The rotating operation state of a focus ring 600 is detected by ring rotation sensors 603, 604. A camera microcomputer 116 causes a focus lens 105 to be moved and stopped in an optical axis direction thereof based on results of the detection by the ring rotation sensors 603, 604. The camera microcomputer 116 controls the responsiveness of linear changes in focus to the rotating operation state of the ring member detected by the ring rotation sensors 603, 604 in accordance with at least the depth of focus.
US08045040B2
An improved non-uniform sensitivity correction algorithm for use in an imager device (e.g., a CMOS APS). The algorithm provides zones having flexible boundaries which can be reconfigured depending upon the type of lens being used in a given application. Each pixel within each zone is multiplied by a correction factor dependent upon the particular zone while the pixel is being read out from the array. The amount of sensitivity adjustment required for a given pixel depends on the type of lens being used, and the same correction unit can be used with multiple lenses where the zone boundaries and the correction factors are adjusted for each lens. In addition, the algorithm makes adjustments to the zone boundaries based upon a misalignment between the centers of the lens being used and the APS array.
US08045037B2
This invention makes it possible to execute photography with a sufficient red-eye relaxation effect. To do this, in this invention, the amount of a red eye is detected on the basis of a signal obtained by reading an object image under light projection by a light projection unit. The light projection by the light projection unit is controlled on the basis of the detection result.
US08045035B2
A timing signals generator, a frequency divider, an oscillator, and a signals processing IC generates driving signals and transfer signals of a CCD. When the CCD is exposed through a long time exposure in which exposure is performed for not less than a predetermined time, each of a clock frequency of driving signals during an exposure period and a clock frequency of each of driving signals and transferring signals during a transferring period is adjusted to be lower than a clock frequency of thereof in an exposure state in which exposure is performed for less than the predetermined time period.
US08045034B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises first accumulation units, of which number is n, holding a digital value of n-bits output from a counter, second accumulation units, of which number is n, holding the digital value of n-bits transferred from the first accumulation units, of which number is n, and an A/D converter writing the digital value of n-bits from the counter based on an image signal generated by pixels into the first accumulation units, of which number is n, wherein correspondingly to each column of the pixels, the first accumulation unit of m-th bit (1≦m≦n) and the second accumulation unit of m-th bit (1≦m≦n) are arranged and paired, and the pairs of which number is n are arranged in a direction along the column of pixels.
US08045032B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a solid-state imaging device capable of prevent image defects from appearing in an outputted image while suppressing increase in a layout area with a simple circuit structure and is an MOS solid-state imaging device. The MOS solid-state imaging device includes pixels which outputs signals corresponding to intensity of incident light, vertical signal lines which are respectively provided to columns of the pixels and each of which transmits the signals from said pixels in a column direction, and column amplifier circuits that amplify the signals from the pixels and are respectively connected to the vertical signal lines, and each of the column amplifier circuits includes a voltage clipping circuit includes a voltage clipping circuit which limits a maximum output voltage of said column amplifier circuit.
US08045031B2
The invention relates to an image sensor, in particular a CMOS image sensor, for electronic cameras, having a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns and a number of output amplifiers. The image sensor is made such that the order in which the pixels are switched to the output amplifiers is varied with respect to the order in which the pixels are arranged along a row of the image sensor.
US08045026B2
In a solid-state image sensing device, a second substrate having transparency, including a via is placed on a solid-state image sensor having a pixel region and a logic region formed in a first substrate and in which a passive component electrically connected with the solid-state image sensor through the via is mounted on the second substrate. Thus, highly efficient location of passive components is attained for miniaturization.
US08045006B2
A best blending function from among a plurality of blending functions is determined. Each of the plurality of blending functions smoothes an overlap region of at least two projected images. The overlap image is captured and a processing unit analyzes the stored overlap image for color value linearity to calculate a first smoothness result. The processing unit analyzes the projection of the first or second image for color value uniformity to calculate a second smoothness result. These smoothness results for one blending function are paired and compared to smoothness result pairs corresponding to other blending functions to determine a best blending function from among those being analyzed.
US08045005B2
A video circuit including a video amplifier adapted to generate an amplified output video signal from an input video signal; a short detection circuit adapted to generate a first signal indicative of whether there is a short present at an output of the video amplifier; and a load detection circuit adapted to generate a second signal indicative of whether there is a load coupled to the output of the video amplifier. The video circuit may further include an input signal detection circuit adapted to generate a third signal indicative of whether an input video signal is present. The third signal generated by the input signal detection circuit may be used to enable the outputting of the first and second signals in order to prevent the false indication of faults at the output of the video amplifier in the absence of an input video signal.
US08045003B2
A display screen of an onboard display device is disposed so that a speedometer is displayed in front of a driver of a vehicle. When a right-turn instruction is detected, a blinker is displayed and a rightward rear view image outside the vehicle is displayed on the right side of the display screen. When a left-turn instruction is detected, a blinker is displayed and a leftward rear view image outside the vehicle is displayed on the left side of the display screen. Displaying the image in different positions of the display screen according to the right or the left turn instruction facilitates an intuitive determination of a meaning of the image and makes it easier to drive the vehicle.
US08045001B2
A compound-eye imaging device comprises a flash control means for controlling a flash unit to alternatively emit two kinds of near-infrared lights having different wavelengths while multiple single-eye images are read using a rolling shutter; a single-eye image reading means for reading, from the single-eye images, a single-eye image (hereafter “pre-change single-eye image”) imaged under a first illumination condition before an illumination condition change by the flash control means, and a single-eye image (hereafter “post-change single-eye image”) imaged under a second illumination condition after the illumination condition change; and an eye position detecting means for detecting eye positions in the single-eye images based on a comparison between the read pre-change and post-change single-eye images. This imaging device can further comprise: a face extracting means for extracting a face area based on the detected eye positions; and a personal identification means for performing personal identification based on the extracted face area.
US08044999B2
An image enhancer that includes a laser for emitting an optical signal toward an object in a turbid medium, a modulator for modulating laser intensity of the optical signal, an RF source for driving the modulator and for providing a reference signal, an optical detector for detecting the modulated optical signal that is reflected from the object, the optical detector converting the reflected optical signal into an electrical signal, the electrical signal having RF and DC components, an I/Q demodulator for mixing the RF component of the electrical signal with the reference signal and producing in-phase and quadrature phase signal components that can be digitized and processed such that both contrast and range images of the object are produced.
US08044997B2
A stereoscopic video processing apparatus is constituted by: a video input section, for receiving input of stereoscopic videos constituted by a plurality of frames, which are viewable stereoscopically; a scene detecting section, for detecting positions within the stereoscopic videos at which scene changes occur; and a perceived depth adjusting section, for administering perceived depth adjusting processes that adjust the perceived depths of the stereoscopic videos such that the perceived depth changes gradually at the positions at which scene changes occur.
US08044985B2
A display overdrive method applicable to LCD picture process involves having image data containing gray scale presentation range inputted into the display; a corresponding gray scale range being set up based on the time of a frame from the former range to be present on the display; each gray scale code in the former range being corresponded to the that of the latter to drive the display; gamma voltage corresponding to gray scale in the former range being adjusted relatively to those in the latter range for reducing response time of pixels of the display comparatively to the frame time.
US08044984B2
A method for driving an organic light emitting display (OLED) panel having a plurality of organic light emitting diodes is provided. The organic light emitting diodes are coupled to a plurality of segment lines and a plurality of common lines in a matrix structure. The organic light emitting diodes coupled to the same common lines are divided into a plurality of groups according to colors of the OLED panel. Driving currents are provided to the organic light emitting diodes of the groups according to a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) manners. The PWM manners generate waveforms having pulse width corresponding to grayscale in a period, wherein each PWM manner corresponds to different colors of the OLED panel.
US08044980B2
There is disclosed an image display displaying a multicolor image by using image data expressing color components of a first color specification system. The image display is provided with a display unit displaying an image by a second color specification system which is different from the first color specification system, and displaying each of colors included in the second color specification system per pixel in correspondence to input device data, a basic color computing unit (46) determining basic data expressing each of the color components in the second color specification system by using the input image data of the first color specification system, a specific color computing unit (48) determining specific data expressing each of color components in a third color specification system by using the input image data of the first color specification system, a combining unit (54, 56, 58) combining each of reference data of the base color computing unit and each of specific data of the specific color computing unit so as to determine combined data of each of the colors, and an output data computing unit (60) determining device data of each of the colors of the display unit on the basis of the combined data.
US08044979B2
A mixing type pixel driving method in an active display device includes generating a digital data for a selected pixel, first driving the selected pixel to be illuminated with a first illumination intensity, and second driving the selected pixel to be illuminated with a second illumination intensity in a second illumination interval. A relative ratio of the second illumination intensity to the first illumination intensity is changed according to the value of the digital data. The number of the converted bits by DAC is reduced. Therefore, the less bit DAC is adaptable for the mixing type pixel driving method and the layout area and the consumption current can be decreased.
US08044969B2
A Personal Computer (PC) adjusts a color of an image received from a digital camera to produce an estimated reflectance spectrum and/or to convert the color to a new color space. First, an input compensation transform is generated, e.g. based on a Macbeth color chart in the image, to compensate for the sensitivity of the camera used to generate the image to different wavelengths of light and the illumination spectrum incident on an object of interest to which the image relates. In order to estimate the reflectance spectrum, a reflectance spectrum estimation transform is then generated by the PC. In order to convert the color of the image to the new color space, a color space conversion transform is generated by the PC. Both the reflectance spectrum estimation transform and the color space conversion transform are based on the input compensation transform and reference reflectance spectra stored in a reference reflectance spectra database.
US08044957B2
A system may include a graphics memory, a data bus, a processor, and a vertex shader. The data bus may be operatively connected to the graphics memory. The processor may send vertex data to the graphics memory via the data bus. The vertex shader may read the vertex data from the graphics memory and may subdivide the vertex data into subdivided vertex data. The vertex shader may also write the subdivided vertex data to the graphics memory.
US08044956B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for improving antialiasing quality, while minimizing performance degradation, by adaptively selecting between multisampling and supersampling on a per pixel basis. The resulting performance may be generally comparable to multisampling. At the same time, however, the resulting quality may be generally comparable to supersampling. The antialiasing technique disclosed herein determines whether to use multisampling or supersampling on a particular pixel being rendered, based on the specific coverage of the associated geometry primitive. Because many pixel centers are covered by a geometry primitive, a statistical performance advantage is gained when pixels in a rendered image can be generating using multisampling rather than supersampling. The cases where pixel centers are not covered tend to be less frequent, but are very significant to image quality. High image quality is maintained by rendering these cases using supersampling.
US08044954B2
System and method for automatic construction of the tooth's axes in terms of three orthogonal unit vectors are disclosed. Three dimensional data for a tooth is used to automatically construct the tooth's axes. System and methods for automatic construction of the axes for different types of teeth such as incisors, canines, premolars, and molars are disclosed.
US08044952B2
A method of selecting first and second basis views from a group of at least three provided views where the first and second basis views are used in synthesizing a third virtual view. The group of provided views are spatially offset from one another in at least one dimension.
US08044945B2
An image display apparatus capable of displaying images in similar image groups to allow the user to determine the difference between the images in each of the similar image groups, and to select an image to be deleted or saved in easier and more efficient way. An evaluation value obtaining means calculates an evaluation value representing the desirability of an image for each of the images in each of the similar image groups using a predetermined evaluation criterion. A sorting means rearranges each of the images in each of the similar image groups in the order of the evaluation value to generate a display order. A display control means causes each of the images in each of the similar image groups to be displayed on a display section according to the display order.
US08044943B2
Touch panels comprising a bias line biased at a bias voltage, a select line, a readout line, a photo cell and a readout circuit. The photo cell comprises a first photo switch, a second photo switch and a storage capacitor. The first photo switch and the storage capacitor is coupled in series between the readout line and the bias line, and the first photo switch is further controlled by the select line. The second photo switch is connected between the readout line and the bias line. The readout circuit and the select line are managed by a reset mode, an exposure mode and a readout mode. The voltage variation of output terminal of the readout circuit is used in obtaining the state of the photo cell.
US08044939B2
A mobile terminal capable of digital broadcast reception and supports a touch screen function, and a picture-in-picture (PIP) display control method for the mobile terminal. The PIP display control method includes processing a received digital broadcast signal into channel signals of individual channels, displaying video data of a selected channel signal on a main screen occupying an entire display area, and displaying video data of another selected channel signal on a sub-screen in the main screen; checking whether a touch event occurs to one of the main screen and the sub-screen; displaying control icons on one of the touched main screen and the touched sub-screen when a touch event occurs to one of the main screen and the sub-screen; and controlling digital broadcasts on channels associated with the main screen and sub-screen in response to occurrence of touch events to the control icons.
US08044937B2
A method for inputting text in a mobile terminal having a touch screen is provided. When detecting a touch-down, the mobile terminal displays a character of the touch-down point and nearby characters in an enlarged size and indicates the character of the touch-down point in the enlarged display. When a drag event occurs before a touch-up event, the mobile terminal determines the dragging distance and direction, changes the touch-down point to a new location according to the dragging distance and direction, and indicates another character at the new location. When a touch-up event occurs at the new location, the mobile terminal then inputs the other character indicated at the new location.
US08044936B2
Provided is an optical navigation device and a method of operating the same. The optical navigation device includes: a light source for irradiating light; an image sensor for collecting incident light to obtain an image; and a controller for performing a calculation mode that obtains an image when the light source is ON to calculate a movement value and determines whether the optical navigation device is moved on the basis of the movement value, a sleeping mode that turns OFF the light source and stops an operation of the image sensor, and a detection mode that obtains the image when the light source is ON and an image when the light source is OFF and then compares characteristics of the images to determine whether the optical navigation device is separated from the work surface, wherein the controller performs the calculation mode when the optical navigation device is moved and not separated from the work surface, performs the sleeping mode when not moved and separated from the work surface, and periodically performs the detection mode. Therefore, it is possible to precisely detect whether the optical navigation device is spaced apart from a work surface to prevent malfunction and unnecessary power consumption of the optical navigation device due to separation from the work surface.
US08044934B2
An image display system has an operating device, a specifying device and an image display device. If the operating device receives a single operation from an exterior (i.e., from user), the operating device outputs first and second signals based on the single operation. The specifying device specifies a viewpoint and a sight line direction to look down a picture based on the first and second signals outputted by the operating device. The image display device displays an image of the picture in such a manner that the picture is looked down from the viewpoint in the sight line direction specified by the specifying device. As a result, the operation for adjusting the viewpoint and the sight line direction is facilitated.
US08044929B2
In a data-input device an actuator element that can be manually actuated, and a sensor mechanically coupled to the actuator element. The sensor is formed in a body of semiconductor material housing a first sensitive element, which detects the actuation of the actuator element and generates electrical control signals. The first sensitive element is a microelectromechanical pressure sensor, formed by: a cavity made within the body; a diaphragm made in a surface portion of the body and suspended above the cavity; and piezoresistive transducer elements integrated in peripheral surface portions of the diaphragm in order to detect its deformations upon actuation of the actuator element.
US08044924B1
Embodiments of the present invention generally provide m Methods and apparatus for reducing power consumption of backlit displays are described. Power consumption is reduced by dimming backlighting by a first scale factor and boosting pixel values by a second scale factor to compensate for the dimming. The scale factors may be constant values. Alternately, one or both of the scale factors may be determined based on pixel values for one or more frames to be displayed and/or one or more frames that have been displayed. For example, scale factors may be calculated based on an average linear amplitude of one or more frames of pixel values or from a maximum pixel value of one or more frames of pixel values. A graphical processing system is described including an integrated circuit capable of transforming a pixel value from a gamma-compensated space to a linear space.
US08044921B2
An apparatus for dynamically controlling backlight source receives a pixel input data, and outputs a pixel output data and a PWM signal. The apparatus includes image analysis unit for receiving the pixel input data and outputting image data after performing image analysis. An information unit stores relation data including luminance adjusting data and PWM adjusting data corresponding to gray level range. A luminance calculation unit receives the image data from the image analysis unit and the relation data from the information unit, and calculates a required gray level corresponding to a required luminance, and outputs a required pixel luminance data and a required PWM data according to the required gray level. A PWM adjusting unit receives the required PWM data and outputs the PWM signal. A multiplication unit receives the pixel input data and performs luminance adjustment according to the required pixel luminance data for outputting the pixel output data.
US08044919B2
An inverter of a liquid crystal display for receiving a power voltage for burst dimming via one power terminal to simultaneously adjust a burst dimming and an analog dimming is disclosed. In the inverter of the liquid crystal display, a burst dimming signal generator receives a triangular-wave signal and a power voltage for burst dimming to generate a burst dimming signal. An analog dimming voltage generator receives the power voltage for burst dimming to generate an analog dimming voltage. And a main controller receives the burst dimming signal and the analog dimming voltage to generate a pulse width modulating signal which is used for generating a driving current of a backlight assembly.
US08044918B2
A back light apparatus includes a back light part which emits light to a liquid crystal display panel, and includes a plurality of LEDs respectively corresponding to a plurality of colors, a detecting part which detects the light emitted from the plurality of the LEDs, a driving part which drives the LEDs to emit, and a controller which controls the driving part to make color ratios substantially equal to a reference value if the reference value is not equal to the color ratio between at least two colors among the plurality of colors of the light detected in the detecting part.
US08044915B2
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in matrix form including respective transistors, a plurality of gate bus lines, each of which is coupled to gates of the transistors arranged in a corresponding single row, a plurality of data bus lines, each of which is coupled to one end of channels of the transistors arranged in a corresponding single column, a gate driver configured to successively drive the plurality of gate bus lines, and a timing control circuit configured to supply to the gate driver a timing signal indicative of a start of the successive driving of the plurality of gate bus lines and to mask the timing signal for a predetermined time period following the supplying of the timing signal.
US08044914B2
A method and apparatus of compensating for a kick-back voltage to reduce the generation of flicker in a liquid crystal display (LCD). The method of compensating for a kick-back voltage includes correcting input pixel data using a kick-back correction function that meets a condition on which a response characteristic of a voltage detected from a pixel electrode of a liquid crystal cell for a positive input pixel signal and a response characteristic of a voltage detected from the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal cell for a negative input pixel signal become symmetrical without causing a saturation state on a basis of a kick-back voltage measured from an LCD panel to generate corrected pixel data, and driving the LCD panel using the corrected pixel data.
US08044899B2
Methods and apparatuses for backlight calibration are described. The apparatus 100 comprises a backlight unit 102 comprising a plurality of light sources 120, at least one photo-sensor 103 adapted to measure the light emitted by the backlight unit 102, a photo-sensor controller 112 coupled to the photo-sensor 103 for controlling the photo-sensor(s) 103, a backlight driving circuit 104 coupled to the light sources 120 for providing individual driving on each light source, a signal generator 114 coupled to the photo-sensor controller 112 and the backlight driving circuit 104 for controlling the operation timing of photo-sensors 103 and each of the light source 120 such that lighting conditions from each of the light source can be acquired, and a processing unit 111 coupled to the photo-sensor 103 and the backlight driving circuit 104 for analyzing the measurement data from the photo-sensors 103 and providing an adjustment signal to the backlight driving circuit 104 to achieve uniform lighting conditions of the backlight unit 102. Also described is a method comprising the steps of providing saved settings for backlight driver, providing a modified timing sequence to backlight driver and photo sensor 202, measuring light conditions of each individual light source or each individual group of light sources in backlight unit 203, comparing measurement data with predefined light conditions 205, calculating the adjustment required on backlight drivel to achieve desired light conditions, and saving calculated adjustment as new settings for backlight driver 207.
US08044897B2
A light source control apparatus and a method for controlling light source are provided. The light source control apparatus is used to controlling N light-emitting devices connected in series. N+1 nodes are sequentially defined at two terminals of each light-emitting device mentioned above, where N is a natural number. The light source control apparatus includes a testing circuit and a compensation circuit. The testing circuit is coupled to the nodes to transmit a testing current to light-emitting devices between Ith node and Jth node, where I and J are natural numbers, and N+1>=J>I>=1. The compensation circuit is coupled to the nodes to measure a brightness of light-emitting devices between Ith node and Jth node, decide a value of a compensation current according to an intensity of the brightness, and provide the compensation current to light-emitting devices between Ith node and Jth node.
US08044892B2
A circuit for controlling a matrix display formed of light-emitting diodes, capable of successively selecting lines of the screen and, for each line from a set of selected lines, of selecting columns, the voltage of each selected column settling at an operating voltage. The circuit is capable, before selection of each line from said set of lines, of precharging at least the columns to be selected to a precharge voltage. The circuit includes a device for adjusting the precharge voltage including a measurement circuit capable, on each selection of a line from said set of lines, of measuring the maximum operating voltage from among the operating voltages of the selected columns; a circuit capable of storing the maximum measured operating voltage; and a circuit capable of adjusting the precharge voltage based on the maximum stored operating voltage.
US08044883B2
A method of driving a plasma display apparatus is provided. The method of driving the plasma display apparatus includes applying a first pulse to a first electrode, applying a second pulse to a second electrode after the application of the first pulse, and applying a falling ramp pulse to the first electrode after the application of the second pulse.
US08044879B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for three dimensional display that produce stereo images (left and right eye images) each having particular known polarization so that they can be segregated and viewed with suitable polarizer eyeglasses to create the perception in the human mind of a three-dimensional image. According to one or more embodiments, two liquid crystal panels are utilized with the two panels being stacked one in front of the other relative to a light source and two polarizers are used surrounding the panel closest to the light source. In alternative embodiments, that panel and polarizers comprise a typical liquid crystal display (“LCD”) monitor. In preferred embodiments, images produced by the system are then circularly polarized for decoding by eyeglasses having corresponding circularly polarized lenses.
US08044867B2
A problem of the invention is to provide a small-size communication terminal apparatus capable of reducing an SAR and also widening a band of an antenna and further achieving thinning.The communication terminal apparatus has a substrate (13) disposed inside a housing, a power feeding part (12) disposed in the substrate (13), a monopole antenna (11) having plural elements of multi-frequency sharing, the monopole antenna for feeding power by electrically connecting one end to the power feeding part, and a ground wire (14) electrically connected to a wireless ground of the substrate (13), and the monopole antenna (11) having the plural elements is arranged in a direction vertical to a surface of the substrate (13) and in a back surface direction of the housing so as to be opposed to a human body at the time of a call.
US08044863B2
An antenna assembly is formed on a rectangular polyhedron support that has two sections projecting away from opposite sides of an electrically non-conductive substrate. An electrically conductive stripe wraps around the support and comprises a plurality of segments on different surfaces of the support. A conductive patch is located on two surfaces of the support to provide impedance matching between the antenna and a radio frequency circuit. By placing sections of the antenna assembly on both sides of the substrate and wrapping the conductive stripe around those sections, the space required to accommodate the antenna assembly within a housing of a communication device is reduced, as compared to some prior antenna designs.
US08044848B2
A high-speed positioning system includes a server and a positioning device. The server links to Internet for receiving and interpreting GPS signals received from a satellite system. The positioning device includes a network connecting module, a user position information generator and a satellite positioning module. The network connecting module is in communication with a connecting node of Internet for receiving a connecting node information. The user position information generator generates a user position information according to the connecting node information. The user position information is transmitted to the server through Internet. A satellite position signal is generated by the server according to the user position information and sent back to the user position information generator through Internet. The satellite positioning module is in communication with the network connecting module for receiving the satellite position signal and executing a positioning operation according to the contents of the satellite position signal.
US08044843B2
Method and apparatus for determining the thickness of material layers of a container-held substance comprising a first material disposed in an upper layer and a second material disposed in a lower layer, by transmitting a radio signal through the substance towards a container portion; receiving reflected signals from a surface of the upper layer, a surface of the second layer, and the container portion; varying the frequency of the transmitted signal to determine phase displacement between transmitted and reflected signals; determining optical distances to the surfaces and the container portion, dependent on the phase displacements; determining the thickness of one of said layers dependent on phase displacement through and index of refraction of that layer; and determining the thickness of the other layer dependent on the thickness of said one of said layers.
US08044842B2
A method of compensating for component errors within a radar altimeter is described. The method includes periodically switching transmit pulses from a transmit antenna to a programmable delay device, calculating an altitude based on a transmit pulse received from the programmable delay device, comparing the calculated altitude to an expected altitude, the expected altitude based on a pre-set delay through the programmable delay device, and compensating an altitude measured by the radar altimeter, based on transmit pulses output through the transmit antenna, by an error correction amount based on a difference between the calculated altitude and expected altitudes.
US08044840B2
The invention proposes utilizing the known geometry of the measurements in order to assign them to one another and to resolve ambiguities, wherein the 3D position of an object (3) in space is determined by a spatial section at the same time. This is done using a plurality (N) of sensors (A, B, C) and their geometries (10, 11, 12), wherein a first sensor (A) is part of the master sensor and a space curve (A1) is calculated and then transmitted to the geometry (11) of a sensor (B) which is defined as a slave sensor and whose local geometry (11) is taken into account, a further sensor (C) is then defined as a slave in which the space curves (B1-B3) of the correspondence obtained in the preceding step are calculated and transmitted to the geometry (12) of the new slave sensor (C) together with the master curve (A1), wherein the steps are repeated at least until the last (N) remaining sensor is defined as a slave in a last step (N−1) and the master (A1) and all of its associated measurements of the previous slave sensors (B, C) are transmitted to the local geometry of the last (N) slave sensor and compared with the measurements.
US08044838B1
A method for determining a phase constant for a dielectric medium is provided. The method includes deploying a calibration object with a known free-space spectral response within a dielectric medium of interest, determining the spectral response of the calibration object deployed in the dielectric medium, and determining the phase constant for the dielectric medium using a relationship between the free-space spectral response of the calibration object and the spectral response of the calibration object when deployed in the dielectric medium.
US08044835B2
A modulator device for converting digital data into modulation of an optical signal includes an electronic input for receiving an input data word of N bits and an electrically controllable modulator for modulating the intensity of an optical signal, the modulator including M actuating electrodes where M≧N. An electrode actuating device, most preferably a digital-to-digital converter, operates actuating electrodes so that at least one electrode is actuated as a function of values of more than one bit of the input data word. According to an alternative, or supplementary, aspect of the invention, the set of electrodes includes at least one electrode having an effective area which is not interrelated to others of the set by factors of two. In one preferred implementation, a Mach-Zehnder modulator also provides phase modulation to give QAM functionality. Another implementation employs a semiconductor laser.
US08044832B1
A plurality of “local” interleavers replaces a single global interleaver for processing encoded data. If the encoded data may be represented as a matrix of data blocks, or “circulants,” each local interleaver can be the size of one or a small number of circulants. Thus, for example, if the matrix has a certain number of rows and columns, the number of local interleavers may be equal to the number of columns. Each local interleaver is small so latency is low.
US08044831B2
The invention provides a decoding apparatus which guarantees a decoding speed of a predetermined unit. To this end, the decoding apparatus includes a shifter which detects a start bit of a codeword from coded data, a table which stores decode values of a plurality of symbol data at one address, a table which is used to store a shift amount of the shifter, a table which generates a data length of the decode values of the plurality of symbol data, a decoder which is used to generate an address of the first table from the coded data, a decoder which is used to generate an address of the second and third tables from the coded data, and a packer which couples or separates the decoded values of the plurality of symbol data to data for the predetermined fixed number of bits.
US08044829B2
The present disclosure includes apparatus, systems and techniques relating to lossless data compression. In some implementations, an apparatus includes a memory module to store data. The memory module includes a first buffer portion to store encoded symbols of the data, and a second buffer portion to store symbols of the data to be encoded. The apparatus includes an encoder to compare the symbols stored in the second buffer portion with the encoded symbols stored in the first buffer portion and to compress the data. The encoder can operate in a first encoding mode to encode the symbols in the second buffer portion with corresponding codewords until detecting a repeated pattern of symbols in the second buffer portion that matches the encoded symbols in the first buffer portion. The encoder can operate in a second encoding mode responsive to detecting the repeated pattern.
US08044824B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for implementing an electronic tollway barrier system. Exemplary systems and methods use positive vehicle identification at progressive monitoring locations to determine whether a vehicle has illegally entered a controlled lane across the electronic barrier, ensure that toll locations are not circumvented, and automatically issue citations to violators of the electronic barrier.
US08044823B2
Methods for determining need for treating a vehicle travel surface include sensing, at a first time, a characteristic of a vehicle travel surface from a mobile sensor. Sensed characteristics include temperature, friction coefficient, material volumetric buildup, e.g., composition, such as an amount or percentage of ice or snow, density, depth, freeze point and chemical concentrations. The sensed characteristic is recorded as a first measurement in a database, and GIS information correlating a location with the first measurement is attached. The characteristic of the vehicle travel surface is sensed at a second time, at the location, and recorded in the database, for example as a second measurement. GIS information correlating the location with the second measurement may be attached, and the first and second measurements compared.
US08044818B2
A method and handheld electronic device for detecting and providing notification of a device drop are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for detecting and providing notification of a device drop on an electronic device, comprising: measuring acceleration using an accelerometer of the electronic device; monitoring for and detecting freefall events in accordance with the acceleration measurements; and issuing an alert when a freefall event is detected.
US08044804B1
A method for localizing a tag includes activating an antenna to transmit an RF signal and monitoring for a responsive signal transmitted by the tag. The signal range of the RF signal transmitted by the antenna may be altered if a responsive signal from the tag is not received. The method further includes detecting the responsive signal transmitted by the tag after the tag receives the RF signal transmitted at the altered signal range.
US08044800B2
A semiconductor device with a built-in battery whose residual amount of the electrical energy can be detected accurately. The semiconductor device has a battery, a demodulation circuit, a control circuit which generates a signal having information about the residual amount of the electrical energy stored in the battery, and a transmission medium which displays the residual amount of the electrical energy in accordance with the signal. The demodulation circuit demodulates a signal input from an antenna which requests display of the residual amount of the electrical energy. Based on the demodulated signal, the control circuit starts to generate a signal having information about the residual amount of the electrical energy in the battery.
US08044796B1
A system and method by which construction tools, electronics, and other electrically powered devices are protected from theft and unauthorized use is disclosed. A tool or electronic device is equipped with an electronic receiver that receives an authorization code from a remote transmitter. Should the item be stolen, the rightful owner can disable it remotely, rendering it worthless. Additionally, the system provides for a Global Positioning System Receiver (GPS) that allows the invention to determine its physical location to within a few feet anywhere on the face of the earth, and transmit its location to the original owner such that it may be recovered. The use of the present invention allows for increased security of portable tools and electronics in a manner that is quick, easy and effective.
US08044793B2
An events management system coordinates the exchange of device alert or alarm information between an asset management system and one or more business systems within a process control system or plant. The events management system receives device alerts from the asset management system and uses a rules-engine and one or more state machines to send notifications containing device alert information to one of more of the business systems.
US08044787B2
A set of inputs each selectively provides a discrete signal, whereby the sensor inputs together provide a plurality of discrete signals. A memory includes instructions executable by a processor for receiving the discrete signals, identifying a bit pattern from the discrete signals, and determining a position of a physical member according to the bit pattern and an error condition detected from the discrete signals.
US08044775B2
A system of identifying the source location that a particle counter is using to draw its data from. The present invention includes a transmitting sensor placed at the location of interest, and a receiving sensor placed on the particle-counter device. A receiving sensor communicates a new position when a particle counter is not replaced at its origination point.
US08044774B1
RFID tag circuits, tags, and methods are provided for receiving a partial-kill command. In response to receiving such a command, the tag circuit or tag becomes partially killed. This means that one or more but not all of its memory functions become disabled.
US08044773B2
Various embodiments of the invention may use code division multiple access (CDMA) technology in communications from radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to RFID readers, so that multiple RFID tags may respond to the same RFID reader at the same time on the same frequency and still be reliably decoded by the RFID reader. In some embodiments, orthogonal CDMA PN sequences for the RFID tags to use in creating their responses may first be transmitted to those RFID tags, possibly using a non-CDMA technique.
US08044757B2
Provided is an electronic device that includes an LTCC inductor including a first sheet disposed on a substrate and including a first conductive pattern, a second sheet disposed on the first sheet and including a second conductive pattern, and a via electrically connecting the first conductive pattern to the second conductive pattern, and a spacer disposed on a lower surface of the first sheet to provide an air gap between the substrate and the first sheet, wherein the first conductive pattern is exposed out of the lower surface of the first sheet.
US08044730B2
A secondary vibration damping type crystal oscillator circuit is formed as a Colpitts type, in which a crystal unit is connected between base and collector terminals, a first capacitor is connected between emitter and collector terminals, and a second capacitor is connected between emitter and base terminals of a oscillating transistor. A region between the emitter and collector terminals or between the emitter and base terminals includes a reactance parallel circuit, in which an LC series circuit is connected in parallel to the first or second capacitor. The reactance parallel circuit has resonant characteristics that the reactance parallel circuit is made capacitive at an oscillating frequency in principal vibration mode of the crystal unit as an oscillating frequency, and a resonant frequency of the LC series circuit corresponds to the vibrational frequency in secondary vibration mode that is close to the principal vibration mode.
US08044729B2
A phase locked loop (PLL) and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) thereof are provided. The VCO includes a ring oscillator circuit and a control circuit. The ring oscillator circuit is used for providing an output clock signal; and the control circuit is coupled to the ring oscillator circuit, and used for receiving an output voltage to respectively provide a first voltage-frequency gain and a second voltage-frequency gain so as to control a frequency of the output clock signal provided by the ring oscillator circuit, wherein the first voltage-frequency gain is larger than the second voltage-frequency gain.
US08044722B2
To provide a highly stable oscillation frequency control circuit wherein the frequency thereof is corrected, an adequate range of the input levels of external reference signals is determined in accordance with temperature characteristics in detecting the external reference signal, and the control voltage to a VCO is controlled within and outside the adequate range. An oscillation frequency control circuit includes a selection switch that connects the phase comparator to the loop filter in an external reference synchronization mode and that connects the fixed voltage supplying circuit to the loop filter in a fixed voltage mode, and a CPU that switches the selection switch to the external reference synchronization mode or to the fixed voltage mode based on whether the detected voltage of an external reference signal level is within or outside of the adequate range.
US08044721B2
A low noise amplifier including an amplifier kernel circuit and a DC bias unit is provided. The amplifier kernel circuit is used for receiving a single input signal or a differential input signal so as to output a differential output signal. The DC bias unit is coupled to the amplifier kernel circuit, and is used for processing a signal source to generate the single input signal or the differential input signal according to its circuit configuration.
US08044720B2
An amplification circuit includes a semiconductor amplification element, a current feedback circuit that is connected to a terminal close to a ground side of the semiconductor amplification element and can control gain reduction, and a voltage feedback circuit that is connected between an input terminal and an output terminal of the semiconductor amplification element and can control feedback voltage. The feedback voltage of the voltage feedback circuit may be varied according to the gain reduction controlled by the current feedback circuit.
US08044714B2
Device and method are described for amplifying pulsed RF signals, comprising one or more transistors, each comprising a drain, a gate and a source. A device synchronizes the supply for the drain with an RF pulse.
US08044713B2
A receiving circuit and method for receiving an amplitude shift keying signal is provided. At least one exponent signal, an exponent-removed in-phase signal, and an exponent-removed quadrature-phase signal are generated from an in-phase input signal and a quadrature-phase input signal. An amplitude is determined as a sum of several summands, whereby the summands are determined from the exponent signal and/or from the exponent-removed in-phase signal and/or from the exponent-removed quadrature-phase signal (Q′), and wherein the amplitude (A) is demodulated.
US08044706B2
Systems and methods to achieve a charge pump for generating from single supply voltage energy efficient supply voltages that are symmetrical around ground voltage have been disclosed. The charge pump requires two flying capacitors only. The charge pump generates positive and negative supply voltages following a 1/N ratio of Vdd voltage, i.e. +−Vdd/N, and can be generalized to generate +/−Vdd/2N voltages. This is especially useful for supplying class-G amplifiers.
US08044704B2
In one embodiment, a current controller is configured to control a value of the current without regulating a voltage formed by the controller.
US08044703B2
Each of APRM units equipped for each of the diversity channels has printed circuit boards having circuit patterns thereon and a circuit description elements installed on the printed circuit board. The circuit description elements are FPGA elements manufactured by mutually different providers for example and implemented an electric circuit described in a hardware description language by a configuration tool. The circuit description elements can be implemented mutually different descriptions of the electric circuit, or can be implemented the electric circuit by mutually different configuration tools. Also, the printed circuit boards for the diversity channels can be different from each other.
US08044701B1
The disclosed device can contain a pair of switchable capacitors, one of which has the larger capacitance of the pair. Each of the switchable capacitors can include a capacitor in series with a switch. Both switchable capacitors can be connected in a parallel circuit that has a tunable capacitance. The ratio of the capacitances of the pair can approximately equal a ratio of mutually prime integers. In a particular case, the ratio of capacitances can approximately equal a ratio of two consecutive integers. The capacitance ratio can be called a weight or weight ratio. A switch controller can drive the pair of switchable capacitors with a pair of (M+1)-ary pulse width modulated signals, each of which has the same modulation period.
US08044698B2
A liquid level detection apparatus includes a resistance plate which has a conducting pattern formed on a board, the conducting pattern including a first slide portion, a second slide portion, a plus electrode electrically connected to the first slide portion, and a minus electrode electrically connected to the second slide portion, a float which moves in accordance with a change of a liquid level, a float arm connected to the float, a sliding arm which slides over the resistance plate in accordance with a pivotal movement of the float arm, a plus connection terminal connected to the plus electrode, a minus connection terminal connected to the minus electrode, and a protective layer formed on the plus connection terminal so as to cover the plus connection terminal.
US08044695B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit having a flip-flop with improve soft error resistance, including a controller which controls a clock signal generating circuit to output a first clock signal and a second clock signal with a timing so that logic of data retained in a first data retaining terminal becomes identical to logic of data retained in a third data retaining terminal, and then turns on a first switching circuit to connect between the first data retaining terminal and the first data retaining terminal.
US08044680B2
An on-die termination (ODT) circuit including drive signal generators, each drive signal generator configured to generate a corresponding plurality of ODT drive signals; and ODT drive units, each ODT drive unit configured to terminate a corresponding terminal with a termination resistance in response to the ODT drive signals of a corresponding drive signal generator. The drive signal generators are configured to supply the ODT drive signals to the ODT drive units to output a plurality of ODT control signals through the terminals in a test mode.
US08044678B2
The device for simulating a rectified constant impedance load provide by the present invention is to test a power product and comprises an analog-digital converter, a digital signal processor, a digital-analog converter, and an active electrical load module in order to replacing the passive components of a traditional rectified passive load. method for simulating a rectified constant impedance load being applied to test a power product and comprising the steps of: (S1) replacing the plurality of passive components of the rectified constant impedance load with a digital control module and an active electrical load module; (S2) establishing a passive load model function in order to represent the application relationships of the plurality of the passive components; (S3) executing the operation of the passive load model function by the digital control module in order to gain a load current value, and transferring the load current value to an analog control signal via the digital control module; and (S4) controlling the active electrical load module via the analog control signal so as to draw currents from the power product.
US08044674B2
A semiconductor device with a thermal fault detection is disclosed. According to one example of the invention such a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip including an active area. It further includes a temperature sensor arrangement that provides a measurement signal dependent on the temperature in or close to the active area, the measurement signal having a slope of a time-dependent steepness, and an evaluation circuit that is configured to provide an output signal that is representative of the steepness of the slope of the measurement signal and further configured to signal a steepness higher than a predefined threshold.
US08044672B2
A method is provided for measuring D-Q impedance of a component of a polyphase power grid connected to a grid node, and evaluating the margin of stability at a node using Nyquist diagrams generated from the measured D-Q impedance data. A generator, coupled to the polyphase power grid, is controlled to induce suppressed-carrier stimulus current into the grid node. Circuitry measures response signals of suppressed-carrier form existing within a bus voltage at the grid node and a branch current of the component being measured. The method includes measuring complex voltage components of the response signals contained in the bus voltage and complex current components of the response signals contained in the branch current to form simultaneous equations that are resolved to determine the D-Q impedance parameters Zqq, Zqd, Zdq and Zdd of the measured component.
US08044671B2
A method for servicing, especially checking, an apparatus for capacitive ascertaining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium, wherein the apparatus has at least one probe unit with a probe electrode and an auxiliary electrode. The probe electrode and/or the auxiliary electrode are/is supplied at least with one test signal or connected with at least one electrical potential, that at least one response signal is tapped from the probe unit, and that, at least from the response signal and a predeterminable desired value, information is obtained concerning the apparatus.
US08044669B2
An admittance meter having an electrical alternating signal source, a diode ring operated as a synchronous rectifier with at least four diodes connected in series and in the same direction in succession, a measuring sensor, and an evaluation unit. The diode ring is subjected to an alternating signal via first second feed points, which are each connected via two series-connected diodes. The measuring sensor is connected to the first feed point, and the evaluation unit is connected to a first or a second measurement point of the diode ring. The first and second measurement points are each connected via one diode to the first and second feed points, respectively.
US08044667B2
An apparatus for detecting failures in an illumination device includes at least two light emitting diodes connected in series. The apparatus includes a first, a second, and a third circuit node for interfacing the illumination device such that the voltage drop across at least two light emitting diodes is applied between the first and the second circuit node and a fraction of the voltage drop is applied between the second and the third circuit node. An evaluation unit is coupled to the first, the second, and the third circuit node and configured to assess whether the electric potential present at the third circuit node is within a pre-defined range of tolerance about a nominal value that is defined as a pre-defined fraction of the potential difference present between the first and the second circuit node.
US08044649B2
The invention relates to a DC-DC converter, which includes a power stage driven by a pulse width modulator, a first error amplifier with a first input coupled to a first reference voltage source and a second input coupled to a current sink through which a current is fed from an output of the power stage to receive a first feedback voltage (FB1), a second error amplifier with a first input coupled to a second reference voltage source and a second input coupled to the output of the power stage to receive a second reference voltage (FB2), and switching means (SW1) for connecting a control input of the pulse width modulator with the output of the first error amplifier in a current regulation mode and with the output of the second error amplifier in a voltage regulation control mode.
US08044647B2
A voltage down converter includes a voltage comparator for comparing a first reference voltage and an internal voltage to provide a first driving signal; a driving signal controller coupled with the voltage comparator, the driving signal controller configured to generate a second driving signal in response to an external voltage and selectively providing any one of the first and second driving signals; and a voltage supply coupled with the driving signal controller, the voltage supply configured to receive the selectively provided first and second driving signals, wherein the voltage supply is activated in accordance with the first or second driving signal, thereby providing the internal voltage.
US08044643B1
A power supply and methods are provided. In one implementation, the power supply includes a switching circuit and a converter. The switching circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor, and the converter includes a capacitor and an inductor. The switching circuit alternately switches an input voltage to the converter. The power supply further includes a controller operable to adjust a switching frequency of the first transistor and the second transistor to substantially match a resonant frequency of the capacitor and the inductor.
US08044631B2
Control systems, methods and power conversion systems are presented for controlling harmonic distortion, in which multi-sampling space vector modulation (SVM) is employed for controlling power converter switching devices, with a reference vector being sampled two or more times during each SVM period to update the SVM dwell times more than once during each SVM cycle.
US08044629B2
A self-tuning vibration absorber including a carrier rod assembly having operatively connected thereto a mounting mechanism for mounting the carrier rod assembly to a primary system and a hollow shafted motorized tuning mechanism for tuning a phase difference between vibration of the primary system and vibration of the carrier rod assembly to 90 degrees, the carrier rod assembly further including a detecting mechanism for detecting the vibration of the primary system and the vibration of the carrier rod assembly, and a controller in electrical connection with the detecting mechanism and the tuning means for controlling the tuning mechanism based on the vibration of the primary system and the vibration of the carrier rod assembly detected. A method of vibration dampening, a method of controlling a self-tuning vibration absorber, and a method of reducing hunting motion in railcars.
US08044625B2
A wiper apparatus includes: a wiper switch; an operation state detection device; a control device having an output section and an input section; a wiper motor; and a power supply. The wiper motor and the control device are connected by a single signal line; the operation state detection device and the input section are connected to the signal line; and the control device performs input of the wiper operating signal from the signal line when a predetermined period of time has elapsed from a point in time when an output of a wiper driving signal from the output section has stopped.
US08044622B2
A PWM modulation unit modulates a three-phase voltage instruction, which is input, on the basis of a PWM method, and outputs a gate signal to each phase switching element of an inverter. A high-frequency component arithmetic unit calculates, at each time of switching of the inverter, a high-frequency component of a current occurring due to a voltage which is determined by the PWM modulation unit and is output from the inverter. An index arithmetic unit calculates, as an index R proportional to a rotational phase angle estimation error, from the high-frequency component of the current. A rotational phase angle estimation unit executes an estimation arithmetic operation of the rotational phase angle by using the index R. The invention provides a synchronous motor sensorless control apparatus which enables stable driving with simple adjustment, and does not cause an extreme increase in amount of arithmetic calculations.
US08044618B2
It is attained by being provided with a motor constant calculation unit for calculating electric constants of a motor, and by correcting setting values of electric constants defined on one of the axes of two orthogonal axes, by a functional expression using a state variable defined on the same axis, and by correcting them by a functional expression using a state variable defined on the other axis.
US08044617B2
A motor control circuit for controlling a motor includes a brake circuit and a control circuit. The brake circuit is for making the motor enter a braking state. The control circuit is for detecting a residual energy of the motor in the braking state. When the residual energy conforms to a predetermined criterion, the control circuit makes the motor exit the braking state.
US08044615B2
Provided is a method for controlling a plurality of AC linear motors of identical specifications which are connected each other and operated synchronously so that they appear to operate as a single linear motor having desired power.The method for controlling, as an AC linear motor set, a plurality of AC linear motors of identical specifications which are connected to each other, includes the steps of firmly connecting the AC linear motors in such a manner that pole pitches of movers of the AC linear motors and pole intervals of adjacent movers are identical; and setting any one of the AC linear motors to be a master AC linear motor and using a command signal generated based on a feedback signal of the master AC linear motor and current difference information obtained by comparing phase current of the master AC linear motor with phase current of another AC linear motor to control the AC linear motor set.
US08044608B2
There is provided a driving circuit for controlling power of a light source. The driving circuit includes a power converter and a dimming controller. The power converter is coupled between a power source and the light source, and can receive power from the power source and provide a regulated power to the light source. The dimming controller is coupled to the power converter, and can receive a switch monitoring signal. The switch monitoring signal can indicate an operation of a power switch coupled between the power source and the driving circuit. The dimming controller is further operable for adjusting the regulated power from the power converter by controlling a switch coupled in series with the light source according to the switch monitoring signal.
US08044599B2
In one embodiment an electrical circuit for use as a string of lights includes a load comprising a plurality of lamps connected in series, the lamps comprising a first group of lamps including an LED and a first Zener diode in parallel therewith, and a second group of lamps including an incandescent light bulb and a second Zener diode in parallel therewith; and a rectifier for converting a source of AC into DC which is supplied to the load. The first group of lamps are alternate with the second group of lamps.
US08044598B2
The amplitude of a potential of a signal line is decreased and a scan line driver circuit is prevented from being excessively loaded. A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting element; a first power supply line having a first potential; a second power supply line having a second potential; a first transistor for controlling a connection between the first power supply line and the light-emitting element; a second transistor, which is controlled in accordance with a video signal, whether outputting the second potential applied from the second power supply line or not; a switching element for selecting either the first potential applied from the first power supply line or the output of the second transistor; and a third transistor for selecting whether the first potential or the output of the second transistor which is selected by the switch is applied to a gate of the first transistor.
US08044596B2
Electron-emissive drive units of electron-emissive elements capable of being arranged with a smaller pitch. FET and emitter array units exist in matrix element areas partitioned by a control wiring and data wiring. An exemplary unit is composed of four emitter arrays. The control wiring and data wiring are driven by first and second drive circuits, respectively. Corresponding arrays between units are connected by selection wiring and driven by a third drive circuit. The third drive circuit drives each unit of data wiring every time the drive circuit sequentially drives the four units of control wiring, and the emitter array drive circuit drives each emitter array selection wiring every time the drive circuit sequentially drives the three units of data wiring. Electrons can be emitted in units of arrays smaller than the unit.
US08044595B2
A method for operating one or more plasma processes in a plasma chamber, with at least two power supplies, the method comprising the following process steps: a. carrying out an arc detection for at least one of the power supplies; b. generating at least one signal relating to the arc detection and/or data relating to the arc detection; transferring the at least one signal and/or the data to a plasma process-regulating device and/or to one or more other power supplies or to one or more of the arc diverter devices associated with the other power supplies.
US08044594B2
One embodiment comprises a plasma processing system having a plasma chamber, a generator, a feedback component, and a controller. The feedback component is adapted to receive at least one first signal having a level dependent upon the power signal supplied from the generator to the chamber. A feedback output is adapted to emit a second signal to the controller, which is adapted to supply a third signal to the power generator. The third signal is configured to control the power generator to supply the power signal at a power level for a particular processing application. The power generator is further controlled by the controller to one of reduce and remove power from the plasma processing chamber and subsequently increase the voltage level until the power level reaches a threshold level. The power generator is further controlled to subsequently modulate the voltage until the voltage returns to a first voltage level.
US08044590B2
To provide a plasma display panel of improving a discharge time-lag.A plasma display panel of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a pair of substrate assemblies opposed to each other sandwiching discharge spaces formed to seal a discharge gas therein, wherein one of the pair of substrate assemblies comprises: display electrodes arranged on a substrate; a dielectric layer for covering the display electrodes; and a protective layer for covering the dielectric layer, and the protective layer is configured so that a plurality of MgO single crystals are adhered to an MgO film in such a manner that crystal orientations of the plurality of MgO single crystals are aligned in one direction.
US08044589B2
A plasma display apparatus may include an external light shielding sheet attached to a front of a panel to absorb and shield externally incident light. Accordingly, a black image can be implemented close to an original color and bright and dark room contrast can be improved. Furthermore, thickness of the external light shielding sheet and height of a pattern unit have a given ratio in order to properly secure an aperture ratio of the external light shielding sheet. Accordingly, light emitted into the panel can transmit toward a user side.
US08044588B2
In an EL element having an anode, an insulating film (bump) formed on the anode, and an EL film and a cathode formed on the insulating film, each of a bottom end portion and a top end portion of the insulating film is formed so as to have a curved surface. The taper angle of a central portion of the insulating film is set within the range from 35° to 70°, thereby preventing the gradient of the film forming surface on which the EL film and the cathode are to be formed from being abruptly changed. On the thus-formed film forming surface, the EL film and the cathode can be formed so as to be uniform in thickness, so that occurrence of discontinuity in each of EL film and the cathode is prevented.
US08044587B2
The present invention relates to a white light emitting diode (LED) package that includes a blue LED chip to emit blue light; a yellow phosphor excited by the blue light and emit yellow light, the yellow light to produce a primary white light in combination with the blue light; a red LED chip to emit red light, the red light to adjust the primary white light into secondary white light of an incandescent color; and a package member comprising at least a partial transmissive part covering the blue LED chip, the red LED chip, and the yellow phosphor. The primary white light falls in a region of (0.413, 0.502), (0.335, 0.376), (0.37, 0.371), and (0.439, 0.48) based on a CIE color coordinate standard.
US08044586B2
Disclosed is an organic light emitting display device including a bezel for protecting an organic light emitting display panel. The organic light emitting display device has a display panel including a first substrate, on which a pixel array having at least one organic light emitting diode is formed, a second substrate for encapsulating a pixel region of the first substrate, and an encapsulating material formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The device further includes a bezel for receiving the display panel. The bezel accommodates the display panel and includes a lower plate with a waved surface and a sidewall extending from edges of the lower surface.
US08044584B2
An organic electroluminescent device includes a substrate, an encapsulation substrate, an organic electroluminescent portion interposed between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate and a transparent moisture absorption layer. The transparent moisture absorption layer comprises at least one of a metal oxide and a metal salt with an average particle diameter of about 100 nm or less, a binder, and a dispersant. The transparent moisture absorption layer may be disposed in an internal space provided by the substrate and the encapsulation substrate and may be used in a front emission type organic electroluminescent device.
US08044580B2
A light emitting device structure is provided so as to increase the amount of light which is taken out in a certain direction after emitted from a light emitting element, as well as a method of manufacturing this light emitting device. In the present invention, an upper end portion of an insulating material 19 that covers an end portion of a first electrode 18 is formed to have a curved surface having a radius of curvature, a second electrode 23a is formed to have a slant face as going from its center portion toward its end portion along the curved surface. Light emitted from a light emitting layer having an organic material 20 that is formed on the second electrode 23a is reflected at the slant face of the second electrode 23a to increase the total amount of light taken out in the direction.
US08044578B2
The display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a spacer and a connection electrode. The first substrate includes an organic electroluminescence diode device, and the second substrate faces the first substrate and includes a thin film transistor. The connection electrode is configured to electrically connect the thin film transistor and the organic electroluminescence diode device. The display device further includes a first buffer pattern configured to separate two adjacent pixel regions and a second buffer pattern overlying the first buffer pattern and having a predetermined shape. The first buffer pattern is etchable to produce a cavity between the two adjacent pixel regions. The cavity can be enlarged to the extent that the shape of the second buffer pattern is maintained.
US08044577B2
A full-color organic light emitting display device and a method of fabricating the same, including a substrate, at least one color conversion layer, a color filter, and an organic light emitting diode having a lower electrode disposed on the substrate, an upper electrode disposed on the lower electrode, and an organic layer with at least a first emission layer.
US08044572B2
A light conversion structure ensuring good light transmission and less deterioration and capable of controlling light to a desired color tone and emitting a highly bright light, and a light-emitting device using the same. The light conversion structure is a light conversion structure including a layer formed of a ceramic composite, which absorbs a part of a first light to emit a second light and transmits a part of the first light, and a fluorescent layer for the control of color tone, which is formed on the surface of the ceramic composite and which absorbs a part of the first light or a part of the second light to emit a third light and transmits a part of the first light or a part of the second light, wherein the ceramic composite includes a solidified body where at least two or more metal oxide phases are formed continuously and three-dimensionally entangled with each other, and at least one metal oxide phase in the solidified body includes a metal element oxide capable of emitting fluorescence.
US08044571B2
A cathode stack with a getter layer is disclosed. The cathode stack includes an electron injection layer, a capping layer and a getter layer. An organic electroactive device including a cathode stack with a getter layer is also presented. A method of fabricating an electroactive device with a cathode stack including a getter layer is also provided.
US08044546B2
A permanent magnet electric machine with optimum motoring efficiency is disclosed. It is adapted for use in a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain. An asymmetric magnetic flux distribution pattern in the rotor of the machine is established by asymmetrically positioning rotor openings relative to rotor magnets to improve operating efficiency of the machine when it is in a motoring mode.
US08044545B2
To provide a DC motor in which the rattling and the axial deviation of a rotor are restrained without increasing the axial dimension of the motor.This DC motor comprises a stator (2) on which coils (4) are provided, a rotor (8) so disposed as to be opposed to the inner periphery of the stator (2) and having magnetic poles, a current-carrying part provided at one end of the rotor (8) and transferring the current fed from a power supply to the coils (4) of the stator (2), a sleeve bearing (6) holding the rotor (8), and a ball bearing (7) holding the rotor (8) and having a load-carrying capacity larger than that of the sleeve bearing (6). The outer ring of the ball bearing (7) is positioned by the stator (2), and the inner ring of the ball bearing (7) is positioned by the rotor (8).
US08044534B2
When a DC/DC converter switches between a primary voltage control mode, a secondary voltage control mode, and a current limiting mode as operation modes, an I-term resetting processor outputs an I term depending on the duty ratio in the operation mode before being switched to a PID processor. The PID processor performs a PID control process based on the input I term. A drive duty ratio setter outputs a drive duty ratio immediately after the control mode switching, which is substantially equal to the duty ratio in the operation mode before being switched. As a result, the duty ratios in the operation mode before being switched and the operation mode after being switched are made continuous with respect to each other.
US08044521B2
An improved reliability of a junction region between a bonding wire and an electrode pad in an operation at higher temperature is presented. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip provided on a lead frame, which are encapsulated with an encapsulating resin. Lead frames are provided in both sides of the lead frame. A portion of the lead frame is encapsulated with the encapsulating resin to function as an inner lead. The encapsulating resin is composed of a resin composition that contains substantially no halogen. Further, an exposed portion of the Al pad provided in the semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the inner lead via the AuPd wire.
US08044519B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an insulating film above a semiconductor substrate, forming a concave portion in the insulating film, forming a precursor film including a predetermined metallic element on a surface of the insulating film, carrying out a heat treatment on the precursor film and the insulating film to react with each other, thereby forming an insulative barrier film mainly comprising a compound of the predetermined metallic element and a constituent element of the insulating film in a self-aligned manner at a boundary surface between the precursor film and the insulating film, removing an unreacted part of the precursor film after forming the barrier film, forming a conductive film comprising at least one of Ru and Co on the barrier film, depositing a wiring material film on the conductive film, and forming a wiring from the wiring material film to provide a wiring structure.
US08044500B2
Disclosed is a power module having improved joint reliability. Specifically disclosed is a power module including a power module substrate wherein a circuit layer is brazed on the front surface of a ceramic substrate, a metal layer is brazed on the rear surface of the ceramic substrate and a semiconductor chip is soldered to the circuit layer. The metal layer is composed of an Al alloy having an average purity of not less than 98.0 wt. % but not more than 99.9 wt. % as a whole. In this metal layer, the Fe concentration in the side of a surface brazed with the ceramic substrate is set at less than 0.1 wt. %, and the Fe concentration in the side of a surface opposite to the brazed surface is set at not less than 0.1 wt. %.
US08044492B2
A semiconductor epitaxial substrate includes: a single crystal substrate; an AlN layer epitaxially grown on the single crystal substrate; and a nitride semiconductor layer epitaxially grown on the AN layer, wherein an interface between the AlN layer and nitride semiconductor layer has a larger roughness than an interface between the single crystal substrate and AlN layer, and a skewness of the upper surface of the AlN layer is positive.
US08044489B2
A semiconductor device having a phase-change memory cell comprises an interlayer dielectric film formed of, for example, SiOF formed on a select transistor formed on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate, a chalcogenide material layer formed of, for example, GeSbTe extending on the interlayer dielectric film, and a top electrode formed on the chalcogenide material layer. A fluorine concentration in an interface between the interlayer dielectric film and the chalcogenide material layer is higher than a fluorine concentration in an interface between the chalcogenide material layer and the top electrode.
US08044486B2
This invention discloses a bottom-anode Schottky (BAS) diode that includes an anode electrode disposed on a bottom surface of a semiconductor substrate. The bottom-anode Schottky diode further includes a sinker dopant region disposed at a depth in the semiconductor substrate extending substantially to the anode electrode disposed on the bottom surface of the semiconductor and the sinker dopant region covered by a buried Schottky barrier metal functioning as a Schottky anode. The BAS diode further includes a lateral cathode region extended laterally from a cathode electrode near a top surface of the semiconductor substrate opposite the Schottky barrier metal wherein the lateral cathode region doped with an opposite dopant from the sinker dopant region and interfacing the sinker dopant region whereby a current path is formed from the cathode electrode to the anode electrode through the lateral cathode region and the sinker dopant region in applying a forward bias voltage and the sinker dopant region depleting the cathode region in applying a reverse bias voltage for blocking a leakage current.
US08044484B2
The present invention provides an ultraviolet detecting device which comprises a silicon semiconductor layer having a thickness ranging from greater than or equal to 3 nm to less than or equal to 36 nm, which is formed over an insulating layer, lateral PN-junction type first and second photodiodes formed in the silicon semiconductor layer, an interlayer insulating film formed over the silicon semiconductor layer, a first filter layer made of silicon nitride, which is formed over the interlayer insulating film provided over the first photodiode and causes light lying in a wavelength range of an UV-B wave or higher to pass therethrough, and a second filter layer made of silicon nitride, which is formed over the interlayer insulating film provided over the second photodiode and allows light lying in a wavelength range of an UV-A wave or higher to pass therethrough.
US08044483B2
A photo detector having an electrically conductive thin film and a light-receiving unit. A coupling periodic structure is provided on a surface of the film and converts incidence light to surface plasmon. The coupling periodic structure has an opening that penetrates the obverse and reverse surfaces of the thin film. The light-receiving unit is provided at one end of the opening in the surface that is opposite to the surface on which the coupling periodic structure is provided. The opening is shaped like a slit and is broader than half (½) the wavelength of the surface plasmon in a direction that intersects at right angles with a polarization direction of the incidence light and is narrower than half (½) the wavelength of the surface plasmon in a direction parallel to the polarization direction.
US08044480B2
The invention relates to a method of producing a radiation detector comprising a photosensitive receiver (1; 30; 41) associated with a radiation converter (5) which is fixed by bonding to the photosensitive receiver (1; 30; 41). The method uses a film of adhesive (6; 61; 62) protected on each of its faces by a protective film and in carrying out the following operations in succession. A one protective film is removed. The film of adhesive (6; 61; 62) is laminated to the first element (5). The second protective film is removed. The second element (1; 30; 41) is brought into contact with the film of adhesive (6; 61; 62). The invention also relates to a tool for producing a radiation detector and to a method of employing this tool.
US08044477B1
One aspect of the present invention provides a device that includes a substrate; a first semiconducting layer; a transparent conductive layer; a transparent window layer. The transparent window layer includes cadmium sulfide and oxygen. The device has a fill factor of greater than about 0.65. Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of making the device.
US08044476B2
A radiation detector comprising a II-VI compound semiconductor substrate that absorbs radiation having a first energy, a II-VI compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type provided on a main surface of the II-VI compound semiconductor substrate, a metal layer containing at least one of a group III element and a group V element provided on the II-VI compound semiconductor layer, a IV semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type provided on the metal layer, and a IV semiconductor substrate that absorbs radiation having a second energy different from the first energy provided on the IV semiconductor layer.
US08044475B2
A chip package includes a bump connecting said semiconductor chip and said circuitry component, wherein the semiconductor chip has a photosensitive area used to sense light. The chip package may include a ring-shaped protrusion connecting a transparent substrate and the semiconductor chip.
US08044457B2
In various embodiments, the invention relates to semiconductor structures, such as planar MOS structures, suitable as voltage clamp devices. Additional doped regions formed in the structures may improve over-voltage protection characteristics.
US08044449B2
A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a substrate, a trench having an upper portion and a lower portion formed in the substrate, a trench capacitor formed in the lower portion of the trench, a collar dielectric layer formed on a sidewall of the trench capacitor and extending away from a top surface of the substrate, a first doping region formed on a side of the upper portion of the trench in the substrate for serving as source/drain, a conductive layer formed in the trench and electrically connected to the first doping region, a top dielectric layer formed on conductive layer, a gate formed on the top dielectric layer, an epitaxy layer formed on both sides of the gate and on the substrate and a second doping area formed on a top of the epitaxy layer for serving as source/drain.
US08044447B2
There is provided a semiconductor device including a silicon substrate, a source/drain region formed in a surface layer of the silicon substrate, a first insulating film provided with a first hole on the first source/drain region, a conductive film formed on an inner surface of the first hole, a filler body, which is formed with a thickness to fill the first hole on the first conductive film, forms a first conduct plug together with the conductive film, and is formed of an insulating material with an upper surface being amorphous, and a capacitor, which is formed on the first contact plug and is provided with a lower electrode electrically connected to the conductive film, a capacitor dielectric film formed of a ferroelectric material, and an upper electrode.
US08044446B2
Solid-state image sensors, specifically image sensor pixels, which have three or four transistors, high sensitivity, low noise, and low dark current, are provided. The pixels have separate active regions for active components, row-shared photodiodes and may also contain a capacitor to adjust the sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range. The low dark current is achieved by using pinned photodiodes.
US08044430B2
A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to the present invention includes a nitride based semiconductor substrate 10 and a nitride based semiconductor multilayer structure that has been formed on the semiconductor substrate 10. The multilayer structure includes an active layer 16 that produces emission and multiple semiconductor layers 12, 14 and 15 that have been stacked one upon the other between the active layer 16 and the substrate 10 and that include an n-type dopant. Each and every one of the semiconductor layers 12, 14 and 15 includes Al atoms.
US08044418B2
A modular package for a light emitting device includes a leadframe including a first region having a top surface, a bottom surface and a first thickness and a second region having a top surface, a bottom surface and a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. The leadframe further includes an electrical lead extending laterally away from the second region, and the package further includes a thermoset package body on the leadframe and surrounding the first region. The thermoset package body may be on both the top and bottom surfaces of the second region. A leak barrier may be on the leadframe, and the package body may be on the leak barrier. Methods of forming modular packages including thermoset package bodies on leadframes are also disclosed.
US08044414B2
In formation of a quantum dot structure in a light emitting layer, a matrix region (an n-type conductive layer and matrix layers) is formed on a growth underlying layer of AlN whose abundance ratio of Al is higher (or whose lattice constant is smaller) than that in the matrix region by an MBE technique, thereby to realize conditions where compression stress is caused in an in-plane direction perpendicular to the direction of growth of the matrix region, and then to form island crystals by self-organization in the presence of this compression stress. The compression stress inhibits an increase in lattice constant caused by the reduced abundance ratio of Al in the matrix region, i.e., to compensate for a difference in lattice constant between the island crystals and the matrix region. The compression stress functions to enlarge compositional limits for formation of the island crystals by self-organization to the Ga-rich side.
US08044403B2
An integrated circuit, which is configured such that a MOS transistor and a bipolar transistor are integrated at the same time, is formed on an insulating substrate which includes a display device. An electronic device or a display includes a plurality of semiconductor devices which are formed by using a semiconductor thin film and are formed in the semiconductor thin film that is provided on an insulating substrate and is crystallized in a predetermined direction. The plurality of semiconductor devices include a MOS transistor and at least either one of a lateral bipolar thin-film transistor and a MOS-bipolar hybrid thin film transistor.
US08044392B2
A display device includes an insulating substrate; a plurality of gate wires formed on the insulating substrate, the plurality of gate wires including a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer covering the plurality of gate wires; a transparent electrode layer formed on the gate insulating layer, the transparent electrode layer including a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed about the gate electrode and spaced apart from each other to define a channel region disposed therebetween; a plurality of data wires covering a predetermined portion of the transparent electrode layer and being crossed insulatedly with the plurality of gate wires to define pixels; and an organic semiconductor layer formed on the channel region for each pixel, a predetermined portion of the organic semiconductor layer being operatively connected with the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the gate electrode to form a transistor having an improved characteristic and a novel structure.
US08044391B2
A thin film transistor includes a multi-coaxial silicon nanowire unit including a plurality of coaxial silicon nanowires on a substrate, the multi-coaxial silicon nanowire unit including a central portion and end portions of the central portion; a gate electrode on the central portion; and a source electrode and a drain electrode on the respective end portions, respectively, so as to electrically connect to the multi-coaxial silicon nanowire unit.
US08044387B1
Disclosed are semiconductor memory devices containing a plastic substrate and at least one active device supported by the plastic substrate, the active device containing an organic semiconductor material. The semiconductor memory devices containing a plastic substrate may further contain a polymer dielectric and/or a conductive polymer.
US08044385B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor light emitting device. The semiconductor light emitting device comprises a first conductive semiconductor layer, a lower super lattice layer under the first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive super lattice layer on the active layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer on the second conductive super lattice layer.
US08044382B2
A light-emitting device includes an n-type silicon thin film (2), a silicon thin film (3), and a p-type silicon thin film (4). The silicon thin film (3) is formed on the n-type silicon thin film (2) and the p-type silicon thin film (4) is formed on the silicon thin film (3). The n-type silicon thin film (2), the silicon thin film (3), and the p-type silicon thin film (4) form a pin junction. The n-type silicon thin film (2) includes a plurality of quantum dots (21) composed of n-type Si. The silicon thin film (3) includes a plurality of quantum dots (31) composed of p-type Si. The p-type silicon thin film (4) includes a plurality of quantum dots (41) composed of p-type Si. Electrons are injected from the n-type silicon thin film (2) side and holes are injected from the p-type silicon thin film (4) side, whereby light is emitted at a silicon nitride film (3).
US08044379B2
A method of producing silicon nanowires includes providing a substrate in the form of a doped material; formulating an etching solution; and applying an appropriate current density for an appropriate length of time. Related structures and devices composed at least in part from silicon nanowires are also described.
US08044378B2
A method of manufacturing a photo interrupter includes forming a frame including a first frame part and a second frame part which are disposed at an interval to be facing each other, mounting at least one light-emitting element on a first board and attaching the first board to the first frame part of the frame, mounting a light-receiving element on a second board and attaching the second board to the second frame part of the frame, the light-receiving element being mounted on the second board to be facing the light-emitting element so that the light-receiving element receives light emitted from the light-emitting element, and providing a positioning member on the frame by integrally forming the positioning member with the frame.
US08044370B2
A gas field ion source is described for a charged particle beam device having a charged particle beam column. The gas field ion source includes an emitter unit, a cooling unit, and a thermal conductivity unit for thermal conductivity from the cooling unit to the emitter unit, wherein the thermal conductivity unit is adapted for reduction of vibration transfer from the cooling unit to the emitter unit.
US08044369B2
An electrostatic deflection circuit and method of an electronic beam measuring apparatus which can achieve the high precision of the electronic beam measuring and contribute to the simplification of the structure of the apparatus is provided. In an analog arithmetic circuit included in an analog operation part constituting an electrostatic deflection circuit, output voltages of multipliers are added and output by an adder. When the magnification is low, as the side of an ordinarily closed contact is closed driven by a relay driving circuit, the output of the adder is amplified by a high gain amplifier with a high amplification factor and applied to an electrostatic deflecting board. When the magnification is high, the side of an ordinarily open contact is closed and it is amplified by a low gain amplifier with a low amplification factor and applied to the electrostatic deflecting board in the same way.
US08044364B2
A dosimetry device for charged particle radiation that can be exclusive of cables and connectors between substrates is provided. A plurality of first electrodes are formed on one surface of a printed circuit board, a second electrode substrate having a second electrode opposing each of the plurality of first electrodes through an ionized space is provided, and a signal processing circuit is provided on the other surface opposing the surface of the printed circuit board. The signal processing circuit includes at least one amplifying circuit, a plurality of integrating capacitors corresponding to the amplifying circuit for integrating charge at each corresponding one of the first electrodes, and at least one selector switch that switchably connects each of the integrating capacitors to the amplifying circuit. The printed circuit board may be a multi-layer printed circuit board.
US08044361B2
Plural detection boards are stacked and fixed. The detection board has a wiring board, a semiconductor detection device fixed on an upper surface of the wiring board and configured to detect radiation, and a spacer fixed on the upper surface of the wiring board. Each of the detection boards is provided so that the semiconductor detection device and the spacer have a designated positional relationship. In addition, the spacers are stacked and matched in an X-Y plane surface with each other so that the detection boards are fixed by fixing members.
US08044359B2
A dosimeter comprising an ionizing radiation detector array is used to generally encompass a three dimensional geometric shape such as that employed as a phantom in radiation dosimetry measurements. The ionizing radiation detector array may include passive or active detectors. The active detectors in the array may comprise diodes, ionization chambers, luminescent sensors or amorphous silicon. The three dimensional geometric shape may comprise a shape defined by a closed directrix, wherein each of a plurality of detectors within the ionizing detector array is within an envelope defined by a generatrix of the directrix. The closed directrix may be an open or closed cylinder, or a structure having a cross section described by a polygon. The plurality of detectors may only be positioned on or at least proximate the envelope.
US08044356B2
A survey meter for measuring a radioactive contamination caused in an inner surface of a pipe includes a radiation detecting section and a signal processing section. The radiation detecting section includes a rod-shaped light guide unit, a reflecting portion connected to one end surface of the light guide unit, a photoelectric transfer unit, for outputting an electronic signal, connected to another one end surface of the light guide unit, and a scintillator unit provided to a circumference of the light guide unit. The signal processing section includes a pulse height discriminator for outputting a logic signal at a time when a pulse height value of the electronic signal outputted from the photoelectric transfer unit is higher than a threshold value, a counter unit for counting the logic signal, a contamination judging unit for judging whether a radioactive contamination is caused or not, and a display unit for displaying the value counted by the counter unit and a contamination judging result judged by the contamination judging unit.
US08044338B2
A device for counting the number of rotations of an object in a system, in which a storage means carries counting data designed to represent the number of rotations counted. The counting data is used for conditionally resetting the storage means if and only if two separate conditions are fulfilled, where at least of one of the conditions is the reception of information from an external device, thereby insuring that the counting data represents the number of rotations counted from a predetermined time.
US08044336B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a detector comprising first and second lenses for use with respective first and second sensing means; each lens comprising a plurality of Fresnel facets having respective fields of view adapted such that the fields of view of the first lens are alternately arranged with the fields of view of the second lens such that the fields of view of the first lens are adjacent only to, but do not overlap with, the fields of view of the second lens in a single direction.
US08044326B2
A steam cooking apparatus having a steam generating device that generates steam to be fed to a heating chamber and a vapor heating heater that heats the steam generated by the steam generating device to provide superheated steam. The steam cooking apparatus includes a first heating mode using the superheated steam obtained from the vapor heating heater and a second heating mode using hot air or radiation heat obtained by using the vapor heating heater without use of the steam generating device so that the second heating mode produces heat without a supply of steam.
US08044321B2
A processing machine for workpiece processing includes a cutting head that produces a cutting beam directed toward a workpiece, and a beam-catching device for receiving a discharge of the cutting beam from an underside of the workpiece during processing of the workpiece. The beam-catching device includes a housing defining an opening that opens toward the cutting beam and a beam-catching space adjacent the opening, the cutting beam discharging from the underside of the workpiece during the processing of the workpiece and entering the beam-catching space of the housing through the opening. The beam-catching device also includes at least one nozzle on at least one wall section of the housing, the nozzle feeding a fluid jet as a free jet to the beam-catching space in such a way that the at least one fluid jet crosses the cutting beam.
US08044316B2
A slide operation apparatus capable of ensuring the operability of a knob and improving the visibility of scales on a panel surface of an electronic instrument, without the need of increasing a widthwise space required for mounting the slide operation apparatus on the panel surface. Scales indicating positions in slide movement direction are marked on the panel surface of the electronic instrument on which slide operation apparatuses are mounted. Each slide operation apparatus has a knob adapted to be operated to make a reciprocating slide movement on the panel surface. The knob has its mounting portion whose width is smaller than that of a plate portion and whose left and right end surfaces are receded inwardly from those of the plate portion. The knob has a bottom-side narrow-width portion in which a facing surface is narrower in width in slide movement direction than a finger-operated surface.
US08044312B2
An electrical service device having a housing is disclosed, in which voltage-carrying components are accommodated which are accessible via openings in the housing of the service device. At least one opening can have at least one wall-like insulating barrier associated with it which consists of an electrically insulating material and with which it is possible for the air gaps and leakage paths between two adjacent openings to be increased. The insulating barrier can be fixed to the housing of the service device.
US08044303B2
A trace carrier is provided. The trace carrier includes a first insulating tube, a second insulating tube, a trace pair, and a sealed hollow insulating cylinder. The trace pair is passing through the first insulating tube and the second insulating tube, and is coiled up in an inner space of the first insulating tube and the second insulating tube. The sealed hollow insulating cylinder encapsulates the first insulating tube, the second insulating tube, and the trace pair, but the four terminals of the trace pair are exposed to the outside of the sealed hollow insulating cylinder.
US08044301B2
A printed circuit board includes a lower plate provided with an internal circuit wiring and having a recessed part at a surface thereof and a plurality of projection patterns at a lower surface of the recessed part; an upper plate having the same structure of the lower plate and adhered to the lower plate so that surfaces formed with the recessed part are opposite to each other; a heat circulation medium injected into an internal space formed by the recessed parts of the lower and upper plates.
