US08060938B2

A proprietary portable audio player system for protecting digital content copyrights, which includes a proprietary portable audio player, a web access interface, and an online music server. The proprietary portable audio player has a hardware unique device identity. The proprietary portable audio player has a playback token acquirement mode and uses a first transmission medium to link with the online music server to thereby obtain a playback token for a corresponding music file playback. The online music server pre-stores a plurality of music files with compression formats, a plurality of playback tokens, and a mapping table. When a playback token signal from the web access interface is received, the online music server accordingly issues a playback token corresponding to a specific music file, updates the mapping table, and sends the playback token to the proprietary portable audio player through the first transmission medium.
US08060937B2

A group change lockout system for protecting the configuration of a securable object in an operating system from members of a locally privileged group, such as the local administrators group, when a security descriptor exists for the securable object that includes a discretionary access control list (DACL). A copy of the security descriptor is made. Then a new access control entry (ACE) is added to the DACL in the copy. This new ACE specifies denying the local administrators group an access right to the securable object. Then the security descriptor in the operating system is overwritten with the copy.
US08060936B2

The present invention provides a system and method for reporting security information relating to a mobile device. The invention enables a security assessment to be displayed in various formats on the mobile device display or on a client computer. A security component identifies security events on the mobile device that are processed on the mobile device or by a server. The security component then determines a security assessment for the mobile device based upon the detected security events. The security assessment display may be persistent in the form of a desktop widget or dashboard on a client computer, or home-screen item on the mobile device. This allows a user or administrator to verify that security protection on the device is functioning and to be alerted if the device needs attention without having to specifically seek the information, thereby enabling immediate response to potential security problems.
US08060933B2

This computer data protection method of the present invention requires a user to enter a correct password for modifying any data. If wrong passwords are typed, this method forbids modification of any program modules. Further, if any program module is detected having unauthenticated modification, that program module is deleted and an original image of that program module is loaded to recover normal operation of the operation system. Additionally, a common password is also provided in the protection method. Some special function can use this common password to pass the detection of this method to perform any modification.
US08060930B2

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for imaging device credential submission wherein credentials are extracted by scanning graphical indicia on user documents using a primary document scanner.
US08060927B2

A network firewall may apply policies to packets based on a security classification. Packets with an authenticated and established security connection may be handled at a high throughput while packets with unauthenticated connections may be handed at a low throughput or even discarded. In some embodiments, three or more levels of security classifications may be used to process packets at different speeds or priorities. In some embodiments, one device may classify and tag each packet, while another device within the network may process the packets according to the tags.
US08060909B2

A personal media broadcasting system enables video distribution over a computer network and allows a user to view and control media sources over a computer network from a remote location. A personal broadcaster receives an input from one or more types of media sources, digitizes and compresses the content, and streams the compressed media over a computer network to a media player running on any of a wide range of client devices for viewing the media. The system may allow the user to issue control commands (e.g., “channel up”) from the media player to the broadcaster, causing the source device to execute the commands. The broadcaster and the media player may employ several techniques for buffering, transmitting, and viewing the content to improve the user's experience.
US08060900B2

Apparatus in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data storage cartridge and/or a receiver configured to receive the cartridge in facilitation of data transfer to and/or from the cartridge. The cartridge and the receiver each include respective connector portions configured to connect when the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. The cartridge and/or the receiver also include guide features configured to facilitate alignment of the connector portions for connection as the cartridge is inserted into the receiver.
US08060893B2

According to the invention, an electronic data storage cartridge for removable coupling to a computing system is disclosed. The electronic data storage cartridge includes a cartridge body, a connector, an optical waveguide, a hard disk drive, and a mechanical write-protect switch that prevents modification of information on the hard disk drive when active. The cartridge body includes at least two outer surfaces. The connector can be used for removable coupling to the computing system, where the connector couples information outside the cartridge body. The optical waveguide is configured to couple light between the two outer surfaces. The hard drive is coupled to the connector.
US08060889B2

A data management system or “DMS” provides a wide range of data services to data sources associated with a set of application host servers. The data management system typically comprises one or more regions, with each region having one or more clusters. A given cluster has one or more nodes that share storage. To facilitate the data service, a host driver embedded in an application server connects an application and its data to a cluster. The host driver provides a method and apparatus for capturing real-time data modifications and application state notifications and, in response, generating data transactions in the form of an event journal that is provided to the data management system. The driver functions to translate traditional file/database/block I/O into a continuous, application-aware, output data stream. Using the streams generated in this manner, the DMS offers a wide range of data services that include, by way of example only: data protection (and recovery), and disaster recovery (data distribution and data replication).
US08060888B2

A system is disclosed for serving a message to a target system. A database message is converted to a common data model to conform to at least two systems and an architecture of the target system. The common data model is transformed into a specified data type of the architecture of the target system. Calls are managed using specified functions available through an application programming interface offered by the architecture of the target system. Functions of the application programming interface are invoked to implement a target message in the architecture of the target system. The message is written to the target system.
US08060880B2

Locks which protect data structures used within atomic sections of concurrent programs are inferred from atomic sections and acquired in a manner to avoid deadlock. Locks may be inferred by expression correspondence using a backward inter-procedural analysis of an atomic section. Locks may be sorted according to a total order and acquired early in an atomic section to prevent deadlock. Multiple granularity of locks are determined and employed. Fine grained locks may be inferred and acquired to reduce contention. Coarse grained locks may be determined and substituted for fine grained locks when necessary for unbounded locations or to reduce the number of finer grained locks.
US08060878B2

A method for preventing deadlock in a distributed computing system includes the steps of: receiving as input a sorted set of containers defining a unique global sequence of containers for servicing process requests; populating at least one table based at least in part on off-line analysis of call graphs defining corresponding transactions for a given order of the containers in the sorted set; storing within each container at least a portion of the table; and allocating one or more threads in a given container according to at least a portion of the table stored within the given container.
US08060877B1

I/O operations between a virtual machine (VM) and a device external to the VM are monitored by a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Data passing between the VM and the external device is transformed by the VMM, in some cases only when a predetermined filtering or triggering condition is met. Because the VMM, and thus the transformation operation, is transparent to the VM, the transformation cannot be prevented or undone or even affected by any action by a user of the VM. Examples of the non-defeatable transformation of I/O data include generating display overlays such as banners, masking out portions of a display, encryption, compression and network shaping such as bandwidth limiting.
US08060872B2

A method for transmitting a software code from a control unit to a field device of process automation technology. The inventive method is characterized in that the software code is integrated into a software module which encapsulates data and functions of the field device and which requires an operator control program for field devices as the runtime environment and which establishes the communication link with the field device.
US08060867B2

A method for blocking the execution of prohibited files, includes requesting execution of a file to be executed, identifying the file to be executed, comparing the identified file to be executed to a list of files that are prohibited and executing the identified file to be executed when the identified file to be executed does not match a file listed in the list of files that are prohibited.
US08060863B2

Systems, methods and computer readable media are provided for the conformance testing of services through the utilization of a conformance control module. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include comparing meta-data returned by the service to predetermined parameters to determine whether the meta-data conforms to the predetermined parameters. The method may also include determining a conformance violation exists when the comparison indicates the meta-data does not conform to the predetermined parameters. The method may further include determining a conformance violation does not exist when the comparison indicates the meta-data does conform to the predetermined parameters. Moreover, the method may include continuing execution of the service based on the results of the comparisons made.
US08060861B2

A system and method for generating a script conforming with the interactive television standard for embedment in an entertainment device includes retrieving a header file containing definitions of functions present in the interactive television standard. A code file includes a string that does not conform to the interactive television standard for code. The string is broken into substrings based on the presence of the “;” character. In substrings with a “typedef” keyword, a data type is selected based upon occurring immediately succeeding the “typedef” keyword up to the “;” character and creating variables with values representative of the data type. Automatically selecting from a plurality of strings in the header, a suitable string in accord with the variables creates resulting substring in a form acceptable according to the interactive television standard. The resulting code is stored in a memory storage for execution by the entertainment device.
US08060860B2

The present invention describes methods for improving security when accessing applications and other executable programs. In one exemplary method, a user is warned if an application that has never been previously run is being launched by the user. Other methods, as well as data processing systems and machine readable media, are also described.
US08060853B2

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of logical elements and a plurality of wiring lines. The plurality of wiring lines have a wiring line which connects the logical elements to each other, and a wiring line which is disconnected on one end from one of the logical elements and connected on the other end to another one of the logical elements.
US08060852B1

A method and systems are provided for screening and rapid evaluation of routed nets in a post-layout circuit environment, such as in the design of printed circuit boards. A portion of nets are selected for determination of associated signal quality factors. Signal channels containing one or more selected nets are then built. A reference input stimulus is propagated along each of the signal channels in a frequency based simulation for generating characteristic responses of the selected nets' signal channels. A signal channel quality factor is obtained for each signal channel based upon its characteristic response. The signal channels and their nets are then comparatively analyzed according to corresponding signal channel quality factors to selectively identify any aberrant nets warranting supplemental evaluation for faults.
US08060851B2

A method for operating a secure semiconductor IP access server to support failure analysis. A client presents a test failure and failure type to an automated server which traverses an electronic product design, definition, and test database to report specifically those components and interconnect likely to cause the failure with geometrical information which may be displayed on the client. Other aspects of semiconductor IP are protected by the server by limiting the trace mechanism and renaming components.
US08060850B2

A method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit, includes: disposing a plurality of cells in a cell layout region on the basis of a net list indicating connection relations of the plurality of cells to satisfy a setup timing condition; generating a plurality of power regions dividing the cell layout region into plurality; calculating a consumption current of each of the power regions by using a cell power file indicating a consumption current of each of the cells; adjusting layout positions of the temporarily disposed cells with reference to the consumption current of each of the power regions in a range that the setup timing condition is not violated; and optimizing hold timing of the cells after the position adjustment of the cells.
US08060847B2

An edge clock model is used to capture states from a logic-level simulation of a circuit description. The states are captured at clock edges, or transitions, according to an edge clock model based on a clock specification for the circuit description. The captured states and associated attributes are used in formal verification of the circuit description. This approach helps to reduce or eliminate inaccuracies and other issues with other clock models such as a phase clock model. In one embodiment, a phase clock model can be used in addition to the edge clock model. In another embodiment, the edge clock states can be used to generate states according to different clock models, such as the phase clock model.
US08060832B2

Systems and methods for managing information display include the ability, at least in one implementation, to receive a message indicating that the information of a resource is to be displayed and to form a user interface for displaying the resource information by defining a pane in which to display the information and selecting a renderer operable to render the information in the pane.
US08060828B2

In an example embodiment, an online advertising management platform maintains an account that includes data relating to an order for advertising provided by an ad network affiliated with the platform. When the platform receives a login that identifies a user as having access rights to the account, the platform displays a view that includes a window displaying data relating to the order and a toolbar in a standardized location relative to the window. The toolbar includes a tab. When the user clicks on the tab, the platform displays a tabbed window that includes a list of the informational messages, regardless of whether an informational message on the list has been read or dismissed by another user allowed access to the account. The platform locates the window contiguous to the toolbar over some but not all of the view displaying the data relating to the order.
US08060823B2

In an example embodiment, an online advertising management platform maintains an account that includes data relating to an order for advertising provided by an ad network affiliated with the platform. When the platform receives a login that identifies a user as having access rights to the account, the platform displays a view that includes a window displaying data relating to the order and a toolbar in a standardized location relative to the window. The toolbar includes a tab that displays a count of each informational message (e.g., alert or tip) which relates to the displayed data and which has not been dismissed by the current user. When the user clicks on the tab, the platform displays a tabbed window that includes a list of the informational messages, regardless of whether an informational message on the list has been read or dismissed by another user allowed access to the account.
US08060819B2

A method for a computer generated data table of parametric text data objects to be permuted based on automated sorting of a lesser number of parameters than are imaged on the data table.
US08060816B1

Methods and apparatus for performing intelligent crawling are provided. Particularly, the intelligent crawling techniques of the invention provide a crawler mechanism which is capable of learning as it crawls in order to focus the search for documents on the information network being explored, e.g., world wide web. This crawler mechanism stores information about the crawled documents as it retrieves the documents, and then uses the information to further focus its search appropriately. The inventive techniques result in the crawling of a small percentage of the documents on the world wide web.
US08060814B2

An integrated circuit includes a plurality of processing stages each including processing logic 1014, a non-delayed signal-capture element 1016, a delayed signal-capture element 1018 and a comparator 1024. The non-delayed signal-capture element 1016 captures an output from the processing logic 1014 at a non-delayed capture time. At a later delayed capture time, the delayed signal-capture element 1018 also captures a value from the processing logic 1014. An error detection circuit 1026 and error correction circuit 1028 detect and correct random errors in the delayed value and supplies an error-checked delayed value to the comparator 1024. The comparator 1024 compares the error-checked delayed value and the non-delayed value and if they are not equal this indicates that the non-delayed value was captured too soon and should be replaced by the error-checked delayed value. The non-delayed value is passed to the subsequent processing stage immediately following its capture and accordingly error recovery mechanisms are used to suppress the erroneous processing which has occurred by the subsequent processing stages, such as gating the clock and allowing the correct signal values to propagate through the subsequent processing logic before restarting the clock. The operating parameters of the integrated circuit, such as the clock frequency, the operating voltage, the body biased voltage, temperature and the like are adjusted so as to maintain a finite non-zero error rate in a manner that increases overall performance.
US08060796B2

A multiplexing method for data switching is disclosed. In the method, a continuous data is received, and the continuous data includes a plurality of super frames, and each super frame includes a plurality of frames. These super frames are divided into a set of even super frames and a set of odd super frames. The frames included in the set of odd super frames are sorted by corresponding required bit error rate of each frame decreasingly or increasingly. The frames included in the set of even super frames are sorted by the required bit error rate of each frame increasingly or decreasingly. An encoder is used to encode these sorted super frames.
US08060795B2

The present invention can include an automated solution for incorporating diagnostic data within an image of a screen capture image. When a screen capture event is detected, a screen capture image can be generated. The software applications contained within the screen capture image can be identified. Diagnostic data pertaining to the identified software applications can be automatically collected and incorporated into the screen capture image file.
US08060791B2

A method and system for annotating an object on the graphical user interface (GUI) (“a GUI object”) during automated testing of an application. In one embodiment, the GUI of an application is tested with a test automation tool. During runtime of the automated test, the test automation tool automatically overlays a visual cue on the GUI. The visual cue points to a GUI object of the application and contains a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime.
US08060787B2

A system to reduce chronic troubles includes at least one interexchange point of presence for a network, an access loop, a central office, and a compiler. The access loop exchanges transmissions to at least one end device that is part of the network. The central office of the network is disposed between the at least one interexchange point of presence and the access loop. The compiler gathers performance management data related to the network at a taper code level. The compiler determines if a trouble associated with the network relates to the taper code level.
US08060783B2

A technique is disclosed for distributed runtime diagnostics in hierarchical parallel environments. In one embodiment, a user is allowed to configure, during runtime, a processing element on which to perform diagnostics, an algorithm for the processing element to execute, a data set for the algorithm to execute against, a diagnostic function for the processing element to execute, a condition for executing the diagnostic function, and visualization parameters for memory local to the processing element. As a result, runtime diagnostics can be performed with sufficient degree of control and customization to aid debugging in a hierarchical parallel environment.
US08060777B2

First and second storage apparatuses respectively and internally set a remote copy pair for copying data of a first volume to a second volume and associate a third volume with a remote copy pair according to an external command. When an I/O request to the first volume ends in an error, a host computer sends an I/O request directed to the second volume to the second storage apparatus. If the first and the second storage apparatuses detect a failure in the first or the second storage apparatus of the other side or a connection failure between the first and the second storage apparatuses, the first and the second storage apparatuses store in the third volume a failure information flag showing that the failure was detected.
US08060768B2

The present invention discloses a power saving method of a portable Internet device, the portable Internet device and its instant messaging system. If a screen of the portable Internet device is in non-view state, for example, both backlight module and LCD panel are turned off, it means that a user is not viewing the screen, and thus the message update frequency of the instant messaging program is lowered to prevent unnecessary transmission and receiving of wireless signals, so as to reduce power comsumption of the portable Internet device.
US08060767B1

An integrated circuit in accordance with one embodiment of the invention can include a plurality of storage elements that can be coupled in a first mode and a second mode. The first mode includes the plurality of storage elements being coupled to enable normal operation of the integrated circuit, and the second mode includes the plurality of storage elements being coupled together as a shift register. The integrated circuit also includes a rewritable non-volatile memory and a sleep controller that is coupled to the rewritable non-volatile memory. The sleep controller is for switching the plurality of storage elements between the first mode and the second mode. The sleep controller is for extracting data from the plurality of storage elements in the second mode and storing the data with the non-volatile memory to record the operating state of the plurality of storage elements in the first mode.
US08060763B2

A power control apparatus is disclosed. The power control apparatus includes a temperature sensor, a level-controlling unit, a reset unit and a first voltage converter. The temperature sensor is for sensing an operation temperature of a computer system and accordingly outputs a sensing signal. The level-controlling unit is for deciding whether or not to output a control voltage according to the sensing signal. The reset unit is for producing a reset signal according to a plurality of reference voltages generated by dividing the power voltage and using the control voltage to adjust the levels of the reference voltages. The first voltage converter is for producing a start signal according to the reset signal, wherein the start signal is for enabling the embedded controller.
US08060761B2

An electrical power sharing circuit applied in a computer system includes first and second sense units and first and second control units. The first and second sense units are electrically connected to a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphical processing unit (GPU) of the computer system and thus generate first and second sense values, respectively. The first control unit is electrically connected to the first and second sense units, the CPU and the GPU and receives the first and second sense values. The second control unit is electrically connected to the first and second sense units and the first control unit, receives the first and second sense values and provides a reference value to the first control unit. The first control unit controls performances of the CPU and the GPU according to the reference value.
US08060755B2

An apparatus and method for performing cryptographic operations within microprocessor. The apparatus includes an instruction register having a cryptographic instruction disposed therein, a keygen unit, and an execution unit. The cryptographic instruction is received by a microprocessor as part of an instruction flow executing on the microprocessor. The cryptographic instruction prescribes one of the cryptographic operations, and also prescribes that a user-generated key schedule be employed when executing the one of the cryptographic operations. The keygen unit is operatively coupled to the instruction register. The keygen unit directs the microprocessor to load the user-generated key schedule. The execution unit is operatively coupled to the keygen unit. The execution unit employs the user-generated key schedule to execute the one of the cryptographic operations. The execution unit includes a cryptography unit.
US08060754B2

Embodiments of a cryptograph processing device and method for adapting to shared-cache attacks are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, the cryptographic processing device comprises first and second processing units, and a cache that is shared by the first and second processing units. The first processing unit may monitor a number of cache misses that occur during the performance of a first cryptographic process and may switch to performing a second cryptographic process after the number of cache misses exceeds a threshold.
US08060744B2

Method for providing a single level secure (SLS) user processor (402, 502) with access to a multi-level secure (MLS) file system (300). The method begins by authenticating a user to a cryptographic processor (302) by communicating one or more types of user authentication information to the cryptographic processor. Based on such authentication, the MLS file system services are provided such that the SLS user processor (402, 502) has access to files (306, 308, 310, 312, 314) at only one defined security classification level at a time. The method also includes zeroizing one or more data stores used by the SLS user processor each time the SLS user processor transitions between accessing classified data files at a first security classification level and a second security classification level.
US08060743B2

A method of formatting data for transmission to another party including the step of incorporating in the data a flag indicative of the absence of data for authentication of the sender. An authentication tag length is also included to permit variable length tags to be used.
US08060738B2

A method for operating at least one first computer entity with an operating system of a second computer entity includes: detecting and registering a set of initialization data and driver files stored in the first entity computer entity, copying the driver files into the files of the second operating system, adapting each of the files, and reading and adapting the initialization data, for the second operating system, injecting the initialization data into initialization structures of the second operating system, making the media containing the second operating system available to the first computer, initializing the first computer entity with the second operating system, the initialization structures being used by the second operating system to initialize and operate the device controller of the at least one bootable device, and the device controller controlling access to the media that stores computer files of the second operating system to follow the initialization of the first computer entity with the second operating system.
US08060735B2

An improved portable device for start-up of a computer system is disclosed. This portable device for externally starting up a computer system comprises a connection interface to the computer system and a data medium comprising data and executable codes of a host operating system that can be activated by a start-up program of the computer system and configured to automatically detect hardware and/or software elements of the computer system and to activate the corresponding computer drivers. The data medium further comprises data and executable codes of a management software interface, configured to present the computer drivers activated by the host operating system in the form of at least one predetermined generic computer driver, and data and executable codes of a guest operating system that can be activated by the management software interface and configured to manage the hardware and/or software elements on the computer system using the predetermined generic computer driver.
US08060732B2

An integrated circuit is operable to execute boot loader code and a boot code from external memory. To provide security so that the CPU does not execute malicious codes, the circuit resets in a restricted mode in which only certain functional units may be connected. In the restricted mode the CPU is only able to fetch boot code from an external memory for transfer to an internal memory. A hash function operates on the fetched boot code to determine whether it is authentic and, if it is determined that the code is authentic the circuit is reset to an unrestricted mode to continue executing from the boot code now stored in the internal memory. Further security is provided by a watchdog timer function which resets the circuit if the boot code is not determined to be authentic within a threshold period of time.
US08060726B2

A SIMD microprocessor, which can be included in an image processing apparatus using an image processing method used therein, includes a global processor and multiple processor elements controlled by the global processor. Each single processor element of the multiple processor elements includes multiple operation units. The global processor is configured to control the multiple processing elements to uniformly change a configuration of the multiple operation units in the single processor element to determine a number of data units of operation according to the multiple operation units either operated individually or in cooperation with each other in the single processor element and a width of data processed per data unit of operation performed in the single processor element. A processor element number is assigned per data unit of operation to the single processor element to use for executing an operation.
US08060722B2

Some embodiments of the present invention include an execution unit of a processor and a memory management unit interposed between the execution unit and an interface to memory suitable for storage of both guest page tables maintained by a guest operating system and shadow page tables maintained generally in correspondence with the guest page tables by virtualization software. The memory management unit is configured to walk in-memory data structures that encode the shadow page tables, to access entries of the shadow page tables and, based thereon or on a cached representation of page mappings therein, to perform virtual-to-physical address translations relative to memory targets of instructions executed by the execution unit. The memory management unit is responsive to a shadowed write indication coded in association with either an entry of the shadow page tables or a cached representation of a page mapping therein used to perform the virtual-to-physical address translation for a write-type one of the instructions that targets an entry of one of the guest page tables. The memory management unit is configured to complete the memory access of the write-type instruction that targets the guest page table entry and to store in a buffer, information sufficient to allow the virtualization software to later update an entry of the shadow page tables in correspondence therewith.
US08060721B1

A method of and apparatus for arbitrating a memory access conflict to a memory array. The apparatus may include selection logic coupled with a plurality of ports and a memory array to arbitrate among a plurality of contending memory access requests and to conditionally block write data from accessing the memory array when write data arrives late in time.
US08060720B2

An improved system and method for removing a storage server in a distributed column chunk data store is provided. A distributed column chunk data store may be provided by multiple storage servers operably coupled to a network. A storage server provided may include a database engine for partitioning a data table into the column chunks for distributing across multiple storage servers, a storage shared memory for storing the column chunks during processing of semantic operations performed on the column chunks, and a storage services manager for striping column chunks of a partitioned data table across multiple storage servers. Any data table may be flexibly partitioned into column chunks using one or more columns with various partitioning methods. Storage servers may then be removed and column chunks may be redistributed among the remaining storage servers in the column chunk data store.
US08060714B1

In one aspect, a method to perform initialization prior to replication includes marking a first point in a delta marking stream, generating a copy of a local volume at the first point and determining dirty locations between a remote volume and the copy. The copy is generated from one of taking a snapshot or taking a clone of the local volume.
US08060710B1

On-line storage devices are migrated to new storage devices in a non-disruptive manner. A host executing multipath I/O software is initially coupled to a source storage device via at least one active path. The target storage device is configured with the source device's device identification information. The target storage device is coupled to the host via a passive path so that the target storage device can return its device identification information to the host but cannot respond to I/O read or I/O write requests from the host. All paths between the host and the source storage device are then disconnected. An on-line data migration session between the source storage device and the target storage device is then activated. The path between the target storage device and the host is then re-configured from passive to active so that the target storage device can respond to I/O read and I/O write requests.
US08060709B1

Computer file archiving systems and techniques are described. Various aspects include wide area high-availability file archiving, volume-level management capabilities of archiving systems, and methods and systems for storing file archiving metadata. The methods and systems described can be used individually or in combination.
US08060700B1

A system and method for cleaning dirty data in an intermediate cache are disclosed. A dirty data notification, including a memory address and a data class, is transmitted by a level 2 (L2) cache to frame buffer logic when dirty data is stored in the L2 cache. The data classes include evict first, evict normal and evict last. In one embodiment, data belonging to the evict first data class is raster operations data with little reuse potential. The frame buffer logic uses a notification sorter to organize dirty data notifications, where an entry in the notification sorter stores the DRAM bank page number, a first count of cache lines that have resident dirty data and a second count of cache lines that have resident evict_first dirty data associated with that DRAM bank. The frame buffer logic transmits dirty data associated with an entry when the first count reaches a threshold.
US08060699B2

A memory provides reduction in access latency for frequently-accessed values by self-organizing to always move a requested value to a front-most central storage element of a spiral. The occupant of the central location is swapped backward, which continues backward through the spiral until an empty location is swapped-to, or the last displaced value is cast out of the last location in the spiral. The elements in the spiral may be cache memories or single elements. The resulting cache memory is self-organizing and for the one-dimensional implementation has a worst-case access time proportional to N, where N is the number of tiles in the spiral. A k-dimensional spiral cache has a worst-case access time proportional to N1/k. Further, a spiral cache system provides a basis for a non-inclusive system of cache memory, which reduces the amount of space and power consumed by a cache memory of a given size.
US08060698B2

A cache controller controls at least one cache. The cache includes ways including a plurality of blocks that stores therein entry data. A writing unit writes degradation data to a failed block. The degradation data indicates that the failed block is in a degradation state. A reading unit reads entry data from a block. A determining unit determines, if the entry data obtained by the reading unit includes the degradation data, that the block is in the degradation state.
US08060690B1

Systems and processes may include a first memory and a second memory. A driver and/or an application may be stored in the first memory. Flash memory type data of the first memory may be stored in the second memory. The driver may control the first memory at least partially based on the flash memory type data. The first memory may be exchanged for a third memory. The driver may be stored on the third memory. The flash memory type data for the third memory may be stored on the second memory.
US08060688B2

A data processing system comprises a Flash memory (120) having a storage space partitioned in a plurality of storage pages (P′). Each storage page comprises a memory reliability indicator indicative for the reliability of a storage region of the memory. Coupled to the Flash memory is a controller (150) for the Flash memory, that includes a facility for protecting data against errors occurring during storage in the Flash memory and for detecting and/or correcting errors in the data stored in the data, when retrieved from the Flash memory. A data processing unit (100) is coupled to the controller (150) that has access to a working page (P) comprising a first section of user data and a second section of management information, including a memory reliability indicator. The data processing system is characterized by a data re-arranging facility (105) for subdividing the data in the work page into a plurality of portions. Each portion comprises a part of the user data, and the last portion additionally comprises the management information including the memory reliability indicator. The controller (150) is arranged to subsequently generate redundant data for each of those portions and to write the content of the subsequent portions with its respective redundant data to the storage page (122).
US08060683B2

A system, computer program product and method for managing a cache of a virtual machine. A cache is defined in memory, and a virtual machine is assigned to the cache. An identity of the cache is recorded in storage. The virtual machine terminates, and the cache and contents of the cache are preserved despite the termination of the virtual machine, such that if the virtual machine subsequently resumes operating, the virtual machine can access the cache and its contents. There is also a system, method and computer program product for managing a cache of an LPAR. A cache is defined in memory, and assigned to an LPAR. A record is made of an identity of the cache in storage. The LPAR terminates, and the cache and contents of the cache are preserved despite the termination of the LPAR, such that if the LPAR subsequently resumes operating, the LPAR can access the cache and its contents.
US08060676B2

The present invention provides a method of hot switching data transfer rate on the bus to hot switch the data transfer rate of the bus between the control chips without the process of RESET. When the bus between the control chips demands a large amount of data transfer, the bus is hot switched to a higher data transfer rate to fulfill the data transfer requirement. Contrarily, when the bus between the control chips demands less amount of data transfer, the bus is hot switched to a lower data transfer rate to save power consumption.
US08060675B2

A computing module includes an interface to asynchronously, serially exchange parallel system bus data with one or more other modules of a computer system that includes the computing module. The computing module can asynchronously, serially transfer first parallel bus data to another module of the computer system, and can asynchronously, serially receive second parallel bus data from another module of the computer system.
US08060673B2

The present invention uses a smart control module with HID descriptors to communicate with the host side in accordance with the standard HID communication protocol, so as to interact with the smart card, which can eliminate the need of installing a private driver from a particular manufacturer when installing its reader/writer. The driver of the HID device can be installed automatically upon installation of the operating system. The users can use the reader/writer easily without carrying a driver around. It is not necessary for the users to deal with upgraded versions of the driver, to consider compatibilities of drivers for different products, to confront usage risks of the operating system due to the driver, or to worry about contamination of the operating system resulted from the installation and uninstallation of the driver.
US08060671B2

A portable media encoder is disclosed. The portable media encoder comprises a video input port configured to receive a video input from a video source, an audio input port configured to receive an audio input from an audio source, and a digital output port for providing a digitized output stream corresponding to the received video input and audio input. The encoder has an encoding processor that converts the video input and the audio input into a streamable digital output format for transmitting through the digital output port, a set of control buttons communicatively coupled to the encoding processor and operable to provide encoding parameters to thereto, and a housing enclosing the encoding processor and providing at least one access panel providing user access to the video input port, the audio input port, the digital output port, and the set of control buttons. The housing having a size and configuration that allows the encoder to be hand carried by a single individual.
US08060670B2

Methods and systems for storing and accessing data in UAS based flash memory device are disclosed. UAS based flash memory device comprises a controller and a plurality of non-volatile memories (e.g., flash memory) it controls. Controller is configured for connecting to a UAS host via a physical layer (e.g., plug and wire based on USB 3.0) and for conducting data transfer operations via two sets of logical pipes. Controller further comprises a random-access-memory (RAM) buffer configured for enabling parallel and duplex data transfer operations through the sets of logical pipes. In addition, a Smart Storage Switch configured for connecting multiple non-volatile memory devices is included in the controller. Finally, a security module/engine/unit is provided for data security via user authentication data encryption/decryption of the device. Furthermore, the flash memory device includes an optical transceiver configured for optical connection to a host also configured with an optical transceiver.
US08060663B2

A physical layer device for interfacing with multiple computing devices includes a digital core and first and second analog front ends. The digital core is operative to perform one or more functions of the physical layer device. Each of the first and second analog front ends is operative to perform signal conversion between a digital domain and an analog domain. The physical layer device further includes a digital switching circuit coupled to the digital core and to the first and second analog front ends. The digital switching circuit is operative to electrically connect the digital core to the first analog front end or the second analog front end as a function of a control signal applied to the digital switching circuit.
US08060657B2

A method and system for data transmission between dual processors are provided. The dual processors include a first processor and a second processor with a controller and a point-to-point protocol (PPP) module. The method includes sending a connection instruction from the first processor to the PPP module, transmitting network configurations from the PPP module to the first processor, and a protocol stack shared by the first processor and the second processor for establishing a connection between the first processor and the PPP module, the protocol stack comprising a new PPP (NPPP) layer, and transmitting data to the PPP module through the connection between the first processor and the second processor.
US08060654B2

A data communication network may include two or more master clocks, and a synchronization system connected to the master clocks. The synchronization system may determine a time-base for the master clocks. The synchronization system may control the master clocks according to the determined time-base. The data communication network may include one or more slave clocks. The slave clocks may be controlled by a slave clock time-base controller based on time information of a single selected master clock selected from the master clocks.
US08060648B2

A method and system of allocating data for subsequent retrieval. The method and system optionally including allocating data to a plurality of devices for storage, associating the data with the device providing the storage thereof, and providing retrieval information to facilitate retrieval of the data as function of the devices associated with the storage thereof. The method and system may further include features for controlling information associated with the allocated and/or features for associated one or more pieces of metadata to control access to allocated data once retrieved.
US08060647B2

Plural arbiters arbitrate over a set of queues. The arbiters are constructed as a series of pipelined stages. Conflict detection logic detects conflicts among the arbiters in arbitrating across the queues, and, when a conflict is detected, the conflict detection logic alters processing related to conflicting queues in one arbiter when another arbiter has not passed a predetermined commit point in processing the queue.
US08060645B1

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) segments received from a server are processed to result in improved reliability. An embodiment of the method comprises receiving a first TCP segment from a server and placing the first TCP segment in a segment queue, the first TCP segment having a first sequence number. A determination is made as to whether a second TCP segment is missing from the segment queue based at least in part on a first sequence number. Responsive to determining that the second TCP is missing from the segment queue, placing a placeholder for the second TCP segment in the segment queue. The first TCP segment is delivered to an application responsive to the first TCP segment being the next TCP segment in a sequence.
US08060643B2

A method for managing bandwidth allocation in a storage area network includes receiving a plurality of Input/Output (I/O) requests from a plurality of client devices, determining a priority of each of the client devices relative to other client devices, and dynamically allocating bandwidth resources to each client device based on the priority assigned to that client device.
US08060642B2

Techniques for host to host transfer of media and the use of persistent reservation to protect media during host to host transfer is disclosed. Exemplary embodiments may be realized as methods and systems for transferring a sequential media loaded in a drive from a first host to a second host without physically unloading the media. The first host may have a persistent reservation or non-persistent reservation of the drive. Likewise, the second host may have a persistent reservation or non-persistent reservation of the drive. Logical unload, logical load and preemption commands are utilized as is error recovery from a failed reservation.
US08060630B1

Embodiments of a mechanism for creating and configuring virtual fabrics in Storage Area Networks (SANs). Embodiments may provide a vendor-neutral mechanism for creating and configuring virtual fabrics in physical SAN fabrics that may include heterogeneous switches. Each virtual fabric may include its own name service, management service, fabric configuration service, zoning service, and/or other fabric services. A vendor-neutral virtual fabric utility may be provided for creating and managing virtual fabrics. In one embodiment, switch ports, switch slots and/or switches may be selected and added to new or existing virtual fabrics using the virtual fabric utility. In one embodiment, SAN components coupled to fabric switches (e.g. hosts, HBAs, HBA ports, storage devices and storage device ports) may be displayed for selection and assignment to the virtual fabric. Switch ports coupled to a selected SAN components may be automatically determined by the virtual fabric utility and added to the virtual fabric.
US08060626B2

A host may be selected for a peer-to-peer grid based on discovered NAT type. NAT profile information may be collected by each of the peers and shared with the other peers. Each peer receives NAT profile information for the other peers. Each peer may determine from the NAT profile information for the peer and the NAT profile information for the other peers which of the two or more peers to designate as the host.
US08060611B2

A server for providing content, including a registration unit that stores first destination information representing a first destination in a memory, if the registration unit receives a command for registration accompanied by the first destination information, a content providing unit that provides content to a client device corresponding to the first destination stored in the memory, and a switched content providing unit that operates to switch offering of content by the content providing unit from the first destination to a second destination for a predetermined time period if the switched content providing unit receives a command for switching accompanied by second destination information representing the second destination, to provide content to a client device corresponding to the second destination, and to switch offering of content from the client device corresponding to the second destination information if the predetermined time period has elapsed back to the first destination.
US08060610B1

In one embodiment, a method for workload management using instant capacity (iCAP) processors comprises generating performance data related to workloads on multiple servers, determining processor resources appropriate for the workloads using the performance data, communicating a request from a first server to reallocate processor resources in response to the determining, deactivating at least one iCAP processor on a second server in response to the request, and activating at least one iCAP processor on the first server in conjunction with the deactivating.
US08060603B2

A persistent personal messaging system provides tuple space functionality supporting a user changing between a plurality of client devices, even within a loosely coupled, distributed system for persistent personal messaging. A user, irrespective of which messaging client they are using, logs on to the system. The act of logging on places a tuple, representing the user, into the tuple space. A “contacts” service agent finds the friends and groups that the user belongs to and notifies other users that the user has logged on. Given the on-line status of other users and groups, a “history” service agent will retrieve previous messages from the tuple space that formed the user's conversations with users and groups, as if the user had never logged off or switched devices. When the user adds a new message to any conversation, the message is added as a tuple to the tuple space.
US08060591B1

A device detects an alert event and responds by playing out an alert including a static media portion and a first dynamic media portion. The device maintains, in data storage, alert data that includes the static media portion and the first dynamic media portion. A network server sends the device data for updating the alert data stored in data storage. The data for updating the alert data includes a new dynamic media portion. The device stores the received data including the new dynamic media portion and thereafter plays out an alert including the static media portion and the new dynamic media portion when the device detects an alert event.
US08060590B2

A method for determining availability of requested services in a client/server-based network, in which each of a plurality of client terminals is connected to a file and/or application server via a wireless network.
US08060589B1

According to one embodiment of the invention, a network-based management system comprises a controller, a networked device and a control server. The control server is in communications with both the controller and the networked device having a communication port for such communications. The control server generates a user interface for display on the controller and used to activate and/or deactivate the networked device.
US08060586B2

A computer system receives registration information from a service provider registering web services with the dynamic web service configuration store. The registration information indicates a mapping of which web service components are to be used with corresponding user requests. The computer system receives a request from a user requesting a portion of web service functionality and provides the web service functionality using the web service component indicated in the mapping. The computer system receives an indication from the service provider that various web service components are to be updated, where the indication includes updated web service component portions. The computer system also dynamically updates the web service component, so that subsequent user requests for the same portion of web service functionality are processed using the updated web service component.
US08060574B2

A digital content review and distribution system and method are provided. In general, a number of authors of digital content register with a content review and distribution agent, which may be hosted by a central server. The authors agree to review digital content submitted by other authors in exchange for review and distribution of their own content. In operation, an author submits metadata associated with digital content to be reviewed and optionally the digital content to the content review and distribution agent. In response to the submission, the content review and distribution agent effects a review of the digital content by one or more groups of reviewers, where the groups of reviewers are selected from the other authors registered with the content review and distribution agent based on the metadata for the digital content and reviewer credentials of the other authors.
US08060567B2

A method, system, and data structure for creating electronic calendar entries are disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer data structure that includes an email message with an embedded link. The embedded link contains event information corresponding to multiple parameters for an event described in the email message. The embedded link is configured, upon activation, to initiate generation of an electronic calendar entry form with multiple fields. A plurality of the multiple fields contain event information from the embedded link.
US08060557B2

Application services gateways that execute electronic application programs/services allows the application programs/services to be managed and administered out of a network rather than locally. The application services gateways are elements in a services delivery system that execute application programs/services that control or otherwise interact with systems and devices of a home or business such as a heating and cooling system or a security system. The application services gateways have a LAN connection to a communication gateway that in turn communicates over a WAN to a remote services gateway. The remote services gateway channels data from a remote service platform to provide application programs/services and management services over the WAN to the communications gateway where it is then channeled to the application services gateways. The installation and management of the application programs/services residing and/or being executed at the local site on the application services gateways relieves the consumer of such responsibilities.
US08060556B2

In one aspect, in a computer-implemented method it is determined whether a placeholder corresponding to a service includes an identifier similar to a tag associated with an element of a user interface. The placeholder is replaced with a value of the element associated with the tag based on the results of the determining step. The service is called using the value. Information is received from the called service, the information corresponding to the element of user interface. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles are also described.
US08060552B2

A self-organizing hive of computing engines is used to process information. A network communicatively couples multiple of hive engines together. These hive engines are configured to self-organize into a cooperative hive for performing computing of client jobs, with the cooperative hive including a multiple processing regions and a request region. This self-organization includes self-forming the processing regions and the request region by the hive engines such that each of the hive engines belongs to at least one of the processing regions; and wherein each the request region includes multiple of the plurality of hive engines.
US08060548B2

This invention relates to a short message format that captures useful information embedded in a data vector of sequence of symbols or numbers. The data vector may represent many different forms of information generated by various electronic and information systems. This short message format is particularly useful when bandwidth limited communication links are used to transmit a data set that can be represented as a set of data vectors that is true for essentially all types of data. Described herein is an algorithm formulated to be useful for data communication problems associated with bandwidth limited communication links.
US08060534B1

Managing network event information from a plurality of network appliances is disclosed. Each network appliance provides a network service and each has a version of a common database. Managing includes detecting network event information at a first network appliance, updating a version of the common database on the first network appliance with the network event information, and propagating the network event information to other versions of the database on other network appliances.
US08060532B2

A method, system and computer program product for determining the suitability of an entity to provide products or services. Category and measurement data is received concerning the entity where each category is assigned a value based on the acquisition context. If the value assigned to a category exceeds a threshold, then the measurement data for that category is used in evaluating the entity. This measurement data is weighted according to the acquisition context. A binary value is generated for each weighted measurement value that exceeds a threshold. These binary values are summed and weighted according to the confidence that the source of the data is correct. Further, the past performance and reputation of the entity is used in applying a weight to the summed binary values to generate a suitability value. If the suitability value exceeds a threshold, then it is deemed suitable to conduct business with the entity.
US08060529B2

The present invention provides a system and method for performing files/folder share between IM clients. In the present invention, when a source client shares out files/folders to a particular contact person/contact person group, an access control list table is established and said particular contact person/contact person group and the files/folders shared out to him are stored in association with each other. When a target client makes a request for accessing information of share items, obtaining items and beginning to receive items, the source client will respectively consult the access control list table to determine whether the request is authorized. Only when the request is authorized, can the source client perform the requesting operations. By means of the present invention, an automatic and flexible file/folder share between IM clients can be achieved.
US08060527B2

System, apparatus, method, and article for techniques to associate media data with related information. A mobile computing device includes a media manager module. The media manager module processes a media file including metadata. The media manager module retrieves a first content from a metadata field in the metadata. The media manager module retrieves a second content from a field in an application file associated with an application client. The media manager module compares the first and second contents and determines whether the first and second contents are associated. If the first and second contents are associated, the media manager module retrieves the second content and inserts the second content in a second metadata field of the media file.
US08060526B2

Disclosed is a method or an operation for providing a personalized TV-Anytime metadata service. According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a table field element using a get_Data operation in the TV-Anytime metadata service. In the table field element provision method, a requested fields type element (RequestedFieldsType) required to designate a field of a metadata table is included in a query result value type in the SOAP query operation. A request message of the SOAP query operation is received. When the request message includes the requested fields type element for designating the query result value, a query result value corresponding to the table field designated from the requested fields type element included in the request message is extracted, and the query result value is transmitted using a response message of the SOAP operation.
US08060515B2

A customizable logging and content management system for indexing multimedia, including a synchronized timer object that provides a time reference upon request in connection with the media, and a logger object that logs predefined events that occur in the media by associating the events with respective time references from the timer object. A video server is provided that captures and digitally stores events logged by the logging application as media segments, and a search and retrieval engine is provided that enables the media segments to be located, retrieved and viewed based on the indexes. The system includes a graphical user interface generator that enables customized user interfaces and logging databases to be created from database tables for use in the logging application.
US08060511B2

Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for extracting referential keys from a document are provided. A document is parsed to identify at least one key, the key being identified from at least one contextual indication. The key is classified according to a key type, the key type being identified from the contextual indication. The key is extracted and then stored in a location in a structured shell with the location corresponding to the key type. As a result, the key can be found by a search seeking one of the key and the key type allowing a searcher to identify the document from which the key was extracted.
US08060496B2

To generate appendices which uniquely reference an object geographically, a tree of possible paths is generated. The paths are evaluated in accordance with predefined criteria, which are suited for use as termination criteria, at the time the paths are formed. Of the remaining paths, at least that one is coded as an appendix which best fulfills at least one of the criteria.
US08060485B2

A system, method, and program product for accessing or retrieving on a computer network the required software to process a file is disclosed. It is determined, when accessing a file, whether or not software required to process this file is already installed on the user's computing device, depending upon the type of the file. If the required software is not installed on the user's device, the address of a server from which this software can be downloaded or accessed through the network is extracted and decoded from the filename of the accessed file. A browser or file transfer program is launched on the user's computing device and a request for the required software package is sent from the user's computing device to the server corresponding to the decoded address from which it is downloaded or accessed. The software is then unpacked, if necessary, and installed so as to process the accessed file.
US08060482B2

A method and apparatus for efficient and consistent validation/conflict detection in a Software Transactional Memory (STM) system is herein described. A version check barrier is inserted after a load to compare versions of loaded values before and after the load. In addition, a global timestamp (GTS) is utilized to track a latest committed transaction. Each transaction is associated with a local timestamp (LTS) initialized to the GTS value at the start of a transaction. As a transaction commits it updates the GTS to a new value and sets versions of modified locations to the new value. Pending transactions compare versions determined in read barriers to their LTS. If the version is greater than their LTS indicating another transaction has committed after the pending transaction started and initialized the LTS, then the pending transaction validates its read set to maintain efficient and consistent transactional execution.
US08060479B1

A computer-implemented method for transparently restoring data using streaming may comprise identifying an attempt to access backed-up data that is not present on a computing device, transmitting a request to a server to restore the backed-up data, receiving the backed-up data from the server via streaming, and restoring the backed-up data to the computing device. A corresponding method for streaming backed-up data to a target computing device is also disclosed. In addition, corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08060474B2

A mechanism to selectively restore portions of a monolithically backed up database, while maintaining security relationships associated with the restored portions of the database is provided. Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer-readable storage medium for receiving a request to restore a selected object from among a plurality of backed up objects in a database backup, accessing security-related information associated with the selected object in the database backup, restoring the selected object using the information associated with the selected object in a target area, and associating elements of the security-related information with the restored selected object.
US08060464B2

A distributed computing system provides a data management system in communication with a software management system and enables the software applications to move to the data to be processed in a distributed computing environment. The software management system stores a plurality of computer-executable software applications thereon and is in communication with a user system for receiving a selection of one of the plurality of software applications. The software management system generates an identifier for the selected software application which is provided to the data management system, which then obtains the selected software application from the software management system based on the identifier. The obtained software application is then executed with data from a data storage system using resources from a resource system. The resource system includes a plurality of resources and a manage mechanism for managing assignment of the plurality of resources to support execution of the software application.
US08060463B1

A computer-implemented matching service matches users to other users, and/or to user communities, based at least in part on a computer analysis of event data reflective of user behaviors. The event data may, for example, evidence user affinities for particular items represented in an electronic catalog, such as book titles, music titles, movie titles, and/or other types of items that tend to reflect the traits of users. Event data reflective of other types of user actions, such as item-detail-page viewing events, browse node visits, search query submissions, and/or web browsing patterns may additionally or alternatively be considered. By taking such event data into consideration, the matching service reduces the burden on users to explicitly supply personal profile information, and reduces poor results caused by exaggerations and other inaccuracies in such profile information.
US08060461B2

Load shedding schemes for mining data streams. A scoring function is used to rank the importance of stream elements, and those elements with high importance are investigated. In the context of not knowing the exact feature values of a data stream, the use of a Markov model is proposed herein for predicting the feature distribution of a data stream. Based on the predicted feature distribution, one can make classification decisions to maximize the expected benefits. In addition, there is proposed herein the employment of a quality of decision (QoD) metric to measure the level of uncertainty in decisions and to guide load shedding. A load shedding scheme such as presented herein assigns available resources to multiple data streams to maximize the quality of classification decisions. Furthermore, such a load shedding scheme is able to learn and adapt to changing data characteristics in the data streams.
US08060454B2

The present invention is a method and an apparatus for reward-based learning of management policies. In one embodiment, a method for reward-based learning includes receiving a set of one or more exemplars, where at least two of the exemplars comprise a (state, action) pair for a system, and at least one of the exemplars includes an immediate reward responsive to a (state, action) pair. A distance measure between pairs of exemplars is used to compute a Non-Linear Dimensionality Reduction (NLDR) mapping of (state, action) pairs into a lower-dimensional representation, thereby producing embedded exemplars, wherein one or more parameters of the NLDR are tuned to minimize a cross-validation Bellman error on a holdout set taken from the set of one or more exemplars. The mapping is then applied to the set of exemplars, and reward-based learning is applied to the embedded exemplars to obtain a learned management policy.
US08060451B2

This invention includes a workforce management system having a system bus, at least one database in communication with the system bus that includes data representative of workforce employees, and social networking data associated with the employees. A matching functional unit includes a text mining function for mining contextual information from the at least one database to generate context labels for an employee, a clustering function for generating concept labels for an employee, and a matching function that sorts and matches employees by the labels in accordance with a matching criteria. A user interface provides user input to the support operation of the workforce management system.
US08060447B2

A method of improving electronic security establishes a secure trusted path between a user and an institution seeking an electronic signature to verify a transaction before any request for signature and completing electronic transaction activities occurs. The secure trusted path providing the user with a first predetermined portion of a branded watermark, for instance an advertisement, provided from the institution in conjunction with the request, and a second predetermined portion of the branded watermark being provided upon a personalized device that cannot be intercepted or manipulated by malware, allowing the user to verify that the request as displayed upon the user's primary computing device is valid.
US08060441B2

An electronic payment and authentication system that includes features to verify the authenticity of a payer, validate debit data, and facilitate debit (as opposed to credit) payment transactions. The electronic payment system allows a consumer to purchase items and services via a network while utilizing a debit transaction. The invention provides merchants with the ability to verify the identity of the consumer, determine if the consumer is a good debit transaction risk, and retrieve debit data associated with a particular consumer.
US08060440B2

A processing system for modifying attributes of a plurality of loans is described. The processing system includes an attribute change processor for receiving and implementing a proposed change to an attribute of at least one of the plurality of loans and a loan pricing processor for generating a pricing value associated with the proposed change to the attribute of the at least one loan.
US08060435B2

Systems and methods for configurable trading interfaces that allow a trader to quickly and easily submit trading commands to a trading system are provided. Using these systems and methods, a trader can using various trading interfaces to initiate trading commands, configure various display features and default command settings, and control a level of command entry verification that is provided to protect against inadvertent entry of incorrect trading commands.
US08060434B1

Systems, methods, and devices for trading financial instruments with an improved ergonomic graphical user interface (GUI) with non-overlapping screen components that include a display of offers to buy and sell, which can include a graphical display of bid, ask, and spread information, a user's current positions, and one or more areas to enter trades. The systems, methods, and devices involve receiving and updating trade information in real time.
US08060433B2

In an apparatus and method of solving a combinatorial exchange, a plurality of candidate allocations of input bids is determined from input bids and a set of bid vectors is formed from the input bids. A probability value, representing how likely the bids of a bid vector will comprise the bids from which a final allocation is determined, is associated with each bid vector. A mapping is then determined between each bid vector and at least one of the candidate allocations based on a set of objectives and a set of constraints. A candidate allocation is selected as a final allocation based on a comparison of another set of bids that define an exchange event bid vector with at least one of the bid vectors.
US08060427B2

A graphical user interface related to non-standard settlement trading in financial instruments is provided. The graphical user interface preferably includes a selectable portion of a display screen related to a financial instrument and a selectable tab for accessing a selectable portion of the display screen related to one or a plurality of non-standard settlement positions with respect to the financial instrument. In one embodiment of the invention, when the tab is selected, access is provided to the selectable portion of the display screen related to the plurality of non-standard settlement positions.
US08060418B2

A digital footprint driven multi-channel integrated support system assists a user in managing electronic components based on his or her digital footprint. The digital footprint driven multi-channel integrated support system delivers a dramatically improved ‘digital home support’ experience across multiple support channels (e.g., ‘on-the-box’, web, IVR, agent voice, agent chat, agent email, and more). The digital footprint driven multi-channel integrated support system generates, displays, and uses a ‘digital footprint’ of the components within the home, such as computer hardware/software, computer peripherals, audio/visual equipment, gaming hardware/software, home security hardware/software, or other electronic components.
US08060417B2

An accounting method can insert changes that affect average cost calculations after the initial average cost calculations. The method can go back in time and add in transactions that affect average cost and re-calculate average cost based on the added entry to all entries after the added entry.
US08060416B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for providing advertising inventory information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for providing advertising inventory information in response to demographic inquiries. In an exemplary embodiment, a server responds to a demographic query. Based on the query, the server queries an advertising inventory database and a contract database to retrieve relevant information. Using the relevant information, the total inventory and the total sold inventory are obtained. Using the now obtained total inventory and the total sold inventory information, the server then provides an estimation of the total available inventory matching the query.
US08060410B2

Transaction management is facilitated using an approach involving the use of transaction characteristics to authenticate transaction information. According to an example embodiment, a computer processing system is programmed to process a shipment transaction involving a shipper and a carrier. The system is particularly suited to efficiently automate the payment of a shipment transaction and to efficiently provide access to relevant shipment information. The system includes a shipper processor that receives transaction document information such as purchase order information and assists in generating a bill of lading for the transaction. A shipper access terminal interfaces between the shipper processor and a central processor arrangement to control the quantity, quality, and timeliness of information transferred to the central processor arrangement. The central processor arrangement stores selective transaction information such as shipment information and generates reports regarding the transactions, with each transaction having particular information associated with it (e.g., shipper ID, carrier ID and other information). A carrier processor provides proof of delivery to the central processor arrangement. The central processor communicates with one or more financial institutions so that the carrier is paid and shipper billed for the relevant transaction.
US08060405B1

Methods and systems for correlating connections between users and links between articles to identify search and/or ad spamming are disclosed. Social networks can be used to identify connections between users for correlation with links between articles, which can be identified through searches of article contents and/or back tracing accesses to articles. One disclosed method comprises identifying first associations between a plurality of users in a network of associated users; identifying second associations between one or more users and one or more articles; identifying third associations between at least some of the articles or between some of the users and access to some of the articles; and determining at least one of the third associations is correlated with one or more of the first associations.
US08060402B1

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating cookies. Multiple advertisements for multiple advertisers are stored on an ad server. Hostnames specific to each of the multiple advertisers are generated dynamically. The generated hostnames identify the ad server. A reference is generated identifying a particular advertisement of the multiple advertisements and the ad server. The ad server is identified in the reference with the generated hostname associated with the advertiser of the advertisement. The reference is provided to a client. A request is received from the client for the advertisement. The request includes the generated hostname. In response to the request, a client cookie, which includes a unique identifier, is sent to the client.
US08060401B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for providing an indication of a schedule conflict. According to embodiments, a method for providing an indication of a schedule conflict is provided. According to the method, whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled is determined. In response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled is provided.
US08060398B2

In various embodiments, strategies, tools and techniques are provided for processing and analyzing data in an advertising measurement system accessible through a software-as-a-service model or a client-downloaded computer program. The system may be configured to receive and process household media exposure data, product purchase data, advertising data, program data, and demographic data, wherein the data may be obtained from various sources, including from a program delivery source (e.g., a television set-top box) located in a household of a consumer. The data may be matched and cross-correlated for calculating return on advertising investment measurements and other metrics. The data may be used to optimize media placement generally or to address advertising content to specific households. Methods for storing and accessing data in the advertising measurement system by distributing the data across multiple shards are also provided. In addition, methods for protecting privacy of communicated data are disclosed.
US08060394B2

The method, system and a computer program and a computer product for managing workers and documents is provided. The method includes storing industry representations and a list of workers with data related to the workers, linking the industry representations to the workers and selecting at least one worker from based on the industry representations for that worker. The method also includes scheduling workers to a job based on whether they have all of the required industry representations. In addition, the method includes uploading industry representations and bar code scanning industry representations into the database. The method further includes dispatching said industry representations to other users and automatically mapping fields of the dispatched data in the destination database. In addition, the method includes selectively encrypting only sensitive fields in data transmission between two entities.
US08060393B2

Features of electronically embodied games are logically categorized, analyzed, and compared. Features are preferably organized according to a hierarchical classification scheme, according to a classification scheme that is not strictly tautological. All suitable feature sets are contemplated, including sets corresponding to characteristics of personifications of players and non-players, types and/or uses of game space, methods of rewarding a player, etc. In other aspects comparisons are made between an evaluation game and one or more sets of historically available games. Such sets can be grouped by genre and the number of games in such sets can range anywhere from a single game to hundreds of games, or more. Reporting and guidance can include providing a risk assessment score or other risk analysis, feature assessment (prevalence), market placement, business model analysis, dynamic trend analysis, clustered pattern recognition, and image analysis.
US08060392B2

A professional development registry system comprising a processor and a storage medium operably connected to the processor, wherein the storage medium is capable of receiving and storing data representative of a first career ladder, data representative of at least one participant, data representative of at least one scholarship request, and data representative of at least one training event, and wherein the processor is operable to process said data and generate at least one report comprising at least part of said data.
US08060382B1

A system and method for providing a healthcare bill settlement system whereby a given healthcare service consumer's EOB data relating to a given healthcare service item is obtained and is translated into a description of the services in language, and/or a format, that a typical healthcare service consumer can understand. The healthcare service consumer's EOB data is also used to present the healthcare service consumer with a payment calculation display and an explanation of how the healthcare service consumer's portion of the claim amount was calculated. The healthcare services consumer is then provided communication access to the healthcare services provider to propose a settlement payment prior to the healthcare services consumer receiving an invoice from the healthcare services provider. The healthcare services provider is then provided the capability to accept or reject the proposed settlement payment.
US08060363B2

For an audio coding, noise suppression is applied to an original audio signal to obtain an audio signal with reduced noise. A coding mode is selected based on the audio signal with reduced noise. The original audio signal is then encoded using this selected coding mode.
US08060362B2

The techniques described are utilized for detection of noise and noise-like segments in audio coding. The techniques can include performing a prediction gain calculation, an energy compaction calculation, and a mean and variation energy calculation. Signal adaptive noise decisions can be made both in time and frequency dimensions. The techniques can be embodied as part of an AAC (advanced audio coding) encoder to detect noise and noise-like spectral bands. This detected information is transmitted in a bitstream using a signaling method defined for a perceptual noise substitution (PNS) encoding tool of the AAC encoder.
US08060355B2

A method of providing simulation results includes detecting any power net and rail in a circuit netlist. The circuit can be divided into net-partitioned blocks. Using these net-partitioned blocks, a topological analysis can be performed to identify cuttable/un-cuttable devices and synchronization requirements. Then, the circuit can be re-divided into rail-partitioned blocks. Using these rail-partitioned blocks, a sparse solver can identify potential partitions, but eliminate fill-ins as determined by the topological analysis. A cost function can be applied to the potential partitions as well as the identified cuttable/un-cuttable devices to determine final cut points in the circuit and dynamic inputs to the final blocks. Simulation can be performed on the final blocks and simulation results can be generated.
US08060354B2

Selecting the nutrition for an animal or animal group comprises performing a diagnostic test to obtain first data. A data base that comprises first data relating a genomic analysis of a bodily fluid or tissue sample from an animal to a physiological condition and optionally the genotype of the animal is accessed. A data base that comprises second data relating to effects of nutrition on genomic analysis is accessed. The first and second data are processed with input data defining the physiological condition and optionally the genotype of the animal or animal group to derive the nutrition for an animal or animal group.
US08060350B2

Computational aeroelastic analyses typically use a mathematical model for the structural modes of a flexible structure and a nonlinear aerodynamic model that can generate a plurality of unsteady aerodynamic responses based on the structural modes for conditions defining an aerodynamic condition of the flexible structure. In the present invention, a linear state-space model is generated using a single execution of the nonlinear aerodynamic model for all of the structural modes where a family of orthogonal functions is used as the inputs. Then, static and dynamic aeroelastic solutions are generated using computational interaction between the mathematical model and the linear state-space model for a plurality of periodic points in time.
US08060333B2

Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, including a pattern list storage section that stores a plurality of pattern lists that each designate, in a prescribed order, the test patterns to be output by the device under test, and a pattern list processing section that (i) sequentially outputs the test patterns by sequentially executing the pattern lists according to test results of the device under test and, (ii) when transitioning from a current pattern list to a subsequent pattern list, repeatedly outputs a prescribed idle pattern until execution of the subsequent pattern list is begun.
US08060330B2

A wafer handling mechanism is operated to place a wafer on a chuck. A chucking force is then applied to the wafer, whereby wafer support features of the chuck transfer a defect pattern onto a surface of the wafer. The surface of the wafer is analyzed by a defect metrology tool to obtain a mapping of the defect pattern transferred onto the surface of the wafer. A center coordinate of the chuck within a coordinate system of the wafer is determined by analyzing the defect pattern as transferred to the surface of the wafer. A spatial offset between the center coordinate of the chuck and the center of the wafer is determined. The spatial offset is used to adjust the wafer handling mechanism so as to enable alignment of the center of the wafer to the center coordinate of the chuck.
US08060319B2

A method and system for detecting structural damage in a structure by detecting acoustic emissions from damage in a structure to obtain acoustic emission data, and processing the acoustic emission data in accordance with a model characterising acoustic paths. The model is built by inducing a plurality of types of acoustic emissions at each of a plurality of positions on a structure, the plurality of types of acoustic emissions corresponding to a respective plurality of types of structural damage. The acoustic emissions are detected using at least three sensors arranged on the structure, and the detected acoustic emissions are processed for each position to determine model data characterising effects on each type of acoustic emission from each position of acoustic paths between the positions and the sensors. The processed data is then stored as model data.
US08060313B2

A simulation system includes electromagnetic field analyzing units that execute electromagnetic field analysis with respect to electromagnetic field analysis areas obtained by division of an area to be analyzed into the electromagnetic field analysis areas; one or more circuit analyzing units that execute circuit analysis with respect to a circuit unit in the area to be analyzed; and an aggregating unit that aggregates, from the electromagnetic field analyzing units, data for the circuit analysis by the one or more circuit analyzing units and transmits the data to the circuit analyzing units. The simulation system links plural processing units that mutually exchange data.
US08060311B2

Job monitoring methods and apparatus for logging-while-drilling equipment are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes obtaining a fluid associated with an underground geological formation, analyzing the fluid with one or more sensors to form respective ones of sensor outputs, identifying a downhole scenario associated with the fluid based on the sensor outputs, the identifying being performed while the sensors are within the underground geological formation, and selecting a telemetry frame type based on the identified downhole scenario.
US08060298B2

The automatic generation of multiple sets of directions for navigating geographically to a specific destination without specification of an origin. Based on the destination, candidate roads or other transportation conduits are selected for analysis. Candidate meta-departure points are analyzed and selected along the roads based on distribution about the destination, cardinal directions relative to the destination, road metadata, distance to the destination, driving time, and other factors. The number of departure points generated to represent routes to the destination from the several logical cardinal directions is minimized. The generated departure points also represent routes that a majority of people would likely take to the destination. Additionally, the generated departure points originate from places that users are likely to be familiar with and can get to without additional guidance. The final instruction sets for navigating to the destination are presented along with a map that identified the departure points.
US08060296B2

Systems and methods for determining center of gravity for an aircraft. An example system includes one or more load measurement devices that generate one of nose gear or main gear weight information and a processing device that determines center of gravity of the aircraft based on previously received gross weight information and the generated nose or main gear weight information. The number of gear sets with load measurement devices is one less that the total number of gear sets having distinct longitudinal positions along a fuselage of the aircraft. The processing device further determines center of gravity based on temperature and/or pitch attitude information. The system includes a user interface that allows a user to enter the gross weight information that might be included in a flight manifest or a load and trim sheet and/or a communication component that receives the gross weight information from a ground-based system.
US08060286B2

A clutch control system comprises a clutch torque determination module and a clutch pressure control module. The clutch torque determination module determines a desired torque value for a torque converter clutch (TCC) based on a torque output of an engine, a pump torque value for a pump integrated with a torque converter, a desired engine acceleration, and an inertia value of the engine. The clutch pressure control module selectively controls pressure applied to the TCC based on the desired torque value.
US08060284B2

A work machine includes an internal combustion (IC) engine having an output, and an infinitely variable transmission (IVT) coupled with the IC engine output. The IVT includes a hydraulic module and a mechanical drivetrain module. A pressure transducer is associated with and provides an output signal representing a hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic module. At least one electrical processing circuit is configured for controlling the IC engine output, dependent upon the output signal from the pressure transducer.
US08060271B2

Apparatus and methods according to some embodiments of the present invention use a graphical model, such as a Markov random field model, to represent principal driving directions within an environment. The model has a plurality of nodes representing spatial locations within the environment, and the principal direction for each node is determined probabilistically using linear features detected within an image of the environment. Apparatus and methods according to embodiments of the present invention can be used in improved autonomous navigation systems, such as robotic vehicles.
US08060269B2

An apparatus and method for generating swath lines including compensation for sloping terrain in a field for use in an automatic guidance system of a work machine. The swath lines are created as a function of the position, elevation and/or orientation of the work vehicle.
US08060266B2

A mode changeover control device for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a motor/generator and at least one driving wheel. A changeover between an electric drive mode using only the electric motor to power the at least one driving wheel and a hybrid drive mode using both the engine and the electric motor to power the at least one driving wheel is controlled. The drive mode is changed from the hybrid drive mode to the electric drive mode if the accelerator opening is less than a first threshold level, and the drive mode is changed from the electric drive mode to the hybrid drive mode if the accelerator opening is greater than a second threshold level. A hysteresis value is defined between the first threshold level and the second threshold level, and the hysteresis value is changed based on a vehicle operating state.
US08060264B2

A system for monitoring railroad cars comprising a hatch cover assembly including a cover body, a sensor, a wireless transmitter for transmitting data received from the sensor, a wireless receiver for receiving the data from the wireless transmitter, and a satellite transmitter for transmitting the data to a satellite. The wireless receiver and the satellite transmitter are attached to the hatch cover assembly. In one embodiment, the sensor is a pressure sensor having a sensing unit situated in the plenum of a vented hatch cover. In another embodiment, the sensor is an air flow sensor having a sensing unit situated in the plenum of a vented hatch cover. In another embodiment, the sensor is a chain tension sensor attached to a handbrake chain. In another embodiment, the sensor is a hatch cover position attached to the hatch cover assembly.
US08060259B2

A real-time performance monitoring system for monitoring an electric power grid. The electric power grid has a plurality of grid portions, each grid portion corresponding to one of a plurality of control areas. The real-time performance monitoring system includes a monitor computer for monitoring at least one of reliability metrics, generation metrics, transmission metrics, suppliers metrics, grid infrastructure security metrics, and markets metrics for the electric power grid. The data for metrics being monitored by the monitor computer are stored in a data base, and a visualization of the metrics is displayed on at least one display computer having a monitor. The at least one display computer in one said control area enables an operator to monitor the grid portion corresponding to a different said control area.
US08060254B2

Provided are a method, apparatus, and medium for building a grid map in a mobile robot and a method, apparatus, and medium for cell decomposition using the grid map building method and apparatus. A mobile robot for building a grid map includes a grid map building unit obtaining grid points by sensing a distance to an external space or obstacle, and building a grid map, a feature point extraction unit extracting feature points from the grid points, a feature point update unit estimating the pose of the robot after the robot moves, and obtaining updated feature points by SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Map building) algorithm, a transform formula calculation unit calculating a transform formula that transforms feature points extracted by the feature point extraction unit into feature points updated by the feature point update unit, and a grid map update unit updating the grid map according to the obtained formula.
US08060250B2

A system and method for controlling tendon-driven manipulators that provide a closed-loop control of joint torques or joint impedances without inducing dynamic coupling between joints. The method includes calculating tendon reference positions or motor commands by projecting a torque error into tendon position space using a single linear operation. The method calculates this torque error using sensed tendon tensions and a reference torque and internal tension. The method can be used to control joint impedance by calculating the reference torque based on a joint position error. The method limits minimum and maximum tendon tensions by projecting the torque error into the tendon tension space and then projecting ii back into joint space.
US08060248B1

There is provided an automated prescription filling system using a robotic arm in combination with an automatic pharmaceutical dispenser having a plurality of individual pill-counting units, each under the control of its own microprocessor. The automatic pharmaceutical dispensers are modified for use with the robotic arm. Because tablet counting is completely independent of the robotic arm, system throughput is higher than in systems of the prior art. Unlike systems of the prior art, each individual pill-counting unit can be removed from behind the pharmaceutical dispenser so that the system need not be stopped for such service. The fact that counting operations are divorced from robotic arm movements allows the arm movements to be optimized and multiple prescriptions to be processed simultaneously. Controller software optimizes movement of the robotic arm based upon such factors as the fullness of the vial being transported.
US08060247B2

A system and method for communicating secondary vending options for a vendible media product having entertainment content therein is provided. The system comprises a transaction network, and a database in communication with the transaction network, wherein the database stores a plurality of digital video disc titles and a plurality of locations and release dates corresponding to the digital video disc titles. A vending controller at a vending location receives a user request signal for a digital video disc, and determines whether the digital video disc is available in a vending inventory at the vending location. A central controller receives a first signal from the vending controller, wherein the first signal comprises a secondary vending option and a user electronic mail address. The central controller receives a second signal from the vending controller, wherein the second signal comprises an indication that the digital video disc is available in the vending inventory.
US08060243B2

A sorting apparatus includes: a characteristic information obtaining unit which obtains characteristic information of each of packages; a first branching unit to a third branching unit each of which performs branching operation for forwarding a predetermined package among the packages to a corresponding one of a first branching conveyor to a third branching conveyor; an interval adjusting unit which adjusts an interval which is a distance between two packages, which are a current package and the next package, forwarded sequentially; a branch control unit which causes each of the first branching unit to the third branching unit to change the details of branching operations according to the characteristic information; and an interval control unit which causes the interval adjusting unit to increase the interval in proportion to the time required for the branching operation for the current package.
US08060232B2

Methods and computer storage media provide for the installation of potted inserts and installation validation. According to embodiments described herein, an insert is placed within an insert aperture of a panel or other structure. Potting compound is injected into a potting cavity surrounding the insert through a fill hole in the insert until potting compound overflows from another fill hole. The installation is validated by applying a force to the installed insert at a determined frequency using a mechanical impedance instrument and measuring a response frequency. The response frequency is compared to an acceptable frequency range to determine whether the insert is properly installed.
US08060230B2

Information with regard to each finished part model is transmitted from a part design terminal 1 to an exclusive server 3 at each time of finishing each part model formed in steps for designing a part. Further, the information with regard to the each part model is acquired by making access to the exclusive server 3 from a die design terminal 2. Therefore, tasks with regard to designing the die can be progressed in parallel based on the acquired information without awaiting for finishing all of the respective part models for designing the die.
US08060228B2

A financial transaction product includes an electrical assembly, a housing at least partially enclosing the electrical assembly, a connection cable, and an account identifier. The connection cable includes a first end, which is coupled with the housing and in electrical communication with the electrical assembly, and a second end, which is opposite the first end, is spaced from the housing, and includes an electrical connector configured to selectively interface with a electrical device separate from the financial transaction product. The account identifier is affixed to the housing and links the housing to at least one of a financial account or a financial record. Methods of encouraging purchase and facilitating use of a financial transaction card assembly and other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08060226B2

Embodiments of a signal processing system, a method, and fractionally modulated digital delay lines are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, a fractional address is generated by adding a delay value to a fractional offset value, and input sample values are interpolated based on a fractional portion of the fractional address. A write operation may be performed to the integer portion of the fractional address for each sample period using the interpolated input sample values. Adjusted addresses may be generated when addresses are either skipped of duplicated.
US08060225B2

A digital audio system configured to facilitate a collaborative audio session comprises a first digital audio device operable by a first user, a second digital audio device operable by a second user independently of the first digital audio device, and a server configured to communicate with the first digital audio device and the second digital audio device over a network, receive a request from at least one of the digital audio devices for participation in a collaborative audio session, and facilitate communication between the first digital audio device and the second digital audio device.
US08060223B2

An editor in an industrial automation environment comprises an input component that receives modification data relating to at least one of lifecycle and deployment of an object, the object is associated with a programmable logic controller and configured in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model. An implementation component can implement the modification data with respect to the object. The editor can further comprise a security component that determines that an entity providing the data to the input component is authorized to implement the modification data.
US08060222B2

Methods and apparatus for configuring process, environmental, industrial and other control systems generate and/or utilize models representing configurations of control systems and/or the systems controlled by them. Records of changes to the models or the configurations represented by them are maintained, thereby, for example, providing bases for determining current states, prior states and histories of changes. Objects in the model have characteristics, such as an object type characteristic and an area characteristic. Users can have corresponding permissions. A security mechanism apparatus controls access by users to the objects. Composite objects are defined by definition objects and are displayed in encapsulated or expanded formats. Objects can include an edit control type identifier that determines how they are presented for editing. Functionality responds to user commands by transferring characteristics of a first object depicted by the graphical user interface to a second object. Configuration-time formulas contained objects are evaluated to constants prior to downloading to the control system.
US08060209B2

Methods and systems of treating a patient with ischemia pain include providing a stimulator, configuring one or more stimulation parameters to treat ischemia pain in a visceral organ, programming the stimulator with the one or more stimulation parameters, generating a stimulus configured to treat ischemia pain with the stimulator in accordance with the one or more stimulation parameters, and applying the stimulus with the stimulator to one or more stimulation sites in accordance with the one or more stimulation parameters.
US08060204B2

An apparatus comprises an implantable medical device that includes a storage circuit. The storage circuit includes a first stage circuit configured to receive an input signal and to invert and store information about a data bit received in the input signal, a second stage circuit coupled to the output of the first stage circuit to invert and store information about a data bit received from the first stage circuit, and an error circuit coupled to the output of the first stage circuit and an output of the second stage circuit. The error circuit generates an error indication when the storage circuit outputs match while the first stage circuit and the second stage circuit are in an inactive state.
US08060190B2

The invention relates to cardiac-activity based prediction of a rapid drop in a patient's blood pressure during hemodialysis. A proposed alarm apparatus includes an input interface, primary and secondary analysis units and an alarm-generating unit. An electrocardiogram signal (HECG) of the patient is received via the input interface by the primary analysis unit, which in response thereto produces a heart-rate-variability signal (PHRV). The secondary analysis unit determines an intensity of ectopic beats (PEBC) based on the electrocardiogram signal (HECG). The alarm-generating unit investigates whether the intensity of ectopic beats (PEBC) is relatively low or relatively high. In case of a relatively low intensity, the unit triggers an alarm signal (α) indicative of an estimated rapid blood pressure decrease if the heart-rate-variability signal (PHRV) fulfills a first alarm criterion. In case of a relatively high intensity, however, the unit triggers the alarm signal (α) if the intensity of the ectopic beats (PEBC) fulfills a second alarm criterion.
US08060188B2

Prolonged and severe tissue hypoxia results in tissue necrosis in pedicled flaps. We demonstrate the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy for predicting viability of compromised tissue portions. This approach clearly identifies tissue regions with low oxygen supply, and also the severity of this challenge, in a rapid and non-invasive manner, with a high degree of reproducibility. Early, nonsubjective detection of poor tissue oxygenation following surgery increases the likelihood that intervention aimed at saving the tissue will be successful.
US08060183B2

A site marker is provided that includes a generally hollow body defining a cavity. A deployment line within the site marker positions at least one marker element within the body portion. The deployment line has a first end that is fixedly secured to a first end of the body portion and a second end that is secured to a second end of the body portion. The deployment line is pre-biased so as to pull the first end of the body portion towards the second end of the body portion, and thereby expand the body portion.
US08060177B2

A method for combined computed tomography (CT) imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging uses respiration-gated CT imaging in which the optimal criteria for CT scan gating are determined after the PET scan has been performed. After acquisition of first CT scan image data and PET scan image data with strain gauge levels being recorded, optimal gating criteria are calculated based on the strain gauge levels, and a second CT scan is then performed with triggering in accordance with the optimal gating criteria.
US08060172B2

An in-vivo information measurement apparatus having an insertion part; a light projection unit, provided at a tip of the insertion part, irradiates an examination site with intensity-modulated light which is intensity modulated at a first frequency; a light receiving unit receives return light from the examination site; an optical detector detects return light; an in-vivo information calculation unit calculates in-vivo information for the examination site based on a phase shift between a modulated detection signal, a detection signal from the optical detector is modulated at a second frequency, and a reference signal having a difference frequency equal to the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; and a position moving mechanism moves at least one of a position at which the intensity-modulated light is emitted by the light projection unit and the position at which the return light is incident on the light receiving unit.
US08060165B2

A portable terminal is provided where the portable terminal includes a lower body, an upper body connected to the lower body, the upper body being slidably moveable in a first direction with respect to the lower body between a closed position and an open position, and a first moving unit connected between the upper body and the lower body to move the upper body in a second direction different from the first direction. The first moving unit is configured to move the upper body toward the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the closed position to the open position and to move the upper body away from the lower body along the second direction when the upper body is moved from the open position to the closed position.
US08060164B2

An input device that inputs information by a slide operation depending on an operation body contains a housing including an operation surface, a detection unit that is provided in the housing and detects a slide position inputted by a slide operation depending on the operation body, and an operation unit that covers at least a portion of the detection unit and is slide-operated along the operation surface of the housing. The operation unit has a convex shape which becomes thicker along the sliding direction from one portion of the operation surface of the housing and also which becomes thinner toward the other portion of the operation surface thereof.
US08060158B2

A hinge apparatus for a portable terminal including a first housing, and a second housing rotatably connected to the first housing, includes a first connection terminal mounted on the first housing; a second connection terminal mounted on the second housing; and a connection member straightly reciprocating between the first and second connection terminals while the second housing rotates with an electric connection with the second connection terminal, wherein the connection member makes contact with the first connection terminal when the second housing is folded to the first housing with facing the first housing, and the connection member also moves in a direction of being spaced apart from and withdrawing from the first connection terminal when the second housing rotates in a direction of withdrawing from the first housing.
US08060157B2

An apparatus including a first housing section having a first one-piece housing member; a second housing section having a second one-piece housing member; and a hinge rotatably connecting the first and second housing sections to each other. The hinge includes the first housing member forming a first hinge section at a first end of the first housing section which is pivotably connected to a second hinge section formed by the second housing member at a second end of the second housing member. The first and second hinge sections form opposite outer lateral ends of the hinge. The first and second hinge sections are spaced from outer lateral sides of the first and second housing sections. An axis of rotation of the hinge extends generally between the outer lateral sides.
US08060145B2

Systems, apparatus, methods, and manufactures for caching content at a communications services cell site which include caching previously provided content and/or predictively caching content. Content may be transmitted to cell sites for caching via primary or ancillary channels. Ancillary channels may be provided through a broadcast medium such as the ancillary or supplementary services spectrum of the digital television (DTV) spectrum. Content may also be broadcast to multiple cell sites simultaneously.
US08060144B2

In a wireless communication system (10), when a direct link mode is to be canceled, a station (200) generates a confirmation packet for confirming an unused band of the wireless communication system (10) and transmits the confirmation packet to an access point (100). At the access point (100), a band management part (130) determines the unused band, and a packet generating part (112) generates a response packet indicative of the unused band, which is then transmitted to the station (200). The station (200) determines, based on the unused band indicated by the response packet, whether the direct link mode should be canceled, and transmits a cancellation request packet to the access point (100) if the unused band is sufficient. At the access point (100), the direct link mode is switched to a normal mode for cancellation in response to the cancellation request packet.
US08060143B2

A combined base station controller (12) and base transceiver station (14) comprises a selector distribution unit (SDU, 20), a main call control (MCC, 22) coupled to the SDU, a radio call control (RCC, 18) coupled to the MCC, and a channel element control (CEC, 16) coupled to the RCC.
US08060142B2

Disclosed are a method for reducing power consumption of a card for a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication terminal thereof, in which power consumption of a battery is reduced by differently supplying voltage to first and second cards according to an operation or non-operation state of the first card or the second card.
US08060141B2

In a method for permitting change of an electronic card without powering off and a communications device employing the method, the communications device includes a control module, a card connector for receiving the electronic card, and a trigger module. The method includes: when the communications device is in an on state, triggering the trigger module to generate a trigger signal to the control module; enabling the control module to determine a card insertion mode if it is detected that a state of electrical connection of the card connector with an electronic card changes from a disconnected state to a connected state after receipt of the trigger signal; and enabling the control module for supplying power to the electronic card inserted into the card connector upon determining the card insertion mode.
US08060138B2

A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided.
US08060135B2

A method and system for selectively applying a cellular-PBX integration service. When a radio access network (RAN) receives a call request for a served wireless communication device (WCD), call setup signaling passes to a call session control function (CSCF), and a determination is made as to whether the WCD is currently checked-into or checked-out of the cellular-PBX integration service. If the WCD is checked-in, the call is set up to an IPPBX server for handling. If the WCD is checked-out, the call is set up back to the RAN for handling. Similarly, the CSCF may receive call setup signaling in response to a call dialed to an IPPBX extension associated with the WCD, and the check-in/check-out status of the WCD may be used as a basis to decide whether to send the call to the RAN for handling or whether to return the call to the IPPBX server for handling.
US08060131B2

A digital broadcasting transmitter-receiver and method for a portable computer are provided, which can be detachably operated. The digital broadcasting transmitter-receiver for a portable computer can include a case configured to be attached in a bay of a main body, a main substrate installed in the case and mounted with at least one chip that receives a digital broadcasting signal and an antenna partially within the case. An antenna body can reciprocally move to extend outside of the case or the portable computer. With this structure, the digital broadcast can be watched on a conventional portable computer, and expansibility of the portable computer can be increased because users can selectively mount the transmitter-receiver.
US08060128B1

A method and system is disclosed for intelligent power control in a wireless communication system. In accordance with an example embodiment, a first device will operate in a dynamic-power state in which it responds to each power-increment command and power-decrement command received from a second device by incrementing or decrementing transmission power on an air interface. While operating in the dynamic-power state, the first device will recognize when a first threshold number of alternating power-increment and power-decrement commands have been received, and responsively will transition to operating in a steady-power state in which it no longer increments or decrements transmission power in response to power-control commands from the second device. While operating in the steady-power state, the first device will recognize when receives a particular sequence of power-control commands from the first device, and based at least on the recognition will transition to operating in the dynamic power state.
US08060119B2

A method for controlling a wireless terminal operating in a hibernation cycle alternating between a wake mode and a hibernation mode includes communicating with a first wireless network during a first waking period having a first duration, and with a second wireless network during a second waking period following the first waking period. The second waking period is extended to a second duration, greater than the first duration, responsively to detecting that the second wireless network is different from the first wireless network. Network information relating to the second wireless network is received during the second waking period.
US08060117B1

A wireless device-based system provides location-based services by determining the location of the wireless device and arranges for the service and the payment therefor.
US08060109B2

A location reporting paging communication system comprising space satellites, ground stations and a remote receiving unit adapted to resolve a global position from signals transmitted from a communication transmitter. The subscriber in possession of the remote receiving unit updates the paging network with global positioning information. A caller paging a subscriber in possession of the remote receiving unit may request the global location of the remote receiving unit. The paging network could divulge or block such information from a caller depending on the requirements of the subscriber.
US08060108B1

A method and apparatus for providing a sequence of location data points to a mapping device. A cellular mobile station uses GPS satellite signals to compute its varying location over time and outputs the location as data points in a sequence to the mapping device. If the mobile station loses satellite communication, it transitions the output sequence to a static state in which the location data points are a substantial repetition of the last location that the mobile station determined from satellite signals. Further, when the mobile station detects that it has entered into a new cellular coverage area, it obtains satellite assistance data from its cellular carrier network and uses the data to renew satellite communication. The mobile station may then transition the sequence back to a dynamic state, with location data points determined over time based on received satellite signals.
US08060107B2

A radio apparatus forming a radio network system calculates a calculated distance, based on a tentative self-position and tentative positions of a plurality of radio apparatuses existing in the vicinity. The radio apparatus successively and autonomously corrects the tentative self-position so that the calculated distance comes closer to the measured distance, relying more heavily on the calculated distance than the measured distance between itself and each of the plurality of radio apparatuses, and determines the position of itself. Other radio apparatuses also successively correct the tentative self-positions by the same method as the radio apparatus, and determine the positions of themselves.
US08060102B2

The present invention is a system and method for coverage analysis in a wireless network. The invention seeks to evaluate the location and characteristics of a proposed base station in a wireless communication network, prior to the base station being erected. Data is collected from both: a test transmitter of known characteristics, erected at the proposed location for the proposed base station; and from a plurality of wireless channels of the existing network. The data may be collected at a plurality of measurement locations. The collected data is used to model and subsequently evaluate the behaviour of the network in the presence of channels that would be introduced into the network if the new base station were erected. Modeled data may include estimates of signal to noise ratios for various wireless channels for both existing base stations and the proposed base station, at the measurement location. The model data may be displayed on a GUI, depicting modeled signal characteristics in a geographical area surrounding the proposed base station, to estimate overall acceptability of a proposed base station at a proposed location before incurring the cost of installing the base station.
US08060097B1

Methods and an apparatus are provided for providing handoff information to a candidate mobile node initially served on a first carrier. The candidate mobile node may inform a wireless-communication network that hard-handoff criteria are met for the first carrier. The network may identify a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes served on a second carrier and within a threshold distance of the candidate. The network may receive a measurement of forward-link signal quality of the second carrier from each neighboring mobile node. Using the received forward-link-signal-quality measurements, the network may estimate the forward-link signal quality of the second carrier at the location of the candidate mobile node. If that estimated forward-link signal quality exceeds a signal-quality threshold, the network may provide hard-handoff information about the second carrier to the candidate mobile node.
US08060094B2

A method of transmitting data between first and second network entities in a communications network, the method including, transmitting from the first network entity an establishment message providing a first indication which indicates whether the first network entity is capable of handling extended messages, receiving the message at the second network entity and returning to the first network entity an establishment response which provides the first indication in respect of the second network entity, and transmitting a data message from the first network entity to the second network entity, the data message selectively being an extended message in dependence on the first indication received in the response message, the data message further providing a second indication which indicates whether or not the data message is an extended message.
US08060081B2

A remote battery replacement notification system (10) for a communication system includes a subscriber unit (12) having a battery (14). An operational support system (16) is in communication with the subscriber unit (12). The operational support system (16) periodically polls the subscriber unit (12). A compact service node (18) is in communication with the subscriber unit (12). The compact service node (18) sends a replace battery notification to the subscriber unit (12) when a replace battery message is received from the operational support system (16).
US08060077B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for function testing of a base station system in a wireless communication system, wherein the base station system comprises at least two antennas and at least two transceivers, and said antennas are intended to cover a target area. Function testing of the parts in the base station is based on measurements of performance variations caused by for example bad contact in feeders, misdirected or malfunctioning antennas, malfunctioning feeders, wear and tear of transceivers, and/or corrosion in feeder connections etc. By alternating between TRXs in the base station system for carrying BCCH messages the performance of each TRX is measured at each time period and stored for further analysis. Thereby a decrease or a fault in the base station system is easily detected.
US08060046B2

The radio receiver includes: a mixer configured to convert a received signal to an IF signal using a local oscillation signal; an IF processing section configured to limit the band of the IF signal; a detection section configured to demodulate the band-limited IF signal; a frequency control section configured to output a frequency control signal corresponding to a desired signal; and a local oscillation section configured to generate the local oscillation signal having a frequency corresponding to the desired signal according to the frequency control signal. The frequency control section outputs as the frequency control signal to change the frequency of the local oscillation signal so that the difference from the frequency corresponding to the desired signal is not more than the frequency of the IF signal, and determines one of the set values with which the corresponding image signal strength is lowest as the frequency control signal.
US08060045B2

The present invention refers to a method for compensating the non-linear distortions of high-frequency signals, especially when observing the amplitude modulated signals with narrow band receiver. The invention refers also to a device to carry out the said method. In the invention it is supposed that the ratio between the frequency fIN of the input signal SA and the sampling frequency fS that dictates the operation of the analogue-digital converter (3) is an arbitrary irrational number.
US08060040B2

A sub-threshold transistor bridge circuit for use in detecting the signal level of an input radio-frequency signal is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment each branch of the sub-threshold transistor bridge circuit comprises a transistor configured to operate in the sub-threshold region over a predetermined range of input signal levels. An input radio-frequency signal applied to a first pair of opposing corners of the bridge circuit yields a bridge output signal at the remaining pair of opposing corners that has a low-frequency component substantially proportional to the squared-amplitude of the envelope of the input radio-frequency signal. Also disclosed are various detector circuits including a sub-threshold transistor bridge circuit, as well as methods for detecting a signal level for an radio-frequency signal using a sub-threshold transistor bridge.
US08060039B2

Methods and apparatus for use in a wireless communication device for communications with a wireless communication network are described. In one illustrative technique, the wireless device sends a message to the wireless network which causes data connection parameters of a previous data connection to be reset. Preferably, the message is a disconnect frame. After the message is sent, the wireless device sends a request for a new data connection to the wireless network. Thereafter, the wireless device communicates data over the new data connection with use of new data connection parameters. The data connection parameters may include an encryption parameter. The actions may be performed in response to a communication failure, such as a device reset that occurs while being out-of-coverage.
US08060037B2

A circuit for calibrating the DC offset in a wireless communication device utilizes a voltage-generating circuit to generate a first voltage value and its negative value, and utilizes a detecting circuit to detect an output of the wireless communication device and generate a first target-branch reference value corresponding to the power of the output when the first voltage value is inputted into a target branch (e.g., the in-phase branch or the quadrature branch) of the wireless communication device, and detect an output of the wireless communication device and generate a second target-branch reference value corresponding to the power of the output when the negative value of the first voltage value is input into the target branch. Then, an estimating circuit estimates the DC offset on the target branch according to the first and second target-branch reference values and the first voltage value.
US08060023B2

In a mobile communication system according to the present invention, a data transmitting-side apparatus is configured to retransmit a transmission data block according to a transmission acknowledgement signal transmitted from a data receiving-side apparatus. The data receiving-side apparatus includes: a maximum number-of-retransmissions manager unit configured to manage the maximum number of retransmissions of the transmission data block; and a transmission acknowledgement signal transmitter unit configured not to transmit the transmission acknowledgement signal, when the number of retransmissions of the transmission data block reaches the maximum number of retransmissions.
US08060020B2

An apparatus and method for removing an interference signal using a selective frequency phase converter are disclosed. The apparatus for removing an interference signal using a selective frequency phase converter includes: a first phase converter configured to convert a phase of a received RF signal to differentially output first and second signals having a phase difference of 180° from each other; a second phase converter configured to receive the first signal and selectively convert the phase of a particular frequency band; a third phase converter configured to receive the second signal and selectively convert the phase of a particular frequency band; a timing controller configured to correct a signal delay time between the output from the second phase converter and that of the third phase converter; and an adder configured to add an output from the second phase converter and an output from the third phase converter, wherein the second and third phase converters phase-convert the first and second signals such that the phases of the signals of the particular frequency bands do not have a phase difference of 180° from each other.
US08060019B2

Various apparatuses and methods for protecting a transmitter from electrostatic discharge are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments provide an apparatus including a first ESD clamp connected to an antenna input, a first reactive component connected to the first ESD clamp, a second ESD clamp connected to the first reactive component, and a second reactive component connected between the second ESD clamp and the transmitter.
US08060017B2

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a mobile broadband routable internet (MBRI) providing for carrier-grade, networked, broadband, IP-routable communication among a plurality of mobile devices, where the mobile devices may represent a plurality of nodes that are linked together through a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). Mobile devices may operate as peers in a peer-to-peer network, with full IP routing capabilities enabled within each mobile device, thereby allowing routing of IP-based traffic, including deployment of applications, to the mobile device without need for infrastructure conventionally required for mobile ad hoc networks, such as cellular telephony infrastructure. Full IP-routing to mobile devices may allow seamless integration to the fixed Internet, such as through fixed or mobile access points, such as for backhaul purposes. Thus, the MBRI may function as a standalone mobile Internet, without connection to the fixed Internet, or as an IP-routable extension of another network, whether it be the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a cellular network, a personal area network, or some other type of network that is capable of integration with an IP-based network.
US08060015B2

A placard for displaying a customer specific message includes a receiver, a capacitor, and an electronic updateable static display. The receiver has a memory storing an identification code and an antenna for receiving a signal. The capacitor is coupled to the receiver and capable of being charged by the signal. The electronic updateable static display is coupled to the receiver, is powered by the capacitor and is capable of displaying customer specific messages when a portion of the signal matches the identification code of the placard. The coupling means are conventional and the methods for affixing them are well known in to those skilled in the art. A method of using the placard for displaying a customer specific message is also provided.
US08060014B2

An apparatus meant to be interposed between a wired device and a wireless device gathers information concerning the functions of which each of the wired device and wireless devices are capable, passing on signals from the wireless device to the wired device to perform an audio function if the wired device is determined to be present and/or capable of performing the audio function, performing the audio function if capable of doing so and if the wired device is determined to not be present and/or incapable of performing the audio function, and responding to the wireless device as if the audio function were successfully performed if incapable of doing so and if the wired device is determined to not be present and/or incapable of performing the audio function.
US08060001B2

A fusing unit, and an image forming apparatus including the same, includes: a driving roller; a belt disposed to be driven by the driving roller; a nip plate disposed along a lengthwise direction of the driving roller with the belt being disposed between the driving roller and the nip plate, the nip plate being pressed toward the driving roller to form a fusing nip; a heat radiating body disposed along the lengthwise direction to heat the nip plate by heat conduction; and a heat radiating body pressing member to press the heat radiating body toward the nip plate to prevent the heat radiating body from being spaced from the nip plate due to thermal deformation. The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit to form an image on a printing medium with a developer; and the fusing unit.
US08059998B2

In an image forming device including a first rotary member arranged to drive an intermediate transfer belt, a first motor arranged to rotate the first rotary member, and a second rotary member arranged to transfer a toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt to a recording sheet, a torque command value detecting unit detects a torque command value to the first motor. A setting unit sets up a lower limit of the torque command value. A judgment unit determines whether a detected torque command value exceeds the lower limit. A control unit controls driving of the second rotary member when the detected torque command value exceeds the lower limits so that a difference between a surface speed of the intermediate transfer belt and a peripheral speed of the second rotary member falls within a predetermined range.
US08059993B2

The present invention provides a toner container system, such as a toner cartridge, comprising a housing including a first reservoir for containing toner and a second reservoir for receiving toner from the first reservoir and transferring the toner to an image forming apparatus, and a toner transfer mechanism that includes a rotatable roller member having in the surface thereof a recess defined by a concave surface having a radius of curvature, and wherein the roller member is rotatable from a first position at which the recess is open to the first reservoir and a second position at which the recess is open to the second reservoir, for conveying toner from the first reservoir to the second reservoir upon rotation of the roller member from the first position to the second position, and a rotatable wiper member disposed within the second reservoir and being sized and having a flexible distal end rotatable through the recess in contact with the concave surface when the roller member is in the second position.
US08059985B2

A transfer unit includes: a plurality of rollers; an image forming section which performs formation of a toner image in accordance image information and transfer of the toner image; an intermediate transferring belt to which the toner image is transferred from the image forming section; and a contact member which comes in contact with a part of the cleaning unit at a position apart from the intermediate transferring belt to perform positioning of the cleaning unit, and the cleaning unit includes: a cleaning mechanism which cleans the front surface side of the intermediate transferring belt; a positioning shaft which fits into the positioning portion formed in the apparatus main body, the positioning shaft being rotatable in such a direction as to come in contact with or separate apart from the transfer unit; and an abutting member which comes in contact with the contact member of the transfer unit.
US08059981B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposure mechanism, a latent-image forming mechanism, at least one image forming mechanism including a development mechanism to develop the latent image, an intermediate transfer member disposed to contact the image carrier, a primary transfer mechanism to transfer a toner image on the image carrier and superimpose one toner image on another on the intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image superimposed on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, an asperity detector to detect an asperity profile of a surface of the transfer material to identify a concavity of the transfer material, and a toner adhesion control mechanism to increase an amount of the toner transferred to intermediate transfer member according to the concavities in the surface of the transfer material identified by an asperity detector, after a predetermined time elapses.
US08059971B2

An optical reception device realizes stabilization of reception sensitivity inexpensively and highly precisely. The optical reception device includes: a Mach-Zehnder type 1-bit delay unit including a one-terminal input port and two-terminal output ports for decoding an optical difference phase shift keying (DPSK) signal and provided with one or more phase control functions to control the phase state of light; photoelectric conversion means for branching a portion of an optical output signal output from the one-side output port of the Mach-Zehnder type 1-bit delay unit, to convert the branched portion into an electric signal; and a phase control unit for controlling the phase state of the Mach-Zehnder type 1-bit delay device by using as an error signal the output signal of the photoelectric conversion means.
US08059961B2

A customer premises optical network unit (ONU) comprises: an electrical/optical transform unit 6 to be connected with an optical transmission path 2 at a central office side for performing an opto-electrical transform and an inverse opto-electrical transform; an ONU function part 7 to be connected with an electric signal input and output terminal of the electrical/optical transform unit 6; a serial/parallel transform unit 8 to be connected with a parallel signal terminal of the ONU function part 7 for performing a serial/parallel transform and an inverse serial/parallel transform; and a multi source agreement interface module 9 to be connected with a serial signal terminal of the serial/parallel transform unit 8.
US08059955B2

An image pickup apparatus includes an optical system, a detector, and an image processor. The detector picks up an object image that passes through the optical system. The image processor performs a predetermined process for an object image signal obtained from the detector. A relative position between the optical system and the detector is set by adjusting an optical axis and/or a back focus in association with at least one of variation in quantity of ambient light around an image pickup area, variation in image circle, and variation in angle of view.
US08059952B2

This invention provides a photographing module at least including: an electric drive assembly comprising a movable member, a holder, a magnetic circuit system and an elastic member, wherein the magnetic circuit system comprises at least three magnets and at least three coils so as to drive the movable member to perform a linear movement with respect to the optical axis and an angle of inclination with respect to at least an axis, and a magnetic pole direction of each magnet is perpendicular to the optical axis, an axis with respect to the coil winding axis of each coil is perpendicular to the optical axis; a photo sensor positioned on an image side of the photographing module and connected to the holder of the electric drive assembly; and a vibration sensor at a proper position of the photographing module capable of detecting directions and magnitude of a vibration.
US08059946B1

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for concentrated thermal radiation heat transfer from an electrically produced source of light. Whereby, the electromagnetic energy is conveyed from the source through lens assemblies for collection and distribution. The concentrated thermal radiation can be utilized locally or remotely through optical fiber systems. It can be collected on metal or other collecting surfaces and can heat various mediums. The heated medium can then be transferred by way of ventilation, pumps. or natural dispersion. The concentrated heat can be utilized without the use of a collection surface directly into its surroundings. In this embodiment the light from the source can also be put to use without the need for optical fiber systems or other devices. The array of lens assembles and optical fiber systems can be molded together out of plastic, glass, or other materials to minimize the cost of manufacturing.
US08059944B2

The invention relates to a heating device comprising a housing (15), through which air to be heated can pass and which delimits a heating space controlled by a power supply control circuit connected to a power source. The heating space includes electric heating modules (14), each heating module consisting of a first and second metal tape (10, 10) that arc essentially parallel in a transversal direction (D) and of a positive temperature coefficient resistive elements (12) fixed between the two metal tapes.
US08059943B2

An information recording medium capable of converting a stream including seamless connection, which is recorded in a constrained format allowing format conversion from a first format (MPEG-TS) to a second format (MPEG-PS), into a second stream, and an apparatus and method for recording information in the information recording medium. The constrained format is provided for enabling conversion from a first format (for example, MPEG transport stream) to a second format (for example, MPEG program stream). Seamless playback is performed by using a third system stream (Bridge-VOB), which is composed of each of the parts the two seamlessly connected system streams. A video information presentation time by data management unit (Capsule) at a third system stream terminal is greater than or equal to 0.4 second and less than or equal to 1 second, according to the constrained format.
US08059942B2

On a BD-ROM, PlayList information is recorded. The PlayList information includes MainPath information and SubPath information. The MainPath information and SubPath information include connection_condition information and sp_connection_condition information, respectively. The connection_condition information and sp_connection_condition information indicate that, when the connection state between two MainClips referred to with the MainPath information is seamless connection (CC=5), the connection state between two SubClips referred to with the SubPath information is also seamless connection (SP_CC=5). In the case of CC=5 and sp_CC=5, IN_time of PlayItem is equal to IN_time(SubPlayItem_IN_time) of SubPlayItem.
US08059936B2

Systems and methods are provided for identifying important video frames and segments in multimedia content such as a segmented compressed domain video. Video frames in a segment are analyzed to determine intensity, contrast, and motion values for the frames and their segments. The values among frames and segments are compared to identify one or more video segments likely to be important to a viewer. The systems and methods may additionally be augmented with audio data other characteristics associated with the video frames and segments analyzed.
US08059932B2

The present disclosure includes apparatus and methods for a modular optical fiber cassette. One embodiment includes a base housing configured to receive additional nested components and an adapter plate resiliently connected to the housing and comprising a plurality of optical fiber connectors. The adapter plate is releasable from the housing and providing access to both sides of the adapter plate. The cassette further includes a radius limiter nested with and resiliently connected to the base housing, a first expansion housing having an exterior contour substantially aligned with the base housing and configured to resiliently interlock with the base housing, and a cover resiliently connected to the expansion housing.
US08059930B2

An optical fiber includes a core (1a) having an oblong rectangular or square cross section and made of quartz, and a cladding (2) surrounding the core (1a), having a circular outer cross-sectional shape, and made of resin.
US08059927B2

In one embodiment, an assembly having a first board, a second board, a fiber bundle, and at least one movable stage is provided. The fiber bundle has a first end and a second end, and the first end of the fiber bundle is attached to the first board first face. The movable stage has a second optical array provided thereon or therein. The movable stage is disposed on the second board such that the at least one motor steers the movable stage. The movable stage is steered such that the second optical array is aligned with the second end of the fiber bundle in a desired manner.
US08059913B2

Provided is an image correction method and apparatus which can enhance the performance of image correction without deteriorating image quality. The image correction method includes creating a cumulative density function (CDF) based on a luminance histogram of an input image; calculating a plurality of correction parameters, which will be respectively applied to a plurality of different luminance adjustment functions, based on the CDF of the input image; and correcting luminance of the input image using the correction parameters and the luminance adjustment functions.
US08059907B2

Systems and methods associated with a constant variance filter are described. One system embodiment includes a memory to store a spatially dependent filtered data set having a first degree of homogeneity. The system embodiment may also include a filter logic to produce a data set having a second degree of homogeneity by filtering the spatially dependent filtered data set. The second degree of homogeneity may be greater than the first degree of homogeneity and may indicate spatial independence.
US08059903B2

An electronic device includes: a PHLCT circuit (15), which includes an input signal DCT coefficient computation module configured to compute DCT coefficients of an input signal of a subject block region in a plurality of block regions and block regions adjacent to the subject block region, respectively, an offset function DCT coefficient computation module configured to compute DCT coefficients of a gradient offset function, which offsets the gradient of the input signal at a block boundary between each subject block region and its adjacent block regions from the DCT coefficients of the input signal, and a residual computation module configured to compute a residual of the DCT coefficients of the input signal and the DCT coefficients of the gradient offset function; a quantization circuit configured to quantize the residual to obtain compressed data; and an entropy coding circuit (17) configured to encode the compressed data.
US08059896B2

A character recognition processing system includes a character recognition confidence evaluating unit that evaluates whether confidence of character recognition of a plurality of areas are low or high, a character area classification unit that classifies a first area evaluated low by the character recognition confidence evaluating unit into a plurality of components, a character separation unit that separates the components classified by the character area classification unit into a character component and non-character components, according to information relating to a second area evaluated high by the character recognition confidence evaluating unit, and a first character recognition unit that performs character recognition processing for the character component separated by the character separation unit.
US08059893B2

A method and electronics circuit for processing very high resolution images or very high frame rate images in real time. Each pixel within a frame of pixels is compared to the neighboring pixels within the frame to determine if the pixel is part of a blob group. If the pixel is part of the blob group, the characteristics of the pixel are added to the statistics for the blob group. When a pixel overlaps two target blob groups, the two blob groups are combined to form one blob group. When the end of the frame is reached information about the blob groups in the frame is made available.
US08059886B2

A processor-based method for detecting defects in an integrated circuit, by creating an image of at least a portion of the integrated circuit with a sensor, grouping pixels of the image into bins based at least in part on a common characteristic of the pixels that are grouped within a given bin, creating a histogram of the pixels in each of the bins, calculating a mean value of the histogram for each of the bins, comparing the mean value for each of the bins to a threshold value, flagging as defect candidates those bins where the mean value of the bin varies from the threshold value by more than a predetermined amount, and performing signature detection on the bins that are flagged as defect candidates, where the image of the integrated circuit is not directly compared to any other image of an integrated circuit.
US08059884B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of performing printability verification of a mask layout. The method includes creating one or more tight clusters; computing a set of process parameters associated with a point on said mask; comparing said set of process parameters to said one or more tight clusters; and reporting an error when at least one of said process parameters is away from said one or more tight clusters.
US08059883B1

A housing unit has an aperture for a key. A key reader is located within the housing unit. The key reader is adapted to scan a key in the aperture. The key reader is further adapted to generate a new key image signal. A memory drive is adapted to receive a key image signal from the key reader. The memory drive includes software. In this manner previously transmitted and stored key image signal transmissions are compared with newly transmitted key image signal transmissions. A screen is provided. The screen is capable of displaying information. The displayed information is provided by the software. The invention also includes the steps of utilizing the system of the present invention.
US08059881B1

Systems for processing digital check image files include an image classification module programmed to review a plurality of attributes associated with a digital check image file including at least one check image, and to categorize the digital check image file into at least one category of a plurality of categories, and a decision module programmed to decide how to process the digital check image file based on the category.
US08059876B2

A position obtainment means obtains the positions of points in the heart of a subject that are present in at least two three-dimensional volume datasets in a group of three-dimensional volume datasets that have been obtained by imaging the heart of the subject at predetermined time intervals, the points anatomically corresponding to each other, and the at least two three-dimensional volume datasets having been obtained by imaging at different time from each other. A function information obtainment means obtains, based on each of the positions of the points in the heart, which have been obtained by the position obtainment means, function information representing the function of the heart at each point within a three-dimensional space. A display means displays, based on the function information, the motion function of the heart at each of the points in an image that has the shape of the heart of the subject.
US08059870B2

A method of identifying a living being includes using a time-of-flight sensor to determine a location of a face of the living being. An image of an iris of the living being is produced dependent upon the location of the face as determined by the time-of-flight sensor. The produced image is processed to determine an identity of the living being.
US08059867B2

A detection system is provided for easily detecting information about respective objects seated on a plurality of vehicle seats. An occupant information detection apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed which, in one form, comprises a single photographing section capable of detecting image, a projector lens and a mirror which have viewing angles wider than that of the single photographing section and can independently project the objects seated to the single photographing section to correspond to respective vehicle seats, and a control section for detecting information about objects seated on the respective vehicle seats.
US08059865B2

Methods and apparatus to specify regions of interest in video frames are disclosed. An example disclosed method comprises determining an initial template region to represent a region of interest whose location is based on a first point selected in a graphical presentation, determining a first modification to perform on the initial template region in response to a second point selected in the graphical presentation, detecting the second selected point in the graphical presentation, and reshaping the initial template region toward the second selected point, the reshaping corresponding to the first modification, the reshaping being performed in response to detecting the second selected point without also requiring the user to select any point substantially on the boundary defining the initial template region to initiate the reshaping.
US08059854B2

An earphone includes a housing, a reel mechanism, a speaker, and a transmission wire. The reel mechanism is pivotally disposed in the housing and has an accommodating space defined therein for accommodating the speaker. The transmission wire is wound on the reel mechanism. When the transmission wire is pulled or released and thereby drives the reel mechanism to rotate, the speaker rotates coaxially together with the reel mechanism.
US08059853B2

Device functionality is provided externally on a hand-held, portable electronic device. In one illustrative embodiment, the hand-held, portable electronic device comprises a transceiver for sending and receiving user communications; one or more processors; a memory; a user interface; a display; and a device body including a device housing. The device housing includes a side circumferential surface on at least two device edges and front, back surfaces. The device housing has a first groove being substantially disposed from the front surface to the back surface across the side circumferential surface of a first device edge of the at least two device edges. And it has a second groove being substantially disposed from the front surface to the back surface across the side circumferential surface of a second device edge of the at least two device edges, different than the first device edge such that the first groove is configured to enable a device functionality of the hand-held portable electronic device by providing an external geometric hardware feature to the device body.
US08059847B2

A hearing aid (100) comprises at least one first microphone (10) generating a first input signal from sounds external to a user of the hearing aid, signal processing means, a receiver (30) and, a second microphone (40) generating a second input signal from sounds in the occluded ear of the user. In a measurement mode the signal processing means produces an occlusion effect value or directly transmitted sound value from the difference between the sound levels of the second and the first input signals generated both at the same time while the receiver is silent. The invention further provides a system and a method for determining an occlusion effect and a directly transmitted sound value.
US08059846B2

Switching device for hearing aid, whereby a hearing aid casing part is adapted for placement above and behind the ear lobe and encloses a battery and a signal processing and amplifier device operable to provide an amplified audio signal to the user perceivable as sound wherein further the switching device comprises a base section and a manually operable rigid pivot element which has a two spaced apart pressure receiving parts and a pivotal axis placed between the two pressure receiving parts, whereby a cantilever and indexing ladder is provided between the base section and the rigid pivot element operable to allow the rigid pivot element to assume 2, 3 or more stable positions.
US08059841B2

An apparatus includes an electromagnetic signal device, a medium, and a sound wave generator. The sound wave generator includes a carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure includes one or more drawn carbon nanotube films. The electromagnetic signal device transmits an electromagnetic signal to the carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure converts the electromagnetic signal into heat. The heat transfers to the medium and causes a thermoacoustic effect.
US08059839B2

Mixer and first and second engines are cascade-connected, and the second engine is connected to a speaker. In mode A, input signals to the first engine are output to the speaker via output channels of the second engine, and mixing operation of the first engine is performed via a console. Input signals to the second engine are output for monitoring via output channels of the first engine, and mixing control of the second engine is performed via a personal computer. In mode B, input signals to the second engine are output to the speaker via the output channels of the second engine, and mixing operation of the second engine is performed via the console. Input signals to the first engine are output for monitoring via the output channels of the first engine, and mixing control of the first engine is performed via the personal computer.
US08059827B2

A passive noise reduction apparatus for altering predetermined sound levels of a sound producing device, the noise reduction apparatus includes at least one piezoelectric foil sensor disposed relative to the sound producing device with the at least one piezoelectric foil sensor being operable to convert such sound wave energy into an electric sound signal and one or more electric circuits in electrical communication with the at least one piezoelectric foil sensor for receiving the electric sound signal and shunting the electric sound signal to a ground connection, thereby reducing sound heard outside the sound producing device.
US08059824B2

The invention concerns a process for joint synthesis and spatialization of multiple sound sources in associated spatial positions, including: a) a step of assigning to each source at least one parameter (pi) representing an amplitude; b) a step of spatialization consisting in implementing an encoding into a plurality of channels, wherein each amplitude (pi) is duplicated to be multiplied to a specialization gain (gim), each spatialization gain being determined for one encoding channel (pgm) and for a source to be spatialized (Si); c) a step of grouping (R) the parameters multiplied by the gains (Pim), in respective channels (pg1, . . . , pgM), by applying a sum of said multiplied parameters (pim) on all the sources (Si) for each channel (pgm), and d) a step of parametric synthesis (SYNTH(I), . . . , SYNTH(M)) applied to each of the channels (pgm).
US08059822B2

The invention concerns a method and device for actively correcting acoustic properties of a listening zone (27) of an acoustic space (1), comprising means for converting a signal to be reproduced (2, 4) in an acoustic space (1), means for attenuating resonance including at least means for measuring the perturbed sound signal (15), means for processing an electric signal (6) and at least one secondary sound reproduction source (8). The invention is characterized in that the means for measuring the perturbed sound signal (15) are distributed in several predetermined measuring positions (5) in the acoustic space (1), the secondary sound reproduction sources (8) are distributed in several predetermined correcting positions (17) in the acoustic space (1), the resonance attenuating means is coupled with means for processing the signal to be reproduced (3) and the electric signal processing means (6) includes at least one signal controlling means (7) connected to each means for measuring the perturbed sound signal (15).
US08059819B2

A method for distributing updates for a key is described. One or more update requests are received per unit of time. The number of received update requests per unit of time is multiplied by a maximum update period to estimate the number of active nodes in a group. The total number of received update requests per unit of time is determined. An amount representing additional update requests per unit of time is obtained from the difference between the total number of received updates and a determined maximum. A minimum update period for a group of nodes is determined.
US08059809B1

Systems and methods of establishing group calls are provided. Contact index information is synchronized between a communication unit and a contact synchronization server. A group call request message, including index information for one or more contacts, is sent from a communication unit to a signaling server. The signaling server uses the index information to obtain communication unit addresses from the contact synchronization server.
US08059799B1

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and computer-readable media for achieving a higher call completion rate in a system experiencing a mass calling event. The present invention has several practical applications in the technical arts including optimizing use of network resources during a mass calling event. In various embodiments, a network's resources are efficiently utilized by way of sampling a network element's control processing unit utilization. Additionally, the various embodiments respond by selecting to negatively acknowledging callers in a mass calling event state in order to prevent system components from becoming overloaded. Overloaded network system components lead to such issues as dropped signaling packets, and higher percentages of call failures. Embodiments of the invention are directed to achieving optimal call completion in the case of a mass calling event.
US08059798B1

Method and apparatus for ad hoc cooperative routing in an IP network. Included is an emergency stand alone (ESA) system that provides a bypass to a failed TDM switch for multiple communication devices in communication with one or more TDM switches. One or more internet protocol media gateways communicate a multicast signal upon the failure of a switch. The multicast initiates Voice over IP communication between endpoints, bypassing the failed switch.
US08059795B2

A distributed VoIP system includes a first switch coupled to a network and configured to provide voicemail features to a first group of one or more users. The system also includes a voicemail server coupled to the network. The voicemail server is configured to provide voicemail features to a second group of one or more users. The first switch is configured to store voicemail data associated with only the first group, and the voicemail server is configured to store voicemail data associated with both the first and second groups.
US08059790B1

Methods and systems are provided for natural-language surveillance of packet-based communications. Speech data is received, representing at least part of a speech session. The speech data is compared with at least one speech-characteristics profile in an automated manner. The comparing step comprises using natural-language-processing (NLP) to compare the speech data with the profiles on at least one of a lexical level, a syntactic level, a semantic level, a discourse level, and a pragmatic level. It is determined in an automated manner whether the speech data matches any of the profiles. If the speech data matches at least one profile, an indication that the speech data matches the at least one matching profile is responsively stored.
US08059788B2

The present invention provides a system and method for a computer controlled test system in which the computer can change and monitor the compound observable state of an electronic device or telephone during testing procedure. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the compound observable state of the electronic device includes a display bit map file or the status of lights or buttons. The compound observable state can be evaluated by the computer in real-time to alert nearby operators of a failure (i.e. a telephone that needs to be rebooted) or malfunction (not rising to the level of a failure). Also, the data related to the compound observable state can be stored in the computer for later review to assist in debugging the telephone's software.
US08059781B2

The present invention is directed to a portable inspection system for generating an image representation of target objects using a radiation source. A detector array having a first configuration and a second configuration is connected to a housing and at least one source of radiation. The radiation source is capable of being transported to a site by a vehicle and of being positioned separate from the housing. The radiation source is housed in a radiation source box and movable within the radiation source box using an actuator. The actuator is operably connected to the radiation source and provides a translational energy that moves the radiation source between an operational position and a stowed position.
US08059775B2

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.
US08059768B2

Narrow-band interference in spread spectrum systems is eliminated by performing a frequency spectrum transform on N sampling points of the data to obtain N points of data; after M transforms, getting an energy accumulation of individual data to obtain N energy values; removing partial excessive large values from the N energy values, averaging the rest, then calculating the threshold value for interference determination based on the average value; identifying all points that have energy values exceeding the threshold value, and performing interference suppression for the data of corresponding points after frequency spectrum transform and finally outputting the data after frequency spectrum inverse transform.
US08059766B2

A communications device includes a signal input for receiving signals such as a binary phase shift keyed (BPSK) communications signal having a repeated preamble bit or symbol pattern. A modem processes the communications signal and includes a demodulator and processor that generates an initial frequency offset estimate and phase error estimate by processing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) that detects the repeated preamble pattern for a block of samples within the communications signal, correlates within a start of message correlator to search for a start of message sequence and correlates different phases of the repeated preamble pattern within training correlators for reducing false detections of the start of message. Radio circuitry is operative with the modem for processing communications data obtained from the communications signal.
US08059764B2

Embodiments provide novel systems and methods for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Max-Log detection. These systems and methods enable near-optimal performance with low complexity for a two-input two-output channel. Some embodiments comprise using a Max-Log detector to compute a set of log-likelihood ratio (LLR) values for a channel input by minimizing cost function while computing only one instance of the cost function for each value of each bit in a symbol. Other embodiments comprise using a Max-Log detector to compute a set of log-likelihood ratio (LLR) values for a channel input by computing all instances of a cost function for each value of each bit in a symbol and selecting the minimum cost from all computed instances of the cost function for each value of each bit.
US08059761B2

Circuits detect communications from multiple transmitting antennas to multiple receiving antennas. A respective first block for each non-initial transmitting antenna determines partial distances for pairings of a first candidate and a quadrature-phase amplitude. A respective second block for the initial transmitting antenna determines partial distances for combinations of phase amplitudes. A respective second block for each non-initial transmitting antenna determines partial distances for pairings of a second candidate and an in-phase amplitude. A respective first selector for each non-initial transmitting antenna selects the first candidates from the pairings for the respective second block having smaller partial distances. A respective second selector for each non-initial transmitting antenna selects the second candidates from the pairings for the respective first block having smaller partial distances. An identifier circuit selects a final candidate with a smaller partial distance from the pairings of the respective second block for the last transmitting antenna.
US08059753B2

An adaptive channel estimator for estimating channel frequency responses when receiving OFDM symbols. The adaptive channel estimator comprises a channel estimator and a channel tracking module. The channel estimator generates one first channel frequency response for each OFDM symbol when operated in the first mode, and generates the channel frequency responses of a second channel frequency response for every N-th OFDM symbols when operated in the second mode, wherein N is a constant integer exceeding one and j is a non-negative integer. The channel tracking module indicates a channel status, and controls the channel estimator to operate in a first mode or a second mode according to the channel status.
US08059750B2

A method and apparatus for generating a TSC in a communication system are provided, in which a pair of sequences A and B having auto-correlation and cross-correlation properties are generated and the TSC is generated by inserting guard sequences Z each having z zero symbols in the most significant bits of the sequences A and B.
US08059739B2

A wireless communication device corrects data transmission errors caused by the simultaneous transmission of multiple streams of data in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) network. The wireless communication device corrects data transmission errors by removing the signal contribution associated with one or more received signal components from a corresponding received composite signal, thus allowing the remaining components to be decoded relatively free from the signal contribution of the removed components. In one embodiment, the wireless communication device comprises a plurality of antennas and a baseband processor. The antennas are configured to receive a composite signal having a plurality of received signal components. The baseband processor is configured to obtain decoding quality metrics for individual ones of the received signal components, form regenerated received signal components for the received signal components having satisfactory decoding quality metrics, and remove the regenerated received signal components from the received composite signal.
US08059735B2

A transmission of information from a secondary to a primary node occurs in a plurality of N logical time durations. The transmission from the secondary to primary node in a wireless network is obtained using a first and a second sequence. Embodiments of the present invention mitigate interference by restricting the choice of the first sequence. Thus, in an embodiment of the invention, the first sequence is selected from a set of M sequences wherein M is strictly less than N. In order to accommodate high-velocity users, the restricted set contains a pair of sequences whose element-wise product is mirror symmetric. A transmission component for K-th logical time duration is obtained from the entire second sequence and K-th element of the first sequence.
US08059729B2

An apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data for a multi-channel digital broadcasting system, using advanced encoding schemes (including sub channels having a regular part and a parity part) but also compatible with the existing digital broadcasting systems. In the transmitting apparatus, a main service channel includes a plurality of sub channels, and at least one of the sub channels contains a regular part generated based on the information data and a parity part corresponding to the regular part.
US08059724B2

A data transmission system and method includes providing a current to a first conductor by a current source to transmit a first binary digit while isolating a second conductor from the current source. In response to a command to transmit a second binary digit, amount of current provided by the current source to the first conductor is decreased from a maximum value to zero while simultaneously increasing the amount of current provided to the second conductor from zero to a maximum value. The increase and the decrease in the amount of current are done the same rate. A first and a second signal corresponding to the current provided to the first and the second conductors each have a transition edge with a leading section, a midsection and trailing section such that an average slope of the midsection is greater than average slope of the leading section and the average slope of the trailing section.
US08059722B2

The present invention relates to a method and a device for choosing a mode of coding from among a plurality of modes of coding for a subset of blocks included in a set of blocks. An energy function over the set of blocks for each of the modes of coding is calculated and calculation elements of the energy function are stored for at least the subset of blocks. A first mode of coding, minimizing the energy function over the set of blocks is chosen. The energy function over the subset of blocks for each of the modes of coding is thereafter calculated by using the calculation elements stored for the subset of blocks and by said subset, of a cost of coding for the modes of coding distinct from the first mode of coding. The choice of a mode of coding minimizing the energy function over the subset is then effected.
US08059713B2

A video coding apparatus carries out a compression coding of a video based on a result of predicting a motion vector predicted between frames of the video. A quantization parameter control unit comprised of the apparatus calculates a ratio of an accumulation value, in the small block, of a prediction error of a brightness component to an accumulation value, in the small block, of a prediction error of a color difference component at the time that a motion vector detection/compensation unit which carries out a motion compensation based on a prediction result of the motion vector for the small block designated in a frame of the above video as a prediction accuracy indicator of the foregoing motion vector, and carries out a control of a quantization unit executing a quantization of image information of the small block based on the prediction accuracy indicator.
US08059712B2

A system that compresses a digital image. During operation, the system obtains a digital image in which the image components are de-correlated into separate channels containing luminance information and chrominance information. Next, the system receives a quality number for the luminance channel and a quality number for the chrominance channels, and uses the quality numbers to determine a target bitrate for the luminance channel and for the chrominance channels, respectively. Given the target bitrate for the luminance channel and the target bit rate for the chrominance channels, the system performs rate distortion optimizations separately on the luminance and chrominance channels to determine which portions of the luminance bitstream and which portions of the chrominance bitstream are to be included in the final bitstream. The system then uses the stored rate-distortion information to generate a preview of the digital image without performing entropy coding each time the quality settings are changed.
US08059711B2

A method and apparatus for staggercasting, encodes a first signal representing content and encodes a second signal representing the content using encoding relatively more robust than the encoding of the first encoded content representative signal. A composite signal including at least the first and second encoded signals is generated, in which one of the first and second encoded signals is delayed with respect to the other encoded signal. If an error is detected in the composite signal, then the undelayed encoded signal is decoded to reproduce the content. Otherwise, the delayed encoded signal is decoded to reproduce the content.
US08059710B2

A space-time coding method for a UWB transmission system comprising at least two radiated elements. The method codes a block of information symbols S=(a1, a2 . . . , ap,)) belonging to an M-PPM modulation or M-PPM-M′-PAM composite modulating alphabet with M being even, into a sequence of vectors (si,j, Ωsi,j), the components of a vector being intended to modulate a UWB pulse signal for a radiative element of said system and for a given transmission interval (Tƒ).
US08059706B2

Aspects of a method and system for transmission and/or reception of signals utilizing a delay circuit and a DDFS are provided. In this regard, a first signal may be delayed by 90°, via a plurality of delay elements and variable capacitance, to generate a second signal. The first and second signal may be mixed to generate a first LO signal, which may be utilized for a first frequency conversion. A second LO signal may be generated via a DDFS and may be utilized for a second frequency conversion. A digital input word of the DDFS, a value of the variable capacitance, and/or at least a portion of the delay elements, may be programmatically controlled based on a desired frequency for transmission and/or desired frequency for reception. The first frequency conversions may be up-conversions and/or down-conversions to/from baseband, one or more intermediate frequencies, and/or RF.
US08059701B2

A multi input multi output (MIMO) receiver is disclosed for transmitting and receiving packets having a preamble format of a packet of information and having a short training sequence (STS), a long training sequence (LTS) and signal (SIG) for training receivers, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The packets having a preamble format for allowing data to be piggy-backed, e.g. transmitted and received using the physical layer rather than the transport layer of networking layers.
US08059694B2

Signal instances are detected from within a long period of a received radiofrequency RF signal envelope, grouped according to signal level, and periodicities are determined among the grouped signal instances. Periodicity of one of the groups is matched to a known periodicity, and a frequency domain is estimated at a time instance derived from the matched periodicity. If an expected frequency pattern is found that occupies the derived time instance in the estimated frequency domain, then a receiver is synchronized to a candidate signal that lies within the frequency pattern. Then content of the candidate signal is decoded and that content is used to access a cognitive radio system (e.g., register to the system, start the normal operation in the network such as spectrum detection and/or transmission in a traffic channel, etc.).
US08059686B2

A method and apparatus for guaranteeing packet delivery times in an asynchronous network includes generating a global timing schedule to synchronize the communication between the terminals of a network and, in response to at least one trigger, transmitting and receiving data according to the generated global timing schedule. To optimize bandwidth utilization, more than one terminal may transmit data during a specific time slot of each time frame of the global timing schedule as long as no more than one terminal attempts to transmit data to a common other terminal.
US08059677B1

Structures and methods to facilitate channel bundling are disclosed. In one embodiment, signal distribution circuitry includes a data path with at least two registers coupled to adjacent sets of data channels in a bundle of data channel sets. In another embodiment, self-switch circuits allow channels in a bundle of channel-sets to switch from bundle-wide signals to locally generated signals after the bundle-wide signals have been synchronously distributed to all channel sets in the bundle. In a particular embodiment, signal distribution circuitry is used to distribute a divided clock signal. In another particular embodiment, signal distribution circuitry is used to distribute enable signals for first-in first-out circuits (“FIFOs”) located in channels of each data channel set in a channel set bundle. In a particular aspect of an embodiment, FIFO read and write operations across a channel set bundle are initiated such that a difference between read and write pointer signals is the same in each channel set.
US08059669B2

A node device in a tree-type broadcast system having hierarchy levels of node devices while locating a broadcast device at its top, whereby information is sequentially transferred from a higher hierarchy level to a lower hierarchy level, the node device including: a means for receiving connection destination candidate information, broadcasted from the node device in the higher hierarchy currently connected or from the broadcast device; a means for specifying a node device suitable as a reconnection destination candidate out of the connection destination candidate information; a means for memorizing network address information, being the reconnection destination candidate; and a means for selecting one node device memorized in the reconnection destination candidate memory means as the reconnection destination and connecting to it when the connection to the node device or the broadcast device is released and the own node device is newly reconnected to another node device.
US08059665B2

Systems and methods for obtaining location information for a communication station in a first domain by a communication station in a second domain are provided. The communication station in the second domain embeds a location request message in a message formatted according to a first communication protocol, and transmits the message formatted according to the first communication protocol to a proxy server. The proxy server removes the embedded request message and forwards it to a location server, which is located in the first domain. The proxy server receives a location response message and embeds it in another message formatted according to the first communication protocol. The proxy server then transmits the another message formatted according to the first communication protocol to the communication station in the second domain, which can remove the embedded location response message.
US08059656B1

A method of expediting resource negotiation in a modified Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) reduces the number of messages exchanged for resource negotiation, thereby reducing the latencies involved in session setup. The method entails sending an INVITE message having a modified SIP header containing an indication that the originator's terminal seeks a fast session setup. The INVITE message further contains a list of all codecs available at the originator's terminal and how many of each type of media component are required. These codecs can be provided in an order of preference. The answerer (the called party in the case of VoIP) selects the codecs for the requested media types from the list of available codecs without engaging in a back-and-forth resource negotiation for the codecs. The result is that the session can be set up with merely 7 messages of which only 5 messages contribute to session setup, which provides quicker session setup than in the prior art.
US08059653B1

A system and method for load balancing session initiation protocol (SIP) traffic based on bridging and tracking transactions and connections between frontend and backend devices. The method includes receiving a SIP message and parsing a header of the SIP message. The parsing may include selecting a transaction identifier. The method further includes accessing a transaction table based on the transaction identifier and selecting a connection for forwarding the SIP message. The SIP message is then forwarded by the selected connection.
US08059652B2

Various methods and systems for detecting whether a network device supports a protocol, which defines a supplemental header, are disclosed. One method involves detecting a value within a preamble generated by a sending device and verifying that a header format of a header, also generated by the sending device, conforms to a header format definition of a protocol. The header format definition of the protocol defines a supplemental header. The preamble can be an Ethernet preamble. In one embodiment, the preamble is a converged data link (CDL) preamble or other type of preamble that is used to convey operation, administration and management (OAM) information.
US08059651B2

A method is disclosed that includes sending (304) a first full header from a source compressor (106) to a destination decompressor (112) wherein the source compressor and the destination decompressor are a part of a symmetrical configuration. An IP packet including the full header is compressed into a first compressed header (310) based on the context established in the first full header. The first compressed header is sent (312) from the source compressor to the destination decompressor. The compressor receives (322) a second full header from the destination compressor wherein the second full header indicates that the destination decompressor did not receive the first full header. The second full header can include a modified field or has an incremented generation identification. The source compressor sends (336) another full header to the destination decompressor.
US08059650B2

A pipelined out-of-order process and system for handling data packets in a network device. The process and system are scalable to support throughput in excess of 10 Gbps. The system includes a set of processing cores that offload the table look up operations and similar operations from the central processing unit. The central processing unit receives the requisite data needed for performing forwarding, routing, NAT, firewall maintenance and similar operation on data packets from the set of processing cores.
US08059649B1

A method, medium, and communication system are provided for preventing fragmentation when tunneling between a first and second communication network. The communication system includes nodes and routers that transmit packets over the first and second communication networks. The nodes generate requests to identify the maximum transmission sizes of the first and second communication networks. In turn, the nodes format packets based on the minimum of the maximum transmission sizes of the first and second communication networks. The routers transmit the packets formatted by the nodes over the first and second communication networks without fragmenting the packets.
US08059647B2

Forwarding state may be installed for sparse multicast trees in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network by enabling intermediate nodes to install state for one or more physical multicast trees, each of which may have multiple logical multicast trees mapped to it. By mapping multiple logical multicasts to a particular physical multicast, and installing state for the physical multicast, fewer FIB entries are required to implement the multiple multicasts to reduce the amount of forwarding state in forwarding tables at the intermediate nodes. Mapping may be performed by destination nodes before advertising membership in the physical multicast, or may be performed by the intermediate nodes before installing state when a destination node advertises membership in a logical multicast. Intermediate nodes will install state for the physical multicast tree if they are on a shortest path between a source and at least one destination of one of the logical multicasts that has been mapped to the physical multicast.
US08059645B2

A method and apparatus for providing emergency services, e.g., E911 services, for nomadic users by utilizing network announcements to remind customers to update location information used to provide services on packet networks, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks, are disclosed. For example, the method enables the VoIP or SoIP service provider to detect a change in the IP address associated with either the broadband modem or the router through which a terminal adaptor is used to access services when a customer is logging on from a new location. In turn, the method sends a reminder network announcement message to the terminal adaptor, e.g., to be played when the terminal adaptor goes off-hook.
US08059643B1

Methods for registering a first internet protocol version registration request and a second internet protocol version registration request in a single binding on a home agent are provided. In embodiments, entries are recognized as sharing common information in an IPv4 and IPv6 binding table. The entries with common information are combined into one binding. Through the combining of the bindings, the IPv4 and IPv6 sessions are combined into one session.
US08059640B2

A multistage switch control circuit allows unit switches to be set at a higher speed than conventional multistage switch control circuits. Higher-order half first and second control elements are connected to a first section of a bus to form a first cluster, while lower-order half third and fourth control elements are connected to a second section of the bus to form a second cluster. A bus switch which functions as a cluster formation means is arranged between the first section and the second section of the bus to perform the connection/separation of the first section and the second section. The first to fourth control elements transmit switch control signals to corresponding unit switches, respectively, in each stage.
US08059635B1

Non-destructive data storage is disclosed. An information change is stored that is associated with a business object such that tracking of the information change is enabled with respect to one a transaction time and/or an effective time. The stored information change is accessed with respect to a time.
US08059625B2

A distributed architecture and method for MBMS delivery is disclosed. The various embodiments enable selection combining and soft combining by UEs for MBMS transmissions. An MBMS service notification (509) is sent to all E-Nodes (503). The E-Nodes proceed to request counting (511) from the UEs (501). A transmission request (513) is then sent to the anchor MBMS-Transmission Control Function (TCF) (505) from the E-Nodes (503). The anchor MBMS-TCF (505) generates resource allocation and scheduling profiles and segmentation and reassembly (SAR) profiles for the E-Nodes and sends the profiles (515) to the E-Nodes. The E-Nodes (503) use the profiles for resource allocation and configuration (517) and transmit MBMS data (519) in accordance with the profiles. The anchor MBMS-TCF (505) may then coordinate.
US08059623B2

This disclosure describes a new interference avoidance Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol that combines contention-free and contention-based MAC protocols into a heterogeneous MAC protocol used for forwarding VoIP traffic in VoIP systems on wireless networks using multiple base stations which addresses additional interference elimination and the need to transport high bit-rate data to multiple users over wired and wireless means.
US08059621B2

A controlling device such as a remote control has programming for transmitting a signal response to a plurality of control environments, each environment including a signaling device. Each signaling device in receipt of the signal request sends a signal response having a unique ID which is chosen to be characteristically attenuated by the surroundings of the environment. Because the controlling device can only be in one environment at a given time, and given the attenuation characteristics of the signal response from each signaling device, only one signal response will be received by the controlling device in each environment. Location definitions associated with the received unique ID may be used by programming in the controlling device to recall saved devices states, commands sets, macros, and even to dynamically generate commands based on the location information.
US08059615B1

Methods are provided for implementing selective personality negotiation during session negotiation. In one embodiment, an access node maintains an access-node-supported set of one or more personalities supported by the access node, wherein the access-node-supported set comprises a personality 0. The access node receives from an access terminal an access-terminal-supported set of one or more personalities supported by the access terminal, wherein the access-terminal-supported set also comprises the personality 0. Responsive to receiving the access-terminal-supported set, the access node negotiates a session-specific set of one or more personalities with the access terminal for use by the access terminal during a session, the session-specific set consisting of personality 0 and a first personality, wherein the first personality is a highest-numbered personality in the intersection of the access-node-supported set and the access-terminal-supported set.
US08059613B1

A communications system includes a first PTT network, and a second PTT network having a plurality of interoperability gateways. A method for routing a PTT call terminated at the second PTT network includes receiving a PTT call request from the first PTT network, the PTT call request identifying a target subscriber unit on the second PTT network and forwarding the PTT call request to a first interoperability gateway. If the target is located in a region served by a second PTT interoperability gateway, then a redirect message, including an identifier of the second PTT interoperability gateway, is received and the PTT call request is redirected to the second PTT interoperability gateway. An identifier of the target and an identifier of the second PTT interoperability gateway are stored in a cache for directing subsequent PTT calls to the same target to the corresponding second interoperability gateway. In one embodiment, the first PTT network is an iDEN network and the second PTT network is a HPPTT network and the PTT call is a HPPTT call.
US08059611B2

A base station apparatus is used in a mobile communication system that uses an OFDM scheme in a downlink. The base station apparatus includes: a unit configured to perform inverse Fourier transform on a signal in which a first signal and a second signal is mapped to subcarriers with different transmission power density, and to generate a transmission signal; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the transmission signal to a user apparatus. A subcarrier (prohibited subcarrier) in which mapping of the second signal is prohibited is determined such that transmission power density of the second signal is kept constant among a plurality of OFDM symbols regardless of whether the first signal is included in an OFDM symbol including the second signal. The prohibited subcarrier is determined based on a subcarrier to which the first signal is mapped.
US08059601B2

Provided is an apparatus and method for searching for a WLAN in a portable terminal. The method includes, upon registering a WLAN, mapping and storing cell information on a present position and information on the registered WLAN; comparing the stored cell information with connected cell information when entering a mode concurrently supporting a cellular network and a WLAN in a state where a connection to the cellular network is made; and searching for a WLAN using the WLAN information mapped to the stored cell information, when the stored cell information is consistent with the connected cell information.
US08059599B1

A system, a method and computer-readable media for establishing connectivity over a plurality of access technologies. A system is provided that includes a client device. The client device is configured to communicate over a network by utilizing at least two access technologies. The system also includes a gateway in communication with the client device. The gateway includes multiple access technology termination nodes configured to support communications utilizing multiple access technologies. A gateway assignment manager is also included in the system. This manager is configured to assign the client device to the gateway. The gateway assignment manager is further configured to maintain the assignment of the client device to the gateway when the client device switches from utilizing a first access technology to utilizing a second access technology.
US08059595B2

In a communication system in which a gateway entity is linked to a plurality of infrastructure entities which in turn are operable to communicate with an access terminal, the access terminal needs first to establish a data attachment point (DAP) with one of the infrastructure entities. Handoff of the DAP from one infrastructure entity to another infrastructure entity is initiated by the access terminal. The access terminal weighs factors such as the link conditions with the various infrastructure entities, the time since the last DAP handoff, and time duration communicating with the current infrastructure entity before proceeding with the DAP handoff.
US08059587B2

A broad aspect of the invention provides a method of providing mobility support for a mobile node's traffic. The method involves maintaining context information for the mobile node on each of a first plurality of network nodes carrying the traffic; and proactively transferring and maintaining at least a portion of the context information in a plurality of network nodes which are not carrying the traffic, but which are candidates for carrying the traffic due to mobility of the mobile node. The method typically further involves defining and maintaining a definition of the second plurality of network nodes. In one embodiment of the invention, this involves adding a particular network node to the second plurality when the particular network node becomes a candidate for carrying the traffic, removing a particular network node from the second plurality when the particular network node is no longer a candidate for carrying the traffic. Furthermore, for each node in the second plurality of network nodes, a definition is made of a node in the first plurality of network nodes from which to obtain the context information.
US08059579B1

Methods and systems are provided for providing wireless service using multiple protocols on a single radio-frequency (RF) carrier. According to an embodiment, a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) provides wireless service on an RF carrier using a first wireless-communication protocol and provides wireless service on the RF carrier using a second wireless-communication protocol, where providing wireless service on the RF carrier using the first wireless-communication protocol and providing wireless service on the RF carrier using the second wireless-communication protocol occur at different times. The LCIB may alternate between providing wireless service using the first wireless-communication protocol and providing wireless service using the second wireless-communication protocol.
US08059577B2

Disclosed herein are apparatus, methods and computer program products providing sub-channel re-assignment performed by a relay node in a wireless communications system. In the apparatus, methods and computer program products, a relay receives an input signal made up of a plurality of sub-channels. The relay de-multiplexes the sub-channels into a plurality of signal streams, and reassigns at least one of the signal streams to a new sub-channel on the output side, the new sub-channel on the output side different from the sub-channel originally containing the signal stream on the input side. In one embodiment of the invention, the wireless communications system is an OFDM system and the sub-channels correspond to OFDM sub-carriers. In another embodiment of the invention, during sub-channel reassignment input sub-channels are matched to output sub-channels sharing a pre-determined criterion.
US08059566B1

A system and method for using the packet data service of a dispatch wireless communication network converts a subscriber's voice to a text message. The system employs offline conversion and verification of the converted text message prior to transmitting over the Internet via the packet data network of the dispatch system. The voice conversion to text is implemented within the mobile subscriber handset and thus requires no modification of the dispatch network.
US08059565B2

Various systems and methods for identifying and calling functions to perform various tasks. One aspect provides a method of exposing a set of device-specific functions associated with a subscriber. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) identifying service descriptions associated with the subscriber, (2) mapping end points associated with the subscriber to roles in at least one of the service descriptions and (3) collecting at least one function associated with the at least one role in the at least one of the service descriptions.
US08059562B2

A method of controlling a packet flow in a distributed network system comprising a plurality of network nodes having the same destination address is disclosed. Network nodes each having an application running that waits for connections on a given destination port are registered in a flow table. This registration information is distributed to each of the plurality of network nodes. When a packet indicating an initiation of a connection is received and it is determined that the received packet indicates the initiation of the connection on the given destination port, a network node is selected from the network nodes registered in the flow table, to which the received packet is to be forwarded. The received packet is forwarded to the selected network node and a corresponding entry is inserted into the flow table. This entry information is distributed to each of the plurality of network nodes.
US08059559B2

A system and method for monitoring user traffic. An observance window is established for a time period associated with the CIR burst refresh rate. Incoming bits are measured to determine if the CIR plus CBS rate is exceeded. A determination is made whether there is a threshold crossing during the observance window. A flag state is set indicating a user device is out of conformance in response to determining there is a threshold crossing.
US08059557B1

Methods and systems are defined that support, in a radio access network, measuring the latency between the radio access network and each respective access gateway of a plurality of access gateways. From these measurements, a list of access gateways, rank ordered from lowest to highest latency, is created. If the radio access network receives an incoming call indication designating that an associated incoming call is latency-sensitive, the radio access network will preferably assign the incoming call to an access gateway that is one with a measured respective round trip latency less than or equal to a median measured respective round trip latency. Additionally, the radio access network maintains a profile for at least some wireless communication devices that use its services. When the radio access network receives an incoming call indication for a wireless communication device, the radio access network preferably determines, from the wireless communication device's profile, if the wireless communication device has a history of heavy network usage. If the wireless communication device has a history of heavy network usage, the radio access network preferably assigns the incoming call to an access gateway that is one with a measured respective round trip latency greater than or equal to the median measured respective round trip latency.
US08059547B2

Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising an upper sequencer that sequentially designates packets transmitted to and from the device under test, by executing a test program for testing the device under test; a packet data sequence storing section that stores a data sequence included in each of a plurality of types of packets; and a lower sequencer that reads, from the packet data sequence storing section, a data sequence of a packet designated by the upper sequencer and generates a test data sequence used for testing the device under test.
US08059539B2

An apparatus and communication method that provide for communicating information on a standardized link compliant with a published standard and communicating information on a private link capable of operation at a throughput higher than maximum throughput of the published standard. The apparatus and method further provide for monitoring private link performance and increasing information throughput on the private link above the maximum standard throughput by an amount determined by the monitored private link performance.
US08059536B2

Reducing connection overhead in a communications network includes reusing at least one cached communication channel connecting a source and a destination. The at least one cached communication channel is cached for a variable duration.
US08059535B2

A method and a core router for implementing forward delay for bursts are disclosed. The core router configured with an FDL performs proactive delay processing for the burst to be overlapped after predicting that the burst will be overlapped on the link to be protected, thus reducing the probability of burst conflict on the downstream link to be protected. After finding that burst conflict will occur on the output port of the core router at a future moment, the core router sends a burst delay request to the upstream core router, requesting the upstream core router that has an FDL and the delay capability to delay the burst. Therefore, the FDL configured in the network is brought into full play, and the probability of burst conflict is reduced.
US08059534B2

A method of performing scheduling and a method of controlling call admission in a communication system are disclosed. A method of controlling call admission a new user equipment which enters a network in a communication system includes performing scheduling by giving priority lower than that of a user equipment which is previously receiving a service to the new user equipment, and determining whether to admit call of the new user equipment depending a result of scheduling for a certain time period.
US08059524B2

A method for allocating resources for a scheduling request indicator (SRI) is disclosed. An SRI cycle period for use by user equipment (UE) within a cell is transmitted from a NodeB in a cell to UE within the cell. The NodeB transmits a specific SRI subframe offset and an index value to the particular UE within the cell. The specific SRI subframe offset and the index value enable the UE to determine a unique combination of cyclic shift, RS orthogonal cover, data orthogonal cover, and resource block number for the UE to use as a unique physical resource for an SRI in the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).
US08059520B2

A device and a method for automatically turning over a disc relate to a guide rod provided with a movable member. The movable member is assembled to a rotating member via a pivot member in such a manner that the movable member can axially move along and radially rotate around the guide rod. The pivot member is disposed between the movable member and the rotating member and powered to rotate. The rotating member is provided with a disc-carrying device in a direction of its rotation around the pivot member for taking the disc. The pivot member drives the disc to rotate via the rotating member, so as to turn over the disc, so that the rotating member makes the disc slide down into the tray in an inclined manner.
US08059517B2

A method for generating an RFZC signal is provided. The method includes the following steps. First, an RF signal is received and the received RF signal is converted into an RF-ENVLP signal. Next, a DC offset of the RF signal is calibrated according to a variation of the RF-ENVLP signal so as to obtain a calibrated RF-ENVLP signal and obtain a gain according to the calibrated RF-ENVLP signal. Then, an RFZC signal is generated according to the calibrated RF-ENVLP signal and the gain.
US08059509B2

An optical disk drive for determining a disk characteristic of an optical disk comprising an information layer comprising a substantially circular track is described. The optical disk drive has an optical pickup unit arranged to generate a beam, direct the beam to the optical disk for forming an incident beam, sense a reflected beam produced by the optical disk with a sensor upon receiving the incident beam with the sensor, produce a sensor output signal from sensing the reflected beam; a disk receiving device arranged to receive the optical disk; a motor arranged to provide a transition of the disk receiving device from a first mode to a second mode in at least one transition phase; and a controller arranged to receive the sensor output signal during at least one part of the at least one transition phase and perform at least part of determining the disk characteristic from at least the sensor output signal received during the at least one part of the at least one transition phase. The transition phase can be associated with moving the optical disk into the optical disk drive with a disk load motor. The transition phase can be associated with changing a rotational speed of the optical disk with a spindle motor. Determining the disk characteristic can include a disk recognition preparation.
US08059505B2

A data writing control device enables quickly writing data to optical discs. A reading process unit 62a, 62b reads data in predetermined read units from a storage device (hard disk drive 14) that has a head and stores the data. A storage unit (buffers 63a and 63b) has a storage area for storing the read units of data read by the reading process unit 62a, 62b. A writing process unit 64a, 64b acquires data stored in the storage area of the storage unit in write units, which are smaller than the read units, and supplies the acquired write units of data to an optical disc drive which is connected as a peripheral device.
US08059504B2

An optical pickup apparatus capable of irradiating an optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers on which a signal is recorded with laser light includes a light source emitting the laser light, a light-concentrating element concentrating the laser light emitted from the light source on the optical recording medium, a phase difference element having a region divided into at least two regions which the laser light reflected by the optical recording medium enters and producing a phase difference between first light and second light reflected by a non-target layer which is not a target of recording or reproduction of the signal out of the plurality of recording layers and entering the at least two regions such that the first and the second light weaken each other, and a photodetector receiving the laser light emitted from the phase difference element.
US08059494B2

The invention concerns a water resistant portable object such as a diving watch including a sound generator device (12) and a microprocessor (1), characterized in that it emits acoustic signals at two different frequencies (f1) and (f2) as a function of the medium, air or water, in which the wearer of the watch is situated.
US08059488B2

In a method for operating an ultrasonic sensor in duplex mode, a transmission trigger for triggering an acoustic transmitted signal is transmitted from a control device for controlling the ultrasonic sensor to the ultrasonic sensor via a first duplex channel at a multiple of a resonance frequency of an ultrasonic converter in the ultrasonic sensor. The transmission trigger is subsequently divided down to the resonance frequency of the converter in the ultrasonic sensor. At least one acoustic received signal which corresponds to the acoustic transmitted signal and which is delayed with respect to the reflection at an object due to the acoustic propagation time is converted by the ultrasonic sensor, using the converter, to an electrical received signal which is transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor to the control via a second duplex channel at the resonance frequency of the ultrasonic converter in the ultrasonic sensor.
US08059483B2

An address receiving circuit for a semiconductor apparatus includes a controller that, in response to a semiconductor apparatus initialization-related command, generates a control signal having an activation cycle corresponding to the standard of cycle time of the semiconductor apparatus initialization-related command, and an address buffer that receives an address according to the control signal.
US08059482B2

A memory has a method of operating that includes performing operations of a first type and a second type. A first voltage is coupled to a power supply node of a first memory cell of a memory array during a first operation of the first type. The first voltage is decoupled from the power supply node in response to terminating the first operation of the first type so as to allow the power supply node to drift. If the power supply node drifts to a second voltage, a power supply source is coupled to the power supply node. This is useful in reducing power in the circuit that produces the first voltage.
US08059480B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cells configured to correspond to each of a plurality of word lines for storing data; a plurality of reference memory cells configured to include first and second magnetic memory devices, whose lower electrodes are commonly connected to each other, to generate a reference current corresponding to each of the memory cells; and a sense amplification unit configured to sense and amplify the reference current and a data current corresponding to a memory cell connected to an activated word line among the word lines.
US08059477B2

A redundancy circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes an enable signal generation unit configured to have a plurality of enable fuses corresponding to a first mat grouping information signal and a second mat grouping information signal and enable an enable signal when at least one of the plurality of enable fuses is cut and a mat grouping information signal corresponding to the cut fuse is inputted; a fail address setting control block configured to select the first mat grouping information signal or the second mat grouping information signal depending upon whether an enable fuse corresponding to the first mat grouping information signal is cut or not, and generate fail setting addresses; and a comparison section configured to compare the fail setting addresses with real addresses and generate a redundancy address.
US08059474B2

Read failure is reduced by increasing the drain current through a serial string of memory cells during the read operation. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by using a higher read pass voltage for unselected word lines when the selected word line is within a predetermined distance of the drain side of the memory block array. If the selected word line is closer to the source side, a lower read pass voltage is used. In another embodiment, the cells on the word lines closer to the drain side of the memory block array are erased to a lower threshold voltage than the memory cells on the remaining word lines.
US08059473B2

A non-volatile memory device includes a floating gate formed on a substrate with a gate insulation layer interposed therebetween, a tunnel insulation layer formed on the floating gate, a select gate electrode inducing charge introduction through the gate insulation layer, and a control gate electrode inducing charge tunneling occurring through the tunnel insulation layer. The select gate electrode is insulated from the control gate electrode. According to the non-volatile memory device, a select gate electrode and a control gate electrode are formed on a floating gate, and thus a voltage is applied to the respective gate electrodes to write and erase data.
US08059469B2

A semiconductor device includes a driving active region defined in a substrate and at least three driving transistors disposed at the driving active region. The driving transistors share one common source/drain, and each of the driving transistors includes individual source/drains being independent from each other. The common source/drain and the individual source/drains are disposed in the driving active region.
US08059461B2

The flash memory device includes a block switch, first and second cell strings, first and second source lines, drain contacts, and first and second source contacts. The first cell string is connected to a first bit line and a second cell string is connected to a second bit line. The first and second cell strings each include a drain select transistor, a plurality of cell transistors, and a source select transistor connected in series. The drain contacts connect the first and second bit line to a semiconductor substrate. The first and second source contacts connect the first and second source lines to the semiconductor substrate. The first and second source lines in the same block are not adjacent and separated from each other by a predetermined interval.
US08059459B2

Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory cells each having a floating body for storing, reading and writing data as volatile memory. The device includes a floating gate or trapping latter for storing data as non-volatile memory, the device operating as volatile memory when power is applied to the device, and the device storing data from the volatile memory, as non-volatile memory when power to the device is interrupted.
US08059457B2

A method for data storage includes defining at least first and second read commands for reading storage values from analog memory cells. The first read command reads the storage values at a first accuracy, and the second read command reads the storage values at a second accuracy, which is finer than the first accuracy. A condition is evaluated with respect to a read operation that is to be performed over a given group of the memory cells. One of the first and second read commands is selected responsively to the evaluated condition. The storage values are read from the given group of the memory cells using the selected read command.
US08059454B2

An adjustable write pulse generator is disclosed. The adjustable write pulse generator includes a band-gap reference current, a programmable ring oscillator, a frequency divider and a single pulse generator. The band-gap reference current circuit generates a well-compensated current over a predetermined range of temperatures needed to program a chalcogenide memory cell. The programmable ring oscillator generates a first set of continuous write “0” and write “1” pulse signals based on the well-compensated current. The frequency divider then divides the first set of continuous write “0” and write “1” pulse signals into a second set of continuous write “0” and write “1” pulse signals. The single pulse generator subsequently converts the second set of continuous write “0” and write “1” pulse signals into a single write “0” pulse signal or a single write “1” pulse signal when programming the chalcogenide memory cell.
US08059449B2

Memory devices are described herein along with method for operating the memory device. A memory cell as described herein includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The memory cell also comprises phase change material having first and second active regions arranged in series along an inter-electrode current path between the first and second electrode.
US08059446B2

An integrated circuit with memory having a current limiting switch includes a memory cell having a programmable resistivity layer and a writing line. A switch is arranged between the resistivity layer and the writing line. The switch includes a control input connected to a select line. The switch is configured to limit a current through the resistivity layer for a write operation.
US08059445B2

A ferroelectric memory according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a memory cell array including plural memory cells, and provided with plural word lines, plural bit lines, and plural plate lines, each of the plate lines corresponding to at least two of the word lines, an access control circuit configured to perform an access operation to a selected cell which is selected from the memory cells, and a refresh control circuit configured to perform a refresh operation, in a background of the access operation, on a refresh cell which is selected from the memory cells, the refresh control circuit performing the refresh operation when a plate line connected to the selected cell and a bit line connected to the selected cell are at the same potential after the access operation.
US08059437B2

An integrated circuit, in which the influence of parasitic capacitance between a semiconductor substrate and a resistor and between the semiconductor substrate and a capacitor can be inhibited, and a DC-DC converter provided with the integrated circuit. A shielding layer of an n-type semiconductor is formed between a p-type semiconductor substrate and a resistor formed thereon and between the semiconductor substrate and a capacitor formed thereon. A point BOOT is connected to the shielding layer, at which an electric potential changes in the same way as a change in the reference potential of a functional circuit carrying out a specified operation by using the resistor and the capacitor.
US08059434B2

A power conversion device is provided for converting a DC voltage to an alternating current corresponding to an AC voltage according to the AC voltage, which includes a power conversion unit and an output unit. The power conversion unit converts the DC voltage to a high-frequency current having two envelops corresponding to the waveform of the AC voltage. The output unit includes an inductive circuit, a full-wave rectifying circuit, an inverter circuit and a filter circuit. The inductive circuit provides two induced currents according to the high-frequency current, wherein one induced current and the high-frequency current are in phase, and the other induced current and the high-frequency current are in antiphase. The full-wave rectifying circuit full-wave rectifies the two induced currents. The inverter circuit alternatively transfers the two full-wave rectified induced currents, and thus output an output current. The filter circuit filters the output current to provide the alternating current.
US08059431B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a switching power supply which can stably determine whether an overcurrent occurs or not on the secondary side. A sample voltage corresponding to a load current value detected by detection resistors R7 and R8 is compared with a reference voltage by an input-side transistor Q4 and an output-side transistor Q3 which compose a first current mirror circuit 14, so that it is possible to determine whether an overcurrent occurs or not. Moreover, a current passing through the output circuit of the transistor Q3 is temperature-compensated by a second current mirror circuit 17 made up of transistors Q6 and Q5.
US08059429B2

In a first aspect, in a Primary Side Regulation (PSR) power supply, some primary current pulses are used to forward bias an output diode such that an auxiliary winding voltage can be properly sampled after each pulse. The samples are used to regulate the power supply output voltage (VOUT). Other primary current pulses, however, are of a smaller peak amplitude. These pulses are not used for VOUT regulation, but rather are used to determine whether the VOUT has dropped. In a second aspect, a transient current detector circuit within the PSR controller integrated circuit detects whether an optocoupler current has dropped in a predetermined way. If the TRS current detector detects that the optocoupler current has dropped, then the power supply stops operating in a sleep mode and is made to operate in another higher power operating mode in which the power supply switches.
US08059427B2

A slide mechanism used in portable electronic device is described including a main plate, a slide plate, and an elastic member. The elastic member includes a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, a first curved portion and a second curved portion. Each of the first curved portion and the second curved portion connects the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion. The first mounting portion is secured to the main plate, and the second mounting portion is secured to the sliding plate. The sliding plate slides lengthwise over the main plate by the deformation or restoration of the elastic member.
US08059426B2

An electrostatic discharge guide using metal sputtering process and modifying plastic case is applied to an electronic device. The plastic case and a metal case are laminated. The plastic case is defined with a tip portion spaced from the metal case on side wall thereof. A conductive layer formed on the surface of the plastic case opposite to the metal case extends to the tip of the tip portion, and is electrically connected to a ground of the electronic device. Therefore, when electrostatic charges accumulated on the metal case exceed a specific value, the static electricity is discharged to the ground of the electronic device based on the point discharge principle, instead of causing an electric shock to a user.
US08059424B2

An electronic board including an area forming a BGA type electronic component backing, and an electric heating resistor which supplies an amount of heat for soldering the component onto the plate is disclosed. The board includes a plurality of conductive layers alternating with electrically insulating layers, the resistor forming one of the conductive layers immediately underlying the surface layer. The board may also include a thermal drain. A facility for implementing the method is also disclosed. It allows for an electronic board to be repaired through replacing defective members without risking to unsolder or to damage adjacent members.
US08059423B2

A multi-layered circuit board is provided having a buried capacitive layer and a device-specific embedded, localized, non-discrete, and distributive capacitive element. A printed circuit board is provided including (1) a first dielectric layer, (2) a first conductive layer coupled to a first surface of the first dielectric layer, (3) a second conductive layer coupled to a second surface of the first dielectric layer, and (4) a localized distributive non-discrete capacitive element adjacent the first conductive layer, wherein the capacitive element occupies a region that approximately coincides with a location over which a device to be coupled to the capacitive element is to be mounted. The embedded, localized, non-discrete, and distributive capacitive element may provide device-specific capacitance to suppress voltage/current noise for a particular device.
US08059422B2

A manufacturing process for a thermally enhanced package is disclosed. First, a substrate strip including at least a substrate is provided. Next, at least a chip is disposed on an upper surface of the substrate, and the chip is electrically connected to the substrate. Then, a prepreg and a heat dissipating metal layer are provided, and the heat dissipating metal layer is disposed on a first surface of the prepreg and a second surface of the prepreg faces toward the chip. Finally, the prepreg covers the chip by laminating the prepreg and the substrate.
US08059421B2

Example embodiments relate to a memory card including a generally box-shaped printed circuit board, a control chip in the generally box-shaped printed circuit board, a memory chip in the generally box-shaped printed circuit board, and a plurality of contact pads on at least two portions of an upper portion, a lower portion, a left portion and a right portion of a front face of the generally box-shaped printed circuit board, and on at least two portions of an upper portion, a lower portion, a left portion and a right portion of a rear face of the generally box-shaped printed circuit board.
US08059420B2

A surface mountable device includes a ceramic substrate including a first principal surface, a second principal surface, and a side surface connecting the first principal surface to the second principal surface, a terminal electrode disposed on the first principal surface, and a first conductor for appearance inspection extending continuously from the terminal electrode to the side surface and having a width smaller than the width of the terminal electrode.
US08059419B2

A chip card holder, for securing a chip card in an electronic device, includes a housing and a locking member, the housing defines an assembling recess for receiving a chip card, the assembling recess has a slant wall defining a through cutout; the housing defines a latching hole in line with the cutout. The locking member forms a protrusion. when a chip card is disposed in the assembling recess, the locking member passes through the cutout and presses the chip card, the protrusion of the locking member is latched into the latching hole, the chip card is secured by the locking member.
US08059411B2

An electronics assembly for use in a vehicle is provided. The assembly comprises a heat sink, a dam coupled to the heat sink, the dam and the heat sink combining to form a reservoir, an electronic component positioned within the reservoir, and a thermally conductive layer conformally molded to the electronic component and disposed between the electronic component and the heat sink.
US08059398B2

A panel module for a computer enclosure includes a main panel, a linkage member, a cover panel, and a resilient limiting member. The main panel has a cover region and an opening provided in the cover region. The linkage member is connected pivotally to the main and cover panels. The cover panel is movable relative to the main panel to be closed upon or flipped away from the cover region. The linkage member is disposed at a closed position when the cover panel is closed. The limiting member is interposed between the main panel and the linkage member to limit the linkage member to the closed position, and enables the linkage member to be automatically restored to the closed position when the cover panel is to be closed, thereby permitting easy and proper closing of the cover panel.
US08059393B2

In an electronic apparatus, a panel attachment member, to which a display panel of a display unit having a display screen for displaying information is fastened, has a panel fastening section that extends along a side surface of the display panel toward a main unit. The panel attachment member also has a panel fastening portion that extends from the panel fastening section and goes around a hinge fastening section fastened to the display unit to be on the first enclosure side of the hinge fastening section. The panel fastening portion is disposed adjacent to the hinge fastening section and fastened to the display unit.
US08059392B2

A frame structure is disclosed. The frame structure comprises a first side frame, a second side frame, a top support frame and a base support frame. The second side frame is substantially parallel to the first side frame, and a circuit board is disposed between the first side frame and the second side frame. The top support frame comprises a support plane for connecting to the first side frame and the second side frame. The base support frame is substantially parallel to the top support frame, and the base support frame comprises a compartment, a first protrusion, and a second protrusion. A power supply unit can be disposed in the compartment. The first protrusion connects to the first side frame, and the second protrusion connects to the second side frame.
US08059378B2

A solid state power controller (SSPC) often contains electronic circuitry which could be damaged or upset by the excessive transient voltages induced by the lightning and SSPC could result in undesirable (or nuisance) trips due to lightning strikes. The present invention is intended to address the “nuisance trip” issue, by relying on the lightning indicative signals to distinguish between the transient current surge due to the lightning strike and that due to the circuit fault in the power distribution channel. The present invention utilizes either the break-down current in a transient voltage suppression (TVS) device, or a voltage signal at the output of the SSPC as the indication of lightning strike, to avoid nuisance trips.
US08059375B2

Illustrative apparatuses and methods for electrostatic discharge protection are described in which the frequency of a voltage received at a first circuit node is filtered to generate a filtered voltage, one or more control signals are generated having either a first voltage or a second voltage depending upon the value of the filtered voltage, and the first circuit node is selectively connected with a second circuit node depending upon the value of the one or more control signals.
US08059371B2

In a read-write head, the shields can serve as magnetic flux conductors for external fields, so that they direct a certain amount of flux into the recording medium. This problem has been overcome by the addition to the shields of a pair of tabs located at the edges closest to the ABS. These tabs serve to prevent flux concentrating at the edges so that horizontal fields at these edges are significantly reduced. The tabs need to have aspect ratios of at least 2 and may be either triangular or rectangular in shape. Alternatively, the tabs may be omitted and, instead, outer portions of the shield's lower edge may be shaped so as to slope upwards away from the ABS.
US08059370B2

A magnetic sensing device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a first magnetic shield, a second magnetic shield, and a sensor. The first magnetic shield forms at least a portion of the first electrode. The second magnetic shield includes a first region that forms at least a portion of the first electrode and a second region that forms at least a portion of the second electrode. The sensor is positioned between the first and second magnetic shields and is electrically connected in series between the first and second electrodes.
US08059368B2

It is possible to improve the recording and reproducing S/N ratio, the reproduction signal intensity, and the degree of high density recording. There are provided a plurality of recording tracks formed on a substrate, each recording track being formed of a magnetic material, and non-recording sections formed on the substrate, each non-recording section separating adjacent recording tracks, each recording track including a plurality of recording sections and connecting sections for connecting the recording sections adjacent thereto in a track longitudinal direction, and each connecting section having a cross-sectional area in a track width direction that is smaller than a cross-sectional area in a track width direction of adjacent recording sections.
US08059367B2

A method according to another embodiment includes forming a side shield layer of ferromagnetic material above a substrate; masking the side shield layer; milling an unmasked region of the side shield layer for forming a pole trench therein; and forming a pole layer in the pole trench. A structure according to one embodiment includes a substrate; a side shield layer of ferromagnetic material on the substrate, wherein the substrate has a region covered by the side shield layer and a region not covered by the side shield layer; a pole trench in the side shield layer and the region of the substrate not covered by the side shield layer; a layer of nonmagnetic material in the pole trench; and a pole layer in the pole trench, wherein the pole layer has a greater thickness above the region of the substrate not covered by the side shield layer than above the region of the substrate covered by the side shield layer.
US08059366B2

A laminated write pole layer for a PMR write head is disclosed in which a plurality of “n” magnetic layers and “n−1” non-magnetic spacers are formed in an alternating fashion on a substrate. The non-magnetic spacers promote exchange decoupling or antiferromagnetic coupling between adjacent magnetic layers. Writability is improved when the trailing magnetic layer has a thickness greater than the thickness of other magnetic layers and preferably >25% of the total thickness of the magnetic layers. The thicknesses of the other magnetic layers may be equal or may become progressively smaller with increasing distance from the trailing magnetic layer. In another embodiment, the non-magnetic spacer between the trailing magnetic layer and the nearest magnetic layer is replaced by a magnetic spacer made of a soft magnetic material to promote magnetic coupling and effectively increase the thickness of the trailing magnetic layer.
US08059358B2

A method of retaining a transducer for a digital storage apparatus that reads and writes data to a tape as the tape is moved in a tape drive path across the transducer. According to the method a head assembly is attached to the base to be movable relative to the base in a linear path that is perpendicular to the tape drive path. Movement of the head assembly is guided on a track that is partially defined by the head and partially defined by the base. At least two balls are disposed in the track between the base and the head assembly. A magnetic coupling retains the balls within the track. A linear motor operatively engages the head assembly to move the head assembly to follow the tape.
US08059351B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording apparatus includes: an information recording module configured to record a predetermined number of lines of information with a predetermined length in an information recording region of a magnetic recording medium, each of the lines of information having a same recording start position with respect to a relative movement direction of the magnetic recording medium and a recording element, the each of the lines of information being provided with an overlaying portion of adjacent lines of information. The information recording module is configured to record clock information in one or a plurality of the lines of information.
US08059348B2

A lens adapter ring is provided for connecting a lens barrel to a lens holder whose thread specification is different from that of the lens barrel. The ring includes a first hollow cylinder. The cylinder includes a first inner surface and a first outer surface opposite to the first inner surface. The first outer surface includes a first outer thread portion adapted for the lens holder, and the first inner surface includes a first inner thread portion adapted for the lens barrel. The thread specification of the first outer thread portion is different from that of the inner thread portion. A lens module using the lens adapter ring is also provided.
US08059343B2

An optical element includes a first liquid; a second liquid that is immiscible with the first liquid and that has polarity or electrical conductivity; a first substrate portion; a second substrate portion; a sidewall portion; a second electrode disposed on one of the second substrate portion and the sidewall portion; and an accommodating portion constituted by the first substrate portion, the second substrate portion, and the sidewall portion and sealing the first liquid and the second liquid therein. The optical element further includes a first film disposed on the first substrate portion side of the accommodating portion and having high affinity with the first liquid, a second film disposed on the second substrate portion side of the accommodating portion and having high affinity with the second liquid, and a third film disposed at the center of the second film and having high affinity with the first liquid.
US08059340B2

Provided is a method and system for reducing speckle in an image produced from a light source. The method, in one embodiment, includes providing a line generating element, the line generating element having a collection of optical elements having an axis. The method, in this embodiment, further includes directing an input beam of light at the line generating element while the line generating element is being vibrated back and forth in a direction substantially transverse to the axis.
US08059331B2

The present invention relates to a light control film, comprising: two transparent electroconductive resin substrates; and a light control layer sandwiched by the two transparent electroconductive resin substrates, wherein the light control layer contains a resin matrix and a light control suspension dispersed in the resin matrix, and the thickness of the transparent electroconductive resin substrates is from 10 to 80 μm.
US08059329B2

A display substrate includes an insulation substrate, a gate line formed on the insulation substrate, a data line formed on the insulation substrate and crossing the gate line, a switching element formed on the insulation substrate and electrically connected to the gate line and the data line, and a pixel electrode formed on the insulation substrate. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the switching element and includes a reflective electrode layer which reflects light and an absorption electrode layer which absorbs light.
US08059328B1

Electrowetting devices (EWD) are presented. The electrowetting device includes a first substrate and an opposing second substrate with a polar fluid layer and a non-polar fluid layer interposed therebetween. A first transparent electrode is disposed on the first substrate. A second electrode is disposed on the second substrate. A first partition structure is disposed on the first substrate; thereby defining a plurality of color sub-pixels. A dye and/or a pigment substance is doped in one of the polar fluid layer and the non-polar fluid layer. A luminescence substance is doped in one of the polar fluid layer and the non-polar fluid layer. An emission module (also known as an excitation module) is disposed underlying the bottom of the first substrate. The colors of the non-polar fluid layer in the neighboring sub-pixels are different.
US08059324B2

A scan element includes a bobbin having a central axis about which is wound an electromagnetic wire coil and having a flange oriented generally transverse to the central axis. At least one elastomeric support has a first end coupled to the flange. A permanent magnet has first and second surfaces, a central axis, and a magnetization direction oriented generally transverse to the central axis of the permanent magnet. The magnet is supported by a second end of the elastomeric support. A mirror has a central axis and is mounted on the second surface of the magnet. The central axes of the mirror and magnet are coaxial with the central axis of the bobbin. The elastomeric support provides a return force when the magnet and the mirror are rotated at an angle from the central axis during energization of the electromagnetic wire coil.
US08059320B2

In a method for production of documents with a hologram and a document with a hologram, wherein, in a first step, a hologram is exposed in a photographic film and, in a second step, the photographic film is applied to a document support, the individualisation of the holograms first occurs during the gluing or after the gluing to the printed personal document or to the protective film provided for the surface protection of the document. It is thus possible to produce in a secure and economical fashion documents with individual holographic information of greater visibility and with further novel security features.
US08059319B2

A solid-state imaging apparatus, of lower power consumption and a smaller area with maintaining sufficient performance, includes a plurality of pixels for reading a plurality of color components, a plurality of holding units holding a signal from each pixel, a plurality of common output lines to which the plurality of respective holding units corresponding to respective color components are connected, and a plurality of output circuits connected to the plurality of common output lines. Then, at least two of the plurality of common output lines are connected to one of the plurality of output circuits through a selecting unit. In addition, outputs of a holding unit to which pixels of at least two different color components among the plurality of pixels in the unit cell are connected are connected to one of the plurality of common output lines through a selecting unit.
US08059312B2

A calibration data creating device includes a reference measured density memory, a dither data memory, a corresponding set density determining unit, a calibration data creating unit, and a calibration data creating unit. The reference measured density memory stores measured densities of reference density patches that are formed by an image-forming unit based on the reference density patch data. The dither data memory stores dither data that has a plurality of dot locations, the dither data having a prescribed threshold at each dot location. The corresponding set density determining unit determines corresponding set densities for the plurality of the reference set densities. The calibration data creating unit creates calibration data indicating a correlation between the set densities and calibrated set densities, the calibrated set density for each set density allowing the dither data to create binarized image data that enables the image-forming unit to form an image whose density is the same as the target density for the each set density.
US08059308B2

A printing and display device for use with an external computer. The printing and display device includes a flat panel display for displaying images from the external computer; a printer including a printhead for printing onto paper; a display data connection for selectively connecting to the external computer to receive display data used to provide the images displayed; a print data connection for selective connection to the external computer to receive print data from the external computer; and a rear cover molding enclosing therein the flat panel display. The rear cover molding includes an aperture for receiving therein an external ink cartridge.
US08059300B2

An information processing apparatus connected to a printing apparatus via a network encrypts print data if identification information is input, and does not encrypt print data if identification information is not input. If identification information is input and the print data has been encrypted, the information processing apparatus sends a print job including the encrypted print data to the printing apparatus via the network; otherwise, the information processing apparatus sends unencrypted print data to the printing apparatus via the network.
US08059297B2

A digital camera containing patient images is connected to an uploader computer and the patient's name or history is entered into the uploader computer. The uploader computer then connects to the Internet, connects to the secure host server, uploads the images to the host server and shuts down the Internet connection. After the physician selects a medical facility and the system verifies the physician's user I.D. and password, the host server constructs an HTML web page which includes a list of patients whose images were previously uploaded by the medical facility and are available for viewing The physician simply selects the name of a patient and the host server displays the patient information and images on the physician's computer. The system is password-protected at all levels and the operator for each medical facility determines who may have access to the medical facility images.
US08059288B2

Device detection is performed by using a second detection unit which uses unicast transmission with a destination address being changed in addition to a first detection unit which uses broadcasting/multicasting. When unicast transmission can be normally performed, detection using the first detection unit is performed to determine whether broadcasting/multicasting at this point of time can be performed. In addition, the first or second detection unit is selected or the processing order of the first and second detection units is changed in accordance with the permission/inhibition determination result.
US08059283B2

A recording apparatus includes a transporting unit which transports a recording medium and a recording unit which records data (e.g., prints) on the recording medium. A control unit controls the recording unit and the transporting unit. A detection unit detects a back end of the recording medium at a more upstream side of a transporting path than the recording position of the recording unit. A first judgment unit determines whether a scheduled recording is possible when the recording medium, while being transported, reaches a position where the recording should be performed when the detection unit detects the back end of the recording medium. A second judgment unit determines whether a portion of the scheduled recording to the recording medium is possible when the recording medium is transported to the position where the recording should be performed.
US08059273B2

A spectrometer system includes an optical assembly for collimating light, a micro-ring grating assembly having a plurality of coaxially-aligned ring gratings, an aperture device defining an aperture circumscribing a target focal point, and a photon detector. An electro-optical layer of the grating assembly may be electrically connected to an energy supply to change the refractive index of the electro-optical layer. Alternately, the gratings may be electrically connected to the energy supply and energized, e.g., with alternating voltages, to change the refractive index. A data recorder may record the predetermined spectral characteristic. A method of detecting a spectral characteristic of a predetermined wavelength of source light includes generating collimated light using an optical assembly, directing the collimated light onto the micro-ring grating assembly, and selectively energizing the micro-ring grating assembly to diffract the predetermined wavelength onto the target focal point, and detecting the spectral characteristic using a photon detector.
US08059272B2

Light dispersing device comprising a slit element having a slit for exposure to electromagnetic radiation, wherein the slit element is configured and disposed for turning the slit between at least two positions. The light dispersing device is used together with a streak camera, whereby in a first position the slit is adjusted to influence the temporal resolution of the streak camera and in a second postion the slit is adjusted to influence the spectral resolution of the streak camera.
US08059270B2

There is provided a microchip that is formed of a first substrate having a surface with a groove and a second substrate joined together and has a fluid circuit in the form of a cavity defined by the groove and a surface of the second substrate closer to the first substrate. The fluid circuit at least includes a detection portion having an optical path for transmitting light. The microchip includes at least one of a step defined by a groove formed in contact with at least one side surface of a groove of the first substrate that defines the optical path and a recess provided in the second substrate at a position opposite to the step.
US08059263B2

An apparatus for the recognition an object in space in accordance with the pulsed time-of-flight principle. The apparatus has a pulsed laser and a photoreceiver arrangement which receives the light pulses reflected back from the object present in the space. The apparatus has a first light deflection apparatus which outputs a first angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit, wherein the first light deflection apparatus is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a first axis of rotation and is made for the transmission of light pulses following one another at changing angles in a first plane, wherein a second light deflection apparatus is arranged between the first light deflection apparatus. The apparatus outputs a second angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit which has a deflection plate which is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a second axis of rotation.
US08059260B2

A part of a plate of a predetermined shape detachably mounted on a moving body is detected by an alignment system while the position of the moving body is measured by a measurement unit that sets a movement coordinate system of the movement body, and based on the detection results and the measurement results of the measurement unit corresponding to the detection results, position information of an outer periphery edge of the plate is obtained. Therefore, even if there are no alignment marks on the moving body for position measurement, the position of the plate, or in other words, the position of the moving body can be controlled on the movement coordinate system set by the measurement unit, based on the position information of the outer periphery edge of the plate.
US08059256B2

A liquid crystal display device includes an illuminator and a liquid crystal panel for performing displaying by using light which is emitted from the illuminator. The liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer provided between the pair of substrates, and a pair of alignment films provided on sides of the pair of substrates facing the liquid crystal layer. At least one of the alignment films is a photo-alignment film which is imparted with an orientation regulating force through a photo-alignment treatment, and the illuminator includes a light source causing primary generation of at least blue light, among other light which is used for displaying.
US08059237B2

A display panel for a LCD device includes a substrate, a plurality of thin film transistors formed on the substrate, a passivation layer formed on the thin film transistors, a plurality of reflective patterns formed on the passivation layer, transparent electrodes formed on the reflective patterns, and reflective films formed on the transparent electrode. The reflective patterns and the reflective films are formed in a reflective area of the passivation layer. The reflective patterns are formed by position transition of two polymer films having different polarities. The display panel having the reflective patterns increase light reflectance and reduce cost for manufacturing an LCD.
US08059227B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes an LCD panel, a panel driver that includes a source printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a fixing protrusion hole to supply driving signals to the LCD panel, and a top chassis to receive the LCD panel and the panel driver. The top chassis includes an upper frame portion to prevent the LCD panel from moving upwardly, a side frame portion to prevent the LCD panel from moving sideward, and a fixing protrusion protruded from an inner side of the side frame portion. The fixing protrusion is coupled to the fixing protrusion hole to fix the source PCB inside the side frame portion of the top chassis.
US08059222B2

An active matrix substrate in which variations in output characteristics of photodiodes are reduced, and a display device using this active matrix substrate, are provided. An active matrix substrate (1) having an n-TFT (20), a p-TFT (30), and a photodiode (10) is used. The photodiode (10) includes a p-layer (7), an i-layer (8), and an n-layer (9). The i-layer (8) includes a p-type semiconductor region (8a) at a position adjacent to the player (7), said p-type semiconductor region (8a) having a diffusion concentration of p-type impurities that is set at the same level as that of a diffusion concentration of p-type impurities in the channel region (23) of the n-TFT (20); and an n-type semiconductor region (8b) at a position adjacent to the n-layer (9), said n-type semiconductor region (8b) having a diffusion concentration of n-type impurities that is set at the same level as that of a diffusion concentration of n-type impurities in the channel region (33) of the p-TFT (30).
US08059217B2

A scanning backlight for a stereoscopic 3D liquid crystal display apparatus includes a light guide formed from a plurality of segments. Each segment has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a first surface extending between the first and second sides and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface substantially re-directs light and the second surface substantially transmits light. The plurality of segments are arranged substantially in parallel and with the second surfaces transmitting light in substantially the same direction to provide backlighting for a stereoscopic 3D liquid crystal display. A first light source is disposed along the first side of each segment for transmitting light into the light guide from the first side, and a second light source is disposed along the second side of each segment for transmitting light into the light guide from the second side. Each segment first and second light source is selectively turned on and off in a particular pattern and each segment light source selectively transmits light into the light guide first side or light guide second side to form a scanning backlight.
US08059212B2

A television receiver includes at least two tuner units that respectively connect to multidirectional antennas respectively capable of electrically switching a directivity of a receiving radio wave and that select a television broadcast signal corresponding to a channel selected by a user. The television receiver further includes an optimum direction updating section (optimum direction updating process). Thereby, when a tuner unit currently being not used is present, an optimum receive direction of the multidirectional antenna on a channel other than a channel selected in a tuner unit currently being in use is serially updated by using the tuner unit currently being not in use. Consequently, it is possible to provide the television receiver that is capable of performing the channel selection always in the optimum receive direction of the multidirectional antenna and channel selection operation quickly or in a reduced period of time in the event of the channel selection.
US08059205B2

An image signal processing apparatus includes a clamp circuit that clamps an image signal having a horizontal synchronization signal, an optical black level period representing an optical black level, and an effective signal period representing an image signal for one horizontal line so as to clamp a value offset from the image signal on the basis of a first reference value during the optical black level period and to clamp the image signal on the basis of a second reference value different from the first reference value during the effective signal period, and a level computation circuit that determines the second reference value on the basis of a signal level clamped during the optical black level period.
US08059203B2

Provided is a moving picture processing method which prevents degradation of subjective image quality caused by a motion of a moving picture. The moving picture processing method includes the following steps: a motion compensation step (S116) of shifting a noise indicated by a stored noise signal (FMN) according to a motion of a moving picture indicated by an input image signal (VIN), by performing motion compensation on the stored noise signal (FMN) that is used for superimposition on a picture indicated by an input image signal (VIN) and is stored in a noise frame memory (102); and a superimposition step (S120) of superimposing the shifted noise, as a superimposition noise signal SN, onto a current picture to be processed which is indicated by an input image signal (VIN) and is a moving picture that appears after the motion has occurred.
US08059188B2

An image processing apparatus includes a memory that memorizes a plurality of pickup images in which an object has been picked up by varying an irradiation direction of a light; an extracting portion that extracts an area image of an area indicated by a user from each of the pickup images memorized in the memory; a calculating portion that calculates at least one illumination parameter for each area image by one of calculating an amount of edges from each extracted area image, executing a clustering process to brightness of each extracted area image, and executing a totaling process of totaling differences in brightness between the extracted area images; and a generating portion that generates at least one synthetic image by synthesizing the extracted area images with the at least one illumination parameter.
US08059187B2

Appropriate gray level processing is applied to various image data. A digital camera having a grayscale correction function is provided. An AE control section generates a brightness histogram of a preview image which is obtained by a CCD. An exposure correction amount calculation section, based on the brightness histogram which is generated, sets an exposure value which is under an appropriate exposure value in consideration of grayscale correction to be performed by a grayscale correction section. The grayscale correction section applies grayscale correction to each partial region of image data of an image which is captured. The exposure correction amount calculation section varies the exposure value between when a face is included in a subject and when a face is not included in the subject.
US08059182B2

An apparatus and method provides different animations or effects when screens of different groups of icons are switched. This technique prevents a user for mistakenly assuming that icons on different screens necessarily are related to each other, even if they occupy the same location on the screen.
US08059177B2

An electric camera includes an image sensing device with a light receiving surface having N vertically arranged pixels and an arbitrary number of pixels arranged horizontally, N being equal to or more than three times the number of effective scanning lines M of a display screen of a television system, a driver to drive the image sensing device to vertically mix or cull signal charges accumulated in individual pixels of K pixels to produce, during a vertical effective scanning period of the television system, a number of lines of output signals which corresponds to 1/K the number of vertically arranged pixels N of the image sensing device, K being an integer equal to or less than an integral part of a quotient of N divided by M, and a signal processing unit having a function of generating image signals by using the output signals of the image sensing device.
US08059174B2

There is provided a CMOS imager system for providing a viewable image having increased dynamic range including an image sensor including a number of sets of pixels. Each set of pixels is configured to receive one of a number of exposures and to generate image data corresponding to the received exposure in the interleaved mode. The image sensor is configured to operate in either an interleaved mode or a non-interleaved mode and to output the image data generated by each set of pixels as a frame of interleaved image data in the interleaved mode. The imager system further includes an interleaved image pipeline in communication with the image sensor, where the interleaved image pipeline is configured to receive the interleaved image data from the image sensor, combine the image data generated by each set of pixels corresponding to one of the exposures to form the viewable image.
US08059170B2

There is provided a method and system for processing a video instant message. The method and system may include receiving at least one image; generating the at least one image into a composite image; and communicating the composite image to a receiver as the instant message. Preferably, the at least one image from the sender may be obtained from, for example, a screen capture of a display at the sender, or an image capture device at the sender. It may be advantageous to generate a graphical user interface for a video instant messaging application to allow either the sender or receiver to select the at least one image making up the composite image. The graphical user interface may be either online or locally installed.
US08059153B1

An object tracking system which includes a plurality of camera devices, each of which captures image data, a plurality of thin-client processors, each of which is connected to a respective camera device via a local connection, each thin-client processor hosting a thin-client application that processes the captured image data to obtain two-dimensional foreground region information by using a background subtraction algorithm, and a server hosting an object tracking application that receives the foreground region information from each thin-client processor via a network and generates a three-dimensional visual hull corresponding to each foreground region represented in the received foreground region information, wherein the object tracking application generates identification and position data corresponding to each three-dimensional visual hull. The thin-client application uses two-dimensional object tracking to identify each object in the foreground region information, and sends each object identity to the object tracking application with the foreground region information.
US08059150B2

The present invention is a self contained portable and compact omni-directional monitoring and automatic alarm video device. The device enables automatic omni-directional detection, directional imaging inspection, tracking, real-time alarm transmission, and remote monitoring. The device comprises an omni-directional detection sensor, processor, and directional video imaging camera located inside a rotatable housing. The omni-directional detection sensor enables detection of moving objects near the device's surroundings; the processing assembly enables extraction of information such as the relative direction to the moving object and automatic pointing of the directional video imaging camera in that direction by rotation of the housing. The information acquired by the video camera is then transmitted to a remote control and observation unit.
US08059147B2

The exposure apparatus is provided with: a substrate; plural light emitting elements that are arranged in a line on a first surface of the substrate; and a heating unit that heats the substrate from the first surface side.
US08059144B2

A graphics processing apparatus 2 includes graphics processing pipelines 8. The graphics processing pipelines 8 include a programmable hardware stage 12, a pipeline memory 22 and writeback circuitry 16. Programmable resolving circuitry 18 is provided by the programmable hardware stage 12 within each pipeline and is responsive to one or more graphics program instructions to read pixel values at a first resolution generated within the pipeline memory 22 by pixel value generating circuitry 18 provided by the programmable hardware stage 12 and to perform a resolving operation upon these pixels values so as to generate pixel values at a second resolution. These pixel values at the second resolution are then written back to a frame buffer memory 6.
US08059141B2

A display brightness control circuit of a liquid crystal display device includes a logarithmic-linear converting circuit for converting an illuminance signal having a logarithmic relationship with incident light into a linear signal. When an output of an external light sensor is a logarithmic signal, the logarithmic signal is converted into a linear signal through the logarithmic-linear converting circuit, and when an output of the external light sensor is a linear signal, the logarithmic-linear converting circuit is not involved. The logarithmic-linear converting circuit corresponds to an exponential circuit which is an inverse function of a logarithm log. Further, when even the same logarithmic output illuminance sensor is different in input-output characteristics, setting of the abovementioned exponential circuit can be changed.
US08059140B2

A flat panel display device including: a display region including pixels connected to scan lines and data lines; a dummy display region including dummy pixels connected to at least two dummy scan lines and the data lines; a scan driver for providing scan signals and dummy scan signals to the scan lines and the dummy scan lines; a data driver for generating gray scale voltages corresponding to input digital data and providing them to corresponding pixels through the data lines; and a timing controller for controlling the scan driver and the data driver, wherein the data driver uses parasitic capacitance components existing in at least two data lines and capacitance components in the pixels and the dummy pixels connected to the at least two data lines, as a sampling capacitor and a holding capacitor to generate the gray scale voltages through charge sharing between the at least two data lines.
US08059137B2

A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are disclosed. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving content information from application programs, draws the window to a buffer memory for future reference, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The windows may also be rendered based on environment variables including virtual light sources. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.
US08059136B2

A system and method of efficiently and effectively triaging an image that may include one or more target entities are provided. An image that may include one or more target entities is retrieved. The retrieved image is then divided into a plurality of sub-images, and each sub-image is displayed in a display region to a user. Each sub-image that was previously displayed is then divided into a plurality of sub-images, and each sub-image that was just divided is displayed to the user in the display region. The steps in the previous sentence are then repeated a determined number of times. During the initial display of the sub-images, and during each subsequent recursion, data are collected from the user and estimates of target entity locations are derived from the collected data.
US08059132B2

A method for displaying images asynchronously is provided. The method includes: providing at least one display mode, the display mode defines a total display area count displayable showed on a display, an interval to display images on the display, and a predetermined displaying manner; obtaining images and the display mode; generating one or more display areas according to the display mode; and displaying the images on the generated display areas according to the interval and displaying manner.
US08059131B1

A tiled graphics memory permits graphics data to be stored in different tile formats. One application is selecting a tile format optimized for the data generated for particular graphical surfaces in different rendering modes. Consequently, the tile format can be selected to optimize memory access efficiency and/or packing efficiency. In one embodiment a first tile format stores pixel data in a format storing two different types of pixel data whereas a second tile format stores one type of pixel data. In one implementation, a z-only tile format is provided to store only z data but no stencil data. At least one other tile format is provided to store both z data and stencil data. In one implementation, z data and stencil data are stored in different portions of a tile to facilitate separate memory accesses of z and stencil data.
US08059123B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for postponing the execution of primitive intersection. In operation, at, least one node traversal operation and at least one primitive intersection operation is executed, utilizing a parallel processing architecture. Additionally, the execution of the at least one primitive intersection operation is postponed.
US08059122B1

A highly accurate and robust cubic cell mesh generator “Cubegen” capable of a trillion plus cell meshes on a single processor 4-Gigabyte main memory workstation has been developed. The cells are generated in Yee format for the Finite Difference Time Domain method. Three key techniques were employed to achieve this capability: a highly efficient data storage ray tracing method, a highly accurate ray-facet intersection test, and a novel exact arithmetic tie-breaking algorithm for rays intersecting facet edges and vertices.
US08059109B2

To provide a display device whose display can be recognized even in dark places or under the strong outside light. The display device performs display by controlling the number of gray scales in accordance with the intensity of outside light, which means a display mode can be switched in accordance with the data to be displayed on the display screen. A video signal generation circuit is controlled in each display mode in such a manner that it directly outputs an input video signal with an analog value, outputs a signal with a binary digital value, or outputs a signal with a multivalued digital value. As a result, gray scales displayed in pixels are timely changed. Accordingly, clear images can be displayed while maintaining high visibility in various environments, in the wide range from, for example, dark places or indoors (e.g., under a fluorescent lighting) to outdoors (e.g., under the sunlight).
US08059096B2

A mobile terminal including a main body having a wireless communication module, a first display module disposed on a front surface of the main body and configured to display first information, a first input unit disposed on the front surface of the main body and configured to input first information into the mobile terminal, a second display module disposed on a rear surface of the main body and configured to display second information, and a control unit configured to control the wireless communication module, the first and second display modules, and the first input unit.
US08059095B2

Methods, computer-readable mediums, apparatuses, and systems are provided. For example, a method is disclosed which includes identifying at least one security system function, in a plurality of security system functions, for blocked user access when a keypad is away from a predetermined location; and storing the plurality of security system functions on a processor. In another embodiment a security keypad is disclosed which includes an LCD having a static portion and a dynamic portion; a multiplexing LCD controller coupled to the dynamic portion; a static LCD controller coupled to the static portion; DC/DC converter coupled to the multiplexing LCD controller; a keypad processing unit coupled to the multiplexing LCD controller, the static LCD controller, and the DC/DC converter; and a power supply coupled to the DC/DC converter, the keypad processing unit, and the static LCD controller.
US08059084B2

Provided are an apparatus using ambient light as backlight and a method for correcting colors in the apparatus. The apparatus includes a color correction matrix generator and a color corrector. The color correction matrix generator generates a first color correction matrix for correcting a second color conversion matrix when ambient light is used as backlight into a third color conversion matrix for the original backlight. The color corrector corrects colors using the first color correction matrix.
US08059081B2

In the display device which is used in a miniaturized portable equipment, when a drive circuit is also connected on the same substrate as pixels, an input signal of low voltage has a level thereof shifted even when the threshold value is large or fluctuated. The display device includes pixel electrodes, switching elements which supply video signals to the pixel electrodes, and a drive circuit which supplies the video signals to the switching elements on the same substrate, wherein the drive circuit includes a level shift circuit, the level shift circuit includes a transistor. In a state that the transistor assumes an ON state, when an input signal is inputted to a source terminal and the input signal is at a low voltage level, a drain terminal assumes a low voltage level. Further, even when the input signal is at a high voltage level equal to or lower than a threshold value, the drain terminal outputs a voltage equal to or more than the threshold value as a high level voltage.
US08059076B2

A display panel includes a substrate, signal lines, a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode and a dummy opening. The substrate has a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area. The signal lines are disposed on the substrate and intersect each other to define a unit pixel. The thin film transistor is electrically connected to the signal lines and disposed at the unit pixel. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the thin film transistor. The pixel electrode is formed in the unit pixel. The dummy opening is disposed at the peripheral area and spaced apart from the signal lines.
US08059073B2

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, including a pixel portion having a plurality of pixels connected to scan lines and data lines, a scan driver adapted to generate and supply scan signals to the scan lines, a data driver adapted to generate and supply data signals to the data lines, an optical sensor adapted to generate an optical sensing signal according to an intensity of light, and a data converter adapted to store input image data or changed data from the input image data corresponding with the optical sensing signal. The data driver may be adapted to generate the data signal corresponding to the input image data or the changed data.
US08059065B2

A method and apparatus for driving an electro-luminescence display panel capable of preventing an initial blinking phenomenon occurring at a power application is disclosed. In the method, a first electrode of the EL cell and a ground voltage source are opened during a first period from a turn-on time of a power source to shut off a current path of the EL cells. Then, the first electrode of the pixel matrix and the ground voltage source is shorted during a second period to form a current path such that the EL cells are light-emitted in accordance with a data supplied to the pixel matrix.
US08059064B2

A method of driving a plasma display panel for avoiding an erroneous discharge. The plasma display panel has display cells formed at respective intersections of row electrode pairs and a column electrode, wherein one field of a video signal is comprised of a plurality of sub-fields, and a reset period is provided prior to an addressing period of a starting sub-field. The method has a light emission load state detection stage for detecting a light emission load state of the plasma display panel according to the video signal in the preceding field, and a first stage in the reset period for applying the first row electrodes with a pulse of a first polarity which has an applied voltage value increased over time to reach a predetermined target potential, wherein the first stage includes controlling the target potential of the first polarity pulse according to the light emission load state.
US08059050B1

An biconical antenna assembly including a pair of conductors each having a plurality of radiating conductors. One of the conductors defines a cone shape and radiating conductors extending to define a generally conical form. The other conductor defines a cylindrical shape and radiating conductors extend to define another generally conical form. The conical forms are defined by a pair of sheet conductors and radiating conductors generally divergent about a center point or axis. A feed point is defined generally at the center point. Multiple RF chokes can be provided on the radiating conductors to optimize performance of the antenna over a predetermined frequency range.
US08059048B2

An antenna steering mount includes two basic building blocks which are joined together to form any of the known steering-axis combinations. Each block includes a cylinder cut at an angle to form a cylindrical wedge. The wedges are joined together by bearings at their interface, and motors are used to counter rotate the two wedges relative to each other. One end of the complete assembly is attached to a mounting platform, and the other end includes mounting features for attaching an antenna dish thereto. Various two- and three-axis steering configurations are disclosed including combinations of azimuth, elevation, cross-elevation, and cross-level steering.
US08059047B2

A capacitively loaded magnetic dipole antenna is provided with a portion that comprises a length that is longer than a straight line distance between a first end and a second end of the third portion such that antenna with a tower profile and/or smaller form factor is achieved.
US08059037B2

The present invention provides antennas and related methods of use, devices, and systems. In particular, the present invention provides broadband antennas and related interfaces to sources and detectors. In some embodiments, the devices of the present invention are used for radiation emission, radiation detection, and/or radiation reflection.
US08059034B2

A patch antenna system and method comprising a base extending in a first plane; at least one patch mounted in a plane substantially parallel to the first plane; spaced from the base by at least one metallic post such that between the base and patch is substantially only gaseous fluid (which may be air). At least one power source may be operatively connected to the at least one patch for generation of electromagnetic waves at a center frequency of approximately 5.8 Gigahertz. The method of neutralizing unattended microwave devices comprises connecting a power source to a patch antenna and operating the patch antenna at a frequency in the range of approximately 3.89 to of 5.85 Gigahertz in the vicinity of a suspected unattended microwave device used to activate an explosive device to thereby jam any communication signal to the unattended microwave device and prevent the activation.
US08059033B2

A patch antenna has a primary radiator, a dual microstrip feed line configured to utilize corner-feeding to enable substantially diagonal radiating modes, and at least two parasitic patches that are arranged adjacent and on opposite sides to the primary radiator.
US08059026B1

An ultra-wideband pulse Doppler radar employing a transform domain communication system class of output waveform, a waveform additionally modified for enhanced radar usage. The achieved waveform includes sequential radar output pulse discrimination, improved pulse repetition frequency range ambiguity, phase modulation generating a noise-like output signal appearance and improved resolution characteristics. The invention employs radar waveform shaping in the frequency domain according to a sample of present operating band interference conditions followed by transformation into the time domain for fabricating an output pulse waveform. Mathematical basis for the improved output waveform and correlation comparisons in graphical form are included in the disclosure.
US08059019B2

A method and system utilized with an analog to digital converter is disclosed. The method and system comprise providing a first conversion on an input signal. In the first conversion, an offset error is added to the input signal to provide a first result. The method and system further includes providing a second conversion on the input signal. In the second conversion, an offset error is subtracted from the input signal to provide a second result. The first and second results are then combined to substantially remove the offset error. A system and method in accordance with the present invention compensates for the accumulated offset error over many samples, thereby achieving much higher accuracy in the offset error compensation.
US08059005B2

Monitoring assemblies, kits and methods for determining an operational state of a circuit protector in an electrical circuit.
US08059004B2

Disclosed is a drain blockage responsive alarm system. The drain blockage responsive alarm system comprises a cleanout cap member, at least one drain blockage responsive element, and an alarming module. The cleanout cap member is capable of being installed at a portion of a drain pipe. Further, the at least one drain blockage responsive element is configured to the cleanout cap member adapted to sense clog deposition at the portion of the drain pipe, and to generate an output signal upon sensing the clog deposition. Furthermore, the alarming module is electrically coupled to the at least one drain blockage responsive element for generating an alarm signal upon receiving the output signal.
US08059003B2

Generally, in accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the present method comprises collecting data from breath alcohol ignition interlock devices (“BIID” or “IID”), uploading the data from an IID to a central database, pairing the data with secure transactional data to provide one or more secure transactional stamp(s), storing the data and the paired secure transactional stamp(s) in said central database, producing a report comprising said data and the paired transactional stamp, and providing the report to an authorized third party. Preferably, the transactional stamp comprising the name of personnel, time, and any changes made to the data collected from the IID is generated and attached to the data. Further, the present invention discloses methods for transactional stamping all reviews of the IID data and/or all client input data to produce a secure report, admissible under the Federal Rules of Evidence.
US08059002B2

A pool guard alarm apparatus includes an alarm body, a triggering device and a relative triggering element. The alarm body accommodates a circuit board and a battery for providing a power source. The circuit board is provided with several buttons and a sound member. The buttons enable an authorized person to bypass the alarm mode. The triggering device located at the entrance to the pool has a movable part which is elastic to be against the relative triggering element. The moveable part will produce a triggering signal to the circuit board when the entrance is opened. The circuit board activates the sound member to produce an alarm sound after a predetermined time. The alarm sound is repeated after a period of time while in the alarm mode. When the entrance is then closed, the user must reset a pass code to activate the said alarm mode.
US08058992B2

A method and system for sensorless tracking of an indoor target using a wireless distance measuring technology. A location tracking apparatus is initially moved, and then it is determined whether or not an initial traveling direction of the location tracking apparatus is forward or backward with respect to the target. A minimum distance between the location tracking apparatus and the target during the movement is determined, the minimum distance is stored, and the location tracking apparatus is moved to a location corresponding to the minimum distance, where it is determined whether the location tracking apparatus is directed forward or backward with respect to the target at the location corresponding to the minimum distance. The location tracking apparatus is then moved to the target.
US08058985B2

A security system for freight containers comprises: a locking device configured to reliably attach to the container and prevent unauthorized opening of the container doors; an electromechanical locking mechanism; and a GPS receiver so that unlocking may be authorized when the container is at a selected location. The system may further include a device to sense conditions affecting the container; and, a communication system to transmit the output of the sensing device to a system administrator located remotely. The locking and sensing devices may be capable of two-way communication with the system administrator. The system may include a visual display on the exterior of the container capable of displaying selected messages. The messages may be preprogrammed or may be changed as the container moves from one geographic location to another.
US08058984B2

A computing system for managing site security through a communication device includes a mobile communication device, a notification, and the communication device. Using BLUETOOTH technology, the mobile communication device communicates with and activates the communication device and the notification. The communication device detects any noteworthy event and captures visual data accordingly, and transmits the visual data to the mobile communication device. The notification generates visual and audio alerts. A related method and storage medium with instructions for performance of the method also provided.
US08058980B2

A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus includes an image capturing device, a display device, a blind spot determining section, and a processing section. The image capturing device is arranged to capture an image of a region rearward of a host vehicle and an image of a region laterally rearward of the host vehicle. The processing section is configured to switch a displayed image on the display device from a first display image to a second display image upon determination of a following vehicle created blind spot region by the blind spot determining section. The first display image includes the image of the region rearward of the host vehicle, and the second display image includes at least a portion of the image of the region laterally rearward of the host vehicle that encompasses the following vehicle created blind spot region which is absent from the first display image.
US08058963B2

The coil component includes a magnetic core 130 and conductors 210 and 220. The magnetic core 130 includes through-holes that are made by grooves 111 and 112. The conductors 210 and 220 are provided in the grooves 111 and 112, respectively. The magnetic core 130 includes a nonmagnetic portion in which the grooves 111 and 112 are communicated, and a distance between the conductors 210 and 220 through the nonmagnetic portion is shorter than a distance between the conductors 210 and 220 in surfaces 110c and 110d in which the conductors 210 and 220 are exposed. Therefore, necessity to provide a large cavity in the magnetic core is eliminated, and a risk of the short circuit between terminal electrodes exposed in the surfaces 110c and 110d is also eliminated.
US08058957B2

According to one embodiment, a first magnetic coupling element is coupled to a first conductive element of a first electrical circuit. A second magnetic coupling element is coupled to a second conductive element of a second electrical circuit. The second magnetic coupling element is operable to attract the first magnetic coupling element using a magnetic force such that electrical contact is made between the first conductive element and the second conductive element.
US08058952B2

The invention relates to a MEMS resonator comprising a first electrode, a movable element (48) comprising a second electrode, the movable element (48) at least being movable towards the first electrode, the first electrode and the movable element (48) being separated by a gap (46, 47) having sidewalls. According to the invention, the MEMS resonator is characterized in that the gap (46, 47) has been provided with a dielectric layer (60) on at least one of the sidewalls.
US08058950B1

A highly selective frequency filter is created from lossy components such as found in standard integrated circuit technologies, including particularly CMOS technologies, without the use of active loss cancellation circuitry. The filter configuration is based on using inductively coupled planar inductors for introducing a mutual inductance factor that advantageously alters the frequency response of the filter.
US08058949B2

In varying embodiments, the present inventive concepts relate to a notch filter for quadrature and differential signaling. No inductor is used in this notch filter, thus the integrated circuits silicon die area is small. In addition, the linearity of the notch filter is excellent because of the linearity of the resistors and capacitors in integrated circuits.
US08058948B2

A splitter circuit for use in a CATV network. A signal input communicates with a first balun to supply two signal outputs, wherein the first balun is impedance matched to the impedance of the input using two or more additional baluns in parallel with each other. The additional baluns are transmission line baluns in parallel or series with resistive and/or capacitive and/or inductive components.
US08058932B2

A digital pulse width modulation device includes a counter, a first comparator and a second comparator, wherein the first and second comparators are connected in parallel with each other and in series with the counter. The counter is capable of sending a count signal to the first and second comparators simultaneously, starting a count when the counter receives a clock signal, and transmitting the count signal to the first and second comparators. If the first comparator receives a pulse duty width signal, the count of the count signal will generate a pulse output of the corresponding duty cycle. If the second comparator receives a total pulse duty length signal and the count of the count signal reaches a number of the total length, a clear signal will be outputted to the counter to reset the counter to zero, so as to achieve the effect of correcting the output pulse.
US08058924B1

A method and apparatus to reduce the degradation in performance of semiconductor-based devices due to process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) and/or other causes of variation. Adaptive feedback mechanisms are employed to sense and correct performance degradation, while simultaneously facilitating configurability within integrated circuits (ICs) such as programmable logic devices (PLDs). A voltage-feedback mechanism is employed to detect PVT variation and mirrored current references are adaptively adjusted to track and substantially eliminate the PVT variation. More than one voltage-feedback mechanism may instead be utilized to detect PVT-based variations within a differential device, whereby a first voltage-feedback mechanism is utilized to detect common-mode voltage variation and a second voltage-feedback mechanism produces mirrored reference currents to substantially remove the common-mode voltage variation and facilitate symmetrical operation of the differential device.
US08058922B2

Switches with improved biasing and having better isolation and reliability are described. In an exemplary design, a switch is implemented with a set of transistors, a set of resistors, and an additional resistor. The set of transistors is coupled in a stacked configuration, receives an input signal, and provides an output signal. The set of resistors is coupled to the gates of the set of transistors. The additional resistor is coupled to the set of resistors and receives a control signal for the set of transistors. The resistors reduce signal loss through parasitic capacitances of the transistors when they are turned on. The resistors also help split the signal swing of the input signal approximately evenly across the transistors when they are turned off, which may improve reliability of the transistors. The switch may be used in a switchplexer, a power amplifier (PA) module, etc.
US08058920B2

A flag signal generation circuit includes a first periodic signal detection unit, a second periodic signal detection unit, and a flag signal output unit. The first periodic signal detection unit is configured to detect a change in a level of a first periodic signal and generate a first detection signal. The second periodic signal detection unit is configured to detect a change in a level of a second periodic signal and generate a second detection signal. The flag signal output unit is configured to generate a pre-flag signal from the first and second detection signals, buffer the pre-flag signal in response to a mode register read signal, and output the buffered pre-flag signal as a flag signal.
US08058919B2

A delay circuit with a delay time being more accurate and a circuit area being reduced is provided. The delay circuit includes a resistance element 3, a capacitor element 4 and a connection wiring 6. The connection wiring 6 includes a first polysilicon layer 13a above a substrate 10, and a first silicide layer 14a which connects the resistance element 3 and the capacitor element 4 and is on the first polysilicon layer 13a. The capacitor element 4 includes a diffusion layer 12b in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate 10, a gate insulating layer 15b on the diffusion layer 12b, a second polysilicon layer 13b on the gate insulating layer 15b, and a second silicide layer 14b on the second polysilicon layer 13b. The resistance element 3 includes a third polysilicon layer 13c above the semiconductor substrate 10. The first, second and third polysilicon layers 13a, 13b and 13c are integrally provided. The first and second silicide layers 14a and 14b are integrally provided.
US08058917B2

Disclosed herein are techniques, systems, and methods relating to compensation of phase disturbances of a phase lock-loop during power ramp up or down of a power amplifier. More specifically, a phase lock-loop is described that is able to switch between type I and type II PLL modes depending on the power state of the power amplifier without introducing additional disturbances.
US08058915B2

A digital phase-locked loop and a digital phase-frequency detector thereof are provided. The digital PFD includes a divisor switch unit, a low-resolution phase-error detecting unit, an accumulating unit, a high-resolution phase-error detecting unit, a constant unit, and a selector. The divisor switch unit receives and removes partial pulses of a feedback signal for obtaining a feedback clock. The low-resolution phase-error detecting unit detects phase error between a reference signal and the feedback clock to obtain a phase-error pulse width. The accumulating unit accumulates the feedback signal during the phase-error pulse width for obtaining an output selection signal. The high-resolution phase-error detecting unit detects phase error between the reference signal and the feedback signal to obtain a phase-error value. The constant unit provides at least one constant value. The selector selects and outputs one of the phase-error value and the constant value according to the output selection signal.
US08058913B2

The present invention relates to a delay-locked loop-based multiphase clock generator that generates a plurality of multiphase clocks from an input clock signal using a voltage controlled delay line including a plurality of dummy cells. The delay-locked loop-based multiphase clock generator includes an anti-harmonic lock circuit that receives an input clock and a reference clock of multiple clocks, determines whether a pulse signal derived from the input clock is within a normal locking range of the reference clock, and outputs a compulsory control signal to compulsorily control an output signal of a phase detector if it is determined that the pulse signal is not within the normal locking range.
US08058912B2

An electronic device includes a signal generator and a processing module. The signal generator generates reset signals to reset the processing module. The signal generator includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switching unit. The first capacitor receives an input voltage and charges accordingly when the electronic device is powered on. The second capacitor generates the reset signals based on the input voltage. The switching unit transmits the input voltage to the second capacitor to charge the second capacitor when the electronic device is powered on, and grounds the second capacitor after the electronic device is powered off. The reset signals are generated during the charging and discharging process of the second capacitor.
US08058909B2

The present invention is intended to achieve a transconductance amplifier and a voltage/current converting method which can provide a sufficient amplitude and a high degree of design freedom. The method comprises the steps of converting a first voltage signal to a first current signal; converting a second voltage signal to a second current signal; obtaining the common-mode components of the first and second current signals; and subtracting the common-mode components from the first and second current signals to obtain third and fourth signals, and further, subtracting the fourth current signal from the third current signal to generate a first output, while subtracting the third current signal from the fourth current signal to generate a second output.
US08058899B2

A logic cell array having a number of logic cells and a segmented bus system for logic cell communication, the bus system including different segment lines having shorter and longer segments for connecting two points in order to be able to minimize the number of bus elements traversed between separate communication start and end points.
US08058895B1

A method of programming an integrated circuit to operate in a selected operating mode includes assigning different resistance values to correspond to different operating modes of the integrated circuit, wherein the different resistance values are non-zero finite values. The integrated circuit is programmed to operate in one of the modes based on a corresponding one of the different resistance values presented to a terminal of the integrated circuit.
US08058890B2

A test handler is disclosed. The test handler includes first to third transfers for transferring a user tray, and first to third horizontal movement units suitable for respectively moving the first to third transfers in a horizontal direction. The first to third horizontal movement units are independently operated such that each of the first to third transfers can perform independently horizontal movements. Each of the first to third transfers performs based on its previously allocated function, thereby enhancing test process speed for devices.
US08058888B2

A test apparatus for an electronic device package is provided, which includes a test socket having a first portion with a recess for receiving an electronic device package having external terminals arranged in a terminal configuration and a second portion. An interchangeable insert board is disposed between the first portion and the second portion and extended on the recess, which includes first contact pads arranged in a first pad configuration compatible with the terminal configuration and facing the recess and second contact pads arranged in a second pad configuration and disposed between the first and the second portions. Trace layers each electrically connects one of the first contact pads to one of the second contact pads. The contact pins each penetrates through the second portion and electrically connects to one of the second pads, wherein the contact pins are arranged in a pin configuration compatible with the second pad configuration.
US08058886B2

The present invention relates to a probe for determining an electrical property of an area of a surface of a test sample, the probe is intended to be in a specific orientation relative to the test sample. The probe may comprise a supporting body defining a first surface. A plurality of cantilever arms (12) may extend from the supporting body in co-planar relationship with the first surface. The plurality of cantilever arms (12) may extend substantially parallel to each other and each of the plurality of cantilever arms (12) may include an electrical conductive tip for contacting the area of the test sample by movement of the probe relative to the surface of the test sample into the specific orientation. The probe may further comprise a contact detector (14) extending from the supporting body arranged so as to contact the surface of the test sample prior to any one of the plurality of cantilever arms (12) contacting the surface of the test sample when performing the movement.
US08058881B2

In order to make it possible to detect a fault location, safely, reliably and with a high response sensitivity, in a braided wire which has a plurality of individual wires, an electric current is passed through the braided wire and the magnetic field which is formed as a result of the braided wire through which current flows is detected by a sensor and is evaluated. A fault location is deduced if the measured magnetic field has an oscillation whose length is a multiple of a lay length of the braided wire, and in particular corresponds to the lay length. The method is also used in particular for non-destructive testing of the quality of a contact connection of a contact element to the braided wire.
US08058880B2

A PIM measurement circuit enables making forward and reverse PIM measurements on any 1 port (reflection) or 2 port (transmission) device with the ability to determine in distance where individual PIM impairments are located as well as their magnitude. The PIM measurement circuit includes two frequency sources that are provided through a combiner for a CW characterization of the PIM circuit. To enable distance determination, an FM measurement is created by using a saw tooth offset sweep generator attached to one of the two frequency sources. With downconversion and processing of signals from the PIM impairments, the FM signal provides a frequency variation that is converted using a Fourier transform or spectrum analysis for separation of frequencies, enabling determination of the distance of the PIM sources as well as their magnitudes.
US08058876B2

A battery health or prognosis system may employ a ferrite disc embedded in a printed wiring board (PWB) to perform both a battery current sensing role and a temperature sensing role. The ferrite disc may be surrounded with a coil that may be comprised of surface conductors and electrically conductive vias of the PWB. Excursions of coil current may be produced to generate observable hysterisis loops in the ferrite disc. The generated hysterisis loops may be compared to a temperature-dependent family of hysterisis loops for the magnetic material from which the ferrite disc is constructed. A processor mounted on the PWB may collect and process outputs from a Hall-effect sensor to develop both temperature and battery current information to produce a prognosis for the battery.
US08058873B2

A magnetic resonance examination system (10) includes a superconducting main magnet (20) surrounding an examination region (18) and generating a main magnetic field in the examination region (18) A magnetic field gradient system (30) selectively causes alternating gradient magnetic fields in the examination region (18). The magnetic field gradient system (30) is disposed outside of the main magnet (20). In order to provide stable operation of the superconducting main magnet (20) of a magnetic resonance examination system (10) with such a magnetic field gradient system (30), the magnetic resonance examination system (10) is provided with a predicting device (91) and a preventing device (92) The predicting device (91) predicts the behavior of the main magnet (20) due to the gradient magnetic fields (e.g., by calculating the expected heat load of the main magnet caused by an imaging protocol) and the preventing device (92) prevents, based on the predicted behavior of the main magnet (20), the main magnet (20) from quenching.
US08058862B2

A basic structure of a reference voltage generation circuit is formed by a buffer amplifier (21) and a resistive element (22) without using a band gap regulator. Thus, an influence of a noise of the band gap regulator as in the conventional art is eliminated. There are provided comparators (23) and (24) for comparing an input voltage of the buffer amplifier (21) with an output voltage of a band gap regulator (10), and a control circuit (25) for variably controlling a resistance value of the resistive element (22) in response to comparison signals. Consequently, even if an output voltage (Vout) of the buffer amplifier (21) temporarily fluctuates with a change in a source voltage (VDD), it returns into a desirable voltage range and converges through a variable control of the resistance value.
US08058856B2

A multi-phase DC-DC converter is provided. A plurality of switching sets are coupled to an output, wherein each switching set includes a phase node. A plurality of inductors are separately coupled between the phase nodes and the output. A sense circuit has a plurality of sense units separately coupled to the phase nodes, each sensing a signal from the corresponding phase node and generating a sensing signal. A PWM generator includes a plurality of subtracting units, each subtracting a first signal from one of the sensing signals to generate a difference signal, wherein the first signal is generated by summing each of the sensing signals divided by a predetermined value except for the one of the sensing signals. The PWM generator generates a plurality of PWM signals to balance the currents of the inductors according to the difference signals.
US08058852B2

A device and method for detecting a zero crossing and voltage amplitude of a commercial power source voltage inputted to an electronic device, from a single pulse signal are disclosed. The apparatus for detecting a zero crossing and a voltage amplitude from a single pulse signal includes: a first calculation unit that compares the commercial power source voltage to a first reference voltage to determine whether or not the commercial power source voltage is smaller than the first reference voltage; a second calculation unit that compares the commercial power source voltage to a second reference voltage smaller than the first reference voltage to determine whether or not the commercial power source voltage is larger than the second reference voltage; a pulse output unit that outputs a pulse if the commercial power source voltage is smaller than the first reference voltage but larger than the second reference voltage; and a detecting unit that detects a zero crossing and a voltage amplitude by analyzing the pulse which has been outputted from the pulse output unit.
US08058836B2

Upon receiving a supply start instruction, each vehicle (2, 3, 4) transmits its own identification ID to other vehicles (sequence SQ12, SQ14, SQ16). A vehicle (2) determining that it is a master itself performs notification of master to the vehicles (3, 4) (sequence SQ20) and begins generation of an AC voltage conforming to its own period (sequence SQ22). Each vehicle (3, 4) generates an AC current synchronized with a voltage reference which is the AC voltage generated from the vehicle (2) (sequence SQ26a, SQ26b). In this way, the vehicles (2, 3, 4) cooperate to begin power supply to a power load.
US08058829B2

An electronic control module for a machine may include instructions for performing a method. The method may include obtaining a total torque load limit for one or more hydrostatic transmission loops in the machine. The method may also include allocating the total torque load limit between the one or more hydrostatic transmission loops in the form of one or more lower level torque load limits.
US08058813B2

A backlight unit of a liquid crystal display includes a lamp, a balancing pattern capacitor electrically connected to the lamp for current balance, a transformer electrically connected to the lamp via the balancing pattern capacitor, a sensing pattern capacitor electrically connected to a terminal of the balancing pattern capacitor connected to the lamp to detect an abnormal driving state of the lamp, and a feedback circuit unit electrically connected to the sensing pattern capacitor to control the abnormal driving state of the lamp. A liquid crystal display device including the backlight unit is also disclosed.
US08058803B2

Provided is an organic EL display device in which a large amount of a moisture absorbent is formed in a limited narrow region. An organic electroluminescence display device includes a rectangle element substrate having a display region; and a sealing substrate firmly adhered to the element substrate at a protrusion formed on the periphery thereof, in which a moisture absorbent is formed in a region of a concave surface surrounded by the protrusion so as not to overlap the display region, and the moisture absorbent includes moisture absorbents which are formed of a plurality of linear pattern set each joined to adjacent another moisture absorbents so as to be disposed in parallel with each other, and the crosssections of the moisture absorbents intersecting the longitudinal direction of the moisture absorbents are formed in the shape of a plurality of mounds joined to each other.
US08058802B2

An article includes a display layer having an outward facing surface and an inward facing surface. The display layer includes a light-emitting device that generates heat and light during use. A thermal transport layer may be secured to the display layer. The thermal transport layer may include a thermally conductive material that can transport heat generated by the light-emitting device away from the light-emitting device.
US08058800B2

An organic light emitting display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a transistor arranged on an insulating substrate, a pixel electrode connected to the transistor and including a reflective film, an optical path controller arranged on the pixel electrode, an auxiliary electrode arranged on the pixel electrode and the optical path controller, an organic light emitting member arranged on the organic light emitting member, and a common electrode arranged on the organic light emitting member, wherein the optical path controller has a lower light absorption coefficient than the auxiliary electrode.
US08058793B2

To provide a phosphor containing a comparatively much red component and having high light emitting efficiency, high brightness and further high durability, the nitride phosphor is represented by the general formula LXMYN((2/3)X+(4/3)Y):R or LXMYOZN((2/3)X+(4/3)Y−(2/3)Z):R (wherein L is at least one or more selected from the Group II Elements consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Zn, M is at least one or more selected from the Group IV Elements in which Si is essential among C, Si and Ge, and R is at least one or more selected from the rare earth elements in which Eu is essential among Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Lu.); contains the another elements.
US08058786B2

A small diameter spark plug configuration is provided, the configuration has been found to provide additional volume for the insulator member. That is, by limiting the overall number of threads on the intermediate portion along with a limit of the overall diameter of the spark plug, additional volume of insulator material may be achieved in an interior cavity of a metal shell of the spark plug. This additional volume enables a portion of the insulator member to have a larger diameter and hence greater material thickness. The larger diameter of the insulator provides enhanced dielectric properties and protects internal components of the spark plug from high combustion chamber temperatures while simultaneously providing a robust attachment of the spark plug with an engine head.
US08058772B2

The invention concerns an element to be driven, a driving element designed to be urged into engagement with the element to be driven and an actuating element adapted to move the driving element so that it drives the element to be driven in step-by-step displacement, the driving element and the actuating element being formed by etching in a semiconductor material wafer. The invention is characterized in that it comprises elastic prestressing means for maintaining the driving element in contact with the element to be driven.
US08058762B2

A technique of employing a rotor having anti-saliency and being rotatable about a predetermined axis in an axial gap type motor is provided. A plurality of magnets are disposed annularly on a substrate with polarities being symmetric around a shaft hole. For instance, the magnets exhibit N pole and S pole, respectively, on the side of a stator (on this side of sheet of drawing). A plurality of magnetic members are disposed to extend perpendicularly to the direction of a rotation axis, and more specifically, between the magnets.
US08058760B2

When the magnet holding spring is in the deployed state of the plate-like shape, the auxiliary pole is beforehand fixed to one of the side-plates, then the magnet holding spring is bent into a “]”-like sectional shape. As a result, the magnet holding spring and the auxiliary pole that are assembled integrally constitute the sub-assy. Convex parts are formed on the auxiliary pole. The auxiliary pole is fixed to one of the side-plates by press fitting the convex parts to the fitting holes formed on one of the side-plates. The auxiliary pole is laid on one of the side-plates in the direction of a plate thickness for positioning before forming the convex parts on the auxiliary pole. In the positioned state here, by embossing the auxiliary pole, the convex parts are formed on the auxiliary pole, and at the same time, the convex parts are press fit into the fitting holes thus the auxiliary pole is fixed to one of the side-plates.
US08058755B2

A motor system and method thereof are provided, wherein the system includes an energy storage device, a piston assembly including a magnet, at least two end assemblies in operable communication with the piston assembly, and includes first and second end assemblies, each having an electromagnet. The motor system further includes a controller that controls a supply of electrical power to first and second electromagnets of the first and second end assemblies, such that a first polarity of the first electromagnet is opposite a second polarity of the second electromagnet, and the first and second polarities are intermittingly altered by the supply of electrical power, so the magnet of the piston assembly is attracted and repelled from the first and second end assemblies.
US08058754B2

A linear drive including a stator and a rotor configured for linear reciprocal movement along an axis, with the stator having a magnetic-field guide core having a plurality of legs extending each with one foot substantially toward the rotor, with the rotor having a plurality of magnets disposed in a linear array along the direction of the axis, wherein at least one of a respective one of respective lengths of the magnets along the axis and the respective widths of the legs along the axis and the respective spacings of the legs along the axis are different such that force components of the magnets along the axis will substantially compensate each other when the linear drive is in a de-energized state.
US08058752B2

A photovoltaic device includes at least one photovoltaic cell and a DC/DC converter electrically coupled to the at least one photovoltaic cell. The at least one photovoltaic cell and the DC/DC converter are integrated into a photovoltaic package.
US08058743B2

Systems and/or apparatus are provided for automotive electrical systems having power converters that are coupled by using a transformer. An electrical system comprises a boost converter, wherein a first winding of a transformer is coupled between the input node of the boost converter and a first reference node. The boost converter further includes a switch coupled between the first reference node and a second reference node and a diode coupled between the first reference node and the output node of the boost converter. An energy source is coupled between the input node and the second reference node and a first electrical load is coupled between the output node and the second reference node. The electrical system further comprises a voltage converter having an input coupled to a second winding of the transformer, and a second electrical load coupled to the output of the voltage converter.
US08058742B2

A wind turbine includes a wind turbine tower and a power electronic control system located within the wind turbine tower. The power electronic control system includes heat generating components. The heat generating components are directly mounted to the inner surface of the wind turbine tower dissipating the heat generated by the heat generating components directly to the inner surface of the wind turbine tower. In this way, a good thermal conducting path to the entire wind turbine tower is provided. A method for conducting heat generated in electronic equipment housed within a wind turbine tower uses the tower as a heat sink for cooling purposes.
US08058741B1

A hydroelectric power system includes a plurality of paddle wheels, a plurality of electrical generators, a pumping system and a support structure. The support structure includes a water reservoir and at least one water channel contained in an inclined surface. The pumping system includes a plurality of inlet pipes and water pumps that pump water from a body of water into the water reservoir. The plurality of paddle wheels are rotatably retained along a length of the inclined surface. The paddle wheel includes tank paddles that are partially filled with water. The plurality of electrical generators are retained on the support structure. Each electrical generator includes a plurality of stator sections that are engaged or disengaged through a control device. Water in the water reservoir flows down at least one water channel and causes the plurality of paddle wheels to rotate, which causes the electrical generators to generate electricity.
US08058732B2

Disclosed are semiconductor die structures that enable a die having a vertical power device to be packaged in a wafer-level chip scale package where the current-conducting terminals are present at one surface of the die, and where the device has very low on-state resistance. In an exemplary embodiment, a trench and an aperture are formed in a backside of a die, with the aperture contacting a conductive region at the top surface of the die. A conductive layer and/or a conductive body may be disposed on the trench and aperture to electrically couple the backside current-conducting electrode of the device to the conductive region. Also disclosed are packages and systems using a die with a die structure according to the invention, and methods of making dice with a die structure according to the invention.
US08058731B2

By moderately introducing defects into a highly conductive material, such as copper, the resistance versus temperature behavior may be significantly modified so that enhanced electromigration behavior and/or electrical performance may be obtained in metallization structures of advanced semiconductor devices. The defect-related portion of the resistance may be moderately increased so as to change the slope of the resistance versus temperature curve, thereby allowing the incorporation of impurity atoms for enhancing the electromigration endurance while not unduly increasing the overall resistance at the operating temperature or even reducing the corresponding resistance at the specified operating temperature. Thus, by appropriately designing the electrical resistance for a target operating temperature, both the electromigration behavior and the electrical performance may be enhanced.
US08058724B2

Various semiconductor chip thermal management systems and methods are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes coupling a semiconductor chip to a substrate and coupling a diamond heat spreader that has a thermoelectric cooler to the semiconductor chip. A vapor chamber is coupled to the diamond heat spreader.
US08058720B2

A semiconductor package includes a die pad; a semiconductor die mounted on the die pad; a plurality of leads in a first horizontal plane disposed along peripheral edges of the die pad; a ground bar downset from the first horizontal plane to a second horizontal plane between the leads and the die pad; a plurality of downset tie bars connecting the ground bar with the die pad; a plurality of ground wires bonding to both of the ground bar and the die pad; and a molding compound at least partially encapsulating the die pad, inner ends of the leads such that bottom surface of the die pad is exposed within the molding compound.
US08058716B2

An IC device includes a die and a first package interposer stacked over a second package interposer. The IC device includes a first conductive connection from a first bond pad of the die directly to a bond pad of the first interposer and a second conductive connection from a second bond pad of the die directly to a bond pad of the second interposer. Another IC device includes a second die stacked over a separate first die and a first package interposer stacked over a separate second package interposer. The first die is stacked over the first interposer. A first conductive connection exists from a bond pad of the first die directly to a bond pad of the first interposer and a second conductive connection exists from a bond pad of the second die directly to a bond pad of the second interposer.
US08058715B1

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided multiple embodiments of a package-in-package semiconductor device including an RF package and a semiconductor die which are provided in a stacked arrangement and are each electrically connected to an underlying substrate through the use of conductive wires alone or in combination with conductive bumps. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the RF package and the semiconductor die are separated from each other by an intervening spacer which is fabricated from aluminum, or from silicon coated with aluminum. If included in the semiconductor device, the spacer is also electrically connected to the substrate, preferably through the use of conductive wires. The RF package, the semiconductor die, the spacer (if included) and a portion of the substrate are at least partially covered or encapsulated by a package body of the semiconductor device.
US08058709B2

It is an object of the present invention to control the plane orientation of crystal grains obtained by using a laser beam, into a direction that can be substantially regarded as one direction in an irradiation region of the laser beam. After forming a cap film over a semiconductor film, the semiconductor film is crystallized by using a CW laser or a pulse laser having a repetition rate of greater than or equal to 10 MHz. The obtained semiconductor film has a plurality of crystal grains having a width of greater than or equal to 0.01 μm and a length of greater than or equal to 1 μm. In a surface of the obtained semiconductor film, a ratio of an orientation {211} is greater than or equal to 0.4 within the range of an angle fluctuation of ±10°.
US08058706B2

A packaged electronic device includes a thickness shaped IC die including a top portion, top surface, active circuitry, bottom portion and bottom surface. A cross sectional area of the bottom surface is ≧5% less than a cross sectional area of the top surface to provide a protruding lip having a bottom lip surface. A package substrate includes a top substrate surface including substrate bonding sites, a bottom substrate surface, and a die support structure on the top substrate surface having a gap region. The bottom lip surface of the IC die is secured to the die support structure and the bottom surface of the IC die extends below the die support structure into the gap region. Coupling connectors couple the bonding features on the IC die to the substrate bonding sites.
US08058705B2

A composite material substrate having patterned structure includes a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a nitride semiconductor material. Herein, the first dielectric layer is stacked on the substrate, the second dielectric layer is stacked on the first dielectric layer, and the nitride semiconductor material is stacked on the second dielectric layer and is characterized by a plurality of patterns thereon.
US08058703B2

A semiconductor transistor device includes a drift region, an insulating structure, a gate insulator, a gate electrode, a source, and a drain. The drift region includes a first lateral portion having a first dopant concentration and a second lateral portion having a second dopant concentration that is higher than the first lateral portion. The insulating structure is formed on the drift region and is disposed over a border between the first and second lateral portions such that hole generation is minimized in the drift region during operation.
US08058700B1

An improvement for a smart, highside, high current, power switch module formed in an integrated circuit having at least one composite MOS/FET transistor switch connected to controlling and protection circuits. The power switch module has a load terminal (L), a battery input terminal (B), a control input terminal (C) and a diagnostic feedback terminal (M). The improvement provides overcurrent protection from a substantially instantaneous short circuit across an electrical load connected to the load terminal of the power switch module. The improvement is a capacitive circuit element connected between the battery input terminal (B) and the diagnostic feedback terminal (M). The capacitance of the capacitive circuit element should be at least large enough that the capacitive circuit element applies a power supply voltage to the controlling and protection circuits for a time interval that maintains the protection circuits operative and able to turn OFF the MOS/FET transistor switch in the event of the short circuit.
US08058694B2

In a semiconductor device, such as a MOSFET or the like, which is a high-frequency LSI achieving a low noise figure and a high maximum oscillation frequency and which has unit cells with a ring-shaped gate electrode arranged in an array, gate drawing wires connecting together the gate electrode and gate contact pad portions are arranged on a region excluding a drain region and a source region, that is, on an isolation region. Bending portions of the ring-shaped gate electrode are all formed on the isolation region. This therefore permits an improvement in high frequency characteristics such as noise, the maximum oscillation frequency, and the like while eliminating unnecessary gate capacity addition, and also permits small characteristic variation even if a machining shape of the bending portions of the gate electrode is unstable.
US08058684B2

A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes: a semiconductor layer made of silicon; a trench formed by digging in from a top surface of the semiconductor layer; a gate insulating film formed on an inner wall surface of the trench and made of silicon oxide; a gate electrode embedded in the trench via the gate insulating film and made of a polysilicon doped with an impurity; and an oxidation-resistant metal film disposed on a top surface of the gate electrode and covering the top surface.
US08058680B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate, a select gate formed above the semiconductor substrate, a floating gate formed above the semiconductor substrate and an erase gate positioned lower than an upper surface of the floating gate, and opposite an edge of a lower surface of the floating gate.
US08058678B2

Provided is a semiconductor memory device including cylinder type storage nodes and a method of fabricating the semiconductor memory device. The semiconductor memory device includes: a semiconductor substrate including switching devices; a recessed insulating layer including storage contact plugs therein, wherein the storage contact plugs are electrically connected to the switching devices and the recessed insulating layer exposes at least some portions of upper surfaces and side surfaces of the storage contact plugs. The semiconductor device further includes cylinder type storage nodes each having a lower electrode. The lower electrode contacting the at least some portions of the exposed upper surfaces and side surfaces of the storage node contact plugs.
US08058672B2

It is an object of the invention to provide a thin, lightweight, high performance, and low in cost semiconductor device and a display device by reducing an arrangement area required for a power supply wiring and a ground wiring of a functional circuit and decreasing a drop in power supply voltage and a rise in ground voltage. In the functional circuit of the semiconductor device and the display device, a power supply wiring and a ground wiring are formed in a comb-like arrangement, and the tips thereof are electrically connected with a first wiring, a second wiring, and a contact between the first wiring and the second wiring, thereby forming in a grid-like arrangement. The drop in power supply voltage and the rise in ground voltage can be decreased and the arrangement area can be decreased in the grid-like arrangement.
US08058666B2

A semiconductor light emitting device and a light emitting apparatus having the semiconductor light emitting device are provided. The semiconductor light emitting device comprises a substrate, a light emitting structure on the substrate, comprising a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, a second conductive type semiconductor layer, and a first electrode unit on sidewalls of the substrate and the first conductive type semiconductor layer.
US08058664B2

A substrate for an LED assembly can have a plurality of cups formed therein. At least one cup can be formed within another cup. The cups can be co-axial with respect to one another, for example. A machined surface of the substrate can enhance reflectivity of the LED assembly. A transparent and/or non-global solder mask can enhance reflectivity of the LED assembly. A transparent ring can enhance reflectivity of the LED assembly. By enhancing reflectivity of the LED assembly, the brightness of the LED assembly can be increased. Brighter LED assemblies can be used in applications such as flashlights, displays, and general illumination.
US08058656B2

The invention relates to a method for producing a matrix of electronic components, comprising a step of producing an active layer on a substrate, and a step of individualizing the components by forming trenches in the active layer at least until the substrate emerges. The method comprises steps of depositing a layer of functional material on the active layer, depositing a photosensitive resin on the layer of material in such a way as to fill said trenches and to form a thin film on the upper face of the components, at least partially exposing the resin to radiation while underexposing the portion of resin in the trenches, developing the resin in such a way as to remove the properly exposed portion thereof, removing the functional material layer portion that shows through after the development step, and removing the remaining portion of resin.
US08058655B2

Semiconductor devices and methods of making the devices are described. The devices can be junction field-effect transistors (JFETs). The devices have raised regions with sloped sidewalls which taper inward. The sidewalls can form an angle of 5° or more from vertical to the substrate surface. The devices can have dual-sloped sidewalls in which a lower portion of the sidewalls forms an angle of 5° or more from vertical and an upper portion of the sidewalls forms an angle of <5° from vertical. The devices can be made using normal (i.e., 0°) or near normal incident ion implantation. The devices have relatively uniform sidewall doping and can be made without angled implantation.
US08058651B2

A thin film transistor array substrate and a method for manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate are disclosed. Specifically, a thin film transistor array may be formed using a reduced number of masks.
US08058638B2

Apparatus and methods for performing quantum computations are disclosed. Such quantum computational systems may include quantum computers, quantum cryptography systems, quantum information processing systems, quantum storage media, and special purpose quantum simulators.
US08058636B2

A nonvolatile memory apparatus includes a first electrode (111), a second electrode (112), a variable resistance layer (113) which is disposed between the electrodes, a resistance value of the variable resistance layer reversibly varying between a plurality of resistance states based on an electric signal applied between the electrodes, a first terminal (103) connected to the first electrode, and a second terminal (104) connected to the second terminal. The variable resistance layer comprises at least a tantalum oxide, and is configured to satisfy 0
US08058634B2

A method for determining a position of a selected area of a sheet of material relative to a reference plane includes launching a first incident light beam at the selected area of the sheet of material such that the first incident light beam strikes the selected area at a first position and a first angle, thereby producing a first reflected light beam. A second incident light beam is launched at the selected area of the sheet of material such that the second incident light beam strikes the selected area at a second position and a second angle, thereby producing a second reflected light beam. The second position and second angle are different from the first position and first angle, respectively. The first reflected light beam and the second reflected light beam are intercepted at the reference plane. Information related to positions at which the reflected light beams were intercepted and angles at which the incident light beams were launched were received and correlated to the position of the selected area relative to the reference plane.
US08058633B2

A pulse width modulation signal generating device which generates a pulse width modulation signal for modulating laser beam according to image data includes: a cycle signal output circuit which outputs a cycle signal having a cycle corresponding to a drawing rate for drawing the image data by the laser beam; and a pulse width modulation circuit which receives supply of the image data and the cycle signal and modulates a pulse wave having a cycle determined by the cycle signal by changing duty ratio of the pulse wave based on the image data to produce the pulse width modulation signal.
US08058626B2

A ribbon-shaped ion beam having an elongate cross-section normal to a beam direction is modified by generating, at a predetermined position along the ribbon-shaped beam, a magnetic field extending in an x-direction along an x-axis. The x-direction magnetic field has a non-uniform intensity which is a desired function of x.
US08058621B2

A system to detect a plurality of elements is proposed. The system includes one or more X-ray sources for transmitting X-rays towards a sample and also includes plurality of photon detectors. An array of crystals are arranged in a curvature with appropriate geometry for receiving a plurality of photon energies emitted from the sample and focusing the photon energy on the plurality of detectors. The plurality of photon detectors are spatially arranged at Bragg angles corresponding to signature photon energies to detect the plurality of elements simultaneously.
US08058617B2

The present invention is a method of determining the presence of keratin, particularly hard keratin, such as exists in mammalian hair and feathers, and objects comprising such materials. The method of the present invention also includes displaying information derived from such a determination, as well as a measurement method followed by transmission of data to a remote processing site for analysis or display. The invention also includes devices for carrying out the determination, display and/or transmission.
US08058614B2

The disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an object with miniaturized structures. The method involves processing the object by supplying reaction gas during concurrent directing an electron beam onto a location to be processed, to deposit material or ablate material; and inspecting the object by scanning the surface of the object with an electron beam and leading generated backscattered electrons and secondary electrons to an energy selector, reflecting the secondary electrons from the energy selector, detecting the backscattered electrons passing the energy selector and generating an electron to microscopic image of the scanned region in dependence on the detected backscattered electrons; and examining the generated electron microscopic image and deciding whether further depositing or ablating of material should be carried out. The disclosure also relates to an electron microscope and a processing system which are adapted for performing the method.
US08058613B2

The present disclosure describes micromechanical devices and methods for using such devices for characterizing a material's strength. The micromechanical devices include an anchor pad, a top shuttle platform, a nanoindenter in movable contact with the top shuttle platform and at least two sample stage shuttles. The nanoindenter applies a compression force to the top shuttle platform, and the at least two sample stage shuttles move apart in response to the compression force. Each of the at least two sample stage shuttles is connected to the top shuttle platform and to the anchor pad by at least one inclined beam. Methods for using the devices include connecting a sample between the at least two sample stage shuttles and applying a compression force to the top shuttle platform. Application of the compression force to the top shuttle platform results in a tensile force being applied to the sample. Measuring a tip displacement of the nanoindenter is correlated with the sample's strength. Illustrative materials that can be studied using the micromechanical devices include, for example, nanotubes, nanowires, nanorings, nanocomposites and protein fibrils.
US08058608B1

A device for imaging scenes with a very large range of intensity having a pair of polarizers, a primary lens, an attenuating mask, and an imaging device optically connected along an optical axis. Preferably, a secondary lens, positioned between the attenuating mask and the imaging device is used to focus light on the imaging device. The angle between the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction is adjustable.
US08058597B2

A deployment system is provided for utilization onboard an airborne object including a deployable element. In one embodiment, the deployment system includes a circumferential restraint and a release mechanism mounted to the airborne object. The circumferential restraint is disposed at least partially around the airborne object in a constraining position wherein the circumferential restraint prevents deployment of the deployable element. The release mechanism normally resides in a first position in which the release mechanism maintains the circumferential restraint in the constraining position. The release mechanism is movable to a second position to release the circumferential restraint from the constraining position and permit deployment of the deployable element.
US08058595B2

A nose cone formed from a shape memory alloy (SMA) having a recoverable strain of at least 2% collapses about the dome for storage, deploys at launch to protect the sensor dome and reduce drag during atmospheric flight and is shed to allow sensing for terminal maneuvers. The SMA is shape-set at elevated temperatures in its Austenite phase with a memorized shape having a radius of curvature greater than that of the sensor dome to reduce aerodynamic drag. The temperature is reduced and the SMA collapsed to conform to the curvature of the sensor dome within the recoverable strain for storage. A first mechanism is configured to return the collapsed SMA to its memorized shape at launch or prior to going supersonic. In one embodiment, the SMA is stored below its Martensite finish temperature in a temperature-induced Martensite phase in which case the mechanism heats the SMA above the Austenite finish temperature to return the material to its memorized shape. In another embodiment, the SMA is stored above its Austenite finish temperature in which case collapsing the SMA places the material in a strain-induced Martensite phase. The mechanism holds the collapsed SMA in place and the releases the stored energy allowing the SMA to return to the memorized shape.
US08058574B2

An auxiliary contact block is disclosed for expanding a switching device and to a switching device having at least one auxiliary contact block. A compact auxiliary contact block, i.e. a block requiring little wiring and space, for a switching device is disclosed, and a switching device having at least one auxiliary contact block. In at least one embodiment of the auxiliary contact block, the auxiliary contact block includes auxiliary contacts disposed in a plane, the contacts having contact bridges and associated fixed contact pieces, and at least one contact slider, which can be equipped with at least one auxiliary contact pair. The configuration of the auxiliary contacts in a plane as described herein allows a very small installation size and very little wiring complexity of the auxiliary contacts in a simple manner. The actuating unit can, for example, be configured as a slider that couples the contact slider and the switching device with each other.
US08058569B2

A gasket generally includes upper and lower members and first and second oppositely-disposed lateral members. The first and second oppositely-disposed lateral members connect the lower member to the upper member such that a spaced distance separates the lower member's inner surface from the upper member's inner surface. The first and second lateral members, lower member, and lower member may collectively define a generally trapezoidal profile.
US08058568B2

A circuit board and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The circuit board includes a core board, a first bonding layer disposed on the core board, and a first wiring layer disposed on the first bonding layer. The first bonding layer enables the first wiring layer to be bonded to the core layer better, thereby preventing delamination and forming a fine-pitch wiring layer.
US08058554B2

A bus bar has a lead portion and a bus bar portion which are integrally shaped. The lead portion is provided in such a shape that branches from the bus bar portion. A part of the lead portion forms a connection part directly electrically connected with a transistor electrode and a diode electrode by a connecting material such as solder. The thickness of the lead portion including the connection part is made smaller than the thickness of the bus bar portion. Accordingly, such an interconnection structure can be provided in which the electrode of the semiconductor device and the bus bar are electrically directly connected with each other and thermal stress at the connection part therebetween can be relieved.
US08058536B1

A novel maize variety designated 10157970 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing maize variety 10157970 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into 10157970 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety 10157970, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety 10157970. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety 10157970.