US08074287B2
Systems and methods for providing a protected computing environment comprising separating out a protected environment management component from a kernel of a computing device, providing identification information as a part of the protected environment management component, and providing individualization information as part of the protected environment management component.
US08074282B1
A system, method and computer program product are provided for displaying a status of a security application. A status of at least one security application is initially identified. An index is calculated that is representative of a degree of risk associated with the status of the at least one security application. The index is then displayed.
US08074270B1
Techniques are described for establishing network tunnels that allow communication according to one or more routing protocols. The techniques allow for the automated configuration of a selector or other filter associated with the network tunnel. A network device, for example, includes a control unit, and an interface for coupling the network device to a computer network. The control unit receives a communication to establish a network tunnel with a remote network device. The communication includes information that specifies a routing protocol supported by the remote network device. The control unit automatically configures the network tunnel to permit communication through the network tunnel in accordance with the specified routing protocol. The control unit may receive the communication in accordance with a conventional network protocol, such as the Internet Key Exchange protocol. The information may be conveyed using a data field redefined to specify the supported routing protocol.
US08074264B2
A server may bridge between a wide area network, such as the Internet, and a local area network and may process authentication requests from clients on the wide area network. The server may filter the requests to enable specific types of requests to pass, and may forward the requests to a credential server within the local area network and pass any responses back to the client. The server may be configured with some or all of a set of domain services objects, but such objects may be stored in a read only format. The server may further contain a minimum of or no sensitive data such that, if compromised, an attacker may gain little advantage. The client may request evidence of authentication available to devices within the local area network and may use the evidence of authentication to access services made available to the wide area network.
US08074246B2
An appropriate direction and gain value of a smart antenna are efficiently searched for. The MPU 11 of the set top box functionally has the condition setting portion which selects a gain from the second predetermined number of steps of gains and sets it, and selects a direction from the first predetermined number of directions and sets it, the receiving state evaluation portion which generates receiving quality information that indicates the quality of a receiving state of a television broadcast received via the receiving portion, the receiving determination portion which determines whether or not a receiving state is good based on the generated receiving quality information, and the search end portion which when the receiving state is determined good, records the set one gain and one direction as the receiving conditions into the condition storage portion and makes the condition setting portion end the setting processings of gains and directions.
US08074245B2
In a receiving device, a receiver receives extended program information. A user selects a program to be reserved by a selection operation using an operation input unit. An extended reservation manager causes an instruction receiver to transmit an extended reservation instruction based on an extended program identifier for identifying the selected program. In a recording device, a receiver receives program data, mapping information, and program information. The instruction receiver receives the extended reservation instruction transmitted from the receiver. An extended reservation executor acquires an extended program identifier from the received extended reservation instruction and acquires a program identifier corresponding to the extended program identifier on the basis of the mapping information, to store a program reservation on the basis of the program identifier. A program recorder/reproducer records and/or reproduces the program data in accordance with the stored program reservation. The extended reservation instruction is configured so as not to be recognized as a reservation instruction by a recording/reproducing appliance that is not adapted to the extended program information.
US08074244B2
Partial data related to information data is received, image data corresponding to the received partial data is generated by sequentially processing the received partial data, and the generated image data is output to a display unit. Before output of the image data corresponding to the partial data to the display unit is completed, reception of the information data is started. Then, image data corresponding to the information data is generated by processing the received information data, and image data to be displayed on said display unit is switched to the image data corresponding to the information data from the image data corresponding to the partial data after the reception of the information data is started.
US08074235B2
A media transportation mechanism control method and a media processing device can accurately detect the last disc or other media stored in a media storage unit. A transportation arm 36 is lowered to the media stacker 21, the transportation arm 36 is paused when the media detection mechanism 200 detects the media, and the transportation arm 36 is then raised and the position where the media detection mechanism 200 stops detecting the media is stored as media height H. After the transportation arm 36 descends again, picks a disc M from the media stacker 21, and then rises, the media height H is compared with a prescribed threshold limit α. If the media height H is less than the threshold limit α, the number of media left in the media stacker 21 is determined to be a prescribed count (such as zero).
US08074231B2
In some implementations, the operations of a software system may include the execution of untrusted device drivers. The execution of an untrusted device driver may be initiated when an untrusted device driver that is a set of executable instructions is obtained. A computing resource for the execution of the device driver may be further determined from a device-driver manifest of the untrusted device driver. Computing resources may include one or more of a hardware resource, a memory, an input/output port, an interrupt request line, and an inter-process communication channel. Trusted local access objects may be used by the untrusted device driver to access the computing resources.
US08074229B2
Systems and methods are described that permit objects from runtime environments that are incompatible with one another to be co-executed on a computing machine. Depending on which object can service the request, a generic proxy may send the request to the proxy of the particular runtime environment associated with that object. The proxy may call the appropriate methods of the object therein to service the request. Each runtime environment may be isolated from other runtime environments by a container such that catastrophic errors in one runtime environment do not disrupt the execution of objects in another runtime environment. A first object in a first runtime environment may execute methods in a second object in a second runtime environment by invoking a proxy of the second runtime environment to call the methods of the second object.
US08074225B2
A capacity manager provides temporary resources on demand in a manner that assures the temporary resources may be recovered when the specified resource-time expires. Access to minimum resource specifications corresponding to the logical partitions is controlled to prevent the sum of all minimum resource specifications from exceeding the base resources on the system. By assuring the sum of minimum resource specifications for all logical partitions is satisfied by the base resources on the system, the temporary resources may always be recovered when required.
US08074222B2
In a job management device: a request reception unit stores job-input information in a storage device on receipt of a job-execution request; and an execution instruction unit sends to one or more job-assigned calculation nodes a job-execution instruction together with execution-resource information, and stores job-assignment information in the storage device in association with a job identifier. When the contents of the job database are lost by a restart of the job management device, a reconstruction unit collects the job-input information and the job-assignment information from the storage device, collects the execution-resource information from the one or more job-assigned calculation nodes, and reconstructs the job information in the job database.
US08074221B2
Methods and systems of processing print jobs are disclosed. A feasible route for processing each of a plurality of jobs is determined. For each feasible route, the time to process the job via the feasible route is determined. Each job is assigned to a first feasible route. A first objective function value is determined using a time to process each job assigned to each autonomous cell. A job is selected. A second feasible route is selected for the selected job. A second objective function value is determined by substituting the second feasible route for the first feasible route for the selected job. If the first value plus a threshold exceeds the second value, the second value replaces the first value, and the second feasible route replaces the first feasible route. Selection and substitution are repeated for each job. The jobs are then processed.
US08074220B2
In certain embodiments, a method for interfacing an application to a distributed transaction coordinator includes receiving a distributed transaction request from an application in a first runtime environment. In response to the request, the application is enlisted with a distributed transaction coordinator in a second runtime environment. The first runtime environment is at least partially distinct from the second runtime environment. A transaction identifier is received from the distributed transaction coordinator. A first resource manager is invoked to enlist in the distributed transaction using the transaction identifier and a second resource manager is invoked to enlist in the distributed transaction using the transaction identifier.
US08074207B1
Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for profiling an application. An application for execution is obtained. The application comprises a plurality of machine-independent first instructions. Regions of the first instructions that implement one or more programming language methods, functions, or flow control structures are identified. The first instructions are translated into corresponding machine-dependent second instructions for a target machine. The second instructions are instrumented to include sampling instructions for the identified regions. The sampling instructions are configured to cause generation of a state sample when an identified region is executed. Each state sample includes a time stamp and an identification of a currently executing method or function. The second instructions are executed in order to execute the application. During the execution of the application, each generated state sample is collected.
US08074203B2
System and method for executing a graphical program on a first computer and providing a user interface of the graphical program on a second computer, where the graphical program includes a plurality of interconnected function icons representing graphical data flow of a function. Information indicating a plurality of graphical programs on the first computer, e.g., a list, may be displayed on the second computer, and user input specifying the graphical program on the first computer received to the second computer, e.g., selecting the graphical program from the list of graphical programs. The graphical program is executed on the first computer, and information describing the user interface of the graphical program is provided to the second computer during execution. The user interface of the graphical program is displayed on the second computer, facilitating interaction between a user of the second computer and the graphical program executing on the first computer.
US08074200B2
An invention is disclosed for a programming method and system of implementing parameterization of data types and/or categories to convert an example “instance” of using a software application into an actual product of program use by customizing the example to make it suitable for user needs. A parameter modeling component along with a parameterization component and an instantiation component are used to create parameterized example instances (“p-instances”) and tooling instructions are then invoked to customize a “p-instance” into a real instance reflecting creation of a document or file or other program artifact (i.e., data product) resulting from actual use of the software application.
US08074194B2
Ordinary minterm counting (OMC) and weighted minterm counting (WMC) are applied as combinational design discriminators to a pair of combinational designs D1 and D2. OMC assigns the same weight to each minterm, while WMC assigns a weight that can vary. For application of minterm counting, D1 and D2 can be converted into BDDs. The size of the BDDs can be reduced by assigning binary values to some of the input variables. If the minterm counts of D1 and are within a certain tolerance, then D1 and D2 cannot be distinguished. Even if D1 and D2 are determined to represent different functionalities, they may still be sufficiently related such that classification of them as differing functionalities is inappropriate. Each such test of relatedness, between a pair of designs D1 and D2, can be referred to as an “exception.” Minterm counting can also be applied when don't cares are part of a design specification. Exceptions can apply to such minterm counts.
US08074192B2
The circuit volume of a system under design is reduced by a circuit conversion involving consolidation (sharing) of common parts in the system by a representative part. The design data of the system post-conversion is used to verify operation of the system. However, the verification results for the system post-conversion express signals (e.g., signal X) of plural modules (e.g., modules a to c) as one signal waveform thereby making debugging difficult when a bug is found. Given this situation, from the verification results of the system post-conversion, signal-generation-use data is generated for generating the signal waveforms (here, respective signal waveforms for the modules a to c) of the system before conversion. After verification is complete, a signal waveform for each of the modules a to c is generated using the verification results for the system under design and the signal-generation-use data.
US08074191B2
A method of designing an integrated circuit for use in an application having standards having a plurality of primitives, wherein each of the primitives has a corresponding response. The method includes generating a macros description of each of the primitives and the response corresponding to each of the primitives, generating a template relating to the response corresponding to each of the primitives, receiving information specifying a behavior of the integrated circuit in response to the primitives based on the template, and generating a hardware description language representation for the integrated circuit based on the macros description and the information.
US08074183B2
An image formation device having a hierarchically structured function setting menu in which plural function setting items including a function setting item for an optional device are managed in a hierarchical structure, the hierarchically structured function setting menu being sequentially displayed according to the hierarchical structure to select a desired function setting item to perform a function setting, the image formation device including a detector that detects a connection of the optional device, and a changing unit that changes the function setting item for the optional device to a top level of the hierarchically structured function setting menu when the connection of the optional device is detected by the detector.
US08074182B2
A work procedure display method of displaying a work procedure on a work object by a computer displaying a moving image, the method comprising: (a) displaying an entire image of the work object so that start of work is recognizable by a worker; (b) increasing display magnification of the work object so that a working target site of the work object is displayed in an enlarged manner; (c) displaying a moving image showing content of work; (d) displaying an image for the worker to recognize end of work; and (e) accepting instruction to complete the work; wherein steps (a) to (d) are repeatedly executed until instruction to complete the work is accepted, is disclosed. A work procedure display method and system and computer program of the same is also disclosed.
US08074181B2
A magnifier panning system is described that creates a panning region at the edges of a magnified view. When a user moves the cursor into the panning region, the system pans the magnified view. When the user is not in the panning region, the user can interact with objects in the magnified view without the view shifting around. The objects appear magnified, but they do not behave or move any differently than they would if they were not magnified, providing the user with a familiar and comfortable user experience. Thus, the magnifier panning system provides the user with a much more natural view for interacting with the displayed objects while still allowing an efficient way to pan the view to move the magnified view to a different area of the screen.
US08074179B2
A method of displaying non-textual indication of question verification status in a user interface, the user interface including a plurality of questions associated there-with, includes receiving an answer to at least one question of the plurality of questions, associating a non-textual indication of the verification status of the answer, and displaying the non-textual indication of the at least one question.
US08074173B2
Notes and other input may be entered directly onto computer based content. The notes may be taken on a portable computing device that contains metadata from the computer based content. The metadata and input are stored and once the portable computing device is in communication with the second computing device displaying the computer based content, the input is displayed near the computer based content that was displayed at the time the input was created.
US08074160B2
A streaming parser API expands a base parser by building an iterative method on top of the base parser. The iterative method allows a user to pass a selected element type to the base parser, which can step through the XML document until it locates a matching element. The base parser can then extract the element, process the element as an event, and place the event on an event stream for use by an application.
US08074151B1
A signal detector comprises a first detector that generates raw decisions as a function of a read back signal. A selector generates a modified decision by at least one of applying a correction technique to soft information that is based on the raw decisions and marking an erasure in the soft information. A decoder decodes the modified decision to generate a final decision and determines whether a correct codeword is generated by evaluating the final decision. The decoder performs at least one of Reed-Solomon decoding, Bose Chaudhuri Hocquerghen (BCH) decoding, Hamming decoding, and Trellis decoding.
US08074147B2
A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method are disclosed. Herein, additional encoding is performed on mobile service data, which are then transmitted, thereby providing robustness in the processed mobile service data, so that the mobile service data can respond more strongly against fast and frequent channel changes. The data processing method of a digital broadcast transmitting system includes the steps of forming a RS frame by grouping a plurality of mobile service data bytes that is being inputted, and performing error correction encoding in RS frame units, forming a super frame by grouping a plurality of the error correction encoded RS frame, performing row permutation in super frame units, and dividing the super frame back to RS frames, and dividing the RS frame into a plurality of data groups.
US08074146B2
Multiple cyclic redundancy check (CRC) engines for checking/appending CRCs during data transfers. Two distinctly implemented CRC engines are employed to enable the processing of different sized byte formats at two ends of a communication channel. These two distinctly implemented CRC engines can be employed to enable the processing of different sized byte formats in a host device at one end and an hard disk drive (HDD) at another end. For example, sometimes the size of blocks, frames, and/or sector sizes that are processed and employed within a first communication device at one end of a communication channel can differ from the size of blocks, frames, and/or sector sizes that are processed and employed within a second communication device at another end of the communication channel. Two distinctly implemented CRC engines allow the appropriate processing and translation of any desired different sized blocks, frames, and/or sector sizes of a communication channel.
US08074140B2
A user equipment comprises a transmitter and an adaptive modulation and coding controller. The transmitter is configured to transmit data over an air interface in a single transmission time interval with a first specified modulation and coding scheme, where the single transmission time interval has a plurality of transport block sets. In response to receiving a repeat request for retransmission of at least one particular transport block set, the transmitter retransmits the at least one of the particular transport block sets. The adaptive modulation and coding controller is configured to change the specified modulation and coding scheme to a second specified modulation and coding scheme, enabling a combining of a particular transport block set transmitted at the first specified modulation and coding scheme with a retransmitted version of the particular transport block set transmitted at the second specified modulation and coding scheme.
US08074139B2
A request change unit outputs a command as a request under control of a judgment control unit. A response condition determination unit determines a condition that is to be matched by a correct response which is to be returned from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command if the other device-in-communication operates in conformity with a protocol. A check unit checks a response received from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command, against the condition. If the received response does not match the condition but is correctable to match the condition as a result of the check, a response correction unit corrects the received response to match the condition under control of the judgment control unit.
US08074136B2
An improved error correction apparatus and method for a digital device are provided. An error correction apparatus includes at least one client module outputting an error detection signal, if an error is detected; and a controller for analyzing the error and controlling the client module to correct the error, if an error detection signal is received. An error correction apparatus and method of the present invention is provided with shadow registers or CRC registers for quickly detecting errors of status registers of a client module, whereby an error of the client module can be quickly detected and corrected.
US08074131B2
A high integration integrated circuit may comprise a plurality of processing cores, a graphics processing unit, and an uncore area coupled to an interface structure such as a ring structure. A generic debug external connection (GDXC) logic may be provisioned proximate to the end point of the ring structure. The GDXC logic may receive internal signals occurring in the uncore area, within the ring structure and on the interfaces provisioned between the plurality of cores and the ring structure. The GDXC logic may comprise a qualifier to selectively control the entry of the packets comprising information of the internal signals into the queue. The GDXC logic may then transfer the packets stored in the queues to a port provisioned on the surface of the integrated circuit packaging to provide an external interface to the analysis tools.
US08074129B2
A memory apparatus is disclosed, comprising a memory device under test, a reduced-pin-count device and a built-in self test device. The reduced-pin-count device is used to find a faulty cell address in the memory device under test during a pre-fuse stage. The built-in self test device is used to detect whether the memory device under test has any error during a post-fuse stage. The memory apparatus is capable of promptly finding the address of a defect cell in the memory device under test such that repairs can be performed during a fuse stage. Furthermore, the invention reduces the pin count required during testing the memory device under test. Thus, the cost of testing equipment is reduced and the performance of memory testing is enhanced.
US08074128B2
A block management and replacement method for a flash memory is provided. The method includes grouping physical blocks of the flash memory into physical units and dividing the physical units as a usage area and a replacement area, wherein the physical blocks grouped into the same physical unit are accessed by using a multi-planes accessing command. The method also includes when one of the physical block of the physical unit in the usage area is damaged, replacing the physical unit having the damaged physical block with one physical unit selected from the replacement area and recording the undamaged physical block within the replaced physical unit if there is an applicable physical unit in the replacement area; and replacing the damaged physical block with one physical block selected from the replacement area if there is no applicable physical unit but an undamaged physical block in the replacement area.
US08074124B2
As set forth herein, a system identifies soft failures of devices. An interface captures transactional data between one or more users and one or more devices within the system. A data log receives the transactional data from the interface and stores the data as historical data for subsequent retrieval. A warning system evaluates the historical data in the data log to identify one or more devices that have a soft failure condition, wherein an alarm is output for each soft failure identified. A display module combines the historical data from the data log and one or more alarms from the warning system into a single display for review.
US08074117B2
A declarative program definition. The definition is analyzed to produce an application contract that describes semantics for sending and receiving application messages during the successful execution of operations by the program. In addition, this analysis may also generate local behaviors associated with the local execution of the program. Alternatively or in addition, the analysis may infer secondary contracts regarding the sending and receiving of application messages, even though the full details of the secondary contracts are not present in the declarative program definition. For instance, the secondary contracts might include error contracts or consistency contracts.
US08074103B2
A computer is programmed to execute a diagnostic procedure either on a pre-set schedule or asynchronously in response to an event, such as an error message, or a user command. When executed, the diagnostic procedure automatically checks for integrity of one or more portions of data in the computer, to identify any failure(s). In some embodiments, the failure(s) may be displayed to a human, after revalidation to exclude any failure that no longer exists.
US08074102B2
A method for reactivating at least one media transfer protocol-compatible (MTP-compatible) device when an unrecoverable error occurs includes: temporarily storing a transaction ID of a latest operation performed on the MTP-compatible device; and selectively communicating with the MTP-compatible device by utilizing the transaction ID when an unrecoverable error of the MTP-compatible device occurs. An associated host for reactivating at least one MTP-compatible device when an unrecoverable error occurs includes a storage unit and a processing circuit. The storage unit is arranged to temporarily store a transaction ID of a latest operation performed on the MTP-compatible device. In addition, the processing circuit is arranged to selectively communicate with the MTP-compatible device by utilizing the transaction ID when an unrecoverable error of the MTP-compatible device occurs.
US08074101B1
A computer-implemented method for handling path failures to active-passive storage arrays may include identifying a host system with multiple I/O paths to an active-passive storage array. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a backup system operating for the host system, the backup system having multiple I/O paths to the active-passive storage array. The computer-implemented method may also include disabling at least one secondary path from the backup system to the active-passive storage array. The computer-implemented method may further include detecting a path failure. The computer-implemented method may additionally include reconfiguring the backup system to access the active-passive storage array through the host system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08074098B2
An object of the present invention is to ensure, in an information processing system including a plurality of server apparatuses coupled to one another, reliability and availability thereof when failover is executed. In an information processing system, which includes a plurality of server apparatuses coupled to one another, and a management server coupled to the server apparatuses, and is configured to, when detecting occurrence of a failure in an active server apparatus of the server apparatuses, execute failover from the active server apparatus to a standby server apparatus of the server apparatuses after turning on a power supply of the standby server apparatus whose power supply having been turned off, the management server is enabled to: acquire information on the standby server apparatus after turning on the power supply of the standby server apparatus; turn off the power supply of the standby server apparatus after acquiring the information; and, based on the acquired information, judge whether or not failover to the standby server apparatus can be executed. Additionally, an acquisition method of the information can be selected in accordance with an allocated status of the standby server apparatus.
US08074097B2
A system and method for analyzing and/or testing member devices in a multi-device system. The multi-device system includes a device-under-analysis (DUA) and a device-under-observation (DUO). An analyzer that is external to the multi-device system generates and sends test messages to the DUA. The analyzer monitors the health of the multi-device system through the DUO and detects a system-wide impact of the DUA caused by the test messages. The analyzer analyzes the DUA based on the test messages and the system-wide impact.
US08074096B2
Aspects of the embodiment provide a semiconductor integrated circuit including a control terminal coupled to a memory through a control bus, a data terminal coupled to the memory through a data bus, a memory controller coupled to the control terminal and the data terminal and a first master and a second master coupled to the memory controller, wherein the memory controller supplies a control signal corresponding to a memory access based on the first master and a control signal corresponding to a memory access based on the second master to the control terminal in synchronism with a rising edge and a falling edge of a clock signal, respectively, and the memory controller receives and outputs input/output data of the first master and input/output data of the second master at the data terminal in synchronism with the rising edge and the falling edge, respectively.
US08074085B2
A system and method for controlling power supply of a power source to at least one power consumer to a desired value in the range of from 0 and 100% in which the operating time of the power consumer is divided up into periods and the power output by the power source is switched on within one period only during the duty cycle which is the portion of the period length that corresponds to the desired value. Resolution provided by the present system and method is improved over known techniques for the static division of the period into equally long periods, especially in the control of light modules having low intensities. The present system and method includes the feature in which the period length is divided up into a number of blocks, every block having at least one switch segment in which the switching state can be modified, and at least one static segment in which the switching state cannot be modified.
US08074081B2
A data storage device includes a plurality of data storage units, a physical random number generator with a noise source based on a physical noise process, for generating a random number, and a replacer for selecting a data storage unit wherein data is to be stored, depending on the random number. Selecting, on the basis of genuine random numbers, data storage units and/or lines to be replaced in the cache.
US08074077B1
A method of securing a circuit design can include generating a string including a plurality of elements. The plurality of elements can include elements of design information selected from within the circuit design and at least one security element indicating whether the circuit design is protected. The method further can include permuting the plurality of elements of the string, encrypting the permuted string using a key shared with a circuit design tool, and including the permuted and encrypted string within the circuit design.
US08074072B2
A challenge response scheme authenticates a requesting device by an authenticating device. The authenticating device generates and issues a challenge to the requesting device. The requesting device combines the challenge with a hash of a password provided by a user, and the combination is further hashed in order to generate a requesting encryption key used to encrypt the user supplied password. The encrypted user supplied password is sent to the authenticating device as a response to the issued challenge. The authenticating device generates an authenticating encryption key by generating the hash of a combination of the challenge and a stored hash of an authenticating device password. The authenticating encryption key is used to decrypt the response in order to retrieve the user-supplied password. If the user-supplied password hash matches the stored authenticating device password hash, the requesting device is authenticated and the authenticating device is in possession of the password.
US08074067B2
It is an object of the present invention to enhance the security and reduce the data amount of data to be handled in a group signing system, in which when the group public key which includes: a description for four groups: group 1, group 2, group T, and group E of the same order number; a description of bilinear mapping from group 1 and group 2 to group T; each generator of group 1, group 2, group T, and group E; and a signature public key of a signature scheme using group 1, group 2, and group T, is input, the member secret key including an integer not larger than the order number, member evidence which is a value given by multiplying the generator of group E by the member secret key, and an element of group 1 or group 2 which is a value given by multiplying the generator of the group 1 or the group 2 by the member secret key are sent to the member-certificate issuing device, and thereafter upon receipt of a signature for the member secret key, which is verifiable by the signature public key, from the member-certificate issuing device, the signature is used as the member certificate.
US08074059B2
A system and method is provided for performing deterministic processing on a non-deterministic computer system. In one example, the system forces execution of one or more computer instructions to execute within a constant execution time. A deterministic engine, if necessary, waits a variable amount of time to ensure that the execution of the computer instructions is performed over the constant execution time. Because the execution time is constant, the execution is deterministic and therefore may be used in applications requiring deterministic behavior. For example, such a deterministic engine may be used in automated test equipment (ATE) applications.
US08074044B2
A method for managing the allocation of memory to one or more applications. The method includes allocating a variety of fixed size memory blocks to a requesting application, each of the fixed size memory blocks being free of header information to maximize memory usage. Free, or unused blocks of data of the same fixed size are maintained in a freelist having a number of block roots corresponding to the number of differently fixed size memory blocks. Each block root stores a root pointer to an unused memory block previously allocated to the application. To conserve memory, each unused memory block will store branch pointers to other identically sized unused memory blocks, thereby forming a sequential chain of unused memory blocks with the block root. Therefore, applications requesting the same sized memory block can re-use previously allocated fixed size memory blocks.
US08074039B2
In an embodiment, an apparatus is provided that may include circuitry to generate, at least in part, and/or receive, at least in part, at least one access request involving a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage. The storage may be capable of accessing, in response, at least in part, to the at least one request an encryption and/or parity information. The encryption may be of at least one portion of the data and/or the parity information. The encryption may be stored in (1) encrypted disk stripes in the storage such that the data is unrecoverable based solely upon remaining unencrypted portion of the data and the parity information stored in the storage, and/or (2) one or more respective disk stripes having a number that is determined based at least in part upon one or more encryption levels, if any, associated with at least one characteristic of the data.
US08074035B1
A system and method for multivolume file system backup without suspending activity of user application programs uses a file system snapshot of two and more partitions or volumes of the storage device, or two and more data storages, significantly increasing computer system availability and allows backing up two and more partitions of the storage device without interrupting computer services. Backup procedure is performed online, simultaneously creates snapshots of two and more partitions of the storage device or storage devices in the pre-selected point of time and copies data blocks from partitions into the backup storage device, optionally through the intermediate storage device. When a write command is directed to a data storage block identified for backup that has not yet been backed up, the identified data storage block is copied from the storage device to the intermediate storage device, the write command is executed on the identified data storage block from the storage device, and the data storage block is copied from the intermediate storage device to the backup storage device.
US08074033B1
A memory controller mechanism is operable in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, a first memory controller portion of the mechanism can use a first set of data terminals to perform a first external bus access operation (EBAO) and a second memory controller portion of the mechanism can use a second set of data terminals to perform a second EBAO. The first and second EBAO operations may be narrow accesses that occur simultaneously. In the second mode, one of the controllers can use both the first and second sets of data terminals to perform a wider third EBAO. The memory controller mechanism can dynamically switch between first mode and second mode operation. In situations in which one of the sets of data terminals would not otherwise be used, performing wide accesses in the second mode using the one set of data terminals improves bus utilization.
US08074032B2
There is provided a storage control system in which various controls to a plurality of storage controllers connected to each other can be effectively performed. The storage control system controls first and second storage controllers, in which a second storage controller 10 is connected to a first storage controller 1-1 to which a host system 1-2 is connected. With reference to a memory in which a table defining correspondence relationships between internal logical volumes and a host logical volume 32 of the second storage controller 10 is stored, a channel adapter 1-3 of the first storage controller 1-1 controls power supplies of driving mechanisms of storage devices corresponding to the internal logical volumes.
US08074031B2
A plurality of processors in a multiprocessor circuit is electrically connected to a plurality of independently addressable memory banks via a connection circuit. The connection circuit is arranged to forward addresses from a combination of the processors to addressing inputs of memory banks selected by the addresses. The connection circuit provides for a conflict resolution scheme wherein at least one of the processors is associated with one of the memory banks as an associated processor. The connection circuit guarantees the associated processor a higher minimum guaranteed access frequency to the associated memory banks than to non-associated memory banks. A defragmenter detects data associated with a task running on the associated processor that is stored on one of the memory banks and moves the data to the associated memory banks during execution of the task.
US08074028B2
The present solution provides a multi-tiered caching and cache indexing system is depicted. A cache management system uses a memory based object index to reference or identify corresponding objects stored in disk. The memory used to index object may grow proportionally or in relation to growth in the size of the disk. The techniques described herein minimize, reduce or maintain the size of memory for an object index although the size of storage for storing objects is changed. These techniques allow for more optimal use of memory for object indexing while increasing or decreasing disk size for object storage.
US08074013B2
A uniform coding system for a flash memory is disclosed. A statistic decision unit determines a coding word according to a plurality of inputs. An inverse unit controllably inverts input data to be encoded. The input data are then encoded into encoded data according to a statistic determined by the statistic decision unit.
US08074011B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for storage space recovery after reaching a read count limit. A read module reads data in a storage division of solid-state storage. A read counter module then increments a read counter corresponding to the storage division. A read counter limit module determines if the read count exceeds a maximum read threshold, and if so, a storage division selection module selects the corresponding storage division for recovery. A data recovery module reads valid data packets from the selected storage division, stores the valid data packets in another storage division of the solid-state storage, and updates a logical index with a new physical address of the valid data.
US08074010B2
An intelligent memory bank for use with interleaved memories storing plural vectors comprises setup apparatus (96) receives an initial address (B+C+V+NMSK) and spacing data (D) for each vector. Addressing logic (90) associates a memory cell select (C) to each initial and subsequent address of each of the plurality of vectors. Cell select apparatus (98) accesses a memory cell (in 92) using a memory cell select (C) associated to a respective one of the initial and successive addresses of each vector.
US08074006B2
An abnormal status detecting method of interrupt pins is provided. In the invention, an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) table is looked up for obtaining an interrupt status bit of each interrupt pin in a computer system. Afterwards, the interrupt status bit is continuously checked whether it is maintained at a specific value during a fixed time. When the interrupt status bit of one of the interrupt pins is maintained at the specific value during the fixed time, the interrupt pin is determined to be abnormal.
US08074003B1
A data processing system is distributed across a plurality of locations coupled together by a wide-area communications network and includes physical storage devices and a set of host computers distributed across the locations. Each host executes both a local initiator application and a local caching storage controller (CSC) application. The CSC applications (1) define a set of block devices presented to the initiator applications for block-oriented data storage operations, the block devices being virtual devices utilizing the underlying physical storage devices, (2) engage in a distributed cache coherence protocol to present the block devices consistently to the initiator applications, (3) in response to a local block storage read command from an initiator application, retrieve the requested data from the local CSC application's cache, from a remote CSC application's cache, or from a physical storage device, and (4) in response to a local block storage write command from an initiator application, invalidate all currently cached user data for the locations/addresses associated with the write command, and either store the user data associated with the write in one or more local or remote CSC application's caches or write the user data to one or more local or remote physical storage devices.
US08074002B2
An embodiment of the present invention is disclosed to include a SATA Switch allowing for access by two hosts to a single port SATA device Further disclosed are embodiments for reducing the delay and complexity of the SATA Switch.
US08073993B2
A redundancy manager manages commands to peripheral devices in a computer system. These peripheral devices have multiple pathways connecting it to the computer system. The redundancy manager determines the number of independent pathways connected to the peripheral device, presents only one logical device to the operating system and any device driver and any other command or device processing logic in the command path before the redundancy manager. For each incoming command, the redundancy manager determines which pathways are properly functioning and selects the best pathway for the command based at least partly upon a penalty model where a path may be temporarily penalized by not including the pathway in the path selection process for a predetermined time. The redundancy manager further reroutes the command to an alternate path and resets the device for an alternate path that is not penalized or has otherwise failed.
US08073992B2
There are provided a transfer request module 2 for interpreting a data transfer request received from outside; a transfer instruction module 1 including a receiving section 10 for receiving the data transfer request after interpretation by the transfer request module 2, a remaining data setting section 12 for setting a data volume to be transferred in accordance with the data transfer request after the interpretation the receiving section 10 receives, a remaining data retaining section 16 for holding the data volume set by the remaining data setting section 12, a remaining data reading section 13 for reading the data volume held in the remaining data retaining section 16, a counter setting section 14 for setting a limit of the number of times of transfer unit settings in accordance with the data transfer request after the interpretation the receiving section 10 receives, a counter 17 for holding the limit of the number of times of the settings carried out by the counter setting section 14 and for counting down the value it holds every time the transfer unit is set, a counter reading section 15 for reading the value held in the counter 17, and a transfer instruction section 11 for instructing a controller module to transfer data in response to the data transfer request after the interpretation which is transmitted via the receiving section; and the controller module 3 for transferring the data in accordance with the instruction from the transfer instruction section 11.
US08073989B2
A printer interface detection device includes a printer interface connected to a printer interface of a computer to be detected, a microcontroller, and an indicator. The printer interface includes a number of input/output (I/O) pins and a data signal pin connected to the corresponding pins of the microcontroller. The microcontroller outputs a plurality of printing status signals to the computer according to instructions from the computer. The computer compares whether the number of printing statuses are consistent with printing statuses stored in the computer, to determine whether a printing function of the printer interface of the computer is normal. When the printing function of the printer interface of the computer is normal, the indicator is lit.
US08073985B1
An extended Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector plug and socket each have a pin substrate with one surface that supports the four metal contact pins for the standard USB interface. An extension of the pin substrate carries another 8 extension metal contact pins that mate when both the connector plug and socket are extended. The extension can be an increased length of the plug's and socket's pin substrate or a reverse side of the substrate. Standard USB connectors do not make contact with the extension metal contacts that are recessed, retracted by a mechanical switch, or on the extension of the socket's pin substrate that a standard USB connector cannot reach. Standard USB sockets do not make contact with the extension metal contacts because the extended connector's extension contacts are recessed, or on the extension of the connector pin substrate that does not fit inside a standard USB socket.
US08073984B2
Improved techniques for communicating between a portable electronic device and an accessory (or auxiliary) device are disclosed. The accessory device can augment or supplement the functionality or capabilities of the portable electronic device. For example, in one embodiment, the accessory device can provide wireless communication capabilities to the portable electronic device. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device pertains to a portable media player and thus provide media data for storage, playback or transmission. In one embodiment, the accessory device is attachable to the portable electronic device.
US08073977B2
Systems of the invention employ peer-to-peer and centralized server networking to enable POTS/PSTN/PBX phone lines to be shared with other users of the system over the Internet. An example application of the invention is to allow a person, having access to an Internet connection, to receive calls and make calls using his/her home or office telephone, or using the phones of other parties that he/she is authorized to access. In preferred embodiments, the invention can exploit availability of an existing voice modem port on the user's home or office computer, and can require only the installation of software on the home or office computer, and on whatever device (laptop, PDA, computer, mobile phones, etc.) is employed by the user in the remote location. Variant realizations of the invention may also provide any combination of features typically available to phone users, including, for example, the following features: authentication, verification, directory services, directory search, access rights, call forwarding, call answering, voice, mail, missed-call information, call screening, and caller identification.
US08073973B2
There is described a method of processing data packets in a data stream in a communication system. In the method, a plurality of data packets from the data stream are analyzed in order to generate profile data which indicates how one or more parts of each of the plurality of data packets varies from data packet to data packet. The profile data is then made available so that a data packet compression scheme that accords with the profile data can be implemented on data packets in the communication system.
US08073969B2
A system and method for communicating, browsing, verifying and routing data in storage operation systems using network attached storage devices is provided. In some embodiments, the system may include a management module and a media management component connected to the management server, which interoperate with network attached storage devices to provide the communicating, browsing, verifying and routing functions.
US08073963B1
A data stream change detector including a receiving module, a preprocessor module, a clustering module, a strangeness module, a p-value module, a martingale value determination module, comparison module, and an output module. The receiving module accepts new data vectors that originate from a sequence of data in a data stream. Preprocessor module preprocesses the new data vector using a filter. The clustering module clusters the new data vector with previously received data vectors. Strangeness module computes a strangeness value for each of the previously received data vectors. The p-value module calculates a p-value for the new data vector using the strangeness value. Martingale value determination module calculates a martingale value for the new data vector using the p-value. Comparison module compares the martingale value with a threshold value; and sets an indicator if a change if the martingale is greater than the threshold.
US08073959B2
Automatically detecting whether a local network that a computer is connected to is a public or private network by utilizing a trusted online service and/or heuristics is disclosed. Data produced as a result of performing one heuristic(s) in combination with data received from a trusted online service can be utilized to determine a level of confidence as to a type of network to which a client computer is connected. If the determined level of confidence exceeds a first level, the local network type for the client computer can automatically be set. If the determined level of confidence is less than the first level, but greater than a second level, a user can be prompted to classify the local network type with the determined local network type set as a default value. Techniques are also described for detecting whether or not two computers are connected to the same local area network.
US08073958B2
System and method for communicating with an electronic exchange in an electronic trading environment
System and methods for a connection proxy server are described. According to an example method described herein, a connection proxy server stores subscription, product tables as well as other downloads that are provided to a client terminal during initialization stage as well as later during a trading session. Upon detecting that a connection between the client terminal and a gateway is lost, the connection proxy maintains a communication session created for the client terminal at the gateway and receives data intended for the client terminal. If the connection is re-established between the client terminal and the gateway during a predetermined period of time, the connection proxy provides the stored data to the client terminal thus avoiding a surge in processing resources at the gateway due to the necessary downloads.
US08073944B2
Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which may provide for determining a point of loss for data records to be communicated between a source and a destination on a communication network. A topology of the communication network between the source and the destination is determined which includes a plurality of connecting nodes. A number of data records from the source directed to the destination passing between ones of the connecting nodes during a determined period of time is monitored. At least one of the connecting nodes is identified as the point of loss based on the monitored number of data records and the determined topology.
US08073943B2
A graphical user interface provides a link to network related measurements by network analysis devices, to present a test including perceptibly correlated network-related measurements by two or more of the network analysis devices through a selectable graphical display corresponding to the network analysis devices, and a selectable graphical display corresponding to at least one measurement for each selected network analysis device. The test provides a newly added measurement.
US08073939B2
When license information is transferred between a server machine and a client machine, an identifier which is unique to a series of communication sequences is provided. The identifier is sent when a communication is performed between the two machines, as well as when the license information is updated. Therefore, when a message for transferring the license information is received by the use of the same identifier, a response message is returned without updating the license information.
US08073930B2
The present invention provides an assistive technology screen reader in a distributed network computer system. The screen reader, on a server computer system, receives display information output from one or more applications. The screen reader converts the text and symbolic content of the display information into a performant format for transmission across a network. The screen reader, on a client computer system, receives the performant format. The received performant format is converted to a device type file, by the screen reader. The screen reader then presents the device type file to a device driver, for output to a speaker, braille reader, or the like.
US08073924B2
Electronic design automation (EDA) libraries are delivered using a geographically distributed private cloud including EDA design centers and EDA library stores. EDA projects associated with an EDA library are determined by matching information describing the EDA library with information describing the projects. A set of design centers hosting the projects is determined. A data delivery model is determined for transmitting the EDA library to the design centers. The EDA library is scheduled for delivery to the design centers based on a deadline associated with a project stage that requires the EDA library. Network links with specialized hardware for transmitting data are determined in the private cloud by measuring their deterioration in performance on increase of data transmission load. These links are used for delivering EDA libraries expected to be used urgently for a stage of an EDA project.
US08073920B2
A service authorizer system for pushing and pulling data service authorization requests to wireless terminals is disclosed herein. The wireless terminal or a service authorization server may generate requests for authorization. The wireless terminal may generate a request for authorization that is sent to the service authorization server, which generates a multi-modal response and transmits the multi-modal response to the user. The service authorization server may also generate a multi-modal request for authorization that is sent to the wireless terminal.
US08073918B2
Filtering and managing electronic mail is accommodated by allowing a user to designate an approved subject line phrase whose presence allows an incoming message to bypass certain message filtering operations. E-mail messages sent to the user are examined to determine whether their subject line includes the approved phrase. When the phrase is present in the message subject line, delivery of the message to the user is accommodated according to the settings prescribed by the user. E-mail management is also accommodated by allowing a user to download a message from a mail server to an e-mail client and subsequently restore the message onto the mail server as though it had not yet been downloaded.
US08073916B2
A recipient computer system may receive one or more electronic messages. The recipient computer system may send one, two, or more challenge messages to the sender of the electronic messages in determining whether to deliver the electronic message. The recipient computer system may accept or reject an electronic message based on the response, or lack of response, to the challenge messages. The recipient computer system may send two or more challenge messages at intervals. A sender computer system may record activity of the sender computer system for a recipient computer system to use in determining whether to deliver an electronic message. A sender computer system may provide a summary of that activity with an electronic message. A sender computer system may provide an authorization key for a recipient computer system to use in determining whether to deliver an electronic message. The authorization key may be generated by a third party.
US08073911B2
A messaging system enforces compliance policies for the electronic messages. The messaging system treats a set of related messages, such as an email string between two or more people, as a message container (200) having relational references to one or more submessages (210, 212, 214). A messaging server (112) stores the messages and submessages as discrete message components within a message database (416). In addition, the messaging server (112) stores one or more compliance policies. A compliance policy describes the set of rules that apply to message components during their lifecycles and is defined in terms of a population structure, a set of rules, and a set of jobcodes. When an action occurs that involves a piece of content, the messaging system identifies the relevant compliance policy in the governance policy database (424) and applies any rules that are applicable given the population structure and jobcode.
US08073905B2
In a peer-to-peer collaboration system, deltas containing data change commands are organized in a persistent data structure called a delta log. The delta log is organized into blocks, which are the largest division in the delta log. In turn, blocks contain groups, groups contain chains and chains contain deltas. Delta blocks are used to implement priority deltas that are used to limit the collection of data change commands that must be transferred. Within a block the deltas are organized by groups, each of which is a set of deltas organized into chains. The delta group in used to determine which deltas to purge. The chains are ordered by increasing creator ID of the endpoint that created the chain. Organizing the delta log in this fashion allows the log to be “walked” to detect convergence problems. To achieve causality-preservation, each delta has a list of dependencies representing other deltas that must be executed before the current delta can be executed. The dynamics manager uses the ability to do (execute) and undo commands to perform roll back and roll forward operations on deltas in order to achieve convergence.
US08073899B2
A system and method proxies data access commands acrossed a cluster interconnect between storage appliances and a cluster using a file-level protocol. Each storage appliance activates two ports per data access, a local port for data access requests directed to clients of the storage appliance and a proxy port for data access requests directed to the partner storage appliance. Clients utilizing multi-pathing software may send data access requests to either the local port of the storage appliance or the proxy port of the storage appliance. The system and method improves high availability, especially during a loss of connectivity due to non-storage appliance hardware failure.
US08073897B2
A distributed computing system can operate in the face of malicious failures on the part of some of its constituent devices, and provide a minimum of message delays between receiving a client request and providing a response, when each device within the system verifies the sender of any message it receives, and the propriety of the message.
US08073895B2
A system and method for delivery web content to a mobile device. A system includes a content delivery program associated with a webpage, where the webpage includes at least one content item. The content delivery program is configured to receive a user selection signal related to the at least one content item, receive an identifier of the mobile device, and initiate a delivery of the at least one content item to the mobile device based on the user selection signal and the identifier.
US08073892B2
In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a multiplier that includes a set of multiple multipliers configured in parallel where the set of multiple multipliers have access to a first operand and a second operand to multiply, the first operand having multiple segments and the second operand having multiple segments. The multiplier also includes logic to repeatedly supply a single segment of the second operand to each multiplier of the set of multiple multipliers and to supply multiple respective segments of the first operand to the respective ones of the set of multiple multipliers until each segment of the second operand has been supplied with each segment of the first operand. The logic shifts the output of different ones of the set of multiple multipliers based, at least in part, on the position of the respective segments within the first operand. The multiplier also includes an accumulator coupled to the logic.
US08073885B2
A recording apparatus includes a server, a client, a virtual device, a judgment section, and a regeneration section. The server executes an access to a storage medium as a service. The client includes processes that require the service. The virtual device is used to perform communication between the server and the client using a socket. The judgment section judges, when a process of the client opens the virtual device, whether the virtual device is already opened. The regeneration section regenerates, when the virtual device is already opened, a file descriptor for the process that references the socket based on an existing kernel file table.
US08073884B2
A method (and corresponding system and computer program product) detects modified files and/or directories in a storage device. The method builds a file-sector coordination table for files in the storage device before relinquishing access control of the storage device to a host computer. The method passively monitors write transactions in the storage device from the host computer. The method identifies sectors affected by the monitored write transactions and stores in a sector list. The method regains access control of the storage device from the host computer and builds a list of modified files by intersecting the sector list with the file-sector coordination table. The method may optionally share the list of modified files with related applications.
US08073880B2
The invention provides a system and method for integrated, optimized data storage infrastructure performance in a distributed computing environment using a storage resource management application. The invention may include a storage resource management application that receives and stores data regarding one or more infrastructure components of a distributed computing environment. A request related to performance of a data storage infrastructure of the distributed computing environment, may then be received. A request type may then be identified from one or more predefined request types. Examples of request types may include new asset addition requests, data storage provisioning requests, performance review requests, reporting requests, backup/recovery requests, and/or other requests. One or more infrastructure components, management agents, and/or service level agreements are then identified and associated with the request.
US08073874B2
A bit string searching apparatus has a coupled node tree, having a root node and a node pair, the node pair being a branch node and leaf node, or a pair of branch nodes, or a pair of leaf nodes in adjacent storage areas, the branch node including a search key discrimination bit position and information indicating a position of one node of a node pair of a link target, and the leaf node including an index key that is a bit string that is the target of a search, wherein a search for an index key from the root node to a branch node using a search key is executed by repeatedly and successively linking to one node of a node pair of a link target, according to a bit value of a search key at the discrimination bit position in the branch node, until reaching the leaf node.
US08073870B2
A method for storing data includes the steps of receiving a metadata parameter from a first user, the parameter being associated with a property in a database containing a plurality of data records, and storing the parameter. The method also includes the step of providing a second user with access to the stored parameter, the second user having an access level to the database which is different from that of the first user.
US08073857B2
A method of sharing data between wired properties associated with disparate data types includes receiving a first specification for dividing data items having a first data type published by an output property of a first service task into a first set of sub-units and a second specification for dividing data items having a second data type consumed an input property of a second service task into a second set of sub-units; receiving transformation logic for transforming data items divided into the first set of sub-units to data items divided into the second set of sub-units; dividing a first data item published by the output property into the first set of sub-units; applying the transformation logic to transform the divided first item to a second data item divided into the second set of sub-units; and joining the divided second data item. The service tasks are registered with an aggregation application that includes a wire between the properties.
US08073838B2
A search method uses pseudo-anchor text associated with search objects to improve search performance. The pseudo-anchor text may be extracted in combination with an identifier of the search objects (such as a pseudo-URL) from a digital corpus such as a collection of documents. Pseudo-anchor texts for each object are preferably extracted from candidate anchor blocks using a machine learning based approach. The pseudo-anchor texts are made available for searching and used to help rank the objects in a search result to improve search performance. The method may be used in vertical search of objects such as published articles, products and images that lack explicit URLs and anchor text information.
US08073831B2
A method searches a plurality of content registered onto a website. The method includes searching for a search text or a search character string sent from a client on the plurality of content, classifying information indicative of a location where a retrieved text or character string is registered per each of content, rearranging information classified per each of the content, extracting a given number of information in high order per each of content with regard to rearranged information classified per each of the content, and transmitting extracted information to the client.
US08073829B2
URL rewriting is a common technique for allowing users to interact with internet resources using easy to remember and search engine friendly URLs. When URL rewriting involves conditions derived for sources other than the URL, inconsistencies in HTTP kernel cache and HTTP user output cache may arise. Methods and a system for rewriting a URL while preserving cache integrity are disclosed herein. Conditions used by a rule set to rewrite a URL may be determined as cache friendly conditions or cache unfriendly conditions. If cache unfriendly conditions exist, the HTTP kernel cache is disabled and the HTTP user output cache is varied based upon a key. If no cache unfriendly conditions exist, then the HTTP kernel cache is not disabled and the HTTP user output cache is not varied. A rule set is applied to the URL and a URL rewrite is performed to create a rewritten URL.
US08073827B2
A processing device inputs a first processing-descriptive document and generates a second processing-descriptive document by deleting at least one description part illustrating processing performed, so as to call the next processing device, from the first processing-descriptive document. Further, the processing device calls the next processing device by using the second processing-descriptive document.
US08073817B2
A method for generating a digital map that can be stored on an electronic storage medium and in which a geographic area is described by a multitude of data sets includes the following steps: a) loading an original database (01), in which the geographic area is described by a multitude of data sets, into an electronic analyzer, wherein each data set describes an object of the map, wherein each data set consists of a defined number of attributes, and wherein each attribute may assume a defined number of different attribute values, b) detecting attribute value combinations or attribute value subcombinations that occur in the data sets of the database, c) assigning a distinct combination characteristic to each attribute value combination or attribute value subcombination, d) storing the attribute value combinations or attribute value subcombinations detected in the database with the respectively assigned combination characteristics as a first partial database (02) of the digital map, e) analyzing all data sets of the original database (01), wherein a new data set is generated for each data set by replacing the attribute value combinations or attribute value subcombinations that exist in each data set with the combination characteristic assigned to the attribute value combinations or attribute value subcombinations, and f) storing the new data sets in a second partial database (03) of the digital map.
US08073811B2
A collaborative editing model for online content is described. A set of suggested edits to a version of the online content is received from multiple users. Each suggested edit in the set relates to the same version. The set of suggested edits is provided to an authorized editor, who is visually notified of differences between the version of the content and the suggested edits and conflicts existing between two or more suggested edits. Input is received from the editor resolving conflicts and accepting or rejecting suggested edits in the set. The first version of the content is modified accordingly to generate a second version of the content. Suggested edits from the set that were not accepted nor rejected and are not in conflict with the second version are carried over and can remain pending with respect to the second version.
US08073810B2
Shared view of customers across business support systems (BSS) and a service delivery platform (SDP)
An identity management tool provides identity management across multiple domains, providing a single access point not only for information for runtime, network, and service layer information, but also for systems such as business support systems (BSS), operational support systems (OSS), and third party systems. The identity management tool creates a unified user profile that maps customer identities across the various domains, and presents the information in a virtual directory wherein the information appears to come from a single source, creating a central data hub for the various systems. This aggregation provides for the same experience and service across various access networks and using various channels. Such an architecture allows billing and service information to be shared with subscription and customer information, even though the data is substantially unrelated data from disparate data sources, without the need to combine schemas or aggregate the data into a single data store.
US08073805B2
This invention is related to systems and methods of analyzing sensory ability data. One embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising the steps of receiving data from a remote location. The data is comprised of sensory ability data and demographic data associated with a subject. The data may then be stored. Further, the method includes identifying a potential evaluation level associated with the subject. The evaluation level is identified, at least in part, utilizing a sports tree function. The method also includes retrieving peer data associated with the potential evaluation level. Additionally, the method includes determining when the peer data is statistically powerful for use in generating a comparative profile of the sensory ability data associated with the subject. Additional embodiments develop training programs based on one or more training program functions.
US08073801B1
A business decision modeling system graphically models business decisions using a rule family structure that adheres to Decision Model principles. In tabular representations, for example, two-dimensional rule families have a heading and a body. The heading includes one or more condition fact types and one conclusion fact type. The body includes unique logic statements corresponding with the heading's fact types, with operators and operands indicating how the logic operates on conditions to determine conclusions. All tested conditions fact types must be true for the conclusion fact type to be true. No two rule families can have the same conclusion fact type, and the conclusion fact type of a first rule family can be a condition fact type of a second rule family. Logic statements are atomic and cannot be further decomposed. The semantic and business integrity of the business rules ensure high quality logic traceable to business objectives.
US08073793B2
A computer-implemented method of determining a common social context can include detecting a collaboration between a plurality of participants. The method can include identifying a plurality of common social contexts and determining a probability that the collaboration belongs to each of the plurality of common social contexts. At least one probability and corresponding common social context can be output.
US08073788B2
A method of calculating the cost saving for producing a metallic component by the use of a powder metal process is provided. The method includes the steps of analyzing the current production method of the component, usually machining, to determine the current unit cost. The customer would agree to purchase an agreed supply of components for an agreed period of time. The production of the component utilizing powder metal process is then analyzed to determine the powder metal unit cost. The savings for production of the component utilizing the powder metal process is then presented to the customer. The customer would, then agree to purchase an agreed supply of components.
US08073786B2
A set of values is first determined. Such values include: a relative total value with respect to other users that is based on a total quantity of electronic interactions between a first user and a second user of the computerized network; a relative exclusive value with respect to other users that is based on a total quantity of electronic interactions exclusively between the first user and the second user; a relative longevity value with respect to the other users that is based on a length of time the first user and the second user have been electronically interacting; and a relative recency value with respect to the other users that is based on a recency of electronic interactions between the first user and the second user. Once determined, the values are weighted to yield normalized values. To calculate the relationship strength that includes a value indicating how strong a relationship between the first user and the second user is with respect to a relationship between the first user and other users, the normalized values are summed and compared to a predetermined standard.
US08073783B2
A user engages in a transaction with a relying party. The relying party requests identity information from the user in a security policy and identifies transaction elements for an on-line business transaction. Typically, the security policy and transaction elements are transmitted together; the security policy can be as little as a request to conduct the on-line business transaction. The user identifies an information card that satisfies the security policy. The computer system requests a security token from the identity provider managing the information card, which can include requesting a transaction receipt for the transaction elements. The computer system then returns the security token (and the transaction receipt) to the relying party, to complete the transaction.
US08073782B2
There is provided a cryptographic round dater and its method of use. By capturing customer profile information and encoding the information on a label affixed to the customer's submitted mailpiece, fraudulent or criminal use of the mail may be deterred by providing traceability to the source of the mail piece. The information attached to the mailpiece may be both human readable and machine readable, said machine readable portion being optionally encrypted to protect the privacy and security of the encoded information. Further benefit is provided by allowing the handling of a mailpiece to be traced, allowing for effective remediation or investigation in the event of an unauthorized use of mail.
US08073779B2
An electronic device, such as, a computer, may be adapted for self-monitoring for compliance to an operating policy. The operating policy may specify a pay-per-use or subscription business model and measurements associated with compliant usage. A secure execution environment may measure usage in accordance with the business model as well as monitor and enforce compliance to the operating policy. To increase the difficulty of attacking or otherwise disabling the secure execution environment, elements of the secure execution environment may be distributed. The distribution points may include other functional elements of the computer, such as interface circuits, or may even be remotely located over a network. An implementation method for disaggregating the secure execution environment is also disclosed.
US08073774B2
Billing a customer through an intermediary billing system for a transaction by receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a transaction request associated with a transaction amount and a customer identification code, validating, in the intermediary billing system, the transaction request by determining whether the customer identification code corresponds to a customer that is registered with the intermediary billing system, and sending, in the case that the transaction request is valid, a billing event trigger associated with the customer identification code to an external billing mechanism, the billing event trigger representing the transaction amount.
US08073773B2
A technique for identifying a candidate electronic biller having bills available for electronic presentment to a consumer is provided. An electronic commerce service provider receives location information of a first consumer. The service provider accesses information associated with providing a payment service to a second consumer located near the first consumer. This accessing is based on the received location information. At least one potential biller of the first consumer is identified in the accessed information.
US08073764B2
A risk management system and method is disclosed which utilizes a flexible and configurable set of spreading techniques which may be incorporated into existing risk management software to enhance functionality, flexibility and accuracy. In the disclosed embodiments, multiple different types of spreading are combined to allow for a more accurate assessment of risk. In one exemplary embodiment, a subset of the derivative products held by a futures trader are first analyzed by the scanning based spreading methodology. Typically, futures products in the same class of products (e.g. equity futures or agricultural futures) would be analyzed together by the scanning based spreading methodology. Then an average delta would be calculated for that subset. Using that delta, that subset would then be analyzed in relation to the remaining derivative products (not in the subset) using a delta based spreading methodology. The delta for the subset could be computed in a variety of ways including scaling the deltas for each product, tying the delta to a fixed time period or other methods.
US08073762B2
A method and system for buying and selling services online includes a process for custom services, a commodity process and a collaborative workspace on a website. The process for custom services includes the posting by a buyer of specific criteria for a desired service, the bidding by a seller to preform the service, and the selection of a seller by the buyer. The commodity process includes the posting by a seller of a service offering, the posting by the buyer of requirements for the purchase of the service offering, and the purchase of a service offering by the buyer. The commodity process may also include an optimization process that provides the buyer with an optimized list of service offerings. The collaborative workspace includes communication tools, a file structure, workbenches and project management tools used by the buyer and seller for facilitating the setup, development and release of one or more services.
US08073760B2
Devices, systems, and methods of automatic Financial-Instrument (FI) management. In some embodiments, a system includes, a memory having stored thereon financial-instrument-based (FI-based) management instructions; and a processor to execute the FI-based management instructions resulting in a FI-based management application, wherein the FI-based management application may receive portfolio data corresponding to a plurality of financial-instrument portfolios associated with a plurality of clients, wherein the FI-based management application may automatically identify one or more portfolios of the plurality of portfolios satisfying at least one criterion, wherein, for each identified portfolio, the FI-based management application may receive client-specific management data corresponding to a client associated with the identified portfolio, wherein the client-specific management data includes at least client-specific destination information defining at least one destination, and wherein, for each identified portfolio, the FI-based management application may automatically communicate portfolio-related data corresponding to the identified portfolio to the destination defined by the management data.
US08073758B2
The present invention provides a method and system for re-allocating financial risks. The system includes computer modules for assessing the behavior of a financial product by a financial institution, modeling the risks associated with providing the financial product by the financial institution, assessing the market risks associated with providing the financial product by a derivative counterparty and assuming, by the derivative counterparty, market risks associated with providing the financial product.
US08073743B2
Self-distribution methods, coded self-distribution methods, and systems for distributing information
A self-distribution method for distributing information content among network connected devices of a communications network includes receiving a query having a code against a database from a wireless communications device, the code uniquely representing one of an advertising campaign, a product, or a service. The method also includes generating a result set by querying the database with the code, forwarding a link associated with the result set to a user-preferred remote location, the link being sent in an electronic message, wherein activation of the link directs a user to a first version of information content of the result set. A plurality of options to purchase user-preferred items from the first version of information content, the options including at least “purchase now” and “purchase later” features. A reminder message is forwarded to the wireless communications device if a user at the remote location selects the “purchase later” feature. The user is enabled to conduct a purchase transaction from at least the remote location or the wireless communications device. Systems for self-distributing information are also provided.
US08073741B2
A method, system, and computer program product for locating a relevant product via a computer network includes receiving, at a client terminal, a search topic from a user and one or more attributes associated with the topic and assigning a rating to at least one of the attributes. A server is used to locate, at one or more information locations, at least two separate instances of the topic and at least two information fields, each field related to one of the instances the topic. Content in each of at least two of the information fields is associated with at least one of the attributes and the content in each of the at least two information fields associated with an attribute is compared against each other. A score to the content of each compared instance of content is assigned based on the comparing. The attributes are prioritized and the located instances of the topic are ranked based on the prioritizing and the score of content associated with the topic.
US08073737B1
A software based system and method of displaying location based information from an information site on a network by determining location data of a user of the location based information on the network. The location based information is generated based on the determined location data of the user; and generated location based information is provided to the user over the network.
US08073733B1
Methods and systems for encouraging and identifying new talent, as well as an incentive structure for financing creative/media projects, are described. A social network web site allows users to post their own content, and filters users to the top who have achieved a given level of popularity. Popular users can then post media proposals to a private section of the web site, through which established stars and talent review the proposals. Users, in exchange for access to the private section, grant to a proprietor of the web site an option to make one or more future productions with that user at a reduced rate should that user reach stardom. Established stars and talent, in exchange for participating in a media proposal at a reduced rate, receive an interest in one or more productions by the user if/when the proprietor of the web site exercises an option to make a future production with the user.
US08073725B2
The instant invention relates to an appointment scheduling system that allows inviters to define various activities for appointments and to invite invitees to select said appointments. The system utilizes multiple visual user interfaces to allow inviters, invitees and other users to interact with the appointment scheduling system. The system allows for inviter selection of time windows in which appointments may be allowed as well as for the customization of these properties in terms of how often and until when these defined time windows will recur. The system also utilizes various techniques to associate invitees with particular appointment activities received by the invitee through email and/or other correspondence means.
US08073719B2
A method for core identity with personas across multiple domains with permissions on profile data based on rights of domain, is described. In one embodiment, the method is to be implemented on a system. In one embodiment the method comprises receiving travel selections for a first leg of an itinerary; receiving a selection of a first profile to be assigned for the travel selections of the first leg, the first profile to be selected from a group of profiles corresponding to a user; receiving travel selections for a second leg of the itinerary; receiving a selection of a second profile to be assigned for the travel selections of the second leg, the second profile to be selected from the group of profiles corresponding to the user; automatically determining whether to replace the first profile for the first leg of the itinerary with a selection of a separate profile from the group of profiles, the determination made based on a predetermined criteria; and billing for the first and second legs of the itinerary as a single multi-leg travel itinerary, and billing the first leg of the itinerary to a profile assigned for the first leg and billing the second leg of the itinerary to a profile assigned for the second leg.
US08073711B1
The invention described herein is directed to a method and system for obtaining health-related records and documents using an online location and is applicable in the business-to-business and business-to-customer business models. The present method and system also provides secure online ordering, tracking, storing, and exchanging health-related information between health-related entities. This is achieved by providing an electronic health information (EHI) web site on the Internet, allowing insurance personnel to order patients' records and documents from a central online location. In this manner, insurance companies will save time and realize significant cost savings while expediting the retrieval process of records and documents.
US08073710B2
An apparatus for communicating health care data from a sender to a receiver is provided. The apparatus has a first computer system, a second computer system, and a rules engine. The first computer system has health care data stored therein. The second computer system is in operable communication with, and is configured to extract the health care data from, the first computer system. The rules engine normalizes the extracted health care data to a predefined format.
US08073701B2
The present disclosure relates to identity verification devices and methods. A system is provided that utilizes a system of tonal and rhythmic visualization of a spoken word to accurately identify the true owner of a credit or other personal card based on their voice.
US08073700B2
A method of obtaining information using a mobile device can include receiving a request including speech data from the mobile device, and querying a network service using query information extracted from the speech data, whereby search results are received from the network service. The search results can be formatted for presentation on a display of the mobile device. The search results further can be sent, along with a voice grammar generated from the search results, to the mobile device. The mobile device then can render the search results.
US08073699B2
A method for a speech response system to automatically transfer users to human agents. The method can establish an interactive dialog session between a user and an automated speech response system. An error score can be established when the interactive dialog session is initiated. During the interactive dialog session, responses to dialog prompts can be received. Error weights can be assigned to receive responses determined to be non-valid responses. Different non-valid responses can be assigned different error weights. For each non-valid response, the assigned error weight can be added to the error score. When a value of the error score exceeds a previously established error threshold, a user can be automatically transferred from the automated speech response system to a human agent.
US08073697B2
Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for establishing a multimodal personality for a multimodal application that include selecting, by the multimodal application, matching vocal and visual demeanors and incorporating, by the multimodal application, the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application.
US08073672B2
Related communication signals between a simulator and an emulator are organized into logical channels. The signals in each channel are then be transmitted only as needed, reducing the use of the communication pathways between the simulator and the emulator. Further, the circuit components that will receive the communication signals to be shared on a channel are be physically located close together within the emulator, thereby reducing the time required to select and enable components of the emulator to receive the signals sent by the simulator. Similarly, emulator components that send communication signals to be shared on a channel are physically located close together within the emulator, thereby reducing the time required to select and enable components of the emulator to send these signals to the simulator.
US08073670B2
A data row of delay time ratio coefficient (hereinafter referred to as DMAG value) is selected from a delay information library (D2) (S4) for every circuit cell in a use condition range of a logic circuit, and the minimum value or/and maximum value of a DMAG value is extracted (S5). The minimum value or/and the maximum delay time is/are calculated for every circuit cell by multiplying the standard delay time to the extracted DMAG value (S6). The above processing is performed for all the circuit cells constituting the logic circuit ((S7): NO), and the data set of the minimum or/and maximum delay time in the use condition range of the logic circuit is/are acquired for every circuit cell (S8). When the delay time characteristic of the circuit cell is nonlinear, the delay time serving as the minimum or/and the maximum for every circuit cell can be freely selected in the range of the circuit use condition unlike the case where the delay time is calculated by uniformly assigning the same use condition to all circuit cells.
US08073666B2
A system is described for ordering oligonucleotides through a network, such as the Internet. The system provides a mechanism for validating the data provided by a customer, and then displaying graphical images to represent any data that has errors. The system can also pool multiple oligonucleotide samples together by providing graphical images representing oligonucleotide containers, and allowing the customer to select the proper containers to pool.
US08073656B2
A method for improving bandwidth of an oscilloscope involves, in preferred embodiments, the use of frequency up-conversion and down-conversion techniques. In an illustrative embodiment the technique involves separating an input signal into a high frequency content and a low frequency content, down-converting the high frequency content in the analog domain so that it may be processed by the oscilloscope's analog front end, digitizing the low frequency content and the down-converted high frequency content, and forming a digital representation of the received analog signal from the digitized low frequency content and high frequency content.
US08073646B2
A plasma processing apparatus includes a radio frequency generator capable of adjusting a target output power level based on the set power level and the offset level to output radio frequency power; a chamber in which a plasma process is performed; and a power detection unit for measuring radio frequency power level fed to the matching unit. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a generator control unit for controlling the radio frequency power such that the radio frequency power level fed to the matching unit reaches the set power level by calculating the offset level based on the difference between the set power level and the power level measured by the power detection unit and transmitting the set power level and the offset level in digital form to the data input terminal of the radio frequency generator.
US08073645B2
An apparatus to electrically and optically characterize a multijunction solar cell. The apparatus can have as many light sources as there are subcells in the multijunction solar cell. Each light source has an optical spectrum that falls within the bandgap energy of a corresponding subcell. Each light source has a controllable intensity level.
US08073640B2
The current invention relates to a conductivity-dielectric (CD) electrode design with apertures that allow compressional waves to propagate away from the surface of the acoustic wave device unimpeded. This prevents reflection of compressional waves that would interact with the viscosity sensor surface, thus altering the device response. It allows compressional waves to pass through, and allows the dual mode viscosity sensor responses to be utilized for density/viscosity/elasticity measurement and correlation. The invention further offers methods of instrumentation to detect unwanted reflections, to compensate, and to correct for the distortions caused by reflections. Finally, the invention provides a system and method for utilizing deliberately introduced reflections to obtain additional information, including fluid density.
US08073638B2
The invention relates to a method for determining the ignitability of fuel, particularly of diesel, biodiesel, gas-to-liquid or biomass-to-liquid fuel, with an unknown fuel quality for an internal combustion engine. Provision is made for the density of the fuel to be ascertained and for the ignitability to be derived from this.
US08073636B2
Systems and methods for determining the gas composition of a gas mixture in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle filled with a compressed natural gas (CNG) mixture are provided. A pressure sensor and a temperature sensor are used to measure a gas pressure and a gas temperature in the fuel tank A processor may execute an algorithm to determine, based at least on the measured gas temperature and the measured gas pressure in the fuel tank, a current vapor pressure of each of at least one component of the CNG mixture in the fuel tank. If the measured gas pressure in the fuel tank falls below a threshold, a corresponding current composition of the CNG mixture in the fuel tank may be determined.
US08073624B2
A technique includes receiving seismic data indicative of a signal, which is produced by the interaction of reflection interfaces with a source wavelet. The reflection interfaces are associated with boundaries of a geological layer. The technique includes processing the seismic data to determine at least one slope change in the source wavelet caused by the interaction. The technique includes determining an attribute of the layer based at least in part on the determined slope change(s).
US08073605B2
A vehicle includes a powertrain system having a non-combustion tractive power generating device and a positioning system. A method of managing power flow in the vehicle includes determining a present location and a trajectory of the vehicle, and determining a probability of vehicle braking at a predetermined location within the trajectory of the vehicle. The non-combustion tractive power generating device is operated to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon the probability of vehicle braking at the predetermined location.
US08073602B2
A method for controlling an electro-mechanical transmission mechanically coupled to first and second electric machines to transmit power to an output member includes determining motor torque constraints and battery power constraints. A preferred output torque to an output member is determined that is achievable within the motor torque constraints, within a range for an additional torque input and based upon the battery power constraints.
US08073600B2
A controller of a field winding type synchronous motor is provided that can stably output torque even if the d-axis current pulsates by reducing torque pulsation without causing fluctuation in the magnetic flux acting on the torque. A motor control unit 100 performs control so that a desired torque can be generated from a field winding type motor 20 having a field winding 22f on the rotor. Based on a current Id flowing in the d-axis direction out of the current flowing in a stator winding 22a of the field winding type motor 20, the motor control unit 100 calculates an induced voltage Vf2 being induced in the field winding 22f and compensates a field voltage Vf of the field winding based on the induced voltage Vf2, thus suppressing pulsation of the field current flowing in the field winding of the field winding type motor 20.
US08073594B2
A method for operating a vehicle includes acquiring position information including an azimuth angle between a non-contacting sensor and a wheeled axle of an attached trailer, determining a trailer tongue length correlated to the position information, determining a track width of the attached trailer correlated to the position information, and calculating a trailer hitch articulation angle corresponding to the trailer tongue length and the track width of the attached trailer.
US08073589B2
A user interface system and method for a vehicle enables access to an electronic device. The electronic device is configured to transmit a first data set wherein the first data set indicates at least one of appearance and a function requirement. A user interface module is included having a second data set and a display unit configured to electronically display information that is assessable via the electronic device. Additionally, a conversion engine communicates with the user interface module and the electronic device and processes the first data set and the second data set. Based on the first and second data set, a third data set is generated that is loaded into the user interface module. Through the use of the third data set, the user information system provides access to the electronic device.
US08073583B2
An apparatus and method for controlling energy feedback for electric vehicles includes acquiring an accelerator-pedal travel value, a brake-pedal travel value and a current vehicle speed value, and determining whether the brake-pedal travel value is equal to 0%. Feedback torque based on the current vehicle speed value and the brake-pedal travel value with various conditions is then calculated. Mechanical energy generated by the feedback torque T is converted into electric energy and transmitted to battery of the electric vehicle for storing. Accordingly, the endurance mileage of electric vehicle may be effectively prolonged and the utilization efficiency of battery is improved.
US08073581B2
An improved method of rail survey deploys feature identification tags along an inner edge of a train track rail. Each tag includes a unique identifier to identify a respective feature along the train track. Each tag includes a reflector to reflect light to a sensor on a track surveyor. The sensor reads track feature tags without the need for stopping at each feature. A track database is provided that is capable of storing tables that associate track features with geo-locations. As each tag is deployed or read during a rail survey, it can be paired with geo-location data and stored in the track database.
US08073578B1
A method of creating and modifying a flight plan using a cursor control device and a display to represent the flight plan in the context of terrain. The method includes inserting waypoints, including origin and destination waypoints, into a flight plan using a cursor control device to position the waypoints in a display and commanding a flight management system (FMS) to connect the waypoints into a flight plan. The flight plan is drawn in the context of terrain on a display where conflicts between the flight plan and terrain are indicated. Selected elements of the flight plan are selected with a cursor control device and the selected elements are dragged to new positions on the display until terrain conflicts are eliminated, thus generating a modified flight plan. The modified flight plan is reviewed in the context of terrain to determine its acceptability and making further modifications thereof if desired. The modified flight plan is selected from the review thereof, the modified flight having no conflicts with terrain. Finally, the modified flight plan is activated using the FMS.
US08073570B2
An unified controller for controlling a plurality of air-conditioning systems which are capable of air-conditioning individual air-conditioning rooms of a building using different schemes. The unified controller is located under a Building Management System (BMS) controller which simultaneously manages a plurality of systems corresponding to arrangements of the building, and simultaneously controls a multiple air-conditioning system acting as one of the air-conditioning systems and a central air-conditioning system acting as the other one of the air-conditioning systems using a single control command. The unified controller performs error correction, addition of a new function, and update of pre-loaded functions upon receiving a request from the remote controller.
US08073561B2
A sewing machine and a method for managing manufacture of the sewing machine that effectively utilize production information in a manufacture process or a repair process of the sewing machine. The sewing machine may include a stitch formation device that forms stitches in work cloth by relatively moving the work cloth with respect to a vertically moving needle; a display device that displays a record of performing an operational test, in which operations of the sewing machine are adjusted or confirmed, the operational test including test items; and a performance record storage device that stores the performance record, the performance record being correlated with the test items of the operational test.
US08073554B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing power management to sensing nodes in a sensor network. A system may include a plurality of sensing nodes, each sensing node connected through a power management device to an external power source, such as a powered node of another network, for managing power from the external power source to the sensing node. Beneficially, a plurality of power management devices allow for a sensor network of fixed or mobile wireless sensing nodes or sensor gateways to make use of power from an external source such as an another network e.g. an existing emergency lighting system or other similar powered building system. Thus for example, a sensor or group of sensing nodes and their associated power management devices may be integral with or co-located in proximity to powered nodes of these other networks. An intelligent power management device connected to at least one of the sensing nodes may provide for power policy management to sensing nodes based on monitoring power conditions such as available power, power level status, and information obtained from the sensing nodes indicative of network conditions, detecting a change therein, and regulating power to the sensing node depending on the change.
US08073553B2
The method allows the configuration of a blind control device being capable of sending at least one automatic control command at a time changing in the course of a year in a periodic manner, the period being equal to the calendar year. It is wherein it comprises a first step comprising the input of a first time at which the automatic control command must be emitted on a first given day of the year and the input of a second time at which the automatic control command must be emitted on a second given day of the year, and an automatic step of calculating each time at which the automatic control command must be emitted on any other day of the year.
US08073551B2
A single-coil RF electrode, along with an associated method of operation, has been developed for use in an RF applicator, RFA apparatus or RFA system for heating tumors, including large tumors with a single heating session. The RF electrode generally has a helical geometry, although many variations exist, and is provided with an excitation current having a frequency that is sufficient for magnetic induction and coupling of various electric and magnetic fields to produce an electric field within the volume surrounded by the coil for directly applying heat to the tissue therein.
US08073533B2
A heart rate monitor determines a heart rate for a primary subject by reducing noise and cross-talk from unwanted signal transmission sources. A set of pulse peaks having about the same amplitude and an amplitude greater than any other set of peaks are processed to determine a subject's heart rate, while data having an amplitude below that of the set of peaks is ignored. To retrieve enough data to determine a peak amplitude, the signal having heart rate information is sampled at a frequency higher than a normal sampling frequency. In some embodiments, if no data is received for a set time period which is in or above the range, the threshold resets to zero under an assumption that the primary subject is no longer within transmitting range.
US08073530B2
This document discusses, among other things, fiducial marker devices, tools, and methods. One example illustrates a combined imagable fiducial locator and divot for receiving a positioning wand of an image-guided surgical (IGS) workstation. A further example is reflective such that it is locatable by a remote detector of an optical positioning system. A generally cylindrical (e.g., faceted cylindrical) columnar locator permits easy application of reflective tape. Other examples discusses a unitary fiducial marker with multiple divots and a swiveling and/or tilted fiducial marker divot, each of which allows manipulation of a positioning wand into a remote camera's field of view. Another example includes at least one reflector that can be aimed. A further example discusses an imagable fiducial marker carrier that is attachable to a single location on a patient's skull to reduce trauma. A keying arrangement fixedly defines the orientation of the carrier, allowing detachment and reattachment in the same orientation.
US08073529B2
An ultrasound needle guide system for use with an ultrasound transducer and method of use of the guide system to provide predictable trajectories for puncture devices at various depths. The needle guide system basically consists of a bracket and a needle guide. The bracket is arranged to be releasably secured to the ultrasound transducer. The transducer/bracket assembly is then placed into an isolating sterile cover. The needle guide is arranged to be readily attached, e.g., snap-fit, to the transducer/bracket with the cover interposed therebetween. The needle guide can be provided in various versions for differing puncture device sizes and various entry angles in relation to the transducer. In one embodiment the needle guide is arranged to establish plural predetermined entry angles.
US08073528B2
In one embodiment of the invention, a tool tracking system is disclosed including a computer usable medium having computer readable program code to receive images of video frames from at least one camera and to perform image matching of a robotic instrument to determine video pose information of the robotic instrument within the images. The tool tracking system further includes computer readable program code to provide a state-space model of a sequence of states of corrected kinematics information for accurate pose information of the robotic instrument. The state-space model receives raw kinematics information of mechanical pose information and adaptively fuses the mechanical pose information and the video pose information together to generate the sequence of states of the corrected kinematics information for the robotic instrument. Additionally disclosed are methods for image guided surgery.
US08073527B2
An RF antenna arrangement of a combined MR/PET system is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the RF antenna arrangement includes a first part installed in the examination tunnel in a fashion fixed to the system such that it is arranged underneath the couch board when the latter is introduced, and a second part, which can be placed onto the couch board and be introduced into and withdrawn from the examination tunnel together with the couch board. In at least one embodiment, the second part is of dimensionally stable design and has a clear cross section that is adapted to the object to be examined. Consequently, the time outlay for applying the RF antenna is reduced, and the fixed position of the RF antenna enables a correction of the attenuation of gamma rays. Furthermore, a number of second parts having various diameters can be provided.
US08073525B2
A combined PET/MRT unit is disclosed that includes a PET detector which is reduced by comparison with the prior art, and that consists, for example, of a PET detector with a polygonal arrangement of the detector elements or with a PET detector ring. The PET detector is reduced in an axial direction by comparison with the detectors of the prior art, as a result of which the costs for producing the expensive PET detectors are lowered. The reduction of the PET detector is possible because the MR measurement usually lasts longer than the PET measurement, and so a reduced PET detector can be used for the temporally sequential recording of a number of PET tomograms by mechanical displacement of the PET detector. Since the MR measurement lasts substantially longer, this mechanical displacement does not lead to a lengthening of the measuring time. The invention also relates to methods for simultaneously recording MR and PET tomograms in which the PET/MRT units according to the invention are used.
US08073521B2
Described herein are methods for analyzing bone structure and/or bone density, methods for estimating fracture risk in a subject as well as methods for monitoring the efficacy of an agent on bone structure and/or bone density.
US08073512B2
A mobile phone includes a main body, a camera, a primary display screen and a secondary display screen. The main body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The primary display screen is positioned in the first surface. The camera is positioned in the main body. The secondary display screen faces away from the primary display screen, and the secondary display screen is slidable relative to the primary display screen. An image captured by the camera can be seen via the secondary display screen when user self-takes photo.
US08073507B2
A communication device includes a base body, a display located on the base body, and a host removably secured to the base body. A microphone and a speaker are located on the host. The host is movable between a first state, where the host is electronically connected to the display for providing power to the display, and a second state, where the host is removed from the base body.
US08073495B2
A sender-specified courtesy notification scheme to delay notification by a receiving device of the receipt of a data message is disclosed. A sender may specify a notification parameter defining a delay and send the parameter in association with the data message to a recipient. The recipient's receiving device evaluates the parameter and notifies in response. Local notification data defined by the recipient may also be evaluated. Received data messages subject to delayed notification may be hidden by the receiving device or quietly displayed (e.g. as per other received messages) until the expiry of the delay. Notification parameters and data can be formulated as one or more rules which may take into account the current location of the receiving device. A notification delay may be ignored in certain situations depending on recent use of the receiving device.
US08073489B2
The present invention discloses a method for allocating an uplink sounding region dynamically to obtain downlink channel quality information (CQI) about a downlink channel. The method comprises receiving a downlink transmission request and retrieving an identification information from the downlink transmission request, searching one or more databases using the retrieved identification information as a key, identifying the CQI about the downlink channel from the one or more databases, wherein the uplink sounding region needs not to be allocated when the CQI corresponding to the downlink transmission request is identified in the databases.
US08073480B2
A base station used in a radio communication system includes a transmitting unit operable to transmit a signal to a receiver and a controller operable to control a modulation or coding of a radio channel according to a decision made by using information which indicates increment or decrement of reception quality of the signal.
US08073479B2
A method is provided that includes accessing information associated with at least one service or application in a social network. The method also includes detecting at least one event relating to the information associated with the at least one service or application within the social network and modifying the information associated with the at least one service or application in response to the at least one event.
US08073474B1
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for facilitating real-time instant messaging among a group of people. In one embodiment, the instant messages are clustered around a theme, such as a picture, a graphic or even bit mapped data. The common theme acts as a marker, and messages are accumulated around that marker for distribution to a group of people associated with that marker. In one embodiment, the messages are transient in nature and thus have no permanency in any database.
US08073469B2
Improvements for paging in wireless networks is disclosed. A wireless terminal clock is synchronized to a server clock and a paging window and a dormant window are derived for communicating between the server and the wireless terminal using the synchronized time. During the paging window a control channel for a cellular network is found by the wireless terminal; and the page may be received from the server at the wireless terminal.
US08073468B2
Optimized delivery of locally applicable Internet content to users. A cache of locally applicable Internet content is maintained in a local content server, based upon a monitoring of locations of users requesting Internet content. Requests for Internet content are received from user equipment through a wireless network base station, and served from the local content server, which is logically proximate to the wireless network base station. The caching of locally applicable Internet content may be maintained on a layered basis. Secure action request receipt and corresponding performance, and item condition alerts are also described.
US08073450B2
A method for handling de-activation of a first Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process used in a mobile of a wireless communications system includes receiving a Primary Absolute Grant (AG) message indicating to de-activate the first HARQ process, de-activating the first HARQ process, and activating all HARQ processes and using a grant provided by a Secondary AG message as a serving grant if all the HARQ processes are de-activated and a secondary grant function is configured.
US08073448B2
The present invention is attained by a network nodes such as radio base stations and radio network controllers and methods m a cellular radio telecommunications network for providing a radio air interface to at least a first mobile terminal in at least a first radio coverage area, hereinafter referred to as cell, comprising a receiver for receiving uplink packet data from the at least one mobile terminal. The radio base station further comprises a rate limiter provided to limit the uplink packet data transmission rate from the at least first mobile terminal during handover between the at least first cell and another cell.
US08073447B2
A mobile device, method, and machine instructions for mobile device communication are provided. The mobile device includes a voice call continuity status checker to determine a voice call continuity status and use the voice call continuity status to determine whether to initiate voice call continuity related activities. The method includes determining a voice call continuity status and using the voice call continuity status to determine whether to initiate voice call continuity related activities. When executed, the machine instructions perform a method that includes determining a voice call continuity status and using the voice call continuity status for voice call continuity related activities.
US08073446B2
A radio network controller outputs a context required for a terminal capable of communicating with a mobile communication network and a wireless local area network to communicate with the wireless local area network to the terminal among pieces of information input from wireless access gateways that control connection with one or more wireless local area networks and provide seamless handover of packet communication between the mobile communication network and the wireless LAN.
US08073445B2
The present invention concerns a method for determining neighboring condition and cell area operation of a cell area managed by a base station, the cell area being a cell area of a wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a telecommunication network enabling the transfer of information between a first base station and a second base station, wherein the wireless cellular network comprises a server linked to the telecommunication network. The first base station configures an operation domain of a first cell area managed by the first base station based on the information representative of the operation domain of the second cell area received from the second base station via the direct connection. The invention concerns also the associated non-transitory computer readable storage medium including stored thereon a computer program for implementing a method for determining cell area operation of a cell area managed by a base station.
US08073438B2
A method and system for disabling a wireless communication device, including: capturing a signal stream from the wireless communication device by satisfying a signal control protocol using a mobile broadcast antenna; and routing signals to and from the wireless communication device according to a non-standard protocol, thereby disabling normal operation of the wireless communication device. The mobile broadcast antenna includes a signal capturing module configured to receive information relevant to satisfaction of the signal control protocol and to alter a signal of the mobile broadcast antenna. The signal capturing module detects signal strengths from other broadcast antenna and alters a broadcast strength of the mobile broadcast antenna to be higher than the detected signal strengths. The signal capturing module calculates a desired signal strength difference according to a desired protection characteristic and alters the broadcast strength of the mobile broadcast antenna to satisfy the desired signal strength difference.
US08073431B2
A messaging system is disclosed. The system includes a communications network including a wireless access point, a messaging server coupled to the communications network, and a mobile device in communication with the communications network via an access point. The mobile device has a mobile ID associated with the device, and a program running on the mobile device from which a temporary address may be created corresponding to the mobile ID. The temporary address is useable for messaging over the communications network. The temporary address is registered with the messaging server.
US08073429B2
A system and method for communicating a message. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise determining whether a communication link between a sender's communication device and a recipient's communication device is presently available. If it is determined that a communication link between the sender's communication device and the recipient's communication device is not presently available, then the sender may be provided with an option to record a message on the sender's communication device for later automatic delivery to the recipient's communication device. A message from the sender may then be recorded on the sender's communication device for later automatic delivery to the recipient's communication device, and the recorded message may be automatically delivered to the recipient's communication device. Communicating the recorded message to the recipient's communication device may, for example, comprise persistently attempting to deliver the recorded message from the sender's communication device to the recipient's communication device.
US08073428B2
Some embodiments are implemented in a communication system that includes a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system that includes a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller that can communicatively couple the FAP to the first wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the network controller can communicatively couple to the first wireless communication system through a UTRAN Iu interface. In some embodiments, the FAP can communicatively couple to a user equipment using a short-range licensed wireless frequency. Some embodiments provide method of securing communication between the FAP and the network controller. The method establishes a secure tunnel between the FAP and the network controller. The method communicatively couples the FAP and several user equipments (UEs) to the network controller by using the secure tunnel. The UEs are communicatively coupled to the FAP through an air interface.
US08073420B2
There is provided a sensor node management method in which a user is unconscious of a service break even when a sensor mode has failed among a plurality of sensor nodes assuming intermittent operation. Moreover, it is possible to provide a flexible sensor node management method capable of freely modifying the observation grading (space, time) in accordance with a user's desire. A base station (30) for containing a plurality of intermittently operating sensor modes includes a sensor management table (4) for managing the sensor nodes, a group management table (5) for grouping a plurality of sensor nodes, and an operation timing control unit (3). The operation timing control unit (3) decides the operation interval and the relationship for starting each of the sensor nodes. Moreover, the base station and the sensor node have a counter value as a reference of the sensor node operation interval and the operation start phase, which are periodically synchronized.
US08073414B2
A Radio Frequency Receiver on a Single Integrated Circuit (“RFSIC”) is described. The RFSIC may include a mixer, a phase-locked loop (“PLL”) in signal communication with the mixer, and an on-chip auto-tuned RF filter in signal communication with both the mixer and PPL, such that the same PLL simultaneously tunes the frequency of the VCO and the frequency response of the auto-tuned RF filter.
US08073413B2
Methods and systems for signal analysis in multiple radio carrier environments are provided. In one embodiment, a radio receiver comprises: an adaptive pass band filter that operates over a pass band of frequencies, the adaptive pass band filter subdividing the pass band into a plurality of sub-channels each comprising a narrower bandwidth than the pass band; and a signal analyzer receiving the plurality of sub-channels, the signal analyzer providing feedback to the adaptive pass band filter, wherein the adaptive pass band filter divides the pass band into the plurality of sub-channels based on the feedback; wherein the signal analyzer selectively generates an output comprising of at least one of the plurality of sub-channels.
US08073402B2
A wireless intercommunicative alarm doorbell comprising an outdoor bell and an indoor bell; the outdoor bell comprises an outdoor bell casing, an outdoor bell power supply, an outdoor bell loudspeaker, an outdoor bell microphone, an outdoor bell talk button, an outdoor bell antenna, an outdoor bell wireless transmitting and receiving integrated circuit, a door ring button and a door ring integrated circuit; the indoor bell comprises an indoor bell casing, an indoor bell power supply, an indoor bell loudspeaker, an indoor bell microphone, an indoor bell talk button, an indoor bell antenna, an indoor bell wireless transmitting and receiving integrated circuit and a door ring integrated circuit; the indoor bell further comprises an alarm button. The present invention provides an alarm which is easy for the person indoor to operate and can effectively call for attention on the basis of a wireless intercommunicative doorbell. It provides the solution of a single wireless intercommunicative alarm doorbell with the dual functions.
US08073399B2
An apparatus and method for signal optimization is disclosed. This disclosure relates to improved device and method for improving performance and reducing cosite interference for an antenna array. More particularly, this description relates to a device and method for equalizing signals for communication receivers, and more particularly, to a device and method for matrixed adaptive equalizing configured to a plurality of antennas for receiving one or more signals each designated for one of a plurality of receivers.
US08073393B2
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for channel estimation without resorting to the channel second-order statistics. Methods and systems are proposed for improving the performance of an un-constrained least squares channel interpolator by using available side information of the channel, such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), Doppler frequency and/or delay spread.
US08073386B2
A subscriber platform according to various aspects of the present invention, includes an antenna and a receiver coupled to the antenna. The subscriber platform is operated by a subscriber. A method performed by the subscriber platform includes, in any practical order: (a) receiving non-redundant information on several channels, each channel associated with a direction of the antenna and a frequency for receiving information; (b) aggregating the information into a sequence; and (c) displaying a presentation in accordance with the sequence.
US08073385B2
An adaptive echo cancellation system and method employing an algorithm suitable for a digital repeater with sub-band filtering is disclosed. Cross- and auto-correlation measurements used to estimate the residual coupling are computed from normalized cross and power spectrums which avoid the problems associated with narrow bandwidth signal components. The normalized cross- and power spectra are additionally masked in frequency to reduce the influence of interfering spectral components outside of the passband of the sub-band filter. Regularization of the iterative estimation process is applied to maintain stability and compensate for the bandwidth reduction associated with the sub-band filter and the spectral mask.
US08073377B2
A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade for removing toner remaining on a surface of an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; a supporting member for supporting the cleaning blade; a mounting hole provided in one of the cleaning blade and the supporting member; a projection which is provided on the other of the cleaning blade and the supporting member and which is inserted in the mounting hole; and a recess provided in the projection and extended from a free end portion of the projection toward a base portion of the projection, wherein the cleaning blade and the supporting member are secured to each other by the projection deformed such that the recess expands outwardly of the mounting hole by resin material in the recess.
US08073376B2
Processes for producing emulsion aggregation toners are provided. In embodiments, methods of the present disclosure may be utilized to produce toners suitable for low melt applications, including use in flexible packaging applications, where low pile height is desired for low cost and flexibility. In embodiments, the EA toners may be prepared by optimizing the particle size of the emulsion, the choice of and amount of aggregating agent utilized, and the solids content of the emulsion.
US08073367B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor drum, a charger, an exposure device, a developing device, a toner cartridge for supplying toner to the developing device, a transfer device and a fixing device. The toner cartridge includes: a toner container, a toner discharge port, a toner discharger having a toner agitator. The toner discharger includes a toner discharger rotary shaft, around which a helical magnet is provided; and magnetic particles that form a helical magnetic brush along the magnet on the surface of the toner discharger rotary shaft.
US08073365B2
An ion generating device is arranged such that a heater electrode is wired so as to heat (i) a creeping discharge area and (ii) areas where respective terminal sections of an induction electrode, a discharge electrode, and the heater electrode are provided. This allows prevention of dew condensation and nitric acid generation in the vicinities of the respective terminal sections.
US08073364B2
A drive gear for a generally cylindrical imaging component. The drive gear includes a body for engaging the generally cylindrical imaging component; a cylindrical shaft attached to the body, the cylindrical shaft having an end surface; and three prongs extending longitudinally outward from the end surface.
US08073360B2
A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus having an apparatus main body to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mounted adjacently in one direction for forming a color image on a recording medium, wherein each of the plurality of cartridges has a gripping portion disposed on a rear end of the corresponding cartridge in a mounting direction in which the cartridge is mounted to the apparatus main body, the gripping portion being protruding from the rear end to an upstream side, wherein when the corresponding cartridge is mounted to and detached from the apparatus main body, a user grips the gripping portion, and wherein in a state in which the plurality of cartridges are mounted to the apparatus main body, at least one gripping portion is disposed out of line with a gripping portion of an adjacent cartridge in a direction orthogonal to the mounting direction.
US08073357B2
A developer cartridge includes a first frame and a second frame that confronts the first frame. The second frame includes an opening, through which developer is passed, and which is openable and closable by the first frame in accordance with a relative movement between the second frame and the first frame, a seal member, which is provided around the opening for preventing leakage of the developer from the opening, and which comprises a seal side confronting portion confronting the first frame when the second frame moves relative to the first frame, and a protection member, which has an elastic modulus higher than an elastic modulus of the seal member, and which is provided between the seal side confronting portion of the seal member and the first frame for protecting the seal member.
US08073353B2
A controlling section controls an image forming section to form a calibration pattern on an object. The calibration pattern includes a plurality of first patterns and a plurality of second patterns. Each of the first patterns includes at least one pair of marks. Each of the at least one pair of marks has different colors and overlaps with each other in a first direction. The first patterns have different degrees of overlapping from each other. Each of the second patterns is formed between one of the first patterns and another one of the first patterns in the moving direction. The detecting section detects the first and second patterns formed on the object. The correcting section corrects the image forming position in the first direction based on detection results of the first patterns, and corrects the image forming position in a second direction based on detection results of the second patterns.
US08073350B2
A disclosed developing apparatus employs a flare roller that is a toner carrier in which electrodes of two different phases are provided at fine intervals. Density irregularities or scumming in a developed image due to a potential difference between the flare roller and a latent image carrier are prevented by maintaining a constant potential on the flare roller surface. A voltage is applied to the electrodes on the flare roller such that an electric field that varies with time is generated between the electrodes, whereby a toner cloud is produced by the movement or hopping of toner over the flare roller. Thereby the toner attaches to a latent image on the latent image carrier, thus developing the latent image. In one embodiment, a bias with an average potential equal to an average potential of the bias applied to the electrodes is applied to a toner layer thickness regulating member.
US08073347B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image holder, a latent image forming unit, and a developing unit, the developing unit including a developer holder that is disposed to face the image holder and holds developer. Also included is a developer container, replenishing unit that replenishes new developer to the developing unit, a discharge unit that discharges the developer, a calculation unit that calculates an image area coverage of a toner image formed on the image holder, an obtaining unit that obtains a potential difference between the developer holder and the image portion on the image holder, and a controller that increases a discharge amount of the developer, when the image area coverage calculated by the calculation unit is smaller than a predetermined reference image area coverage, and the potential difference obtained by the obtaining unit is larger than a predetermined reference potential difference.
US08073337B2
An optical clock signal recovery apparatus includes a mode-locked semiconductor laser that generates an optical pulse train polarized in a first direction. Optical components of the apparatus transmit a component of an input optical signal polarized in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, into the mode-locked semiconductor laser while blocking the component of the input optical signal polarized in the first direction, and transmit light exiting the mode-locked semiconductor laser polarized in the first direction, while blocking light exiting the mode-locked semiconductor laser polarized in the second direction. The transmitted exiting light is output as a recovered optical clock signal.
US08073330B2
A Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) includes a Digital Subscriber Line interface unit for processing Physical Layer and Data Link Layer of the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL); at least two virtual DSLAM units adapted to simulate DSLAM to process a packet from the DSL interface unit; and a backhaul interface unit adapted to receive a packet processed by the DSLAM unit, and to send a packet from an access edge node or carrier equipment to the virtual DSLAM unit for processing. The disclosure further provides an Optical Network Unit, an Optical Line Terminal and a Base Station.
US08073319B2
Frequency of unnecessary face detection operations performed in a photographing apparatus is reduced, thereby reducing the power consumption by the face detection operations. A determining unit determines whether or not a photographing condition of the photographing apparatus satisfies a precondition for efficiently using a result of detection by a detecting unit, which detects an image representing a face from images taken through the imaging lens of the photographing apparatus. A controlling unit exerts control such that, if it is determined that the photographing condition of the photographing apparatus satisfies the precondition, the detecting unit carries out the detection, and if it is determined that the photographing condition of the photographing apparatus does not satisfy the precondition, the detecting unit does not carry out the detection.
US08073314B2
A recording apparatus is provided that includes a broadcast signal receiving means for receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station and a setting means for setting at least a broadcasting time period and a broadcasting station. The recording apparatus has a communication means for transmitting request information to an external device and for receiving reply information from the external device and a program table creation means for creating a program table based on the reply information. The apparatus further has a recording scheduling means for scheduling the recording of a program to be broadcast from the broadcasting station set by the setting means based on the title and broadcasting date and time of the selected previously broadcasted program when a program previously broadcasted during the broadcasting time period set by the setting means is selected from the program table.
US08073309B2
An output control (OPC) information is recorded on the magnetic tape 1 in conjunction with an MPEG stream. The OPC information is composed of two bits and is extracted from a reproduced signal by the output control circuit 9 and controls the digital interface (D. I/F) 7 and the switch circuit 11. In case a first bit of the OPC information is “0”, the output control circuit 9 makes the D. I/F 7 enabled and permits the output of a digital signal. In a case of “1”, the output control circuit 9 prohibits to output the digital signal. Further, when the second bit of the OPC information is “0”, the output control circuit 9 turns the switch circuit 11 off, preventing the output of an analog component signal. In case its “1”, the output control circuit 9 permits the output of the analog component signal.
US08073294B2
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed technology, wireless communications are used in a fiber surveillance system to enable monitoring of remote locations for vibrations, acoustic signals, stresses, stress fatigue or other detectable characteristics. A fiber that is deployed in the structure or region being monitored is connected a wireless transmitter that is used to transmit, to a receiving system, return optical signals obtained with the surveillance system. The return signals can be transmitted in raw form or after partial or total analysis.
US08073282B2
A device has a single scaling filter to filter a video signal once to perform both sharpening and scaling. A memory stores original scaling filter coefficients for the scaling filter. An integrated circuit calculates new sharpening-scaling filter coefficients derived from the original scaling filter coefficients and one of sharpening filter coefficients for a sharpening filter and a sharpening strength and applies the new sharpening-scaling filter coefficients to the single scaling filter.
US08073281B2
A dilation image is generated from an original digital image utilizing a processing image (b) and a target image (T), where each pixel in the target image is processed in parallel. The process entails, for each target pixel, i) determining coordinate values for the target pixel, ii) determining a surrounding pixel area for the target pixel, iii) and processing each pixel in the surrounding pixel area to determine whether or not to updated the value of the target pixel. In processing each surrounding pixel, a determination is made whether the pixel has a value of 1. If not, then the next surrounding pixel is processed. If so, then a determination is made which pixel element of the structuring element overlays the target pixel, and whether that pixel has a value of 1. If so, then the value of the target pixel is updated. If not, then the next pixel in the surrounding pixel area is processed. Once the target pixel has been updated one time, the processing of the remaining surrounding pixels is terminates. If processing of all surrounding pixels results in no update to the target pixel, then the target pixel is not updated. After all target pixels have been processed, the resultant image is output as the dilation image.
US08073274B2
An image processing apparatus may include a feature value extraction unit adapted to extract a feature value from an image, a setting unit adapted to set setting-information defining a process to be performed on the image, an editing unit adapted to edit the setting-information set by the setting unit, and recording unit adapted to record the setting-information edited by the editing unit, in association with the feature value of the image, on a data recording medium.
US08073272B2
Techniques for performing the processing of blocks of video in multiple stages. Each stage is executed for blocks of data in the frame that need to go through that stage, based on the coding type, before moving to the next stage. This order of execution allows blocks of data to be processed in a nonsequential order, unless the blocks need to go through the same processing stages. Multiple processing elements (PEs) operating in SIMD mode executing the same task and operating on different blocks of data may be utilized, avoiding idle times for the PEs. In another aspect, inverse scan and dequantization operations for blocks of data are merged in a single procedure operating on multiple PEs operating in SIMD mode. This procedure makes efficient use of the multiple PEs and speeds up processing by combining two operations, inverse scan (reordering) and dequantization, which load the execution units differently. The reordering loads mainly the load and store units of the PEs, while the dequantization loads mainly other units. By combining the inverse scan and dequantization in an efficient VLIW packing performance, processing gain is achieved.
US08073262B2
In an image matching apparatus of the present invention, only a connected region in which the number of pixels included therein exceeds a threshold value, among connected regions that are specified by a labeling process section, is sent to a centroid calculation process section from a threshold value processing section, and a centroid (feature point) of the connected region is calculated. When it is determined that a target document to be matched is an N-up document, the threshold value processing section uses, instead of a default threshold value, a variant threshold value that varies depending on the number of images laid out on the N-up document and a document size that are found and detected by an N-up document determination section and a document size detection section. This makes it possible to determine a similarity to a reference document with high accuracy even in a case of an N-up document, i.e., a case where each target image to be matched is reduced in size from an original image.
US08073257B2
Text data is extracted from image data read by an image reader. Log data containing the extracted text data is generated. The generated log data is stored in a log management server.
US08073254B2
Methods and systems detect objects of interest in a spatio-temporal signal. According to one embodiment, a system processes a digital spatio-temporal input signal containing zero or more foreground objects of interest superimposed on a background. The system comprises a foreground/background separation module, a foreground object grouping module, an object classification module, and a feedback connection. The foreground/background separation module receives the spatio-temporal input signal and, according to one or more adaptable parameters, produces foreground/background labels designating elements of the spatio-temporal input signal as either foreground or background. The foreground object grouping module is connected to the foreground/background separation module and identifies groups of selected foreground-labeled elements as foreground objects. The object classification module is connected to the foreground object grouping module and generates object-level information related to the foreground object. The object-level information adapts the one or more adaptable parameters of the foreground/background separation module, via the feedback connection.
US08073253B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for triple region image segmentation. Certain embodiments provide a method for triple region image segmentation on a picture archiving and communication system. The method includes forming an initial contour for an image including three regions using principal component analysis and a support vector machine. The method also includes segmenting the image into three regions using a single level set function based on the initial contour. Certain embodiments provide an image processing system facilitating triple region segmentation of an image. The system includes a pattern classifier including a support vector machine, the pattern classifier forming an initial contour for an image including three regions using principal component analysis and the support vector machine. The system also includes a triple region segmenter segmenting the image into three regions using a single level set function based on the initial contour.
US08073237B2
The present exemplary embodiment relates to a job integrity and verification system which uses patches comprised of at least one symbology printed in non-visible ink and attached to the individual components of a job. The patches are detected, read, and interpreted by use of an inline spectrophotometer. The content of the plurality of patches are compared and when a match is detected, the components containing the patches are combined together into one end item finished product.
US08073233B2
An image processor that can suitably specify a predetermined area of a grayscale image is provided. An extreme value coordinate acquiring unit performs scanning on at least one of a plurality of pixels including a target pixel from the target pixel in accordance with gradient information corresponding to a change in a pixel value, and acquires a coordinate of the scanned pixel corresponding to an extreme value of the pixel value as a coordinate of an extreme value pixel corresponding to the target pixel. An area specifying unit labels each target pixel with an area identification mark used for specifying an area to which the each pixel belongs. The area specifying unit 103 labels each of different pixels corresponding to coordinates of extreme value pixels located close to each other within a particular range with an area identification mark indicating an identity of the area to which the pixels belong. Accordingly, the area to which each pixel belongs is able to be specified based on the area identification mark.
US08073228B2
A kit for capturing a first primary image and a second backup image from a single exposure. The kit may include a first imaging source and a second imaging source. The kit may further include an attachment mechanism for attaching the first imaging source to the second imaging source such that first imaging source and the second imaging source may be simultaneously exposed to capture a first primary image and a second backup image, respectively, of a same anatomy. The kit may further include a sterilization sheath to cover both the first imaging source and the second imaging source when the first imaging source and the second imaging source are attached and being used to capture images.
US08073214B2
A method for performing computer-assisted lesion assessment includes acquiring contrast enhanced MRI data. A region of interest is identified. Kinetic properties, morphological properties and pattern of enhancement are determined for the identified region of interest. A score is calculated for each of the kinetic properties, morphological properties, pattern of enhancement. A cumulative score is calculated for the identified region of interest. The scores are provided to a medical practitioner to assist in diagnosing the identified region of interest.
US08073211B2
A hand carried medical imaging device includes a probe configured to acquire raw medical image data, an integrated display, a data memory configured to store the acquired raw medical image data, a back end processor, and a user interface operably coupled to the back end processor configured to receive commands from a user and to instruct the back end processor to display the produced medical image on the integrated display at a first resolution, and to either produce and send either the medical image at the second, higher resolution, to send the acquired raw image data, or both, to the external device, in accordance with the commands from the user.
US08073200B2
An information processing apparatus that executes processing for creating an environmental map includes a camera that photographs an image, a self-position detecting unit that detects a position and a posture of the camera on the basis of the image, an image-recognition processing unit that detects an object from the image, a data constructing unit that is inputted with information concerning the position and the posture of the camera and information concerning the object and executes processing for creating or updating the environmental map, and a dictionary-data storing unit having stored therein dictionary data in which object information is registered. The image-recognition processing unit executes processing for detecting an object from the image acquired by the camera with reference to the dictionary data. The data constructing unit applies the three-dimensional shape data registered in the dictionary data to the environmental map and executes object arrangement on the environmental map.
US08073197B2
A video surveillance system (10) comprises a camera (25), a personal computer (PC) (27) and a video monitor (29). Video processing software is provided on the hard disk drive of the PC (27). The software is arranged to perform a number of processing operations on video data received from the camera, the video data representing individual frames of captured video. In particular, the software is arranged to identify one or more foreground blobs in a current frame, to match the or each blob with an object identified in one or more previous frames, and to track the motion of the or each object as more frames are received. In order to maintain the identity of objects during an occlusion event, an appearance model is generated for blobs that are close to one another in terms of image position. Once occlusion takes place, the respective appearance models are used, in combination with a depth factor representing the depth order of the occluded objects, to segment the resulting group blob into regions which are classified as representing one or other of the merged objects.
US08073194B2
A method and system for detection of video segments in compressed digital video streams is presented. The compressed digital video stream is examine to determine synchronization points, and the compressed video signal is analyzed following detection of the synchronization points to create video fingerprints that are subsequently compared against a library of stored fingerprints.
US08073188B2
An image generation apparatus includes an additional image information generation section and a superposition information generation section. The additional image information generation section generates additional image information in which control information, which controls operation of a machine for reading information recorded on a recording medium, is placed as second image information in partitions formed by two-dimensionally placing position information, which are unique to positions on the recording medium or unique to recording positions of a document image recorded on the recording medium as first image information. The superposition information generation section converts acquired document information into third image information and superposes the third image information and the additional image information generated by the additional image information generation section to generate superposition information.
US08073185B2
An electronic device equipped with a speaker includes: a first cushion member interposed between the side surfaces of the speaker and the side guides of the speaker holding section formed on the cabinet; a second cushion member that is formed of a material softer than the first cushion member and is interposed between the undersurface of the speaker and the pedestal of the speaker holding section; and a third cushion member that is formed of a material softer than the first cushion member and is interposed between the rear surface of the speaker and the backrest of the speaker holding section.
US08073184B2
In a speaker device, cutting wiring electrically connected to a conductive wire of an electronic component and a voice coil, and the conductive wire and the wiring are electrically connected without a speaker terminal lug. The speaker device includes wiring electrically connected to the voice coil, an electronic component having a component wire, and a frame. The frame has a conductive wire fixing part for fixing the conductive wire, and the conductive wire is fixed to the conductive wire fixing part to be directly connected to the wiring. Thereby, even if a vibration is transmitted to the frame at the time of driving the speaker device, the conductive wire never vibrates, and the conductive wire does not pull the wiring. Therefore, the conductive wire and wiring are not cut. Also, since the conductive wire is the speaker terminal lug, cost of the speaker device can be reduced.
US08073176B2
The present invention introduces a speakerbar which mounts above or below a flat screen TV and reproduces the surround sound experience normally associated with speakers placed in five to seven separate locations around the room.This particular invention effectively increases the perceived stereo separation of the left and right front speakers, and creates the perception of two and even four surround speakers typically placed in the rear of the listening area. In addition, it introduces new technology to achieve multichannel bass extension beyond the normal limitations due to the minimal internal volume of a multichannel speakerbar.
US08073174B2
A fixation element for an implantable microphone is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the fixation element comprises an essentially cylindrical portion adapted to be inserted into a bore which crosses a wall of the auditory canal of a user, said cylindrical portion, at least in an implanted state of the fixation element, surrounding an outer circumferential portion of a housing part of the microphone, which housing part is provided with a sound receiving member. The cylindrical portion includes at least one elastic region of increased diameter, said elastic region contacting, in the implanted state of the fixation element, a wall of said bore and providing, by elastic restoring forces, for a friction which is sufficiently high to fix said cylindrical portion in at least one of the two axial directions of said bore.
US08073173B2
The hearing aid of the present invention comprises a main body case (1), a battery case (7), a control device (14), a microphone (4), a speaker (3), switching part (12, 16), and a lid portion (11a). The battery case (7) is provided so that it can be pulled from inside the main body case (1) to the outside of the main body case (1). The control device (14) is actuated by the electromotive force of the air battery (8) held in the battery case (7). The microphone (4) and the speaker (3) are electrically connected to the control device (14). The switching part (12, 16) cuts off the supply of power from the air battery (8) to the control device (14) when the at least part of the battery case (7) is pulled out of the main body case (1). The lid portion (11a) is provided either inside the main body case (1) or inside the battery case (7), and air holes (10) in the air battery (8) are opened and closed in conjunction with the operation of pulling at least part of the battery case (7) out of the main body case (1).
US08073171B2
So as to adapt an antenna arrangement (13) for RF-signal transmission in a hearing device (5) to different needs of different types of signal-transmission, the bandwidth BW of the antenna arrangement (13) is manually (M) and/or automatically (A) adjusted.
US08073164B2
A sound wave generator includes a carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure includes one or more drawn carbon nanotube films. The one or more drawn carbon nanotube films produce sound by means of the thermoacoustic effect.
US08073159B2
A controller controls a mixing processor based on an operation in an operating portion. Besides, the controller causes a first display to display a view showing an entire console for controlling a parameter for signal processing in a mixing processor, and causes a second display to display a view showing a designated partial area of the above described control panel. Further, the controller accepts designation of any control in the view displayed by the second display, assigns a parameter corresponding to the control of which designation is accepted, and causes the mixing processor to change a value of the parameter assigned to the operating portion, in accordance with an operation content when the operating portion is operated.
US08073156B2
An audio processing system for a vehicle includes a plurality of loudspeakers positioned to form a single line array. The loudspeaker line array is positionable in a vehicle on a dashboard of the vehicle substantially at the convergence of the dashboard and a window of the vehicle. When the loudspeaker line array is driven by an audio signal, a vertically and horizontally focused and narrowed sound pattern is perceived by a listener in the vehicle. The sound pattern is the result of the constructive combination of the direct sound impulses and the reflected sound impulses produced by each loudspeaker in the array. Using delay, attenuation and phase adjustment of the audio signal, the sound pattern may be controlled, limited, and directed to one or more locations in the vehicle.
US08073154B2
A power supply includes a battery source supplying power and a voltage converter circuit. The voltage converter circuit converts the power to the input voltage supplied to other circuitry. The voltage converter circuit varies the input voltage in response to a load current drawn by the other circuitry from the power supply.
US08073151B2
In an ANR circuit, possibly of a personal ANR device, each of a feedback ANR pathway in which feedback anti-noise sounds are generated from feedback reference sounds, a feedforward ANR pathway in which feedforward anti-noise sounds are generated from feedforward reference sounds, and a pass-through audio pathway in which modified pass-through audio sounds are generated from received pass-through audio sounds incorporate at least a block of filters to perform those functions; and may each incorporate one or more VGAs and/or summing nodes. For each of these pathways, ANR settings for selections of quantities and types of filters for each filter block, bit sizes of coefficients and/or coefficient values of each of the filters, along with still other ANR settings, are dynamically configurable wherein dynamic configuration is performed in synchronization with the transfer of one or more pieces of digital data along one or more of the pathways, at least within one or more of the filter blocks.
US08073150B2
In an ANR circuit, possibly of a personal ANR device, each of a feedback ANR pathway in which feedback anti-noise sounds are generated from feedback reference sounds, a feedforward ANR pathway in which feedforward anti-noise sounds are generated from feedforward reference sounds, and a pass-through audio pathway in which modified pass-through audio sounds are generated from received pass-through audio sounds incorporate at least a block of filters to perform those functions; and may each incorporate one or more VGAs and/or summing nodes. For each of these pathways, ANR settings for interconnections of each of the pathways, coefficients of each of the filters, gain settings of any VGA, along with still other ANR settings, are dynamically configurable wherein dynamic configuration is performed in synchronization with the transfer of one or more pieces of digital data along one or more of the pathways.
US08073149B2
The loudspeaker device according to the present invention comprises a loudspeaker; a feedforward processing section for performing feedforward processing on an electric signal to be inputted to the loudspeaker based on a preset filter coefficient so that non-linear distortion which occurs from the loudspeaker is removed; and a feedback processing section for detecting vibration of the loudspeaker, and performing feedback processing on an electric signal concerning the vibration with respect to the electric signal to be inputted to the loudspeaker. The feedback processing section performs feedback processing on the electric signal concerning the vibration so that the non-linear distortion which occurs from the loudspeaker is removed and so that a frequency characteristic concerning the vibration of the loudspeaker becomes a predetermined frequency characteristic.
US08073148B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for processing signals such as sound signals. The sound processing apparatus includes a sound signal input unit for receiving sound signals, a harmonic noise separator for separating a harmonic region and a noise region from the received sound signals, a noise restraint index determination unit for determining an optimal noise restraint index k according to a system and circumstance, and a noise restrainer for restraining the separated noise region depending on the noise restraint index k so as to output noise attenuated signals.
US08073144B2
The present invention provides improvements to prior art audio codecs that generate a stereo-illusion through post-processing of a received mono signal. These improvements are accomplished by extraction of stereo-image describing parameters at the encoder side, which are transmitted and subsequently used for control of a stereo generator at the decoder side. Furthermore, the invention bridges the gap between simple pseudo-stereo methods, and current methods of true stereo-coding, by using a new form of parametric stereo coding. A stereo-balance parameter is introduced, which enables more advanced stereo modes, and in addition forms the basis of a new method of stereo-coding of spectral envelopes, of particular use in systems where guided HFR (High Frequency Reconstruction) is employed. As a special case, the application of this stereo-coding scheme in scalable HFR-based codecs is described.
US08073139B2
A method of compressing a cryptographic value. The method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a secret value; (b) performing a cryptographic operation on the secret value to generate the cryptographic value; (c) determining whether the cryptographic value satisfies the pre-determined criteria; and (d) repeating the sequence of steps starting at step (a) until the cryptographic value satisfies the pre-determined criteria.
US08073138B2
An information input device is provided which is to make input of information by operating a disk-shaped rotating member. The device includes the rotating member (36) which is rotatable with one main side thereof being operated, rotation detecting means (23, 32) for detecting a rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch activator (26) provided at the center of rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch (270) which is activated by operating the central switch activator (26), and a plurality of peripheral switches (27) which are turned on when a portion, apart from the center of rotation, of the rotating member (36) is pressed. Rotating the rotating member and pressing the apart portion makes input of information, and operating the central switch activator sets the information thus entered.
US08073137B2
An audio headset usable for conducting a voice call through a phone, and for playing audio, such as music, from a streaming audio device, by means of a speaker. The headset comprises a signal transceiver, wirelessly connectable to a plurality of devices, including a voice call device and an audio device. A control unit in the headset can be controlled by means of a switch, which is operable to selectively set the control unit to a single point connection setting, in which only audio signals received from a first device are relayed to the speaker, or to a multiple point connection setting, in which audio signals received from the first device or from a second device are relayed to the speaker. The first device is typically a mobile phone, and priority is preferably always given to voice call signals from mobile phone even in the multipoint connection setting.
US08073136B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems for minimizing alien crosstalk between connectors. Specifically, the methods and systems relate to isolation and compensation techniques for minimizing alien crosstalk between connectors for use with high-speed data cabling. A frame can be configured to receive a number of connectors. Shield structures may be positioned to isolate at least a subset of the connectors from one another. The connectors can be positioned to move at least a subset of the connectors away from alignment with a common plane. A signal compensator may be configured to adjust a data signal to compensate for alien crosstalk. The connectors are configured to efficiently and accurately propagate high-speed data signals by, among other functions, minimizing alien crosstalk.
US08073131B2
A case for a portable electronic device such as cell phones, cameras, MP3 players and PDAs wherein said case includes material at the corners to provide protection to the electronic device. To reduce bulk at the corners and allow the material forming the case to conform with the contours of the device, the protection at the corners includes strips of material defining apertures there between. The apertures provide reduction in bulk and allow the case to conform to the corners of the device therein. Alternately, the protection at the corners can be provided by other structures co-molded into the corners of the cases. Such structures include material that is of a reduced thickness than other material used in the case, or structures that are formed to conform to the corners of the case. Such structures can be joined to the material forming the panels of the case by co-molding.
US08073127B2
A method for using an LRN based query and response mechanism to effect subscriber cutover includes receiving an LRN based response message including a communications service subscriber identifier. The method further includes determining a cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier. The method further includes inserting the cutover switch LRN associated with the communications service subscriber identifier into the LRN based response message and routing the LRN based response message.
US08073123B2
Method for automatically managing a telecommunication service for telecommunication service user includes detecting a telecommunication device associated with the telecommunication service user on a network, determining an activation state of the telecommunication service based on data regarding the detected telecommunication device, determining an account/device state based on data regarding the detected telecommunication device and executing a management process between the telecommunication device and the telecommunication service to alter either the device state or the user account status based on the data regarding the detected device. The executing step includes automatically invoking an action that minimizes the necessary user interaction to initialize, update or access the service. Such service can be VoIP, instant messaging, and combination of these services or others.
US08073122B2
Email messages are recalled in accordance with restrictions attached to the message. Use of the message is limited per the restrictions. Example restrictions include printing restrictions, forwarding restrictions, exporting restrictions, copying restrictions, reading restrictions, and a expiration time of the message.
US08073114B2
The invention relates to handling a message addressed to a client terminal, which client terminal comprises a messaging client for handling said messages. The method comprises the steps of receiving (300) a message addressed to the client terminal, said message comprising content destined to an “upper level” application, the “upper level” application being an application, which is separate from the messaging client, obtaining (301, 204) capability information relating to said client terminal, checking (302, 303, 205)whether said capability information comprises information about “upper level” applications the client terminal supports, and conducting (304, 305) an action responsive to said checking phase.
US08073111B2
A system for facilitating 9-1-1 service delivery to internet telephony customers is provided. The system includes a server device for receiving a 9-1-1 call from a user device via a data network, where the 9-1-1 call are based on “9-1-1” digits dialed at the user device. The server device is configured to forward the received 9-1-1 call to an operator services interface operatively connected to the server device.
US08073100B2
A panoramic X-ray apparatus, comprising at least a support element (2), a patient support (9) arranged to be movable in a vertical direction and an imaging station (4a). The panoramic X-ray apparatus has a support structure (4) arranged to support at least the imaging station (4a), and it has an actuator (15) producing a vertical linear motion for moving at least the imaging station (4a) to different height positions. The panoramic X-ray apparatus comprises a transmission mechanism (28) which affects the velocity/travel distance of the vertical movement of the imaging station (4a) and which is connected at least to the actuator (15) and either to the aforesaid support structure (4) or to the aforesaid support element in such manner that the velocity/travel distance of the vertical movement of the imaging station (4a) is substantially greater than the velocity/travel distance of the motion imparted by the actuator (15) to the transmission mechanism (28).
US08073099B2
A differential phase-contrast X-ray imaging system is provided. Along the direction of X-ray propagation, the basic components are X-ray tube, filter, object platform, X-ray phase grating, and X-ray detector. The system provides: 1) X-ray beam from parallel-arranged source array with good coherence, high energy, and wider angles of divergence with 30-50 degree. 2) The novel X-ray detector adopted in present invention plays dual roles of conventional analyzer grating and conventional detector. The basic structure of the detector includes a set of parallel-arranged linear array X-ray scintillator screens, optical coupling system, an area array detector or parallel-arranged linear array X-ray photoconductive detector. In this case, relative parameters for scintillator screens or photoconductive detector correspond to phase grating and parallel-arranged line source array, which can provide the coherent X-rays with high energy.
US08073098B2
An air bearing has a rotor having a circularly curved radial rotor bearing surface along its circumferential direction. The air bearing also has a stator having at least one radial stator bearing surface partially enclosing the rotor in the circumferential direction. The radial stator bearing surface is curved according to a profile following the circumferential direction of the rotor and is fashioned to generate an air gap between it and the radial rotor bearing surface so that, upon operation, the rotor is borne, supported by an air current in the air gap. The profile shapes the air gap such that, at a starting temperature that deviates from an operating temperature, the air gap has a smaller thickness (measured in the radial direction) in a second region of the radial stator bearing surface in comparison to a first region of the radial stator bearing surface along the circumferential direction.
US08073094B2
A magnetohydrodynamic simulator that includes a plasma container. The magnetohydrodynamic simulator also includes an first ionizable gas substantially contained within the plasma container. In addition, the magnetohydrodynamic simulator also includes a first loop positioned adjacent to the plasma container, wherein the first loop includes a gap, a first electrical connection on a first side of the gap, a second electrical connection of a second side of the gap, and a first material having at least one of low magnetic susceptibility and high conductivity. The first loop can be made up from an assembly of one or a plethora or wire loop coils. In such cases, electrical connection is made through the ends of the coil wires. The magnetohydrodynamic simulator further includes an electrically conductive first coil wound about the plasma container and through the first loop.
US08073086B2
Provided is a method and system for estimating distortion in a communications channel including an adaptive equalizer. The method includes determining one or more adaptive filter coefficients associated with a signal passed through the equalizer. The method also includes estimating un-equalized channel distortion based upon the determined adaptive filter coefficients.
US08073084B1
An apparatus and method for correlating a signal over a correlation interval while accommodating spreading code frequency offset is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of correlators, where each correlator forms a correlation result corresponding to a unique code frequency offset hypothesis. Each correlator selects samples from a tapped delay line at a tap position moved along the delay line at a rate corresponding to the correlator unique code frequency offset hypothesis.
US08073075B2
The transmission apparatus and transmission power controlling method are able to keep high speed feedback control and control transmission power accurately. Polar modulation transmitter (100) is provided with LPF (108) that performs waveform shaping of output power of PA (103) and ADC (109) that obtains output power data for each mode by sampling filtered signals in compressed mode and filtered signals in uncompressed mode at the same phase as the filtered signals in compressed mode. In this way, the phases of sampling signals before and after the mode change are the same, so that it is possible to obtain sampling signals of the same condition before and after the mode change, from filtered signal waveforms. According to feedback control based on these sampling signals, even if drift components remain in the filtered signals, the influence can be ignored, so that it is possible to keep high speed feedback control, and estimate and control transmission power accurately.
US08073073B2
A technique for PAR reduction involves producing an optimized clipping pulse. The optimized clipping pulse may be designed to meet certain requirements, such as a spectral mask target or an EVM target, when applied to a signal.
US08073070B2
Provided are a multi-pilot generation method and a detection method in a multi-antenna communication system. In the method, a transmission side superimposes a first preamble sequence and a third preamble sequence to generate a second preamble sequence, which is subjected to serial/parallel conversion before the first preamble sequence and the second preamble sequence are successively transmitted from a plurality of antennas by time division. A reception side receives the first preamble sequence and the second preamble sequence by a plurality of antennas, separates the third preamble sequence from the second preamble sequence by a spatial division process, and performs a pilot correlation process by using the first preamble sequence and the separated third preamble sequence.
US08073065B2
A base station allowing mobile stations to efficiently remove interference signals. In this base station (100), an encoding part (101) performs an error correction encoding of transport data to generate a bit sequence comprising systematic bits and parity bits; a repetition part (102) repeats, as a repetition subject, only the parity bits out of the plurality of bits included in the bit sequence, which is generated by the encoding part (101), so as to perform a rate matching; a modulating part (103) modulates, after the repetition, the bit sequence to generate symbols; an S/P part (104) parallel converts the symbols serially inputted from the modulating part (103) and then outputs them to an IFFT part (105); and the IFFT part (105) performs an IFFT processing of the symbols inputted from the S/P part (104) and then maps them onto subcarriers in accordance with a predetermined mapping pattern, thereby generating OFDM symbols.
US08073062B2
A communication is provided that schedules both Distributed Virtual Resource Blocks (DVRB) and Localized Virtual Resource Blocks (LVRB) in a same frequency channel, thereby obtaining the benefits of frequency selective scheduling while minimizing the uplink feedback overhead. In one embodiment of the invention, the communication system assigns one or more downlink Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) of multiple downlink Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) to each user equipment (UE) given an LVRB to produce at least one reserved PRB and multiple non-reserved PRBs and assigns a part of each PRB of the multiple non-reserved PRBs to a UE given a DVRB. In another embodiment of the invention, the communication system assigns PRBs pre-reserved for localized transmission to UEs scheduled for LVRBs and assigns parts of multiple PRBs pre-reserved for distributed transmission to each UE given a DVRB.
US08073061B2
There is provided a radio communication device capable of suppressing increase of power consumption of a relay station device. In this device, a channel information extraction unit (31) extracts channel information (channel information in the mobile station device of the signal transmitted from the base station device) from the reception signal from a base station device; a sub carrier selection unit (32) selects a sub carrier of low received quality according to the channel information; a relay data extraction unit (33) extracts data to be relay-transmitted according to the selection result in the sub carrier selection unit (32); and a sub carrier allocation unit (35) allocates data to be relay-transmitted to the sub carrier for relay transmission.
US08073058B2
This invention relates to a memory device and the like that are preferably applied to a case where motion vector is detected using a block matching. Pixel data of a first frame (a reference frame) is stored in a unit A of memory cell array portion 20a in straight binary format. Pixel data of a second frame (a search frame) is stored in a unit B of memory cell array portion 20b in two's complement format. The units A and B have a plurality of memory cells, respectively. Word lines WL related to the pixel data of the first and second frames are simultaneously activated so that charges accumulated in capacitors of each of the memory cells can be combined along one bit line BL. A/D converter 53 outputs a digital signal (absolute difference value) having a value that corresponds to a total amount of charges. When reading the pixel data, a subtraction and a conversion into the absolute difference value are simultaneously performed.
US08073054B2
A motion estimation unit (500) for estimating a current motion vector comprises a match error unit (506) for calculating match errors of respective candidate motion vectors and a selector (508) for selecting the current motion vector from the candidate motion vectors by means of comparing the match errors of the respective candidate motion vectors. Some of the candidate motion vectors are extracted from a set of previously estimated motion vectors. Other candidate motion vectors are calculated based on multiple motion vectors which are selected from the set of previously estimated motion vectors.
US08073048B2
A method for minimizing and optimizing a list of active reference pictures to be used for (forward or backward) inter coding of a current picture, or of a pixel region (e.g., video object) within the current picture. Setting the number of active reference pictures in a list equal to one based upon one or more decisions related to the pixel data and movement between the current picture and one or more reference pictures. Otherwise, minimizing the number of active reference pictures in the list based upon one or more other decisions related to the pixel data and movement between the current picture and one or more reference pictures. Minimizing the number of active reference pictures in a second reference picture list based upon the utilization of reference pictures in the first reference picture list. A video encoder processes data representing a two-dimensional video image which has been produced by a conventional commercially available video camera. The video encoder is adapted to determine, select, and to minimize the number of active reference pictures to be used to inter code a current picture. The bit stream transmitted by the encoder can be decoded by decoders of the related art.
US08073042B1
A method and apparatus for detecting out-of-specification data streams and voltage controller oscillator operation. Data may be received over evaluation periods. Each evaluation period is segmented into n sub-periods. Each n sub-period has the same length. Each n sub-period spans a portion of the data. The corresponding data period starting at each of the n sub-period is evaluated. The sub-period interval counts may be stored in a first-in-first-out register.
US08073040B1
A serial communications protocol is provided that has mandatory features such as an idle code feature and optional features such as an optional automatic lane polarity reversal feature and an optional automatic lane order reversal feature, an optional clock tolerance compensation feature, an optional flow control feature, and an optional retry-on-error feature. A user that desires to create a protocol-compliant integrated circuit design can either choose to include or to not include the optional features. Integrated circuits in which the optional features are implemented are able to perform the associated functions. Integrated circuits in which the optional features have not been implemented are not able to perform these functions, but can be fabricated using fewer circuit resources.
US08073026B2
A chirped pulse amplification laser system. The system generally comprises a laser source, a pulse modification apparatus including first and second pulse modification elements separated by a separation distance, a positioning element, a measurement device, and a feedback controller. The laser source is operable to generate a laser pulse and the pulse modification apparatus operable to modify at least a portion of the laser pulse. The positioning element is operable to reposition at least a portion of the pulse modification apparatus to vary the separation distance. The measurement device is operable to measure the carrier envelope phase of the generated laser pulse and the feedback controller is operable to control the positioning element based on the measured carrier envelope phase to vary the separation distance of the pulse modification elements and control the carrier envelope phase of laser pulses generated by the laser source.
US08073021B2
A method for operating a frequency converted light source includes sweeping a wavelength control signal of a semiconductor laser over an initial signal range and measuring an optical power of an output beam emitted from a wavelength conversion device coupled to the semiconductor laser. The wavelength control signal of the semiconductor laser may then be swept over at least one truncated signal range and the optical power of the resulting output beam is measured. The at least one truncated signal range may be centered on a point corresponding to a maximum power of the output beam of the sweep of the wavelength control signal over the preceding signal range. An operational signal range for the wavelength control signal is determined such that a midpoint of the operational signal range corresponds to the maximum optical power of the resulting output beam of the sweep over the preceding signal range. Closed-loop feedback control of the wavelength control signal in the operational signal range may then be initiated.
US08073020B2
A wavelength tuning apparatus and method that maintain highest efficiency with a single angle manipulation without changing a position of input/output light. For this, the wavelength tuning apparatus and method include a transmission-type diffraction grating and a mirror that are constructed in one-body type so that a light path that enables an optimal efficiency diffraction angle of the diffraction grating can be formed, and rotates the one-body construction to obtain a desired wavelength. Accordingly, efficiency and precision of manipulation and control can be increased, and costs can be reduced.
US08073015B2
A communication system includes communication protocols that allow a single network or multiple neighboring networks to increase resource sharing and reduce mutual interference and increase their overall throughput. Various protocols apply to homogenous networks in which all power line communication (PLC) devices of multiple networks are interoperable with respect to full power line communication in a common PHY (specifications, signaling capabilities, modulation scheme, coding scheme, bandwidth, etc.) and to heterogeneous networks in which devices of some PLC networks are not interoperable with PLC devices of other PLC networks with respect to full power line communication given that the devices of the different networks do not employ a common PHY. With respect to heterogeneous networks, a protocol is provided to enable coexistence via a signaling scheme common to all of the devices of the network that allows resource sharing between the devices of the multiple heterogeneous networks. Homogeneous networks are those in which all nodes can communicate with each other using a common PHY, so that information about one PLC network can be transferred to another PLC network. Heterogeneous networks are those in which not all PLC networks can exchange information using their own native PHY, such as where users in different apartments or houses use different devices having different specifications, different signaling capabilities, modulation scheme, coding scheme, bandwidth and the like.
US08073009B2
Apparatus and methods allocate I/O bandwidth of an electrical component, such as an IC, by configuring an I/O interface into various types of interfaces. In an embodiment of the present invention, an I/O interface is configured into either a bi-directional contact, unidirectional contact (including either a dedicated transmit or dedicated receive contact) or a maintenance contact used in a maintenance or calibration mode of operation. The I/O interface is periodically reconfigured to optimally allocate I/O bandwidth responsive to system parameters, such as changing data workloads in the electronic components. System parameters include, but are not limited to, 1) number of transmit-receive bus turnarounds; 2) number of transmit and/or receive data packets; 3) user selectable setting 4) number of transmit and/or receive commands; 5) direct requests from one or more electronic components; 6) number of queued transactions in one or more electronic components; 7) transmit burst-length setting, 8) duration or cycle count of bus commands, and control strobes such as address/data strobe, write enable, chip select, data valid, data ready; 9) power and/or temperature of one or more electrical components; 10) information from executable instructions, such as a software application or operating system; 11) multiple statistics over respective periods of time to determine if using a different bandwidth allocation would result in better performance. The importance of a system parameter may be weighted over time in an embodiment of the present invention.
US08073002B2
An offload system, method, and computer program product are provided. Based on an identified data structure, it is determined whether a hardware network interface is operating in a first mode or a second mode. The hardware network interface is coupled between a network and a processor. If it is determined that the hardware network interface is operating in the first mode, the packets are processed utilizing the processor. If it is determined that the hardware network interface is operating in the second mode, the packets are processed utilizing the hardware network interface.
US08072988B2
A method and system for distributing credit using a fiber channel switch element is provided. The switch element includes, a wait threshold counter that is used to set up a status for a port that has to wait for certain duration to send a frame due to lack of buffer to buffer credit; a credit module that controls buffer to buffer credit for a transmit segment of the fiber channel switch element; and a virtual lane credit module with a counter that is incremented every time a frame assigned to a virtual lane is sent and decreased every time a VC_RDY is received. The method includes, determining if a VC_RDY primitive is received; and allocating credit to a virtual lane that is not at its maximum credit, after the VC_RDY primitive is received.
US08072978B2
An access node comprises an application server, a logical access port coupled to the application server and a redirection filter module coupled to the logical access port. The redirection filter module includes a data redirection filter and an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) redirection filter. The data redirection filter facilitates a data packet received on the access port being directed to the application server when a destination Media Access Control (MAC) address of the data packet corresponds to a MAC address of the application server or when a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address of the data packet corresponds to an IP address of the application server. The ARP redirection filter facilitates an ARP reply message being issued when a target IP address of an ARP request message received on the access port corresponds to the IP address of the application server.
US08072976B2
An Internet infrastructure with network devices and end point devices containing service module manager and service modules, that supports packet routing and vectoring based on payload comparison with spatially related templates. The network device that supports packet content analysis on arriving packet, consists of a plurality of packet switched interface circuitries, user interface circuitry, local storage comprising the service module manager software and a plurality of local service modules, and processing circuitry communicatively coupled to each of the packet switched interfaces, local storage and user interface circuit. The processing circuitry executes service module manager and thus analyzes the packet content and applies one or more selected local service module processing using the packet. The service module manager contains, for comparisons, header templates, spatially related payload trigger templates and spatially related payload supplemental templates. The spatially related templates attempt to identify a target data with certainty. The processing circuitry takes one or more actions on the packet of a target data, by applying selected service modules.
US08072970B2
A method is provided for forming a multi-media communication path between at least first, second and third communication devices coupled to a multi-media provider system during post answer call redirecting and/or teleconferencing. The method includes receiving and processing a first call request at a circuit-based portion of the multi-media provider system for forming a first communication link between the first and second communication devices. Thereafter, predetermined attributes of the first communication link may be sent to an IP-based portion of the multi-media provider system for configuring the IP-based portion of the multi-media provider system to process a subsequent request to execute post answer call redirecting and/or teleconferencing. Upon detecting the request to execute the post answer call redirecting and/or teleconferencing in the first communication link, the IP-based portion of the multi-media provider systems responds by forming the multi-media communication path between at least first, second and third communication devices.
US08072969B2
A handover source AP among APs in a system has a RAM 203 storing a MAC address of a VoIP terminal performing a VoIP communication, holding status information indicative of a holding state, and data on the number of in-call terminals. A CPU 202 monitors all transmitting/receiving frames and packets of a VoIP terminal connected to a LAN so as to judge whether or not the connected VoIP terminal is disconnected. When the terminal is disconnected, it is judged whether or not a MAC address of the disconnected VoIP terminal is stored in the RAM 203 and whether or not holding status information is stored in the RAM 203. When the MAC address is stored in the RAM and the holding status information is detected, a holding notification request command is transmitted to all APs. When the terminal is not disconnected, it is judged whether or not a holding notification response command is present in the packet. When the command is present, the holding status information is deleted and the number of in-call terminals is reduced.
US08072964B2
In a communication system in which a plurality of communication apparatuses form a wireless network and communicate with each other, a communication apparatus establishes timing synchronization by transmitting and receiving a beacon to and from other communication apparatuses. The communication apparatus determines whether or not beacon slots for transmitting the beacon are occupied, and if the beacon slots are occupied, connects to another communication apparatus without transmitting the beacon.
US08072960B2
A networking method of single frequency network in a TD-SCDMA system includes the steps of: (1) deciding a networking configuration scheme by a universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), (2) based on the decided networking configuration scheme, configuring an intra-frequency cell info list information element and an inter-frequency cell info list information element in system information and measurement control messages by the UTRAN, (3) transmitting signals over a servicing area by the UTRAN, and (4) receiving the system information and measurement control messages by a user equipment (UE) from the UTRAN, acquiring working mode configuration information of each frequency and each timeslot of a serving cell and neighboring cells, and judging whether there are duplicated cell information elements in the intra-frequency cell info list information element or the inter-frequency cell info list information element.
US08072950B2
A system for providing collaboration among a plurality of devices in a mobile ad hoc network is disclosed. The system consists of a module within each of the devices that is operable to perform login, synchronization, data loss recovery, and conflict avoidance and resolution functions.
US08072945B2
A method and system for optimizing and keeping operational a wireless link layered network in which a system control and modifying message (SCMM) is elicited from nodes receiving information packets and based upon whether the node originating the SCMM is from a link layer level which is equal to or less than the link layer level eliciting the SCMM, rerouting or adjusting future transmissions can be effected or items like a current time at a receiving node and a most recent utilization rate of a receiving node can be adjusted, recorded or set.
US08072943B2
A wireless communication system is disclosed wherein an information source communicates with a mobile station via multiple intermediary base stations located in respective cells of a broadcast zone. In one embodiment, each base station sends multiple information streams that may be received by a mobile station located in the broadcast zone. By receiving multiple information streams from multiple base stations, the mobile station may enhance reception. In one embodiment, a base station transmits an information stream that includes a base layer and another information stream including an enhanced layer. If a receiver in a mobile station receives an enhanced layer with more than a predetermined amount of quality, then the receiver uses information in the received enhanced layer to supplement information in the received base layer.
US08072942B2
Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to communications. The systems and techniques involve separating a plurality of subscriber stations into first and second groups, a different first code from a plurality of orthogonal codes to each of the subscriber stations in the first group, assigning each of the subscriber stations in the first group either its allocated first code or a first sub-code derived from its allocated first code, to support a dedicated channel, and assigning a second sub-code derived from one of the first codes to support a communications channel to one of the subscriber stations in the second group. A second code may be used to support a dedicated channel to the second subscriber station.
US08072940B2
In the data call handover method, the mobile communication terminal registers a Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP address) through an asynchronous mobile communication network and receives data call service when a data call connection event is initiated by the mobile communication terminal. It is determined whether the mobile communication terminal has entered an area in which the asynchronous mobile communication network and a synchronous mobile communication network overlap. If the mobile communication terminal has entered the overlap area, it is determined whether to perform handover to the synchronous mobile communication network based on the intensity of a signal of the asynchronous mobile communication network. If handover is to be performed, a data call between the mobile communication terminal and the synchronous mobile communication network is established and the MIP address is registered. The service of the data call, which is provided by the asynchronous mobile communication network, is linked with the service of the synchronous mobile communication network. The data call between the mobile communication terminal and the asynchronous mobile communication network is released.
US08072939B2
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes steps of: generating, at a HO-source radio base station, an intermediate key (KeNB*), by inputting, into a first function KDF (*), a base station key (KeNB), identification information (PCI) of a HO-target cell, and identification information (ARFCN) of a frequency for the HO-target cell; and transmitting, from the HO-source radio base station to a HO-target radio base station, the intermediate key (KeNB*), in the HO process; and generating, at the HO-target radio base station, a base station key (KeNB) on the basis of the intermediate key (KeNB*) in the HO process.
US08072937B2
A wireless communication apparatus capable of shortening the handover time and preventing the connection from being interrupted during telephone communication. In this apparatus, an HO part (109), when detecting an access point, outputs an handover control signal for performing a handover that is a process of switching from a communication using a third generation mobile communication system to a communication using a WLAN. A positional information acquiring part (112) receives a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite and generates GPS information indicative of the position of the local apparatus. When the GPS information shows that the local apparatus approaches the area of the WLAN by a predetermined distance, a period deciding part (115) decides that the period be shorter than when the local apparatus is at the predetermined distance away from the area of the WLAN. When the local apparatus approaches the area of the WLAN by the predetermined distance, an AP detection period control part (116) controls the operation of access point detection to be performed in the period shorter than when the local apparatus is at the predetermined distance away from the area of the WLAN.
US08072931B2
A base station includes: means configured to manage frequency blocks; means configured to determine, for each frequency block, scheduling information for assigning one or more resource blocks to a communication terminal being in a good channel state; means configured to generate a control channel including the scheduling information for each frequency block; and means configured to frequency multiplexing control channels within the system frequency band and to transmit it. In addition, the base station transmits the control channel by separating a non-specific control channel to be decoded by a non-specific communication terminal and a specific control channel to be decoded by a communication terminal to which one or more resource blocks are assigned.
US08072917B2
Methods and apparatus relating to scheduling of air link resources, e.g., traffic segments, in wireless communications are described. Various described methods and apparatus are well suited to wireless peer to peer networks in which traffic scheduling is decentralized, e.g. an ad hoc peer to peer network. A first wireless terminal receives a transmission request and quality of service information from a second wireless terminal corresponding to a connection. The first wireless terminal decides not to receiver yield, determines a request response transmission power level as a function of the received quality of service information, and transmits, at the determined power level, a generated request response signal. By controllably adjusting the transmission power level of a request response, transmitter yielding decisions of lower priority links are impacted, since lower priority links measure and use received power level information corresponding to request responses of higher priority links in their transmitter yielding decisions.
US08072914B2
System(s) and method(s) are provided to survey a confined area serviced by femto cell for power calibration. Building survey facilitates calibration of femto cell power to suit actual coverage conditions within the building. A femto access point (AP) is set to “calibration mode” while a “calibration call” is effected (e.g., by a subscriber) throughout the intended in-building coverage area. Wireless signal strength for macro and femto coverage is measured and employed to establish an optimal femto AP power. Building survey for power calibration affects operation of the both a building-based AP serving the femto cell and wireless devices, and enhances subscriber experience.
US08072903B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for performing range-based directory number (DN) screening are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for determining that a telecommunications device DN is within an allowed set of numerical ranges. The method includes creating a range tree for representing an allowed set of numerical DN ranges, wherein each range is defined by a numerical upper and lower bound, and storing the range tree in a memory device; receiving a telecommunications device DN to be analyzed; traversing the range tree from a root node of the tree, based on analyzing each digit of the DN, until a leaf node is reached; and determining, based on an attribute associated with the leaf node reached, whether the DN is within the allowed set of ranges.
US08072899B2
A method and apparatus for measuring and reporting a rank and/or a precoding matrix for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication are disclosed. A metric indicating a channel condition is measured and a rank is selected based on the metric. The metric may be a signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR), throughput, a block error rate (BLER), system capacity, a sum rate, or the like. An SINR for each radio block group (RBG) for each rank is calculated. A data rate is calculated for each RBG based on the SINR for each rank. An overall rate for all RBGs is calculated for each rank. At least one rank is selected based on the overall rate. At least one precoding matrix may be selected jointly with or separately from the at least one rank.
US08072890B2
A network monitor gets a bill of materials for a communication across a network where different communication paths may be established. A bill of materials is a list of hardware/software components that are used to establish and maintain the communication. A request to generate a test communication between the same devices involved in the communication is received. A request to sample and send samples of test data is sent to a network analyzer. The test communication is established. A bill of materials for the test communication is determined. The bill of materials for the communication is compared to the bill of materials for the test communication. Test data is sent on the test communication. The sent test data is analyzed in relation to the sent samples of the test data and the compared bills of materials.
US08072889B2
While a microcomputer is executing a self-diagnosis (A), second diagnosis pulse output means of a B-system microcomputer is not used utterly. Further, during this time, the B-system microcomputer 100B does not execute a processing relating to at least the self-diagnosis (A) utterly. By shifting the timings for the A-system and the B-system to output the diagnosis pulses, independencies can be secured between respective diagnosis processing (self-diagnoses (A) and (B)). Thus, the independencies between the A-system and the B-system can be verified briefly by the self-diagnosis (A) on the A-system side. Further, first diagnosis pulse group are outputted parallel and simultaneously from first diagnosis pulse output means. Thus, since cyclic control is not required for respective external input devices, it can be done to verify the independencies between the A-system and the B-system within a short period of time.
US08072882B1
A method and apparatus for improving packet processing employing a network flow control mechanism are disclosed. A network process, in one embodiment, suspends distribution of incoming packet(s) to one or more, packet processing engines (“PEs”) upon detecting a stalling request. After identifying currently executing operations initiated by one or more kicking circuits before the issuance of stalling request, the process allows the currently executing operations to complete despite the activation of the stalling request.
US08072868B2
An optical pickup for irradiating an information recording medium, such as a DVD, with a laser beam when an information signal is recorded or reproduced, and information equipment provided with the optical pickup. The optical pickup is capable of recording or reproducing an information signal with higher accuracy, while reducing an influence of stray light in an information recording medium, such as a multilayer type optical disc.
US08072866B2
A marker selection method includes: a marker generation step for generating a marker defining a position reference when recording data according to the modulation rule of the hologram recording/reproduction; a calculation step for calculating a correlation value indicating the correlation between a template image indicating a maker and each of a first verification image containing the marker shifted by a predetermined pixel and a second verification image containing data; and a selection step for selecting such a marker that the peak of the correlation value in the first verification image becomes greater than the peak of the correlation value in the second verification image. The selected marker is used as marker data in a marker generator in a recording processing circuit during recoding and as template data of the template matching processing circuit in the reproduction processing circuit during reproduction.
US08072864B2
A recording/reproducing device includes a laser and a laser drive carried by a pickup having a drive for movement. A control controls the drives to irradiate the recording medium with laser pulse sequences forming recording marks having recording mark lengths between a predetermined and maximum lengths, a top section, a last section including a cooling period, and an intermediate period. Heat of mark front edges is controlled by recording parameters for top sections that are classified according to recording mark lengths and recording parameters of the first through the maximum recording mark lengths are classified into a same group. Heat of mark rear edges is controlled by cooling start positions for cooling periods classified according to recording mark lengths. Cooling start positions for a second predetermined mark length through the maximum mark length are classified into a same group. The second mark length is longer than the first mark length.
US08072862B1
A system includes a sampling module and a correction module. The sampling module is configured to sample an input signal at sampling points and to output samples. The correction module is configured to output a correction factor when the first one of the samples is preceded by a second one of the samples having a first polarity, and when the first one of the samples is followed by a third one of the samples having a second polarity that is opposite of the first polarity. The correction factor comprises a correction value that is based on at least one of the samples that precedes the first one of the samples. The correction value is used to correct the input signal at a first one of the sampling points corresponding to the first one of the samples.
US08072858B2
A disk motor which rotationally drives an optical disk; a rotational phase detector which detects a rotational phase thereof; an optical head having a collecting lens which collects an optical bean; a light detector and an LE signal generator which detect a position of the collecting lens in the optical head as a position signal; an LE signal memory recorder and an LE signal memory which store, in synchronization with a rotational phase to be detected by the rotational phase detector, the positional signal from the LE signal generator; an LE signal memory regenerator which outputs as a correction signal, in synchronization with a rotational phase to be detected, the positional signal which has already been detected; a subtractor; an LE signal filter, a drive circuit and a Tk actuator which move the collecting lens using a signal from the subtractor; and a low pass filter which reduces a high-frequency component of the correction signal are provided.
US08072850B2
A rewritable optical disk apparatus, optical information recording and reproducing apparatus or the like is allowed to automatically and properly adjust the optical system to the optimum focal condition regardless of the readout signal detector's positional error and the residual aberration in the optical system. The spherical aberration and defocus are coarsely adjusted using the amplitude (PP amplitude) of the tracking error signal and then finely adjusted using the amplitude (RF amplitude) of the readout signal. Since the spherical aberration can properly be adjusted, it is possible to raise the reliability of the readout signal.
US08072838B2
Memories, clock synchronization circuits, clock synchronization controller circuits, and methods for setting a voltage controlled delay of a clock synchronization circuit and tracking and recording the control voltage are disclosed. For example, a clock synchronization controller provides an initial control voltage to the voltage controlled delay during initialization of the synchronization circuit until a phase dependent control voltage stabilizes. The stable phase dependent control voltage is substituted for the initial control voltage. Following stabilization of the phase dependent control voltage, a phase detector of the clock synchronization circuit is activated. A recovery control voltage is provided by the clock synchronization controller to the voltage controlled delay during recovery of the clock synchronization from a power-saving mode until the phase dependent control voltage stabilizes.
US08072837B1
A circuit is configured to be mounted on a memory module configured to be operationally coupled to a computer system. The memory module has a first number of ranks of double-data-rate (DDR) memory devices configured to be activated concurrently with one another in response to a first number of chip-select signals. The circuit is configurable to receive a set of signals comprising address signals and a second number of chip-select signals, the address signals comprising bank address signals. The circuit is further configurable to monitor command signals received by the memory module, to selectively isolate a load of at least one rank of the first number of ranks from the computer system in response to the command signals, and to provide the first number of chip-select signals to the first number of ranks in response at least in part to the received bank address signals and the received second number of chip-select signals.
US08072823B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell provided at an intersection of a word line and a bit line, a precharge circuit connected to the bit line, a column select circuit controlled in accordance with a write control signal, and a clamp circuit provided as a write circuit. The clamp circuit includes a transistor configured to control the potential of a selected bit line to a first potential (e.g., 0 V), and a variable capacitor configured to control the potential of the selected bit line to a second potential (e.g., a negative potential) which is lower than the first potential. The capacitance of the variable capacitor decreases when a power supply voltage is increased, whereby the amount of a decrease from the first potential to the second potential is reduced.
US08072818B2
The invention relates to a dual-threshold-voltage two-port sub-threshold SRAM cell apparatus. The above-mentioned apparatus comprises a first inverter, a second inverter, an access transistor and a read buffer. The first inverter and the second inverter include a plurality of first operating elements and a plurality of second operating elements for storing data. The access transistor is coupled to the first inverter and the second inverter, wherein the first operating elements and the second operating elements are high threshold voltage operating elements and the access transistor is low threshold voltage operating transistor. The read buffer is used for performing a read operation.
US08072814B2
Methods of programming, reading and erasing memory cells are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, program, sense, and erase operations in a memory are performed with back biased operation, such as to improve high voltage device isolation and cutoff in string drivers and bit line drivers, and no nodes of the circuitry are biased at zero volts.
US08072810B2
The present invention describes a uniform program method and a uniform erase method of a charge trapping memory by employing a substrate transient hot electron technique for programming, and a substrate transient hot hole technique for erasing, which emulate an FN tunneling method for NAND memory operation. The methods of the present invention are applicable to a wide variety of charge trapping memories including n-channel or p-channel SONOS types of memories and floating gate (FG) type memories. the programming of the charge trapping memory is conducted using a substrate transient hot electron injection in which a body bias voltage Vb has a short pulse width and a gate bias voltage Vg has a pulse width that is sufficient to move electrons from a channel region to a charge trapping structure.
US08072806B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cell transistors arranged in a matrix; a plurality of word lines commonly coupling the control gates of the plural memory cell transistors present in a identical first direction; a plurality of source lines commonly coupling the sources of the plural memory cell transistors present in the identical first direction; a plurality of bit lines commonly coupling the drains of the plural memory cell transistors present in a identical second direction intersecting the first direction; a first transistor having a drain coupled to the source line; a second transistor having a drain coupled to a source of the first transistor, a gate coupled to the word line and a source grounded; and a control line commonly coupling the gates of the plural first transistors.
US08072802B2
A memory that employs a redundant cell array for recovery of one or more failed core cell arrays of multi-bit memory cells is described. The memory includes a plurality of core cell arrays, at least one redundant cell array, and a memory controller. The memory controller is configured to dynamically assign the redundant cell array to a failed core cell array when erasing at least a portion of the plurality of core cell arrays. The memory controller is further configured to provide read/write access to the redundant cell array when the failed core cell array is selected for read/write access.
US08072801B2
A method of forming a diode comprises the steps of forming an extraction region of a first conductivity type, forming an active region of a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type, and forming an exclusion region of the second conductivity type to be adjacent the active region. The active region is formed to be adjacent to the extraction region and along a reverse bias path of the extraction region and the exclusion region does not resupply minority carriers while removing majority carriers. At least one of the steps of forming the exclusion region and forming the extraction region includes the additional step of forming a barrier that substantially reduces the flow of the carriers that flow toward the active region, but does not rely on a diffusion length of the carriers to block the carriers.
US08072800B2
Techniques and magnetic devices associated with a magnetic element that includes a fixed layer having a fixed layer magnetization and perpendicular anisotropy, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer having a changeable free layer magnetization and perpendicular anisotropy.
US08072788B1
An embedded processor system including a flash process semiconductor die and a digital process semiconductor die. The flash process semiconductor die includes i) first cache memory configured to cache information associated with an embedded processor, and ii) a first cache controller configured to control the first cache memory. The digital process semiconductor die includes i) a translator configured to translate the information between the flash process semiconductor die and the digital process semiconductor die, and ii) the embedded processor. The embedded processor is configured to process the information.
US08072778B2
A plasma display device capable of reducing an electromagnetic interference wave due to a driving current flowing in a plasma display panel is provided. The plasma display device includes a plasma display panel having electrodes that are parallel to each other, a driver circuit board for applying a voltage to the electrodes, a chassis conductor holding the plasma display panel and to which a ground of the driver circuit board is connected, and a first additional conductor plate provided to the chassis conductor via an insulating layer and to which grounds of at least one circuit board in circuit boards other than the driver circuit board are attached.
US08072766B2
A portable device includes an operating part, a circuit board, and a case body for housing the operating part and the circuit board. The circuit board has a circuit section configured to transmit a signal to an external device. A terminal electrode and a pair of switch electrodes are disposed on the circuit board. The terminal electrode supplies electricity from a power source to the circuit section. A switch element is configured to electrically couple the pair of switch electrodes in accordance with an operation of the operating part. A resin member is disposed on the circuit board in such a manner that the circuit section is covered with the resin member and the terminal electrode and the pair of switch electrodes are exposed to an outside of the resin member.
US08072761B2
A heatsink includes a thermally conductive body including a plurality of fins configured to conduct and dissipate heat. The body is configured to receive a circuit board containing heat-producing electrical components along a width of the body. The heatsink further includes a pivot mechanism pivotally coupled to the body and configured and disposed to contact the heat-producing electrical components. The heatsink further includes a bias device connected to the body and the pivot mechanism and configured to change from a first state to a second state to cause the pivot mechanism to rotate relative to the body to move a contact portion of the pivot mechanism toward the body. The heatsink is configured to receive the heat-producing electrical components between the contact portion of the pivot mechanism and the body, and the bias device is configured to bias the contact portion of the pivot mechanism to urge the heat-producing electrical components against the body when the bias device is in the second state.
US08072757B2
A heat dissipation apparatus includes a heat sink configured to contact a heat source, and a fan mounted on the heat sink configured to generate airflow through the heat dissipation apparatus. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades, and a motor configured for rotating the fan. The motor is located a distance from the fan blades.
US08072754B2
An electronic device includes a casing, a centrifugal blower and sidewall received in the casing. The casing is adapted for accommodating electronic components therein, and includes a bottom cover and an opposite top cover. The centrifugal blower is surrounded by the sidewall and includes a sleeve directly mounted to the bottom cover, a bearing member mounted in the sleeve, a stator mounted to the sleeve and an impeller rotatably supported by the bearing member. The bottom cover of the electronic device functions as a bottom plate of the centrifugal blower.
US08072742B2
A chassis includes a base board defining a receiving space, a clapboard detachably received in the receiving space, and two fasteners. The receiving space includes a sidewall, and a plurality of fixing posts extend from the sidewall. Two fixing columns each defining a fixing hole extend from opposite ends of the base board, neighboring the sidewall. The clapboard includes a main body defining a plurality of engaging holes to engage with the plurality of fixing posts of the base board, and two fixing portions each defining a through hole extending from opposite ends of the main body. The two fasteners are passed through the through holes of the fixing portions and engaged in the fixing holes of the fixing columns, respectively.
US08072740B2
An electronic device includes a connecting member, a housing, a positioning member, a display body, and an inner support mechanism. The positioning member is fixed to the housing. The display body is positioned on the housing and connected to the positioning member. The inner support mechanism has a support member and an adjustment member. The support member is fixed to the housing. The adjustment member is movably connected to the support member to maintain resistance to the positioning member.
US08072738B2
A system for removably mounting a consumer electronic device to a vertical surface, an adapter, as well as adapters and appliance for use with the system. The system has a writing surface which is at least partially coverable by a removable consumer electronic device. The adapter has a writing surface and an interface for removably mounting an electronic device to at least partially cover the writing surface. The appliance has a writing surface and interface on surface of the appliance, such as, for example, the surface of a door of a refrigeration appliance.
US08072732B2
A capacitor is provided having a tough surface portion which prevents cracking that tends to occur when the capacitor is built-in or surface-mounted on a wiring board. A ceramic sintered body of the capacitor includes a capacitor forming layer portion, a cover layer portion and an interlayer portion. The capacitor forming layer portion has a laminated structure wherein ceramic dielectric layers and inner electrodes connected to a peripheral portion of capacitor via conductors, are alternately laminated. The cover layer portion is exposed at a surface portion of the ceramic body and has a laminated structure wherein ceramic dielectric layers and dummy electrodes not connected to the capacitor via conductors, are alternately laminated.
US08072731B2
There is provided a static eliminator capable of improving a sheath effect exerted by shielding a leading end of a discharge electrode by a clean gas so as to prevent the leading end of the discharge electrode from being contaminated, in which a first-stage circumferential chamber, a second-stage circumferential chamber and a first gas pool are arrayed in series along the longitudinal direction of a discharge electrode, the first gas pool is disposed in the mode of diametrically overlapping a gas outflow channel for shielding located on the inner circumferential side of the first gas pool, and a clean gas is supplied to the first gas pool through the chambers disposed at multi-stages by means of the circumferentially spaced multi-stage orifices (the first and second chases).
US08072722B1
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can affect the operation of and even damage an unprotected integrated circuit. Conventional ESD protection circuits may not be able to protect the integrated circuit if the voltage at the output of the integrated circuit swings with large amplitude. In some embodiments, an ESD protection circuit comprising switching circuitry that provides a low AC impedance path to ground can prevent improper triggering of the ESD protection circuit during normal operation of the integrated circuit, while ensuring that the ESD protection circuit device reliability is not compromised.
US08072718B2
The present invention is directed to a protective device that includes a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals, the plurality of load terminals including a plurality of hot load terminals and a plurality of neutral load terminals. The device also includes a circuit interrupter having four sets of moveable contacts, the four sets of moveable contacts being configured to couple the plurality of line terminal to the plurality of load terminals in a reset state and to decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in a tripped state. A test circuit includes an end of life detection circuit coupled to the plurality of line terminals or the plurality of load terminals by a switch mechanism associated with the four sets of moveable contacts. The test circuit includes a manually actuatable button and a fusible element, the fusible element assuming a permanently open state if the circuit interrupter does not enter the tripped state within a predetermined period after the manually actuatable button has been actuated.
US08072717B1
The present invention is directed to a protective wiring device for use in an electrical distribution system. The device includes a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals configured to be coupled to the plurality of line terminals in a reset state. A detector circuit is coupled to the plurality of line terminals. The detector circuit is configured to generate a detection signal in response to detecting at least one predefined perturbation in the electrical distribution system. A circuit interrupter assembly is coupled between the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals. The circuit interrupter assembly is configured to decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in response to the detection signal. An end-of-life mechanism is coupled to the detector circuit. The end-of-life mechanism is configured to permanently decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in the absence of an intervening signal.
US08072715B2
An apparatus is provided for fault protection. The apparatus may include one or more electronic components configured to receive a single phase-to-ground fault signal and a double phase-to-ground fault signal subsequent to receiving the single phase-to-ground fault signal. The one or more of electronic components may be further configured to provide for a delay while the single phase-to-ground fault signal indicates that a single phase-to-ground fault is present on the ungrounded power system and the double phase-to-ground fault signal indicates that the double phase-to-ground fault is present on the ungrounded power system. The delay may allow for an opportunity to isolate a phase-to-ground fault on a first phase from a phase-to-ground fault on a second phase. Associated methods and computer program products are also provided.
US08072705B1
A method and system for providing a magnetic writer are described. The method and system include providing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) on a portion of the magnetic writer. The BARC has a low reflectivity. The method and system also include providing a barrier layer on at least a portion of the BAR and providing a mask on at least a portion of the barrier layer. The barrier layer isolates the BARC from the mask.
US08072704B1
A computer implemented method is disclosed, for energy-saving operation of a storage device with a read/write head. The method includes monitoring workload of the storage device, calculating current mean workload and adjusting seek speed of the read/write head of the storage device to one of a plurality seek speeds depending on the calculated current mean workload. The step of adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head includes adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be a first seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is below a first threshold, adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be a second seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is between the first threshold and a second threshold, and adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be the first seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is greater than the second threshold. A computer program product and a data processing system are also disclosed.
US08072702B2
An atmospheric pressure measuring apparatus allows a transmitter to transmit an acoustic wave for measurement of the atmospheric pressure. Air propagates the acoustic wave. A receiver receives the acoustic wave. Since the intensity of the acoustic wave changes to follow the variation of the atmospheric pressure, the atmospheric pressure can be measured based on the intensity of the acoustic wave received at the receiver. The atmospheric pressure is in this manner measured with such a simplified structure.
US08072696B2
A wide angle optical system is formed by, in order from the object side, an aperture stop, a first lens with positive refracting power, a second lens with negative refracting power, and a third lens. Both surfaces of the third lens are an aspherical surface in which refracting power varies in accordance with distance from the optical axis in such a way that the both surfaces have a convex shape facing toward the object side in the vicinity of the optical axis and have a concave shape facing toward the object side in the vicinity of the outer circumference, and the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied: 0.1
US08072686B2
An apparatus to project graphical images upon a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle includes an excitation light source projecting a laser beam based upon a graphical image command and a telescope for expanding the laser beam. The apparatus further includes a multi-mirror device including a plurality of mirrors sequentially irradiated by the expanded laser beam to simultaneously scan a plurality of laser beamlettes and the windscreen including a surface receiving the plurality of laser beamlettes, each of the received plurality of laser beamlettes emitting visible light upon the surface.
US08072676B2
Disclosed is a system and method to affect natural lighting profiles in a programmable window made from a single transparent membrane, wherein the method comprises: forming a matrix comprising of pixel elements within the single transparent membrane, setting (in a programmable controller) a degree of shading in at least one pixel in the matrix, receiving control command(s) from the programmable controller and, in response to the control command(s), independently driving the pixel(s) within the single transparent membrane to set its/their opacity according to the degree of shading. The degree of shading in each pixel within the single transparent membrane is controlled by controlling percentage of light transmitted according to the control command(s) issued by the programmable controller.
US08072674B2
In an electro-phoretic display and a fabricating method thereof, the electro-phoretic display is fabricated by the steps: forming a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in matrix form on a first substrate; disposing a plurality of electro-phoretic displaying units including a plurality of colored charged particles, wherein each pixel electrode is corresponding to at least one of the electro-phoretic displaying units having the colored charged particles with the same color; forming a transparent electrode on a second substrate; and disposing the second substrate on the electro-phoretic displaying units to positioning the transparent electrode between the second substrate and the electro-phoretic displaying units. The electro-phoretic display can select a part of the pixel electrodes for being driven according to the color of the image being displayed, so that the electro-phoretic display may have an improved chromatic performance.
US08072661B2
The present invention provides a computer generated hologram which forms a light intensity distribution on a predetermined plane by giving a phase distribution to a wavefront of incident light, comprising an anisotropic layer whose refractive index with respect to linearly polarized light in a first direction is different from a refractive index of the anisotropic layer with respect to linearly polarized light in a second direction perpendicular to the linearly polarized light in the first direction, and an isotropic layer whose refractive index with respect to the linearly polarized light in the first direction is equal to a refractive index of the isotropic layer with respect to the linearly polarized light in the second direction.
US08072659B2
The color processor is provided with: a conversion source color data acquiring part for acquiring conversion source color datasets in a first color space; a gamut storage for storing a gamut; a determining part for determining whether or not each of the conversion source color datasets exists in the gamut; a first color conversion processor for performing color conversion processing on each of conversion source color datasets A in the conversion source color datasets by use of a color conversion characteristic model, the conversion source color datasets A being determined to exist in the gamut; and a second color conversion processor for performing color conversion processing on each of conversion source color datasets B in the conversion source color datasets by use of color conversion correspondence, the conversion source color datasets B being determined not to exist in the gamut.
US08072649B2
An image displaying medium, a method of generating composite image displaying data, and an image generating system are disclosed. A color image on the image displaying medium is composed of plural mesh points whose shape is an ellipse having linearity. The mesh point has, for example, a color of cyan, magenta, yellow, or black in the CMYK system. The color image is a composite image composed of a displaying image and a latent image. When the composite image is viewed through a lenticular lens, a moire pattern having thick vertical lines corresponding to the displaying image and a moire pattern having thin oblique lines corresponding to the latent image appear.
US08072645B2
In an image processing method, a color corresponding to an input color image signal represented by an arbitrary RGB color space is detected and a requested color correction process is executed. A color domain according to property of the RGB color space is determined when determining a color domain based on a two-dimensional image signal representing a color plane converted from the input color image signal.
US08072641B2
A computer program product prepares production data for a print job. The production data includes an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL). The electronic document is stored in a PDL image file. The production data for the print job is prepared via a processor. The computer program product has computer-readable media encoded with instructions for execution by the processor to create a still image proxy of the PDL image file, electronically manipulate an image display of the still image proxy and record information about the manipulations, and use the information about the manipulations to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy.
US08072635B2
A computer network system and method for printing in the pharmacy all information specific to a particular prescription recipient, synchronized in time with the fulfillment of the prescription. The computer network system and method determines what accompanying information to associate with a prescription, integrates that accompanying information into one integrated document, and prints the document, along with a prescription label, in the pharmacy prior to when the prescription recipient receives the prescription. In addition, the systems and methods determine layout of the specific accompanying information associated with a prescription to physically distinct sections of the paper.
US08072633B2
A method is described for managing a print shop system in which a plurality of printers are connected to and managed by a server. The server receives a print job including a job ticket and source document to be printed, and generates two or more sub-jobs each including a sub-job ticket and a sub-document by analyzing the job ticket and the content of the source document. The two or more sub-jobs are submitted to a plurality of printers and/or finishing devices in accordance with the sub-job tickets. One particular example is color split printing where black and white pages and color pages of a source document are split into two sub-jobs to be printed by a black and white printer and a color printer, respectively.
US08072632B2
According to this invention, when a network device is made to leave from a network, the network device transmits a network leaving message containing information specifying an alternative network device inputted in advance. This makes it possible for a client using the network device to automatically install a printer driver corresponding to an alternative network device. For this purpose, a printer as a network device stores in advance alternative printer information specifying an alternative printer. When an instruction to make the printer leave the network is provided for maintenance or the like, the printer broadcasts a Bye message containing alternative printer information to the network. The client, who has used the printer, stores the alternative printer information. In printing, if an alternative printer is successfully found by a search, and the corresponding printer driver has not been installed, the client executes setup processing for installation.
US08072626B2
A system for reading and authenticating a composite image in a sheeting. A exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a system for reading and authenticating a sheeting including a composite image that appears to the unaided eye to be floating above or below the sheeting or both. The present invention also relates to methods of reading and authenticating a composite image that appears to the unaided eye to be floating above or below the sheeting or both.
US08072623B2
An image processing apparatus is disclosed that includes an image processing unit section and an information processing unit section. The image processing unit section includes an image scanner that performs an image processing function and a SDK application that expands and controls the function of the image processing apparatus. The information processing unit section includes an operations panel that selectively performs operations between a basic application and the SDK application and a MFP service that transmits an instruction signal to the SDK application so as to control the image scanner in accordance with the operation on the operations panel. The information processing unit section confirms the corresponding relationship between the MFP service and the SDK application when the image processing apparatus performs a starting process and makes the SDK application correspond to the MFP service in accordance with the confirmation results.
US08072622B2
A printer 1 has an I/F section 31 for receiving data from a PC 2, a parameter-deriving section 35b for deriving a control constant on the basis of print setting information included in the received data, and a printer section 11 which performs printing operation on the basis of the print setting information, the control constant, and print data included in the received data.
US08072619B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a printing apparatus including a printing unit for executing a print job and performing a printing process on recording paper, and a control unit for controlling the printing unit, the printing apparatus causing the printing unit to execute a plurality of print jobs sequentially, wherein the printing apparatus further includes a recording paper detection unit for detecting a size of recording paper fed to the printing unit, and when a size of recording paper detected by the recording paper detection unit is different from a size of recording paper set by a print job that is being executed by the printing means, the control unit performs control such that a period of time until the recording paper is discharged is shortened to the minimum.
US08072614B2
Methods and devices for calculating the position of a movable device are disclosed. The device may include multiple optical detectors (ODs) and the movable device may include light sources. Optics may be above the ODs. A controller may calculate the position of the light source based on data from the ODs and properties of the optics. The device may be a game console, and the light source may be a game controller. The roles of the OD and light sources may be interchanged. The rotation of the movable device may be determined using multiple light sources and/or multiple ODs on the movable device. The movable device may calculate its position and transmit it to a console. The light sources may be modulated by time or frequency to distinguish between the light sources. There may be two or more movable devices. There may be two or more consoles.
US08072610B1
The conventional two plates with beamsplitter of the Mirau interferometer are replaced with two achromatic λ/4 retarders. The upper surface of the second retarder is coated with a 50 percent reflecting film, so that it also functions as a beamsplitter. The objective is illuminated with a linearly polarized beam. As a result of this arrangement, the test and reference beam emerging from the Mirau interferometer are orthogonally polarized beams suitable for achromatic phase shifting, thereby facilitating the use of the Mirau interferometer for monochromatic to broadband phase-shifting interference microscopy. Alternatively, it can be used for equalization of beams intensity by placing a rotatable polarizer at the exit of the objective.
US08072600B2
An inspection method for a circuit substrate is disclosed, which inspects electrical properties of a circuit substrate having a multilayered structure, by controlling inspection environments so that dew forms on a surface of the circuit substrate and detecting change of states of the dew to thereby determining variation of a thermal capacity of a conductor with respect to defective contacts or vias, micro vias and a circuit pattern of an inner layer. According to this, the inspection can be performed with respect to a wide area simultaneously and therefore the inspection productivity can be improved. In addition, since the temperature of the conductive wire can be measured directly through change of the dew, the cost for the temperature measurement can be saved. Moreover, the cost for an area sensor to sense the temperature of a wide area may be reduced while improving the inspection speed.
US08072598B2
A condensation particle counter is capable of efficiently measuring the number and size of fine particles. The condensation particle counter includes a saturator, a plurality of condensers and a plurality of optical particle counters. The saturator is designed to generate a saturated gas by saturating a gas in which fine particles are suspended with working fluid. The condensers are connected to a downstream side of the saturator to condense the saturated gas so that liquid droplets can grow around the fine particles. The optical particle counters are connected to downstream sides of the condensers to optically detect the liquid droplets supplied from the condensers. Each of the condensers has a condenser tube for interconnecting the saturator and each of the optical particle counters. The condenser tube is provided with a hydrophilic tube installed inside surface of the condenser tube.
US08072594B1
A liquid level sensor probe for determining liquid level within a vessel, the liquid level sensor probe comprising at least one light source positioned for emitting radiant energy; at least one photosensor positioned for detecting an amount of radiant energy received from at least one light source wherein a change in the amount of radiant energy as detected by at least one photosensor is indicative of a change in liquid level within the vessel; at least one light shield positioned between at least one light source and at least one photosensor wherein at least one light shield prevents radiant energy from directly hitting at least one photosensor; and encapsulation material.
US08072591B2
A wafer inspection system has a bright field imaging beam path and a dark field imaging beam path to obtain bright field images and dark field images of a full 300 mm wafer. The optical system provides for telecentric imaging and has low optical aberrations. The bright field and dark field beam paths are folded such that the system can be integrated to occupy a low volume with a small foot print.
US08072587B2
A machine and methods measure a characteristic of an optical signal incident upon a detector characterized by one or more dynamic response parameters. One method receives an output signal from the detector and compares that output signal and a computationally determined response of the detector to a known optical signal incident upon the detector. The response is based on said one or more dynamic parameters. The method determines the characteristic based on a relationship between the output signal and the computationally determined response. Another method observes an output signal from an optical detector detecting one or more optical signals, accesses a characteristic curve of detector response, compares the observed output signal to the characteristic curve, and calculates at least one characteristic of one or more optical signals based on a relationship of the observed output signal and the characteristic curve.
US08072585B2
A multi-modal data acquisition system for detecting target material on a biological reaction surface, the system comprising a radiation source for generating an incoming beam that impinges on the biological reaction surface at an oblique incidence angle and produces a reflected beam, an interferometric detector for detecting an interferometric signal from the illuminated surface, the reflected beam being directed to the interferometric detector, a fluorescence detector for detecting a fluorescence signal from the illuminated surface; the fluorescence detector being positioned to substantially minimize the incidence of the reflected beam; and a processing system for receiving the interferometric and fluorescence signals and determining the presence or absence of target material on the biological reaction surface. A reaction surface conditioned for the simultaneous collection of fluorescence, interferometric and other signals. A multi-modal data acquisition system for collecting and processing additional modes, including multiple interferometric, fluorescence and scattering channels.
US08072582B2
A light detection and ranging system includes a transmitter transmitting a transmitted light pulse timing sequence, with pseudo-random timing and including a plurality of light pulses, toward a target. An optical receiver receives a reflected light pulse timing sequence including a plurality of light pulses from the target. An electronic control unit identifies a time delay between the transmitted light pulse timing sequence and the reflected light pulse timing sequence as a function of a correlation between the transmitted and reflected light pulse timing sequences.
US08072578B2
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.
US08072577B2
An exemplary lithography process may include: receiving a substrate having a photo-sensitive layer; providing a light source capable of causing an exposure of a portion of the photo-sensitive layer; and providing a mask capable of defining at least one pattern that is to be transferred to the photo-sensitive layer. Specifically, the substrate has a top surface on or over the photo-sensitive layer, and the mask receives an electromagnetic wave from the light source at a first surface of the mask and generates a plurality of electromagnetic components from a second surface of the mask. The lithography process may also include: providing a lens, which provides a flat surface at a bottom surface of the lens, for transferring the pattern to the photo-sensitive layer; and adjusting the distance between the flat surface of the lens and the top surface of the substrate to control the number and amount of the electro-magnetic components projected onto the photo-sensitive layer.
US08072567B2
A liquid crystal panel of the present invention includes in the following order toward a viewer side: a first polarizer; a first optical compensation layer having a refractive index ellipsoid of nx>ny>nz and an in-plane retardation Re1 of 90 to 300 nm; a liquid crystal cell; a second optical compensation layer having a refractive index ellipsoid of nx>ny>nz and an in-plane retardation Re2 of 90 to 300 nm; and a second polarizer, wherein a total thickness direction retardation ΣRth1 to n of all the optical compensation layers and a thickness direction retardation Rthc of the liquid crystal cell satisfy the following Expression (1): −160 nm<(ΣRth1 to n−Rthc)<50 nm (1).
US08072562B2
A liquid crystal panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, a counter electrode, a pixel array structure, at least one alignment layer and at least one polymer layer is provided. The counter electrode is disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the first substrate. The pixel array structure is disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate. The alignment layer is disposed between the counter electrode and the liquid crystal layer and between the pixel array structure and the liquid crystal layer. The polymer layer is disposed between the alignment layer and the liquid crystal layer, and a material of the polymer layer includes polymer monomers and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). A content of PMMA in the polymer layer is greater than 1 ppm and smaller than 15000 ppm.
US08072559B2
A liquid crystal display device 10 in accordance with the present invention includes a liquid crystal 11 and a lighting device 12, the liquid crystal panel 11 having a liquid crystal layer 50 provided between a pair of glass substrates 31, 41, the lighting device 12 supplying illumination light to the liquid crystal panel 11. The liquid crystal display device 10 is characterized in that a metal-halide containing region 60 is formed in a position in one of the pair of glass substrates 31, 41. The metal-halide containing region 60 contains a crystal of metal halide which exhibits photochromism in the light supplied from the lighting device 12. The position is capable of blocking light toward a luminance point defect occurrence portion X that becomes a cause of a luminance point defect. The one of the pair of glass substrates 31, 41 is disposed on the lighting device 12 side.
US08072557B2
A display device is disclosed in the present invention. The display device includes a case including an install space inside the case, an opened display area at a front face of the case and a slit at a side of the case, the slit connected to the install space, a display panel attached to the case at the install space to be exposed to the display area, a backlight unit installed at the install space after the display panel through the slit by sliding engagement.
US08072544B2
There is provided a video output apparatus which inputs a video content that can have at least three different resolutions. A format detector detects an alteration of a resolution of a video content. A scaling processor scales up the video content at a set scale ratio. Upon detection of an alteration of the resolution, the format detector selects one of a plurality of supplemental video pictures, which are prepared in advance in a memory, in accordance with the degree of decrease of the resolution after the alteration to that before the alteration. An image composition unit controls a display unit to display the supplemental video picture together with a video associated with the video content via a video display unit.
US08072537B2
An image pick-up module, in particular for an endoscope or a miniature camera, has an electronic image sensor, which has a plurality of contact fingers that are arranged in at least one row, and a rigid circuit board to which the contact fingers are electrically contact-connected, the image sensor and the circuit board being arranged approximately parallel to one another, and the contact fingers extending along at least one longitudinal side of the circuit board, which extends approximately transversely to the image sensor, and also a flexible multi-core cable which leads from the circuit board in the direction away from the image sensor and whose cores are likewise electrically contact-connected to the circuit board. The cores are contact-connected at contact-connection points on the circuit board which are closer to the image sensor than that side of the circuit board which is remote from the image sensor.
US08072525B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for performing multiple correlated double sampling (CDS) operations on an imaging pixel, and in some cases on an array of imaging pixels, during a single integration cycle of the pixel(s). The multiple CDS operations may produce multiple CDS values, which may be processed in combination to produce a resulting value substantially free of various types of noise. The CDS operations may be performed using a CDS circuit including a single-ended charge amplifier having an input capacitor. The charge amplifier may also include a variable capacitance providing a variable gain. The variable capacitance may be provided by a feedback capacitor.
US08072523B2
A column circuitry architecture for an imager includes redundant column or row circuits. The column or row circuitry includes a number of redundant column or row circuits. Each column or row circuit include circuitry for controllably coupling the column or row circuit to one of plural signal lines from an array of pixels. A control mechanism is used to select a configuration of plural column or row circuits in the column or row circuitry. In this manner, some column or row circuits are decoupled from the pixel in favor of other column or row circuits. The decoupled column or row circuits may include defective or noisy circuits.
US08072519B2
The present invention is directed to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus and a method of driving the solid-state imaging apparatus. If the total read out time of all of the pixels is shortened when effective pixels are thinned out to be read out without thinning out OB pixels, then the reset time period of each row is different from each other, and the problem of uneven charge accumulation time periods is caused. An improvement by the present invention is that, if no signals are read out from a part of the rows of the pixels in an effective pixel region to skip the rows, then the time period in which the rows to be skipped are selected is made to be shorter than the time period in which the rows from which signals are read out are selected, and the pixels in the optical black pixel region and the pixels in the effective pixel region are driven by the drive pulses of patterns different from each other.
US08072518B2
A solid-state imaging includes a comparing circuit, an inverting circuit, and a masking circuit, and performs column parallel AD conversion processing of analog pixel signals outputted from a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix form. The comparing circuit outputs a difference signal obtained by comparing each of the pixel signals outputted from the pixels with a reference signal having a ramp waveform. The inverting circuit inverts a logic of the difference signal outputted from the comparing circuit. The masking circuit masks an output of an output signal of the inverting circuit to a circuit in a subsequent stage during an input offset canceling period in which the comparing circuit is canceling an input offset between the pixel signal and the reference signal.
US08072516B2
A dynamic range enhancement method and apparatus for an imaging device expands a dynamic range of an input image without an associated increase in the amount of image calculations. The dynamic range enhancement method includes producing brightness information and color information from an input image; applying gamma correction and inverse gamma correction to the brightness information to produce a gamma corrected image and an inverse gamma corrected image; comparing variances of the gamma corrected image and the inverse gamma corrected image at identical spots; and expanding a dynamic range of the input image by selecting one of the variances at each spot. The dynamic range of an input image is expanded by applying a post imaging process without increasing calculation amount of the imaging device.
US08072507B2
A method of generating a high dynamic range image corresponding to a specific scene. The method includes shooting a specific scene to generate a base image; selecting a bright area and a dark area from the base image; determining base luminance according to the base image; shooting the specific scene to generate at least a first image, wherein average luminance of a part of the first image corresponding to the bright area of the base image is less than or equal to the base luminance; shooting the specific scene to generate at least a second image, wherein average luminance of a part of the second image corresponding to the dark area of the base image is greater than or equal to the base luminance; and combining at least the first image and the second image into a high dynamic range image corresponding to the specific scene.
US08072496B2
A motion stabilizing techniques are described. A frame of video is represented at least by frame position information. Savitzky-Golay filtering may be applied on frame position information. The resulting filtered video may have reduced visible jitteriness.
US08072492B2
To provide a mobile terminal device which can perform an operation reflecting the intention of a user when an event, such as the arrival of an incoming phone call or an email, occurs while a television broadcast is being displayed, and which can also improve the operability. A mobile terminal device is composed of: a TV reception unit which receives a television broadcast signal; an output control unit which controls outputs of video and audio of the television broadcast, auxiliary information of the television broadcast, the email, audio of the phone call, and video and audio of a video phone call, to a first display unit, a second display unit, and an audio reproduction unit; a recording control unit which records a television broadcast program onto a recording medium; a reproduction control unit which reproduces the television broadcast program recorded on the recording medium; a control unit which controls an operation performed when the email or the phone call is receives while the television broadcast is being displayed; and an unfold/fold detection unit which detects whether the mobile terminal device is folded or unfolded.
US08072483B2
Provided is an endoscope optical system including first deflecting means that deflects light incident along an incident optical axis in a direction along a first axis perpendicular to the incident optical axis and emits the light; second deflecting means having two reflecting faces that fold back the light emitted from the first deflecting means along a second axis separated from the first axis by a gap; and third deflecting means that deflects the light folded back by the second deflecting means in a direction perpendicular to the first axis and along a plane including the incident optical axis, wherein the first deflecting means is provided so as to be capable of swiveling about the first axis relative to the second deflecting means, and the two reflecting faces of the second deflecting means are disposed to form an obtuse angle therebetween.
US08072475B2
If the recording medium and the thermal head stick together, a recording device, a control method for a recording device, and a control program enable avoiding media transportation problems caused by such adhesion. If the recording medium has a release coat layer or an overcoating layer and the recording medium is left in contact with the thermal head, an operating pattern is set according to the contact conditions for moving the surface of the recording medium a specific distance from the thermal head, and transportation is controlled according to the set operating pattern.
US08072473B2
A gray scale voltage generator and a method of generating a gray scale voltage in a transmissive and reflective type liquid crystal display device are disclosed. A transmissive mode gray scale data are transformed into real reflective mode gray scale data. An integer part is extracted from the real reflective mode gray scale data as a first reflective mode gray scale data. The first reflective mode gray scale data and temporary reflective mode gray scale data are mixed in a predetermined ratio by N-frame period. The temporary reflective mode gray scale data has a sum of one and the first reflective mode gray scale data. Pseudo gray scale data are inserted into the second reflective mode gray scale data. Therefore, superior display quality is provided in both transmissive and reflective mode.
US08072470B2
An invention is provided for affording a real-time three-dimensional interactive environment using a three-dimensional camera. The invention includes obtaining two-dimensional data values for a plurality of pixels representing a physical scene, and obtaining a depth value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels using a depth sensing device. Each depth value indicates a distance from a physical object in the physical scene to the depth sensing device. At least one computer-generated virtual object is inserted into the scene, and an interaction between a physical object in the scene and the virtual object is detected based on coordinates of the virtual object and the obtained depth values.
US08072469B2
A fusion night vision system corrects for parallax error by comparing an image from a first sensor with an image from a second sensor.
US08072466B2
A medical examination apparatus for acquisition of slice images of an examination subject, such as a magnetic resonance apparatus, has a control device for controlling the image acquisition procedure having at least one associated monitor on which graphic elements serving for adjustment of the image acquisition modalities can be displayed. The graphic elements can be positioned by the user via an input unit with regard to the image simultaneously displayed on the monitor. The control device controls the image acquisition procedure dependent on the position and type of the graphic elements. Some of the displayed graphic elements can be coupled to one another as needed in terms of their positional relationship so that, given a position change of a selected graphic element, all graphic elements coupled therewith can mutually be moved with retention of their positional relationship with one another.
US08072464B2
A 3D graphics processing method includes receiving a homogeneous coordinate and an attribute value of both end points of one scan line of a polygon composed of a plurality of perspective projected vertices, calculating a reference value indicating an amount of perspective distortion in the scan line using the received homogeneous coordinates, and interpolating an attribute value of each of pixels of the scan line using at least some of the received homogeneous coordinates and attribute values, the attribute value interpolated by selectively applying perspective correction to each pixel based on the reference value.
US08072459B2
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus provided with a multi-graphic controller and a data processing method using the data processing apparatus. A data processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a first graphic controller 10a and a second graphic controller 20 for processing and displaying inputted image data; and a control unit 50 for distributing the image data in consideration of data processing capabilities of the first and second graphic controllers 10a and 20. According to the present invention, there is provided a data processing apparatus and method capable of simultaneously using a plurality of graphic controllers, so that data processing speed can be improved. Image data are appropriately distributed, whereby the efficiency of data processing can be enhanced. Since the number and type of graphic controllers being operated are adaptively changed depending on a system state and the processing amount of data, it is advantages in that the efficiency of data processing and prevention of power consumption can be achieved at the same time.
US08072434B2
In a game apparatus, when a user name input mode is selected on a screen displayed with a mode selecting software input region, a user name inputting software input region (including a software keyboard area, and an SW button (decision) and an SW button (cancel) which are formed at positions other than a position of the software keyboard area) is set on a displaying portion. When the SW button (decision) or the SW button (cancel) is touched, a process just as an HW button (A) or an HW button (B) is operated is executed. When a cursor is moved by an HW button (cross) in order to designate or select any one of the SW buttons within the software keyboard area, a combined mode is established to form a user name inputting software input region (an expanded software keyboard area, and an SW button (input) and an SW button (erase) which are formed at positions other than a position of the expanded software keyboard area) on the displaying portion. At this time, within the expanded software keyboard area, the SW button (decision) and the SW button (cancel) are set.
US08072427B2
A mobile device 500 comprises a display portion 502 including a display screen, a first keypad portion 501, a second keypad portion 502, and at least one input device 508, 510-524, 531-544 associated with at least one of the first keypad portion 501, the second keypad portion 502, and the display portion 504. The first and second keypad portions 501, 502 are independently rotatably coupled to the display portion 502 to provide a plurality of operational configurations for the device 500. The first keypad portion 501 may be positioned on an upper level of the device 500 and the second keypad portion 502 may be positioned on a lower level of the device 500, with the display portion 502 being positioned in the middle of the device 500. The first keypad portion 501 may be superimposed over at least part of the display portion 502.
US08072426B2
An interactive device of improving image processing. The interactive device includes a processing module and a control circuit. The processing module includes a substrate, an image sensor for generating a plurality of pixel signals, and an estimation unit for determining a static parameter of at least one image object of the image based on the plurality of pixel signals. A transmission interface is used for serially outputting a control signal based on the static parameter determined by the estimation unit. The interactive device also includes a controller for controlling operation of the interactive device based on the control signal based on the static parameters corresponding to each image object. The image sensor, the estimation unit, and the transmission interface are all formed on the substrate.
US08072423B2
The invention relates to a portable digital Computer with an in-built coupling device which is arranged in order to receive mouse Signals from a radio mouse provided with a battery and fed by said battery. Said digital Computer comprises an in-built current source and an electric interface which is installed in a fixed manner and which is connected to the current source, the electric interface being arranged such that the battery can be charged. The invention also relates to an input device for a portable digital Computer comprising a radio mouse and an additional slide pad which is arranged on the top side of said radio mouse. The invention further relates to a special coupling bay comprising a recess which is a notebook. Said coupling bay is used for mechanically coupling a Cursor control device which is disposed below a notebook keyboard and in order to reconfigure the Cursor control device in a rear-sided Operation in order to use a notebook in a book-type and handheld form, whereby a flat mouse with annular-shaped finger Supports is provided in order to improve the handling and Operation thereof, in addition to a Cursor control device which is provided with an identification and locking function. Additionally, a notebook is disclosed, comprising a decoupling Cursor control device and a keyboard which can be decoupled. A desktop PC can be configured by means of a configuration via a hinge foldable functional part of a notebook.
US08072421B2
A system and method is provided for selecting clearly defined picture elements of a picture displayed in a video screen display by use of an operating element. The operating element can be rotated about its longitudinal axis. The operating element can be rotated with stop positions and controls a search beam rotatable about a center. The angle of rotation of the search beam changes with each stop position of the operating element and is variably adapted to the position of the picture elements such that the search beam hits exactly one clearly defined picture element in each stop position.
US08072415B2
Disclosed herein is an interface which users can intuitively operate. A control signal input system includes a display device which displays a graphical user interface including plural control items for controlling a device, the control items being displayed in a predetermined layout; and an input device having an input unit operable to make a selection from control items displayed on the display device, the input unit having a shape, wherein the shape of the input unit corresponds to the layout of the control items.
US08072400B2
During image display, pixel current measurement for brightness irregularity correction is carried out. Display is carried out by sequentially writing pixel data in a horizontal direction to pixel sections that are arranged in a matrix shape. Horizontal power supply lines PVDD are arranged for each horizontal line, and power is supplied from these power supply lines to corresponding pixel sections. When carrying out measurement of pixel current by lighting pixel sections one at a time, a horizontal power supply line PVDD of a horizontal line to which the lit pixel belongs is connected to a power supply PVDDb by a switch, and other horizontal power supply lines PVDD are connected to PVDDa.
US08072393B2
A headset comprises an arrangement and a display. The arrangement is situated at least partially on a head of a user. The display is coupled to the arrangement and capable of displaying a pointing device to the user. The headset is coupled to a mobile device which includes a sensor. When the mobile device is moved, the sensor detects a direction of the movement to generate corresponding direction data. The display displays to the user a corresponding movement of the pointing device which is determined as a function of the corresponding direction data.
US08072368B1
An aircraft radar system includes a radar antenna and a processing device. The processing device receives returns from the radar antenna associated with the scan. The processing device uses the returns from the scan for use in both incursion detection and weather phenomenon detection. A method for using the returns from the scan for both incursion detection and weather phenomenon detection is also disclosed.
US08072355B2
A handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided. The handheld electronic device includes a keyboard assembly, a display positioned adjacent the keyboard assembly, a processor structured to receive inputs from the keyboard assembly and to output to the display as a function of the inputs, the processor further structured to run a disambiguation routine. The keyboard assembly includes a printed circuit board, a primary conductor portion, a secondary conductor portion, and a keyboard assembly. The printed circuit board has a plurality of electrical contacts. The conductor assembly has a plurality of primary conductors and a plurality of secondary conductors, each the primary conductor and secondary conductor structured to correspond to, and engage and close, at least one of the plurality of electrical contacts. The keyboard assembly has a plurality of keys each having one or more indicia thereon. The plurality of keys are disposed in a first set of keys and a second set of keys, wherein each key in the first set of keys is coupled to, and structured to engage, a first number of conductors, and, each key in the second set of keys is coupled to, and structured to engage, a second number of conductors wherein the second number is different than the first number.
US08072353B2
Disclosed herein is a dynamic content design, delivery and distribution software architecture that enables a centrally located designer, using a graphical interface, to create, edit, manage, and organize a matrix of trigger points that are plotted on a computerized map of geographical space. Each of these trigger points may be tagged with content, which is then relayed to a dynamic client device that is remotely located. The client device then displays the content to a remote user in a manner predetermined by the centrally located designer, the content varying based on feedback provided by the client device. The system and methods disclosed enable a centrally located designer to assume the role of an automated tour designer. As such, designers can compile a variety of different tours, each aimed at users with particular preferences. The architecture further offers a means to publish tour scripts for public consumption. The system is sufficiently flexible for use in any instance in which a user requires dynamic content, which is displayed contingent on any number of conditions.
US08072349B2
A method for vehicular communications and information reporting. First and second wireless Internet connections between respective first and second vehicles and a web-server are provided. First and second event information is transmitted, to the web-server, from the first and second vehicles. The first and second event information relates to the same event in visual range, respectively, of occupants of the first and second vehicles. The web server may transmit, to the first and second vehicles, confirmed event information derived from the first and second event information.
US08072331B2
A memory card compatible RFID card includes a smartcard controller that receives power from a host device. The RFID card also includes a small inductive device capable of inductive coupling with an RFID reader. The small inductive device is small enough to fit in the form factor of a memory card. Commands may be sent to the RFID card to keep the RFID card powered.
US08072330B1
A hard cover product with a pair of cover boards attached to an outer liner in spaced-relation to define a spine, with a thin-film ink-circuit security device printed on a laydown area, and having an inner liner. The laydown area can be defined in the spine, and the inner liner or an inner body attached to the cover boards conceals the printed security device from casual observation of its presence. The laydown area can be defined on a surface of a sheet laminated to another sheet to define one of cover boards. The laminated sheets sandwich the printed security device without a surface indication of the presence of the ink-circuit printed security device therein. In another aspect, the thin-film ink-circuit security device printed on a surface of the cover board is concealingly covered by the inner or the outer liner.
US08072325B2
A trespass detection system includes an electronic-wave trespass detection sensor which is provided near the boundary of a trespass surveillance area, and a detection device body which detects trespassing into the area on the basis of a detection output from the sensor. The detection device body includes a change quantity storing unit which stores the quantity of change in electric field intensity over a predetermined period for each detection zone that is set in advance along the direction of extension of the electronic-wave trespass detection sensor, a statistical processing unit which statistically processes each of the quantities of change, a threshold value setting unit which corrects a threshold value on the basis of the result of the processing and sets a new threshold value, and a trespass detection determining unit which compares the quantity of change and the threshold value and thus determines that there is trespassing by an object.
US08072324B2
Monitoring data is received from a remote device and represents a current status value of a monitored condition at the remote device. The monitored condition is characterized by a current state that can be any one of a number of possible states. A determination is made as to whether the current status value of the monitored condition as indicated by the received data satisfies a hysteresis criterion associated with the current state of the monitored condition. If the current status value of the monitored condition satisfies the hysteresis criterion, then a determination is made as to whether the hysteresis criterion has been continuously satisfied for a specified persistence period. If the hysteresis criterion has been continuously satisfied for the specified persistence period, then the current state of the monitored condition is changed to reflect the current status value of the monitored condition, and the changed current state is recorded.
US08072319B2
A method is presented for identifying a first wheel on a vehicle, the vehicle including a wireless receiver. The method comprising receiving a plurality of wheel identifiers at the wireless receiver and selecting one of the plurality of wheel identifiers that corresponds to the first wheel based on the number of times that the selected one of the plurality of wheel identifiers is received at the wireless receiver.
US08072302B2
Linear actuators (also known as inchworm actuators) including a magnetically actuatable member with a plurality of wings or blades made from a shape memory alloy (SMA) are described. The linear actuators include a bar and an actuator assembly, configured to achieve a linear displacement of the actuator assembly relative to the bar. The actuator assembly includes a housing, a magnetic trigger including an electromagnet and a permanent magnet, and the magnetically actuatable SMA member. Significantly, the wings/blades of the magnetically actuatable SMA member are coupled to the housing. Activation of the magnetic trigger causes the magnetically actuatable SMA member to move toward the magnetic trigger. The motion of the magnetically actuatable SMA can be converted to a linear displacement. The magnetically actuatable SMA can be implemented using a SMA exhibiting both ferromagnetic and SMA properties, or by a ferromagnetic mass coupled with a SMA (i.e., a ferromagnetic SMA composite).
US08072297B2
A controllable filter arrangement with a voltage controlled device that subjects a signal to a predetermined impedance as part of the filtering process when the voltage controlled device is in an active state. In an inactive state, the voltage controlled device may subject the signal to an impedance that prevents all frequencies of the signal from passing. This configuration may advantageously increase frequency selectivity and reduce insertion loss, size, cost, and tuning complexity when compared with conventional filter designs.
US08072296B2
A differential delay element for use, e.g., in selectively delaying RF signals in telecommunication systems includes a first microstrip circuit and a second microstrip circuit arranged side-by-side in a facing relationship. The first microstrip circuit defines a first delayed travel path for a first signal from a first input port to a first output port and the second microstrip circuit defines a second delayed travel path for a second signal from a second input port to a second output port. A perturber is arranged between the first and second microstrip circuits, displaceable toward and away from the first and second microstrip circuits, so that when the distance of the perturber to one of the microstrip circuits increases, the distance of the perturber to the other of the microstrip circuits decreases and viceversa. The position of the perturber between the first and second microstrip circuits defines the differential delay, namely the difference (Δτ=τ1−τ2) between the times (τ1,τ2) experienced by the two signals in travelling their travel paths through the delay device.
US08072289B2
High-frequency couplers and coupling techniques are described utilizing artificial composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH-TL). Three specific forms of couplers are described; (1) a coupled-line backward coupler is described with arbitrary tight/loose coupling and broad bandwidth; (2) a compact enhanced-bandwidth hybrid ring coupler is described with increased bandwidth and decreased size; and (3) a dual-band branch-line coupler that is not limited to a harmonic relation between the bands. These variations are preferably implemented in a microstrip fabrication process and may use lumped-element components. The couplers and coupling techniques are directed at increasing the utility while decreasing the size of high-frequency couplers, and are suitable for use with separate coupler or couplers integrated within integrated devices.
US08072282B2
A method for compensating an oscillation frequency, a device, and a phase locked loop (PLL) is applied in the LC oscillating loop, including: sending voltage control signals to one end of a variable capacitor of an LC oscillating loop to generate oscillating signals in the LC oscillating loop through the voltage control signals; obtaining variable bias voltage that reflects changes of external parameters; and sending the variable bias voltage to the other end of the variable capacitor to compensate changes to the oscillation frequency of oscillation signals generated in the LC oscillating loop. This invention compensates the changes to the oscillation frequency of the circuit that contains the LC oscillating loop and improves the stability of the circuit oscillation frequency by sending bias voltage to one end of the variable capacitor of the LC oscillating loop.
US08072280B2
A voltage-controlled oscillator comprises a variable inductor, a negative impedance circuit, an operating voltage source and a ground point. The variable inductor comprises a transformer and a transistor switch, the transformer comprising a primary side coil and a secondary side coil, the primary side coil comprising a first coil and a second coil, and the secondary side coil comprising a third coil and a fourth coil. The transistor switch is connected in parallel with the primary side coil to adjust an inductance value of the variable inductor based on a gate voltage. The negative impedance circuit is connected in parallel with the secondary side coil to compensate the power consumption of the voltage-controlled oscillator during oscillation. The operating voltage source is electrically connected between the third coil and the fourth coil, and the ground point is electrically connected between the first coil and the second coil.
US08072276B2
There is provided a surface mount oscillator of a junction type in which the size of an IC chip is increased while maintaining high performance thereof, and the outer dimension of the oscillator in plan view are small. In a surface mount crystal oscillator which: a surface of an IC chip opposite to one principal surface thereof on which IC terminals are formed, is fixed on a mount substrate; external terminals that are constituted by a pair of crystal terminals and dummy terminals, at least one of which serves as a ground terminal, and that are formed in four corner sections of an outer bottom surface of a surface mount vibrator, are electrically connected to the IC terminals provided in four corner sections of the one principal surface; and IC terminals provided in positions other than the four corner sections are connected to circuit terminals of the mount substrate by means of wire bonding, the configuration is such that the external terminals of the surface mount vibrator constituted by the crystal terminals and the dummy terminals are electrically joined by means of joining balls to the IC terminals formed in the four corner sections of the IC chip.
US08072258B2
In a booster circuit which is operated with a two-phase clock and in which a plurality of (M≧4) lines of boosting cells constitute a unit, a boosting cell in the K-th line (1≦K≦M) is controlled, depending on the voltage of the input terminal of a boosting cell in the KA-th line (KA=(K−1) when (K−1)>0, and KA=M when (K−1)=0). As a result, a charge transfer transistor can transition from the conductive state to the non-conductive state before a clock input to the boosting cell in the K-th line transitions from low to high and then boosting operation is performed. As a result, the backflow of charge via the charge transfer transistor can be reduced or prevented.
US08072233B2
A method for monitoring a semiconductor fabrication process creates a wafer of semiconductor chips. Each chip has a one or more diodes. Each diode is addressable as part of an array, corresponds to a physical location of the chip, and is connected in series to a stack. The stack is composed of one ore more vertical interconnects and metal contacts. The diode and associated stack of vertical interconnects is addressed, and the current through each of the stacks of vertical interconnects in an array is measured.
US08072223B1
A circuit for monitoring the functionality of an electrical element. A primary power supply provides direct current to the electrical element at a current sufficient for the electrical element to operate. A Schottky diode is disposed between the primary power supply and the electrical element, wherein the electrical element draws its operational current through the Schottky diode when in operation. A reverse bias power supply is provided. An opto-isolator is disposed between the reverse bias power supply and the electrical element. The electrical element draws a secondary current from the reverse bias power supply through the opto-isolator. The opto-isolator creates an output signal that is indicative of the secondary current. The output signal is used to control a remote failure indicator. When the electrical element fails, the current flowing through the opto-isolator stops. This triggers the failure indicator and informs a user as to the failed status.
US08072222B2
To perform an electromagnetic (EM) surveying of a subterranean structure, a signal generator produces a signal having an analog continuous waveform without steps in the waveform. Producing the signal is in response to an indication specifying a characteristic of the signal. An antenna is responsive to the signal having the analog continuous waveform to emit an EM field to produce the EM surveying of the subterranean structure.
US08072221B2
An induction resistivity tool incorporated into a downhole tool string comprises an outer wall of a downhole component having an outer surface, and at least one induction transmitter assembly disposed along the outer surface. The transmitter assembly includes at least one induction transmitter coil which is wound about one or more transmitter cores. The transmitter assembly is adapted to create electromagnetic fields that originate the induction signal from outside the outer wall while substantially preventing the induction signal from entering the outer wall.
US08072220B2
A positioning, communication, and detection system designed to provide a three dimensional location of an object, navigation tools, and bidirectional surface-to-subsurface communications, and methods of using the system. The system can include one or multiple transmitters comprising electromagnetic beacons, software defined radio receivers with an associated processing unit and data acquisition system, and magnetic antennas. The system may use theoretical calculations, scale model testing, signal processing, and sensor data.
US08072219B2
A regenerative expansion apparatus includes a regenerative tube configured to regenerate cryogenic cooling at the time of expansion of a coolant gas; a cylinder in communication with a low temperature end of the regenerative tube, the cylinder being configured to generate the cryogenic cooling by repeating compression and expansion of the coolant gas via the regenerative tube; a magnetic cold storage material filling inside the regenerative tube, the magnetic cold storage material being made of a magnetic material, the magnetic cold storage material being configured to come in contact with the coolant gas so that the cryogenic cooling is regenerated; and a magnetic shield member surrounding the magnetic cold storage material; wherein the magnetic shield member has an electric resistivity equal to or less than 50 μΩcm at a normal temperature.
US08072215B2
MR imaging of a body (7) placed in an examination volume includes establishing a substantially homogeneous main magnetic field in the examination volume, generating switched magnetic field gradients superimposed upon the main magnetic field, radiating RF pulses towards the body (7), controlling the generation of the magnetic field gradients and the RF pulses, receiving and sampling MR signals, and forming MR images from the signal samples. A sequence of MR echo signals is generated by subjecting at least a portion of the body (7) to a single RF pulse and a plurality of switched magnetic field gradients. The switched magnetic field gradients are controlled to produce at least two sub-sequences of MR echo signals. Each sub-sequence traverses a different trajectory in k-space with subsampling in the phase encoding direction (ky) MR echo signals are acquired and sampled. An MR image is reconstructed from the signal samples and from phase/amplitude correction maps associated with the sub-sequences of MR echo signals.
US08072213B2
An NMR measurement method adapted for measurements on solid mixture samples starts with irradiating a pulse sequence to the sample in order to measure the longitudinal magnetization relaxation times of nuclei possessing homogeneous longitudinal magnetization relaxation times (step 1). After a lapse of a given period of time t, a high-resolution NMR spectrum is acquired by nullifying spin diffusion across the nuclei (step 2). The steps 1 and 2 are repeated while varying the period of time t. The high-resolution NMR spectra are classified according to value of longitudinal magnetization relaxation time by inverse Laplace transform.
US08072203B2
A method and system for regulating electrical power from a non-perpetual power source. In one implementation, the method includes receiving a variable power output from the non-perpetual power source, wherein a power amplitude of the variable power output substantially varies over time; and generating a regulated current output or a regulated voltage output based in part on the variable power output received from the non-perpetual power source.
US08072196B1
A system and a method are disclosed for providing a dynamically configured low drop out regulator that has zero quiescent current and a fast transient response. A power supply control circuit is provided that comprises a switcher circuit and a low drop out regulator and a control signal circuit. When the output voltage of the low drop out regulator is in a steady state condition the control signal circuit generates control signals that turn off the operation of the low drop out regulator to provide zero quiescent current. When the output voltage is not in a steady state condition the control signal circuit generates control signals that turn on the operation of the low drop out regulator to provide a fast transient response.
US08072192B2
A power supply apparatus includes a coupling capacitor arranged to be connected on its first end to ground; a transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding; a first rectifier bridge connected in parallel with the secondary winding; and an energy storage, to which a load is arranged to be connected. The primary winding is arranged to be connected between a second end of the coupling capacitor and a high voltage transmission line such that all current between the second end of the coupling capacitor and the high voltage transmission line passes through the primary winding. The energy storage is arranged to be charged by means of a current passing through the first rectifier bridge. Furthermore, the power supply apparatus includes a bypasser. A corresponding three-phase apparatus is also presented.
US08072189B2
Provided are a charge and discharge control circuit capable of reducing a circuit size, and a battery device. In a charger reverse connection detection circuit (116), a comparison circuit or the like is not used, and two NMOS transistors are used, whereby circuit sizes of the reverse connection detection circuit (116) and a charge and discharge control circuit (110) are reduced. Accordingly, a consumption current is reduced, and a manufacturing cost is also reduced.
US08072185B2
Batteries and battery monitoring and charging systems. The preferred battery has a plurality of rechargeable cells connected in series, first and second power terminals, each connected to a respective end of the series connection of rechargeable cells, a first connector for connecting to a battery charger, the first connector having connector contacts connected to each of the plurality of rechargeable cells, the first connector also having connector contacts coupled to a serial communication link, and a processor coupled to sense the voltage of each rechargeable cell and control the serial communication link for communication of rechargeable cell voltages when a charger is connected to the first connector. The charger communicates with the battery over the serial communication link to monitor cell temperature, and to charge each cell individually in a controlled manner. Various features and capabilities are disclosed.
US08072184B2
A networked charging station for electric vehicles protects against overcurrent and ground fault conditions. Upon detecting an overcurrent condition or a ground fault condition, the networked charging station for electric vehicles de-energizes a charging point connection to prevent electric current from flowing between an electric vehicle and the networked charging station and suspends the charging session. The networked charging station clears the overcurrent condition or the ground fault condition upon receipt of an authorized request which is transmitted remotely. The authorized request can be received from the vehicle operator that is associated with the charging session or from an administrator of the charging station through a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) tag enabled device or through a text message or an email message. The networked charging station clears the overcurrent condition or the ground fault condition without a manual reset of a circuit breaker or a GFCI device respectively.
US08072177B2
In a drive of a stepping motor, an electromotive force is generated on the coil of a motor with a sinusoidal wave having the same period as an energization period by smoothly rotating a rotor with microstep driving, and an induced power is stably detected by detecting the electromotive force at the zero cross of driving current. The detection around the current zero cross makes it possible to shorten a detection section, form a driving waveform with few distortions, and perform driving with a driving waveform as in an ordinary micro step. Thus a circuit is provided which is aimed at reducing noise, vibrations, and loss of synchronization, and increasing current consumption efficiency in the determination of stop.
US08072172B2
A redundant electromechanical actuator is provided that includes first and second electric motors, a common output shaft, first and second drive cable drums, first and second driven cable drums, a first cable, and a second cable. The first and second electric motors are each adapted to be controllably energized to supply a drive torque. The common output shaft is coupled to receive the drive torque supplied from one or both of the motors. The first and second drive cable drums are coupled to the common output shaft to receive the drive torque from one or both of the motors. The first and second driven cable drums are each configured, upon being driven, to rotate. The first cable is coupled between the first drive cable drum and the first driven cable drum, and the second cable is coupled between the second drive cable drum and the second driven cable drum.
US08072170B2
The present invention relates to a motor controller for air conditioner including a converter having at least one switching element for converter, the converter converting AC utility power into DC power by a switching operation of the switching element; an inverter having at least one switching element for inverter, the inverter converting the DC power into prescribed AC power by a switching operation of the switching element and driving a three-phase motor; a microcomputer outputting a converter switching control signal that controls the switching element for converter; and a dc terminal signal generator detecting a dc terminal voltage that is applied across an dc terminal of the converter to sequentially generate a pulse type dc terminal signal, and insulating the dc terminal from the microcomputer. The present invention may sequentially generate a dc terminal signal and simultaneously insulate the dc terminal from the microcomputer, thus making it possible to improve the stability of the motor controller.
US08072164B2
Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate switching a lamp ballast between DALI and analog control states as a function of control state information stored prior to the ballast being powered of and control information received by an interface circuit for the ballast circuit. A depolarization circuit is coupled to the interface circuit and ensures consistent polarity across a rectifier circuit regardless of the polarity of two control wires coupled to a miswiring protection circuit in the interface circuit. In this manner, a single interface circuit provides dual 0-10V analog and DALI control for dimming a lighting device regardless of whether a wall-mounted controller coupled to the interface circuit is an analog or a DALI type controller, thereby mitigating a need to switch out a ballast circuit coupled to the lighting device when changing between DALI and analog type controllers.
US08072162B2
An LED lamp includes a bi-direction constant current device coupled between a power supply and a LED load to provide stable positive and negative currents to the LED load. The bi-direction constant current device includes a pair of current sources face-to-face or back-to-back connected in series between the power supply and the LED load, and two protective elements shunt to the pair of current sources, respectively.
US08072152B2
A limited flicker decorative light-emitting diode (LED) string includes a power plug adapted to connect to an alternating current (AC) power source and supply AC power to the LED string, a first pair of LEDs and a second pair of LEDs, a plurality of LEDs electrically connected in series to form an LED series, and a plurality of rectifying diodes. The plurality of rectifying diodes provides full-wave rectification of the AC power to the LED series and half-wave rectification of the AC power to the first and second pair of LEDs.
US08072150B2
A display device, comprising: an insulating substrate; a light sensor which includes a semiconductor layer disposed in a first region and a sensor input terminal and a sensor output terminal electrically connected with the semiconductor layer, and is formed on the insulating substrate; a first electrode, an organic light emitting layer and a second electrode which are sequentially formed on the light sensor; a color filter which is disposed between the insulating substrate and the first electrode, and is formed in a second region that is different from the first region; and a controller which controls a data voltage supplied to one of the first electrode and the second electrode based on an output of the light sensor.
US08072143B2
A PDP and a manufacturing method for the PDP are provided, the PDP being capable of suppressing discharge delay due to improved discharge properties of a protective layer, and exhibiting superior image display performance despite having a high-definition cell structure. A magnesium oxide powder layer (16) is formed by distributing magnesium oxide particles (16a) flatly on a surface layer (8). Each of the magnesium oxide particles (16a) includes halogen atoms at and in a vicinity of the surface thereof. The magnesium oxide particles (16a) are manufactured such that the halogen atoms exist particularly at the surface of each of magnesium oxide particles (16a) through to a depth of 4 nm or less toward the core of each of the magnesium oxide particles (16a).
US08072138B2
An organic semiconductor element part formed on a substrate is covered with a planarizing layer, a radiator plate is fixed with an adhesive layer on the planarizing layer, and a shield layer intercepting the adverse effects exerted on the organic semiconductor element part during the curing of the adhesive layer is formed between the adhesive layer and the planarizing layer. When the adhesive layer is a photo-curing adhesive layer, the shield layer prefers to intercept the light used for curing the photo-curing adhesive layer. When the adhesive layer is a thermosetting adhesive layer, the shield layer prefers to intercept the outgassing occurring during the curing of the thermosetting adhesive layer. By adopting this configuration, it is made possible to accomplish infallible interception of oxygen and moisture and effect radiation of heat with high efficiency. It is further made possible to suppress the adverse effect induced during the adhesion of the radiator plate and prevent the organic semiconductor element part (organic EL element) from being deteriorated.
US08072136B2
A novel mono(benzo[k]fluoranthene) compound having a molecular structure containing at least one condensed ring aromatic group which is tricyclic or more at any of 7- to 9-positions of benzo[k]fluoranthene. Also an organic light emitting device including at least a pair of electrodes formed of an anode and a cathode, and a layer formed of an organic compound, the layer being interposed between the pair of electrodes, in which the layer formed of an organic compound contains a compound represented by the following structural formula. An organic light emitting device in which the layer is a light emitting layer.
US08072109B2
To improve tranquility and controllability of an iron core-equipped permanent magnet motor with an improved maximum energy product (BH)max by improving shape compatibility of a radial anisotropic magnet, there is provided a radial anisotropic magnet manufacturing method of fixing magnet powder in a net shape so as to maintain a magnetic anisotropic (C-axis) angle of a magnet with respect to a tangential line and for performing a deformation with a flow so as to have a predetermined circular arc shape or a predetermined annular shape. Particularly, by performing a deformation with a viscous flow or an extension flow, a deformability of the magnet is improved, and thus shape compatibility with respect to a thickness is improved. A C-axis angle θ with respect to a tangential direction is controlled at an arbitrary position and an arbitrary angle so as to reduce cogging torque without separating a magnetic pole into segments.
US08072105B2
An axial bearing for a high speed open-end spinning rotor mounted without axial thrust in a support disc bearing arrangement has a static magnetic bearing component secured in a bearing housing with at least two axially polarized permanent magnet rings limited by pole discs, and a dynamic magnetic bearing component having ferromagnetic webs on the rotor shaft at the spacing of the pole discs. The static magnetic bearing component (27) is arranged inside a plastic bearing bush (30) and secured by a plastic closing lid (31). The front side of the closing lid (31) has a stop journal (50) forming an axial emergency operation bearing and the rear side has a conically widened fastening lug (51) which is elastically deformed as installed.
US08072104B2
A rotary machine, which can be a turbine or a rotary compressor, is provided. The rotary machine includes a stationary housing and a rotating shaft supported in the housing by a magnetic bearing, whereby the magnetic bearing includes a laminated bearing journal with a shaft-mounted rotating lamination and a corresponding housing-mounted stationary lamination surrounding the rotating lamination, whereby both laminations extend axially to the shaft within a bearing portion, limited on one side by the end of the shaft. In addition, an axial duct extends axially through the shaft from the end to at least one substantially radial duct connecting the axial duct with an orifice in the shaft surface adjacent the other side of the bearing portion, and whereby a stationary tube is inserted in the axial duct supplying it with fluid. This arrangement provides sufficient cooling for a laminated bearing journal of the rotary machine.
US08072099B2
A voice coil motor includes a base, a shell, first and second magnetic members, a lens retainer, a coil of wire mounted on the retainer, first and second elastic members. The base includes a bottom and posts extending upwards from the bottom. The shell includes a top and sidewalls cooperatively defining a receiving space therein. The shell is mounted on the base with the posts being received in the receiving space. The first magnetic members are positioned on the bottom of the base, the second magnetic members are positioned on the top of the shell, and each two adjacent of the posts have one of the first magnetic members and one of the second magnetic members located therebetween. The first resilient member and a second resilient member each include fixing portions fixed to the posts, and a spring portion connected to retainer between the first and second magnetic members.
US08072092B2
A vehicle electrical system comprises two generators coupled with one or more electrical subsystem, each of which includes at least one of a stored energy source and electrical load. Each generator is regulated via its associated voltage regulator at a common regulation voltage. Sequential electrical power delivery from the generators is achieved via a sequencing means. Where two or more electrical subsystems are present, electrical isolation is achieved via an isolating means. Overcharge protection is achieved by sensing and responding to the highest voltage of the two or more electrical subsystems.
US08072078B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of wiring patterns arranged in a first wiring layer of the semiconductor device and extending in a first direction, and a plurality of dummy patterns arranged in the first wiring layer and extending in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of dummy patterns is arranged spaced apart from each of the plurality of wiring patterns and includes one or more dummy lands formed by separating a part of the dummy pattern opposed to the wiring pattern, from the rest part of the dummy pattern.
US08072075B2
The present invention relates to an integrated-circuit device that has at least one Copper-containing feature in a dielectric layer, and a diffusion-barrier layer stack arranged between the feature and the dielectric layer. The integrated-circuit device of the invention has a diffusion-barrier layer stack, which comprises, in a direction from the Copper-containing feature to the dielectric layer, a CuSiN layer and a SiN layer. This layer combination provides an efficient barrier for suppressing Copper diffusion from the feature into the dielectric layer. Furthermore, a CuSiN/SiN layer sequence provides an improved adhesion between the layers of the diffusion-barrier layer stack and the dielectric layer, and thus improves the electromigration performance of the integrated-circuit device during operation. Therefore, the reliability of device operation and the lifetime of the integrate-circuit device are improved in comparison with prior-art devices. The invention further relates to a method for fabricating such an integrated-circuit device.
US08072073B2
A highly reliable semiconductor device in which connection reliability is assured at very small vias comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a first wiring structure placed on the semiconductor substrate and having one or more first wiring layers, one or more insulating layers and a first via; a second wiring structure placed on the first wiring structure and having one or more second wiring layers, one or more second insulating layers, a second via and a third via; and an external terminal provided on the second wiring structure. The second via, which is connected to the second wiring layer of the second wiring structure and to the external terminal, has a connection interface disposed at an end of the via that is on the side of the external terminal.
US08072066B2
An integrated circuit includes a substrate; a sealing element spanning a periphery of the substrate that forms a protective boundary for the substrate; a plurality of copper lines spanning the substrate in at least two distinct layers contained within the protective boundary; a first conducting element disposed outside the sealing element; and one or more second conducting elements connecting at least two of the copper lines and that spans the sealing element; wherein the conducting elements are substantially non-oxidizing metals that are resistant to oxidization and that connect the copper line to the first conducting element.
US08072061B2
Some embodiments discussed herein include a semiconductor having a source region, a drain region and an array of fins operatively coupled to a gate region controlling current flow through the fins between the source region and the drain region. The semiconductor also has at least one cooling element formed at least in part of a material having a heat capacity equal to or larger than the heat capacity of the material of the source region, drain region and array of fins, the cooling elements being in close vicinity to fins of the array of fins electrically isolated from the fins of the array, the source region and the drain region.
US08072057B2
A semiconductor device includes a first die pad, a first semiconductor chip provided on the first die pad, a second die pad, a second semiconductor chip provided on the second die pad, and a sealing resin made of a first resin material, sealing the first die pad, the first semiconductor chip, the second die pad and the second semiconductor chip. A lower surface of the first semiconductor chip is connected to the first die pad. A first portion of a lower surface of the second semiconductor chip is connected to the second die pad, and a second portion not connected to the second die pad of the lower surface of the second semiconductor chip is connected to an upper surface of the first semiconductor chip via a second resin material different from the first resin material.
US08072054B2
A lead frame includes a plurality of leads electrically connected to a semiconductor chip and a lead lock including a base layer disposed over the plurality of the leads and formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of inner leads. An adhesive layer is disposed between the base layer and the plurality of leads to fix the plurality of leads and adhere the base layer to the leads. At least one line electrically connects the semiconductor chip to the base layer of the lead lock. Since regions for bus bars are replaced by the lead lock and are removed, the lead frame can be miniaturized and has superior thermal stability and dimension stability.
US08072046B2
A stacked semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor package having a first semiconductor chip having a first pad and a through-hole passing through a the portion corresponding to the pad; a second semiconductor package disposed over the first semiconductor package, and including a second semiconductor chip having a second pad disposed at a portion corresponding to the first pad and blocking the through-hole; and a through-electrode disposed within the through-hole, and having a pillar shaped core supported by the second pad, a through-electrode unit disposed over a surface of the core and electrically connected with the second pad, a first metal layer interposed between the core and the through electrode unit, and a second metal layer interposed between an inner surface of the first semiconductor chip formed by the through-hole and the through-electrode unit.
US08072041B2
In one example, an optoelectronic transducer includes a first contact, a second contact, a passivation layer, and a protection layer. The passivation layer is formed on top of the first contact and the second contact and is configured to substantially minimize dark current in the optoelectronic transducer. The protection layer is formed on top of the passivation layer and substantially covers the passivation layer. The protection layer is configured to protect the passivation layer from external factors and prevent degradation of the passivation layer.
US08072040B2
An image pickup apparatus includes light receiving areas arranged two-dimensionally. A vertical scanning circuit comprises unit circuit stages arranged in the vertical direction and a horizontal scanning circuit comprises unit circuit stages arranged in the horizontal direction, for selecting and reading light receiving areas in succession. The vertical and horizontal scanning circuits are arranged in spaces between the light receiving areas. Two or more unit circuit stages of the vertical scanning circuit are provided in a first space between the light receiving areas. Two or more unit circuit stages of the horizontal scanning circuit are provided in a second space between the light receiving areas. Two or more unit circuit stages of a scanning circuit are provided in a third space between the light receiving areas, the third space being provided in a space between the light receiving areas at a crossing area of the vertical and horizontal scanning circuits.
US08072039B2
An energy conversion film and a quantum dot film which contain a quantum dot compound, an energy conversion layer including the quantum dot film, and a solar cell including the energy conversion layer. The films act as cut-off filters blocking light of a particular energy level using the light absorption and emission effects of quantum dots and can convert high energy light to low energy light. The efficiency of a solar cell may be improved by providing the cell with a film that converts light above the spectrum-responsive region to light in the cell's spectrum-responsive region. The absorption wavelength region of the films can be broadened by providing the quantum dot compound in a variety of average particle sizes, for example, by providing a mixture of a first quantum dot compound having a first average particle size and a first quantum dot compound having a second average particle size.
US08072036B2
A method of fabricating a micro-electromechanical system microphone structure is disclosed. First, a substrate defining a MEMS region and a logic region is provided, and a surface of the substrate has a dielectric layer thereon. Next, at least one metal interconnect layer is formed on the dielectric layer in the logic region, and at least one micro-machined metal mesh is simultaneously formed in the dielectric layer of the MEMS region. Therefore, the thickness of the MEMS microphone structure can be effectively reduced.
US08072033B2
An electrostatic protection element is disposed commonly to a plurality of output circuits along a long side of an output circuit region. More preferably, the electrostatic protection element should be disposed between a Pch region and an Nch region of an output circuit.
US08072031B2
A p-channel MOS transistor includes a gate electrode formed on a silicon substrate via a gate insulating film, a channel region formed below the gate electrode within the silicon substrate, and a p-type source region and a p-type drain region formed at opposite sides of the channel region within the silicon substrate. In the p-channel MOS transistor, first and second sidewall insulating films are arranged on opposing sidewall faces of the gate electrode. First and second p-type epitaxial regions are respectively formed at outer sides of the first and second sidewall insulating films on the silicon substrate, and the first and second p-type epitaxial regions are arranged to be higher than the gate electrode. A stress film that stores tensile stress and covers the gate electrode via the first and second sidewall insulating films is continuously arranged over the first and second p-type epitaxial regions.
US08072024B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device with a substrate. A plurality of dielectric films and electrode films are alternately stacked on the substrate and have a through hole penetrating in the stacking direction. A semiconductor pillar is formed inside the through hole. A charge storage layer is provided at least between the semiconductor pillar and the electrode film. At least part of a side surface of a portion of the through hole located in the electrode film is sloped relative to the stacking direction.
US08072023B1
A memory device including a plurality of storage regions arranged with storage region intervals. A plurality of conductor lines are juxtaposed the storage region intervals. One or more isolations are provided, each isolation adjacent one or more conductor lines and juxtaposed one or more of the storage regions that are dummy storage regions. The storage regions are charge storage regions in memory cells and each memory cell further includes a first cell region, a second cell region and a cell channel juxtaposed the charge storage region and located between the first cell region and the second cell region. A first array region and a second array region are separated by a first one of the isolations; each array region includes one or more groups of the memory cells where each memory cell includes one of the storage regions.
US08072016B2
The fabrication of seek-scan probe (SSP) memory devices involves processing on both-sides of a wafer. However, there are temperature restrictions on the mover circuitry side of the wafer and doping level constrains for either side of wafer. Using a low doped EPI layer on a highly doped substrate solves this issue and provides good STO growth.
US08072014B2
A memory unit includes a resistive sense memory cell configured to switch between a high resistance state and a low resistance state upon passing a current through the resistive sense memory cell and a semiconductor transistor in electrical connection with the resistive sense memory cell. The semiconductor transistor includes a gate element formed on a substrate. The semiconductor transistor includes a source contact and a bit contact. The gate element electrically connects the source contact and the bit contact. The resistive sense memory cell electrically is connected to the bit contact. The source contact is more heavily implanted with dopant material then the bit contact.
US08072000B2
A structure of power semiconductor device having dummy cells around edge of active area is disclosed. The UIS test result of said improved structure shows that failed site after UIS test randomly located in active area which means avalanche capability of the semiconductor power device is enhanced by implementation of the dummy cells.
US08071998B2
A light emitting assembly includes: a heat sink having a base wall and at least one mesa protruding from the base wall; and at least one light emitting package unit having at least one light emitting package bonded to the mesa so as to transfer heat generated from the light emitting package to the base wall through the mesa. A circuit board includes a substrate that is formed with at least one through-hole, and is provided with a conductive contact unit that is formed on the substrate. The heat sink is attached to the substrate such that the mesa protrudes from the base wall into and through the through-hole in the substrate so as to be bonded to the light emitting package.
US08071986B2
A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element 11 is one for generating light containing a wavelength component in an ultraviolet region. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element 11 has an active region 17 including InX1AlY1Ga1-X1-Y1N well layers 13 (1>X1>0 and 1>Y1>0) and InX2AlY2Ga1-X2-Y2N barrier layers 15 (1>X2>0 and 1>Y2>0). An energy gap difference Eg1 between the InX1AlY1Ga1-X1-Y1N well layers 13 and the InX2AlY2Ga1-X2-Y2N barrier layers 15 is not less than 2.4×10−20 J nor more than 4.8×10−20 J.
US08071977B2
A thin film transistor and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. In the manufacturing method of the thin film transistor a semiconductive active layer and a semiconductor passivation layer are sequentially formed such that the semiconductor passivation layer protectively covers the semiconductive active layer. Then the stacked combination of the semiconductive active layer and semiconductor passivation layer are patterned by using a same patterning mask so that formed islands of the semiconductive active layer continue to be protectively covered by formed islands of the semiconductor passivation layer. In one embodiment, the semiconductive active layer is formed of a semiconductive oxide.
US08071962B1
A system and method for imaging biological samples on multiple surfaces of a support structure are disclosed. The support structure may be a flow cell through which a reagent fluid is allowed to flow and interact with the biological samples. Excitation radiation from at least one radiation source may be used to excite the biological samples on multiple surfaces. In this manner, fluorescent emission radiation may be generated from the biological samples and subsequently captured and detected by detection optics and at least one detector. The detected fluorescent emission radiation may then be used to generate image data. This imaging of multiple surfaces may be accomplished either sequentially or simultaneously. In addition, the techniques of the present invention may be used with any type of imaging system. For instance, both epifluorescent and total internal reflection methods may benefit from the techniques of the present invention.
US08071957B1
A soft chemical ionization source can be small, require low power, reliably produce different ions depending on the operating conditions and configuration, and produce ions that ionize many sample chemicals in different phases in air, or solutions, or on surfaces. In one embodiment, an ionization source is comprised of a housing having a center post extending therefrom, a plurality of needles extending from the housing, and a counterelectrode extending around the housing. The plurality of needles and the counterelectrode are each coupled to an electrical supply. The center post and the plurality of needles extend through the counterelectrode. A voltage applied to the plurality of needles and the counterelectrode forms a gas discharge. By changing the dimensional or electrical characteristics of the ionization source elements, singularly, or relative to other sources in an array, the types, ratios among, and quantities of reagent ions can be changed and controlled.
US08071956B2
An ion source includes an arc chamber housing defining an arc chamber having an extraction aperture, and a wiper assembly comprising a wiper positioned outside the arc chamber in a parked position and configured to be driven from the parked position to operational positions to clean the extraction aperture. A wiper assembly for an ion source includes a wiper configured to be positioned outside an arc chamber of the ion source when in a parked position and driven from the parked position to operational positions to clean an extraction aperture of the ion source.
US08071947B2
A variable aperture assembly for an infrared camera for use with optics having two or more f-numbers. The variable aperture assembly includes a variable iris disposed substantially along an axis of the infrared camera and is thermally connected to a cooling assembly. The variable iris is capable of causing an infrared radiation admitting opening to vary in size. The infrared radiation admitting openings of the variable aperture assembly can be circular or non-circular, including generally rectangular or racetrack shaped openings. The variable aperture assembly provides f-number matching by adjusting the infrared radiation admitting opening to the size necessary to effectively match the numerous f-numbers of the optics, or by adjusting to a size so that a fixed aperture on the radiation shield becomes the effective aperture stop, providing the f-number matching.
US08071945B2
Exemplary embodiments provide an infrared (IR) retinal system and method for making and using the IR retinal system. The IR retinal system can include adaptive sensor elements, whose properties including, e.g., spectral response, signal-to-noise ratio, polarization, or amplitude can be tailored at pixel level by changing the applied bias voltage across the detector. “Color” imagery can be obtained from the IR retinal system by using a single focal plane array. The IR sensor elements can be spectrally, spatially and temporally adaptive using quantum-confined transitions in nanoscale quantum dots. The IR sensor elements can be used as building blocks of an infrared retina, similar to cones of human retina, and can be designed to work in the long-wave infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from about 8 μm to about 12 μm as well as the mid-wave portion ranging from about 3 μm to about 5 μm.
US08071944B2
Provided is a portable electron microscope using a microcolumn. The portable electron microscope includes a microcolumn, a low vacuum pump, a high vacuum pump, an ultra-high vacuum ion pump, a first chamber for receiving and fixing the microcolumn and a sample to be measured and forming a vacuum by means of the pumps, a controller, and a case for receiving the pumps, the chamber and the controller.
US08071937B2
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for measuring the density of a material. According to one aspect, a material property gauge includes a nuclear density gauge for measuring the density of a material. The nuclear density gauge includes a radiation source adapted to emit radiation into a material and a radiation detector operable to produce a signal representing the detected radiation. A first material property calculation function is configured to calculate a value associated with the density of the material based upon the signal produced by the radiation detector. The material property gauge further includes an electromagnetic moisture property gauge configured to determine a moisture property of the material. The electromagnetic moisture property gauge includes an electromagnetic field generator configured to generate an electromagnetic field where the electromagnetic field sweeps through one or more frequencies and penetrates into the material. The material includes at least one of a pavement material, aggregate base material, concrete, and a soil material. An electromagnetic sensor is configured to determine a frequency response of the material to the electromagnetic field across the one or more frequencies. A second material property calculation function is configured to correlate the frequency response to a moisture property of the material and to calculate a value representing the moisture property. The material property gauge further includes a third material property calculation function configured to determine a material property of the material based on the value associated with the density of the material and the value representing the moisture property of the material.
US08071932B2
A sealing structure for an optical device, such as an image intensifier device, is provided. The optical device includes an evacuated housing and an anode positioned within the evacuated housing. An interior sealing member extends from the anode. An exterior sealing member extends from a component of the image intensifier device, wherein the exterior sealing member is positioned to extend adjacent to and substantially parallel with the interior sealing member such that a gap is defined between the sealing members. A seal cup is positioned for sealing engagement with both the interior sealing member and the exterior sealing member to substantially maintain a vacuum condition within the housing.
US08071931B2
Methods, devices and systems for harvesting energy from electromagnetic radiation are provided including harvesting energy from electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment, a device includes a substrate and one or more resonance elements disposed in or on the substrate. The resonance elements are configured to have a resonant frequency, for example, in at least one of the infrared, near-infrared and visible light spectra. A layer of conductive material may be disposed over a portion of the substrate to form a ground plane. An optical resonance gap or stand-off layer may be formed between the resonance elements and the ground plane. The optical resonance gap extends a distance between the resonance elements and the layer of conductive material approximately one-quarter wavelength of a wavelength of the at least one resonance element's resonant frequency. At least one energy transfer element may be associated with the at least one resonance element.
US08071924B2
Various constructs and systems for heating a dough-based food item in a microwave oven are provided.
US08071923B2
A container 10 for use in a microwave oven for heating a food product includes a base 20 that is substantially rectangularly shaped and includes a lower ledge 22, and a sump 30. First sides 24, and ends 26, extend upwardly from the base. An upper ledge 28, annular to a periphery formed at a top of the first sides and ends extend outwardly therefrom. Second sides 32 extend upwardly from a periphery of the upper ledge substantially perpendicular to a planar surface defined by the base. Outwardly extending flange 40 is formed annular to and along a periphery of the second sides.
US08071920B2
A planar heater 1 in which a power supply terminal unit 108 which supplies an electric power is arranged on a central portion on a lower surface of a silica glass plate-like member 102. The power supply terminal unit includes small-diameter silica glass tubes 105a and 106a, which contain a connection line which supplies an electric power to a carbon heat generator and a large-diameter silica glass tube 2 which contains the small-diameter silica glass tubes 105a and 106a. A flange portion 2a is formed on a lower end of the large-diameter silica glass tube 2, and a bent portion 2b having different diameters is formed between an upper end of the large-diameter silica glass and the flange portion 2a, and the first heat shielding plates 19, 20 and 21 configured by metal plates or opaque silica glass plates are contained in the large-diameter silica glass tube below the bent portion.
US08071912B2
A laser is used to a form information indicative of a pattern on a surface of a support piece formed from a compressed wood fiber product substrate. The pattern can be a wood grain. The field of the laser is increased, to allow lazing more of the material at once. According to an embodiment, the field is increased in a way that does not reduce the resolution of the lasing.
US08071910B2
A laser processing apparatus is provided with a first laser oscillator for laser CVD and a second laser oscillator for laser repair in a laser oscillation section. Either one of the first or second laser beam is irradiated by switching the first and second laser oscillators by a laser oscillator switch portion of a main body section. An optical path forming member is disposed such that the first or second laser beam, whichever is irradiated, will take the same optical path and reach a sample, after passing a common slit, to perform laser processing on the sample. Further, an objective lens is configured to be switched to an objective lens having a magnification corresponding to a wavelength of the laser beam irradiated from the laser oscillation section by an objective lens switch section of an objective lens section.
US08071903B2
A trigger switch has an insulative enclosure, a movable contact element, and a sliding control device slidably mounted to the insulative enclosure. The insulative enclosure includes a case and a cover. The case has plural terminal subassemblies made of conductive metal members disposed therein. The case has an opening over which the cover is mounted. A fixed contact is mounted on one of the terminal subassemblies in the case. The movable contact element has a movable contact mounted at one end of the movable contact element and located opposite to the fixed contact. The movable contact element is swingably supported on another terminal subassembly. A trigger is mounted at one end of the sliding control device. An auxiliary brush is interposed in the movable contact element. A support member is provided with an opening portion in which the auxiliary brush is engaged such that the brush is swingably supported.
US08071895B2
A data storage device and methods of manufacture are provided which tend to protect the device against moisture and shock. The device includes a circuit board, a coating, a housing, and preferably a sealant. The circuit board is in electrical communication with an electrical interface. The coating is disposed at least on the circuit board to generally encapsulate the circuit board. The housing is sized and configured to generally encompass the circuit board and the coating. The housing includes a housing opening being sized and configured with the electrical interface being at least partially exposed therethrough. The sealant is preferably disposed within the housing substantially intermediate the interior surface of the housing and the coating on the circuit board. Further, at least one of the coating and the sealant may be disposed substantially intermediate the electrical interface and the housing opening.
US08071892B2
An EMI shielded isolation chamber is provided, having an integral manipulator for manipulating electronic devices such as cell phones within the chamber, whereby a probe can be precisely positioned to selectively and directly actuate controls, switches, and keypads upon the devices anywhere in the chamber upon rotation of a probe tip. Extensible collapsible shielding boots are coupled between wall portions of the shielded chamber, adjacent a wall mounted manipulator support gimbal, and forward or rearward portions of the mechanical manipulator for preventing EMI signals from entering or leaving the shielded chamber. Alternatively, the gimbal constitutes the shielding device whereby a metallic hollow ball, slidably and rotatably supporting and containing the elongated manipulator, is mechanically biased snugly against a concave metallic member to block radiation from entering or leaving the shielded chamber. The probe tip is self-illuminated by an LED, thus providing illumination for the portion of the device being actuated.
US08071887B2
A printed circuit board includes a substrate having a surface, a circuit layer having a plurality of electrical traces formed on the surface, and an electrically conductive metal layer formed on the circuit layer. The circuit layer is comprised of a composite of carbon nano-tubes and metallic nano-particles.
US08071885B2
A printed circuit board includes a base insulating layer and a conductor pattern provided on the base insulating layer. The conductor pattern includes a line portion linearly extending along a virtual axis line in a line region, a first bend portion extending along the axis line while being bent in a convex shape toward one side of the base insulating layer in a first bend region, and a second bend portion extending along the axis line while being bent in a convex shape toward the other side of the base insulating layer in a second bend region. The conductor pattern is formed such that the first bend portion and the second bend portion do not overlap with each other in a vertical direction when the printed circuit board is folded along a boundary.
US08071876B2
The invention relates to an arrangement with a high voltage electrode (1) and a process vessel (2) assigned to the high voltage electrode (1), wherein the high voltage electrode (1) and the process vessel (2) can be positioned relative to each other in such a manner that the high voltage electrode (1) with its operational electrode end (5) in an operating position is immersed in the process vessel (2) and in a non-operating position is located outside the process vessel (2). Furthermore, the arrangement includes a grounding device (3), which is designed in such a manner that upon a positioning in the non-operating position it automatically is brought into contact with the operational electrode end (5) for grounding the high voltage electrode (1).
US08071869B2
The prominent tempo of an audio data is determined by detecting a plurality of beat rates of the audio data. One or more audio data characteristics are used to filter through the beat rates to determine the prominent tempo. Systems, methods, and apparatuses to determine the prominent tempo are discussed herein.
US08071866B1
A novel maize variety designated 10027890 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 10027890 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into 10027890 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety 10027890, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety 10027890. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety 10027890.
US08071864B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV897903. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV897903, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV897903 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV897903 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV897903.
US08071863B2
A celery cultivar, designated ADS-19, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of celery cultivar ADS-19, to the plants of celery cultivar ADS-19 and to methods for producing a celery plant by crossing the cultivar ADS-19 with itself or another celery cultivar. The invention further relates to methods for producing a celery plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic celery plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to celery cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from celery cultivar ADS-19, to methods for producing other celery cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from celery cultivar ADS-19 and to the celery plants, varieties, and their parts derived from the use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid celery seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar ADS-19 with another celery cultivar.
US08071861B2
A soybean cultivar designated 90210442 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 90210442, to the plants of soybean 90210442, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 90210442, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 90210442 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 90210442, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 90210442, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 90210442 with another soybean cultivar.
US08071860B2
A soybean cultivar designated S090246 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S090246, to the plants of soybean S090246, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S090246, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S090246 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S090246, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S090246, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S090246 with another soybean cultivar.
US08071858B2
A soybean cultivar designated S080192 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S080192, to the plants of soybean S080192, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S080192, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S080192 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S080192, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S080192, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S080192 with another soybean cultivar.
US08071857B2
A soybean cultivar designated S080046 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S080046, to the plants of soybean S080046, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S080046, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S080046 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S080046, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S080046, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S080046 with another soybean cultivar.
US08071852B2
A soybean cultivar designated S080207 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S080207, to the plants of soybean S080207, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S080207 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S080207 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from soybean variety S080207, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S080207 and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S080207 with another soybean cultivar.
US08071847B2
The invention provides methods of identifying herbicidal auxins. The invention further provides auxin-herbicide-resistant plants and genes conferring auxin-herbicide resistance. This invention also provides a method of identifying other proteins that bind picolinate auxins from additional plant species. The invention further provides a method to identify the molecular binding site for picolinate auxins. The invention also includes the use of the picolinate herbicidal auxin target site proteins, and methods of discovering new compounds with herbicidal or plant growth regulatory activity. The invention also includes methods for producing plants that are resistant to picolinate herbicidal auxins. Specific examples of novel proteins associated with herbicide binding include AFB5, AFB4, and SGT1b.
US08071845B2
A population of seeds wherein substantially all of the seeds in the population have a portion of seed tissue removed by an automated sampling system. Substantially all of the seeds in the population have the presence or absence of at least one transgene in common, and/or substantially all of the seeds in the population have a high recurrent parent allele frequency. The presence or absence of the at least one transgene in the seeds in the population and/or the recurrent parent allele frequency in the seeds in the population is determined by analyzing the portion of seed tissue removed from the seeds by the automated sampling system.
US08071839B2
The present invention relates to transgenic non-human mammals comprising a polynucleotide encoding a human or humanized C5aR. The invention also relates to use of the transgenic non-human mammals in methods of screening for agonists, inverse agonists and antagonists of human C5aR and for testing efficacy of C5aR agonists, inverse agonists and antagonists in various animal models of disease.
US08071838B2
A system including: (i) a methodology for targeted cellular ablation in zebrafish; (ii) a methodology for regional cellular ablation in zebrafish. These methodologies are used to identify genetic components that regulate cellular regeneration and to identify drug compounds that influence cellular regeneration for the purpose of developing therapies for degenerative conditions. Transgenic zebrafish disclosed herein contain transgenic constructs composed of: (i) cell and/or tissue-type specific regulatory elements (e.g. promoter and/or enhancer regions) which delimit expression of operably linked gene product(s) to discrete cellular populations; (ii) a gene product that promotes cellular ablation composed of a pro-drug conversion system capable of converting nontoxic pro-drugs into cytotoxic drugs, which is expressed alone or in connection with; (iii) a reporter gene product that allows selective detection of cells expressing the reporter—both prior to (initial cells) and following cellular ablation (regenerated cells). Here we describe genetic delivery of a pro-drug converting system in order to enable targeted cellular ablation in zebrafish, Transgenic zebrafish of this invention provide a high-throughput system for genetic dissection of the process of cellular regeneration and, compound screening for the discovery of drugs capable of promoting cellular regeneration.
US08071836B2
A process for making ethylbenzene and/or styrene by reacting toluene with methane in one or more microreactors is disclosed. In one embodiment a method of revamping an existing styrene production facility by adding one or more microreactors capable of reacting toluene with methane to produce a product stream comprising ethylbenzene and/or styrene is disclosed.
US08071834B2
This invention relates to a process for conversion of hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising the steps of (A) feeding the hydrocarbon feedstock to an adsorption unit; (B) adsorbing the hydrocarbon feedstock in the adsorption unit with a solid particulate adsorbent useful for adsorbing at least one component from the hydrocarbon feedstock under adsorption conditions; (C) withdrawing the adsorbed feedstock from the adsorption unit; (D) desorbing the component(s) from the solid particulate adsorbent; and (E) removing, under the adsorption conditions for a fractional time of step (B), at least a portion of said adsorbent while the feedstock is being fed to the adsorption unit.
US08071830B1
Alkylation processes such as the alkylation of aromatics, are catalyzed by the UZM-35 family of crystalline aluminosilicate zeolites represented by the empirical formula: Mmn+Rr+Al(1-x)ExSiyOz where M represents a combination of potassium and sodium exchangeable cations, R is a singly charged organoammonium cation such as the dimethyldipropylammonium cation and E is a framework element such as gallium. These UZM-35 zeolites are active and selective in alkylation processes.
US08071823B2
Hydrotalcite/metal carbonate combinations are partially or fully thermally decomposed to provide catalysts useful for the conversion of ethanol and hydrogen to a reaction product comprising 1-butanol.
US08071815B2
The present disclosure provides methods of diagnosing and staging squamous cell carcinomas, for instance head and neck (HNSCC), by detecting chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor-interacting protein 2 (CTIP2) expression. For example, it is demonstrated herein that expression of CTIP2 is increased in SCC relative to a corresponding normal sample. Also included are kits for detecting SCC, as well as methods for identifying CTIP2 inhibitors.
US08071813B2
A method in one embodiment includes contacting a strongly hydrogen bonded organic material with an ionic liquid having a fluoride anion for solubilizing the strongly hydrogen bonded organic material; and maintaining the ionic liquid at a temperature of about 90° C. or less during the contacting. A method in another embodiment includes contacting a strongly hydrogen bonded organic material with an ionic liquid having an acetate or formate anion for solubilizing the strongly hydrogen bonded organic material; and maintaining the ionic liquid at a temperature of less than about 90° C. during the contacting.
US08071809B2
Disclosed herein are accelerants for the formation of oxime-containing compounds from the reaction of a carbonyl-containing compound and a hydroxylamine-containing compound. The oxime-containing compound, the carbonyl-containing compound and the hydroxylamine-containing compound can each be a non-natural amino acid or a non-natural amino acid polypeptide. Also disclosed is the use of such accelerants to form oxime-containing compounds, the resulting oxime-containing compounds, and reaction mixtures containing such accelerants.
US08071800B2
A borohydride metallocene complex of a lanthanide, its process of preparation, a catalytic system incorporating it, a process for the copolymerization of olefins employing this catalytic system and an ethylene/butadiene copolymer obtained by this process, the butadiene units of which comprise 1,2-cyclohexane or 1,2- and 1,4-cyclohexane links. This complex corresponds to one or other of the following formulae A and B: where, in the formula A, two ligand molecules Cp1 and Cp2, each composed of a fluorenyl group, are connected to the lanthanide Ln, such as Nd, and where, in the formula B, a ligand molecule, composed of two fluorenyl groups Cp1 and Cp2 which are connected to one another via a bridge P of formula MR1R2, where M is an element from group IVa, such as Si, and where R1 and R2, which are identical or different, represent an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, is connected to the lanthanide Ln, where L represents an alkali metal, such as Li, where N represents a molecule of a complexing solvent, such as THF, where x is an integral or non-integral number greater than 0 and where p is an integer equal to or greater than 1.
US08071798B2
Process for the recovery of ethylene oxide (EO) from fat absorbent (FA) which comprises providing a feed of elevated temperature FA to an EO Stripper, providing a stripping gas feed and contacting the stripping gas feed at elevated temperature with the elevated temperature FA feed, obtaining stripped lean absorbent (LA) and an EO-containing gas, and providing one or more external process stream feeds to the EO Stripper at a location above the elevated temperature FA feed and at a lower temperature with respect to the elevated temperature FA feed thereby concentrating EO in the EO-containing gas. The process can also include one or more impurity removal stages in the form of one or more side draws from the EO Stripper or an EO Stripper Concentrator. The invention also includes an apparatus for performing the process.
US08071791B2
A method of preparation of (S)-N-methyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-mienyl)propylamine of Formula (I) and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, comprising a) reaction of (RS)-N,N-dimethyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine with optically active D-tartaric acid or an acid salt derived from D-tartaric acid forming a mixture of diastereoisomeric salts of N,N-dimethyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine and D-tartaric acid (2:1), b) isolation of the salt (S)-N,N-dimethyl-3-(naphthyloxy) -3-(2-thienyl)propylamine/D-tartrate (2:1) from the mixture of diastereoisomeric salts in an organic solvent, water or a mixture thereof and release of (S)-N,N-dimethyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine by action of an inorganic or organic base, c) demethylation of (S)-N,N-dimethyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine by action of an alkylchloroformate of formula ClCOOR (R=C1-C5 alkyl, or C6-C12 aryl or alkylraryl), especially phenyl, ethyl or methyl chloroformate, and d) hydrolytic release of the duloxetine base of formula I and optionally conversion of the base to a salt with the respective acid, or salt of a weak base.
US08071786B2
Novel indole compounds are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for using the compounds to treat human and animal disease, pharmaceutical compositions of the compounds, and kits including the compounds.
US08071783B2
A process for preparing a N-phenylisoxazolidin-5-one derivative is provided. The process for preparing the N-phenylisoxazolidin-5-one derivative comprises reacting an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde with nitrosobenzene in the presence of a N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst. A process for preparing an N-alkoxyphenyl protected β-amino acid ester derivative is further provided. The process for preparing the N-alkoxyphenyl protected β-amino acid ester derivative comprises reacting an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde with nitrosobenzene in the presence of a N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst to form a N-phenylisoxazolidin-5-one derivative, and then treating the N-phenylisoxazolidin-5-one derivative with an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst. A process for preparing an N-alkoxyphenyl protected β-amino acid ester derivative, comprising treating a N-phenylisoxazolidin-5-one derivative with an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst, is also provided.
US08071777B2
The present invention refers to new compounds derived from artesunate salts with quinolines represented by the general formula (I) where X is represented by the general formula (II) and Y is represented by the general formula (III) depending on the radicals substituted in X (formula II), the relation X to Y (formula III) may vary from 1:1 to 1:7, because the amount of Y depends on the amount of N available in X for the formation of the salt. The radicals R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, e R6 in the general formula (II) are represented by: R1═H, CF3, CH3, OCH3, NH2, halogen; R2═H, CH3, NH2, halogen, NH—CHCH3(CH2)3N(C2H5)(CH2CH2OH), CH(OH)-2(C5H11N), NH—R7—N—(C2H5)2; R3═H, m-OC6H4CF3, NH2; R4═H, CH3, OCH3, NH2, halogen; R5═H, CH3, CF3, NH2, halogen; R6═H, CF3, CH3, NH2, halogen, NH—R8—N—(C2H5)2, NHCH(CH3)(CH2)3NH2; R7═(CH2)2, (CH2)3, CHCH3CH2, (CH2)4, (CH2)5, CHCH3(CH2)3(CH2)6, (CH2)8, (CH2)10, (CH2)12; R8═CHCH3(CH2)3, CHCH3(CH2)CHCH3, (CH2)2, (CH2)3, (CH2)6, (CH2)3O(CH2)3. The present invention also refers to a process of preparation of these general formula (I) compounds, and the pharmaceutical compositions, in which these compounds are included especially their use as medicine for treatment or prevention or inhibition of malaria or other parasitic diseases such as: kaodzera, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, amoebiasis, giardiasis, trichommoniasis, toxoplasmosis, schistosomiasis, as well as other helminthiases.
US08071775B2
Rylene derivatives of the general formula I in which the variables are each defined as follows: Rylene is a polycyclic conjugated ring system which comprises at least one perylene unit may comprise heteroatoms as ring atoms, may be functionalized by moieties comprising —CO— groups and/or may bear further substituents other than the A radicals; A is a radical of the formula X is oxygen or sulfur; R are identical or different radicals: optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, hetaryl, —U-aryl where U is an —O—, —S—, —NR2—, —CO—, —SO— or —SO2— moiety, or C1-C12-alkoxy, C1-C6-alkylthio, —C≡CR2, —CR2═CR22, hydroxy, mercapto, halogen, cyano, nitro, —NR3R4, —NR3COR4, —CONR3R4, —SO2NR3R4, —COOR3 or —SO3R3; R′ are identical or different radicals: hydrogen or one of the R radicals; R2 is hydrogen or alkyl, where the R2 radicals may be the same or different when they occur more than once; R3, R4 are each independently hydrogen; optionally substituted alkyl, aryl or hetaryl; n is from 1 to 8.
US08071762B2
The present invention discloses novel compounds of general formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof (in which X1-X5, R5-R8b, Z1-Z2 and Ar1 are defined herein), a method for inhibiting the VR1 receptor in mammals using these compounds, a method for controlling pain in mammals, and pharmaceutical compositions including those compounds and a process for making those compounds.
US08071754B2
Efficient sequence specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology. By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, composition, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed including those directed to nucleotide sequences for APOB.
US08071751B2
Provided herein are sequences of the genomes and encoded proteins of a new human parvovirus, Bocavirus-2, and variants thereof. Also provided are methods of detecting the Bocavirus-2 and diagnosing Bocavirus-2 infection, methods of treating or preventing Bocavirus-2 infection, and methods for identifying anti-Bocavirus-2 compounds.
US08071745B2
Disclosed are methods and compositions for early diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of retinal dystrophy, age-related macular degeneration, Bardet-Biedel syndrome, Bassen-kornzweig syndrome, best disease, choroidema, gyrate atrophy, congenital amourosis, refsun syndrome, stargardt disease and Usher syndrome. In particular, the invention relates to a protein, termed “Rdcvf1,” that is differentially transcribed and expressed in subjects suffering from retinal dystrophies and the like, such as retinal dystrophy and age-related macular degeneration compared with non-sufferers, antibodies which recognize this protein, and methods for diagnosing such conditions.
US08071739B2
The invention provides modified nucleotide or nucleoside molecule comprising a purine or pyrimidine base and a ribose or deoxyribose sugar moiety having a removable 3′-OH blocking group covalently attached thereto, such that the 3′ carbon atom has attached a group of the structure —O—Z wherein Z is any of —C(R′)2-O—R″, —C(R′)2-N(R″)2, —C(R′)2-N(H)R″, —C(R′)2-S—R″ and —C(R′)2-F, wherein each R″ is or is part of a removable protecting group; each R′ is independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, substituted alkyl, arylalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, acyl, cyano, alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy or amido group, or a detectable label attached through a linking group; or (R′)2 represents an alkylidene group of formula ═C(R′″)2 wherein each R′″ may be the same or different and is selected from the group comprising hydrogen and halogen atoms and alkyl groups; and wherein said molecule may be reacted to yield an intermediate in which each R″ is exchanged for H or, where Z is —C(R′)2-F, the F is exchanged for OH, SH or NH2, preferably OH, which intermediate dissociates under aqueous conditions to afford a molecule with a free 3′OH; with the proviso that where Z is —C(R′)2-S—R″, both R′ groups are not H.
US08071736B2
Compositions and methods for protecting a plant from an insect pest are provided. In particular, nucleic acid sequences encoding insect protoxins modified to comprise at least one proteolytic activation site that is sensitive to a plant protease or an insect gut protease are provided. Cleavage of the modified protoxin at the proteolytic activation site by a protease produces an active insect toxin. Methods of using the modified insect protoxin nucleic acid sequences and the polypeptides they encode to protect a plant from an insect pest are provided. Particular embodiments of the invention further provide modified insect protoxin compositions and formulations, expression cassettes, and transformed plants, plant cells, and seeds.
US08071735B2
The present invention provides a cotton plant event MON 88913 compositions and seed. Also provided are assays for detecting the presence of the cotton plant event MON 88913 based on a DNA sequence and the use of this DNA sequence as a molecular marker in a DNA detection method.
US08071734B2
The invention relates to compositions, systems, and methods for simultaneously detecting the presence and quantity of one or more different compounds in a sample using aptamer beacons. Aptamer beacons are oligonucleotides that have a binding region that can bind to a non-nucleotide target molecule, such as a protein, a steroid, or an inorganic molecule. New aptamer beacons having binding regions configured to bind to different target molecules can be used in solution-based and solid, array-based systems. The aptamer beacons can be attached to solid supports, e.g., at different predetermined points in two-dimensional arrays. The invention includes devices, methods, and computer software for carrying out the methods.
