US08108941B2
A processor, connected to a non-volatile memory storing first memory authentication information for authentication of the non-volatile memory, the processor includes an operation unit configured to perform an operation utilizing information stored in the non-volatile memory; an authentication memory formed integrally with the operation unit, and storing second memory authentication information for authentication of the non-volatile memory; an authentication information acquiring unit configured to acquire the first memory authentication information from the non-volatile memory; a memory authenticating unit configured to compare the first memory authentication information and the second memory authentication information to authenticate the non-volatile memory; and a memory access controlling unit configured to permit an access to the non-volatile memory when the memory authenticating unit succeeds in authentication.
US08108936B2
In the present invention, a content distribution server distributes a content key, encrypted content encrypted using the content key, and playback control information describing a playback mode restriction for a specific section of content, to a content playback terminal, and the content playback terminal refers to the playback control information, and decodes and plays back encrypted content in the case of a playback mode in which the specific section of content is not restricted. By this means, the playback mode of a specific section of content can be restricted based on playback control information.
US08108935B1
A computer-implemented method for protecting active copies of data may include detecting an attempt to access an active copy of original data, identifying an access rule associated with the original data, and determining whether to allow access to the active copy by applying the access rule to the attempt to access the active copy. The computer-implemented method may also include associating the access rule with a file-system path of the active copy. The access rule may be a file-system rule associated with a file-system path of the original data. Various other computer-implemented methods, systems, and computer-readable media for protecting active copies of data are also disclosed.
US08108931B1
Various embodiments of a method and an apparatus for identifying invariants to detect software tampering is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of identifying invariants associated with a software package comprises applying a machine learning technique to a plurality of images associated with a software package to identify a memory location within the plurality of images to be a candidate invariant, wherein the plurality of images comprises images of memory used during execution of the software package and determining an invariant based on the candidate invariant.
US08108929B2
A target software system is instrumented to generate behavior data representing a current observation or observation aggregate. A method then determines whether the current observation or observation aggregate warrants a second level examination; preferably, this determination is made by processing the current observation or observation aggregate through a first level detection algorithm that provides a provisional indication of a possible intrusion. If executing the first level detection algorithm indicates that the current observation or observation aggregate warrants a second level examination, the method continues by processing the current observation or observation aggregate through at least one second level detection algorithms to provide a more definite, fine grain indication of a possible intrusion. Multiple algorithms may be executed together within a single examination level, with the individual results then analyzed to obtain a composite result or output indicative of intrusive or anomalous behavior.
US08108927B2
Disclosed are embodiments of systems and methods for retrieving combination lock codes in a secure environment. In some embodiments, each of a plurality of combination locks are linked with a serial code. A user may then enter user identity information into a retrieval system. After the system has validated the user identity information, the user may enter a serial code into the system, the serial code associated with a combination lock for which the user would like to retrieve a corresponding combination code. Upon receipt of the serial code from the user, the system may securely transmit a combination code associated with the desired combination lock to the user. In one embodiment, the secure transmission of the combination code is done by sending an electronic mail message to an electronic mail account of the user.
US08108924B1
Techniques are disclosed for providing connection data related to a firewall. In one aspect, computer-readable media provide a method that includes receiving a request for a set of connection parameters of a firewall related to data packets processed by at least one non-CPU device of the firewall. The method further includes identifying raw data of a session table that corresponds to the requested connection parameters. The method additionally includes calculating a result for the requested connection parameters from the raw data, and providing the result in a format detailing a number of connections for each connection parameter.
US08108920B2
A system provides single sign-on capabilities for accessing a Web application through a passive client across multiple realms within a federation. A federation refers to different organizations or realms that have employed agreements, standards, and/or cooperative technologies to make user identity and entitlements portable between the organizations. Communications are redirected through a client in one realm to obtain a security token that can allow the resource server in the other realm to authenticate the user for access to the Web application.
US08108919B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing user credentials over a network to a remote computer application. User credentials for the remote computer application are stored in a central repository that is accessible through the network. A request is sent to a service to perform, on behalf of a user, a particular task involving the remote computer application. It is determined whether the service has been granted permission to act on behalf of the user with respect to the remote computer application. When the service has permission to act on behalf of the user, the service is used to retrieve the user's credentials for the remote computer application from the central repository and to supply the retrieved user credentials to the remote computer application.
US08108903B2
The present invention relates to an arrangement and a method respectively for providing an end user with access to an IP network (login). It comprises a user station, an access server of an access network, a web server and an authentication server. The end user station comprises first means for communication with the access server and second means for communication over a mobile telecommunication system with the authentication server. The access/login procedure comprises a first and a second phase, the authentication server controls the first phase comprising a one-time-password (OTP) login sequence, and, if the one time password (OTP) is valid, the second login phase is performed in order to login the end user at the access server, by creating a temporary account for which user credentials are defined.
US08108899B2
An interactive entertainment system enables presentation of supplemental interactive content along side traditional broadcast video programs, such as television shows and movies. The programs are broadcast in a conventional manner. The supplemental content is supplied as part of the same program signal over the broadcast network, or separately over another distribution network. A viewer computing unit is located at the viewer's home to present the program and supplemental content to a viewer. When the viewer tunes to a particular channel, the viewer computing unit consults an electronic programming guide (EPG) to determine if the present program carried on the channel is interactive. If it is, the viewer computing unit launches a browser. The browser uses a target specification stored in the EPG to activate a target resource containing the supplemental content for enhancing the broadcast program. The target resource contains display layout instructions prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed. When the data from the target resource is downloaded, the viewer computing unit is responsive to the layout instructions obtained from the target resource to display the supplemental content concurrently with the video content program. Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously places control of the presentation to the content developers. The developers are free to arrange the data and video in any manner they choose.
US08108886B1
When the user of a receiving apparatus presses a notice button provided for a remote controller to indicate the preference concerning the person or thing appearing on the screen of the program being viewed, the corresponding signal is transmitted to the receiving section of a set-top box. A view-log storage section stores an input operation command (including the signal indicating that the notice button has been pressed) together with the receiving time thereof as a view log. A view-information generating section reads the view log, generates a view-information packet, and outputs it to a bidirectional communication section. The bidirectional communication section transmits the view-information packet input from the view-information generating section to a broadcasting apparatus through a bidirectional communication network.
US08108880B2
A method of enabling state save and debug operations for co-routines for first failure data capture (FFDC) in an event-driven environment. A stack management utility allocates space for a context structure, which includes a state field, and a stack pointer in a buffer. A context management utility initializes a first context structure of a first co-routine and saves a state of the first context structure in response to an execution request for a second co-routine. The context management utility sets a second context structure as a current context. When execution of the current context is complete, the context management utility restores the first context structure of the first co-routine as the current context. If the state field is not set to a valid value, a state save function “state saves” all allocated co-routine stacks and context structures, restores the entire system to a previous valid state, and restarts operations.
US08108875B2
A computer-implemented method for distributing a plurality of tasks over a plurality of processing nodes in a processor network includes the following steps: calculating a task process consumption value for the tasks; calculating a measured node processor consumption value for the nodes; calculating a target node processor consumption value for the nodes, the target node processor consumption value indicating optimal node processor consumption; calculating a load index value as a difference between the calculated node processor consumption value for a node i and the target node processor consumption value for node i; and distributing the tasks among the nodes to balance a processor workload among the nodes, according to the calculated load index value, such that the calculated load index value of each node is substantially zero. The method further embodies a multi-dimensional balancing matrix, each dimension of the matrix representing a node corresponding to a different processor type and each cell representing tasks assigned to multiple nodes.
US08108872B1
Resources to be used by concurrent threads in a multithreaded processor are allocated based on thread types of the threads. For each of at least two thread types, an amount of the resource is reserved, and amounts currently allocated are tracked. When a request to allocate some of the resource to a new thread is received, a determination as to whether the allocation can be made is based on the thread type of the new thread, the amount of the resource reserved for that thread type, and the amount currently allocated to threads of that type.
US08108871B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises (i) identifying a group associated with an executable that is using a resource of a computer system, (ii) decrementing a group utilization limit for the resource when the group utilization limit is greater than zero, (iii) decrementing a utilization reserve for the group when the group utilization limit for the resource equals zero, wherein operations (i)-(iii) are performed by a software routine responsive to system interrupts, and (iv) scheduling another executable to use the resource, wherein the scheduling verifies that (a) the another executable belongs to a group that has a non-zero group utilization limit for the resource or (b) the another executable belongs to a group that has a non-zero utilization reserve.
US08108868B2
Optimizing workflow execution. A method includes identifying a completion condition. The completion condition is specified as part of the overall workflow. The method further includes identifying a number of activities that could be executed to satisfy the completion condition. One or more activities from the number of activities is ordered into an execution plan and assigned system resources based on an analysis of activities in the number of activities and the completion condition.
US08108865B2
A process replication method for use in a multi-threaded computing environment, for improving application performance, reducing the number of deadlocks and fork safing code. The method comprises acquiring and locking available mutexes from a plurality of mutexes, determining whether any unavailable mutexes from the plurality of mutexes are held by a thread that is waiting for a mutex owned by a forking thread and, if so, ceding any such mutex to the respective waiting thread and boosting priority of the waiting thread, and registering the forking thread as first waiter for any unavailable mutexes. All of the plurality of mutexes are thereby eventually acquired and locked.
US08108862B2
The invention relates to a device to be used with a thread scheduling method, and to a thread scheduling method comprising the steps of performing a scheduling for threads to be executed by a multithreaded (MT) processor (11), characterized in that the scheduling is performed as a function of a variable (idle) representing the processor idle time.
US08108854B1
A method and system for describing, extracting and migrating application information from a first personal computer to one or more other computers is described. This method and system provides a means for selecting and translating the information useful in transferring application programs, settings and files while maintaining the preferred preferences and directories of the users. Using a standard INI file format, this method makes use of Application Information Files (AIFs) that contain a collection of tags. The tags provide identification of multiple versions of the application and conversion information for settings, registry information and files. This invention provides the method of creating self-extracting auto-migrate packages, which permit user customization of the set of files and settings to be migrated and which provides the intelligence needed to write files to the appropriate destination locations and to make the appropriate registry changes. Efficiency enhancing features and functions are also provided.
US08108844B2
A runtime system implemented in accordance with the present invention provides an application platform for parallel-processing computer systems. Such a runtime system enables users to leverage the computational power of parallel-processing computer systems to accelerate/optimize numeric and array-intensive computations in their application programs. This enables greatly increased performance of high-performance computing (HPC) applications.
US08108840B2
A method for enhancing debugger performance of hardware assisted breakpoints across multiple units includes deferring all active location breakpoints within the multiple modules, and subsequently activating each valid location breakpoint in a present one of the multiple modules being entered.
US08108839B2
A computer program is traced by associating a trigger with at least one code location, and upon encountering the trigger during execution, selectively enabling trace data collection data at subsequent traceable events. Preferably, collection of trace data is enabled only for procedure instances active (i.e., currently executing or on the call stack) at the time that the trigger is encountered. Preferably, a special environmental flag is set on encountering the trigger, saved in each current stack frame, reset on calling any new procedure, and restored from the stack on return from a procedure. Collection of trace data on a traceable event (such as an explicit trace statement in the code) is conditioned on the state of the special environmental flag.
US08108829B2
A method for automating variables in an end-user programming system is disclosed. The end-user programming system comprises a script, a shared repository, at least one database, a recorder, an interpreter, and an execution engine. The script comprises at least one command describing an event comprising a data value. Each user has a uniquely identified entry set for the entries distributed in at least one database. The interpreter automatically creates a variable for a data value in a command by comparing the data value with each entry value in the entry set for the user recording the command. The interpreter automatically instantiates a variable in a command with an entry value by comparing the variable with each entry name in the entry set for the user executing the command.
US08108826B2
A method for generating test cases for a program is disclosed. The method combines features of path-oriented and goal-oriented software testing. The illustrative embodiment constructs a control-flow graph with nodes that correspond to invocations of subroutines, and constructs control-flow graphs for the source code of such nodes as well. A metric that is based on the topology of the control-flow graph is evaluated recursively for nodes of the graph and for control-flow graphs that correspond to invoked subroutines. In the illustrative embodiment, the metric employed is the length of a shortest path from the starting node to a particular node. A node n with the highest metric value is then selected as a goal, and a path from the starting node to the ending node that passes through node n is generated via backtracking.
US08108825B2
A method, system, apparatus and article of manufacture for producing a customized application. In a preferred method of the invention, a selection of components can be identified which are to be deployed to form the customized application. Within the selection of components, points of variability can be specified which can be assigned values when deploying the selection of components. The identified selection of components and the specified points of variability can be persisted in a template. Subsequently, the template can be processed to deploy the identified selection of components, to prompt for values to be assigned to the points of variability, and to configure the identified selection of components with the values at the points of variability thereby producing the customized application.
US08108824B2
A pattern verification method according to an embodiment includes, dividing a pattern data region or a pattern formation region formed based on the pattern data to a plurality of unit regions, calculating a pattern area ratio with respect to each unit region, calculating differences in the amount of the pattern area ratio between each unit region and adjacent unit regions thereto, setting the number or density of measurement point with respect to each unit region to the pattern of the pattern data region or the pattern formation region according to the difference in the amount of pattern area ratio, measuring the pattern size at each measurement point, and verifying whether the size measurement value is within a predetermined range or not.
US08108822B2
A structure, apparatus and method for circuits to minimize sensitivity to latch. The method includes, for example, identifying element density of at least one functional circuit block and element attributes of elements associated with the at least one functional circuit block. An element density function parameterized from the element attributes is formed. The placement of the at least one functional circuit block is modified relative to other functional circuit blocks based on the element density function to substantially eliminate latching effects in a circuit.
US08108815B2
A method and system to improve the performance of an integrated circuit (IC) chip by removing timing violations detected by performing a statistical timing analysis, given distributions of process and environmental sources of variation. The distributions are quantized using a minimum distortion criterion into discrete values. For each timing node of the IC circuit, a discrete minimum and maximum operation is performed on the timing parameters using a subset of combinations of the discrete values. The results of the discrete minimum and maximum operation are then de-quantized and propagated to a subsequent timing node and edge thereof. The process continues until one or more primary inputs and outputs of the IC chip are reached. The design of the IC chip is modified by removing all the timing violations identified.
US08108814B2
A method includes: before carrying out a timing verification processing of a semiconductor circuit, preliminarily superposing and arranging a dummy pattern template representing an arrangement pattern of dummy metal, onto a layout area defined by layout data while changing an origin position of the dummy pattern template to optimize the origin position of the dummy pattern template; and upon detecting that the result of the timing verification processing has no problem, superposing and arranging the dummy pattern template onto the layout area at the origin position of the dummy pattern template, to generate the layout data after inserting the dummy metal.
US08108811B2
An electrical resistance determination method. Input to the method includes a description of at least one electrical network within a substrate. The description includes specification of a plurality of first ports on a first side of the substrate, and a plurality of second ports on a second side of the substrate, for each electrical network. All of the first ports are electrically isolated from one another. All of the second ports are electrically connected to a common voltage. A computer readable program code, which is executed by a processor of a computer system computes for a first electrical network of the at least one electrical network an electrical resistance between each first port and a port of the second ports. The computer code may also display a perspective plot of the computed electrical resistances as a bar oriented about normal to each first port.
US08108810B2
A method for specifying and synthesizing a synchronous digital circuit by first accepting a specification of an asynchronous system in which stored values are updated according to a set of state transition rules. For instance, the state transition rules are specified as a Term Rewriting System (TRS) in which each rule specifies a number of allowable state transitions, and includes a logical precondition on the stored values and a functional specification of the stored values after a state transition in terms of the stored values prior to the state transition. The specification of the asynchronous circuit is converted into a specification of a synchronous circuit in which a number of state transitions can occur during each clock period. The method includes identifying sets of state transitions, for example by identifying sets of TRS rules, that can occur during a single clocking period and forming the specification of the synchronous circuit to allow any of the state transitions in a single set to occur during any particular clocking period.
US08108809B2
The present invention relates to a routing analysis method for performing a routing analysis on an integrated circuit from a netlist which is information on a plurality of cells constituting the integrated circuit and routes connecting the cells, and the routing analysis method comprises a step (Step 1) of obtaining the sum of areas of a plurality of cells, the number of cells or the number of routes connecting the cells from the netlist, to be defined as a constant C, and calculating a layout area S which is an area of a square layout region, by dividing the constant C by a predetermined constant U, a step (Step 2) of calculating a total route length L by multiplying a half perimeter length H of the layout region having the layout area S obtained in Step 1 by a predetermined coefficient α, and a step (Step 3) of calculating a routing difficulty index by dividing the total route length L by the layout area S. Thus, the present invention provides a routing analysis method for an integrated circuit, which, allows calculation of routing difficulty index with high accuracy of prediction.
US08108804B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of performing photo-mask correction. The method includes identifying a hot-spot in a photo-mask that violates one or more predefined rules; creating a window area in the photo-mask that surrounds the hot spot; categorizing the window area; selecting a solution, from a library of pre-computed solutions, based on a category of the window area; and applying the solution to the hot spot. A service-oriented architecture (SOA) system that synchronizes the design to the process is also provided.
US08108803B2
A method of failure detection of an integrated circuit (IC) layout includes determining a critical path distance between a first geometric feature of the IC layout and a second geometric feature of the IC layout; and comparing the determined critical path distance to a defined minimum critical path distance between the first and second geometric features, wherein the defined minimum critical path distance corresponds to a desired electrical property of the IC layout, independent of any geometric-based ground rule minimum distance for the IC layout; identifying any determined critical path distances that are less than the defined minimum critical path distance as a design violation; and modifying the IC layout by eliminating the identified design violations.
US08108801B2
The present invention provides a method, system and computer program product for improved display of host terminal applications on data processing systems having a small display size. In one embodiment, a host application translator reads characters stored in a character buffer and character attributes stored in an attribute buffer of a computer host terminal application that is displayed to a user as lines of characters. The host application translator performs component recognition on the characters and the character attributes to identify essential characters. Essential characters are characters that are required to be displayed to a user for the user to be able to interact with the computer host terminal application. The host application translator generates hypertext markup language code (HTML) for reconfiguring the characters for display on a portable data processing system having a small display size.
US08108798B2
A method and system are provided for implementing enhanced buttons in graphical user interface of a software application running on computer system. The enhanced buttons allow additional options to be presented to the user in a context-sensitive manner in the same graphical user interface screen that the user is interacting with. The enhanced buttons are context-sensitive buttons that appear on a graphical user interface window as a result of an initiating action or operation selected from the screen. The initiating operation may be linked to a field, button, or other graphical element or object on the screen and the context-sensitive buttons are associated with this linked graphical element. The context-sensitive buttons may be displayed on the graphical user interface screen in relation to the associated graphical element.
US08108795B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for visualizing information, e.g., information regarding a sporting event. The method may comprise identifying an event type and generating a plurality of buttons, the plurality of buttons arranged in a button hierarchy. A first level of the button hierarchy comprising one or more first level buttons is displayed with a lens further displayed on a given one of the one or more first level buttons, the lens operative to present first level data for the given first level button.
US08108791B2
A user interface and techniques for presenting content in a multiple virtual screens are described. The user interface has one or more multiple virtual screen to define separate and distinct portions of content data. Overview, related content information may be placed in the various multiple virtual screens. Navigation buttons facilitate movement from display of content information in one virtual screen to the display of content information in another virtual screen. With the bar navigation element, a user can intuitively move among the multiple virtual screens using just a single actuation (e.g., a single click of a mouse, or a stylus tap). The multiple virtual screens remain in their original orientation and relative positioning, and remain visible in the user interface so that the user can track their location.
US08108790B2
Various graphical displays used for visualization of control techniques in a process control system can be provided to an operator. For example, a graphical display could include (i) an image associated with at least a portion of a process and (ii) one or more icons identifying one or more process variables associated with at least the portion of the process. Selection of an icon could present the operator with a faceplate containing information associated with at least one of the process variables. Another graphical display could include (i) a focal variable symbol identifying a focal process variable and (ii) one or more additional variable symbols identifying one or more additional process variables associated with the focal process variable. Gains associated with the additional process variables could be identified in the display. Yet another graphical display could be used to remotely invoke and control applications executing in a process control system.
US08108788B2
The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for scrollable cross point navigation on a user interface in order to select a feature by combining object fields. Bars where at least one of them is scrollable, have object fields which overlap and combine each other when scrolled or put to a visible focus area in the user interface at the cross point of the bars. Object fields in the focus area select a feature connected to a combination of fields, which is chosen by a confirmation action.
US08108786B2
Graphical user interfaces, systems, and methods of implementing electronic flashcards are disclosed. Embodiments provide an interface for enabling information on a selected side of an electronic flashcard to be displayed and hidden. For example, the information on a first side of an electronic flashcard may be displayed while the information on the second side is hidden, thereby enabling a user to test himself or herself before revealing the information on the second side of the electronic flashcard. The interface may also enable placement or storage of inactive electronic flashcards in multiple piles or stacks. For example, electronic flashcards which have not yet been viewed may be displayed in a first pile, while previously viewed flashcards may be displayed in one or more additional stacks. Additionally, the interface may limit the number of flashcards in one or more of the stacks. Further, the interface may perform automated shuffling of the flashcards.
US08108782B2
Within a communication device having a plurality of displays, a method of controlling the displays can include, responsive to receiving an event from an application within a display manager, determining whether a single event or multiple events are pending (430). If a single event is pending, the method can include instructing the application to write data corresponding to the received event to a primary display of the communication device (435). The display manager can write data corresponding to the received event to a secondary display (445). If multiple events are pending, the method can include preventing the application from writing data to the primary display (470). The display manager can write data corresponding to the multiple events to the primary display and the secondary display without involvement of the application (475). The display manager further can launch a specific application in response to an event (500).
US08108777B2
In general, this disclosure describes techniques that employ user-defined values of properties of sections of an electronic presentation. As described herein, a user may configure a presentation to include a plurality of sections. Each of the sections includes zero or more slides of the electronic slide presentation. In addition to the slides associated with each section, each of the sections is associated with one or more properties having values that can be defined by an author of the presentation. Because the values of the properties of the sections are user-definable, these properties may, in some implementations of these techniques, enable the author of the presentation to use the sections in ways not possible in presentation applications that merely use sections as a means of grouping thumbnail images of slides for navigation among slides in an authoring interface.
US08108776B2
A method and system for providing a user interface for information services related to multimodal information on a computer system is presented. A system for providing a user interface for augmenting multimodal information with information services and interacting with the information services is described.
US08108773B2
A composition model, which specifies a set of all possible facets that may be used to render a composition template, is used to bind unresolved elements in the composition template with a set of document components in a container. Different instances of a rendered document are produced by altering the set of document components in the container and using the composition model to re-bind the unresolved elements in the composition template with the document components in the altered set of document components in the container.
US08108763B2
A visual editor for generating a custom email message. An editor interface may display an approximation of an email message. A user may customize content and layout of an email message through the editor interface. A user interface system may track such customizations to enable faster remote operations to be performed on content of the email message. A plurality of substantially modular renderers may enable a plurality of different output representations to be generated from a single stored representation of the email message.
US08108762B2
An operating method and a circuit for low density parity check (LDPC) decoders, in which original bit nodes are incorporated into check nodes for simultaneous operation. The bit node messages are generated according to the difference between the newly generated check messages and the previous check node messages. The bit node messages can be updated immediately, and the decoder throughput can be improved. The required memory of LDPC decoders can be effectively reduced, and the decoding speed can also be enhanced.
US08108745B2
A method of functionally verifying a device under test having at least one processor and at least one memory is disclosed. The method includes creating verification data for the device under test using a constrained random verification data creation process executed on the at least one processor. The verification data includes input data and expected output data. The method further includes storing the verification data in the at least one memory. The method further includes processing the input data with the at least one processor to produce actual output data. The method further includes comparing the actual output data to the expected output data. When the actual output data does not equal the expected output data, the method further includes storing at least one inconsistency between the actual output data and the expected output data.
US08108741B2
A semiconductor memory device having a mount test circuit and a mount test method thereof are provided. The test circuit for use in a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory blocks may include a comparison unit for comparing test data of at least two memory blocks selected from the plurality of memory blocks, deciding whether or not the test data of the selected memory blocks are identical, and outputting a pass signal or fail signal as a flag signal; and an output selection unit for selecting any one of the selected memory blocks as an output memory block, and changing the output memory block whenever the fail signal is generated from the comparison unit, thus forming it as a data output path, which may lessen error occurrence.
US08108736B2
The present invention determines an incorrect packet from a faulty partition quickly and reliably and prevents the packet from flowing into normal partitions through simple control actions. The multi-partition computer system is a multi-partitioned computer system in which a plurality of nodes are logically divided into a plurality of partition, and each node contained in the partitions includes a packet identification unit which, upon receiving a packet, compares the partition identification information uniquely assigned to own partition against the partition identification information contained in the receive packet, and if these pieces of information do not match each other, judges and discards the receive packet as an incorrect packet.
US08108732B2
A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, comprising a host computer, a storage controller, and a plurality of physical communication paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller, where the method establishes a threshold communication path error rate, and determines an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein that (i)th communication path is one of the plurality of physical communication paths. If the (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than the threshold communication path error rate, the method discontinues use of the (i)th physical communication path.
US08108731B2
A method of validating a configuration of a computer clusters includes transmitting a first neighbor identification to a first flexible service processor (FSP) arranged in the first computer cluster and a second neighbor identification to a second FSP arranged in the second computer cluster, connecting a first end of a cable to a first transceiver arranged in the first cluster and connecting a second end of the cable to a second transceiver arranged in the second cluster. The first neighbor identification is passed from the first transceiver to the second computer cluster and the second neighbor identification is passed from the second transceiver toward the first computer cluster. The first neighbor identification is compared with a desired first neighbor identification to establish a first comparison result, and the second neighbor identification is compared with a desired second neighbor identification to establish a second comparison result and a notice is generated.
US08108728B2
An apparatus and method are provided for analyzing fault tolerance of a system, and performing “what if?” analysis for various fault-tolerant system design options. The fault tolerance analysis approach handles logical failures and quality faults emanating from loss of precision in signal values. The method can detect quality faults, which can allow systems to be built which are resilient to precision losses. Two analysis steps are provided, one static and another simulation-based, which are used in tandem to check the fault tolerance of an automotive or other system. While a simulation-based method checks fault-resilience under specific test cases and fault-scenarios, the static analysis method quickly checks all test cases and fault-scenarios. The static analysis method makes approximations while performing the analysis, and any fault detected is reproduced using the simulation-based method. All analysis operations are performed on operations-level behavioral models of the applications, thereby reducing the cost of analysis.
US08108724B2
A system and method for fault management in a computer-based system are disclosed herein. A system includes a plurality of field replaceable units (“FRUs”) and fault management logic. The fault management logic is configured to collect error information from a plurality of components of the system. The logic stores, for each component identified as a possible cause of a detected fault, a record assigning one of two different component failure probability indications. The logic identifies a single of the plurality of FRUs that has failed based on the stored probability indications.
US08108723B2
A triggered restart mechanism for failure recovery in power over Ethernet (PoE). Powered devices (PDs) that fail can be remotely recycled by a power sourcing equipment (PSE). After detection of a failure of a PD, such as by the failure to receive a status message, a PSE can generate a reset signal (e.g., power cycle, reset pulse, etc.) on the port. This reset signal can cause the PD to perform a full power cycle or quick restart.
US08108722B1
Method, system, apparatus and/or computer program for achieving transparent integration of high-availability services for distributed application programs. Loss-less migration of sub-programs from their respective primary nodes to backup nodes is performed transparently to a client which is connected to the primary node. Migration is performed by high-availability services which are configured for injecting registration codes, registering distributed applications, detecting execution failures, executing from backup nodes in response to failure, and other services. High-availability application services can be utilized by distributed applications having any desired number of sub-programs without the need of modifying or recompiling the application program and without the need of a custom loader. In one example embodiment, a transport driver is responsible for receiving messages, halting and flushing of messages, and for issuing messages directing sub-programs to continue after checkpointing.
US08108718B2
One embodiment is a method that performs a local checkpoint at a processing node in a massively parallel processing (MPP) system that executes a workload with a plurality of processing nodes. The local checkpoint is stored in local memory of the processing node. While the workload continues to execute, a global checkpoint is performed from the local checkpoint stored in the local memory.
US08108716B2
A method and device for monitoring functions of a computer system having at least two execution units, a switchover unit being provided, and switchover operations being carried out between at least two operating modes, and a comparison unit being provided, a first operating mode corresponding to a comparison mode and a second operating mode corresponding to a performance mode, and a first function being monitored by a second function, the second function being executed in the comparison mode on at least two execution units, and each of these two second functions, which are executed on at least two execution units, monitoring the same first function.
US08108714B2
A system for soft error recovery used during processor execution. The system may include a microprocessor, processor, controller, or the like. The system may also include a pipeline to reduce the cycle time of the processor, and a write-back stage within the pipeline. The system may further include an error-correcting code stage before the write-back stage that checks a value to be written by the processor for any error. The error-correcting code stage may correct any error in the value, and the pipeline may lack a recovery unit pipeline.
US08108705B2
A power supplying device for supplying power through a network to a plurality of communication terminals to transmit or receive data in a form of a packet including: a power supply controlling unit to preset a count of the communication terminals which are to be targeted for power supply, for every predetermined time period, out of the plurality of communication terminals, and to measure a flow rate of packets to be transmitted or received for every communication terminal to which power is being supplied, out of the communication terminals targeted for the power supply in each time period, and to supply power to at least one communication terminal to which power is not yet being supplied, out of the communication terminals targeted for the power supply, when the measured flow rate of packets in any communication terminal becomes not less than a predetermined threshold.
US08108704B2
A method for automatically switching power states is disclosed. According to the method, when an electronic apparatus is in a power-saving state and a waking up time is reached, the electronic apparatus is switched into a working state, and when an executing time is reached, the electronic apparatus automatically executes an assigned function. After completing the assigned function, the electronic apparatus is switched back into the power-saving state for energy-saving purpose.
US08108687B2
A method and system for granting access to system and content is provided. A key is provided that allows access by a client computer to content that includes a plurality of resources. A server is accessed and the key is provided to the server. Based on the key, access is granted to the content. A program on the client computer requests a resource of the plurality of resources. If the resource is located locally, the resource is provided to the program. Otherwise, the resource is downloaded from the content server and stored locally. A data structure is modified to indicate that the resource is stored locally and the resource is provided to the program.
US08108686B2
A method for validating program execution. The method involves identifying a program from a second computer system, obtaining, by a first computer system, a first copy of a page for a file of the program from a second computer system, calculating a hash value for the first copy, storing the first copy in a local memory of the first computer system, storing the hash value for the first copy, and executing the program on the first computer system, where the first copy is removed from the local memory during execution of the program. The method further involves obtaining a second copy of the page from the second computer system, calculating a hash for the second copy, determining whether the hash value for the first copy is equal to the hash value for the second copy, and performing an appropriate action in response to the determination.
US08108681B2
A method comprises selecting bit positions for storing a digital watermark in digital audio data in time domain by choosing a spread function characterising the plurality of the selected bit positions, wherein the spread function comprises at least one Gaussian curve.
US08108678B1
Systems and methods are provided for performing digital signing and encryption using identity-based techniques. A message may be signed and encrypted in a single operation and may be decrypted and verified in two separate operations. Messages may be sent anonymously and confidentially. The systems and methods support message confidentiality, signature non-repudiation, and ciphertext authentication, ciphertext unlinkability, and anonymity.
US08108674B2
A transmitting/receiving system includes a transmitting apparatus that transmits, to another apparatus, first encrypted data obtained by encrypting stream data including consecutive unit data items in accordance with a first encryption technique prescribing that, when the stream data is encrypted for each item, keys used for encrypting the items are updated, and a receiving apparatus that receives and decrypts the first data from the transmitting apparatus in accordance with a first decryption technique. The transmitting apparatus includes an encryptor that outputs second encrypted data obtained by generating data including a predetermined number of keys, and encrypting the data in accordance with a second encryption technique, a transmitter that transmits the second data from the encryptor to the receiving apparatus. The receiving apparatus includes a key receiver that receives the second data from the transmitter, and a key decryptor that decrypts the second data in accordance with a second decryption technique.
US08108661B2
Provided are a data processing apparatus and a method of controlling the data processing apparatus. The data processing apparatus may select a single stream processor from a plurality of stream processors based on stream processor status information, and input data into the selected stream processor. The stream processor status information may include first status information of a processor core and second status information of at least one internal memory.
US08108658B2
A data processing circuit comprises a register file (14) having read ports and write ports. A plurality of functional units (21a-c), is coupled to receive operand data from a same combination of read ports. Each functional unit is coupled to a respective one of the write ports for writing a respective result. An instruction issue slot has outputs (11) for supplying register selection information to said combination read ports and to the respective ones of the write ports. The output of the issue slot also supplies an operation code. The functional units (21a-c) in the plurality are arranged to respond to at least to one value of the operation code by each executing a respective operation using the same operands from said same combination and each functional unit producing a respective result at a respective ones of the write ports.
US08108656B2
Task definitions are used by a task scheduler and prioritizer to allocate task operation to a plurality of processing units. The task definition is an electronic record that specifies researching needed by, and other characteristics of, a task to be executed. Resources include types of processing nodes desired to execute the task, needed amount or rate of processing cycles, amount of memory capacity, number of registers, input/output ports, buffer sizes, etc. Characteristics of a task include maximum latency tome, frequency of execution of a task, communication ports, and other characteristics. An exemplary task definition language and syntax is described that uses constructs including other of attempted scheduling operations, percentage or amount of resources desired by different operations, handling of multiple executable images or modules, overlays, port aliases and other features.
US08108655B2
Issue logic identifies a simple fixed point instruction, included in a unified payload, which is ready to issue. The simple fixed point instruction is a type of instruction that is executable by both a fixed point execution unit and a load-store execution unit. In turn, the issue logic determines that the unified payload does not include a load-store instruction that is ready to issue. As a result, the issue logic issues the simple fixed point instruction to the load-store execution unit in response to determining that the simple fixed point instruction is ready to issue and determining that the unified payload does not include a load-store instruction that is ready to issue.
US08108645B2
A method and system for recovering embedded system memory contained within an embedded system includes a software image in embedded system memory and identifying unneeded software features in the software image; identifying memory portions containing the unneeded software features; and reallocating the memory portions containing the unneeded features.
US08108644B2
The storage control apparatus of the present invention saves a table for managing a virtual volume in a pool and keeps the state of the table in the latest state. A first dynamic mapping table (DMT) that manages a first virtual volume is saved in a first pool. Upon receipt of a write command relating to an unused virtual slot from a write command issuing device, a first virtual volume control unit assigns an unused real slot in the first pool to the virtual slot and updates the first DMT. The first virtual volume control unit discriminates the validity of the received data and, in cases where “0” data are received, releases the assigned real slot, updates the first DMT once again, and discards the received data. In cases where the received data are valid data, de-staging is performed following a DMT update.
US08108640B1
A storage system includes a storage space provisioning system coupled to a primary storage server and a secondary storage server to resize a thin provisioned secondary volume on the secondary storage server. The storage space provisioning system detects data stored on a primary volume that is to be transferred to a secondary volume and obtains a point-in-time copy of the data stored on the primary volume. The storage provisioner determines a maximum transfer size of the data to be transferred using the point-in-time copy, and compares the maximum transfer size to a difference between the thin provisioned size of the secondary volume and a used size of the secondary volume. The storage space provisioning system increases the thin provisioned size of the secondary volume to be greater than the used size of the secondary volume plus the maximum transfer size when the maximum transfer size is greater than the difference.
US08108636B2
Backing up data from a client includes providing a direct coupling between the client and a portable storage device, copying full backup data from the client to the portable storage device using the direct coupling, and performing at least one incremental backup from the client to the backup site through a network that is separate from the direct coupling. The at least one incremental backup is based on the prior full backup. The network may be the Internet. Following copying full backup data to the portable storage device, the portable storage device may be shipped from the client to the backup site. The direct coupling may be USB, Firewire, or eSATA. Only a subset of data corresponding to a backup dataset may be copied from the client to the portable storage device.
US08108631B2
A method, including: initiating a memory operation at a first node including a first memory controller (MC) and a transaction table configured to store a list of nodes affected by the memory operation, transmitting a store request signal to a second node including a second MC and an access table (AT) where the store request signal includes data from the first MC, storing data to the AT in entries corresponding to memory address(es) (MAs) affected by the memory operation, identifying a memory conflict with one or more nodes in the list of nodes when the MAs affected by the memory operation are also affected by one or more conflicting transactions listed in the AT, transmitting an abort signal from the second node to each of the nodes corresponding to the memory conflict, and transmitting an intent to commit signal from the first node to the second node.
US08108625B1
Concurrent threads in a multithreaded processor share access to a memory, with any location in the shared memory being accessible by any thread. In one embodiment, the shared memory has multiple independently-addressable memory banks, and one location per bank can be accessed in parallel. Parallel processing engines executing the threads generate a group of parallel memory access requests. Address conflict logic determines whether the requests can be satisfied in parallel (e.g., based on bank access constraints) and serializes the requests to the extent needed to avoid conflicts. In some embodiments, data read from one address in the shared memory can be broadcast to multiple processing engines.
US08108622B2
A memory management system includes a plurality of processors, a shared memory that can be accessed from the plurality of processors, cache memories provided between each processor of the plurality of processors and the shared memory and invalidation or write back of a specified region can be commanded from a program running on a processor. Programs running on each processor invalidate an input data region of a cache memory with an invalidation command immediately before execution of a program as a processing batch, and write back an output data region of a cache memory to the shared memory with a write back command immediately after execution of a program as a processing batch.
US08108621B2
A cache memory system includes a first array of storage elements each configured to store a cache line, a second array of storage elements corresponding to the first array of storage elements each configured to store a first partial status of the cache line in the corresponding storage element of the first array, and a third array of storage elements corresponding to the first array of storage elements each configured to store a second partial status of the cache line in the corresponding storage element of the first array. The second partial status indicates whether or not the cache line has been modified. When the cache memory system modifies the cache line within a storage element of the first array, it writes only the second partial status in the corresponding storage element of the third array to indicate that the cache line has been modified but refrains from writing the first partial status in the corresponding storage element of the second array. The cache memory system reads both the first partial status and the second partial status to determine the full status.
US08108617B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for selectively bypassing cache levels when processing non-reusable transient data in a cache coherent system. To selectively bypass cache levels a page table entry (PTE) mechanism may be employed. To limit the number of PTE bits, the PTE may have a 2-bit “bypass type” field among other attribute bits that index which bits of a Special Purpose Register (SPR) identify the cache levels to be bypassed.
US08108616B2
Disclosed are a method, a system, and a program product for processing a data stream by accessing one or more hardware registers of a processor. In one or more embodiments, a first program instruction or subroutine can associate a hardware register of the processor with a data stream. With this association, the hardware register can be used as a stream head which can be used by multiple program instructions to access the data stream. In one or more embodiments, data from the data stream can be fetched automatically as needed and with one or more patterns which may include one or more start positions, one or more lengths, one or more strides, etc. to allow the cache to be populated with sufficient amounts of data to reduce memory latency and/or external memory bandwidth when executing an application which accesses the data stream through the one or more registers.
US08108612B2
Version indicators within an existing range can be associated with a data partition in a distributed data store. A partition reconfiguration can be associated with one of multiple partitions in the data store, and a new version indicator that is outside the existing range can be assigned to the reconfigured partition. Additionally, a broadcast message can be sent to multiple nodes, which can include storage nodes and/or client nodes that are configured to communicate with storage nodes to access data in a distributed data store. The broadcast message can include updated location information for data in the data store. In addition, a response message can be sent to a requesting node of the multiple nodes in response to receiving from that node a message that requests updated location information for the data. The response message can include the requested updated location information.
US08108596B2
A data processing system is provided with a memory controller (130) converting memory addresses (170) into selecting signals (120) for a memory device (100). The mapping between memory addresses and selecting signals is provided by mapping logic (140) within the memory device. The configuration of the mapping logic, also known as a mapping scheme, is defined by data stored in mapping specifying data storage (150), which may be altered by operating system software or application software (160) running on the system. Altering this configuration may be as a result of signals received from a monitoring unit (135) which monitors the efficiency with which the current mapping scheme is accessing data stored in the memory device. More than one mapping scheme may be used within a single memory device.
US08108594B2
To provide a memory system that can surely restore management information even when a program error occurs during data writing. After “log writing (1)” for a pre-log, when a program error occurs when data writing is being performed (a data writing error), the memory system performs the data writing again without acquiring a pre-log corresponding to data rewriting processing. After finishing the data writing, the memory system acquires, without generating a post-log, a snapshot instead of the post-log and finishes the processing.
US08108586B2
To provide a multi-core LSI capable of improving the stability of operation. A multi-core LSI comprises a plurality of CPUs coupled to a first shared bus, one or more modules coupled to a second shared bus, a shared bus controller coupled between the first shared bus and the second shared bus, for arbitrating an access to the module (s) by the CPUs, and a system controller that monitors whether or not a response signal to an access request signal of the CPUs is output from module to be accessed, wherein the system controller outputs a pseudo response signal to the first shared bus via the shared bus controller to terminate the access by the CPU while accessing if the response signal is not output from the module to be accessed after the access request signal is output to the second shared bus from the shared bus controller and before a predetermined time elapses.
US08108580B1
Technologies for efficient synchronous replication across heterogeneous storage nodes can provide the performance of high-speed storage units while leveraging low-cost and high-capacity backup storage units within the same system. The performance of low-cost, high-capacity hard disks may be improved by initially storing data into sequential physical locations. A sequential journal of I/Os may be used in a replicated secondary node to allow for rapid completion of I/Os. A separate background process can later scatter the sequentially logged I/O data into its proper location for storage. A programmable n-way router can be configured to route I/Os as needed to improve overall performance of the storage unit. A secondary node log device can also be used to provide continuous data protection (CDP). Lastly, packetizing together I/Os prior to delivery to a secondary node may reduce interrupts and context switches in the primary node, thereby improving performance of the storage system.
US08108568B2
A universal plug and play (UPnP)-based network system and a method of controlling the same. A UPnP device can operate according to a description of each control point (CP) when performing a command, by including the description, which is inherent information of each CP, in a command message transmitted from each CP to the UPnP device and allowing the UPnP device to analyze the command message to obtain the description of the CP. The UPnP-based network system includes a plurality of CPs, each of which stores a CP description, which is inherent characteristic information of each CP, and generates and transmits a command message including the CP description, and a UPnP device which is connected to the plurality of CPs over a network, analyzes the command message received from each CP to perform an operation according to the command message, and analyzes the CP description included in the command message to recognize each CP which transmits the command message.
US08108557B2
A system and method for measuring clock skew in a network is disclosed. The method comprises sending an echo message at a periodic rate from a plurality of servers in the network to an anchor server. A reply message can be sent from the anchor server to each server that includes a remote timestamp based on the anchor server clock. The remote timestamp can be recorded at each of the servers. A send timestamp that designates a time the echo message was sent and a receive timestamp that designates a time the reply message was received at the server can then be recorded. An estimated clock time of each server may also be calculated relative to the anchor server using the send and receive timestamps. A clock skew value can be determined by subtracting the estimated clock time of each server from the remote timestamp time. Interpolation can then performed between the clock skew values over a selected portion of the period of time to enable clock skew values to be estimated over the selected portion of time.
US08108556B2
Methods, devices, and systems for employing binary objects representing SIP messages. More specifically, a binary SIP stack is provided which allows a mechanism to enhance the efficiency of communications and more particularly to enhance the efficiency of SIP communications between SIP network elements. Also, mechanisms are provided which allow for a SIP stack to be easily and efficiently generated, transmitted over a communication network, and parsed/processed by a communication device.
US08108555B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for transmitting a DNS beacon for storage. A method according to one embodiment comprises generating one or more data items for logging and transmitting a DNS request to an authoritative DNS server for a logging domain, with the host name of the DNS request comprising the one or more data items for logging. The DNS request, which comprises the data items for logging, is stored on a storage device.
US08108546B2
A data encapsulation system and related methods. Implementations may include: forming at least one frame having a data payload, a data sequence, and one or more control bytes; evaluating data to be stored in the data payload and setting a value of the one or more control bytes, where the value of the one or more control bytes may be equal to: a first control byte value where one or more values of the data correspond with the first control byte value; a second control byte value indicating a size of the data; or a third control byte value where one or more values of the data continue beyond the frame. The value of each one of the one or more control bytes for each of the at least one frames may be equal to either the first, second, or third control byte values.
US08108545B2
A mechanism is provided for packet coalescing in virtual channels of a data processing system. A first processor bundles original data into a data packet to be transmitted to a destination processor, the original data comprising payload data and overhead data. The first processor transmits the data packet to a second processor along a path to the destination processor. The second processor determines if the second processor has additional payload data destined for the same destination processor. Responsive to the second processor having the additional payload data, the second processor unbundles the data packet, adds the additional payload data to the payload data, and rebundles the payload data along with the additional payload data and the overhead data into a rebundled data packet. Then the second processor transmits the rebundled data packet to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor.
US08108543B2
A system includes a server and a controller embedded in a device. Both the server and the embedded controller are capable of communicating over a computer network. The embedded controller sends a command to the server over the computer network that identifies an instance of the device. In response, the server identifies the instance of the device based on the command, retrieves data that is specific to the instance of the device, and sends the data to the embedded controller over the computer network.
US08108541B2
True collaborative interactive video streaming is advantageously achieved in accordance with certain illustrative embodiments of the present invention. A method and apparatus in accordance with one illustrative embodiment of the present invention enables a plurality of clients to concurrently view and interactively modify the playout of a video program—which may advantageously comprise either a stored (i.e., prerecorded) video program (e.g., a movie) or a real-time (i.e., live) video program—wherein the video program is being streamed from a video server to all of the clients synchronously (i.e., the same video is being played out concurrently to all clients). In accordance with this illustrative embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of clients is advantageously capable of transmitting control commands to the video server, and the video server responds to such control commands by appropriately modifying the video streaming process, but does so synchronously to all clients.
US08108534B2
In one embodiment, a system is provided for executing bulk data transfers between persistent data stores in connection with an enterprise-level business workflow. A data integration server is coupled to one or more stores. Programmatic source interfaces are each associated with a source store, defined according to a source interface specification, and exposed within the server during a transfer in connection with an enterprise-level business workflow to enable the server to extract from its source store data entities for loading into any selected target stores during the transfer. Programmatic target interfaces are each associated with a target store, defined according to a target interface specification, and exposed within the server during a transfer in connection with an enterprise-level business workflow to enable the server to load into its target store data entities extracted from any selected source stores during the transfer. Each programmatic interface: (1) provides to its store an abstraction of transfer operations within the server such that custom code need not be developed in connection with its store to enable transfers between its store and any other particular stores; and (2) isolates from the server specific details associated with its store such that custom code need not be developed in connection with the server to enable transfers between its store and any other particular data stores.
US08108525B2
Methods for establishing an SSL/VPN session on behalf of a user of a client where the user has a previously existing session are described. Methods include receiving, by an appliance, a request from a first client operated by a user to establish a virtual private network session; creating, by the appliance, a temporary virtual private network session with the client; identifying, by the appliance, an existing virtual private network session previously established on behalf of the user; terminating the previous session; and creating a new virtual private network session with the client using the temporary session. Other methods may further include transmitting a request to a user corresponding to whether to terminate one or more previous sessions, and transferring session data from a previously existing session to a current session. Corresponding systems are also described.
US08108524B2
A method for communicating in real-time to users of a provider of Internet access service, without requiring any installation or set-up by the user, that utilizes the unique identification information automatically provided by the user during communications for identifying the user to provide a fixed identifier which is then communicated to a redirecting device. Messages may then be selectively transmitted to the user. The system is normally transparent to the user, with no modification of its content along the path. Content then may be modified or replaced along the path to the user. For the purposes of establishing a reliable delivery of bulletin messages from providers to their users, the system forces the delivery of specially-composed World Wide Web browser pages to the user, although it is not limited to that type of data. These may be displayed permanently, temporarily, or in separate pop-up browser windows, according to policies set by the provider irrespective of the user's intended browsing destination.
US08108511B2
An embodiment is directed towards a method of abstracting multiple embedded counters from a number of network devices for use in a network monitoring application. The method includes initializing a metacounter for network devices for categories of metacounts. The method further includes, per metacounter, initializing a constituent counter for applicable embedded counters within the respective network device. The constituent counter includes a constituent value. The method further includes updating the constituent value for the constituent counters. The method further includes obtaining a total value corresponding to the metacounters based on the constituent values of respective constituent counters, wherein said total value is used by the network monitoring application.
US08108504B2
A apparatus for the management of one or more wide area or local area network connected devices by a collocated managing device. The managing device includes communications connectivity to each of the managed devices via a console connection and optionally via shared local area network connections. Additionally, the managing device includes a control system and a database. The device is designed to operate securely and operate autonomously or coupled with an external device, for example a management system, or a user.
US08108496B2
A method is provided for automatically determining in which data forwarding mode a network device should operate. Also, other settings for operation of the device may be automatically determined. These modes and settings may be selected based on one or more attributes of the network to which the device is connected. In one example, the network device includes a wired network interface and a wireless network interface. The device may be capable of operating in a routing, bridging, or repeating mode. The network device may select a forwarding mode based on attributes of the network that are detected or otherwise received by the network device.
US08108493B2
A remote access management service for enabling remote access to an item of media content stored in a network device from a remote device, said network device including a remote access server application program and account information identifying said remote device, and said remote device including a remote access client application program, the service including: an interface configured to provide network connections to said network device and said remote device; and a remote access management application program to collect information on remote access analysis by monitoring remote access transactions between said remote device and said network device, said remote access management application program operating to receive a remote access request from said remote access client application program including said account information and a content identifier indicating said item of media content.
US08108492B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing real-time, two-way transactional capabilities on the Web. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for enabling object routing, the method comprising the steps of creating a virtual information store containing information entries and attributes associating each of the information entries and the attributes with an object identity, and assigning a unique network address to each of the object identities. A method is also disclosed for enabling service management of the value-added network service, to perform OAM&P functions on the services network.
US08108483B2
A system and method for implementing a consistent user name-space on networked computing devices is provided. When a network connection between a local or host computing device and one or more remote computing devices is present, remote items are represented using the same methodology as items located on the host computing device. To the user, remote and local items are indistinguishable. When the network connection is lost or items located on a remote computer are otherwise unavailable, the unavailable items remain represented on the host computing device. Unavailable items are represented in a way that informs the user that the items may not be fully accessed.
US08108482B2
A data relaying apparatus disposed on the preceding stage of a registry server centrally managing meta-information extracts meta-information from a content retrieval result transmitted from the registry server to a client terminal and retains and correlates the meta-information with URI information included in the meta-information. On the other hand, a data relaying apparatus disposed on the preceding stage of a repository server retaining contents receives a content acquisition request transmitted from the client terminal to the repository server to extract URI information from the content acquisition request and transmits the URI information to the data relaying apparatus to acquire meta-information. The meta-information is added to contents transmitted to the client terminal before the contents are relayed.
US08108481B2
A system for sharing data within a network, the system including a first peer device coupled with the network that comprises local cache storage configured to store data comprising at least one entry designated as network accessible cache data and a cache control module operative to control access to the data stored in the local cache storage. The system further includes a second peer device coupled with the first peer device via the network where the second peer device is configured to request network accessible cache data stored in the local cache storage of the first peer device. Furthermore, the cache control module of the first peer device is configured to transmit at least a portion of the requested network accessible cache data to the second peer device in response to the request for network accessible data stored from the second peer device.
US08108476B2
In a messaging system interfaced through the Internet, a method for processing a message from a sender and intended for delivery to at least one recipient, which sender is interfaced to the Internet through a sender server and which recipient is interfaced to the Internet through a recipient server, where the message includes at least recipient information and message body, is disclosed. The method includes testing the recipient information by establishing a temporary test connection through the Internet from the sender server to the recipient server, before relying on the recipient information for sending the message, so as to provide an indication of deliverability of the message to the recipient without using an SMTP VRFY command.
US08108472B2
An E-mail terminal device comprises a judging unit which judges whether or not a reply destination mail address extracted from an E-mail received is an address of a mailing list capable of broadcasting the same E-mail to a plurality of destinations at one time, an extracting unit which extracts, when the reply destination mail address is the address of the mailing list, at least one mail address contained in a text of the E-mail received, and a selecting module which displays the at least one extracted mail address as a candidate for a reply destination from which a specified reply destination can be selected. This construction makes it feasible to prevent a reply mail from being mis-transmitted to the mailing list.
US08108465B2
The invention relates to a method for request processing. The method includes receiving an asynchronous request for a shared context from a first client, where a second client is subscribed to the shared context. The method further includes receiving a modification of the shared context from the second client and, determining, in response to receiving the modification, that the modification matches a criteria specified in a first request filter, where the first request filter is one of a number of request filters associated with the shared context. The method further includes obtaining the first request filter and after determining that a first condition specified in the first request filter is satisfied, initiating the transmission of the modification to the first client, where the modification is displayed at the first client.
US08108460B2
Machine, method for use and method for making, and corresponding products produced thereby, as well as data structures, computer-readable media tangibly embodying program instructions, manufactures, and necessary intermediates of the foregoing, each pertaining to digital aspects of a computerized aggregation system. The system can include a user computer system interposed between a segment of a network allowing communication between the user computer system and at least one server system, and other segments allowing communication between the user computer system and a plurality of third party server systems. The one server system enables the user computer system to access the plurality of other servers. The access permits forming an aggregation of information obtained from the third party server systems.
US08108458B2
A method includes receiving, from a sender, a contact selection related to a shipping request, identifying package shipping data associated with the selected contact, and providing the shipping request, including the package shipping data, to a shipping provider. The method further includes receiving a package identifier related to the shipping request from the shipping provider and associating the package identifier to a sender identifier related to the sender and a contact identifier related to the selected contact.
US08108440B2
A file server achieving sufficient power-saving effect is provided. The file server is capable of operating an on-line storage medium (in a state in which reading/writing can be started immediately in response to a file read/write request) and an off-line storage medium (which has to be started up upon receiving a read/write request). Upon reception of a stream file write request, the file server's processing unit acquires bit rate information from the stream file, calculates the file's splitting position from the bit rate information and startup time of the off-line storage medium, and stores a first part (up to the splitting position) in the on-line storage medium while storing the remaining second part in the off-line storage medium. Upon reception of a stream file read request, the processing unit reads out the first part while starting up the off-line storage medium and reading out the second part.
US08108433B2
A system may include generation of extension metadata defining an extension field of a core node of a business object, and generation of a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata. In some aspects, a service request associated with the business object is received, it is determined whether the service request is associated with the extension field, an extension service associated with a dynamic data type is provided if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension field, wherein the dynamic data type is associated with extension data of the extension field and core data of the business object, and a core service associated with an original data type is provided if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the extension field.
US08108425B2
Embodiments for facilitating personalization of applications based on anticipation of users' interests are provided. In one preferred embodiment, a communication session is established with a user. Data related to user activities conducted by the user are collected during the communication session. Finally, collected data are processed according to one or more predetermined rules to obtain anticipated interests data used in personalization of applications for the user and the anticipated interests data are further stored in a user database.
US08108424B2
A method and device for transporting a plurality of objects, such as mail items. In a plurality of transport operations, at least one object is transported to a processing system in each case. For each object, two measurements are taken to determine which value is assumed by a predetermined feature for the object. The first measurement is taken before initiating the respective transport operation and the new or second measurement is taken after the transport operation is initiated. For each transport operation, transport operation information concerning which objects are transported together by the transport operation and which predetermined feature value of the objects measured at the time of the first measurement is determined and stored. For each object, a search is then conducted to determine in which transport operation the object was transported. In this case, a restriction is imposed on the search for at least one transport operation. In the process, for each transport operation it is determined for each case wherein at least n objects having the n measured feature values were placed together and transported into a particular transportation unit.
US08108423B2
There is provided a system and method for an ontological and rules based segmentation engine for networked content delivery. There is provided a segmentation engine for use by a network accessible computing device providing customized content for a user on the network, comprising a user context regarding the user, a content management system for storing content, a controlled vocabulary categorizing content, an ontology using the controlled vocabulary for referencing the content of the content management system, segment definitions grouping users into segments matching content types to controlled vocabulary elements, segment rules using user context to associate with segment definitions, and a segmentation processor. The segmentation processor can receive a content request from the user, and by using the elements of the segmentation engine, determine the segment definitions applicable to the user and provide customized content from the content management system. The segment definitions are readily modifiable without detailed low-level knowledge.
US08108416B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a first search results page in response to a search query comprising at least a first map resource. The method monitors a change in position of a map resource in response to a user interaction and calculates a location corresponding to a map position. The method then re-executes at least one search query based upon said calculated location and displays a second search results page comprising a plurality of updated search results.
US08108408B2
An image recognition device includes: an image input unit obtaining an input image corresponding to a target image to be recognized; a similar image search unit searching out at least one similar image similar to the target image obtained by the image input unit from among images generated independently of the image recognition device, and unintentionally obtained; a keyword extraction unit extracting a plurality of keywords corresponding to candidates for a recognition result of the target image; a keyword analysis unit determining at least one likely keyword likely to be the recognition result of the target image from among the plurality of keywords extracted by the keyword extraction unit by analyzing the plurality of keywords; and a presentation unit outputting at least one likely keyword determined by the keyword analysis unit, as the recognition result of the target image.
US08108406B2
Computer based systems, methods, software and databases are presented in which correlations between web item preferences, behaviors and pangenetic (genetic and epigenetic) attributes of individuals are used for pangenetic based user behavior prediction in which predictions of a user's online behavior can be generated based on the user's pangenetic makeup. Data masking can be used to maintain privacy of sensitive portions of the pangenetic data.
US08108404B2
A method is set forth of displaying a document identified by a URL on a mobile browser, comprising registering an attachment viewer plug-in to the mobile browser for a predetermined data stream content type, registering a mobile data service transcoder for predetermined document types, sending a request for the document of one of the predetermined document types from the mobile browser to the mobile service transcoder, retrieving and converting the document to the predetermined data stream content type, and forwarding the converted document from the mobile data service transcoder to the mobile browser for display via the attachment viewer plug-in.
US08108398B2
A system that facilitates data presentation and management includes at least one database to store a corpus of data relating to one or more topics. The system further includes a summarizer component to automatically determine a subset of the data over the corpus of data relating to at least one of the topic(s), wherein the subset forms a summary of at least one topic.
US08108396B2
Data records containing one or more fields, which can be considered keys and/or values, are received, and processed such that data values of records that contain key values of interest are aggregated together. The keys of the resultant aggregations or “resultant keys” are created under the control of simple parameters to an aggregation framework. Similarly, the particular aggregations performed are also under the control of a similar set of simple parameters to the aggregation framework. Mapping of keys to reduce originality is one of the important features of resultant key creation. Finally, the structure of the parameters used to control aggregation is simple, flexible, and powerful.
US08108393B2
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for providing list of a plurality of media programs responsive to a user search query is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting an general search query from a user computer, identifying a synonym for the general search query, identifying a category for the general search query according to the identified synonym, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified category to obtain a search result, and transmitting the search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.
US08108392B2
In one embodiment, identifying clusters of words includes accessing a record that records affinities. An affinity between a first and second word describes a quantitative relationship between the first and second word. Clusters of words are identified according to the affinities. A cluster comprises words that are sufficiently affine with each other. A first word is sufficiently affine with a second word if the affinity between the first and second word satisfies one or more affinity criteria. A clustering analysis is performed using the clusters.
US08108388B2
An alert search mechanism is used with search engines such as a crawler to search for desired documents and/or resources. Particular documents are found by using search queries. The search mechanism track values of a set of relevant properties in queries. Whenever a document is searched for by the system, the values of these set of properties are matched with the old value. If there is no match, this is an indication that the document has changed.
US08108386B2
A more efficient search algorithm introduces a variety of new tools and strategies to more efficiently search and retrieve desired records from an electronic database. Among these are a strategy that utilizes the first and last positional characters, or phonemes, to exploit the fact that often last positional character is nearly as important as a first positional character in distinguishing database records from one another. In addition, virtual search parameters, that are not a portion of the database records, can also be utilized in distinguishing database records, such as by identifying a number of characters in a search field for a requested database record as a way of distinguishing that record from all others with a different number of characters. The invention finds potential application in any database search application, but is particularly useful in delivering directory assistance services.
US08108383B2
A method includes receiving a search query from a user and generating search results based on the search query. The method may also include providing the search results and information identifying at least one of a telephone number or an address associated with a first one of the search results to the user. The method may further include providing a link to a map associated with at least the first search result to the user.
US08108380B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for searching business objects. According to one embodiment, a method of searching one or more business objects can comprise receiving a set of search criteria and identifying attributes of the business object that match the search criteria by searching an indexed composite document representing the business object based on the search criteria. The indexed composite document can comprise an indication of a value of one or more attributes of the business object and metadata associated with at least one of the values. Searching the indexed composite document can comprise performing a keyword search on the metadata of the composite document based on the search criteria. An indication of the identified attributes of the business object can be returned ordered by relevance to the search criteria.
US08108379B2
The present invention is directed towards systems, methods and computer program products for controlling a user history module. According to one embodiment, a method for controlling a user history module comprises providing a history module to a user, the history module comprising a plurality of search queries and a plurality of selected search results, and monitoring user interaction with the user search history panel. A predetermined operation is performed on the history module in response to a user interaction.
US08108375B2
Multiple database queries are satisfied with the same data in a manner that assures the data is current and without having to interrogate the database for each query. In a first embodiment, all queries that are received during the processing of a first query after interrogation of the database has begun for the first query are evaluated to determine whether the result set returned for the first query will satisfy the queries received during processing of the first query. If so, the result set returned for the first query is used to generate result sets for the subsequent compatible queries received during the processing of the first query. In a second embodiment, queries are delayed and grouped, and a new query is then processed for each group that returns a result set that satisfies all of the queries in the group. In both cases, the result set for one query is used to generate a result set for a different query.
US08108368B2
The illustrative embodiments provide a system and method for processing a document. A data storage unit is provided to store data corresponding to the document, several documents processed at a previous time, and a set of rules. A rule in the set of rules may include a rule identifier, a directive to proceed to a second rule based on a condition, a specification of a data component, the specification configured to include a data component identifier, a data component attribute, and a directive to proceed to a second specification of a second data component based on a second condition. A rules-based engine is provided that may communicate with the data storage unit and may execute a rule in the set of rules. The set of rules may include rules for parsing, validating, identifying, relating, selecting, extracting, transforming, generating, analyzing, error correcting, reporting, and sending.
US08108365B2
A database management system for determining consistency in a hierarchical database sequentially reads pointers of a plurality of segment data, generates an address hash value, which is a hash value of retention addresses of the segment data having been read, generates a pointer hash value, which is a hash value of the pointers included in the segment data having been read, corrects the address hash value, when the contents of the address already read is updated, based a retention address of segment data added or deleted by the update, corrects the pointer hash value based on each pointer changed by the update, and determines that the hierarchical database is consistent if the corrected address hash value coincides with the corrected pointer hash value.
US08108362B2
The invention describes a control node for a content distribution network and a method of automatically verifying content distributed over a network at a node in the network. In the method, a content description is received which comprises a content identifier, a publisher identifier, publisher authorization information and content checking information. The integrity and validity of this information are checked and if both the checks are passed, the content description is stored.
US08108360B2
In one embodiment, a computer system receives an indication that a portion of data at a first node in a first database table is to be modified according to a received update command. The computer system assigns the first database table a base height value indicating that the first database table is the base node in a search for related nodes, accesses one or more other database tables in the database, and identifies at least one other accessed database table that has a node with data related to the modified data of the first node. The computer system assigns the other accessed database table a height value different than that assigned to the base node, orders the first database table and any other identified database tables by assigned height value, and updates the data at each node based on the established height value ordering and the type of update command received.
US08108345B2
A method and system for increasing the computational and network efficiency of presence servers having collections of publications is provided. The presence system uses several techniques that enable a presence server to provide rich presence information without requiring expensive processing. First, the presence system accepts batches of publication updates in a single presence update request. Similarly, the presence system accepts batches of subscription requests. Next, the presence system supports new expiration types for publication update requests that eliminate the need for a publishing user to continually refresh presence information that has not changed. Finally, the presence system accepts access lists that contain membership groups rather than an individual list of users that are to have access to a particular presence collection.
US08108339B2
The efficiency and versatility for the implementation of formulas in an on-demand database is improved. Formulas are categorized. Based at least partly on the categorization, formulas are evaluated synchronously or asynchronously. An asynchronous evaluation may be performed if a certain set of criteria is not satisfied. Asynchronous evaluations may be performed using a queue. During an asynchronous update of an object, a counter field and/or an estimate field may be used respectively for indicating the consistency of values of the object and a time when the values were consistent. The versatility of formulas is enhanced by using a formula to create a default value for a custom field when it is created and to determine whether an action is to be performed, and is enhanced by having an action define when a formula is to be updated.
US08108328B2
Generation of a meta-model for scatterometry analysis of a sample diffracting structure having unknown parameters. A training set comprising both a spectral signal evaluation and a derivative of the signal with respect to at least one parameter across a parameter space is rigorously computed. A neural network is trained with the training set to provide reference spectral information for a comparison to sample spectral information recorded from the sample diffracting structure. A neural network may be trained with derivative information using an algebraic method wherein a network bias vector is centered over both a primary sampling matrix and an auxiliary sampling matrix. The result of the algebraic method may be used for initializing neural network coefficients for training by optimization of the neural network weights, minimizing a difference between the actual signal and the modeled signal based on a objective function containing both function evaluations and derivatives.
US08108321B2
A computer-based system and method for shipping and delivering a parcel, including reserving a terminal for a parcel; placing the parcel in the terminal, the parcel having a virtual delivery address of a recipient; picking up the parcel by a carrier; converting, through a central computer system, the virtual address into a postal address; delivering the parcel to a destination terminal drop-box corresponding to the postal address; notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel; and unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient's identity.
US08108313B2
A system and method for creating a rights expression for association with an item for use in a system for controlling use of the item in accordance with the rights expression, including specifying rights expression information indicating a manner of use of an item, the rights expression information including at least one element, the element having a variable and corresponding value for the variable; and performing an encoding process, including determining an identifier associated with a template corresponding to the rights expression information, extracting from the rights expression information the value for the variable corresponding to the element, and encoding a license adapted to be enforced on a device based on the variable and the identifier, the license including an identification of the template and the value for the variable.
US08108310B2
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and method and communication apparatus and method suitably for use in supplying the encoded data of accumulated music for example to a semiconductor memory or a portable device. In step S461, the content data enabled for check-in into an MS are identified. In step S462, a check-in process is executed. In step S463, it is determined whether or not the content data enabled for check-in have all been checked in. In step S464, an album to be checked out is determined. In step S465, one track is selected. In step S466, the selected track is determined whether or not it is enabled for check-out. In step S467, the capacity of the MS is confirmed. In step S468, a check-out operation is performed. In step S469, it is determined whether or not all tracks in the album to be checked out have been selected. The present invention is applicable to audio servers for example.
US08108308B2
A method and system for structuring a life settlement with a paid-up policy transaction. An existing insurance policy holder exchanges an existing insurance policy for a paid-up insurance policy or life insurance group certificate purchased by a buyer on a secondary market. The policy could also exchange their policy for being named as a beneficiary of a second insurance policy purchased by a buyer on a secondary market.
US08108302B1
Systems and methods are provided for determining an indication that an application for a mortgage loan to secure a property may result in closing of the loan transaction. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving application information, such that the application information includes at least borrower information, property information, and a first interest rate; receiving home value information, such that the home value information represents an estimated value of the property; receiving a second interest rate; and determining the indication based on the received application information, received home value information, and received second interest rate, such that the indication represents a likelihood that the mortgage loan may result in closing.
US08108293B2
In an electronic trading system, prime brokerage services may be provided by assigning one or more dependent or child deal codes to a deal code. Prime broker trades are conducted via the dependent deal codes but appear to the market as deals with the parent deal code using credit assigned to the parent deal code. The prime bank customer is a dependent deal code of the customer bank which also trades on the system, allowing credit to be allocated by the customer dependent code for prime broker trades. A deal code may have several dependent deal codes which can trade with one another. Dependent deal codes can be used to expand the size of trading floors beyond that which can be supported by a single deal code and to assist in migration between system versions.
US08108283B2
A method for formulating a synthetic currency including the steps of borrowing an amount of funds in at least one first currency at a first interest rate, converting a portion of the borrowed funds to at least one second currency, investing the portion of the borrowed funds in an investment that pays interest which covers at least a portion of cost of borrowing the borrowed funds in the first currency, and providing a third currency based on the remaining portion of the borrowed funds.
US08108281B2
A method for determining a margin requirement associated with a plurality of financial instruments within a portfolio is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of data associated with the plurality of financial instruments within the portfolio, determining a shock value for each of a plurality of risk factors within a multi-factor risk model, such that the shock factor is determined based on the received plurality of data, calculating a maximum risk margin for each of the plurality of risk factors, and calculating a total multi-factor risk margin based on maximum risk margin for each of the plurality of risk factors.
US08108276B2
A system, medium storing processor-executable process steps, and method for supporting a derivative transaction, the method including receiving data identifying a reference entity participating in the derivative transaction; receiving data identifying at least a first reference obligation associated with the derivative transaction; identifying a contractual relationship between the reference entity and the at least first reference obligation; and generating a data record associated with the derivative transaction, the data record including the data identifying said reference entity, the data identifying the at least first reference obligation, and data identifying said contractual relationship, wherein the data record is verified as accurate as of an issue date of the derivative transaction.
US08108273B2
Systems and methods for replicating data communicated over a network. According to one embodiment, among several embodiment, a data replication system includes a first interface table and a first application associated with a first computing system. The first application is configured to transfer data into the first interface table. The data replication system further includes a first replication module, which is also associated with the first computing system. The first replication module is configured to replicate data from the first interface table into a second interface table associated with a second computing system via a network. The data replication system also includes a second application and a second replication module associated with the second computing system. The second application is configured to transfer data into the second interface table. The second replication module is configured to replicate data from the second interface table into the first interface table via the network. Furthermore, the data replication system includes a web service module configured to check the contents of the second interface table before the first application performs a specific processing operation.
US08108265B2
A method of reverse logistics using an auction to sell products directly to consumers from a store instead of using a third party reclamation company. One or more methods of auctioning one or more typically unsalable items directly to purchasers from a retail store including the steps of providing a communications multi-network having at least one logic engine, at least one star communication network through which non-location data is transferred to said logic engine, and at least one mesh communication network through which location data is transferred to said logic engine. The method further includes the steps of locating products for purchase that are eligible to be auctioned, the scanning of product codes of each auctionable product, tracking the scanning device in the store, transmitting auctionable product data through the star communication network, sorting auctionable products into at least one bundled lot for sale, producing a unique identifier for each bundled lot, initiating a direct-to-consumer auction for the sale of each bundled lot, and auctioning each bundled lot to a best bidder in the auction.
US08108262B1
Disclosed are various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs that facilitate haggling in an electronic commerce system. An average spread of a user is calculated, which is the average difference between an initial list price and a final transaction price among transactions in a transaction history. A rounds score is also calculated, which is based on the number of counteroffers extended by a user in the transaction history. A volume score is calculated and based on the volume of transactions a user has consummated in the transaction history. An abandonment score is calculated and based on the percentage of transactions the user has abandoned. A haggling rating is calculated and based on a combination of the average spread, the rounds score, the volume score, and the abandonment score, and represents an effectiveness of the user in haggling and completing transactions with other users.
US08108261B2
Techniques for improved interaction between online retailers and traditional brick-and-mortar retailers that provide patron-accessible networks are disclosed. The location and/or the fact that any given purchase was made from a particular retailer's patron-accessible network can be tracked for various purposes. The invention can facilitate partnering between online retailers (i.e., online stores) and traditional ‘brick-and-mortar’ business establishments. As an example, the invention can be used to track and give credit for online purchases at an online retailer that are facilitated by a brick-and-mortar retailer.
US08108260B2
System and method for dynamically categorizing a plurality of products listed for sale with an Internet-based shopping site based on tags associated with the products. Sellers submit one or more tags or categories when they list new products with the site. Categories and/or subcategories may be generated based, at least in part, on a frequency of the tags associated with the plurality of products listed with the site. Shoppers may search for products based on the generated categories and/or subcategories. The categories and/or subcategories may be maintained as the products listed for sale with the site change to maintain up to date category and/or subcategories.
US08108258B1
Method and apparatus for return processing, including tax returns. A return calculation mechanism may partition out return preparation jobs to a plurality of return calculation nodes. A job scheduler may receive returns and distribute the returns among the calculation nodes according to a load-balancing scheme. The job scheduler may decompose a return into two or more calculation jobs. A job may be an individual return or portion of a return. In one embodiment, the calculation jobs may be prioritized according to dependency. If one job depends on results of another job, the job may be scheduled to execute after the job on which it depends. The calculation nodes may cache calculated data from jobs, and a job that depends on another job may be assigned to a node that caches data from the job on which it depends.
US08108256B2
A system for advertising on a networked printer includes a target entity and a trusted source entity. The target entity includes a networked printer and a plurality of work stations operated by a respective plurality of users. Each workstation communicates with the networked printer. The networked printer includes a controller configured to generate a banner sheet. The banner sheet includes user identifying printer indicia for distinguishing different print jobs that are printed by the networked printer. The trusted source entity includes an advertisement delivery device in communication with the controller of the networked printer. The advertisement delivery device communicates with the controller of the networked printer to deliver an advertisement that is printed on the banner sheet generated by the networked printer. The advertisement is printed in addition to the user identifying printing indicia that is already printed on the banner sheet.
US08108254B2
A method attributes credit for conversions to a plurality of event types. A plurality of probabilities that a single impression of each of a plurality of respective event types causes a conversion by one of a plurality of users are defined. A processor is used to select values for the plurality of probabilities so as to minimize a total squared error based on differences between an observed outcome for each user and a respective expected outcome for each user calculated from the plurality of probabilities.
US08108252B1
A system and a method are disclosed for aggregating demand for a merchant using short message service (SMS). The system receives a text message from a consumer containing a merchant code and a request for a discount, the merchant code being associated with a merchant. The system determines whether the merchant has an available discount. If a discount is available, information about the discount is sent to the consumer. If a discount is not available, a text message is sent to the consumer indicating a level of demand for discounts from the merchant, the text message to be shown to the merchant.
US08108250B1
A method and apparatus for business consulting are described. An input interface enables designated personnel to enter data in pseudo-real-time into the system. An analysis logic calculates key values for the business based on the pseudo-real-time data entered and enables the display of the relationship of the key values to projected goals. A user interface provides a visual display of an immediate identification of an overall business state.
US08108241B2
An improved method is provided herein of managing information that typically relates to a project, process, or workflow. The information is classified within various hierarchical levels of categories, subcategories and their lowest level data elements and is organized within an electronic graph in a corresponding hierarchical sequence. The graph comprises what is termed as “cell bodies” in the form of graphical objects. These graphical objects represent each of the categories, subcategories and data elements and are aligned against each other in various orthogonally stacked configurations where the cell bodies consist of one or more geometric shapes, symbols, characters and their respective features such as color, in a tight grouping, which together, represent several variables of a single data set record. Each cell body may be a cluster of one or more such graphical components.
US08108233B2
Under the present invention, components pertaining to a particular business operation of an organization are identified arranged into a component map. Information corresponding to a set of financial and staffing variables for the components is then gathered. During a workshop or the like, votes regarding a differentiation factor and an effectiveness factor of each of the components are received according to a predetermined scale. When vote quality is deemed acceptable (e.g., according to a standard deviation), a series of individual heat maps will be generated from the component map using the votes and the information previously collected. In general, an individual heat map is generated for each of the differentiation factor, the effectiveness factor, and the set of financial and staffing. Thereafter, an integrated heat map can be generated by combining at least two of the individual heat maps. Finally, an integrated view that contains the integrated heat map and radar views of the individual heat maps will be generated.
US08108228B2
The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps.
US08108224B2
Methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided for monitoring compliance in reporting unclaimed property. The method is capable of identifying both potential non-reporters and potential under-reporters. In this regard, potential under-reporters may be identified as a result of a multilevel review that may take into account the recent reporting history, both in terms of frequency and the type and quantity of unclaimed property that has been reported. The potential non-reporters and potential under-reporters may then be further evaluated, such as by means of an audit or other follow up procedure, to insure compliance.
US08108221B2
A mixed lossless audio compression has application to a unified lossy and lossless audio compression scheme that combines lossy and lossless audio compression within a same audio signal. The mixed lossless compression codes a transition frame between lossy and lossless coding frames to produce seamless transitions. The mixed lossless coding performs a lapped transform and inverse lapped transform to produce an appropriately windowed and folded pseudo-time domain frame, which can then be losslessly coded. The mixed lossless coding also can be applied for frames that exhibit poor lossy compression performance.
US08108216B2
In a speech synthesis, a selecting unit selects one string from first speech unit strings corresponding to a first segment sequence obtained by dividing a phoneme string corresponding to target speech into segments. The selecting unit performs repeatedly generating, based on maximum W second speech unit strings corresponding to a second segment sequence as a partial sequence of the first sequence, third speech unit strings corresponding to a third segment sequence obtained by adding a segment to the second sequence, and selecting maximum W strings from the third strings based on a evaluation value of each of the third strings. The value is obtained by correcting a total cost of each of the third string candidate with a penalty coefficient for each of the third strings. The coefficient is based on a restriction concerning quickness of speech unit data acquisition, and depends on extent in which the restriction is approached.
US08108213B1
Apparatus and methods are provided for using automatic speech recognition to analyze a voice interaction and verify compliance of an agent reading a script to a client during the voice interaction. In one aspect of the invention, a communications system includes a user interface, a communications network, and a call center having an automatic speech recognition component. In other aspects of the invention, a script compliance method includes the steps of conducting a voice interaction between an agent and a client and evaluating the voice interaction with an automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the voice interaction and determine whether the agent has adequately followed the script. In yet still further aspects of the invention, the duration of a given interaction can be analyzed, either apart from or in combination with the script compliance analysis above, to seek to identify instances of agent non-compliance, of fraud, or of quality-analysis issues.
US08108210B2
A noise removing apparatus and method usable in a portable recorder to remove noise and enhance a voice signal when the voice signal with noise is input to the portable recorder. The noise removing method includes dividing an input signal into a high frequency component signal and a low frequency component signal, adjusting a magnitude of the high frequency component signal by comparing the magnitude of the divided high frequency component signal and a magnitude of the low frequency component signal, enhancing a clearness of the low frequency component signal by filtering the divided low frequency component with an adaptive filter, and adding the magnitude-adjusted high frequency component signal and the clearness-enhanced low frequency component signal.
US08108208B2
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus of requesting a service from a communications network. In the method the following steps are to performed: generating an objective statement in a user equipment; communicating the objective statement from the user equipment to a mediator unit; comparing the objective statement to a list of objective statements in the mediator unit; establishing the service based at least partly on the comparison; and providing the service to the user of the user equipment.
US08108205B2
A system and method of refining context-free grammars (CFGs). The method includes deriving back-off grammar (BOG) rules from an initially developed CFG and utilizing the initial CFG and the derived BOG rules to recognize user utterances. Based on a response of the initial CFG and the derived BOG rules to the user utterances, at least a portion of the derived BOG rules are utilized to modify the initial CFG and thereby produce a refined CFG. The above method can carried out iterativey, with each new iteration utilizing a refined CFG from preceding iterations.
US08108188B2
One embodiment is directed to an approach to solving a leader-follower problem in which a leader has a set of leader actions and a follower has a set of follower actions. The approach includes receiving an expression of the leader-follower problem as a normal form Stackelberg game. The approach further includes, for each possible follower action, solving a linear program (LP) problem to determine a respective optimal mixed leader strategy, wherein the LP problem optimizes a leader payoff for a given mixed leader strategy and a given fixed follower action over a feasible region that includes only mixed leader strategies that provoke that respective follower action. The approach further includes generating an output derived from the optimal mixed leader strategies, and outputting the output by changing a physical state associated with an interface.
US08108176B2
A method and system for applying a two dimensional mark on a first surface of a component and assessing mark quality, the method including the steps of positioning a component with a first surface at a first station, applying a two dimensional mark to the first surface at the first station wherein the applied mark is intended to codify a first information subset, obtaining an image of the applied two dimensional mark at the first station, performing a mark quality assessment on the obtained image and performing a secondary function as a result of the mark quality assessment.
US08108163B2
Disclosed is a method including: calculating power supply input impedance of the LSI from the number of output buffers of the LSI, output impedance of an output buffer, signal characteristic impedance and characteristic impedance of power supply/ground of an LSI terminal, a package, and a chip terminal part, characteristic impedance of wiring connected to an LSI output terminal, and output signal damping resistance calculating a reflected voltage of power supply noise at a semiconductor device mounted on an electronic circuit board, based on impedance characteristic between a power supply and ground of the semiconductor device; and analyzing power supply noise of the electronic circuit board, based on the reflected voltage of the power supply noise at the semiconductor device.
US08108150B2
Methods and devices for more efficiently engineering diversity into recombinant polypeptides and/or nucleic acids are provided herein. For example, a variety of methods of selecting and/or assessing potential crossover sites in an amino acid sequence or a nucleotide sequence are provided, as well as the resulting chimeric product sequences. These methods include, e.g., consideration of structural, functional and/or statistical data in the selection and assessment of sequences and crossover sites for use in recombination.
US08108146B2
A method and device for determining a consolidated position of a travelling object check the coherence of position values corresponding to a current position of the travelling object and determine a consolidated position for the travelling object based on the coherent position values.
US08108142B2
A 3D navigation system for motor vehicles includes a set-up combining a first motor vehicle and an environment scanner to generate a three-dimensional image of an environment around the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment around the first motor vehicle as well as at least a second motor vehicle and a communications connection between the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle for transmitting the three-dimensional image of the environment around the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment around the first motor vehicle to the second motor vehicle.
US08108137B2
Disclosed is a method for enabling the user to easily and rapidly access a map image of a desired position in a navigation terminal. When a touch input through a touch screen is generated in a route guidance mode, a virtual scroll button having the form of a multi-directional keypad is displayed, and a dragging direction and a dragging displacement are calculated through the button. Then, map scrolling is performed according to the calculated dragging direction and dragging displacement, thereby displaying a corresponding map image. Accordingly, the user can easily and rapidly move the map image, making it possible to easily find a map image of a desired position.
US08108115B2
A vehicle control device including an input member drive-connected to a power source; a mechanical pump; an electric pump assisting the mechanical pump; a drive mechanism transmitting the rotational driving force of the input member to an output member; a fluid coupling between the input member and the drive transmission mechanism and including a lock-up engagement element which receives hydraulic oil discharged from the mechanical pump and the electric pump to operate; a state detection unit that detects the state of the one or more factors that the discharge of the electric pump; and a control unit which executes a first or second control mode, wherein the first control mode permits engagement of the lock-up engagement element if a first condition is satisfied based on the one or more factors, and wherein a second control mode inhibits engagement of the lock-up engagement element if the first condition is not satisfied.
US08108112B2
An engine control system comprises a coasting identification module, a throttle adjustment module, and a fuel adjustment module. The coasting identification module selectively identifies a coasting event. The throttle adjustment module increases an opening of a throttle valve during the coasting event. The fuel adjustment module decreases fuel provided to an engine during the coasting event.
US08108111B2
A variable transmission comprises a first fluid working machine (1) for connection to a prime mover (2), a second fluid working machine (5) for connection to a mechanical load (6) and a fluid system linking the first and second working machines, the fluid system having a high-pressure side (3) and a low-pressure side (4) each connected to both said first and said second fluid working machines (1, 5), a fluid accumulator (7) on the high-pressure side, a means to admit fluid from the reservoir to the low-pressure side and a pressure control valve to maintain the correct pressure in the low-pressure side, wherein the second fluid working machine (5) includes chambers of variable volume having electronically controllable valves such that each of said chambers has pumping, motoring and idling modes of operation, and the second fluid working machine (5) is operable to both source fluid to and sink fluid from each of said high-pressure side (3) and said low-pressure side (4).
US08108094B2
Any anomaly in energy transfer is appropriately diagnosed in a vehicle. The energy transfer system of a vehicle is provided with: an input energy computation means (e.g., the chemical energy of fuel computation means) for determining the input energy of the energy transfer system; an output energy computation means (e.g., the vehicle kinetic energy computation means) for determining the energy output of the energy transfer system; and a comparing means (e.g., the comparing means) for comparing the input energy with the output energy. Any anomaly in the energy transfer system (e.g., any anomaly in fuel efficiency) is determined based on the result of comparison by the comparing means.
US08108090B2
A straddle carrier for transporting and stacking freight containers, with automatic steering, is made up of two chassis beams having steerable wheels, for traveling over the container stack. At least one laser scanner measures the distance to a container wall from different angles, and passes the measurement signals to an electronic control, which calculates a steering angle reference value for the electronically regulated vehicle steering from the measurement signals.
US08108088B2
Disclosed is a method and device for automatically guiding separation of a follow aircraft from a lead aircraft. The method involves determining first guidance instructions based on a speed that enables a desired separation between the lead and follow aircraft, and determining second guidance instructions based on a speed for performing a desired landing procedure for the follow aircraft. A current energy state of the follow aircraft is monitored to detect an incompatibility situation in which the current energy state of the follow aircraft is incompatible with execution of the desired landing procedure.
US08108081B2
Systems and methods for associating a load demand with a variable power generation are described. A system includes a renewable variable power generation module including a sensor, the sensor configured to determine an output power capability value for the renewable variable power generation module. The system also includes a load demand module including a response device, the response device configured to receive the output power capability value directly from the renewable variable power generation module and to determine an input power demand value based on the output power capability value.
US08108079B2
The present invention concerns a method of operating a wind park having a plurality of wind power installations. The invention further concerns a wind power installation having an electrically excited generator and a wind park having a central apparatus for controlling the park. Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a method of operating a wind park having a plurality of wind power installations, a wind power installation having an electrically excited generator and a wind park having a central apparatus for control of the park, wherein the execution of operational procedures is effected with a restricted or reduced power draw from the network (reference power). A method of operating a wind park comprising a plurality of wind power installations characterized in that the operational procedures of each wind power installation are controlled in such a way that electrical power is taken from the network only up to a predeterminable maximum value.
US08108078B2
An integrated actuator coil and decoder module for use in decoder-based irrigation control systems, and related methods of manufacture and installation, are provided herein. In one implementation, an irrigation control device comprises a body, decoder circuitry located within the body, a coil located within the body and coupled to the decoder circuitry, the coil adapted to develop an electromagnetic flux sufficient to cause actuation of a device controlling irrigation equipment in response to signaling from the decoder circuitry. Also included is an electrical connection coupled to the decoder circuitry and adapted to couple to a control wire path of a decoder-based irrigation control system. The decoder circuitry and the coil are integrated into a single device.
US08108076B2
A system and method migrating virtualized environments is disclosed. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a home energy management system and method includes a database configured to store site report data received from a plurality of residential sites using a wireless home energy network at each site. Each residential site includes a thermostat accessible to the wireless home energy network. A processor is operably coupled to the database and configured to access the site report data and detect a current temperature set-point of the thermostat at a first residential site; detect a first seasonal profile of the thermostat; detect a current operating mode of a HVAC system operably coupled to the thermostat; and determine a thermostat schedule of the thermostat using the first seasonal profile and the current operating mode of the HVAC system.
US08108075B2
A system and method is presented for providing failsafe control in a control system used for receiving and controlling various object or medium properties in a heating, ventilating or air conditioning system. The control system comprises an HVAC controller, configured to receive failsafe data indicative of a safety related property of an object or medium, and to generate a state indicative of a connection status of a failsafe detector with respect to the HVAC controller. The control system further comprises a non-volatile memory, operably coupled to the HVAC controller and configured to store a connection indication indicative of a connection status of the failsafe detector with respect to the HVAC controller, wherein the HVAC controller is configured to generate a control signal based on satisfaction of a predetermined relationship between the generated state and the stored connection indication.
US08108068B1
A medication dispensing device comprising a housing having an enclosure configured to provide direct access to a current medication container storing medication to be dispensed. The device includes a plurality of bins, each bin configured to receive and store therein a medication container within a bin seat. Additionally, the device includes a scale assembly, within the housing, configured to automatically lift the medication container from the bin seat, weigh the medication container at least once and lower the medication container into the bin seat during a weighing cycle.
US08108051B2
The present invention provides for an improved apparatus and method for electrical stimulation. A paddle having a thickness up to 0.030 inches is implanted adjacent the spinal cord dura mater to reduce the likelihood of paralysis due to stress on the spinal cord attributed to bulkier leads. The paddle is then positioned so that at least one of a plurality of electrodes is positioned over the area of the spinal cord requiring pain treatment; and then electric stimulation is applied to the electrodes to effect pain treatment. In another embodiment the paddle is curved about a vertical axis to substantially match the shape of a human spinal cord dura mater to help reduce lead migration.
US08108043B2
A method and an apparatus for treating cardiac arrhythmias are provided. An interval between first and second consecutive beats of a heart, having first and second chamber types, is determined. The heart is paced at a first rate if the first beat is from the first chamber type and the second beat is from the second chamber type and the interval is less than a predetermined amount of time or if the first and second beats are both from the second chamber type. The heart is paced at a second rate if the first beat is from the first chamber type and the second beat is from the second chamber type and the interval is more than the predetermined amount of time.
US08108041B2
A therapeutic device and therapeutic method for delivering electrical energy or a medicament to a body tissue or organ utilizing ultrasonic vibration to cause a device implanted in the body tissue or organ to be treated to discharge an electrical current or medicament to the target area.
US08108040B2
Method and apparatus for the reproducible, consistent and efficacious delivery of a therapeutic agent to a patient. The invention comprises means for the controlled administration of the therapeutic agent (30) through an orifice to the patient, a plurality of penetrating electrodes (56) arranged with a predetermined spatial relationship relative to the orifice (14), and means for generating an electrical signal operatively connected to the electrodes.
US08108036B2
A heart monitoring system for a patient includes one or more wireless nodes forming a wireless mesh network; a wearable appliance having a wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with the one or more wireless nodes; and a statistical analyzer to determine heart attack or stroke attack, the statistical analyzer coupled to the wireless transceiver to communicate patient data over the wireless mesh network.
US08108034B2
A system comprising an implantable medical device (IMD). The IMD includes an implantable sensor operable to produce an electrical signal representative of mechanical activity of a heart of a subject and a controller circuit coupled to the sensor. The controller circuit includes a wavelet filter module and a valvular regurgitation (VR) calculation module. The wavelet filter module is configured to extract signal energy information from the electrical signal. The energy information includes variation of signal amplitude with frequency and time. The VR calculation module is configured to calculate a measurement of VR for one or more heartbeats using the energy information.
US08108023B2
A blood monitoring system is capable of monitoring the blood of a subject in vivo. The blood monitoring system comprises: 1) an array of movable microneedle micromachined within associated wells; 2) array of motion actuators able to move each needle in and out of their associated wells; 3) array of microvalves associated with each microneedle able to control the flow of air around the microneedle; 4) an array of chemical sensors inserted into patient by movable microneedles; 5) an array of inductors able to measure chemical concentration in the vicinity of inserted chemical sensors; 6) conducting vias that provide timed actuating signal signals from a control system to each motion actuator; 7) conducting vias that transmit signal produced by array of chemical sensors to the control system for processing, although the blood monitoring system can comprise other numbers and types of elements in other configurations.
US08108020B2
A system that is operable to adjust operation of a network device is provided. The system includes an identification module that is coupled with an antenna connector that couples the antenna with a network device. The identification module includes an identification characteristic that may be used to determine an antenna characteristic that defines operation of the antenna. The operation of the network device may be adjusted based on the antenna characteristic.
US08108006B2
The present invention relates to a method for time display on a mobile phone. The method includes the following steps: step 1, in a standby state, set a pseudo power off identifier for the mobile phone; step 2, when the mobile phone identifies that the pseudo power off identifier is active, the mobile phone comes into a pseudo power off state; step 3, the mobile phone continually obtains a new time value through a physical layer clock, and displays the new time value on a LCD; and step 4, the mobile phone quits the pseudo power off state, and restarts. The present invention enables the mobile phone to display time without radio frequency signal by setting a third state, i.e., the pseudo power off state.
US08107999B2
A communication device including a first transceiver arranged to communicate transmissions based upon a first communications protocol, a second transceiver arranged to communicate transmissions based upon a second communications protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, an antenna connected to the first transceiver and to the second transceiver and arranged to communication transmissions for the first transceiver and the second transceiver, and a controller arranged to prioritize simultaneous communication of a transmission of the first transceiver and a transmission of the second transceiver based upon signal strength of transmissions of the first transceiver into either a higher prioritized transmission or a lower prioritized transmission and arranged to allow communication of the higher prioritized transmission.
US08107998B2
A method and apparatus for receiving system information updates includes a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) receiving a system frame number. The WTRU also receives system information messages in a modification period. The modification period has a boundary determined by the system frame number. The WTRU receives system information change notification after a first modification change boundary and determines that the system information is valid until a second modification change boundary.
US08107996B2
A display is mounted in a display housing for displaying information to a user. An input is mounted in an input housing for inputting data. The input housing is permanently attached to the display housing and movable relative to the display housing between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the input and the display face in the same direction to allow simultaneous input of the data and viewing of the information. In the closed position, the input is behind the display and facing away from the display and operable for inputting the data.
US08107992B2
A mobile station (MS) transmits a first data flow to a first group of base stations with a first power offset, transmits a second data flow to a second group of base stations, and further transmits a pilot signal. A radio network controller (RNC) controls the power of the pilot signal power based on reception errors of the second data flow, calculates the first power offset based on signaled required level of the first power offset from base stations (BTS) of the first group which calculate the required level of the first power offset based on an occurrence of retransmission, and signals the calculated first power offset to the mobile station.
US08107985B2
In one illustrative method, a method in a mobile station for use in reducing delays for data communications is described. The mobile station causes a request for packet data service to be sent to a wireless communication network. If the request for the packet data service is denied in response to the request, then the mobile station is set in a deregistered state. In addition, the mobile station initializes a timer with an initial value that is less than a periodic location update timer value which is broadcasted by the wireless communication network, and runs the timer. In response to an expiration of the timer, the mobile station causes another request for the packet data service to be sent to the wireless communication network.
US08107981B2
An interference management system of a wireless network provider using geographic data and network information to recommend and/or facilitate transfer of services to an alternative connection.
US08107975B2
There is disclosed a method and device for operating an image database shared by a plurality of users. In an embodiment, each image captured by a user and stored in a shared image database is associating with the geographic coordinates of the location at which the image was captured. A search engine for the image database is configured to accept geographic coordinates as a search criterion for locating at least one captured image stored in the shared image database. The images having location coordinates within a predefined range of geographic coordinates is displayed to the user.
US08107960B2
According to some of the preferred embodiments, a solution framework is employed that includes defining of a mechanism to run multiple queries in a single message exchange, along with a priority on a per-query basis. In some embodiments, a system for facilitating handover of a mobile device across heterogeneous access networks by ensuring response to queries transmitted by the mobile device includes: a) a mobile device having a plurality of wireless network interfaces for communicating over a plurality of heterogeneous access networks, having a media independent handover (MIH) entity to facilitate handovers between the heterogeneous networks, and configured to transmit queries related to handover operation between the heterogeneous access networks to MIH entities within said heterogeneous access networks; and b) said media independent handover entity of said mobile device being configured to transmit multiple queries in a single message exchange to an MIH entity in an access network with prioritization among said multiple queries.
US08107953B2
A system and method for activating services on a wireless device are provided that improve a user's experience and ease of activation/provisioning of services for the wireless device by providing a new provisioning channel for service activations. A user is simply required to input a short activation code(s) into the wireless device which is combined into an activation message along with other device-related information that is automatically retrieved from the wireless device. The generated activation message is then transmitted over the messaging provisioning channel accessible by inactive and/or unprovisioned wireless devices for delivery to a remote site for use in activating services on the wireless device. The services to be activated may include at least one of the following: out of the box activation, device upgrades, device reactivations, wireless number changes, wireless number porting, and the addition or purchasing of services including airtime, enrollments or content.
US08107942B2
Techniques for uninterrupted usage and access to physically unreachable handheld devices are provided. A physically unreachable handheld device includes an automated agent that is configured to authenticate a message received without manual intervention and to forward information from the handheld device to another remote and different handheld device.
US08107932B1
Mid-call services may be added to a communication session such as a telephone call (call session) by a wireless device on a mobile telephone network by causing the wireless device associated with the communication session to invoke a second call session directed to a vertical service code. The second call session is established on the wireless communication network and terminated on the PSTN to an application server associated with the vertical service code. The application server on the PSTN instantiates the service and matches the service associated with the vertical service code on the second call session with the first call session. The application server then applies the mid-call service associated with the vertical service code to the first call session to thus enable mid-call services to be applied to the first call session by the wireless device.
US08107931B1
A method is provided. The method comprises a proxy application logging into a first internet service on behalf of a handset, the proxy application executing on a computer system in a communications service provider network. The method also comprises the proxy application logging into a second internet service on behalf of the handset and mediating communication between the first internet service and the handset and between the second internet service and the handset. The method also comprises collecting information about locations of the handset, communications of the handset, and transactions conducted using the handset. The method also comprises the proxy application providing the information to define a presence of a user of the handset to one of the first internet service and the second internet service.
US08107919B2
A radio frequency (RF) receiver includes an oscillator for outputting an oscillation signal from an output port thereof, a limiter for dividing the oscillation signal output from the oscillator into a branch signal at a predetermined dividing ratio outputting the branch signal, an amplifier for amplifying the branch signal output from the limiter, a frequency multiplier for outputting a local oscillation signal having a frequency obtained by multiplying a frequency of the amplified signal by a predetermined multiplicand, a mixer for mixing the local oscillation signal and a signal supplied from an antenna, a band-pass filter for receiving a signal output from the mixer and outputting an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, a detector for producing a detected signal by detecting the IF signal, and a controller connected directly with the output port of the oscillator for performing an operation according to the detected signal based on the oscillation signal as a clock signal. This RF receiver can be inexpensive.
US08107916B2
Systems and methods for demodulating a plurality of contiguous channels contained within a bandlimited portion of a radio-frequency (RF) input signal are provided. In an embodiment, the bandlimited portion of the RF input signal is down-converted to baseband. After down-conversion, the bandlimited portion overlaps at baseband with a mirror image of the bandlimited portion. The plurality of contiguous channels within the down-converted signal similarly overlap at baseband and subsequently occupy a bandwidth substantially equal to half that required before down-converting. Image rejection is performed in the digital domain to recover each of the plurality of overlapping channels.
US08107915B2
A receiver system and method for receiving signals are provided, wherein the system includes a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive a transmitted signal. A receiver device is in communication with the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the receiver device is configured to emit an output based upon the received signal, and communicate a control signal that corresponds to a determined signal quality of the received signal. A switch device is adapted to switch among the plurality of antenna elements to electrically connect a selected antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements to the receiver device. A controller is in communication with the receiver device, such that the controller receives the control signal, wherein the controller commands the switch device to directly switch to any of the antenna elements to electrically connect one of the plurality of antenna elements to the receiver device based upon the control signal.
US08107909B2
A reception device 10 includes a channel estimator 130 configured to calculate channel estimation information for each of first to fourth known signals, the channel estimation information indicating estimation of a characteristic of a channel of the radio signal and an SNR estimator 150 configured to interpolate channel estimation information on an intersection by using the channel estimation information on each of the first known signal and the fourth known signal, the intersection being where a line joining the first known signal and the fourth known signal intersects with a line joining the second known signal and the third known signal, and to interpolate channel estimation information on the intersection by using the channel estimation information on each of the second known signal and the third known signal, and to calculate noise power of the radio signal on the basis of a difference between the interpolated two channel estimation information.
US08107907B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: judging means for judging whether a receiving device for receiving a signal amplified by an amplifying circuit which amplifies a supplied signal has a good reception state or not; and control means for changing a power supply voltage of said amplifying circuit to change a gain of the amplifying circuit if said judging means judges that said receiving device does not have a good reception state.
US08107902B2
Apparatus and method for reducing the current consumption and increasing the efficiency of an RF power amplifier (PA), according to which the load, connected to the output stage of the PA, tuned dynamically or statically for each level of the desired output power. By doing so, the output impedance of the output stage is essentially matched, such that the dynamic RF load line has a slope that corresponds to the impedance required to provide this level. Whenever a smaller output power is desired in response to reduction in the input signal to the amplifier, the load is further tuned, such that the dynamic or static RF load line has a slope that causes the power amplifier to essentially remain in saturation at the smaller output power.
US08107901B2
A feedback loop with an adjustable closed loop frequency response. The feedback loop contains adjustable pole (212, 213) and adjustable zero elements (220,221) for changing the pole and/or zero locations in the feedback loop's loop frequency response thereby changing the closed loop frequency response of the feedback loop. In one embodiment, the feedback loop is a Cartesian feedback loop suitable for use in a radio transmitter.
US08107900B2
A multi-carrier transmission device improves peak suppression efficiency in a multi-carrier signal. The multi-carrier transmission device (100) has a peak suppression unit (140) for dividing a multi-carrier signal into two parts: a first multi-carrier signal and a second multi-carrier signal. A peak signal detection unit (142) detects a power value at a predetermined interval concerning the first multi-carrier signal. When the detected power value is equal to or above a predetermined level, a peak extraction unit (144) extracts a signal component equal to or above the predetermined level from the first multi-carrier signal. A band limit filter unit (146) passes only a predetermined band from the extracted signal component. An adder (154) subtracts the signal component after the band limit from the second multi-carrier signal. A multiplier (150) is arranged at a latter stage of the band limit filter unit (146) and multiplies a weight for compensating the power loss in the band limit filter unit (146) and the first multi-carrier signal.
US08107899B2
Provided is a power supply circuit capable of operating with low noise and low power consumption. In a power supply circuit, a power level control signal Pa for controlling a power level of a power amplifier, and an internal current control signal Pb which is a result of smoothing the power level control signal Pa at predetermined time intervals, are inputted to an operational amplifier. The operational amplifier amplifies the power level control signal Pa, and controls an internal current thereof such that the internal current has a similar characteristic to that of the internal current control signal Pb. A power transistor amplifies an output of the operational amplifier, and supplies a voltage to the power amplifier.
US08107893B2
A method and apparatus for transmission and reception of signals. An AlGaN amplifier is connected to an antenna. The AlGaN amplifier amplifies signals for transmission over the antenna and signals received from the antenna. Switches are controlled to provide the amplified signals for transmission to the antenna. The switches are also controlled to provide the signals received from the antenna to the AlGaN amplifier and to the receive path of the apparatus.
US08107887B2
A narrowband communication system (100) includes a base station (102) and a plurality of subscriber units (104). The base station assigns one or more wideband channels to be measured to each subscriber unit (606). The subscriber units tune to their assigned wideband channels and perform narrowband measurements, then report the results to the base station (612). The base station then analyzes the measurement results (614) and selects available wideband channels to be divided into narrowband channels for use by the narrowband system.
US08107885B2
A communication system supports H-ARQ, AMC, active set handoff, and scheduling functions in a distributed fashion by allowing a mobile station (MS) to signal control information corresponding to an enhanced reverse link transmission to Active Set base transceiver stations (BTSs) and by allowing the BTSs to perform control functions that were supported by an RNC in the prior art. The communication system allows time and SIR-based H-ARQ flush functions at the BTSs during soft handoff (SHO), provides an efficient control channel structure to support scheduling, H-ARQ, AMC functions for an enhanced reverse link, or uplink, channel in order to maximize throughput, and enables an MS in a SHO region to choose a scheduling assignment corresponding to a best TFRI out of multiple assignments it receives from multiple active set BTS. As a result, the enhanced uplink channel can be scheduled during SHO without any explicit communication between the BTSs.
US08107882B2
A technique is disclosed for improving how stations that operate in accordance with different protocols coexist with an access point that operates in accordance with a single protocol. In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a station provides timing information to an IEEE 802.11 access point. The access point uses the timing information to determine when it may transmit any available frames to the station, so as not to interfere with any ongoing Bluetooth packet transmissions that are made by the station.
US08107872B2
An image forming apparatus including a charging unit configured to charge a surface of an image bearing member utilizing discharge generated by applying a voltage containing an alternating current component to a charging member disposed in contact with or close to the image bearing member, so that a latent electrostatic image is formed on the image bearing member; a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member using a toner; a cleaning unit configured to clean the surface of the image bearing member using a blade; a protecting agent applying unit configured to rub and scrape a protecting agent by a brush roller and apply the protecting agent to the surface of the image bearing member; and a protecting agent charging member configured to charge the protecting agent, the member being disposed between the protecting agent applying unit and the charging unit.
US08107871B2
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of treating marking material on media are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses includes a first member including a first outer surface; and a roll including a second outer surface forming a nip with the first outer surface. The second outer surface includes an inner portion having first and second axially-spaced edges, a roughened first high-friction surface axially outward from the first edge and a roughened second high-friction surface axially outward from the second edge. The first and second high-friction surfaces extend circumferentially around the roll and have a higher roughness than the inner portion. The inner portion and the first and second high-friction surfaces contact the first outer surface at the nip, and the first and second high-friction surfaces lie outside of a media path through the nip.
US08107868B2
An aspect of the invention provides a fixing device that comprises: an endless fixing belt; a first rotating body arranged at an inner side of the fixing belt; and a heater arranged to face an inner surface of the fixing belt and configured to heat the fixing belt and to suspend the fixing belt in a tensioned state together with the first rotating body, the heater comprising: a heat generating unit arranged at an end portion of the heater on a downstream side in a direction of travel of the fixing belt and configured to heat the fixing belt; and a support including metal and configured to support the heat generating unit.
US08107863B2
A developing device and an image forming apparatus which can form a printing image having high resolution and a high quality level, while resolving various problems resulted from the use of small particle size toner particles are provided. The developing device includes a toner constituted of resin base particles containing a coloring agent and a binder resin, and silicone oil and/or fluoro oil added to the resin base particles, a toner receiving portion for receiving the toner, and a developing roller having an outer peripheral surface and an irregularity section for carrying the toner, the irregularity section formed on the outer peripheral surface and including a plurality of depression portions and/or protrusion portions provided regularly and uniformly, wherein an average particle size of the resin base particles in volume basis is in the range of 2 to 4 μm, and an added amount of the silicone oil and/or fluoro oil to the resin base particles is in the range of 0.05 to 2 mass %.
US08107852B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and an image reading unit. The image forming unit may include a receiving portion disposed above an image forming part, and a pair of contacted portions disposed on opposite sides on the image forming part. The image reading unit may be disposed above the image forming unit and configured to open to expose the receiving portion and configured to close to cover the receiving portion. The image reading unit may include a pair of contacting portions disposed on opposite sides of an image reading portion, extending downward toward the image forming unit, and being configured to contact the contacted portions when the image reading unit is closed, and a first gripping portion horizontally protruding from the image reading portion and extending toward its opposite sides.
US08107849B2
A compact image forming apparatus is provided in which stains on the back of a transfer material can be prevented. In particular, in a marginless print mode in which a toner image can be formed to the edge of a transfer material, a large amount of toner adheres to a transfer-material bearing member. The image forming apparatus includes a collecting member that can temporarily collect the toner adhering to the transfer-material bearing member. The toner that is temporarily collected by the collecting member is transferred to an intermediate transfer member and is cleaned by a cleaning unit.
US08107837B2
An image forming apparatus is provided which is of an electrophotographic type, and is capable of setting a gradation number of a patch pattern to be formed corresponding to various factor information, and to perform a process control. The image forming apparatus includes a patch pattern forming part to form a toner image of a patch pattern on an image carrier; a developing part to develop the patch pattern; a toner image density detecting part to measure a toner image density of the patch pattern; and a process control performing part to vary an image forming process condition based on detection results obtained from the toner image density detecting part, and to stabilize an image density.
US08107836B2
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, a patch forming unit which actuates the respective image forming units to form density detection patches of the respective colors, a density detecting unit that detects a density of the density detecting patches, a condition correcting unit that controls the density detecting unit to detect the density of the density detecting patches of the respective colors, and corrects the image forming conditions based on respective deviations, a patch re-forming unit that, for each color for which the respective deviation is greater than a threshold value, generates a re-formed density detecting patch of the color using the respective image forming condition previously corrected by the condition correcting unit, and a condition re-correcting unit that controls the density detecting unit to detect a density of the re-formed density detecting patch and re-correct the respective image forming condition.
US08107835B2
An abnormality detecting method and an image processing method for an image processor is provided. The image processor can easily detect an abnormal rotation of a photosensitive drum without having a special detecting means but using an existing sensor, and keeps image data until a normal toner image is transferred and fine printing is carried out. The image processor forms a toner image corresponding to image data on a plurality of photosensitive drums, and detects the position of the toner image at a given part on a transfer object, to which given part the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred, to detect a rotation failure of the photosensitive drum. When a rotation failure is detected, the image processor keeps input image data without deleting even after the end of image formation.
US08107832B2
An image forming apparatus includes a belt, an image forming section, a displacement operation section and a displacement control section. The image forming section includes a color image forming unit and a monochrome image forming unit. The displacement operation section conducts a press-contact operation and a release operation. The press-contact operation brings into contact the image carrier and the belt. The release operation separates the image carrier from the belt. The displacement control section controls the displacement operation section to perform the press-contact operation when the cumulative number of color images is greater than the cumulative number of monochrome images after the image forming section forms a series of images. The displacement control section controls the displacement operation section to perform the release operation when the cumulative number of color images is less than the cumulative number of monochrome images after the image forming section forms a series of images.
US08107831B2
An electronic device and an image forming apparatus capable of notifying that a voltage drop will occur during operation of the device due to an abnormality of a power source facility before actual operations. A load is configured to operate on electric power supplied from a commercial power source. A detection unit is configured to detect a source voltage input from the commercial power source. A storage unit is configured to store an operation guarantee voltage value that is required for operation of said load. A control unit is configured to control electric power applied to said load. A notification unit configured to perform notification.
US08107821B2
The present invention provides Ethernet extension and demarcation functionality through a Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) pluggable transceiver in a customer or remote device. The pluggable transceiver is configured to frame an Ethernet client signal and to provide OAM&P functionality, such as with G.709 framing. The pluggable transceiver operates within existing multi-source agreement (MSA) specifications. Accordingly, the pluggable transceiver can operate in any customer device compliant to the MSA specifications. Additionally, the framing and OAM&P functionality are transparent to the customer device, but instead utilized by a service provider for demarcation functionality, eliminating the requirements for external demarcation equipment and for external transponders.
US08107817B2
A method for receiving an optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signal and a receiver thereof are applicable to an optical OFDM system. The receiving method includes the following steps. An optical signal is converted into a digital signal. A symbol boundary of the digital signal is estimated. A guard interval of the digital signal is removed according to the symbol boundary, so as to generate an electrical signal. The electrical signal is converted into a plurality of frequency domain sub-carriers in a fast Fourier transform (FFT) manner. A timing offset is estimated with pilot carriers and frequency domain sub-carriers corresponding to the same symbol period. The estimated symbol boundary is compensated with the timing offset. Each frequency domain sub-carrier includes a plurality of pilot carrier signals. Through the receiving method, the timing offset arisen from chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber is effectively estimated and adopted for compensation.
US08107816B2
A telecommunications module includes an optical wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer configured to demultiplex a first optical signal input into the telecommunications module into a plurality of different wavelengths, a fiber optic splitter configured to split a second optical signal input into the telecommunication module into a plurality of optical signals, and a plurality of optical add/drop filters, each of the optical add/drop filters configured to combine one of the optical signals that has been split by the fiber optic splitter and one of the wavelengths that has been demultiplexed by the optical wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer into a combination output signal that is output from the telecommunications module.
US08107810B2
An imaging device comprising a light transmissive member 18 having light transmissive character, a vibration member 20 causing bending vibration for the light transmissive member, a driving portion 56 for driving the vibration member 20, wherein the driving portion 56 causes bending vibration of the light transmissive member at a first frequency along with a first direction and causes bending vibration of the light transmissive member 18 at a second frequency along with a second direction which is different from said first frequency.
US08107803B1
A water heating apparatus for a beverage brewing device. Water is heated to brew temperature without boiling or localized boiling, thereby minimizing the precipitating of scale. The heating elements each have a low watt density, thereby increasing safety. Multiple heating zones allow the use of a plurality of power relays, lowering the power per relay and thus improving the reliability of the relays. The heating elements cannot overheat due to a failure resulting in a lack of water in the apparatus since the temperature sensors are mounted directly on each heating element, allowing direct measurement and control of each heating element. Precise control of water temperature in the apparatus is provided by varying both the water flow rate through the heating apparatus, and by varying heating element temperatures.
US08107798B2
A portable electric heater possessing characteristics similar to a portable electric oil filled heater absent the use oil and its associated manufacturing and environmental problems. The device includes an electric heater, a rotatable plenum and an external housing providing space saving characteristics.
US08107793B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a dispersion recording and playback of a moving picture are provided. The apparatus which controls a dispersion record of a moving picture includes, a recording unit that generates a record schedule when a predetermined moving picture is reserved-recorded, generates a reserved-recording-object when it is a reserved-recording time, and dispersedly records the moving picture in another storage device if an error occurs due to insufficient storage space when the moving picture is recorded; a recording-device-selecting unit that selects a recording device based on the preferences of storage devices before the moving picture is reserved-recorded, and a CDS-managing unit that manages recording information of the recorded moving picture, information of moving picture that has been recorded and the recording device.
US08107791B2
A display device configured to display a list of programs stored in a storage device includes: a cutout image acquiring section which acquires a cutout image obtained by cutting out a scene in a program; a distribution date-time acquiring section which acquires distribution date and time when the program is distributed; and a three-dimensional display section which displays a three-dimensional space applying axes respectively of a time, a day of the week, and a week, and which arranges the cutout image acquired by the cutout image acquiring section in a position corresponding to the distribution date and time acquired by the distribution time-date acquiring section in the three-dimensional space.
US08107781B2
A fiber optic cable assembly includes an optical fiber, a strength layer surrounding the optical fiber and an outer jacket surrounding the strength layer. The outer jacket includes a base material having a Shore D Hardness of at least 85 and liquid crystal polymer embedded in the base material. The liquid crystal polymer constitutes less than 2% of the outer jacket by weight.
US08107778B2
There is provided a method of producing a waveguide element comprising steps of forming a lower cladding layer having a refractive index n1 on a substrate having a lower electrode; forming an active core layer having a refractive index n2 and exhibiting an electro-optical effect on a surface of the lower cladding layer; forming a protective layer having a reflective index n4 on a surface of the active core layer; forming a passive core layer having a reflective index n3 on a surface of the protective layer; exposing the passive core layer with a predetermined pattern to form an optical circuit; forming an upper cladding layer on a surface of the passive core layer; forming an upper electrode on a surface of the upper cladding layer; and performing a polarization orientation treatment in which the active core layer is softened or liquidized and cured while the electric field is applied.
US08107773B2
A video-signal processor includes: a first correlation detector obtaining a correlation value of every symmetric pair of pixels positioned in point-symmetry around an interpolation pixel on an interpolation line interpolated between two real lines; a second correlation detector obtaining a correlation value of every pair of pixels for the symmetric pair of pixels and parallel pair(s) of pixels positioned in a direction parallel to a direction of the symmetric pair of pixels; a correlation-direction deciding unit deciding one of a correlation direction based on the correlation value from the first correlation detector and that based on the correlation value from the second correlation detector as a correlation direction which is a direction of the pair of pixels used for generating the interpolation pixel; and an interpolation pixel generator generating a pixel signal of the interpolation pixel using a pair of pixels based on decision result of the correlation-direction deciding unit.
US08107764B2
In order to accurately remove an unnecessary periodic noise component from an image, a reconstruction unit generates a reconstructed image without a periodic noise component by fitting to a face region detected in an image by a face detection unit a mathematical model generated according a method of AAM using a plurality of sample images representing human faces without a periodic noise component. The periodic noise component is extracted by a difference between the face region and the reconstructed image, and a frequency of the noise component is determined. The noise component of the determined frequency is then removed from the image.
US08107762B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for image processing are described in which pixels of an image are classified according to color. In some systems, an exposure control operation is performed according to the pixel classifications. In some cases, the pixels are classified according to a color selected from among at least two colors. Systems, methods and apparatuses are also disclosed wherein luminance values are changed according to the exposure control operation.
US08107760B2
A multi-dimensional data enhancement system uses large kernel filtering, decimation, and interpolation, in multi-dimensions to enhance the multi-dimensional data in real-time. The multi-dimensional data enhancement system is capable of performing large kernel processing in real-time because the required processing overhead is significantly reduced. The reduction in processing overhead is achieved through the use of low pass filtering and decimation that reduces the amount of data that needs to be processed in order to generate an unsharp mask comprising low spatial frequencies that can be used to process the data in a more natural way.
US08107758B2
Block based image processing techniques are described in which one or more processing filters are applied to an image block by block. One or more filters are identified to process an image. Attributes are obtained that describe the one or more filters. Image data is loaded into multiple input blocks based upon the obtained attributes. The one or more filters are applied to the image block by block. The results of the processing may be stored as multiple processed blocks corresponding to the multiple input blocks. Then, the processed blocks are stitched together to form a processed image.
US08107757B2
Natural images which are similar to each other contained in a page represented by page description data are corrected so that they have natural appearance to the eye. To achieve this object, an image recognizing unit recognizes images in a page represented by page description data, and a natural image determining unit determines whether or not each recognized image is a natural image. An image analyzing unit calculates a setup condition for image correction for each natural image. A second correction condition calculating unit calculates, for the similar natural images being similar to each other, a correction condition for making image qualities of the similar natural images substantially uniform. An image correcting unit applies image correction based on the setup condition and the correction condition to the similar natural images.
US08107756B2
A digital image tone remapping method is disclosed. The method includes computing an average luminance value of a digital image; generating a preliminary tone mapping function according to the average luminance value; generating a luminance statistic of the digital image; determining new remapped values for a plurality of skeleton luminance values according to the preliminary tone mapping function and the luminance statistic; generating a final tone mapping function according to the new remapped values and the plurality of skeleton luminance values; and remapping the digital image through the final tone mapping function. The present invention also discloses an apparatus performing the method.
US08107755B2
An information processing apparatus for encoding image data includes: a rearranging unit for rearranging coefficient data divided for each frequency band in order of executing synthesis processing for synthesizing the coefficient data of multiple sub-bands divided into frequency bands to generate image data for each line block including image data equivalent to the number of lines necessary for generating coefficient data equivalent to one line of the sub-band of the lowest frequency components; a control unit for calculating a new quantization step size at the time of encoding the image data for each coding unit using the ratio between the generated code amount at the time of encoding with a known quantization step size and a target code amount at the time of encoding the image data; and an encoding unit for encoding the coefficient data for each coding unit to generate encoded data using the calculated quantization step size.
US08107749B2
A color image and video encoding and/or decoding apparatus, method, and medium using inter-color-component prediction in accordance with an encoding mode are provided. The encoding apparatus for encoding an original image including at least two color image components, includes: a residue generation unit, if the encoding mode is inter mode, generating a temporal residue by obtaining the difference of a current image and a prediction image obtained by estimating a motion in units of blocks between the current image and a previous image of each color component; a residue color prediction unit encoding the temporal residue of the residue generation unit, by performing residue inter-color-component prediction; an intra color prediction unit, if the encoding mode is intra mode, encoding the original image by performing inter-color-component prediction of the original image; and an entropy encoding unit generating a bitstream by entropy encoding the result value of the residue color prediction unit or the intra color prediction unit. According to the apparatus, method, and medium, a color image or video data can be directly compressed effectively without a conventional color transform process. Furthermore, by using the correlation of image components, redundant information between color components varying with respect to the encoding mode is removed so that the encoding efficiency can be enhanced.
US08107744B2
The invention relates to an encoder for forming an encoded picture stream. The pictures are defined as reference pictures or non-reference pictures, and information relating to decoding order and output order of a picture is defined for pictures of the picture stream. The encoder is arranged to form to the bitstream an indication of such a number of pictures arranged to be buffered in decoding order that is sufficient to recover the output order of pictures. The invention also relates to a signal, hypothetical encoder, decoder, hypothetical decoder, electronic device, system, software program and a storage medium.
US08107741B2
An apparatus for a response time compensation system includes a plurality of complexity modules and a motion vector module. The complexity modules determine a plurality of complexity values based on current image information and prior image information. The motion vector module determines a desired complexity value based on a lowest of complexity values. The motion vector determines a desired motion vector based on the lowest of the plurality of complexity values. The desired complexity value and the desired motion vector are used to compress the current image information into a compressed bitstream. The compressed bitstream is used by the response time compensation system to provide display element response time compensation information for a display.
US08107739B2
A method and system for discovering from a database an object which is confusingly similar with a known object. A database, such as the internet, is searched for objects which, when discovered, may be duplicated and stored. A determination is then made if any object from the database is confusingly similar with a known object. A computer-readable storage medium storing program for causing a processing system to perform the steps of duplicating objects from a database to produce duplicated objects; storing the duplicated produce to produce stored duplicated objects; and determining if any stored duplicated object is confusingly similar with a known object.
US08107738B2
In storing of a document page index of a reference image in association with each hash value calculated for each reference image by the features calculating section, a storage processing section determines whether the number of document page indexes, which have already been stored in association with each hash value, is larger than or equal to a preliminarily setup upper limit value or not. The storage processing section stores the document page index of a reference image in a hash table in association with the hash value calculated by the features calculating section when the number of document page indexes, which have already been stored, is smaller than the upper limit value, or invalidates the hash value when the number of document page indexes, which have already been stored, is larger than or equal to the upper limit value.
US08107736B2
System and method for mapping a location of each of a plurality of devices in a data center. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving image data comprising an image of at least a portion of the data center from a source; processing the image data to locate visual identifiers displayed in the image, wherein each of the visual identifiers is associated with one of the devices or with a spatial reference point; extracting the located visual identifiers and determining spatial coordinates for each of the identified visual identifiers from the image; and determining the spatial reference points from the image. The method further comprises developing groups based on extracted visual identifiers and spatial coordinates thereof and the spatial reference points, wherein allowances are made for an angle of the image, wherein each group comprises a subset of related ones of the devices; for each group, comparing each of the visual identifiers of the group with a key to determine information regarding the associated device to obtain processing results; and combining processing results corresponding to multiple images to remove redundant information and produce final results.
US08107734B2
Pixels of a binary image obtained by binarizing an image are scanned in a predetermined direction, labels are assigned to the pixels according to binarization information about the respective pixels, information about the assigned labels is stored sequentially for each of a plurality of lines along the predetermined direction, information about coordinate values in the binary image of pixels assigned the same label is stored, a determination is made as to whether or not, in a current line among the plurality of lines, there is a pixel assigned the same label as a label assigned to a pixel contained in a line which was scanned immediately before the current line, when a determination is made that there is no pixel assigned the same label, a feature point in a connected component formed by connecting together pixels specified by the coordinate values is calculated based on the stored information about the coordinate values, a feature vector representing a feature of the image is calculated based on the calculated feature point, and a similarity to reference image is determined based on the calculated feature vector.
US08107727B2
In a document processing apparatus, a first character information extracting unit extracts, for a first area that is an area determined to be a character extractable area in divided areas of a document information, first character information from the area; a second character information extracting unit extracts, for a second area that is an area not determined to be the character extractable area in the divided areas, a character code by performing a character recognition processing on a document image generated from the document information as second character information; and a storing unit stores therein the first character information, the second character information, and at least one of the document information and the document image in association with each other.
US08107725B2
An image processor according to the present invention is configured to generate a plurality of multiresolution images of different resolutions from an input image (S16), to set a correlation evaluation function for each multiresolution image, calculate a correlation value between the correlation evaluation function and each pixel in the multiresolution image, and extract a position of a local region on the basis of the correlation value (S18), and to set a size of the local region according to the resolution of the multiresolution image (S22), and to detect an object in the local region. This enables extraction of the local region at an appropriate position and in an appropriate range for a characteristic portion of the input image. For this reason, a target range is appropriately limited and detection of the object is quickly carried out without deterioration of accuracy.
US08107713B2
In general, this disclosure describes techniques of reducing the possibility of an image evaluation device incorrectly identifying defects in images of documents. Some defects may be apparent in the images of both sides of a document. For instance, a tear in a document could be apparent in an image of a front side and an image of a rear side of the document. However, the image evaluation device could erroneously identify such a tear in an image of one side of the document. In this case, the tear would not be apparent in the image of the other side of the document. To reduce the possibility that the image evaluation device erroneously identifies such a defect, the image evaluation device may determine whether defects identified in the image of the front side of the document correspond to defects identified in the image of the rear side of the document.
US08107712B2
A method as well as a respective checking apparatus for checking a document of value (1), with which the document of value (1) at least in a partial area is illuminated with an intensity (IB) and at different measuring places (2) the intensity (IT) of the light transmitted through the partial area of the document of value (1) and the intensity (IR) of the light reflected by the partial area of the document of value (1) is captured. For eliminating the impact of thickness fluctuations within the document of value and an at the same time simple checking it is provided that the intensities (IT, IR) of the transmitted and reflected light are captured separately, that for each of the different measuring places (2) the sum (IT+IR) of the intensities (IT, IR) of the transmitted and reflected light is calculated, and that the sum (IT+IR) is compared to a predetermined standard value (IS).
US08107710B2
A method for analyzing the placenta and histology slides of placental tissue comprising: selecting a placental sample to be analyzed; obtaining a digital image of the placental sample; and performing an analysis on the digital image, wherein a mathematical algorithm is applied to the digital image. The results of the analysis are correlated with data on health outcomes in infants, children, or adults and are used to assess future physiological risks to a patient.
US08107706B2
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of detecting a movement of a hand of the user with ease.A light-emitting apparatus 23 irradiates the user with light having a first wavelength and light having a second wavelength. A binarization section 42 acquires a first image and a second image, the first image being obtained by receiving reflected light of the light having the first wavelength with which the user is irradiated, the second image being obtained by receiving reflected light of the light having the second wavelength with which the user is irradiated. A binarization section 42 or shape extraction section 46 extracts an object area in which an object is displayed, from a skin display area in a display image including the skin display area in which a skin of the user is displayed, based on the first and second images. The shape extraction section 46 detects a change in relative distance from the irradiation means to the object in accordance with a change in luminance values of pixels constituting the object area. The present invention is applicable to a computer that extracts a shape of a portion of a body of the user from, for example, a captured image obtained by capturing an image of the user.
US08107699B2
Feature processing is provided for lung nodules in computer-assisted diagnosis. A feature that may better distinguish nodules from background is extracted using a Hough transform. Rather than relying on a specific boundary shape, the Hough transform accumulates evidence associated with a region, such as a ring region. The accumulated evidence provides a feature score without requiring a nodule to fit a specific shape. In another approach, a background level is determined from extracted features. Rather than attempting to normalize an image prior to extraction, the features are normalized. The feature normalization and generalized Hough transform extraction may be used together or alone.
US08107696B2
A fluorescence standard for identifying variations in illumination during imaging has a composite fluorescent laminar structure, which fluoresces in response to light in the approximate wavelength range of 375 nm to 430 nm. The fluorescent object has at least two areas with different fluorescent response, e.g., a first made from a strongly luminescing material, such as GG420 filter glass. A portion of the GG420 glass is covered by filter glass having an attenuating effect on the fluorescent response. In accordance with a method of the present invention, variations in illumination during imaging with a camera are detected by placing the standard before the camera during imaging. Each captured image may contain the image of the standard and the fluorescent response of the standard in different images can be compared to identify any response changes due to variations in illumination. The variations in illumination can then be remediated by adjusting the source of illumination, the camera or ambient lighting. Alternatively, the images can be normalized through digital image processing.
US08107690B2
A similarity analyzing device includes: an image acquisition section which acquires picked-up images with which image pick-up dates and/or times are associated; and an image registration section which registers a face image showing a picked-up face and with which an image pick-up date and/or time is associated. The device further includes: a degree of similarity calculation section which detects a face in each of picked-up images acquired by the image acquisition section and calculates the degree of similarity between the detected face and the face in the face image registered in the image registration section; and a degree of similarity reduction section in which the larger the difference between the image pick-up date and/or time associated with the picked-up image and that associated with the face image is, the more the degree of similarity of the face calculated by the degree of similarity calculation section is reduced.
US08107684B2
The subject of the invention is a method for geolocalization of one or more stationary targets from an aircraft by means of a passive optronic sensor. The sensor acquires at least one image I1 containing the target P from a position C1 of the aircraft and an image I2 containing the target P from a position C2 of the aircraft. The images I1 and I2 have an area of overlap. The overlap area has at least one target P identified which is common to the two images I1 and I2. The position of each target P is determined in each of the two images. The distance d is calculated between each target P and a point C, situated for example in the vicinity of C1 and C2, as a function of the angle β1 between a reference direction and the line of sight of the image I1, the angle β2 between the same reference direction and the line of sight of the image I2, of the position of each target P in the image I1 and in the image I2. The positions of the targets are calculated relative to the projection of the aircraft on the ground when at C, as a function of the distances d in a terrestrial reference frame.
US08107683B2
An image processing system and the like capable of improving recognition accuracy of a lane mark are provided. According to the image processing system of the present invention, a first processing unit (110) recognizes a lane mark candidate on the basis of the luminance of each pixel in a road image. Moreover, there are evaluated a first index which represents continuity of an edge of the lane mark candidate, a second index which represents conformance between the width of the lane mark candidate and a lane mark standard width, and a third index which represents uniformity of the luminance of pixels contained in the lane mark candidate. According to the first, second, and third indices, a second processing unit (120) recognizes a lane mark candidate most likely to be a true lane mark as a lane mark.
US08107682B2
Capturing the motion of a target. One method includes: coupling a plurality of primary markers to the target; coupling at least one secondary marker to the target; capturing a plurality of primary marker data points, wherein each primary marker data point corresponds to one primary marker of the plurality of primary markers; capturing at least one secondary marker signature, each secondary marker signature corresponding to and uniquely identifying each secondary marker of said at least one secondary marker; and identifying the plurality of primary markers using said at least one secondary marker signature.
US08107673B2
Monochromatic or multichromatic images may be created on surfaces. The surface is moved to first, second and third stations. The surface is electrically biased, and powder is transferred to the surface electrostatically at the first station. The powder is fused or sintered selectively on the surface at the second station. Unfused or unsintered portions of the powder are removed from the surface at the third station.
US08107672B2
According to the present invention, a makeup simulation system applying makeup to a video having an image of the face of a user captured thereon is characterized by image capturing means for capturing the image of the face of the user and outputting the video, control means for receiving the video output from the image capturing means, performing image processing on the video, and outputting the video; and display means for displaying the video output from the control means, wherein the control means includes face recognition means for recognizing the face of the user from the video based on predetermined tracking points; and makeup processing means for applying a predetermined makeup on the face of the user included in the video based on the tracking points and outputting the video to the display means.
US08107670B2
A computer system scans image files for pornographic image content by pre-filtering image files to detect the presence in copyright data fields of stored items of copyright information deemed to indicate that the image file is one of acceptable or unacceptable. On detecting such items of copyright information, a signal is output indicating that the image file does or does not contain pornographic image content without the need to analyse the image content of the image file.
US08107668B2
A digital differential steganographic system and method includes a master key that is generated from an unmarked media, a mark-point reservoir created from the unmarked media and containing a set of viable candidate mark points for the unmarked media, and a mark-point applicator to insert data into the unmarked media at selected mark-points chosen from the mark-point reservoir creating a digital watermark. The method includes using an original unmarked media, shaping and testing marks in the original media for predictable distortion, verifying embedded marks at point of insertion in the original media, minimizing mark energy and duration for least-perceptible change, and using non-distributed, unmarked media of the original media as a master key.
US08107666B2
The present invention discloses an embedded sound box including a box body and a front panel, and the box body has a fixing plate and at least one spring plate at an end and at least one slide wedge at another end. When the sound box is installed, an end of the fixing plate having the spring plate of the box body is latched into an opening hole, and a slide wedge is retracted towards the interior of the box body, and another end of the fixing plate corresponding to the box body is installed into the opening hole, and finally the slide wedge is protruded out from the box body, such that the box body can be embedded completely into the opening hole, and the front panel is used for covering the opening hole.
US08107659B2
In a control arrangement for hearing aids or for control units coupled to hearing aids, a strain gauge is mechanically coupled to an elastically deformable or displaceable portion of the hearing aid or of the control unit coupled thereto and undergoes an elastic deformation under the influence of an actuating force input by a user, whereby the strain gauge undergoes a variation of one of its electrical values which variation is detected by a controller which provides a control signal which serves for switching between different operation modes of the hearing aid or of the control unit coupled to the hearing aid.
US08107658B2
Hearing instruments and in particular hearing aids whose signal processing can be adjusted by the user are to be returned to a defined, individual state in a more convenient manner. For this purpose it is provided that at least one individual, current parameter value for ongoing operation of the hearing instrument is automatically stored in a first memory device. The at least one individual, current parameter value can also be stored manually or automatically in a second memory device. If the user wishes to revert to an earlier setting, he can manually reset the at least one parameter of the hearing instrument to the parameter value stored in the second memory device by actuating a button.
US08107645B2
Systems and methods for electronic teleconferencing are disclosed. A telecommunications device includes a video teleconferencing system including a base unit and one or more cameras configured to capture user images for transmission through a telecommunications network. The system may include remote units and may be configured to transmit a wireless signal for transsponding by the remote units, through which determination of distance from the remote units to the base unit can be made. Based at least in part upon distance and/or position between the base unit and the remote units, the telecommunications device can include additional capabilities such as automatic pan/tilt, zoom, focusing, and depth-of-field for single or multiple speakers.
US08107628B2
A data communication apparatus, performing a secret communication, is provided to reduce a random number generation speed using a plurality of random number generators. The data communication apparatus includes random number generation sections generating random numbers, which are each a multi-level pseudo random number, using predetermined key information includes a multi-level signal modulation section selecting a level, from among multi-levels previously prepared, selected level corresponding to information data and a multi-level sequence, which is composed of a combination of values of the random numbers and generating a multi-level modulated signal including a noise having a predetermined noise level using the selected level. Levels of a multi-level signal are in a range of the noise level, and a signal point allocation is set such that all values which are possibly taken by each of the random numbers are allocated to the plurality of levels of the multi-level signal.
US08107627B2
A security system assesses the response time to requests for information to determine whether the responding system is in physical proximity to the requesting system. Generally, physical proximity corresponds to temporal proximity. If the response time indicates a substantial or abnormal lag between request and response, the system assumes that the lag is caused by the request and response having to travel a substantial or abnormal physical distance, or caused by the request being processed to generate a response, rather than being answered by an existing response in the physical possession of a user. If a substantial or abnormal lag is detected, the system is configured to limit subsequent access to protected material by the current user, and/or to notify security personnel of the abnormal response lag.
US08107623B2
A method for verifying a first identity and a second identity of an entity, said method comprising: receiving first identity information at a checking entity; sending second identity information from the entity to said checking entity; verifying that the first and second identities both belong to said entity; and generating a key using one of said first and second identity information.
US08107615B2
The invention relates to a method and to a device for testing the function for inverting the polarity on a subscriber connection line (TAL) comprising several wires (a, b), in order to connect at least one subscriber to a subscriber connection line (SLM), which comprises at least one inverting device (RG) and a current measuring device (MG) which is associated with the inverting device (RG). In a first step, the subscriber connection component (SLM) is separated from the inverting device (RG) and forces physical inversion on the wires (a, b) of the subscriber connection line (TAL). In a second step, the inverting function of the inverting device (RG) is activated. In a subsequent third step, the subscriber connection component (SLM) is separated from the device (DC) which forces the physical inversion and is connected to the inverting device (RG). The correct function of inversion is tested during all three steps by measuring the direction of the current flow.
US08107611B2
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for automatically displaying customized call center operating statistics based on user profile information. According to one aspect, a method for automatically displaying customized call center operating statistics based on user profile information is provided. The method includes receiving user profile information associated with a user, wherein the user profile information uniquely identifies the user seeking access to customized call center operating statistics. Customized call center operating statistics to be displayed are automatically determined based on the user profile information. The customized call center operating statistics are then displayed to the user.
US08107599B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for composing and communicating Digital Composition Coded Multisensory Messages (DCC MSMs). The present invention also relates to the design, composition, creation, and communication of the multisensory messages. Multisensory messages, while rich in content and meaning, are to be composable from a great variety of platforms, from cell phones to mainframes.
US08107597B2
A presence aware communications system, comprising a messaging system configured to perform at least one of the following operations: (a) provide a subscriber's communication device with information regarding an incoming contact during a messaging session between the subscriber's communication device and the messaging system; (b) provide the subscriber's communication device with a text message containing information regarding one or more messages when a notification is received that the subscriber's communication device is available; (c) provide the subscriber's communication device with a text message relating to a voice message from a different first party received by the messaging system; (d) in response to the subscriber's communication device requesting a connection with at least one of an inputted telephone number and address, provide the subscriber's communication device with a notification respecting at least one eligible message from a second party associated with the at least one of an inputted telephone number and address; (e) while a contact between the subscriber and a different third party is in progress, provide the subscriber's communication device with information respecting the at least one eligible message from the third party; (f) transform an audio messaging session between the messaging system and the communication device of a contacting party into a graphical user interface-based audio session; and (g) transform the audio messaging session into a session having a video channel or both audio and video channels.
US08107593B2
This invention makes it possible to transparently test replacement functionality and optionally migrate subscribers on analog phone lines, served, for example, by PSTN Class 5 elements, to Next Generation Network (NGN) elements when copper co-termination is leveraged. The method and apparatus mechanizes replacement continuity verification to the NGN element from the analog dial tone port and the multi-element network changes required for real time per line per-migration, operational testing and optional migration to the NGN element. All of the network elements are accessible from a single device, the Control Computer used by this invention. Each line can be transparently tested and optionally migrated during a short time period when the subscriber is not using the analog line. In effect, this testing and optional migration is actually changing the state of the NGN element to operational for test purposes and if the tests pass, the analog port and associated DSLAM port can be optionally deactivated. This activity is accomplished in real time, with minimal service interruption to the subscriber. Support and routing databases may also be updated concurrently.
US08107582B2
A method and apparatus for clock recovery in synchronous digital systems. The apparatus includes a phase frequency detector, a loop filter, a compressor, and a clock generator. The phase frequency detector generates a phase error signal based on a difference between an input clock signal and an output clock signal. The loop filter multiplies the phase error signal and filters the multiplied phase error signal. The compressor divides the loop filter output. Based on the compressor output, the clock generator generates an output clock signal is provided as a feedback signal to the phase error detector. The apparatus may also include a glitch cleaner for deglitching the input clock signal.
US08107572B1
A communications system receives a modulated signal that carries encoded communications data. An adaptive filter circuit has a plurality of adaptive filters each having a plurality of non-adaptive and adaptive filter taps with weighted coefficients. At a selected adaptive filter, an interference reduction circuit is responsive to one of at least a received state of a demodulator, the type of modulation used by communication system and the input and output power of adaptive filter for updating the adaptive gain of the adaptive filter, selecting the number and order of adaptive filter taps, separating the spacing of multipath introduced by adaptive filter, controlling input and output normalizing circuits to adaptive filter(s) and selecting if signal passed to demodulator is original received signal or signal output by adaptive filter. A demodulator and decoder receive the filtered output signal and demodulate and decode the signal to obtain the communications data.
US08107559B2
A receiving apparatus has counters 15 for counting intervals between group types 8A containing TMC data in RDS data in synchronization with an RDS clock signal, and causes a radio control unit 17 to control a sub tuner front end 7 so as to receive the group type 8A and to execute radio processing other than receiving the TMC data during counting of the counters.
US08107557B2
A diversity processing system for providing interference masking signals in an interference suppression circuit. These interference masking signals are generated by an interference detector which through a coupling element couples in a signature signal into a reception signal. This reception signal is then passed to an amplifier, an optional frequency converter, an IF filter, a frequency demodulator and then on to an interference suppression circuit which provides a masking pulse to mask any distortion or interference associated with the diversity switching of antennas during operation.
US08107555B2
A pre-emphasis automatic adjusting system is provided which is capable of placing the best suitable emphasis against attenuation occurring in a through hole. A step signal is transmitted from a transmitting circuit via a signal transmission path to a receiving circuit with termination of the receiving circuit being released. A voltage of its reflected signal is compared with a first reference voltage of a first reference voltage source. Based on a comparison result in a capacitive reflection section in which a voltage of the reflected signal is less than the first reference voltage, a section detecting signal is outputted from a reflected wave detecting circuit.
US08107553B2
A multicarrier transmission system uses a set of carriers spaced apart in frequency with a number of bits being assigned to each carrier. A transmitter has a mapper which maps a data signal to a parallel set of constellation values. A frequency domain-to-time domain transform stage converts the set of modulated carriers to a time-domain signal. A peak detector detects when the time-domain signal exceeds a predetermined criterion. A constellation modifier modifies the constellation value of at least one of the carriers to reduce the crest factor of the transmitted signal. A carrier is selected for modifying on the basis of a number of bits allocated to that carrier. The constellation modifier can select an alternative constellation value by an iterative method or by calculation. The constellation modifier can operate entirely in the time-domain.
US08107540B2
A method to determine real time image complexity in video streaming, IPTV and broadcast applications using a statistical model representing channel bandwidth variation and image complexity that considers scene content changes. Available channel bandwidth is distributed unevenly among multiple video streams in proportion to bandwidth variation and image complexity of the broadcast video stream. The distribution of available channel bandwidth is determined based upon an image complexity factor of each video stream as determined from probability matrices considering bandwidth variations and image complexity.
US08107537B2
A one-pass picture-layer rate control (RC) method and system for controlling a video encoder: The bit allocation and determination of quantization parameter (QP) in this rate control method and system are based on a Rate-Quantization (R-Q) scale model. The R-Q model is a linear one, wherein the number of bits per picture is in reverse ratio of quantization scale for that picture. A conversion of exponential-based QP to linear-scaled QP is taken in the calculation of complexity model and determination of QP. The conversion is integer-based and is consistent with the quantization array defined in the H.264 standard.
US08107534B2
A moving-image reproducing apparatus determines whether one frame of a movie has the same image as that of the previous frame on the basis of the analysis of the movie, inputs compressed frame data about a frame that is not determined to have the same image as that of the previous frame into a decompressing unit, causes the image in the frame data decompressed by the decompressing unit to be displayed as at least one frame, and causes the compressed frame data about a frame that is determined to have the same image as that of the previous frame not to be input into the decompressing unit.
US08107525B1
The present invention is directed to a video communication system capable of providing adaptive compression of video image data. In particular, data regarding the range of possible motions and the respective probabilities of such motion within a scene are collected, and a compression algorithm appropriate to motions having high associated probabilities selected. In response to a change in the motions and associated probabilities within a scene, a new compression algorithm can be selected. The bit rate of data transmitted by a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will therefore vary, depending on the content of an imaged scene and based on the compression algorithm applied in order to compress image data while maintaining appropriate detail.
US08107524B2
A system and a method for simultaneous transmission of multiple media streams in a fixed bandwidth network are disclosed herein. The system is comprised of a central gateway media server and a plurality of client receiver units. The input media streams arrive from an external source and are then transmitted to the client receiver units in a compressed format. A state machine on the gateway media server detects if the network bandwidth is close to saturation. In one embodiment, the potential bandwidth saturation is measured by matching the time when the start of unit of media for each stream against the estimated transmission time for that unit. When any one actual transmission time exceeds its estimated transmission time by a predetermined threshold value, the network is deemed to be close to saturation, or already saturated, and the state machine executes a process of selecting at least one stream as a target for lowering total bandwidth usage. Once the target stream associated with a client receiver unit is chosen, the amount of data transmitted by the target stream is reduced, which could result in a lower data transmission rate. In one embodiment, the amount of data is reduced by a gradual degradation of the precision of the data, resulting in a greater potential for data compression, and/or by gradually reducing the resolution of the data of the target stream.
US08107523B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a segmented equalizer includes a plurality of feedforward equalizer segments, each feedforward equalizer segment responsive to delayed samples of an input signal {vn}, wherein n is the index of samples, and including a filter block for filtering the delayed samples by using coefficients which are updated based on a step size generated for each equalizer segment.
US08107519B2
An equalizer includes: a replica generation means for generating a replica of a multipath component by applying an adaptive filter to a received signal; a removal means for generating a multipath-component removed signal from which the multipath component has been removed by subtracting the replica from the received signal; a correlation value calculation means for calculating a correlation value between the received signal and the replica; a power value calculation means for calculating a power value of the replica; a determination means for determining whether the replica is the replica of the multipath component based on the correlation value and the power value; and a selection means for outputting the multipath-component removed signal when it is determined that the replica is the replica of the multipath component, and outputting the received signal when it is determined that the replica is not the replica of the multipath component.
US08107518B2
A process for equalizing streams of OFDM subcarrier data computes the noise variance for each stream, and forms a stream weighting coefficient by equalizing the noise variance, such that for a first stream having a noise variance σ1 and a second stream having a noise variance of σ2, the first stream is scaled by k 1 = 2 σ 2 σ 1 2 + σ 2 2 and the second stream is scaled by k 2 = 2 σ 1 σ 1 2 + σ 2 2 .
US08107517B2
Techniques to facilitate estimating the frequency response of a wireless channel in an OFDM system are provided. The method and systems allow for combining signal information across multiple communication channels at one or more channel tap delays in order to determine appropriate taps for channel information.
US08107511B2
A process control system or other system includes multiple nodes that communicate using frequency-hopping patterns. Each node may operate using its own frequency-hopping pattern. Each node may also broadcast information identifying its frequency-hopping pattern to other nodes, such as any neighboring nodes. Each node may further receive information identifying the frequency-hopping patterns of any neighboring nodes. The nodes may then operate in a non-synchronized manner and use the frequency-hopping patterns of neighboring nodes to communicate. For example, each node may use the identified frequency-hopping pattern of a neighboring node to synchronize with and communicate data to the neighboring node. In this way, the nodes need not maintain synchronization at all times during operation. Also, different nodes may use different frequency channels at the same time, helping to increase the bandwidth available for wireless communications.
US08107509B2
This invention relates to a monolithic folded F-P cavity used for semiconductor laser, which is composed of a monolithic optical element. The monolithic optical element is made of the material having low propagation loss for a certain spectrum range. Light entering through an input/output coupling surface of the monolithic optical element is reflected several times between the input/output coupling surface and at least two high reflection surfaces within the monolithic optical element, and then at least one part of the light exits through the input/output coupling surface along the path which is collinear with the incident light but in an opposite direction. By means of integrating reflecting and coupling parts of the folded F-P cavity within a single monolithic optical material, this invention greatly improves the reliability of the F-P cavity, and has other advantages, such as insensitive to outside interferences, smaller size, simpler structure and easy usage. A semiconductor laser using the monolithic folded F-P cavity is also provided.
US08107506B2
A method and apparatus for reducing service impairment in a LAG are provided. The method includes: dividing a service packet into multiple service sub-flows, and allocating the multiple service sub-flows to all the physical ports averagely; after a new port is added, configuring a preset quantity of service sub-flows for the new port; or, after a port is deleted, allocating the service sub-flows on the deleted port to other ports; and finding a forwarding physical port through a service packet according to the service sub-flows. An apparatus for reducing service impairment in a LAG includes: an initializing module, a new port processing module or a deleted port processing module, and a forwarding port search module. In the case of adding or deleting a port, only the affected service sub-flows are operated, thus minimizing the impact.
US08107502B2
A packet probe for a packet network accurately generates and monitors packets within the network. The packet probe supports packet generation and packet transmission. When a packet is ready for transmission, a hardware-based time stamp unit affixes a time stamp to the packet reflecting an actual transmission time. The packet probe also supports receiving, filtering, and time stamping received packets. When a packet is received, a packet filter determines whether the received packet should be stored in memory along with a time stamp reflecting an actual reception time.
US08107501B2
Techniques are disclosed for synchronizing a database related to a first node in a network with multiple nodes. Each node includes a database different from a database on a different node. An inquiry control message is sent to each node in a candidate set of one or more nodes on the network, which are different from the first node. In response to the inquiry control message, the first node receives a first set of one or more messages from a particular node different from the first node. The first set indicates a portion from the database of the particular node. The portion is relevant for the first node. A particular portion of a first database for the first node is derived from the first set of messages. The particular portion is less than all of the first database. These techniques allow the first node to derive its full database from multiple adjacent nodes.
US08107500B2
A communication control apparatus includes a packetizing unit configured to generate packets based on coded data; a calculating unit configured to calculate, based on at least one of information regarding the amount of code of the coded data, reception state information indicating a reception state of a reception device serving as a transmission destination to which the packets are to be transmitted, information regarding the effective speed of a communication line to be used for transmission of the packets, and information regarding an available capacity of a communication channel that can be ensured for communication of the packets, the number of packets to be continuously transmitted; and a transmitting unit configured to continuously transmit, via the communication line to the reception device, packets corresponding to the number of packets calculated by the calculating unit.
US08107499B2
A method includes defining a pattern of time intervals, each time interval having a respective assigned communication speed, which alternates among multiple communication speeds supported by a first communication device. Synchronization requests are transmitted over a communication medium from the first communication device to a second communication device at the respective communication speed that is assigned in each interval in accordance with the pattern. While transmitting the synchronization requests, synchronization replies sent over the communication medium in response to the synchronization requests are received only at the respective communication speed that is assigned in each interval. Responsively to receiving the synchronization replies from the second communication device, one or more common communication speeds that are supported by both the first and the second communication devices are identified. Communication is established between the first and second communication devices over the communication medium using one of the common communication speeds.
US08107494B2
The invention includes a method and apparatus for generating virtual clock signals for differing hierarchies in a communication system conveying data frames of differing hierarchies. Specifically, a method according to one embodiment of the invention includes receiving data frames of a first hierarchy, receiving at least one input clock signal, and generating a virtual clock signal using the at least one input clock signal and a clock enable signal. The clock enable signal is generated using at least one of a data rate ratio and a clock rate ratio. The virtual clock signal is adapted for converting at least a portion of the data frames of the first hierarchy to data frames of a second hierarchy. The frequency of the virtual clock signal is determined by applying the clock enable signal to a common clock signal.
US08107492B2
A processing system and method for communicating in a processing system over a bus is disclosed. The processing system includes a receiving device, a bus having first, second and third channels, and a sending device configured to address the receiving device on the first channel, and read a payload from the receiving device on the second channel, the sending device being further configured to write a first portion of a payload to the receiving device on the first channel and a second portion of the payload to the receiving device on the third channel.
US08107491B2
An intelligent electronic device is configured to receive and generate data formatted in accordance with Distributed Network Protocol 3.0 (DNP 3.0) through an Ethernet TCP/IP medium. The intelligent electronic metering device for communicating over a network via an open channel includes an adapter to coupled the electronic metering device to the network and to receive a message in a protocol of the network, wherein the adapter formats the message in a serial protocol; and a processor to receive the message from the adapter, generate a response to the message and transmit the response to the adapter, wherein the adapter formats the response in the protocol of the network and transmits the response over the network via an open channel.
US08107485B2
A network component including three ports as well as a method for the operation thereof is provided. The ports are exclusively allocated to individual hierarchical levels of a topology of an automation system, in which the network component is operated along with an optional plurality of additional network components, such that telegrams sent in the automation system are efficiently forwarded, particularly on the basis of designators assigned to the network component as an alias. The designators are assigned in an especially recursive process.
US08107482B2
A network switch device receives a communication packet having a source MAC address s and a destination MAC address d at a switch port p. Then, the network switch device determines whether a valid routing table entry (s, p) exists, there by indicating that the source MAC address s is reachable via a switch port p. The network switch device further determines for the destination MAC address d whether there is at least one switch port q for which a valid routing table entry (d, q) exists, there by indicating that d is reachable via a switch port q. When the routing table entries (s, p) and (d, q) exist, the network switch device routes the communication packet to the switch port q.
US08107479B2
A system and method for providing telephony and high-speed data access over a broadband access network, comprising a network interface unit (NIU) coupled to a backup local exchange carrier (LEC) line, the broadband access network coupled to the NIU, an intermediate point-of-presence (IPOP) coupled to the broadband access network, and at least one external access network coupled to the IPOP. The system also provides for a fail-safe mode in which the NIU supports the LEC line for lifeline services.
US08107477B2
In a network node, a method and apparatus assemble fixed cell length cells resulting from the segmenting of variable length frames into cells. A finite state machine fetches frame data moves frame data and control block data to the cell and outputs cell data. A counter points to the frame. A multiplexer selects the correct data to form the cell. The finite state machine builds cells corresponding to a frame using a cell pattern applied to these cells using two constraints. The first constraint is a 64 unit cell size with a 6 unit cell header and 10 unit frame header; the second constraint is that the insert and overlay field have to be even. The method replaces a field by a definite value when a frame is modified during the segmenting processing, when a new field is inserted in the frame or when frames are packed into one cell.
US08107476B2
A system and method for switching packet traffic over an optical transport network comprises a network element having first and second mappers for mapping packet traffic to electrical streams. A network interface includes a packet switch that directs a first packet stream to the first mapper based on a destination of the packets in the first packet stream and a second packet stream to the second mapper based on a destination of the packets in the second packet stream. The first mapper produces a first stream of electrical signals from the first packet stream, and the second mapper produces a second stream of electrical signals from the second packet stream. Each electrical signal stream is allocated a portion of bandwidth of an optical interface. The optical interface produces an optical signal that includes the first and second electrical signal streams according to the bandwidth allocated to each electrical signal stream.
US08107466B2
A network switch fabric is provided for a clustering system to facilitate flexibility of network-related interconnection selection and system scalability. The network switch fabric includes replaceable network switch(s) and network interface(s) selectively configured on a base board. Multiple types of interconnection protocols with similar characteristics will be able to implement on a common infrastructure of network switch fabric. A pass through card operating as a network interface is also applicable on the network switch fabric to directly connect with an external network. The pass through card allows the network switch fabric supporting the clustering system to be scalable, thereby capable of supporting a large-scale cluster computing.
US08107457B2
An apparatus is disclosed for permitting a mobile terminal having multiple, heterogeneous network connections (e.g., multiple wired or wireless transceivers of various types) to set up and maintain virtual connections over multiple networks to either the same or to multiple destinations. The mobile terminal can “load-share” traffic, i.e., it can distribute segments of traffic over a full set of heterogeneous networks, significantly improving the reliability and availability of communications. In a first embodiment, a mobile terminal is configured with multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers. Operating system software is provided for dynamically establishing and maintaining traffic flow for user applications over multiple communications paths, and for automatically adapting to variations in the networking environment, application traffic flow requirements, end user preferences, or mobility. In a second embodiment, a software-defined radio is used to implement the physical layer protocols for each desired network, eliminating the need for multiple transceivers.
US08107450B2
A solution in a telecommunications infrastructure network for creating a secondary PDP context for a time critical application, ensuring that no packets are lost by masquerading a primary PDP context as the secondary PDP context. This may be achieved by for instance sending a fake TEID or including a filter in a PDP creation request for the secondary PDP context and updating the GGSN with a correct TEID or a new Traffic Flow Template (TFT) when the secondary PDP context is established.
US08107447B2
A wireless communications system has a communications device, which has an RLC entity having a transmitting side and a receiving side. When re-establishing the transmitting side, to handle control PDUs, only the transmitting side in the RLC entity of the communications device is re-established, a first control PDU corresponding to the transmitting side is discarded, and a second control PDU corresponding to the receiving side is retained and not discarded.
US08107435B1
An access terminal may be requesting from an access network data in a first coverage area at a first data rate, which is determined based on at least one signal condition of the first coverage area. The access terminal may then decide to switch from requesting data in a first coverage area to requesting data in a second coverage area. In response, the access terminal may (a) request data in the first coverage area at an increased second data rate and (b) send to the access network a notification of the decision to switch from requesting data in a first coverage area to requesting data in a second coverage area. After sending the notification, the access terminal may request data in the second coverage area at a third data rate, which is determined based on at least one signal condition of the second coverage area.
US08107433B2
Embodiments of the invention may further provide a method for transferring an LTE anchor in an idle mode. The method includes an MME (control plane entity) initiating an LTE anchor change procedure, the MME first commands the selected new LTE anchor to set up a user plane tunnel towards the 3GPP anchor and then it updates this information towards the 3GPP anchor. Thereafter, the old tunnel is deleted from the old LTE anchor.
US08107427B1
Performing wireless communication using first and second wireless communication protocols. The first and second wireless communication protocols may operate in a common communication medium. The wireless communication may be performed using the protocols over the common communication medium, e.g., in a time sharing fashion. Properties of voice traffic on current frames of the second wireless communication protocol may be measured. The method may further include predicting whether one or more subsequent frames of the second wireless communication protocol will have voice traffic. If the prediction indicates that the one or more subsequent frames of the second wireless communication protocol will not have voice traffic data may be transmitted using the first wireless communication protocol on the common communication medium during a subsequent second wireless communication protocol time slot.
US08107418B2
A mobile communication system that is a wireless communication system using the AMC scheme and does not require any transmission/reception of control signals between a base station apparatus and a mobile station apparatus during controlling of the transmission/reception of the mobile station apparatus. In this mobile communication system, the mobile station apparatus measures reception quality of a downlink signal transmitted by the base station apparatus, and uses an uplink control channel to transmit, to the base station apparatus, downlink signal quality information (CQI) corresponding to the measured reception quality. The base station apparatus receives the downlink signal quality information CQI to control the data transmission to the mobile station apparatus. The base station apparatus judges whether the downlink signal quality information CQI transmitted by the mobile station apparatus is present, and controls, based on the result of this judgment, the downlink signal to be transmitted to the mobile station apparatus.
US08107416B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for radio connection setup in a mobile communication system. In the method, a UE reports mobility information to a network, and the network performs according to the mobility information of the UE. Therefore, it is possible to reduce complexity of the UE and reduce the waste in power consumption thereof, and reduce the signaling overhead of the network, thereby achieving efficient use of resources.
US08107410B2
Upstream information arriving through a user terminal in a satellite link is efficiently scheduled through a modified Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) algorithm such that data packets arriving at the user terminal are concatenated to form a larger frame for transmission and the concatenated packet is held in a first queue disposed ahead of a second queue, where the data in the second queue cannot be modified (typically a hardware queue), sufficient to allow the second queue to be emptied. In a specific embodiment, all packets arriving at the user terminal since a prior piggyback request are concatenated so that all currently known packets (up to a preselected limit) are accounted for by each succeeding piggyback request. Since it is desirable to concatenate all packets that arrive at the user terminal since the last piggyback request, the piggyback request according to the invention covers all currently known packets (up to the preselected limit) in the user terminal. The held-back packets are released or dumped to the second queue by a trigger operative according to a map, the map being a grant allocation schedule. This mechanism handles instances where the second queue is not able to handle all known packets.
US08107404B2
By using multiple channels at the same time to realize broadbanding of the frequency channels and suppressing increase in the waiting time before starting transmission of wireless signals, improvement of the practical throughput can be realized. A wireless communication apparatus AP1 is a wireless communication apparatus provided with a space division processing unit 40 for identifying which space area a radio wave has come from; a frequency division processing unit 30 for identifying which channel the radio wave has been carried through; a carrier sense unit 50 for judging the busy/idle state of the identified channel in the identified space area; a storage unit 60 for storing the judged busy/idle state in association with the space area and the channel; a determining unit 70 for, when a radio wave is transmitted to a first wireless communication apparatus, determining a channel to be used at the time of transmission according to the busy/idle state of each channel in the space area in which the first wireless terminal is located.
US08107395B2
A system and method for self and group location and tracking based on ultra wide band ranging among members of the group is presented. The system comprises an anchored station, a plurality of nodes, each node having at least knowledge of where the node is facing and heading, knowledge of all pair wise distances among all of the plurality of nodes, and ability to exchange information among the nodes and with the anchored station via relays. The system and method find a new position estimate of the group in accordance with an adaptive search process based on constraints of the ultra wide band ranging, and the search process enables extracting directional information and adaptively stabilizing orientation of the group. In one embodiment, adaptively stabilizing the orientation of the group is performed using an orientation-correcting polygon matching process.
US08107383B2
A ring network with an automatic protection switching domain includes a control VLAN and at least one data VLAN. A master node in the ring is connected to at least one transit node. Each node in the ring network is linked to an adjacent node by a primary port or a secondary port. The master node receives notification of a fault via the control VLAN, the fault indicating a failed link between adjacent nodes. In response, the master node unblocks its secondary port to traffic on the data VLAN(s). The forwarding database entries on the master node and on the transit node(s) are flushed. Data traffic is flooded to the ring network until forwarding database entries on the master node and on the transit node(s) have been reestablished.
US08107381B2
A service provider unit automatically diagnoses problems in an Ethernet network that are associated with layers 1, 2, and/or 3 and determines whether there is a problem associated with an Ethernet gateway switch EGS. Further diagnostics can be performed to determine the layer, type, and/or location of the problem(s) based on whether there is a problem with the EGS. The diagnostic process followed depends on the types of problem(s) in the network. Once the problems have been diagnosed, an operator can be notified of the location and/or type of problem.
US08107379B2
A technique dynamically assigns priorities to traffic engineering (TE) label switched paths (LSPs) from a head-end node of a computer network. The novel technique increases the ability to place TE-LSPs that would be otherwise blocked by bandwidth fragmentation. Specifically, a head-end node allocates a range of priority values for groups of possible TE-LSP configurations, such as, e.g., groups by type and/or size of the possible TE-LSPs. When requesting a TE-LSP, the head-end node attempts to establish the TE-LSP by dynamically increasing a priority value of the TE-LSP within the corresponding range of priority values until adequate resources are available, at which time the head-end node may establish the TE-LSP. Upon expiration of a configurable timer, the head-end node dynamically decreases the priority value of the established TE-LSP within the corresponding range of priority values and determines whether the established TE-LSP can lower its priority yet still obtain adequate resources along a path with an acceptable cost. If so, the head-end node may reestablish the TE-LSP at the lower priority value.
US08107376B2
Methods are provided for managing hierarchically organized subscriber profiles. According to one embodiment, a policy engine of a VR defines services available to subscribers in terms of profile identifiers. A scalable subscriber profile database is established having a memory requirement dependent upon the number of available service contexts by hierarchically organizing profile identifiers as leaf profile identifiers, which explicitly define services, and intermediate profile identifiers, which indirectly represent services. The policy engine receives a first-level profile identifier and determines whether it is among those stored in the database. If not, then it obtains service profile information associated with the first-level profile identifier. If the first-level profile identifier is an intermediate profile identifier having leaf profile identifiers, then it further obtains them and associated profile information and stores this information in the database. The first-level profile identifier and the associated service profile information are also stored in the database.
US08107374B2
Methods and systems for providing generalized link adaptation in an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access wireless communications network can include determining a number of desired resource blocks (RBs) for each user of a plurality of users; calculating a maximal channel gain Gm for each RB of a plurality of RBs; reordering the plurality of RBs based on the Gm; assigning one of the plurality of RBs to the plurality of users one-by-one according to the reordering of the plurality of RBs; determining a priority list for assigning remaining unassigned RBs; assigning the remaining unassigned RBs to the plurality of users based on the priority list; and mapping a symbol or a packet to each assigned RB.
US08107372B1
A system schedules traffic flows on an output port using a circular memory structure. The circular memory structure may be a rate wheel that includes a group of sequentially arranged slots. The rate wheel schedules the traffic flows in select ones of the slots based on traffic shaping parameters assigned to the flows. The rate wheel compensates for collisions between multiple flows that occur in the slots by subsequently skipping empty slots.
US08107371B2
An apparatus and method for providing the QoS of AV streams is disclosed, in which a period for processing AV streams to provide the QoS of the AV streams is separately assigned at a predetermined time, and a plurality of AV streams are simultaneously processed. The apparatus includes a determination unit that identifies the type of input data, a TDMA scheduler that assigns time division periods for processing the AV streams and general data during a predetermined recurring time period in accordance with the identification result, a buffer that stores the AV streams and the general data in memory areas corresponding to the assigned time division periods, and an output port that extracts and outputs the AV streams and the general data stored in the buffer in a FIFO manner.
US08107365B2
In one embodiment, a modified local PHY is adapted to couple a legacy host device to link partner implementing Energy Efficient Ethernet. The modified local PHY includes a buffer and if the legacy host transmits data when the modified local PHY is in a Low Power Idle (LPI) state then the data is stored in the buffer and transmission is paused until the modified local PHY transitions from the LPI state to an active state.
US08107364B2
A communication apparatus having a temporary managing portion for controlling a temporary memory, a main managing portion for controlling a main memory and an operation control portion. The operation control portion is operative to cause the temporary managing portion and the main managing portion to determine the amount of reception at intervals of predetermined time and the amount of transmission at intervals of the determined time, to store comparative result data representing the result of comparison between the amount of reception and the amount of transmission in the temporary memory or the main memory, and to find an excessive input state, an excessive output state or a balanced input/output state on the basis of an excessive input communication signal reception state, an excessive output communication signal transmission state and a balanced input communication signal reception/output communication signal transmission state recognized based on the comparative result data, and operative to cause an input communication signal reception and an output communication signal transmission to be restrained in response to the found excessive input state, excessive output state or balanced input/output state.
US08107362B2
A Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) add/drop device to connect multiple rings, e.g. SDH/SONET rings, wavelength or fibers, to a single switch or router device is disclosed. The add/drop device according to the invention comprises two multiplexing framer devices and an Add/Drop Multiplexor-Media Access Control (ADM-MAC) device. Each of the multiplexing framer devices combine at least two RPR data signals having an input data rate into a single data stream having an output data rate being higher than the input data rate for transmission on a shared medium or vice versa. The ADM-MAC device interfaces the two multiplexing framer devices and the switch or router device.
US08107354B2
An electric field read/write head, a method of manufacturing the electric field read/write head, and an information storage device including the electric field read/write head are provided. The electric field read/write head includes: a substrate having a first surface facing a recording medium and a second surface that is perpendicular to the first surface; and a protrusion formed on the second surface and having at least a portion facing the recording medium, wherein a resistance sensor comprising a source, a drain, and a channel is included in the protrusion. An insulating layer and electric field shield layers are further sequentially formed on opposite sides of the protrusion, respectively, and at least one of the electric field shield layers is a write electrode.
US08107351B2
A laminated half-wave plate includes: first and second wave plates having optical axes intersecting each other, wherein when phase differences of the first and second wave plates with respect to a wavelength λ are represented by Γ1 and Γ2, in-plane bearing angles formed by a polarization plane of a linearly-polarized beam incident on the laminated half-wave plate and the optical axes of the first and second wave plates are represented by θ1 and θ2, an angle formed by the polarization directions of the linearly-polarized beams incident on and emitted from the laminated half-wave plate is represented by φ, and an optical axis adjustment amount is represented by a, the following expressions are satisfied: Γ1=180°+n×360°; Γ2=180°+n×360° (where n in Γ1 and Γ2 is a non-negative integer); θ1=φ/4+a; and θ2=3φ/4−a.
US08107342B2
A laser driving device includes: a first pulse generating section; a second pulse generating section; a light emission waveform generating section; a light emission level pattern storing section; and a second storing section. The second storing section stores sampling pulse patterns. Therefore setting information of the sampling pulse can be selected without a control line.
US08107335B2
An apparatus for recording and reproducing an information signal on and from an optical disc includes a memory. The information signal is written into the memory. The information signal is read out from the memory. An optical head generates a laser beam in response to the readout information signal, and applies the laser beam to the optical disc to record the readout information signal on the optical disc. A test signal is recorded on a position of the optical disc near a recording position thereof via the optical head during the writing of the information signal into the memory. The test signal is reproduced from the optical disc. The reproduced test signal is evaluated to generate an evaluation result. An intensity of the laser beam is optimized in response to the evaluation result.
US08107328B1
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for efficiently calibrating an optical recording device. The method can include receiving a first signal corresponding to a wobbled track of a memory medium, phase-locking a second signal to the first signal, the second signal being used to extract embedded information in the wobbled track, and determining an optimum setting of the optical recording device based on a locking quality of the first signal and the second signal.
US08107322B2
A device for the attenuation of an anti-resonant circuit which has a first capacitor and a secondary inductance. A signal is able to be coupled into the anti-resonant circuit via a primary inductance. An attenuator is connected in parallel to a switching device and to the secondary inductance and/or the primary inductanace.
US08107316B2
In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may include exciting a plurality of signal source pairs having a substantially equal and non-zero acoustic signature amplitude difference in a frequency domain to provide acoustic signal data, and acquiring the acoustic signal data along a selected azimuth. The plurality of signal source pairs may comprise acoustic bender plates, perhaps included in the outer wall of a downhole tool.
US08107315B2
A double data rate memory device comprises first and second sense amplifiers, a data selection circuit, and a data processing circuit. The first sense amplifier is configured to provide even data loaded on a first input and output data line, and the second sense amplifier is configured to provide odd data loaded on a second input and output data line. The data selection circuit is connected to the first and second sense amplifiers and is configured to provide output data loaded on a single data line, and the data processing circuit connected to the data selection circuit and configured to transfer the even data and the odd data in first and second data paths. The even data and the odd data are combined into the output data of the data selection circuit, and the data selection circuit selects the output data in response to a least significant bit of a column address and transfers the selected data on the single data line in response to a clock signal.
US08107311B2
An electrically programmable multiple selectable function integrated circuit module has a plurality of optionally selectable function circuits, which receive and manipulate a plurality of input data signals. The outputs of the plurality of optionally selectable function circuits are either interconnected to each other or connected to a plurality of output connectors to transmit manipulated output data signals to external circuitry. The electrically programmable multiple selectable function integrated circuit module has at least one configuration connector, which may be multiplexed with input control and timing signals, connected to a function configuration circuit to receive electrical configuration signals indicating the activation of a program mode and which of the optionally selectable function circuits are to be elected to manipulate the input data signals. The function configuration circuit is connected to the optionally selectable function circuits to selectively elect, which of the optionally selectable function circuits are to is manipulate the input data signals. The electrically programmable multiple selectable function integrated circuit module optionally has common function circuit connected to common function connectors and the plurality of optionally selectable function circuits to manipulate common data signals, and transmit common output data signals to the selectable function circuits.
US08107309B2
In a method of using a memory cell employing a field effect transistor (FET), the FET is heated to a first temperature sufficient to support bias temperature instability in the FET. The bit line is driven to a high voltage state. The word line is driven to a predetermined voltage state that causes bias temperature instability in the FET. The temperature, the high voltage state on the bit line and the predetermined voltage state on the word line are maintained for an amount of time sufficient to change a threshold voltage of the FET to a state where a desired data value is stored on the FET. The FET is cooled to a second temperature that is cooler than the first temperature after the amount of time has expired.
US08107307B2
A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a plurality of memory array banks, a bus, a data buffer, and four data paths. The data buffer provides data from the memory array banks to an external node. The first data path includes a first compression module for compressing the data from the memory array banks to the bus. The second data path transmits the data from the memory array banks to the bus. The third data path includes a second compression module for compressing data from the bus to the data buffer. The fourth data path transmits the data from the bus to the data buffer.
US08107299B2
A semiconductor memory includes a memory cell having a cell transistor and a selection transistor, a control gate line coupled to a gate electrode of the cell transistor, a selection gate line coupled to a gate electrode of the selection transistor, a selection gate driver configured to apply a voltage to the selection gate line, a switch circuit configured to couple the control gate line to the selection gate line, and a level converting unit coupled to the control gate line and a voltage line and configured to convert a voltage of the control gate line into a voltage of the voltage line.
US08107294B2
A method for reading a nonvolatile memory array including an array of memory cells, each memory cell including a substrate, a control gate, a charge storage element, a source region and a drain region, includes receiving, at an address register, a read command including an address for a memory cell in the array of memory cells and an indication regarding whether the read command is a full page read command or a partial page read command. A starting address for a page including the received address is identified, wherein the page includes multiple rows of memory cells in the array of memory cells. The address register is reset to the starting address for the page. It is determined whether all memory cells in the page are non-programmed. Data indicative of a non-programmed state of the page is output if it is determined that all memory cells in the page are non-programmed.
US08107286B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises: a memory cell array having a plurality of memory strings each having a plurality of memory cells connected in series; and a control circuit configured to execute a read operation for reading data from the memory cells included in a selected memory string from among the plurality of memory strings. During the read operation, the control circuit is configured to apply a first voltage to a gate of at least one of the memory cells in a non-selected memory string not subject to the read operation, and apply a second voltage lower than the first voltage to a gate of another of the memory cells in the non-selected memory string not subject to the read operation.
US08107285B2
A spin-torque based memory device includes a plurality of magnetic storage cells in an array, each magnetic storage cell includes at least one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element, and at least one bit line and at least one bit complement line corresponding to the plurality of magnetic storage cells. Each respective MTJ element is written by driving a write current in a first or second direction to program the respective MTJ element in a low resistance state or a high resistance state and each respective MTJ element is read by driving a read current through the respective MTJ element in a direction that tends to disturb the respective MTJ element into the high resistance state.
US08107281B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element includes a first magnetic layer with a variable magnetization and an easy-axis in a perpendicular direction to a film surface, a second magnetic layer with an invariable magnetization and an easy-axis in the perpendicular direction, and a first nonmagnetic layer between the first and second magnetic layers. The first magnetic layer comprises a ferromagnetic material including an alloy in which Co and Pd, or Co and Pt are alternately laminated on an atomically close-packed plane thereof. The first magnetic layer has C-axis directing the perpendicular direction. And a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer is changed by a current flowing through the first magnetic layer, the first nonmagnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.
US08107270B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells arranged in a substantially hexagonal pattern. The nonvolatile memory cells may be pillar shaped non-volatile memory cells which can be patterned using triple or quadruple exposure lithography or by using a self-assembling layer.
US08107264B2
A slope compensation method and circuit for a peak current control mode power converter circuit is provided. Since the power converter circuit has a synchronous signal of a driven signal of enabling the first primary switch and the second primary switch, a triangular wave signal is generated. The driven signals of the first and second primary switches determine the ramp up time of the triangular wave signal. The triangular wave signal is added to one of the output DC voltage feedback signal of the corresponding power converter circuit that are used to compare with a current peak value of the voltage feedback signals. Therefore, a high level triangular wave DC voltage feedback signal that is higher than the DC voltage feedback signal is formed, and the switching noises do not effect comparing result of a PWM controller of the power converter circuit.
US08107260B2
An EMI shield for a movable component such as an antenna of an electronic device includes a microfiber ring of densely packed microfibers extending from an EMI shielding housing across the space defined by an opening in the housing for the movable component. Multiple microfiber rings can be used separated by spacers, and an environmental shield can be included.
US08107252B2
A mounting structure includes: an electronic component including: a functional element having a predetermined function; a first resin protrusion section having a surface covered by a covering film including a conductive section electrically connected to the functional element; and a second resin protrusion section that is disposed inside an area surrounded by the first resin protrusion section, and has adhesiveness at least on a surface of the second resin protrusion section, and a base member having a connection electrode and adapted to mount the electronic component. In the structure, the second resin protrusion section mounts the electronic component on the base member in a condition in which the conductive section of the covering film has conductive contact with the connection electrode due to elastic deformation of the first resin protrusion section.
US08107245B1
A system that facilitates high-speed signaling between integrated circuit chips comprising a cable, wherein the cable includes a first and second active connector that facilitate communication between integrated circuit chips. The first active connector includes a capacitive receiver which receives a signal from a corresponding capacitive transmitter located on a first integrated circuit chip through capacitive coupling, and a transmitter which transmits a signal received by the capacitive receiver, through the interconnect medium within the cable, to the second active connector. The second active connector includes a receiver which receives a signal transmitted through the interconnect medium of the cable, and a capacitive transmitter which transmits the signal to a corresponding capacitive receiver located on a second integrated circuit chip through capacitive coupling. Note that the capacitive receivers are not permanently attached to the capacitive transmitters, whereby the cable can be easily remated to other integrated circuit chips.
US08107231B2
In the cover opening and dosing device of the present invention, among clearances between a cover and a first cabinet, a clearance 12a closest to protrusions on the first cabinet is made to have a larger width than other clearances. Thus, even when the protrusions are accidentally bumped against the wall or the like and the first cabinet in the vicinity of the protrusions is locally deformed, it is possible to absorb the deformation. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the development of trouble in opening and dosing the cover.
US08107221B2
A dielectric ceramic includes crystal grains containing barium titanate as a main component, magnesium, a rare-earth element, and manganese, wherein the crystal grains have a cubic crystal structure; and the dielectric ceramic contains, per mole of barium, 0.033 to 0.085 mol of magnesium in terms of MgO, 0.1 to 0.2 mol of the rare-earth element (RE) in terms of RE2O3, and 0.006 to 0.018 mol of manganese in terms of MnO. Such a dielectric ceramic has a high relative dielectric constant, stable temperature characteristic of the relative dielectric constant, and no spontaneous polarization.
US08107220B2
A laminated ceramic capacitor capable of achieving both a high dielectric constant and high electrical insulation property even when the thickness of the dielectric ceramic layer is less than 1 μm, contains a plurality of laminated dielectric ceramic layers and a plurality of internal electrodes at interfaces between the dielectric ceramic layers, where dielectric ceramic layers are made of dielectric ceramic containing a perovskite-type compound represented by ABO3 as a main ingredient, and R (R is La or the like), M (M is Mn or the like) and Si as accessory ingredients. When crystal grains of the dielectric ceramic are classified into first crystal grains having grain sizes larger than one-fourth of the thickness of the dielectric ceramic layer and second crystal grains having grain sizes not larger than one-fourth of the thickness of the dielectric ceramic layer, the first crystal grains and the second crystal grains have a peak P1 and P2 of grain size distribution, and the areal percentage of the first crystal grains on a cross section of the dielectric ceramic layer is 41 to 69%.
US08107209B2
A method and an arrangement to detect and protect an electrical device against short-circuiting due to a presence of a conductive subject are provided. The arrangement may include a first and second probe, the first probe connecting to an electrical ground and the second probe connecting to a detecting device, the detecting device being configured to detect a short-circuit between the first and second probes, and output a signal to interrupt power supply from a power source to electrical components of the electrical device.
US08107202B2
A magnetoresistive sensor having an antiparallel coupled pinned layer structure including an AP1 layer and an AP2 layer. The AP2 layer includes two ferromagnetic layers AP2(a) and AP2(b), and a separation layer sandwiched therebetween. The AP2(a) layer is significantly larger than the AP2(b) layer, which results in strong pinning, while the separation layer provides increased TMR and reduced RA.
US08107201B2
A hard bias structure for biasing a free layer in a MR element within a read head is comprised of a composite hard bias layer having a Co78.6Cr5.2Pt16.2/Co65Cr15Pt20 configuration. The upper Co65Cr15Pt20 layer has a larger Hc value and a thickness about 2 to 10 times greater than that of the Co78.6Cr5.2Pt16.2 layer. The hard bias structure may also include a BCC underlayer such as FeCoMo which enhances the magnetic moment of the hard bias structure. Optionally, the thickness of the Co78.6Cr5.2Pt16.2 layer is zero and the Co65Cr15Pt20 layer is formed on the BCC underlayer. The present invention also encompasses a laminated hard bias structure. The Mrt value for the hard bias structure may be optimized by adjusting the thicknesses of the BCC underlayer and CoCrPt layers. As a result, a larger process window is realized and lower asymmetry output during a read operation is achieved.
US08107200B2
A slider mounted CPP GMR or TMR read head sensor is protected from electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage and from noise and cross-talk from an adjacent write head by means of a balanced resistive/capacitative shunt. The shunt includes highly resistive interconnections between upper and lower shields of the read head and a grounded slider substrate and a low resistance interconnection between the lower pole piece of the write head and the substrate. The capacitances between the pole piece and the upper shield, the upper shield and the lower shield and the lower shield and the substrate are made equal by either forming the shields and pole piece with equal surface areas and separating them with dielectrics of equal thicknesses, or by keeping the ratio of area to insulator thicknesses equal.
US08107199B2
A ramp to park a read/write head includes a fixed portion fixed to a base member of the hard disk drive, and a supporting portion to contact and support the tip-tab of the suspension assembly and includes an inclined rail surface and a horizontal rail surface which extend in a moving direction of the tip-tab, wherein a rail boundary between the inclined rail surface and the horizontal rail surface is inclined with respect to a lengthwise axis of the tip-tab. The rail boundary can be a straight line inclined at an angle with respect to the lengthwise axis of the tip-tab, or can be curved toward the horizontal rail surface or the inclined rail surface.
US08107194B2
A method and apparatus for writing magnetization states in a pair of magnetic layers of a multi-layer continuous magnetic recording medium and a method and apparatus for reading readback pulse shapes representing a magnetization state transition between such written magnetization states of a two-layer continuous magnetic recording medium. Writing each magnetization state includes selecting the magnetization state, determining a write current sufficient to write the magnetization state, and applying the write current to a magnetic write head to write the magnetization state by simultaneously writing associated magnetic states in each magnetic layer of the pair of magnetic layers. A readback pulse shape representing a written magnetization state transition is read. The written magnetization state transition is uniquely identified from the readback pulse shape of the transition or from both the readback pulse shape of the transition and the readback pulse shape of one or more next magnetization state transitions.
US08107191B2
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is provided which records data in a PMR medium. The PMR head includes a main pole having an end portion disposed on an air bearing surface (ABS) opposed to the PMR medium and the other end portion; a return yoke spaced apart from the main pole; a sub-yoke starting from the other end portion of the main pole and extending away from the PMR medium, so as to magnetically connect the main pole with the return yoke; and a coil disposed to encircle the sub-yoke.
US08107190B2
Provided is a fluid bearing device with a hub part having high molding precision and dimensional stability and capable of being produced at low cost. An annular gate (14) is formed at a portion of a cavity (15) corresponding to an outer peripheral edge portion of a lower end surface (10c1) of a flange part (10c), and a molten resin (P) is filled into the cavity (15) through the annular gate (14) to form a hub part (10) made of resin. The hub part (10) molded by the injection molding exhibits a radial resin orientation through an entire periphery thereof. Further, an annular gate trace (16) is formed at the outer peripheral edge portion of the lower end surface (10c1) of the flange part (10c) of the hub part (10).
US08107187B1
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to control of recording devices, such as disk drives. Systems and techniques can include controlling a motor to actuate a head about a surface of a rotating recording medium, switching from a first mode to a second mode to control the motor based on a condition of operation with respect to the rotating recording medium, and synchronizing the switch from the first mode to the second mode based on a state of electric current associated with the motor.
US08107181B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for measuring magnetoresistive head assembly resistance. A measurement module measures a reference voltage across a reference resistance while applying a reference current to the reference resistance. In addition, the measurement module measures a test voltage across a first biasing resistor, a MR head assembly, and a second biasing resistor connected in series while applying the reference current to the first biasing resistor, the MR head assembly, and the second biasing resistor. A computation module calculates the MR head assembly resistance from the reference voltage, the test voltage, the reference resistance, and the resistances of the first and second biasing resistors.
US08107178B2
According to one embodiment, a storage apparatus includes: a read section that receives a predetermined electrical parameter to read out data from a recording medium; a characteristic detection section that detects a plurality of characteristic values corresponding to a plurality of different predetermined electrical parameters received by the read section, respectively, the characteristic values being predetermined indicators of the read section, respectively; a characteristic relation acquisition section that acquires a slope of a characteristic value versus a predetermined electrical parameter from the predetermined electrical parameters and the characteristic values; and a determination section that determines presence/absence of failure in the read section based on the slope acquired by the characteristic relation acquisition section.
US08107175B2
A wide-angle lens WL including, in order from an object: a first lens L1 which is a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface facing the object; a second lens L2 which is a positive lens; a third lens L3 which is a negative lens; a fourth lens L4 which is a positive lens; and a fifth lens L5 which is a positive lens, wherein the condition of 0.2
US08107173B2
A catadioptric optical system having a high numerical aperture operates in a wide spectral range. The catadioptric system includes a correcting plate and an optical system. The correcting plate conditions electromagnetic radiation to correct at least one aberration. The optical system reflects a first portion of the conditioned electromagnetic radiation, refracts a second portion of the conditioned electromagnetic radiation, and focuses the reflected first portion of the conditioned electromagnetic radiation onto a target portion of a substrate. The first portion of the electromagnetic radiation is not refracted by an optical element, allowing the catadioptric optical system to operate in a broad spectral range.
US08107167B2
A beam combining system suitable of pulsed fiber laser applications is able to produce non-spatial-dispersive beams using an highly efficient filter, such as a multilayer dielectric filter, in transmission and reflection configurations. The techniques therefore can overcome constraints on laser line-width and beam width and allow for more stable systems for high peak power pulsed laser energy, such as may be used in extreme ultraviolet lithography and other applications.
US08107160B2
A light output control apparatus, includes: an excitation light source that outputs excitation light; an excitation light guiding unit that guides the excitation light to an optical amplifying medium for transmitting a signal light; and a loss causing unit that includes an optical transmission medium located between the excitation light source and the excitation light guiding unit, and changes a radius of curvature of the optical transmission medium.
US08107150B2
Diarylethene-containing ligands and their coordination compounds are described. The ligands display photochromism with UV excitation, while the coordination compounds display photochromism with both excitation in the UV region and excitation into lower energy absorption bands characteristic of the coordination compounds, through which the excitation wavelengths for the photocyclization can be extended from λ≦340 nm to wavelengths beyond 470 nm. Switching of the luminescence properties of the compounds has also been achieved through photochromic reactions.
US08107149B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to external, electronically controllable, negative index material-based modulators. In one aspect, an external modulator comprises a negative index material in electronic communication with an electronic signal source. The negative index material receives an electronic signal encoding data from the electronic signal source and an unmodulated carrier wave from an electromagnetic radiation source. Magnitude variations in the electronic signal produce corresponding effective refractive index changes in the negative index material encoding the data in the amplitude and/or phase of the carrier wave to produce an electromagnetic signal.
US08107146B2
A Three Dimensional (3D) space scanner can obtain spatial data by scanning a mobile object not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction using a mirror that is driven to rotate as well as to tilt.
US08107137B2
A 4-line CCD sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention has a monochromic reading line sensor section and a color reading line sensor section. This 4-line CCD sensor is characterized in that amplification factors for amplifiers 1 to 4 are set so that the amplitude of an output signal from the monochromic reading line sensor section is the same as that of each output signal from the color reading line sensor section. This 4-line CCD sensor is characterized in that the amplification factors for the amplifiers 1 to 4 are set so that the amplitude of each output signal from the color reading line sensor section is smaller than that of an output signal from the monochromic reading line sensor section.
US08107136B2
An image reading device includes an image reading section, a frame, and an operating unit. The image reading section is configured to obtain image data by reading an image carried on a document. The frame supports the image reading section. The operating unit has an operating section including a plurality of input keys adapted to receive an input operation for controlling the image reading section, and an operating unit body supporting the operating section for displacement between a drawn-out position in which the input keys are exposed to outside and a housed position in which the input keys are housed inside. The operating unit is supported by the frame.
US08107130B2
An image processing device includes an image input device for inputting image information; a control device for converting the image information into an electric file input through the image input device; a display device for displaying file name candidates; a selection device for selecting and specifying a file name candidate selected by a user from the file name candidates displayed on the display device; and a first storage device for storing an image data file. The control device stores the image data file in the first storage device. In the image data file, the file name specified by the selection device corresponds to the electrical file of the image information.
US08107116B2
An image processing apparatus comprises a memory; a store control section to divide and store image data in plural vacant memory regions in the memory; and an image administrating information registering section to register each divided image data divided by the store control section by correlating position information of each divided image data in the image data before dividing the image data with storing position information of each divided image data indicating a storing memory region.
US08107115B2
This invention relates to a methods and a printing system in which queues across one or more printing devices, such as printers, copiers, and the like, are automatically kept synchronized. The queues are placed into one or more pools. In some embodiments, one queue in a pool is designated as a master queue. Changes to the queues in the pool are then controlled and propagated from the master queue. In other embodiments, various queues in a pool are designated as peers. Any change to a queue, such as a change to a subset of print job parameters, in the pool is then propagated to its peers.
US08107113B2
An input unit inputs RAW data. An image generating unit generates an image from the RAW data using a demosaicing processing. A print unit that prints the image.
US08107111B2
It is determined whether device information having an ID coincident with that of device information included in the print settings of received print data exists. If it is determined that the device information having the ID coincident with that of the device information included in the print settings exists, print processing is executed for the received print data in accordance with the ID-added device information and print settings. If it is determined that the device information having the ID coincident with that of the device information included in the print settings does not exist, paper type information set in the print settings is displayed.
US08107108B1
Apparatuses and methods for providing user feedback for image translation operations in a handheld device are described herein. Progress of the image translation may be displayed to the user of the device. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08107107B2
A facsimile apparatus is provided, which can access a latest database associating facsimile numbers and destination names. The apparatus includes a storage unit for storing a destination table in which button information such as one-touch dial buttons, facsimile numbers, and destination names are associated, an input unit for accepting an instruction for one-touch facsimile transmission, a facsimile number acquisition unit for identifying a destination name associated with the transmission instruction by referring to the destination table and searching the database using the destination name as a search key to acquire a facsimile number associated therewith, and a transmission unit for determining whether the acquired facsimile number agrees with a facsimile number associated with a one-touch dial button accepted by the input unit and executing facsimile transmission only when the numbers agree.
US08107092B2
The invention relates to a method for generating a printout of a section of a global position-coding pattern in a system comprising a computer unit and a printer unit connected to the computer unit. The method is characterized by the steps of generating in the computer unit boundary information that describes the boundaries of the section in the global position-coding pattern; transmitting the boundary information from the computer unit to the printer unit; generating graphical information in the printer unit by means of an algorithm that defines the global position-coding pattern and on the basis of the boundary information, which graphical information describes pattern symbols in the section; and printing out the graphical information on a base by the printer unit.
US08107089B2
A surface (104) is detected repeatedly be a detector row (102) of at least one detector (100), the direction of the detector row (102) being the same as the surface's (104) primary direction of movement, and simultaneously a distance between the surface (104) and the detector (100) is detected to produce enlargement data and response rows. Successive response rows are arranged into a response matrix, and the direction of at least one curve in the matrix is determined. Translation of the surface (104) is determined in response matrices formed by means of the direction or directions of at least one curve or curve portion on the basis of enlargement data.
US08107088B2
This invention provides a displacement measurement device, a displacement measurement method, and a thickness measurement device capable of easily ensuring a conjugate relationship between the light source and the diaphragm and capable of accurately measuring the change in distance with the testing target. In the displacement measurement device, the light from the laser diode is collected towards the pin hole of the diaphragm plate at the collective lens, and then sent to the objective lens through the pin hole. The light is reflected at a surface of work, and detected by a photodiode through the objective lens, the pin hole, the collective lens, and the half mirror. That is, the pin hole becomes a substantial light source, and becomes a diaphragm with respect to the incident light on the work. The spot diameter collected on the pin hole by the collective lens is greater than the diameter of the pin hole. The light receiving quantity signal of the return light component on a diaphragm plate, shown with an outlined arrow, is removed by a high-pass filter.
US08107080B2
According to example configurations herein, a system includes an inertial filter, a temperature controller, and analyzer. The inertial filter has multiple ports including a first port, a second port, and a third port. A sample gas flows between the first port and the third port of the inertial filter. The second port of the inertial filter outputs a portion of the gas flowing between the first port and the second port. The temperature controller controls a temperature of the inertial filter and/or the gas flowing through the inertial filter. The analyzer receives the portion of the gas flow outputted by the second port of the inertial filter and produces a value indicative of a concentration of sulfur trioxide in the portion of the gas flow.
US08107076B1
A variety of toy polariscopes are simpler in design and less costly than precision instruments used in scientific research and stress analysis of materials and structures. The toy polariscopes are designed for a variety of objects that may exhibit photoelastic properties such as glass, plastic, Plexiglas, gel candle material and other gels, and even edible photoelastic objects. They are specially designed for objects of various sizes with a variety of purposes such as objects to enhance learning in a variety of conditions and experiences. Special objects are designed to go with the toy polariscopes such as edible and inedible photoelastic objects, photoelastic candle material, a variety of photoelastic/photoplastic stands capable of a variety of displays in interaction with other designed photoelastic objects capable of a variety of interaction and displays. Other optical phenomena may also be observed.
US08107069B2
The apparatus disclosed herein features: (a) a handheld, portable spectrometer that includes a radiation source configured to direct incident radiation to a sample, a detector configured to receive signal radiation from the sample, and a housing enclosing the radiation source and the detector; (b) an extended member attachable to the housing and having an interior channel to define a path for directing radiation from the source to the sample and for receiving radiation from the sample at the detector; (c) and a vial receptacle configured to hold a different sample and positioned to receive radiation from the source, where the detector is positioned to receive radiation from the different sample and the housing is configured to support the vial receptacle and attach to the extended member at the same time.
US08107067B2
The present invention is directed to the use of a light absorbing wall material to eliminate stray light paths in light-guiding structures, such as those used for HPLC absorbance detection. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of carbon-doped Teflon® AF, or “black Teflon® AF,” for all or part of the walls of a light-guiding flowcell adapted for use in HPLC absorbance detection.
US08107064B2
An inspecting device and an inspecting method enabling better precision inspection for a processing region formed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer or other disc wafer are provided. The inspecting device is configured having image capturing means 130a, 130b for capturing an image of an outer edge and its neighboring region of a rotating wafer 10, wafer outer edge position measuring means 200 for measuring the radial direction position of the outer edge at each of the plurality of rotational angle positions θn of the wafer 10 based on the images obtained by the image capturing means 130a, 130b, an edge-to-edge distance measuring means 200 for measuring the edge-to-edge distance Bθn between the outer edge of the wafer 10 and the edge of an insulating film 11 at each of the plurality of rotational angle positions θn based on the images obtained by the image capturing means 130a, and an inspection information generating means 200 for generating predetermined inspection information based on the radial direction position Aθn of the outer edge of the wafer 10 and the edge-to-edge distance Bθn.
US08107060B2
An apparatus for candling eggs includes a waterproof housing having a free end, a light source configured to emit visible light from the housing free end and illuminate an egg positioned adjacent to the housing free end, and a photodetector that generates an output signal corresponding to intensity of light from the light source leaving the egg. The photodetector is shielded from external light and from direct light from the light source. The light source and photodetector are disposed within the waterproof housing, and a replaceable bumper is removably secured to the housing free end. The bumper is configured to engage an egg in contacting relation therewith, and to shield the photodetector from external light and from direct light from the light source. A processor processes output signals from the photodetector to identify cyclical variations in light intensity and/or non-cyclical variations in light intensity.
US08107059B2
A non-invasive probe for measuring body components, and a non-invasive body component measurement system including the non-invasive probe is provided. The non-invasive probe includes an input light transferring unit for transferring an input light emitted from a light source; a light splitting unit for splitting the input light into a plurality of living body incident lights; a light condensing unit for condensing the plurality of living body incident lights, so that the plurality of living body incident lights can be irradiated onto a plurality of measuring points, each measuring point corresponding to one of the plurality of living body incident lights; and an output light transferring unit for transferring a plurality of output lights, which each correspond to the one of the plurality of measuring points and, which are obtained by irradiating the plurality of living body incident lights, to a spectrometer that classifies the output lights by wavelength.
US08107055B2
A method of pattern forming includes forming a resist film on a substrate, transferring a pattern onto the resist film by an immersion lithography method using a liquid immersion fluid to form a latent image on the resist film, conducting a first inspection to inspect whether or not the liquid immersion fluid remains on the resist film after said forming the latent image, developing the resist film after the first inspection, and performing predetermined processing when residual of the liquid immersion fluid is found in the first inspection.
US08107044B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus includes a first substrate including a switching element and a pixel electrode, the pixel electrode electrically connected to the switching element, and a second substrate disposed over the first substrate, the second substrate including a common electrode having a first slit and a second slit, wherein the first slit divides a unit pixel area into a plurality of domains, and the second slit partially overlaps the pixel electrode and is disposed to correspond to a boundary area of adjacent unit pixel areas.
US08107033B2
A frame is narrowed by a technically reasonable design, without technical limitation for frame narrowing which tends to be considered troublesome when bent-tube type fluorescent tubes having U-shaped bent portions are to be alternately arranged to face each other nor without the trouble of storing the bent-type fluorescent tubes in a chassis while being manufactured. A backlight device (2) is provided with a backlight chassis (23) wherein a plurality of fluorescent tubes (21) having electrodes are arranged and stored, and an inverter circuit board is arranged on the rear surface of the backlight chassis (23). Furthermore, the backlight device (2) is provided with a storing section (30), which is attached to the backlight chassis (23) by storing a conductive holding section for holding the electrodes. With the storing section (30) attached to the backlight chassis (23), the electrodes of the fluorescent tubes (21) are electrically connected to a light source lighting circuit board arranged on the rear surface of the backlight chassis (23).
US08107032B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a display device is enabled to make the display impulse and to improve the charging characteristics of pixel capacities while suppressing the complexity of a drive circuit or the like and the increase in the operating frequency. In an active matrix substrate of a liquid crystal display device, each pixel electrode is connected through a pixel TFT with a source line and through a discharging TFT with a holding capacity line. For one frame period, a liquid crystal capacity, as established by the pixel electrode corresponding to each display line and a common electrode, is charged, when the pixel TFT is turned ON by a pixel scanning signal on a pixel gate line, and is then discharged when the discharging TFT is turned ON by a discharging scanning signal on a discharging gate line. The source line is subjected to a 2-H dot inverse drive but to a charge share for every horizontal periods.
US08107031B2
A multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal display that does not require physical features on the substrate (such as protrusions and ITO slits) is disclosed. Each pixel of the MVA LCD is subdivided into color components, which are further divided into color dots. The drive component areas, i.e. where switching elements and storage capacitors are located, are converted to associated dots by adding an electrode that can be electrically biased. The voltage polarity of the color dots and associated dots are arranged so that fringe fields in each color dot causes multiple liquid crystal domains in each color dot. Specifically, the color dots and associated dots of a pixel are arranged so that associated dots have opposite polarity as compared to neighboring color dots.
US08107025B2
A display device includes a liquid crystal layer having opposing principal faces; a plurality of electrodes; and an illuminator for emitting light toward one of the principal faces of the liquid crystal layer. When a predetermined voltage is applied, the liquid crystal layer forms an intermediate layer containing liquid crystal molecules which are oriented in a different direction from that of the liquid crystal molecules in an anchoring layer, and causes linearly-polarized light which has been transmitted through the anchoring layer to be refracted toward the one principal face in or near the intermediate layer. White is displayed while no voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer, and black displaying is conducted while a voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer.
US08107011B2
Described herein is a method and system for video sequence evaluation in the presence of cross-chroma interference. When the luma and chroma components in an analog video sequence are separated, the luma component may add interference to the chroma component. This is called cross-chroma interference. In the evaluation of the video sequence, the cross-chroma interference may be interpreted as motion, noise, or other artifacts. By reducing the cross-chroma interference during the evaluation, motion and noise can be identified with greater probability. The proper identification can aid motion estimators used in video coding and motion compensated temporal filtering, and it can aid video filters that do not utilize motion compensation.
US08107009B2
The invention provides a television-connection-state detecting device that includes: a resistor element that outputs an analog video signal that is to be displayed on a television receiver; a reference voltage generation circuit that generates reference voltages for comparing a voltage signal level at the television-connection-terminal side end of the resistor element and a voltage signal level at the opposite-side end of the resistor element; a first clamping circuit that clamps a voltage signal level at the television-connection-terminal side end of the resistor element at the first reference voltage; a second clamping circuit that clamps a voltage signal level at the opposite-side end of the resistor element at the second reference voltage; a comparison circuit; and a judging unit that judges whether an analog video signal input device is connected to the television connection terminal or not on the basis of a voltage signal level outputted from the comparison circuit.
US08107004B2
An imaging device includes an imaging optical system including at least one movable optical element; an image sensor, an imaging surface of which lies on an image-forming plane of the imaging optical system; a circuit board on which the image sensor is mounted; and an image processing circuit for processing an image signal output from the image sensor and a drive circuit for the movable optical element, both of the image processing circuit and the drive circuit are mounted on the circuit board. The image processing circuit and the drive circuit are disposed on the circuit board in that order from a side closer to the image sensor.
US08106999B2
A focus adjustment apparatus including a face detector for detecting a person's face included in an image obtained by photographing, an eye detector for detecting an eye of the person included in the image, an evaluation value calculator for calculating an evaluation value representing the depth of field at the position of the detected face, and a focus adjuster for selectively performing the following based on the evaluation value: (a) performing focus adjustment to bring at least the detected face into focus, and (b) causing the eye detector to detect an eye of the person and performing focus adjustment to bring the detected eye into focus.
US08106998B2
In an image pickup apparatus of the present invention, an image of an object is picked up and an image signal representing the object is continuously captured so that a through-the-lens image is displayed based on the captured image signal, and then a display area for displaying focusing information is composited into the through-the-lens image of a displaying device. In addition, based on the captured image signal, an automatic focus adjustment is performed to maximize the contrast of the object, and the result of the focus adjustment is detected. Based on the detected focusing condition, focusing information which is composited into the display area is changed. The focusing information includes at least focusing information of an unfocused condition and focusing information of a focused condition. This enables information that a desired area of an object became focused to be displayed to a user in a manner easy to understand.
US08106992B2
A taking lens 10 of an automatic focusing system of an optical path length difference type is configured so that AF object light is branched from a main optical path that guides object light to a video imaging device 26 of a camera main body 14, and object images are formed on AF imaging devices 22A and 22B. A ⅔ type CCD is used as the video imaging device 26, and a ⅓ type CCD, that is easily available and cheap, is used as the AF imaging devices 22A and 22B. In view of that sizes of the AF imaging devices 22A and 22B are smaller than that of the video imaging device 26, the object images formed on the AF imaging devices 22A and 22B are reduced by a reduction optical system 17.
US08106985B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus including: a pixel section having a first pixel shielded from light and a second pixel provided in a region over which an object image is formed; a delay circuit having delay devices connected into a multiple of stages for giving to a running pulse a delay amount corresponding to a difference between an analog output value of each pixel from the pixel section and an analog reference value; an encoder to be reset by the unit of pixel with sampling and encoding a running position of the pulse at every predetermined timing; a first storage section for retaining an encoded value corresponding to the first pixel; a second storage section for retaining an encoded value corresponding to the second pixel; and a differential circuit for computing and outputting as a digital pixel signal a difference between an output from the first storage section and an output from the second storage section.
US08106981B2
An image photographing apparatus and method, and more particularly, an image photographing apparatus and method that may divide each unit sensor of an image sensor into a high-sensitivity sensor and a low-sensitivity sensor and sense an incident optical signal using the high-sensitivity sensor and the low-sensitivity sensor. The image photographing apparatus may include a light reception unit receiving an optical signal, a sensor unit sensing the optical signal, which is incident to a pixel region, using a plurality of sensors with different sensitivity and converting the sensed optical signal into a plurality of electrical signals, and a signal extraction unit extracting the quantity of accumulated electric charge for the optical signal, which was sensed by each of the sensors, with reference to each of the electrical signals.
US08106977B2
The present invention aims at obtaining a high-quality video signal by reducing tone jumps. A second grayscale conversion characteristic is calculated from a video signal to which a first grayscale conversion process has been applied using a first grayscale conversion characteristic used to convert an M-bit video signal into an N-bit video signal, where M and N are integers and M is larger than N. The first grayscale conversion characteristic is corrected by using the second grayscale conversion characteristic. The first grayscale conversion process is applied to the video signal by using the corrected first grayscale conversion characteristic.
US08106975B2
An analog dark-signal averaging circuit and method for an image sensor are disclosed. Each sub-circuit of the dark-signal averaging circuit correspondingly inputs a signal from a pixel circuit of the image sensor, and each sub-circuit includes a correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit. The capacitors of the sub-circuits are controllably coupled by average switches, thereby averaging the reset signals and the image signals among the black pixels.
US08106973B2
There is provided an image processing method configured to process an image captured by using an optical system with a wide view angle and a large magnification chromatic aberration, wherein a magnification chromatic aberration correction is conducted by conducting no coordinate transformation for an image of a particular color component while conducting a coordinate transformation for only an image of a color component except the particular color component. There is also provided an image processing device configured to process an image captured by using an optical system with a wide view angle and a magnification chromatic aberration, including a magnification chromatic aberration correction device configured to conduct a magnification chromatic aberration correction by conducting no coordinate transformation for an image of a particular color component while conducting a coordinate transformation for only an image of a color component except the particular color component.
US08106972B2
A device for noise reduction is provided. The device includes a noise reduction three-dimensional look-up table (LUT) and a noise reduction unit. The noise reduction LUT transforms an input image into a noise reduction factor and noise reduction threshold for each color component of each pixel of the input image. The noise reduction unit performs noise reduction on the input image based on the noise reduction factors and noise reduction thresholds determined from the noise reduction LUT.
US08106971B2
A method and apparatus for estimating signal-dependent noise in a camera module are provided, in which an image is decomposed into high frequency components and low frequency components, a variance of noise in the image is estimated using the low frequency components, noise is eliminated from the high frequency components using the estimated noise variance, and the image is recovered using the noise-eliminated high frequency components and the low frequency components.
US08106970B2
An estimated noise shape estimated to be included in the signal to be corrected is calculated based on a calibration signal including a noise correlating with the noise of the signal to be corrected so as to correct a noise of a signal to be corrected. A correction value of a noise shape is generated by attenuating an amplitude of the estimated noise shape, and the noise of the signal to be corrected is corrected by using the correction value of the noise shape thus generated.
US08106961B2
An appropriate white balance coefficient is calculated using an evaluation value of a specific chromaticity or an imaging condition, in addition to face area detection information, in the following manner. A first white balance coefficient is calculated by a first white balance coefficient calculation unit based on a color image, and a second white balance coefficient is calculated by a second white balance coefficient calculation unit based on a specific subject of the color image. Then, a third white balance coefficient is calculated by a white balance combining unit by weighting the first white balance coefficient and the second white balance coefficient based on an evaluation result of a specific chromaticity evaluation unit or an imaging condition of an imaging condition control unit.
US08106959B2
The present invention provides an image capturing apparatus comprising an image capturing element configured to convert an optical image into an image signal, a signal processing unit configured to apply signal processing to the image signal and to output the processed image signal, a super-resolution processing unit configured to apply, when a still image of the object is to be captured during capturing of a moving image of the object, super-resolution processing for enhancing a resolution by compositing a plurality of image signals output from the signal processing unit, and outputting an image signal required to generate the still image of the object, and an APC correction unit configured to apply APC correction processing for emphasizing an edge of each of the image signal output from the signal processing unit and the image signal output from the super-resolution processing unit, and to output the processed image signal.
US08106957B2
An image signal generated by a CCD image sensor is processed by the block-generating section 28 provided in an image-signal processing section 25. A class tap and a prediction tap are thereby extracted. The class tap is output to an ADRC process section 29, and the prediction tap is output to an adaptation process section 31. The ADRC process section 29 performs an ADRC process on the input image signal, generating characteristic data. A classification process section 30 generates a class code corresponding to the characteristic data thus generated and supplies the same to an adaptation process section 31. The adaptation process section 31 reads, from a coefficient memory 32, the set of prediction coefficients which corresponds to the class code. The set of prediction coefficients and the prediction tap are applied, thereby generating all color signals, i.e., R, G and B signals, at the positions of the pixels which are to be processed.
US08106950B2
A digital camera includes: an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject, and outputs the captured image; a shake amount detection unit that detects a shake amount of the digital camera; a shake correction actuation unit that is actuated for enabling a shake correction function; and a control unit that, when the shake correction actuation unit is actuated, enables an operation of a first shake correction function that sets image capture conditions of the image-capturing unit to image capture conditions in which emphasis is placed upon high sensitivity, and an operation of a second shake correction function that performs shake correction processing by performing image processing upon the image captured by the image-capturing unit, and moreover controls, based upon the shake amount detected by the shake amount detection unit, whether or not the second shake correction function, whose operation has been enabled, can be applied to the image.
US08106949B2
A projection system uses a transformation matrix to transform a projection image p in such a manner so as to compensate for surface irregularities on a projection surface. The transformation matrix makes use of properties of light transport relating a projector to a camera. A display pipeline of user-supplied image modification processing modules are reduced by first representing the processing modules as multiple, individual matrix operations. All the matrix operations are then combined with, i.e., multiplied to, the transformation matrix to create a modified transformation matrix. The created transformation matrix is then used in place of the original transformation matrix to simultaneously achieve both image transformation and any pre and post image processing defined by the image modification processing modules.
US08106941B2
The present invention discloses a stereoscopic display apparatus comprising a first and a second image displayer, an aspherical reflection mirror, a beamsplitter and a housing. The first and the second image displayer are used for projecting a first and a second image light respectively. The aspherical reflection mirror is used for refracting the image light and for changing a polarity of the image light. The beamsplitter, disposed between the image generator and the aspherical reflection mirror, is used for deflecting a proceeding route of the image light based on the polarity of the optical signal. The housing has at least one opening for an operator to inspect a first image and a second image through.
US08106937B2
Stereoscopic device including an image directing assembly, an image differentiator and an image detector, the image directing assembly having a first light inlet for receiving a first image and a second light inlet for receiving a second image, the first light inlet being spaced apart from the second light inlet, the image differentiator differentiating between the first image and the second image, wherein the image directing assembly directs the first image to the image detector via a common path, and wherein the image directing assembly directs the second image to the image detector via the common path.
US08106929B2
A peak intensity level control device that controls a peak intensity level in a self light-emitting display module of an active matrix driving type is disclosed. The device includes: an average picture value calculation section that calculates an average picture value of display data to be supplied to the self light-emitting display module; a driving condition control section that controls, at a time of performing intensity-up driving with respect to the peak intensity level, a driving condition of the self light-emitting display module so as to be able to derive the peak intensity level suited for the average picture value; and a gamma change section that applies, at the time of performing the intensity-up driving with respect to the peak intensity level, a gamma change to the display data so as not to increase power consumption compared with driving with the peak intensity level of a standard value.
US08106925B2
A system for composing pictorial/video image contents where the Face Image which the User designates (FIU) is reflected is disclosed. The system provides a series of pictorial/video image composing pipe line for changing the face of a specific source character that appears in pictorial/video image contents to a FIU pattern and guides a video related company (for example, a producer, a distributor, a sales agency (provider), etc.) to establish a base infra for producing/manufacturing/marketing a video on demand (VOD) content that reflects individual desire of a user so that it can satisfy user needs in changing the face image of a specific character appearing in pictorial/video image contents into the face image of a favorite person (or the user designates, for example, his/her own face image, the face image of his/her acquaintance, the face image of a specific celebrity, the face image of a specific politician, and so on).
US08106918B2
A graphic processing system to compute a texture level of detail. An embodiment of the graphic processing system includes a memory device, a driver, and level of detail computation logic. The memory device is configured to implement a first lookup table. The first lookup table is configured to provide a first level of detail component. The driver is configured to calculate a log value of a second level of detail component. The level of detail computation logic is coupled to the memory device and the driver. The level of detail computation logic is configured to compute a level of detail for a texture mapping operation based on the first level of detail component from the lookup table and the second level of detail component from the driver. Embodiments of the graphic processing system facilitate a simple hardware implementation using operations other than multiplication, square, and square root operations.
US08106916B1
One embodiment of the invention sets forth a computing system for performing cryptographic computations. The computing system comprises a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, and a driver. The central processing requests a cryptographic computation. In response, the driver downloads microcode to perform the cryptographic computation to the graphics processing unit and the graphics processing unit executes microcode. This offloads cryptographic computations from the CPU. As a result, cryptographic computations are performed faster and more efficiently on the GPU, freeing resources on the CPU for other tasks.
US08106912B2
To reduce the required amount of program codes when processing the whole image in a one-dimensional SIMD parallel image processing system having a smaller number of PEs than the number of pixels in the width direction of the image to be processed. A controller for controlling a PE array includes a command repetitive-execution part, which includes an operand converting part, a memory address converting part, and an operation code converting part. When a command fetching/decoding part reads and executes program codes stored in a program memory, the repetitive-execution part determines the program codes to cause the operand converting part, memory address converting part and operation code converting part to perform conversions in accordance with the command, thereby performing a repetitive execution of the one-command program description adaptive to a plurality of related pixels assigned to the PEs, whereby the program code amount can be reduced.
US08106911B2
Capturing motion, including: coupling at least one body marker on at least one body point of at least one actor; coupling at least one facial marker on at least one facial point of the at least one actor; arranging a plurality of motion capture cameras around a periphery of a motion capture volume, the plurality of motion capture cameras is arranged such that substantially all laterally exposed surfaces of the at least one actor while in motion within the motion capture volume are within a field of view of at least one of the plurality of motion capture cameras at substantially all times; attaching at least one wearable motion capture camera to the at least one actor, wherein substantially all of the at least one facial marker and the at least one body marker on the at least one actor are within a field of view of the at least one wearable motion capture camera.
US08106900B2
A method of controlling an electro-optical element that includes a memory type electro-optical layer between a pixel electrode and a common electrode is described. The method includes suspending supplying power to a display driving circuit and a latch circuit and subsequently resupplying power to the display driving circuit. The method includes subsequently applying a first voltage to the common electrode using the display driving circuit and subsequently applying a second voltage to the common electrode using the display driving circuit. The second voltage (i) is different from the first voltage and (ii) varies a potential of the pixel electrode according to a charge state of the memory type electro-optical layer. The method includes subsequently applying a third voltage to the common electrode using the display driving circuit, wherein the third voltage is between the first voltage and the second voltage. The method further includes subsequently resupplying power to the latch.
US08106894B2
A projector capable of projecting a gray-level image for adjusting a color wheel delay includes a housing, a light source installed in the housing, a color wheel, an image modulator, a control circuit, and a scalar. The color wheel separates the light from the light source into color light. The image modulator modulates the color light from the color wheel and projects the color light to form an image on a screen. The control circuit connected to the image modulator controls the image modulator to operate synchronously with the color wheel. The scalar connected to the image modulator generates a gray-level image signal. The image modulator modulates the color light and forms a gray-level image on the screen by receiving the gray-level image signal from the scalar. The control circuit adjusts the image modulator to operate synchronously with the color wheel according to the gray-level image signal.
US08106888B2
The present invention provides a touch sensitive input device that uses vibrations due to touch impacts and/or frictional movement of a touch implement across a surface to determine information related to the touch, such as touch position. The present invention also provides for detecting lift-off events in such vibration sensing input devices. Lift-off detection can be accomplished by monitoring for a signal that indicates a sustained touch on the touch plate, and correlating a change in such a signal with a lift-off event. Signals indicating a sustained touch can include low frequency rumbles coupled into the touch plate via the touch implement, touch plate bending under the force of a sustained touch, and touch plate displacement under the force of a sustained touch.
US08106881B2
A method by which a user may move windows from one location to another on a screen of a portable computing device is provided. In accordance with the method, when the device is in window manipulation mode, the user needs only tilt the device toward a destination location and the windows are moved toward that location. Tilt detectors in the device sense an angle of tilt and provide the tilt angle as feedback to a processor. The processor, under proper software instructions, moves the windows toward the destination location on the screen based on the tilt angle. The greater the tilt angle, the faster the windows are moved toward the destination location.
US08106879B2
An exemplary backlight control circuit for changing a brightness of a light source includes a coarse adjusting circuit and a fine adjusting circuit. The coarse adjusting circuit is configured to coarsely adjust a DC voltage according to one received coarse adjusting signal. The fine adjusting circuit is configured to finely adjust the DC voltage according to one received fine adjusting signal. A change of the DC voltage generated by the coarse adjusting circuit is greater than another change of the DC voltage generated by the fine adjusting circuit.
US08106868B2
A pixel structure includes a first scan line, a second scan line, a third scan line, a data line, a first thin film transistor (TFT), a second TFT, a third TFT, a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode. Particularly, the second scan line and the third scan line are electrically connected with each other. The first TFT is electrically connected with the first scan line and the data line. The second TFT is electrically connected with the first TFT and the second scan line. Furthermore, the third TFT is electrically connected with the third scan line and the data line. In addition, the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode are respectively electrically connected with the second TFT and the third TFT.
US08106866B2
An exemplary method for establishing a gamma correction table for a liquid crystal display includes: providing a liquid crystal display, a signal generator, and a color analyzer, the liquid crystal display comprising a predetermined gamma correction table; invalidating a predetermined gamma correction table of the liquid crystal display; initializing the liquid crystal display, the signal generator, and the color analyzer; measuring 2n (n is a natural number) reference gray scales of a single-colored image; obtaining a single-colored correction curve relating to luminance values corresponding the reference gray scales; obtaining an ideal single-colored gamma curve; storing 256 gray scales corresponding to the luminance values that most close to the luminance values of gray scale 0 to gray scale 255; and establishing a gamma correction table.
US08106858B2
The present invention provides a display board (30) comprising an array of light emitting elements (31), a driving means (32) for driving the light emitting elements (31) with image data, and an aging determination means (33). The aging determination means (33) comprises one or more light emitting elements for emitting light representative of the light emitted by the light emitting elements (31) of the display board (30), and at least one reference light emitting element (35) which, during use of the display board (30) is not driven. At the time of an intermediate calibration, the at least one reference light emitting element (35) is driven with calibration data and the light emitted by the reference light emitting element (35) is measured, as well as light representative of the light emitted by the light emitting elements. The difference between the light emitted by the at least one reference light emitting element (35) and the light representative of the light emitted by the light emitting elements is a measure for the degree of aging of the light emitting elements (31) of the array.
US08106857B2
A light driving device comprises a signal generator, a demultiplexer and a light driving circuit. The signal generator generates a signal. The demultiplexer converts the signal to at least a control signal. The light driving circuit is controlled by the control signal.
US08106854B2
A composite display may include a compound paddle having a plurality of components and configured to sweep out an area. A plurality of pixel elements may be mounted on at least one component of the plurality of components. Selectively activating one or more of the plurality of pixel elements while the compound paddle sweeps the area causes can cause at least a portion of an image to be rendered.
US08106851B2
Artificial materials, such as metamaterials, include adjustable properties. In some approaches the properties are adjustable according to active feedback of interaction with electromagnetic waves.
US08106845B2
The inventive antenna comprises a planar substrate carrying as first winding whose axis is arranged in a parallel position to the plane of the substrate. Said antenna also comprises at least one second winding, whose axis is arranged in a parallel position to the plane of the substrate and which is wound-up about a thin layer made of high magnetically permeable material and arranged in a parallel position with respect to the plane of the substrate. A third winding, whose axis is perpendicular to the first and second windings and which is wound-up about an additional thin layer can be provided. Said additional thin layer is arranged in a parallel position to the plane of the substrate and is made of high magnetically permeable material.
US08106844B2
A magnetic member is interposed and arranged between an antenna element and a printed circuit board, and an air member or a dielectric member is interposed between the antenna element and the magnetic member. The magnetic member is constituted of a nanogranular structure in which magnetic nanoparticles with ferromagnetism are three-dimensionally dispersed and arranged in an insulating matrix substrate.
US08106839B2
A multi-band antenna has a strip-shaped first radiating portion disposed levelly. An end of a long side of the first radiating portion is extended downwardly to form a first grounding portion. A strip-shaped second radiating portion is disposed in alignment with and spaced from the first radiating portion. A long side of the second radiating portion is extended downwards to form a feeding portion at an end thereof away from the first radiating portion. A third radiating portion, which is stretched levelly and oppositely from an end of the second radiating portion adjacent to the feeding portion, is longer than the second radiating portion and has a long side extended downwardly to form a fixing portion adjacent to a free end thereof. The feeding portion and the fixing portion are located at the same side as the first grounding portion with respect to the first, second and third radiating portion.
US08106831B2
A circuit board is provided. The circuit board including a dielectric substrate; a ground electrode formed on the dielectric substrate; a radiation line formed on the dielectric substrate, at least a part of the radiation line including an open end and opposed to the ground electrode; a feeding line connected to the other end of the radiation line, the feeding line configured to feed high frequency signals to the radiation line or receive high frequency signals generated in the radiation line; a short-circuit line formed on the dielectric substrate and connected to the radiation line; a short-circuit element configured to short-circuit the short-circuit line and the ground electrode; and a connection terminal provided on the short-circuit line, wherein the connection terminal connects one end of the short-circuit element to the short-circuit line at a connection position and is configured so that the connection position is changeable.
US08106828B1
An apparatus for location identification using broadcast wireless signal signatures includes a receiver to receive first measurements of a plurality of wireless television signals. The first measurements are made by a remote device receiving the plurality of wireless television signals. In addition, the apparatus includes a processor to select one or more of a plurality of possible locations of the remote device based on the first measurements and a plurality of associations each associating one of the possible locations with expected values. Moreover, the receiver receives second measurements of the wireless television signals made by one or more monitor units, and the processor generates the expected values for the first measurements and the associations based on the second measurements and the locations of the one or more monitor units.
US08106826B2
An antenna has multiple antenna elements, with a beam forming Butler matrix, having antenna ports and input/output ports, with each of said antenna elements being connected to a respective port of the beam forming Butler matrix. Transceiver circuitry is connected to each of the input/output ports of the beam forming matrix by means of respective distinct transmit and receive paths and a respective duplexer. Individually controllable gain control elements are located in each of the transmit and receive paths. These can be controlled in response to signal strength measurements made by the antenna.
US08106822B2
A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) device, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) device, uses satellite orbital position information from almanac and/or ephemeris data to change a search parameter, such as reducing the number of analyzed frequency bins or setting signal strength threshold, so that satellite signal acquisition times are reduced. An exemplary embodiment estimates an orbital position for at least one GNSS satellite based upon at least one of almanac data and ephemeris data, detects a signal emitted from the at least one GNSS satellite, and based upon the estimated orbital position information for the at least one GNSS satellite that is determined from the almanac data and the ephemeris data, adjusts at least one parameter used in the analysis of the detected signal.
US08106816B2
A set of device parameters consisting of clock bias and position of a mobile device is determined without previous knowledge of the week number (WN) in that solutions of a set of equations derived from a least squares type weight function involving pseudoranges related to the device parameters via basic equations are attempted with a time of week (TOW) extracted from satellite signals and various week number candidates. A solution algorithm which iteratively solves the set of equations is used, each iteration step involving a linearization of the latter and resulting in corrections of the device parameters. After elimination of week numbers where the solution algorithm does not yield a solution a valid week number is selected from the remaining week numbers in that a deviation value is determined which reflects differential terms, i.e., differences between pseudorange values as measured and as derived from the set of device parameters according to the solution, e.g., by evaluation of the weight function. The week number yielding the smallest deviation value is selected. If the week number is confirmed by various checks the device parameters according to the corresponding solution are used, e.g., displayed, by the mobile device.
US08106809B2
A switched capacitor sigma-delta modulator or another analog-to-digital converter (ADC) uses chopper stabilization. Chopping clock transitions are performed during non-active periods of the sampling clock phases, reducing disturbance of the circuit caused by chopping and increasing the time available for settling of the circuit given a particular sampling frequency. An asynchronous state machine may govern sampling and chopping clock transitions. In embodiments, inactive transition of a first sampling clock causes inactive transition of a second chopping clock, which in turn causes active transition of a first chopping clock. The next inactive transition of the first sampling clock causes inactive transition of the first chopping clock, which causes an active transition of the second chopping clock.
US08106802B2
In one embodiment, an opto-electronic analog-to-digital converter is provided that includes: an optical comb generator for generating a plurality of optical comb lines; a tunable optical filter adapted to select a portion of the optical comb lines responsive to an analog signal being digitized; a diffractive media for spatially mapping the selected optical comb lines and an array of photodetectors for detecting the spatially mapped optical comb lines.
US08106798B2
A parallel to serial conversion circuit makes output data normally swing even in a high-speed operation. The parallel to serial conversion circuit includes a main selection block configured to drive an output node sequentially in response to data on a first line and data on a second line, and a subsequent selection block configured to drive the output node sequentially in response to data on a subsequent first line and data on a subsequent second line, wherein the output node is driven by inverted data of the data on the subsequent first line and inverted data of the data on the subsequent second line.
US08106795B2
A mobile device comprises a pointing device 11 for receiving an input of a moving direction from a user, an acceleration detection unit 14 for detecting an acceleration caused by a fluctuation, and a correction unit 16 for correcting the moving direction vector inputted from the pointing device 11 by subtracting a vector on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit 14 from a vector as inputted from the pointing device 11 on the moving direction. The mobile device can be ensured in mobility, even in case an abrupt fluctuation occurs at an inputting work during a movement using a transit system accompanied by fluctuations, while preventing any erroneous operation.
US08106785B2
To enable an air velocity of sampling air to be precisely measured, a smoke detector (S) includes: a smoke detection part (22) connected to a sampling pipe (11); a fan (12) that sucks sampling air (SA) into the sampling pipe; and an air velocity sensor (15) that measures an air velocity of the sampling air within the sampling pipe. The air velocity sensor (15) is disposed at a primary side of the fan (12), and a straightening vane (25) is disposed between the air velocity sensor (15) and a suction port (12a) of the fan (12).
US08106778B2
A method and system for tracking variable conditions using radio frequency identification (RFID) are disclosed. In embodiments of the present invention, an RFID sensor tag is used to measure a condition. The condition can be any measurable condition such as location, temperature, humidity, pressure, time, date, inertial measurements, etc. Variable data representing the measured condition is read from the RFID sensor tag in order to track the measured condition. The variable data can be read from RFID sensor tags in addition to reading tag identification data from RFID tags, so that the variable data can be associated with tag identification data.
US08106768B2
The method of operation applies to a self-powered home automation sensor device for detecting the existence of and/or for measuring the intensity of a first physical phenomenon, comprising a means of converting an effect of a second physical phenomenon into electrical energy and a means of determining the instantaneous power of this second physical phenomenon that can be converted into electrical energy, wherein a normal, first mode of operation of the device or an energy-saving second mode of operation of the device is activated according to a value defined on the basis of the determination of the instantaneous power that can be converted into electrical energy.
US08106764B2
There is provided a system for remote monitoring a plurality of security systems connected to the Internet, the security systems being assigned dynamic IP addresses, each of the security systems comprising a remote monitoring server module, the system comprising a central alarm monitoring service connected to the Internet for periodically communicating with the plurality of security systems and determining a status thereof to generate an alarm signal as a function of the status, the alarm monitoring service storing a current IP address of the plurality of security systems in an IP address database, and a remote monitoring gateway providing authenticated or unauthenticated dynamic domain name service (DDNS) server functionality to connect a given remote monitoring client to a desired one of the security systems, the gateway being connected to the IP address database and to the Internet. There is further provided a method of remote monitoring a security system.
US08106757B2
Techniques are disclosed for validating that an operator has moved a portable device sufficiently close to an inspection point to enable the operator to perform an inspection. A first exemplary technique employs a first portable device that includes a sensor for detecting the inspection point, a speaker, and stored audible prompts to facilitate the inspection, but no display on which visual prompts for facilitating the inspection can be provided. An alternative second exemplary technique employs a second portable device having a sensor for detecting the inspection point, and a wireless transmitter. This second portable device generates and immediately transmits a signal to a remote receiver indicating that the operator has moved the portable device sufficiently close to the inspection point to enable the operator to perform the inspection. Accordingly, the second portable device need not include a memory for storing the signal.
US08106756B2
An adaptive interface providing apparatus and method of setting an individual degree of attention for a specific driver based on an average degree of attention are provided. The adaptive interface providing apparatus includes a statistics database unit which analyze a predetermined statistical population, extracts a context feature including an average degree of attention required when a driving operation, a state of a car, or an external environment changes, a degree of attention required for interface manipulation when a driver manipulates interfaces of a car, and a similarity between the functions of the interfaces using at least one of a sensor, an RFID, and a GPS and stores and manages the context feature; an adjusting unit which senses a change in at least one of the driving operation, the state of a car, and the external environment using at least one of the sensor, the RFID, and the GPS and adjusts an individual degree of attention based on the extracted context feature and the average degree of attention according to the sensed change; and a safety determining unit which determines whether or not a sum of the individual degree of attention and the degree of attention required for interface manipulation when the driver manipulates the interfaces is larger than a predetermined threshold degree of safety attention required for safe driving.
US08106754B2
When an insulation resistance value of an ignition plug is smaller than a prescribed value, an engine operation state is switched so as to raise a temperature of the ignition plug, thereby promoting deposit cleaning. Such a measures-against-deposit carrying-out state is counted. When a count value exceeds a certain value, that is, when the measures against deposit have sufficiently been performed but the insulation resistance value of the ignition plug is smaller than the prescribed value, it is determined that conductive deposit has adhered to the ignition plug, and for example, an alarm light is turned on in order to urge a driver to perform maintenance of the ignition plug.
US08106751B2
A visual ability improvement device installed in a vehicle includes a noise generator, a surrounding situation detector, a driver status detector, a vehicle status detector, an operation switch, and a noise output device. A controller of the noise generator determines an optimum strength based on the surrounding situation from the surrounding situation detector, the driver's status from the driver status detector, the vehicle's status from the vehicle status detector, and the correspondence of the optimum representative noise to the above situation and statuses from the correspondence memory. Then the controller generates a noise with the determined the optimum representative noise strength, and outputs to the noise output device such as passenger compartment light a control signal which depends on the generated noise.
US08106750B2
A method for recognizing a control command and a control device using the same that can efficiently increase the recognition rate for a control command that includes a button input and/or speech input. The method includes receiving information input by a user; extracting a control command, which is mapped to a control object, to which a command focus is set, and the input information, with reference to predetermined reference information if the control object exists; and outputting a control signal according to the extracted control command.
US08106749B2
A method and a system are provided for controlling a controller without physically touching the controller. A hand or other object interacts with a field surrounding the controller, altering the field. A change in characteristic of the altered field causes a corresponding movement of the controller that, in turn, corresponds to an amount of change in a parameter of a target device being controlled by the controller. The parameter of the target device is controlled by the controller while a user has no physical contact with the controller.
US08106748B2
A remote-controlled motion apparatus is controlled by a remote control apparatus. The remote control apparatus transmits a target motion signal by radio. The remote-controlled motion apparatus includes a communication module, an acceleration sensing module, a processing module and a driving module. The communication module receives the target motion signal from the remote control apparatus. The acceleration sensing module senses an acceleration of the remote-controlled motion apparatus to output an acceleration sensing signal. The processing module is coupled with the acceleration sensing module and the communication module, and processes the acceleration sensing signal and the target motion signal to output a driving control signal. The driving module is coupled with the processing module to receive the driving control signal, and adjusts the driving of the remote-controlled motion apparatus according to the driving control signal.
US08106741B2
One example of the present subject matter includes a first elongate section having a first flexible conductor enveloped by a first jacket; a second elongate section having a second flexible conductor enveloped by a second jacket; and an sensor section having an elongate flexible tubular shape, the sensor section housing a resistance temperature detector element which is at least partially coiled and which is resistance welded to the first flexible conductor at a first weld and to the second flexible conductor at a second weld; wherein the sensor section at least partially envelops and overlaps the first elongate section and the second elongate section, with a first band crimping the sensor section to the first elongate section, and a second band crimping the sensor section to the second elongate section, and with the first and second welds disposed between the first and second bands.
US08106736B2
In a solenoidal electromagnet arrangement for a magnetic resonance imaging system, annular inner coils and annular end coils are provided, all concentrically aligned about an axis, the end coils being placed at axial extremities, axially outside of the inner coils. A pair of annular outer coils are provided concentrically aligned about the axis. An arrangement is provided retaining the pair of outer coils against an axial force urging the outer coils away from one another. The arrangement comprises strap elements which extend around a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface and an axially outer surface of each outer coil in certain circumferential locations. Each strap element on one of the outer coils is linked to a corresponding strap element on the other outer coil of the pair by a tensile member.
US08106725B2
An acoustic wave filter device includes longitudinally coupled resonator-acoustic wave filters having a balanced-unbalanced conversion function, and increases the amount of attenuation in an attenuation band and improves the isolation characteristics when the acoustic wave filter device is used as a reception filter of a duplexer. The acoustic wave filter device includes an unbalanced terminal, first and second balanced terminals, first and second longitudinally coupled resonator-acoustic wave filters that are connected between the unbalanced terminal and the first balanced terminal and between the unbalanced terminal and the second balanced terminal, respectively, a first parallel resonator connected between the first balanced terminal and a ground potential, and a second parallel resonator connected between the second balanced terminal and the ground potential. The electrostatic capacitance of the first parallel resonator is different from the electrostatic capacitance of the second parallel resonator. Among the first parallel resonator and the second parallel resonator, the wavelength of the first parallel resonator having a relatively small electrostatic capacitance is shorter than the wavelength of the second parallel resonator having a relatively large electrostatic capacitance.
US08106717B2
A method includes causing a common-resonator mode resonating with a transition between |2>i and |3>i that are coupled to each other by a transition having a homogenous broadening ΔEhomo greater than an energy difference between |0>i and |1>i, an energy difference between |2>i and |3>i being greater than ΔEhomo, transferring states of m quantum bits represented by |0>k and |1>k to |4>k and |5>k, respectively, when a quantum-bit-gate operation using the common-resonator mode is executed between the quantum bits represented by m physical systems k, |E(|u>k)−E(|v>k)|>ΔEhomo, u, vε{2, 3, 4, 5}, u≠v, executing adiabatic passage between the physical systems k, using light that resonates with a transition between |3>k and |4>k and a transition between |3>k and |5>k, executing the quantum-bit-gate operation between the quantum bits, and transferring, to |0>k and |1>k, the states represented by |4>k and |5>k, respectively.
US08106714B2
An adjustable capacitor is provided including a capacitor unit including a plurality of capacitor groups aligned in a matrix format and a switch unit to adjust capacitance by connecting the plurality of capacitor groups in parallel according to a selection signal of a column and row of the matrix. Accordingly, the adjustable capacitor may be realized of a small size but with a high capacitance change rate.
US08106710B2
The present disclosure describes a variable gain transconductor having gain and/or linearity performance that are selectively controllable in operation. In one embodiment the gain and/or linearity performance are selectively controllable in response to the strength of an input signal, such as an incoming radio frequency (RF) signal to a radio receiver. In one embodiment, gain and/or linearity performance of the variable gain transconductor are selectively controllable by selecting or deselecting a number of operating bias cells. In one embodiment, gain and/or linearity performance of the variable gain transconductor are selectively controllable by selecting or deselecting a number of operating transconductance (gm) cells. In one embodiment, gain and/or linearity performance of the variable gain transconductor are selectively controllable by selecting or deselecting a combination of operating bias cells and gm cells. In one embodiment, the variable gain transconductor is configured to convert single-ended voltage input into a differential current output. In one embodiment, the variable gain transconductor is configured to convert differential voltage input into a differential current output.
US08106704B2
A device for generating a pumping voltage and preventing an excessive increase in the pumping voltage includes a pumping voltage output unit that outputs a pumping voltage and adjusts the level of the pumping voltage in order to maintain a target voltage. The level of the pumping voltage is adjusted in response to a change in the level of the pumping unit. A release unit is included to detect an excessive pumping voltage. The release unit adjusts the level of the pumping voltage when the pumping voltage reaches a predetermined excessive level by compulsively decreasing the pumping voltage to prevent damage in the DRAM.
US08106692B2
A method for tracking a delay locked loop (DLL) clock is described. An external clock signal is allowed to pass through delay cells of a DLL during a first period of the external clock signal when a transition edge of a track signal applied on the DLL occurs. Then, when a transition edge of a sensing signal applied on the DLL occurs at a start of a second period of the external clock signal, the external clock signal is inhibited to pass through the delay cells and the number of the delay cells through which the external signal pass during the first period of the external clock signal is counted. When a reset signal is asserted, a delay time of each delay cell is reset such that a ratio of the delay time to the period of the external clock signal is kept from 10% to 15%.
US08106687B2
A spread spectrum clock generator includes a triangular wave generator, a digital wave modulator, a sigma delta modulator, and a selector. The triangular wave generator transforms one of the input clock signals into an original triangular wave signal, in which the input clock signals have the same frequency and phases different from each other. The digital wave modulator adjusts the waveform of the original triangular wave signal to generate an adjusted triangular wave signal and a first square wave signal according to an inputted control signal. The sigma delta modulator, electrically connected to the digital wave modulator, accumulates magnitude values of the adjusted triangular wave signal to generate a second square wave signal. The selector selects one of the input clock signals as an output clock signal based on voltage levels of the first square wave signal and the second square wave signal.
US08106686B2
An integrated circuit includes an input terminal for applying an input signal, a further input terminal for applying a further input signal having a level differing from the level of the initial input signal, an output terminal for providing an output signal, a switching unit having a controllable switch, which is arranged between the input terminal and the output terminal, and a further switching unit, which is arranged between the further input terminal and the output terminal. The integrated circuit is operated in a first and subsequent second operating state. The controllable switch of the switching unit is controlled to be conductive in the first and second operating state. In the first operating state, the output signal is provided in dependence on the level of the input signal, and in the second operating state in dependence on the level of the second input signal.
US08106685B2
A signal receiver includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a first transistor, a second transistor and a variable load. The first and the second transistors each include a gate electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode. The gate electrode of the first transistor is coupled to the first input signal terminal, the gate electrode of the second transistor is coupled to the second input signal terminal, and the variable load is coupled to the first electrode of the first transistor, where a resistance of the first variable load is adjusted to make a DC level at an output node of the signal receiver keep a constant value.
US08106680B1
Apparatuses for reducing power consumption in a programmable logic device (PLD) with a self power down mechanism are disclosed. Methods and a machine readable medium for restoring a prior known state are provided. The prior known state is stored in a memory module before the PLD is powered down and the same state is restored from the memory module when the PLD is powered up. The memory module may be an internal or an external non-volatile or volatile memory source. One sector of the memory may be used to store the previous known state. The memory sector can be partitioned into different sections. One section may be used as a header section associated with a data storage section. Partitioning the memory sector into different sections and utilizing multiple addresses from each section ensure less read and write cycles during the powering down and the powering up of the PLD.
US08106678B2
A semiconductor device including first and second power lines, and first and second circuit blocks coupled between the power lines. A first switching element is inserted between the first circuit block and at least one of the power lines and a second switching element is inserted between the second circuit block and at least one of the power lines. The first switching element is rendered conductive to allow the first circuit block to receive the power voltage through the first and second power lines while the second switching element is rendered nonconductive to prevent the second circuit block from receiving the power voltage through the first and second power lines, so that a leakage current flowing through the second circuit is suppressed.
US08106674B2
Provided is a method for measuring one or more properties of liquid crystals in an automated manner. Also provided is a liquid crystal analysis instrument (LCAS) that automatically measures one or more properties of liquid crystals.
US08106672B2
According to one embodiment, a substrate inspection apparatus includes a probe socket, a probe pin, and an adaptor. The probe socket is fixed to an inspection jig on which a substrate is provided, one end of the probe socket being connected to a processor. The probe pin is attached to the other end portion of the probe socket, includes a tip shape conforming to an inspection point of the substrate with which the probe pin is in contact, and including at least one of a projection and a groove designed to specify the tip shape on a side on which the probe pin is attached to the probe socket. The adaptor is attached to the other end portion of the probe socket, and including a through hole formed in conformity with the shape of the side on which the probe pin is attached to the probe socket.
US08106669B2
A resistance testing apparatus makes use of a modular design for cascaded, parallel, bipolar current sources to obviate the need for electromechanical or pneumatic switching systems.
US08106662B2
A sensor product web for electric field sensing. The sensor includes a substrate, sequential electrically conductive areas on a surface of the substrate, conductors, an output connected to the electrically conductive areas by one of the conductors, and a via extending through the substrate, forming an electrically conductive path connecting the electrically conductive areas to the output by the conductor on a reverse surface of the substrate.
US08106660B1
A sonde array that is useful in locating buried utilities includes at least three substantially mutually orthogonal antennas. Each antenna includes a substantially cylindrical ferromagnetic core, an insulating layer surrounding the core, and a length of a conductor wrapped around the insulating layer to form a coil. The coils of the antennas are substantially identical.
US08106658B2
An identification code circuit for a receiving coil in a magnetic resonance imaging system, is embodied in a main coil. The circuit has a fixed resistance for generating the identification code of the main coil. The main coil has a socket for connecting a sub-coil, so that a coil plug of a sub-coil can be plugged into the socket for connecting to the main coil. The identification code circuit also has a regulating resistance and a sub-coil switch corresponding to the socket. The coil plug of the sub-coil is plugged into the socket to close the sub-coil switch, so that the values of the regulating resistance and said fixed resistance are added together to form a combined resistance value. After said main coil has been connected to a magnetic resonance imaging system, an identification code source voltage value across the combined resistance value is the identification code of the combined main coil and sub-coil. A receiving circuit identification code thus can be generated simply and with reduced cost.
US08106649B2
An angle detecting apparatus includes a rotor fixed to a rotating shaft, a pair of magnetic sensors arranged opposite each other so as to output a first detection signal and a second detection signal, respectively, each of which contains information on the angle of rotation of the rotor, a differential operational circuit performing differential operation on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, and an angle calculating circuit calculating the angle of rotation of the rotating shaft based on the result of the differential operation by the differential operational circuit. Here, the distance between two points where a straight line passing through the center of rotation of the rotor crosses the outer periphery of the rotor is constant.
US08106638B2
An exemplary power control circuit (24) includes a scaler circuit (245) configured for outputting a control signal, a voltage converter (27) configured for converting a received voltage into a plurality of desired voltages, a first control unit (28), a second control unit (29), and a coupling circuit (26). The first control unit is configured for controlling whether a first voltage is applied to the voltage converter. The second control unit is configured for controlling whether to transmit a second voltage applied thereto. The coupling circuit is between the first and second control units. The coupling circuit enables the second control unit to function ahead of the voltage converter according to the control signal.
US08106634B2
A switching power supply includes a switching element connected to a power supply voltage and performs ON and OFF operation; a control circuit; a coil; a capacitor connected to the coil and performs a rectifying operation with the coil; an oscillator to output an oscillator signal to the control circuit; a first comparator for comparing a current detection voltage which transforms a detection current flowing through the coil into a voltage, and the feedback voltage according to a difference of a voltage according to an output voltage with a reference voltage; and a second comparator for comparing a deep threshold voltage set as a value higher than the current detection voltage and is lower than the power supply voltage, with the feedback voltage. A Deep Simple Light Load Mode control is introduced to improve efficiency in a light or no-load area in addition to PWM mode in a heavy loading.
US08106631B2
In a charge control device installable in a motor vehicle and designed to execute charge control for a battery based on an output power of a power generator, a nonvolatile memory stores therein data required to execute the charge control for the battery. A communication circuit is communicably connectable to first and second devices different from each other. The first device allows entrance of information required to rewrite the data stored in the nonvolatile memory. A rewriting unit rewrites the data stored in the nonvolatile memory based on the entered information only when the first device is communicably connected to the communication circuit.
US08106619B2
In a calculation for estimating axis error in a permanent magnet motor, a d-axis commanded voltage value is added to the product of three signals, which are a q-axis detected current value or commanded current value, an inductance value, and an estimated speed value, and then the resulting value is divided by the product of a commanded speed value ωr* and induced voltage constant Ke* or an arctangent calculation is performed in the same way, instead of using a resistance setting.
US08106615B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a pump jack pump-off control method and a pump jack control apparatus in which, even when the speed of a pump jack is reduced due to generation of a pump-off condition, the pump jack is not caused to stop due to the motor overload abnormality or the coagulated crude oil and, even when the pump-off condition is generated, the reduction of the production capacity of the pump jack can be prevented as much as possible. On detecting the pump-off condition, while the pump jack is in operation with the speed thereof being reduced, or while the pump jack is in operation at the lowest speed, according to the overload warning signal of an ac electric motor, the pump jack is switched over to its intermittent operation. Also, the pump jack can be operated in such a manner that the stroke speed of the pump jack in the up stroke operation can be switched from a sinusoidal wave form over to a rectangular wave form, or, in the operation of the pump jack by an inverter, the pump jack can be operated such that it can carry out its up stroke operation with a limit imposed on torque.
US08106612B2
A brushless motor control device according to the present invention drives a brushless motor including a stator having coils of three phases U, V, and W and a neutral line, and a sub coil provided in any one phase of the phases U, V, and W, for detecting a voltage induced in the coil of the one phase, and the brushless motor control device carries out a conduction control function, for the respective phase coils of the brushless motor, that performs a 120° conduction when a rotation speed of the brushless motor is lower than or equal to a predetermined rotation speed, and that performs a 180° conduction when the rotation speed is higher than or equal to the predetermined rotation speed, and the brushless motor control device includes a motor control unit that controls the brushless motor based on information of the rotor stop position when activating the brushless motor, controls the brushless motor based on the first rotor position information when in the 120° conduction, and controls the brushless motor based on the second rotor position information when in the 180° conduction.
US08106610B2
A heat dissipation device has a main controller and a fan module having a motor coil, a connection interface, a PWM driving circuit and a fan monitor chip. The connection interface has a control pin, an error report pin, a power supply pin and a ground pin. The control pin receiving a control signal. The PWM driving circuit adjusts current magnitude and current direction of the motor coil to drive the fan module. The fan monitor chip is connected to the connection interface and the PWM driving circuit, receives the control signal, generates and sends PWM signals to the PWM driving circuit according to the control signal and sends an acknowledgement signal via the control pin after receiving the control signal. The main controller can check if the control signal is correctly received based on the acknowledge signal.
US08106609B2
The invention relates to a drive and evaluation unit for displacing an object to be displaced, particularly for raising and lowering a side window in a motor vehicle. The drive includes a commutator motor with a stator having two diametrically opposed permanent magnets. The magnets have cross-sectional shapes of a respective peripheral contour segment, having a radial inner peripheral contour segment which encompasses an armature over a respective inner peripheral angle. The armature is provided with ten grooves spaced around its periphery for holding armature windings that are configured as lap windings. The evaluation unit includes a device for determining the rotational position of the armature by evaluating the ripple count of the armature current. According to the invention, the armature windings are configured as short pitch windings, and the inner peripheral angle of the radial inner peripheral contour segment of at least one of the magnets is between 101° and 111°.
US08106594B2
A semiconductor device with high function, multifunction and high added value. The semiconductor device includes a PLL circuit that is provided over a substrate and outputs a signal with a correct frequency. By providing such a PLL circuit over the substrate, a semiconductor device with high function, multifunction and high added value can be achieved.
US08106588B2
It is provided a dielectric barrier discharge lamp (10) for providing ultraviolet light, comprising an outer tube (12) filled with a discharge gas for providing ultraviolet light, an inner tube (14) arranged at least partially inside the outer tube (12), an outer electrode (16) electrically connected to the outer tube (12) and an inner electrode (18) electrically connected to the inner tube (14), wherein the inner electrode (18) comprises a conductor (20) and a plurality of an conductive granulated material (22) for providing an electrical contact between the conductor (20) and the inner tube (14). Due to the conductive granulated material (22) an electrical contact between the conductor (20) and the inner tube (14) is safeguarded and different thermal expansions of the inner electrode (18) and the inner tube (14) are compensated at the same time without applying mechanical stress to the inner tube (14). This leads to a dielectric barrier discharge lamp (10), which comprises an increased life time without the need for external cooling.
US08106581B2
An organic electroluminescence element including an organic layer including a light-emitting layer disposed between a pair of electrodes, wherein the light-emitting layer contains at least one hole transporting light-emitting material and at least one electron-transporting host material, and a concentration of the hole transporting light-emitting material in the light-emitting layer decreases from an anode side toward a cathode side.
US08106574B2
A lamp can include a low-beam filament arranged in a horizontal reference plane containing an optical axis of a glass bulb, and facing in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis. A high-beam filament can be arranged in a plane normal to the horizontal reference plane and in parallel with the low-beam filament. A pair of inner leads for supporting the low-beam filament can be located in the horizontal reference plane. A pair of inner leads for supporting the high-beam filament can be located in a plane defined in parallel with the optical axis and normal to the horizontal reference plane.
US08106568B2
Disclosed is an assembly of light-emitting units, which is applicable to a lighting device that comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements respectively mounted to heat dissipation units. The light-emitting elements give off light beams that project outward through a light-transmitting hood. One surface of the light-transmitting hood is provided with a light diffusion layer featuring light refraction. As such, the light beams emitting from the light-emitting elements are made converging on a light incidence area, which, together with the feature of light spreading of the light-transmitting hood, can spread off and thus homogenize the light beams to form a surface source, and can also concentrate the light energy of the lighting device to enhance the brightness. The lighting device can be applied to any lighting facility.
US08106566B2
A piezoelectric component with at least one fully active piezoelement has electrode layers and interposed piezoelectric layers guided to a lateral edge of the piezoelement and contacted there. An insulating layer applied for electric contacting has an electric through-plating. An electrically conductive gas-phase deposition layer is applied directly to the electrode layer guided up to the lateral surface of the piezoelement by way of deposition from the gas phase in order to improve electric contacting. An external electrode is applied to the gas-phase deposition layer. In the case of several superposed stacked piezoelements (piezoactuator in multi-layer design), the external electrode functions as a collector electrode which connects the electrode layers to each other. The structure enables secure contacting of the electrode layers. A fully active piezoceramic multi-layer actuator with the described contacting may be used in automobile technology for activating fuel-injection valves.
US08106564B2
An ultrasonic transducer comprises an elongate horn, a counterpiece, two piezoelectric drives and a screw. The counterpiece is fastened to the horn by means of the screw and thus clamps the piezoelectric drives, which are arranged on either side of a longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic transducer, between the horn and the counterpiece. The ultrasonic transducer is designed in such a way that the tip of a capillary which is clamped in the horn can oscillate in two different directions.
US08106556B2
The emergency rolling bearing for a rotary machine having magnetic bearings includes at least first and second bearing members with radial clearance of value εr/2 that is of the order of half the mean radial air gap εr of the magnetic bearings being arranged between each of the bearing members and the rotor, and axial clearances εa are provided on either side of the set of bearing members between said set and first and second axial abutment elements secured to the rotor. The first bearing member is mounted directly in a first intermediate support element coaxial with a stator element. The second bearing member is mounted in a second intermediate support element likewise coaxial with the stator element. The intermediate support elements present a plane of contact in a radial plane perpendicular to the axis of the bearing and they are united by a resilient pre-stressed element acting in the axial direction and allowing the intermediate support elements and the bearing members to expand or move apart in the axial direction. Damper means acting in the radial direction are interposed between the intermediate support elements and the stator element.
US08106553B2
A spindle motor component of hard disk with composite coating layer and a composite coating method hereof. The spindle motor component of hard disk includes a motor component base (1) and the composite coating layer which is coated on the base (1). The composite coating layer consists of an electrodepositing coating layer (2) and a spraying coating layer (3). The composite coating method includes a step of coating the electrodepositing coating layer (2) on the surface of the motor component base (1) and coating the spraying coating layer (3) on the electrodepositing coating layer (2), wherein the weight ratio of tin in the electrodepositing coating layer (2) is between 60 ppm to 300 ppm and the weight ratio of tin in the spraying coating layer (3) is no more than 50 ppm.
US08106552B2
Disclosed herein is vibration motor. The vibration motor includes a bearing rotatably fitted over a support shaft which is installed to be perpendicular to a base. A hub is coupled to the bearing, with an eccentric member provided on the edge of the hub. A coil is mounted to the hub to form an electric field. A magnet having 2n poles is mounted on the base, and rotates the hub using electromagnetic force between the magnet and the coil. A detent magnet is mounted to the hub and stops the coil in the middle between the poles of the magnet.
