US08132141B2
Some embodiments provide a system for generating a centerline connectivity representation for a set of routing shapes. During operation, the system can represent the set of routing shapes using a set of centerlines with endcap extensions. Note that an intersection between two centerlines represents an electrical connection between the two routing shapes associated with the two centerlines. Next, the system can detect two routing shapes which overlap, but whose centerlines do not intersect. The system can then create a virtual shape whose centerline intersects with the centerlines of the two routing shapes. In some embodiments, the system can modify a dimension of at least one of the two routing shapes. Next, the system can create a new routing shape which overlaps with the two routing shapes, and create virtual shapes which connect the centerline of the new shape with the centerlines of the two routing shapes.
US08132137B1
A method for accurately determining the shape of currents in a current spectrum for a circuit design is provided. The method includes determining timing characteristics and power consumption characteristics for the circuit design. In one embodiment, the timing characteristics are provided through a electronic design automation tool. The timing characteristics yield a current pulse time width. In another embodiment, the power consumption characteristics are provided by an EDA tool. The power consumption characteristics yield a current pulse amplitude. The shape of the current pulse is obtained by incrementally processing a power analyzer tool over relatively small time increments over one or more clock cycles while capturing the switching nodes of a simulation of the circuit design for each time increment. In one embodiment, the time increments are one nanosecond or less. From the timing characteristics and the power consumption characteristics a time domain current waveform is constructed, which can be converted to the frequency domain.
US08132136B2
Method for correcting timing failures in an integrated circuit and device for monitoring an integrated circuit. The method includes placing a first and second latch near a critical path. The first latch has an input comprising a data value on the critical path. The method further includes generating a delayed data value from the data value, latching the delayed data value in the second latch, comparing the data value with the delayed data value to determine whether the critical path comprises a timing failure condition, and executing a predetermined corrective measure for the critical path. The invention is also directed to a design structure on which a circuit resides.
US08132132B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for implementing parameterizable processor cores and peripherals on a programmable chip. An input interface such as a wizard allows selection and parameterization of processor cores, peripherals, as well as other modules. The logic description for implementing the modules on a programmable chip can be dynamically generated, allowing extensive parameterization of various modules. Dynamic generation also allows the delivery of device driver logic onto a programmable chip. The logic description can include information for configuring a dynamically generated bus module to allow connectivity between the modules as well as connectivity with other on-chip and off-chip components. The logic description, possibly comprising HDL files, can then be automatically synthesized and provided to tools for downloading the logic description onto a programmable chip.
US08132127B2
The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing adaptive user interface capabilities in an industrial control environment. A user interface is provided that can operate across various software and/or hardware platforms. The platforms can be adapted with smart devices and/or wearable devices to facilitate access to a control system and can be adapted as a remote web service and/or adapted to interact with the service. The user interface can be tuned or adjusted in accordance with device capabilities operating the interface and can be adjusted or modified according to various operator or administrative preferences.
US08132125B2
A freeform selection tool for a computer system with a graphical user interface allows a user to draw a freeform selection path so as to select one or more graphical objects. The user is provided with the freedom to input selection ink, in any orientation, and using any desired selection path size provided by the select tool. The selecting tool may change the visual appearance of any graphical object once selected. The selecting tool provides the ability to select ink or graphical object with a particular property to be used for the selection. The selecting tool can recognize various selection gestures coordinated with a semantic relationship of the ink so that the number of selection ink strokes can be minimized. The selecting tool may change for different selection modes depending on the type of graphical object encountered and change of the context for a particular selection.
US08132113B2
A REST application may be explored through discovery of resources and exercising of methods. A user interface displays a graphical representation of the REST application based on a model constructed in memory. User input selects a resource. Methods associated with the selected resource are displayed. A user may select a method and provide input. A request is automatically sent to the server based on the selected method. A representation of the response to the request is displayed on the user interface, allowing the user to further explore the application.
US08132112B2
One embodiment provides a system of exchanging information between a first party and a second party over a network. The system includes an interface module to prompt a query from a first party by a first key word search and to prompt a query from a second party by a second key word search in the network, a key word comparator module to compare the first and second key word searches, and a chat room admission module to automatically admit the first and second parties to a chat room if the first and second key word searches have substantial similarity. The chat room is embedded into a search result web page.
US08132111B2
A computer implemented method and system for enabling an interaction between a first user and a second user in a virtual social environment is disclosed. A plurality of interactables is provided in the virtual social environment for enabling a first user and a second user to interact in the virtual social environment. The first user selects one or more of the interactables and may modify the selected interactables. The first user targets the modified interactables to the second user in the virtual social environment. The first user renders the targeted interactables to the second user in the virtual social environment. Further, the first user shares the targeted interactables with the second user in the virtual social environment.
US08132107B2
A multifunctional apparatus is capable of switching between a standard operation mode in which a Web service layer stops operating and an OS mode in which the Web service layer operates. In the OS mode, the multifunctional apparatus informs an external control apparatus of pressed-hardware-button information indicative of a pressed hardware button detected by a user interface layer. In the control apparatus, an event process section reads out, from a shortcut button storage section, process-contents information corresponded with button identification information indicative of the hardware button indicated by the pressed-hardware-button information, and a device control section transmits, to the multifunctional apparatus, a control instruction for executing a device process indicated by the process-contents information. Thereafter, in the multifunctional apparatus, the Web service layer acquires the control instruction from the control apparatus and executes the device process in accordance with the acquired control instruction. This allows for realizing a system for controlling a multifunctional apparatus, capable of executing, with only one touch, a process that has been registered.
US08132104B2
Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for populating an electronic clinical document capable of receiving multiple types of data are provided. In one embodiment, dictation audio input is embedded directly into one or more sections of an electronic clinical document along with other data types, such as structured user input, free-text input, or system-generated input. An electronic clinical document having embedded dictation audio and other data types can receive transcribed text corresponding to the embedded dictation audio.
US08132097B2
In some embodiments, a computer-implemented system can be configured to facilitate creation of a publication from a master template, one or more embedded templates, and one or more content components. The computer-implemented system can include: (a) an administrative toolkit having: (1) a master template creation module configured to create and allow editing of the master template at a development site accessible to a template creator; (2) an embedded template creation module configured to create and allow editing of the one or more embedded templates at the development site by the template creator; (3) a content management module configured to establish rules regarding editing of the master template and placing the one or more content components in the master template; (4) an embedded template management module configured to establish rules regarding the editing of the one or more embedded templates, the placing the one or more embedded templates in the master template, and the placing the one or more content components in the one or more embedded templates; and (5) a template inventory management module configured to copy the master template from the development site to a production site accessible to an end-user. Other embodiments are disclosed in this application.
US08132091B2
The link exchange system and method 100 automatically creates links between web sites. Specifically, the method of creating links includes providing an account Owner the opportunity to create and manage whitelists 111 and blacklists 116 which are used as filters to automatically accept or decline a proposed link according to criteria set forth in the respective lists. If the link request is accepted, the link is created on the account Owner's link page(s).
US08132088B2
A method of processing data comprising arranging data into a data group comprising a plurality of sub groups each said subgroup comprising a plurality of columns; for each column, determining at least one checksum data of said column; and for each column, storing the checksum data of that column within at least one said subgroup of the group, other than the subgroup to which said column belongs.
US08132087B2
Briefly, techniques to provide varying levels of enhanced forward error correction without modifying a line rate of a frame.
US08132066B2
An apparatus and method for recording and/or reproducing data on a disc are provided using padding information, and a corresponding information storage medium. The recording method includes recording a recording unit block in which invalid data is padded in part of the block and recording padding information indicating that the invalid data is included. According to the method, a disc drive becomes able to distinguish valid data from invalid data in an error correction block such that reliability of reproduction increases and stability of the system is improved.
US08132064B2
A TAP linking module (21, 51) permits plural TAPs (TAPs 1-4) to be controlled and accessed from a test bus (13) via a single TAP interface (20).
US08132047B2
Techniques are disclosed for creating an application restore point when an application is installed or updated and for restoring the application and other elements of a computing system modified by the installation and update processes to a state as they exist at the application restore point. The application restore point captures information about which files are modified, created, or deleted by the installation and update processes. In one embodiment, a user invokes an installer process to install or update the application. When the installer process modifies or creates a file, an original copy of the file, or a reference to the file is placed into the application restore point. To restore the application, files of the computing system having original copies in the application restore point are replaced with the original copies while all new files referred to in the application restore point are deleted.
US08132040B1
Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide channel-to-channel skew control in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. For example in accordance with an embodiment, a method of adjusting skew between first and second channels includes receiving a first channel output signal and a second channel output signal from the first and second channels, respectively; detecting a phase difference between the first channel output signal and the second channel output signal; and controlling, based on the detected phase difference, a signal delay within at least the first channel or the second channel to reduce skew between the first channel output signal and the second channel output signal.
US08132036B2
A method and an interfacing circuit are disclosed for transmitting data between a first clock domain operating at a first clock frequency C1 and a second clock domain operating at a second clock frequency C2. In accordance with this invention, data are transmitted from the first domain, through the interfacing circuitry, and to the second domain. Also, the interfacing circuitry includes a synchronization section that operates at a third frequency C3, which, in one embodiment, is greater than and a whole number multiple of C2. Preferably, C3 is an even whole number multiple of C2. In the preferred embodiment, a clock signal A is used to operate the second clock domain at frequency C2, and a clock signal B is used to operate the synchronization section of the interfacing circuitry at frequency C3, and clock signals A and B are source synchronized.
US08132033B2
There is provided a storage system including a file server connecting to a computer over a network and a storage apparatus connecting to the file server connecting over the network, wherein the file server includes a first controller, the storage apparatus includes multiple storage devices having multiple storage areas and a second controller that controls accesses to the multiple storage areas, each of the multiple storage areas has at least one power saving mode among multiple power saving modes with different shift times from the power saving modes to a ready mode, the first controller, in response to the reception of data from the computer, sets an indicator relating to the performance of response to an access from the computer to the data and refers to the indicator of the data and selects a first storage area having the power saving mode satisfying the indicator, and the second controller stores the data to the first storage area.
US08132003B2
Embodiments of apparatus, articles, methods, and systems for secure platform voucher service for software components within an execution environment are generally described herein. An embodiment includes the ability for a Virtual Machine Monitor, Operating System Monitor, or other underlying platform capability to restrict memory regions for access only by specifically authenticated, authorized and verified software components, even when part of an otherwise compromised operating system environment. A provisioning remote entity or gateway only needs to know a platform's public key or certificate hierarchy in order to receive verification proof for any component in the platform. The verification proof or voucher helps to assure to the remote entity that no man-in-the-middle, rootkit, spyware or other malware running in the platform or on the network will have access to the provisioned material. The underlying platform to lock and unlock secrets on behalf of the authenticated/authorized/verified software component provided in protected memory regions only accessible to the authenticated/authorized/verified software component. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08131986B2
A system and method for loading programs during a system boot using stored configuration data in a predetermined file system from a prior session and providing the stored configuration data to a guest operating system capable of communication with a host operating system, during start-up, within a computing environment having a hypervisor, in a predetermined manner.
US08131985B2
A semiconductor memory device for use in a multiprocessor system includes a shared memory area and a reset signal generator. The shared memory area is accessible by the processors of the multiprocessor system through different ports, and is assigned to a portion of a memory cell array. The reset signal generator is configured to provide a reset enable signal to a processor, predetermined as a slave processor among the multiple processors, for a predetermined time after an initial booting of the multiprocessor system. The reset signal generator also provides a reset disable signal to the slave processor after the predetermined time lapses.
US08131980B2
A design structure for resolving the occurrence of livelock at the interface between the processor core and memory subsystem controller. Livelock is resolved by introducing a livelock detection mechanism (which includes livelock detection utility or logic) within the processor to detect a livelock condition and dynamically change the duration of the delay stage(s) in order to alter the “harmonic” fixed-cycle loop behavior. The livelock detection logic (LDL) counts the number of flushes a particular instruction takes or the number of times an instruction re-issues without completing. The LDL then compares that number to a preset threshold number. Based on the result of the comparison, the LDL triggers the implementation of one of two different livelock resolution processes. These processes include dynamically configuring the delay queue within the processor into one of two different configurations and changing the sequence and timing of handling memory access instructions, based on the specific configuration of the delay queue.
US08131971B2
Methods and systems for storing a plurality of content fragments in a plurality of storage-and-computing elements according to a plurality of storage element types that are associated with the storage-and-computing elements.
US08131969B2
A data storage system and associated method comprising system configuration information; a first processor adapted for identifying a portion of the system configuration information in response to a configuration change request to the memory space, and for signaling an update request incident with the configuration change request to a second processor; and a second processor adapted for updating the portion in response to the update request and independently of the first processor.
US08131968B2
An information processing device in which memory bands can be significantly cut. In the present device, an access determining/managing portion (105) determines whether or not write data meets access determination conditions when write-accessing a memory (104), and manages this determination result and access location data (an address in the memory (104)) during the write access as access determination results (107), and does not perform a write access if the write data does not meet the access determination conditions. On the other hand, the access determining/managing portion (105) references the access determination results (the access location data and determination result) when read-accessing the address, and if the access determination results meet the access determination conditions when read-accessing the address, the data determined by the access determining conditions is returned to the master, without read-accessing the memory (104).
US08131967B2
An interface system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a buffer that receives data from a source in a first clock domain and stores the data to be read by a destination in a second clock domain, wherein the buffer functions in both the first clock domain and the second clock domain; a write pointer that points to data written by the source; and a read pointer that points to data read by the destination. According to the system and method disclosed herein, the write pointer and the read pointer are utilized to enable the data to be transmitted from the first clock domain to the second clock domain asynchronously.
US08131962B2
A storage system for writing data sent from a computer to storage regions is described. The storage system includes storage regions configured to store data, and a controller coupled with the storage regions. The controller is configured to control writing of the data from the computer. The controller is further configured to set a first storage region for writing data sent from the computer to a second storage region. The controller then acquires a snapshot of the first storage region at a predetermined time, writes a snapshot journal for the snapshot to the second storage region, and manages a snapshot management table. The controller also acquires a recovery point journal when a recovery volume designated by the computer is made, and writes the recovery point journal to the second storage region.
US08131959B2
In a method for data backup of a franking machine in which, in a data backup step, a connection is established between the franking machine and a remote data center via a communication network, data stored in the franking machine are transmitted to the data center as backup data in a transmission step, and the backup data are stored in the data center in a storage step. The backup data include user-definable configuration data of the franking machine that are definable by the user of the franking machine for configuration of the franking machine.
US08131944B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a cache coherency message in an interconnect router from a caching agent, mapping the message to a criticality level according to a predetermined mapping, and appending the criticality level to each flow control unit of the message, which can be transmitted from the interconnect router based at least in part on the criticality level. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08131926B2
A generic storage container system is provided for a grid-based storage architecture, comprising a generic storage container comprising a plurality of storage domains along one axis against a plurality of rows of stripes along another axis defining a preselected storage capacity, and configuration information allocating the stripes in response to a storage format specified by an allocation request. A method is provided for storing the data, comprising: providing the generic storage container; providing configuration information adapted for selectively allocating the stripes in relation to a data storage format; specifying a desired storage format; and allocating the stripes in response to the desired format.
US08131921B2
Command suspension in response, at least in part, to detected acceleration and/or orientation change
In an embodiment, an apparatus is provided that may include circuitry to, in response at least in part to detected change in at least one of acceleration and orientation of storage, request suspension of at least one command currently stored in at least one pending command queue that is intended for execution, at least in part, by the storage. The at least one command having been previously issued by the circuitry but being currently unexecuted, at least in part, by the storage. The circuitry also being to store, in response at least in part to the detected change, at least one copy of the at least one command for later re-issuance by the circuitry, and to request replacement of at least one command in the at least one queue with at least one other command to park at least one head of the storage.
US08131918B2
A method and terminal for demand paging at least one of code and data requiring a real-time response is provided. The method includes splitting and compressing at least one of code and data requiring a real-time response to a size of a paging buffer and storing the compressed at least one of code and data in a physical storage medium, if there is a request for demand paging for the at least one of code and data requiring the real-time response, classifying the at least one of code and data requiring the real-time response as an object of Random Access Memory (RAM) paging that pages from the physical storage medium to a paging buffer, and loading the classified at least one of code and data into the paging buffer.
US08131915B1
Flash memory stored data modification is described. In embodiments, a flash memory system includes flash memory and a memory controller that manages data write and erase operations to the flash memory. The flash memory includes a first flash memory region of single-write flash memory cells that are each configured for a data write operation and a corresponding erase operation before a subsequent data write operation. The flash memory also includes a second flash memory region of multiple-write flash memory cells that are each configured for multiple data write operations before an erase operation.
US08131914B2
An electronic device comprises a processing unit operably coupled to a buffer random access memory, in turn operably coupled to a non-volatile memory configured to emulate an electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The processing unit is arranged to transfer data between the buffer RAM and the non-volatile memory at a first clock frequency. A second RAM is operably coupled between the processing unit and the non-volatile memory and the processing unit sets a Tag bit in the second RAM to identify an address in the buffer RAM that is being written to or read from by the processing unit.
US08131905B2
A physical docking interface facilitates co-processing with an extended processing module of an extended computer unit in a physical docked mode, when the handheld computing unit is coupled to the extended computer unit via the physical docking interface. A quasi docking interface facilitates co-processing with the extended processing module in a quasi docked mode when the handheld computing unit is coupled to the extended computer unit via the quasi docking interface. A graphical user interface presents a selectable quasi docking interface graphic for display to a user and responds to a user selection of the selectable quasi docking interface graphic by generating a quasi docking command. The quasi docking interface couples the handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit in response to the quasi docking command.
US08131896B2
An input tool has: an I/O unit having a digimatic interface; a first signal conversion unit that converts a measurement signal in a signal format according to an HID keyboard protocol capable of being processed by an HID driver; a second signal conversion unit that converts the measurement signal into a signal format according to a virtual serial port protocol capable of being processed by a VCP driver; a conversion controller that makes one of the first signal conversion unit and the second signal conversion unit to convert a signal format of the measurement signal; and a USB communicator having a USB interface that is connectable with a PC, the USB communicator outputting the measurement signal.
US08131889B2
In an embodiment, a peripheral component configured to control an external interface of an integrated circuit. For example, the peripheral component may be a memory interface unit such as a flash memory interface unit. The internal interface to the peripheral component may be shared between data transfers to/from the external interface and control communications to the peripheral component. The peripheral component may include a command queue configured to store a set of commands to perform a transfer on the interface. A control circuit may be coupled to the command queue and may read the commands and communicate with an interface controller to cause a transfer on the interface responsive to the commands. In an embodiment, a macro memory may store command sequences to be performed in response to a macro command in the command queue. In an embodiment, an operand queue may store operand data for use by the commands.
US08131887B2
An electronic processing apparatus comprises one or more remote interactive display devices and a calculator unit, wherein the display device comprises at least a screen, a connector selectively connectable to the calculator unit, a user interface device and a microprocessor, whereas the calculator unit comprises at least one or more connectors, able to be selectively connected to the connector, a processor and a non-volatile memory. There is also a single connection element able to connect the connector and a selected one of the connectors of the calculator unit, both for data exchange and also for the transfer of energy for electric feed. The display device, through the connection element is able at least to transmit, through the connector, information relating to the own functioning parameters thereof to the calculator unit, which are compared with predetermined information recorded in the non-volatile memory so as to identify and select the functioning parameters of the display device and to obtain an automatic configuration of the display device.
US08131883B1
A method for controlling a user station configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network includes steps for providing a user interface to enable a user at the user station to select multiple ones of the multiplicity of independently-operated data object sources to be polled; automatically polling each of the selected data object sources in order to determine availability of desired data at each of the selected data object sources; and automatically transporting desired data determined to be available from each of the selected data object sources to the user station. Software and a user station for implementing the method are also described.
US08131882B2
A method for expanding input/output in an embedded system is described in which no additional strobes or enable lines are necessary from the host controller. By controlling the transitions of the signal levels in a specific way when controlling two existing data or select lines, an expansion input and/or output device can generate a strobe and/or enable signal internally. This internal strobe and/or enable signal is then used to store output data or enable input data. The host controller typically utilizes software or firmware to control the data transitions, but no additional wires are needed, and no changes are needed to existing peripheral devices. Thus, an existing system can be expanded when there are no additional control lines available and no unused states in existing signals.
US08131881B2
A method and system for completion coalescing by a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) receiver (e.g., in a TCP/IP offload engine (TOE)). The method comprises: processing inbound TCP segments; and performing completion processing of received TCP ACKS and/or RDMA Read Requests independently of the processing of the inbound TCP segments.
US08131876B2
The present invention relates a bidirectional signal transmission apparatus and method, wherein said apparatus comprises a processor unit connected in signal communication with an Ethernet, an RF modulation/demodulation unit, and an RF frequency conversion unit connected in signal communication with a coaxial cable network. The data signal input from the Ethernet is modulated into standard IEEE802.11 signal by means of said signal processing unit and RF modulation/demodulation unit, and then down-converted from 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz standard IEEE802.11 signal to a range of 500 MHz to 2000 MHz, and preferably to a range of 900 MHz to 1200 MHz. The bidirectional transmission apparatus further includes a frequency band selector for selecting different frequency bands so as to broaden the bandwidth of the signal and a real broad band data transmission is accomplished.
US08131872B2
A transaction message is received at a router. A determination is made whether the transaction message includes an affinity. The affinity indicates an administrator-specified preference regarding processing of the transaction message. When the transaction message includes the affinity, a server system to process the transaction message is identified based on the affinity and based on a system affinity of the server system. The system affinity specifies processing characteristics of the server system. The server system includes a set of servers. The transaction message is modified to identify the server system and routed to a message queue.
US08131871B2
A method and system for rerouting data over a local area network is provided. The method comprises defining at least one port group associated with a bridging device, each port group including interfaces linked to the bridging device. A plurality of statuses for each port group is defined, the status being dependent on the individual statuses of the interfaces linked to the bridging device. At least one target port associated with each port group, each target port relating to a path for data. The method further comprises defining an action for each status of a port group and monitoring the status of the interfaces forming part of each port group. In response to determining the status of a port group, triggering the predefined action associated with the port group status at one of the port group's target ports.
US08131870B1
A method and apparatus for registering a mobile object on a foreign network includes a first virtual machine at a first router on a foreign network executing a mobile object and generating a care-of-name for the mobile object. The foreign object agent communicates the care-of-name to a home object agent located on a home network. The home object agent creates a mobility binding for the mobile object by using the care-of-name.
US08131857B2
In one embodiment, a network device receives a port login directed to a target from a first host. The network device determines whether at least one other host is currently logged in to the target. The network device may then send a port login to the target corresponding to whether at least one other host is currently logged in to the target.
US08131856B2
A first communication apparatus 1 stores a first customer information registered by a user in order to receive a first service. A second communication apparatus 2 stores a first customer information registered by the user in order to receive a second service. A transmission mean 3a of a third communication apparatus 3 transmits request information requesting to receive the first service to the first communication apparatus 1 together with identification information of the user. A reception mean 3b receives customer information necessary for user registration for the first service from the first communication apparatus 1 according to the transmission of the request information. When the customer information necessary for the user registration for the first service is already included in second customer information, a display mean 3c displays the customer information in the second customer information on an input screen for user registration. Therefore, input of customer information of a user is facilitated in the case in which user registration is performed in plural communication apparatuses.
US08131852B1
Techniques are described for providing managed virtual computer networks whose configured logical network topology may have one or more virtual networking devices, such as by a network-accessible configurable network service, with corresponding networking functionality provided for communications between multiple computing nodes of a virtual computer network by emulating functionality that would be provided by the networking devices if they were physically present. The networking functionality provided for a managed computer network may include supporting a connection between that managed computer network and one or more other managed computer networks, such as via a provided virtual peering router to which each of the managed computer networks may connect, with the functionality of the virtual peering router being emulated by modules of the configurable network service without physically providing the virtual peering router, including to manage routing communications between the inter-connected managed computer networks in accordance with client-specified configuration information.
US08131850B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for managing network resources. A central unified services and device management framework is operated to simultaneously manage various types of resources on behalf of multiple organizations. Within the framework, a common management layer provides services (e.g., account management, event logging) common to multiple different services and devices. Within a specific management layer, separate subsystems are implemented for different devices or types of devices. The device-specific subsystems invoke device-independent functional modules through primitives exposed by the common management layer. A given organization may establish tiered logical constructs to group resources deployed at different physical locations (e.g., cities, offices) or within different subdivisions of the organizations (e.g., subsidiaries, departments).
US08131848B1
Techniques are described for controlling communication devices using image analysis. For instance, when a communication is received by a communication device, the communication device outputs an alert to notify users of the received communication and accesses one or more images of an area proximate to the communication device. The one or more images cover an area proximate to the communication device at a time during which the communication device is outputting the alert. The communication device analyzes the one or more images to determine whether a user is present in the one or more images and in a position to perceive the received communication. The communication device handles at least one aspect of the received communication based on the determination of whether a user is in a position to perceive the received communication.
US08131847B2
The disclosed wireless device automatically detects the redirection of its internet access via a wireless hotspot network. The exemplary device algorithm provides the flexibility to detect either or both of DNS redirection and HTTP redirection, as well as to automatically accommodate such internet redirection. The proposed algorithm allows a wireless device user to be alerted and account for internet redirection when such internet redirection is automatically detected upon entering service via a hotspot. Alternatively, the wireless device may attempt to automatically meet the hotspot requirements and complete the internet access through the hotspot.
US08131830B2
A method is provided for enabling a support program to provide services using imported administrative rights on a client computer for a user without administrative rights. The method includes the operation of creating a global administrative account on a domain server for a computer network. In addition, the support program can be activated on the client computer. A further operation is creating a process with administrative rights from the support program using the global administrator account on the domain server. The support services enabled with administrative rights can then to be provided for the client computer using the process created with administrative rights.
US08131829B2
A slot management system including a download and configuration server-based sub-system and method is disclosed for use with game devices, systems, and methods is provided to enable users to monitor, control, and modify game devices and other related activities. A computerized method and system manage a collection of electronic gaming machines.
US08131819B2
A system and method for effectively implementing an electronic image manager device includes one or more input/output interfaces for bi-directionally communicating with various information sources to transfer content information that includes image data. The electronic image manager device also includes a memory device for archiving the content information, and an application program that manipulates the content information by performing various procedures such as downloading and uploading the content information, organizing and managing the content information, editing the content information, and displaying the content information.
US08131814B1
A dynamic pinning remote direct memory access is performed by creating sections of data to be transferred through a remote direct memory access. Each section includes a subset of the data to be transferred or received. To perform the remote direct memory access, each section is pinned, used for the remote direct memory access, and released after the transfer is complete.
US08131811B2
Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to control network element management traffic are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus to process an element management system (EMS) query message includes a receiver to receive the EMS query message from a managed network element, the EMS query message being redirected from an EMS server, a responder to select a pre-determined response to the EMS query message and discard EMS information contained in the EMS query message, wherein the pre-determined response is to delay the managed network element from resending the EMS query message to the EMS server for a time period, and a transmitter to send the pre-determined response to the managed network element.
US08131804B2
A system for immunizing a computer network against adverse effects caused by the receipt of a corrupting message. Each message transfers into a protocol-based controlled environment for a specific recipient where message criteria determine whether the incoming message is deemed to be a valid or suspicious message. Transmission criteria determine the final message disposition. If the message is valid, it is delivered to a recipient computer system in the network. If the incoming message is suspicious, the message is isolated in the controlled environment where the transmission criteria may provide remote access to the recipient.
US08131800B2
A server publishes a poll to one or more attendee clients to an electronic conference. The poll permits each attendee to select one of several choices as the vote of the respective attendee. Initially an attendee may have a default choice assigned to him, for example, undecided. The server may show a hypertext page that includes an image or persona icon of the attendee located within a panel that has the current vote that an attendee has chosen or, by default, been assigned.
US08131796B2
A system, method and article of manufacturing return code management in autonomic systems and more particularly to managing execution of operations in data processing systems on the basis of return code tracking. One embodiment provides a method for managing execution of an operation in a data processing system. The method comprises tracking return codes received from previous executions of the operation in the data processing system, determining an execution behavior of the operation from the tracked return codes, and managing a subsequent execution of the operation on the basis of the determined execution behavior.
US08131795B2
A method is provided for improving a high-speed adder for Floating-Point Units (FPU) in a given computer system. The improved adder utilizes a compound incrementer, a compound adder, a carry network, an adder control/selector, and series of multiplexers (muxes). The carry network performs the end-around-carry function simultaneously to and independent of other required functions optimizing the functioning of the adder. Also, the use of a minimum number of muxes is also utilized to reduce mux delays.
US08131794B2
Described is an apparatus for performing a Galois field product computation on data. A first symbol data includes a plurality of symbols each being a bit sequence on which a product operation by a factor α is to be performed in a Galois field, where α is a primitive element of the Galois field, is acquired. A factor α computation is performed on the first symbol data by performing a bit shift operation on the first symbol data toward high-order bit position, generating first mask data from the first symbol data, generating first correction data by computing a logical AND of the first mask data and a first symbol correction value, generating a factor α computation result by computing a XOR of the second symbol data and the first correction data.
US08131791B2
An integrated circuit includes a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) including a first and second digital equalizer logic including circuitry to compensate first and second bits in a received stream and to provide first and second sign bits. The second equalizer logic can run concurrently and can be connected in parallel relative to the first equalizer logic. The second equalizer logic can include a low and high sign bit pipelines providing first and second conditional sign bits by assuming a low and high sign bits, respectively, for a first bits being concurrently processed by the first equalizer logic and a sign bit selection element to select between the first and second conditional sign bits based on the sign bit outcome of the first equalizer logic. The first and second pipelines compensate bits using compensation weights chosen using most recent first and second conditional sign bits and sign bit outcome.
US08131788B1
Determining a sum of absolute differences using a circuit is described. Pairs of inputs, including a respective current value and a respective previous value, are obtained. The previous value is subtracted from the current value for each of the pairs of inputs to provide differences and associated carries. Inverted carries are applied to the differences to pass a first portion of the differences associated with positive absolute differences and to invert and then pass a second portion of the differences associated with negative absolute differences. The inverted carries are summed. The first portion and the second portion are provided to an adder tree to generate an interim sum of absolute differences. The sum of inverted carries obtained over a number of clock cycles is added to the interim sum of absolute differences obtained over the number of clock cycles to generate a sum of absolute difference result.
US08131785B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including encoded computer programs, for using free space set aside in hierarchical data documents, such as multimedia documents containing video and audio data. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining new data to be added to a document having a hierarchical structure, where the document includes stored data and free spaces at different nodes; determining whether a first node in the structure includes a first free space of a size sufficient for the new data; using the first free space in the first node to add the new data to the document when the size is sufficient; and when the size is insufficient: identifying a second node including a second free space in the structure, moving some of the second free space to the first free space, and using the increased first free space in the first node to add the new data to the document.
US08131770B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for importance sampling of partitioned domains. In operation, a domain is partitioned into a plurality of sets. Additionally, a probability is assigned to each of the plurality of sets. Furthermore, samples are generated from the plurality of sets, the samples being generated according to the probability of a corresponding set.
US08131763B2
A system and method is provided for age verification and content filtering (AV/CF) on a wireless telecommunications system capable of providing enhanced products such as Internet, WAP, messaging, games, video, music, applications, etc. A profile controls content that is accessible by a user depending upon the user's age or restrictions placed on accessible content in accordance with content categories. Rating information is obtained from content providers and mapped to content categories or content is rated dynamically. User's requests for access may be recorded whether access is provided or denied and used to provide reports including reports to account holders responsible for the user's account. In some instances, attempts to access banned information may be reported to law enforcement officials.
US08131754B1
Systems and methods for determining an article association measure are described. In one described method, a computer program receives a first article identifier associated with a first attribute and a second article identifier associated with a second attribute and determines a similarity measure of the first article identifier to the second article identifier based at least in part on the first attribute and on the second attribute. The similarity measure may provide a means for associating various article identifiers so that they may be, for example, retrieved and/or ranked in subsequent search queries.
US08131748B2
In a computing system, an input that a user makes under guidance of a graphical user interface may be received. The input specifies several query portions to be used in searching a data repository in the system. Each of the query portions comprises a value entered by the user that is associated with any of several attributes of objects in the repository. The input does not specify a logical operator between any of the query portions. A search query is generated for searching the repository by: (i) determining whether any of the query portions have a common attribute, and associating any such query portions with each other into a new query portion using a logical OR operator; and (ii) thereafter associating any of the query portions that were not associated in step (i), and any new query portion formed in step (i), with each other using a logical AND operator.
US08131740B2
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for searching for virtual objects of an immersive virtual environment based on user interactions within the virtual environment. Generally, embodiments provide an attribute index storing data describing attributes of virtual objects, and an interaction index storing data describing user interactions with virtual objects. Search queries may be evaluated using both the attribute index and interactions index. Thus, virtual objects may be searched in terms of object attributes as well as user interactions with the virtual objects.
US08131739B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a storage platform comprising: a data store in which data stored therein is defined in terms of items, elements, and relationships, wherein an item is a unit of data storable in the data store and comprises one or more elements, an element is an instance of a type comprising one or more fields, and a relationship is a link between at least two items; a set of schemas that define different types of items, elements, and relationships; and an application programming interface comprising a class for each of the different items, elements, and relationships defined in the set of schemas. Data may also be stored in the data store in the form of an extension to an existing item type, and wherein the application programming interface comprises a class for each different item extension.
US08131732B2
A system is disclosed with a collaborative filtering engine to predict an active user's ratings/interests/preferences on a set of new products/items. The predictions are based on an analysis the database containing the historical data of many users' ratings/interests/preferences on a large set of products/items.
US08131730B2
Phrases in a corpus of documents including stopwords are found using a data processor arranged to execute phrase queries. Memory stores an index structure which maps entries in the index structure to documents in the corpus. Entries in the index structure represent words and other entries represent stopwords found in the corpus coalesced with prefixes of respective adjacent words adjacent to the stopwords. The prefixes comprise one or more leading characters of the respective adjacent words. A query processor forms a modified query by substituting a stopword with a search token representing the stopword coalesced with a prefix of the next word in the query. The processor executes the modified query. Also, index structures including coalesced stopwords are created and maintained.
US08131721B2
An information retrieval apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires a numerical value defining a boundary of a numerical range; a detecting unit that detects a number of places in and a head numeral of the numerical value; an extracting unit that extracts from a bit string group, a bit string indicating whether a numerical value in a numerical value group having the number of places and the head numeral is present in files subject to retrieval; a specifying unit that specifies a file corresponding to a bit in the extracted bit string, the bit indicating the presence of a numerical value of the numerical value group; a determining unit that determines whether a numerical value in the specified file meets the boundary condition; and a designating unit that, based on a determination by the determining unit designates the specified file to have a numerical value within the numerical range.
US08131718B2
An electronic assistant for managing and locating data of interest for a user that, autonomously and without explicit user request, schedules and executes multiple information retrieval tasks in accordance with the user's priorities, deadlines and preferences, said handheld device including a computer-implemented assistant coupled to said information locator, wherein the assistant automatically recommends an event or plans a travel trip based on said user styles, techniques, preferences, or interests, and location and time of the handheld.
US08131714B2
System and Methods determine a linguistic preference between two or more phrases. Each of the phrases is submitted to at least one search engine as a search string. Search results are retrieved from each of the at least one search engine for each submitted search string and total hit values of each search result are compared. One of the two or more phrases associated with the greatest total hit value are displayed to a user as the preferred phrase.
US08131709B2
Disclosed are an apparatus, method, and program product which each provide an enhanced database engine. Access to precise values is provided while permitting unfettered access to those who are not interested in precise values. This is accomplished via an enhanced database index and indexing method. The entries of the database index are normalized to exclude precision. Individuals interested in precision can then specify precision as part of their query through use of a PRECISE keyword. Results are then filtered to account for the specified precision.
US08131680B2
Systems and methods for managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.
US08131676B2
This document describes tools capable of updating media-location data for media-playing entities. These tools allow a developer of an application to use data binding to update media-location data for the media-playing entities without the need to write custom code.
US08131671B2
A Migration Thin Virtual File System (“MTVLS”) conducts file migration using a thin virtual layer that is size selectable and provides an uninterruptible migration path from the old file system to the new file system without an increase in the time to receive data. The MTVLS selects a file from the source file system, opens a corresponding file in the target system, mounts the thin virtual layer over the source file and the target file, and migrates that data from the source file to the target file.
US08131669B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture wherein one client node is selected from a plurality of client nodes. A determination is made that an object corresponding to a client node has to be stored. A determination is made as to whether the object has already been stored in the server node by the one selected client node. The object is stored at the server node, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the server node by the one selected client node.
US08131663B1
A apparatus implemented using a programmable computer that automatically generates the rules required by a software rules engine as a process flow diagram is designed. The apparatus includes a developer interface; an editing interface, and a rules generator. A developer interface enables the user to define functions and variables together with their properties from the business application. An editing interface allows the user to define the logical rules the business would follow in performing the business application by constructing a process flow diagram and associated tables using the functions and variables defined in the developer interface. The rules generator then automatically parses the flow diagrams and tables defined by the business user and, using the functions and variables defined in the developer interface, generates rules for a rules engine. The rules can then be deployed to a controller that implements the process automatically based on the input rules.
US08131662B2
This invention is related to systems and methods of providing sensory ability data from one or more remote locations to a central location. One embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising the steps of testing the sensory ability of a subject to produce testing data thereof, the testing being administered at one or more remote locations; collecting the testing data in an electronic format; and electronically providing the formatted testing data to the central location from the remote location. After being transferred, the testing data may be analyzed at the central location, and a sensory training plan may be developed for the individual. Further embodiments may automatically collect the testing data, transfer the data from the remote location to the central location, and/or analyze the data at the central location.
US08131660B2
A hardware accelerator is provided for Boolean constraint propagation (BCP) using field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for use in solving the Boolean satisfiability problem (SAT). An inference engine may perform implications. Block RAM (BRAM) may be used to store SAT instance information. Computation may be co-located with the BRAM memory, taking advantage of the high on-chip bandwidth and low latency of an FPGA. SAT instances may be partitioned into multiple groups that can be processed by multiple inference engines in parallel. New SAT instances can be inserted into FPGA without invoking the time-consuming FPGA re-synthesizing process.
US08131658B2
A mobile brain-based device (BBD) includes a mobile platform with sensors and effectors, which is guided by a simulated nervous system that is an analogue of the cerebellar areas of the brain used for predictive motor control to determine interaction with a real-world environment. The simulated nervous system has neural areas including precerebellum nuclei (PN), Purkinje cells (PC), deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) and an inferior olive (IO) for predicting turn and velocity control of the BBD during movement in a real-world environment. The BBD undergoes training and testing, and the simulated nervous system learns and performs control functions, based on a delayed eligibility trace learning rule.
US08131653B2
Method and apparatus for calculating warranty cost includes determining values for a plurality of parameters that characterize a corresponding plurality of physical conditions of a product that is returned under warranty, determining values for a plurality of variables that characterize a customer profile for the product and evaluating an expression that calculates warranty cost based on said determined parameter and variable values. The plurality of physical conditions of the product includes the conditions of no-trouble-found (NTF), repaired, junked, and subject to further failure mode analysis (FMA). The plurality of parameters further comprises probabilities and costs that correspond to each of the physical conditions. Evaluating the above expression includes evaluating a first expression that calculates repair, product conformance and Dead-On-Arrival cost and evaluating a second expression that calculates Change Notice cost. Subsequently, the two costs are summed to arrive at the total warranty cost.
US08131652B2
This invention provides methods, apparatus, and systems for classifying addresses. An address is evaluated based upon a postal code or standardized postal code, such as a U.S. Postal Service ZIP+4 code, serving the address. If the address cannot be classified based on the standardized postal code, the address is classified based on additional information, such as a U.S. Postal Service delivery point code. A mailer may then determine whether the address is a business or residential (or non-business) address. Furthermore, a mailer may predict when surcharges may apply and compare the rates of various carriers.
US08131648B2
An electronic content distribution and exchange system provides authenticated, reliable content downloads and tracking capabilities. Content is distributed to users through the invention's architecture. A user registers for the purchase of content through an interface on a client system or via a Web site. The purchase is for a license to the content, not for the content itself. A list of available content is displayed to the user through the client system or the Web site. The invention's central servers log the purchase of the content into a license database. The electronic copy of the song may be already resident on the client system in a hidden area, carouseled in a protected broadcast channel, in the central database ready to be sent out in slices, or resident on a secure server on the Internet. The user accesses content through the client system's user interface where the user plays the content and controls its playback. The invention's service provides an exchange capability similar to stock trading whereby owners offer licenses to various electronic for sale. A seller places his license for a particular content up for sale on the central server where a buyer that is interested in the license places a bid. When a price is agreed to, the invention's central server transfers license ownership in the license database to the new owner.
US08131637B1
A predictive model for use in providing an equity release (reverse mortgage) financial product is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a plurality of representative loans are created, wherein each loan can be characterized by a borrower type and a mortality table. A plurality of joint interest rate and house price scenarios are also created. Each of the representative loans can be run through each of the joint interest rate and house price scenarios to measure profitability metrics. The model can also be used to determine loan-to-value (LTV) ratios based on considerations including borrower age, loan volume sensitivity, a determined profit-maximizing LTV ratio, and geographic market considerations.
US08131635B2
A method to trigger credit actions may include determining a quantity of triggers flagged for a selected creditor. The method may also include establishing an action plan in response to the quantity of flagged triggers being greater than the predetermined number. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a system to trigger credit actions may include a processor and at least one trigger. The system may also include a credit action program operable on the processor to generate a sires of inquiries and to determine a quantity of the at least one trigger being flagged based on the responses to the series of inquiries for a selected creditor.
US08131629B1
A trading application can receive price and quantity information for tradeable objects. The trading application can compute implied price and quantity information for spreads of the tradeable objects. Direct and indirect price and quantity information for the spreads can be displayed in a manner that shows the relationship with each other and with the price and quantity information for the tradeable objects.
US08131624B1
The present invention relates to a method, software program, and system for offering debt. More particularly, in one embodiment a method for offering a predetermined amount of debt is provided, comprising: dividing the debt into a plurality of debt elements, wherein each of the debt elements has associated therewith at least one of a maturity amount, a maturity date, and a yield; and periodically offering at least one of the debt elements for sale into a primary market; wherein at least one of the maturity amount, the maturity date, and the yield associated with each of the debt elements is based on a demand for the debt element at the time that the debt element is offered.
US08131622B2
The present invention provides a system and method for administering an investment option known as a lifetime income share. Lifetime income shares mitigate survival risk, the risk that an individual will outlive his or her assets. More specifically, the purchase of a plurality of lifetime income shares guarantees an individual a predetermined, periodic income payment for the life of the purchaser. The guaranteed stream of monthly income commences at a specified age. Furthermore, the guaranteed stream is utilized to supplement an existing income level or provide income in the event that the individual outlives his or her accumulated liquid assets.
US08131620B1
A financial instrument formed by selecting and weighting securities according to selection and weighting criteria. A primary index may be constructed from a universe of securities meeting at least one selection criterion, and may optionally be weighted according to a selection criterion. Derivative indices may be constructed from the primary index. The derivative indices may be further screened and/or weighted according to the same or different selection criteria. Derivative indices may also be created from other derivative indices, again based on selection and/or weighting criteria. The primary index and any derivative indices may be ranked according to one or more selection criteria, either before or after derivative indices are constructed.
US08131619B1
A computing device that includes a processor and a memory receives inputs including indications of a transaction amount and a type of transaction. It is determined whether the transaction amount exceeds a predetermined threshold. Further, it is determined whether the type of transaction is one of a cash transaction and a payment card transaction. If the type of transaction is a cash transaction and the transaction amount exceeds the predetermined threshold, a predetermined service fee is added to the transaction amount, and a predetermined discount is subtracted from the transaction amount.
US08131613B2
A method of setting pension plan investment policy, overlay derivative strategy and other pension policies, initiated by the calculation of a ratio for any existing, putative or alternative asset portfolio of a pension fund with specific reference to the pension plan's liabilities. The method's calculated ratio X/Y, referred to as the “pension fund liability allocation” or “pension liability allocation” for any portfolio under consideration indicates that X % of pension liabilities are hedged by an equal dollar amount of pension assets and Y % of pension liabilities are unhedged by the remaining pension plan assets. The ratio X/Y may also be used to assess and compare risk between pension plans of different entities. The pension liability allocation is a concise metric indicating the pension fund's degree of asset/liability mismatch risk.
US08131609B1
A system comprises a memory that stores a plurality of usage values. A usage value may be based at least in part on usage of a utility resource measured by a utility meter having a meter identifier. The memory may store a plurality of service point identifiers and a plurality of account identifiers associated with one or more utility accounts. A particular service point identifier may represent a physical location of at least one utility meter. Each service point identifier may be stored in association with one or more usage values. The system may comprise a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. In response to a request comprising a particular service point identifier, the processor may retrieve one or more usage values from the memory based at least in part on the particular service point identifier in the request. The processor may generate a graphical user interface that displays the one or more retrieved usage values.
US08131606B2
Systems and methods are provided for the management of assets within an enterprise. Management of assets includes the creation of assets, the derivation and lineage of assets and asset composition. In addition, the creation of artifacts by the assets is provided. Assets and artifacts are maintained within a repository that is accessible throughout the enterprise. In addition, rules are provided for the composition and usage of all assets within the enterprise.
US08131593B1
A computer based method for automated submission and evaluation of business proposals by providing a database mutually accessible to a proposal sponsor and at least one requesting user community, communicating with the user community and interactively requesting one or more media or promotional elements for evaluation, populating the database with one or more received media or promotional elements, calculating a proposal sponsor payment value based upon received media or promotional elements according to schema provided by the proposal sponsor, comparing the calculated proposal sponsor payment value of with at least one proposal recommendation threshold value, and associating the comparison result with a proposal decision conclusion selected from one of the group of conclusions including, recommended, not recommended, and additional information required.
US08131592B2
The present disclosure is a method and system for providing targeted content with verification information. A method for providing targeted content with verification information may include receiving data associated with verification information, the receiving of data associated with verification information including time information and location information. The method may include retrieving content related to verification information, the content being based upon time information and location information; and generating verification information, the verification information including content related to the verification information and based upon the time information and location information.
US08131591B2
Embodiments of the invention provide ways to update and permit third-party advertising content of a webpage developed using Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (“AJAX”) techniques. An illustrative method includes registering a set of possible triggering events that can invoke an advertisement-update process, registering advertisement containers (portions of the webpage that can present the advertisements), receiving an indication that a triggering event has occurred, identifying (in some cases) advertisement containers whose advertisement content is to be updated, accessing third-party advertisement data that is stored outside of the domain of the webpage to receive the fresh advertising content, and presenting the fresh advertising content in the one or more advertisement containers.
US08131587B2
Method, communication device, and computer program products are provided for adding advertisement contact data to a networked address book. Advertisement data is accessed. The advertisement data is retrieved and parsed to determine if the advertisement data is in a proper format for a networked address book. The advertisement data is converted to the proper format, in response to determining that the advertisement data is not in the proper format. The advertisement data is transferred to the networked address book.
US08131579B2
An automated web-based system and application manages the creation, sharing and validation of program schedule data collaboratively among multiple teams in a structured manner to generate a networked program schedule such as for an events-based IMP/IMS. The Integrated Planning Solution (IPS) application provides a structured approach to large events-based planning that is time and cost efficient, produces well-managed, adequate and realistic schedules, is repeatable from project-to-project and can leverage information from previous projects. A focus of the IPS application is collaborative planning of the ‘accomplishment criteria’ for level 3 in an events-based program.
US08131576B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems for generating solutions to global optimization problems. In one aspect, the invention allows for determining whether models of optimization problems are infeasible. In another aspect, the invention allows for identifying relatively small sets of constraints that make a model infeasible.In yet another aspect, the invention provides methods and systems for creating one or more artificial infeasibilities in a model so as to seek improvement upon a known value of the objective function. Creation of artificial constraints in this manner may also permit identification of a relatively small set of constraints that may be limiting the value of the objective function.
US08131570B2
The method of the invention provides incentives for medical scheme members to minimize medical expenses both by responsible use of the benefits of the scheme, and also by offering positive incentives to members to adopt a healthy lifestyle and to make use of preventative procedures and pretreatment medical advice facilities. A number of health-related facilities and/or services (such as membership of health clubs, gymnasiums or fitness programs) are offered to the medical scheme members, and the members are allocated points for using these facilities. Members are also allocated points for using predetermined preventive medical procedures and medical advice services. Rewards are allocated to members based on their points accrued, and the reward may include a payback of premium payments.
US08131567B2
Systems and methods including a computer network are provided. The computer network includes a plurality of affiliate computing systems, each affiliate computing system including a processing unit and storage, the processing unit executing one or more programs for supporting care of a patient. The computer network includes a centralized care network including a central health care computing system, the central health care computing system being coupled to each affiliate computing system by way of a network and including a processing unit and storage, the processing unit executing one or more programs for managing patient records stored in the storage.
US08131562B2
A system and method for acquiring, compiling and displaying data indicative of healthcare data workflow within an integrated healthcare enterprise simplifies the monitoring and identification of inefficiencies such as bottlenecks in the enterprise. Information gathered from enterprise system components and data files are used to measure individual component performance. System alerts and messaging capabilities allow an enterprise administrator to remedy potential bottlenecks before problems arise. Remedial measures may be programmed into the system to automatically remedy inefficiencies as they are identified.
US08131556B2
Communications between users of different modalities are enabled by a single integrated platform that allows both the input of voice (from a telephone, for example) to be realized as text (such as an interactive text message) and allows the input of text (from the interactive text messaging application, for example) to be realized as voice (on the telephone). Real-time communication may be enabled between any permutation of any number of text devices (desktop, PDA, mobile telephone) and voice devices (mobile telephone, regular telephone, etc.). A call to a text device user may be initiated by a voice device user or vice versa.
US08131547B2
A method and system are disclosed that automatically segment speech to generate a speech inventory. The method includes initializing a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) using seed input data, performing a segmentation of the HMM into speech units to generate phone labels, correcting the segmentation of the speech units. Correcting the segmentation of the speech units includes re-estimating the HMM based on a current version of the phone labels, embedded re-estimating of the HMM, and updating the current version of the phone labels using spectral boundary correction. The system includes modules configured to control a processor to perform steps of the method.
US08131546B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a system and method useful for pre-processing non-sentence text extracted from business documents (e.g., malformed bulleted lists, runaway sentence identification, spatially separated data, etc.). One embodiment includes two heuristic algorithms: one searches for sentences in a document and another looks for non-sentences (e.g., lists, tables, tabs, names of people, addresses, etc.) in the same document. In one embodiment, when malformed text is encountered, a particular character (e.g., “?”) is inserted to signify to a natural language processing layer that this set of “words” represent a logical construct and should be evaluated independent of other sentences. Embodiments disclosed herein allow non-sentence text, which is linguistically dry but contextually rich, be included in the natural language processing. Embodiments disclosed herein also facilitate to reduce false positive concept extraction assertions by the natural language processing layer.
US08131545B1
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method including receiving audio data and a transcript of the audio data. The method further includes generating a language model including a factor automaton that includes automaton states and arcs, each of the automaton arcs corresponding to a language element from the transcript. The method further includes receiving language elements recognized from the received audio data and times at which each of the recognized language elements occur in the audio data. The method further includes comparing the recognized language elements to one or more of the language elements from the factor automaton to identify times at which the one or more of the language elements from the transcript occur in the audio data. The method further includes aligning a portion of the transcript with a portion of the audio data using the identified times.
US08131544B2
A system distinguishes a primary audio source and background noise to improve the quality of an audio signal. A speech signal from a microphone may be improved by identifying and dampening background noise to enhance speech. Stochastic models may be used to model speech and to model background noise. The models may determine which portions of the signal are speech and which portions are noise. The distinction may be used to improve the signal's quality, and for speaker identification or verification.
US08131542B2
A system capable of separating sound source signals with high precision while improving a convergence rate and convergence precision. A process of updating a current separation matrix Wk to a next separation matrix Wk+1 such that a next value J(Wk+1) of a cost function is closer to a minimum value J(W0) than a current value J(Wk) is iteratively performed. An update amount ΔWk of the separation matrix is increased as the current value J(Wk) of the cost function is increased and is decreased as a current gradient ∂J(Wk)/∂W of the cost function is rapid. On the basis of input signals x from a plurality of microphones Mi and an optimal separation matrix W0, it is possible to separate sound source signals y(=W0·x) with high precision while improving a convergence rate and convergence precision.
US08131528B1
Exemplary embodiments report delay incurred in a model. Exemplary embodiments identify an incurred delay that is related to a graphical affordance in the model and generate a visual indicator associated with the graphical affordance in the model. The visual indicator is related to the incurred delay. Exemplary embodiments render the visual indicator with an output device to depict the incurred delay that is related to the graphical affordance in the model.
US08131526B2
This invention relates to petroleum reservoir characterization. It uses a novel system and method to generate a system of reservoir models, and then use a series of simulation techniques to simulate the models. The models are refined through each simulation and comparison step by comparing the results of the simulation with the known data from the reservoir. The invention can be applied to different reservoirs which have different known properties. Simulation techniques such as EM test forward calculation, stochastic reservoir modeling, streamline forward calculation are all candidates of simulation methods disclosed in the invention.
US08131520B2
A device for supporting a diagnosis of a cancer which provides information useful to decide whether or not an anthracycline anticancer drug should be administered to a cancer patient to be examined is disclosed. Concretely, the device is composed to be able to acquire an activity and an expression of two cyclin dependent kinases (CDK) from a malignant tumor of a cancer patient to be examined, and to acquire a CDK parameters from both of two CDKs. Furthermore the device determines sample data comprising predetermined CDK parameter, and display information of determined sample data. According to the above component, user is easily able to know whether or not a cancer of a cancer patient, whose tumor is similar to the tumor of the cancer patient to be examined, has been recurred in spite of an administration of an anthracycline anticancer drug.
US08131515B2
A data center is designed by determining a compute description that describes computer resources to be used in the system from design requirements and models of the computer resources. A facility description that describes facilities to be used in the data center is determined from the compute description and models of the facilities. An integrated system describing the design of the data center is determined from the facility and compute descriptions.
US08131506B2
The invention comprises systems and methods for estimating the rate of change in temperature inside a structure. At least one thermostat located is inside the structure and is used to control an climate control system in the structure. At least one remote processor is in communication with said thermostat and at least one database stores data reported by the thermostat. At least one processor compares the outside temperature at least one location and at least one point in time to information reported to the remote processor from the thermostat. The processor uses the relationship between the inside temperature and the outside temperature over time to derive a first estimation for the rate of change in inside temperature assuming that the operating status of the climate control system is “on”. The processor also uses the relationship between the inside temperature and the outside temperature over time to derive a second estimation for the rate of change in inside temperature assuming that the operating status of the climate control system is “off”. The compares at least one of the first estimation and the second estimation to the actual inside temperature recorded inside the structure to determine whether the actual rate of change in inside temperature is closer to the first estimation or the second estimation.
US08131499B2
An electronic apparatus includes a body, a triaxial acceleration sensor which is built in the body and includes a long axis and a short axis, a disk device built in the body, a calculation unit that calculates a value on a basis of an acceleration value which is detected by the triaxial acceleration sensor and is output in a direction perpendicular to the long axis and to the short axis, a setting unit that sets a threshold in a state of the body in which a plane formed by the long axis and the short axis is approximately parallel to a direction of action of gravitational acceleration, and a controller that starts protection of the disk device on a basis of a result of comparison between the value calculated by the calculation unit and the threshold.
US08131490B2
A system and method for determining a received signal frequency by sampling the received signal at a rate less than twice a predefined nyquist rate. The system includes a distorting component configured to distort the received signal in a frequency dependent manner, at least one analog to digital converter configured to sample the received signal and the distorted signal at a rate less than twice a predefined nyquist rate, and a processing component configured to determine a frequency of the received signal based on the sampled received signal and the sampled distorted signal. The method includes distorting the received signal, sampling the received signal and the distorted signal at a rate less than twice a predefined nyquist rate, and determining a frequency of the received signal. In an embodiment, distorting includes at least one of distorting an amplitude or a group delay of the received signal.
US08131484B2
A method is provided for improved diagnostics of an internal combustion engine that includes cylinders, a crankshaft, crankshaft rotation angle sensor (CRAS), a vibro-sensor, a logic-mark sensor, each sensor produces respective signals. The method contemplates receiving the signals dividing them into a plurality of idling cycles, determining the crankshaft's position based on stochastic filtration, quasicontinuous representation of the signal, the Kalman filter, a nonlinear stochastic filter, based on CRAS characteristics and quasicontinuous representation, determining the Riesz generator basis function based on technical characteristics of the vibro-sensor, secondary discreeting of the signals with a replacement of argument, discreeting of a reciprocal function, obtaining a discrete wavelet transform, obtaining a continuous wavelet transform, obtaining a discrete wavelet transform of a reciprocal function, and producing output data. Two-dimensional arrays are divided relatively to predetermined indexes in the discrete transforms, an empirical probability distribution function is computed. Further optional diagnostic processing is provided.
US08131482B2
A method of determining a quantity of rotor slots in an induction motor through analysis of voltage and current signals. An approximate slip is calculated according to an approximate slip function that is independent of a rotor slots quantity. A fundamental frequency is calculated from a representation of the voltage signal. A saliency frequency is calculated from a representation of the current signal. For each rotor slots index in a set of rotor slots indices, a slip estimate is calculated according to a slip estimation function that includes the saliency frequency, a saliency order, the fundamental frequency, a rotor slots index in the set of rotor slots indices, and a quantity of poles of the motor, such that the slip estimate is evaluated at respective ones of the set rotor slots indices. A slip estimation error signal is calculated according to a slip estimation error function that includes a difference between the approximate slip and respective ones of the slip estimates. A rotor slots performance surface representative of an aggregate of the slip estimation error signals evaluated over the set of the rotor slots indices is calculated. A rotor slots quantity equal to the rotor slots index corresponding to a minimum of the rotor slots performance surface over at least a portion of the set of the rotor slots indices is defined.
US08131479B2
A method for detecting plural types of phosphorylated proteins in a sample, wherein a database consisting of data regarding plural types of proteins in the sample is used; and a method for purifying phosphorylated proteins using an immobilized metal carrier or a titania carrier, wherein a solution containing acetonitrile in a range of 40% (v/v) or greater but 60% (v/v) or less is used.
US08131452B2
In a system, an angle sensor outputs a pulse each time an output shaft of an internal combustion engine rotates by a preset angle, and a calculator calculates speed-change information indicative of a change in a speed of rotation of the output shaft based on the pulses outputted from the angle sensor. A determiner determines, based on the speed-change information, whether at least one of the pulses outputted from the angle sensor represents a proper timing for a preset of a pinion of a starter with a ring gear mounted on the output shaft. A pinion engaging unit shifts the pinion toward the ring gear so that the pinion is engaged with the ring gear when it is determined that the at least one of the pulses outputted from the angle sensor represents the proper timing for the preset of the pinion with the ring gear.
US08131451B2
There is provided an air-fuel ratio sensor with which an improvement in the accuracy in detecting the air-fuel ratio of detection target gas and an improvement in the response characteristics can both be achieved. The sensor includes a sensor element that outputs an output signal indicative of the air-fuel ratio of a detection target gas, a pair of electrodes including a detection target gas side electrode to which the detection target gas is introduced and an atmosphere side electrode exposed to the atmosphere, which are arranged in such a way as to sandwich the sensor element, a diffusion-controlling layer that is disposed on the sensor element in such a way as to cover the detection target gas side electrode and introduces the detection target gas from an entrance portion through which the detection target gas flows in to the detection target gas side electrode, and a catalyst layer provided on a part of the entrance portion.
US08131449B2
A fuel injection valve coupled to a common rail is provided. When fuel injection is carried out, the fuel pressure in the fuel injection valve pulsates. An interval between a pilot injection and a main injection is set so that the main injection is carried out at a zero gradient timing as a timing when the gradient of the fuel pressure in the fuel injection valve after the pilot injection is approximately equal to zero. Owing to a fuel injection control apparatus and a fuel injection control method for an internal combustion engine that perform the above-mentioned control, the fuel injection amount for the subsequent fuel injection following the preceding fuel injection can be reliably held equal to a normal amount.
US08131448B2
To provide a control apparatus of an engine that improves vehicle drivability by controlling a variable valve mechanism. The control apparatus of an engine prohibits the changing of the valve duration of an intake valve during a stop of an engine.
US08131445B2
A variety of methods and arrangements for improving the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines are described. Generally, an engine is controlled to operate in a skip fire variable displacement mode. Predictive Adaptive control is used to dynamically determine the working cycles to be skipped to provide a desired engine output.
US08131444B2
A method for a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle includes the following steps: on the basis of a digital map of a navigation system, verifying whether there is a turn option, and, if there is a turn option, analyzing the dynamic data, measured by a locating system, of a preceding vehicle and calculating a turn probability for the preceding vehicle on the basis of these data.
US08131442B2
A method for operating a cruise control system for a vehicle. The method can identify certain low speed environments, like parking lots, where usage of the cruise control system is usually inappropriate and can disable the system accordingly. According to one embodiment, a full speed range adaptive (FSRA) cruise control system compares a steering wheel position to a steering wheel threshold to determine if the vehicle is operating in an inappropriate low speed environment and, if so, disables the cruise control system accordingly.
US08131440B2
An initial movement state of a vehicle is specified in which a starting-off or acceleration is enabled by stepping on an accelerator pedal. In the specified initial movement state, a starting-off direction of the vehicle and an obstacle existing in the starting-off direction are specified. In the initial movement state, an incorrect starting-off sign action is detected which a driver of the vehicle indicates in a duration prior to the time when the vehicle practically starts off. When the incorrect starting-off sign action is detected, an incorrect starting-off prevention output is performed.
US08131432B2
A method and system for managing the turning of a vehicle comprises establishing a boundary of a work area. A location-determining receiver determines an observed position and velocity of the vehicle in the work area. An estimator estimates a first duration from an observed time when the vehicle will intercept the boundary based on determined position and velocity of the vehicle. An alert generator generates an alert during a second duration from the observed time. The second duration is less than or approximately equal to the first duration. An operator interface allows an operator to enter a command to control a path of the vehicle prior to or at the boundary.
US08131430B2
A vehicle includes a device for controlling negative torque having a central control unit; an internal combustion engine; a device for braking the wheels; an input for a resistive torque; at least one element with negative torque (generator, alternator, air conditioning compressor, lighting); and at least one device for regulating each element. The central control unit controls each regulating device in order to meet the resistive torque demand.
US08131429B2
A driver observation and security system has a plurality of sensors located on a vehicle. The sensors will indicate unauthorized entry into the vehicle. A plurality of interior camera modules is mounted in an interior of a vehicle. The interior camera modules provide real time images of the interior of the vehicle when at least one of the plurality of sensors indicates unauthorized entry into the vehicle. A control mechanism is coupled to the plurality of interior camera modules to control operation of each of the plurality of interior camera modules. A recording device is coupled to the control mechanism for storing the real time video images. A transmitter is coupled to the control mechanism for transmitting the real time video images for viewing at a remote location.
US08131424B2
A method for calculating a yaw gain for use in controlling a vehicle includes the steps of obtaining a steer angle of the vehicle, obtaining a vehicle speed, determining an adjustment factor for a baseline steering geometry equation, obtaining vehicle understeer gradient as a function of lateral acceleration, and calculating the yaw gain. The adjustment factor is determined based at least in part on the turn radius. The yaw gain is calculated based at least in part on the vehicle speed, the steer angle, the vehicle understeer gradient, and the adjustment factor.
US08131418B2
Minimum and maximum values of an angular velocity signal output from a gyro while a vehicle is stationary are detected. A range of the angular velocity signal is set that is used to determine when the vehicle is stationary. When the angular velocity signal output from the gyro exceeds the range, the vehicle starts to move, offset values calculated within a set time from a movement start detection time are discarded, and an average angular velocity signal having been calculated and stored the set time before, is output as the offset value. Thus, even when the vehicle does not have a vehicle speed sensor, the stopping and starting of the movement of the vehicle can be accurately detected using the output signal from the gyro and the accurate offset value can be output.
US08131415B2
A method for using an arbitrary shape 2-D poly-point path for an automatic vehicle guidance comprising the steps of: (A) determining a set of 2-D reference points; (B) selecting a set of 2-D interpolating curves to fit the set of 2-D reference points, wherein each 2-D interpolation curve connects a pair of 2-D reference points, and wherein each set of 2-D interpolation curves comprises a continuous 2-D poly-point path; and (C) calculating a steering angle to guide the vehicle along the continuous 2-D poly-point path.
US08131414B2
An energy supply system for electrical actuator of a motor vehicle having a engine and battery includes a generator adapted to be driven by the vehicle engine to provide electrical energy to the electric actuator and vehicle battery. A control unit sets an input power provided to the generator by the vehicle engine and is configured to set the output voltage of the generator based on a power request associated with the electric actuator. A method for supplying electrical energy to a vehicle subsystem may be performed using an energy supply system as disclosed.
US08131410B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes displaying information corresponding to automatically controlled engine thrust levels during a reduced engine thrust period of flight of an aircraft. The information corresponds to one or more parameters associated with a flight control computer of the aircraft. In an alternate aspect, the displayed information includes alphanumeric information formatted in accordance with a sequential order of the automatically controlled engine thrust levels. In a further aspect, the alphanumeric information corresponds to first, second and third engine thrust levels.
US08131401B2
A system and method for intelligent monitoring and management of an electrical system is disclosed. The system includes a data acquisition component, a power analytics server and a client terminal. The data acquisition component acquires real-time data output from the electrical system. The power analytics server is comprised of a real-time electrical system security index engine that calculates real-time system security index values from stability indices data generated from a virtual system model of the electrical system. The client terminal displays the system security index values to assess the security and stability of the electrical system.
US08131393B2
System and method for automatic construction of orthodontic reference objects, such as the occlusal plane, arch form, and the local occlusal plane for a patient's teeth are disclosed. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented system and method for automatic construction of orthodontic reference objects comprises receiving three dimensional data for the teeth, setting an initial direction for a normal of the occlusal plane, determining tips for selected teeth, calculating a plane that matches the determined tip, and determining a new normal for the calculated plane.
US08131391B2
A wireless digital audio system includes a portable audio source with a digital audio transmitter operatively coupled thereto and an audio receiver operatively coupled to a headphone set. The audio receiver is configured for digital wireless communication with the audio transmitter. The digital audio receiver utilizes fuzzy logic to optimize digital signal processing. Each of the digital audio transmitter and receiver is configured for code division multiple access (CDMA) communication. The wireless digital audio system allows private audio enjoyment without interference from other users of independent wireless digital transmitters and receivers sharing the same space.
US08131381B1
An electrotherapy device having an array of post electrodes that includes a body housing having a top surface; a plurality of apertures formed through the top surface of the body housing; a support member positioned within the body housing; and a plurality of post electrodes extending from the support member, through the apertures formed through the top surface of the body housing to form an array of post electrodes, wherein each of the post electrodes is formed of substantially rigid, electrically conductive material, wherein each post electrode terminates with a relatively blunt or rounded surface, and wherein each post electrode is electrically coupled to each other post electrode.
US08131377B2
An improved arbitration scheme for allowing concurrent stimulation and telemetry listening in a microstimulator is disclosed. A listening window for telemetry is permitted to proceed, and access to the microstimulator's coil granted, during at least a portion of the inter-pulse period that follows the issuance of a stimulation pulse. This is permissible because access to the coil is not needed during the entirety of the inter-pulse period. For example, the listening window can issue during that portion of the inter-pulse period when the decoupling capacitor is discharged, but cannot issue during that portion of the inter-pulse period when the compliance voltage is being generated for the next stimulation pulse. However, because compliance voltage generation occupies only a small portion of the inter-pulse period, the technique is not substantially limited. By allowing the listening window to issue during the majority of the inter-pulse period, the listening window produces smaller gaps between the pulses, and stimulation therapy is thus brought closer to its ideal.
US08131375B2
Applicant has proposed a combination of the subretinal and epiretinal methods by placing the electronics external to the eye, entering the eye through the pars plana and the piercing the retina (retinotomy) from inside the eye to stimulate subreintally.The present invention is an improved electrode array for subretinal stimulation. A hard polymer such as polyimide is biocompatible and strong for supporting an electrode array and supporting traces in a thin flex circuit array. In the present invention applicant takes advantage of the sharp nature of thin polyimide making a point on the end of the electrode array. This allows the flexible circuit electrode array to be both electrode array and surgical tool to cut the retinal and slide the array under the retina in a single action.
US08131372B2
A method and apparatus for treatment of heart failure, hypertension and renal failure by stimulating the renal nerve. The goal of therapy is to reduce sympathetic activity of the renal nerve. Therapy is accomplished by at least partially blocking the nerve with drug infusion or electrostimulation. Apparatus can be permanently implanted or catheter based.
US08131369B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided for an electrical device that employs a feedthrough including a hermetic seal that seals an interior region of the electrical device. The electrical device includes an electrical contact disposed within the interior region of the electrical device, and a wire terminal that includes an encircled portion that is encircled by the feedthrough, and a first end that electrically connects with said electrical contact. When the electrical device is constructed, the first end of the wire terminal is coated with a conductive metal that is more resistant to oxidation than the wire terminal. The first end of the wire terminal is secured to the electrical contact using a mechanical device such as a crimping connector or a spring connector.
US08131360B2
An implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) includes an Anti-Tachycardia Pacing Before Charge (ATP-BC) mode according to which one or more high-voltage capacitors for storing defibrillation energy are charged in preparation of delivering a defibrillation shock only if a ventricular tachycardia (VT) sustains after an ATP delivery. Fast ATP delivery and effect verification methods are applied to avoid significant delay in delivering the defibrillation shock when found necessary to terminate the VT. A switch is provided such that a user decides whether to activate the ATP-BC mode or to deliver the defibrillation shock without delivering the ATP.
US08131353B2
Disclosed is a method of navigating a spinal subarchnoid space in a living being, that includes percutaneously introducing a device into the spinal subarachnoid space at an entry location. The device has a first passageway that is sized to slidably receive, and work with, at least a guidewire. The device can be a catheter or a sheath. The method can also include advancing the device within the spinal subarachnoid space at least more than 10 centimeters from the entry location. Alternatively, the method can include advancing the device within the spinal subarachnoid space to facilitate intracranial access with a second device introduced through the first passageway. Also disclosed is a device suited for attachment to a patient's skin, such as a sheath, that includes an elongated member, a skin-attachment apparatus having a flexible skin-attachment flap, and a valve apparatus.
US08131348B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses of elastic light scattering spectroscopy and low-coherence enhanced backscattering spectroscopy are described here. An apparatus couple-able to a light source and a target object, to facilitate light transmission between the light source and the target object, the apparatus comprises: a probe to emit incident light that is partially coherent obtained from the light source onto the target object and to receive interacted light, the interacted light to be backscattered light from illumination of the incident light on the target object, the probe comprising: a delivery channel having at least one delivery optical fiber with a distal end portion couple-able to the light source and a proximal end portion suited to couple the incident light to the target object, a collection channel having a first collection optical fiber suited to collect substantially co-polarized backscattered light and a second collection optical fiber suited to collect substantially cross-polarized backscattered light.
US08131347B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring bio-information of a user. The apparatus includes an input device for receiving basic bio-information of the user, a first light source radiating a first light having a first wavelength on the surface of the skin, a second light source radiating a second light having a second wavelength on the surface of the skin, a third light source arranged so as to be placed in a more distant position from a photo detector than the first and the second light sources, said third light source radiating a third light having a third wavelength on the surface of the skin, the photo detector for detecting a first, second and third detection lights transmitted through the surface of the skin and converting said first, second and third detection light into electrical signals, said first, second and third detection light corresponding to said first, second and third wavelengths and a control unit for enabling the first, second and third light sources to be driven in a known order and for producing bio-information of the user on the basis of the inputted basic bio-information and intensities of the first, second and third detection lights.
US08131340B2
A detector unit for arrangement in a field generating unit of a magnetic resonance device has an RF transmission/reception system for transmitting RF pulses into, or receiving magnetic resonance signals from, an examination volume of the field generation unit. The RF transmission/reception system surrounds a patient tunnel at a radial distance from a tunnel axis thereof, and is divided into two sub-systems located at a distance from each other along the direction of the tunnel axis, so as to form a substantially annular cavity or interstice therebetween.
US08131338B2
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes an ECG detector for the patient object being imaged and an element for performing an MRI pulse sequence. An imaging unit defined by the pulse sequence is longer in temporal length than one heart beat represented by the ECG signal. An MR signal is acquired from the object in response to the pulse sequence and an MR image based on the acquired MR signal is produced. A plurality of divided MT pulses can be applied instead of the conventional single MT pulse. In this case, an SE-system pulse sequence having a shorter echo train spacing is used, to generate sounds by applying gradient pulses incorporated in an imaging pulse sequence so as to automatically instruct a patient to perform an intermittent breath hold during three-dimensional scanning.
US08131336B2
A method for the automated segmentation of in vivo image data is disclosed. A region of carotid artery in a number of patients was imaged using MRI. Histological data for each imaged region was then obtained, identifying various atherosclerotic plaque components in the imaged region. A portion of the histological data, and the image data, was used to generate PDFs based on image intensity, and on morphological data (local wall thickness and distance from lumen). The remaining data was used to validate the method. A plurality of MRI images were taken at various weightings, and the images were registered and normalized. The lumen and outer wall boundary were identified. The PDFs were combined in a Bayesian analysis with the intensity and morphological data to calculate the likelihood that each pixel corresponded to each of four plaque components. A contour algorithm was applied to generate contours segmenting the images by composition.
US08131325B2
Battery resources in a wireless device are managed in the present specification by traffic steering. A wireless device is configured to request content from an intermediation server, which is configured to analyze the requested content and send an indication to the wireless device as to which bearer path is to be selected based on which bearer path is battery-life optimized.
US08131324B2
Generally, the present invention provides a method for detecting poor RF conditions, and entering different sleep mode levels or phases in accordance with the RF conditions to save battery power. Mobile device battery life can be conserved when the mobile device detects poor RF conditions and enters a deep sleep mode of operation. In this deep sleep mode of operation the mobile device periodically samples the RF conditions and gradually increases the period between samples when the RF conditions do not improve. Because mobility can change the RF condition for wireless devices even in areas of good RF coverage, the mobile device operating in the deep sleep mode can detect this mobility and thus enhance the probability of entering an idle state, or alternatively, entering a longer power save mode. When the RF condition improves, the mobile device exits from the deep sleep mode and returns to the idle state.
US08131321B2
A portable electronic device, such as a pager or a mobile station, has a housing and a vibration motor coupled to the housing for imparting vibration to it. Within the device, an electronic audio signal is preferably split into high and low frequency components by parallel filters. Pulses of the low frequency component are rectified, voltages of those rectified pulses are quantified and at least some are converted to pulse widths, and the train of pulse widths is amplified to drive the vibration motor, resonating the housing at in correspondence with the pulse amplitudes of at least some pulses of the original electronic audio signal. Various adaptive schemes are presented to control the number of modulated pulses that drive the vibration motor to enhance the user experience. The vibration motor may act as an audible sub-woofer and/or may provide a bass effect vibration within or beyond the audible range in correspondence to certain spaced pulses of the original audio signal.
US08131320B1
The communication device comprising a voice communication implementer, a multiple & simultaneous speech-to-text implementer, and a caller identification displaying implementer.
US08131318B2
A radio communication device includes at least one radio communication module including baseband and/or radio frequency signal processing. The module of the device carries an internal SIM card, permanently welded thereto.
US08131316B2
A cellular mobile station including a modem processor and memory. The memory includes instructions for the modem processor to perform layer 1 processor operations, layer 2 processor operations, and layer 3 processor operations. The modem processor executes the instructions to perform processor operations for the cellular mobile station to communication data as per a cellular communications protocol. In one example, the mobile station includes different levels of memory to provide different deterministic access times.
US08131311B2
A content delivery system, such as a Just in Time Training (JITT) system which allows the broadcast of multimedia messages to recipients or users. The JITT system identifies the multimedia capabilities as well as the capabilities of the service provider and recipient device for each user and uses this profile information to determine an appropriate messaging format to use to send the message to each user. User involvement is used to determine the functionality and content type delivery for each user mobile device. This profiling may be performed in any of a number of different ways, including smart echo, caller-ID initiated (CIDI) and SMS initiated (SMSI) profiling. In smart echo profiling, the user sends the JITT system a multimedia sample from the mobile device, and the JITT system then sends messages and content to the mobile devise using the same format. In CIDI profiling, the JITT system sends test messages in different formats to the phone number of the device, and the user replies to the message having the best audiovisual experience. The system then uses the format associated with the reply message for further communications with the user. SMSI profiling is similar to CIDI profiling, except that the user sends an SMS instead of making a call. Users with multimedia recording devices, such as camera phones, can also upload multimedia through this system for subsequent broadcast. Users with data recording devices, such as toxic gas sensors, can also upload data through this system for subsequent conversion to multimedia and broadcast.
US08131308B2
A method of using an intercom on a cordless telephone during an active call. The active call is put on hold while the intercom is in use. Once the call is re-activated, the intercom is shut off. This system may be designed for a cordless telephone with one handset or a plurality of handsets.
US08131307B2
A method for safely and efficiently requesting transportation services through the use of mobile communications devices capable of geographic location is described. Individual and package transportation may be provided. New customers may be efficiently serviced, and the requester and transportation provider locations may be viewed in real time on the mobile devices.
US08131297B2
This document is related to a method for acquiring information for media independent handover. More specifically the method comprises: submitting a media independent handover (MIH) query to a base station (BS) by sending a first request message, and receiving a response to the MIH query. Because the first request message is used for authorization, preferably the PKM message, the MS can acquire information for handover between heterogeneous networks before the MS finishes the network entry.
US08131296B2
A handover authentication method includes performing, by a wireless network server, a first authentication between a client and the wireless network server via a first network gateway; obtaining first authentication keys for the wireless network server and the client based on the first authentication; determining, by the wireless network server, a need to handover the client from the first network gateway to a second network gateway; deriving, by the wireless network server and from the first authentication keys, a handover authentication key shared by the client and the wireless network server; obtaining, by the wireless network server, second authentication keys for the network server and the client; and serving, by the wireless network server, the client via the second network gateway.
US08131295B2
A method and system for performing handover in a third generation (3G) long term evolution (LTE) system are disclosed. A source evolved Node-B (eNode-B) makes a handover decision based on measurements and sends a handover request to a target eNode-B. The target eNode-B sends a handover response to the source eNode-B indicating that a handover should commence. The source eNode-B then sends a handover command to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). The handover command includes at least one of reconfiguration information, information regarding timing adjustment, relative timing difference between the source eNode-B and the target eNode-B, information regarding an initial scheduling procedure at the target eNode-B, and measurement information for the target eNode-B. The WTRU then accesses the target eNode-B and exchanges layer 1/2 signaling to perform downlink synchronization, timing adjustment, and uplink and downlink resource assignment based on information included in the handover command.
US08131285B2
Disclosed herein is a transmission/reception channel matching apparatus for a mobile communication terminal and a mobile phone test equipment. The transmission/reception channel matching apparatus includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), a Dual In-line Package (DIP) switch, and a fastening casing. The PCB includes mobile communication terminal-side terminals to be electrically connected to option pins provided in the serial communication connector of the mobile communication terminal, and transmission and reception terminals corresponding to the transmission and reception channels of the mobile phone test equipment for transmitting a transmission signal to the mobile communication terminal and receiving a reception signal from the mobile communication terminal. The DIP switch is provided with a plurality of switches, is combined with the PCB, and selectively connects the mobile communication terminal-side terminals to the transmission and reception terminals depending on ON/OFF information. The fastening casing accommodates the PCB so that part of the DIP switch is exposed to the outside.
US08131284B2
The invention relates to a method and system for calibrating the transmission and/or reception of at least one mobile radio device wherein a respectively defined number of test signal reference level values in predetermined for the mobile device(s) for a specific number of frequencies of a test signal. The mobile radio device(s) track(s) the real generated and measured level values of the test signal to the respectively associated reference values of all tracings of the real received level values to the associated reception reference values are directly sequential by virtue of full specification of all frequencies and reference level values associated with each frequency to the mobile radio device(s) prior to the beginning of all measurements.
US08131283B1
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for controlling roaming of a mobile device when the mobile device is in an active mode while utilizing a roaming network. A duration of an active event for which the mobile phone utilizes the roaming network is referenced. It is determined whether the duration of the active event exceeds an event threshold. The event threshold indicates a maximum amount of time the mobile device is allowed to connect to the roaming network in association with the active event. In instances that the duration of the active event exceeds the event threshold, the mobile device is transferred from the roaming network to a home network of the mobile device.
US08131282B2
A user feedback generation and management capability, operating possibly within a Value-Added Service Provider, provides key feedback (e.g., information, updates, etc.) to a Mobile Subscriber (MS) during, for example, the MS′ receipt of rich content on the MS′ Wireless Device (WD). The feedback may be conveyed to a MS′ WD through, possibly inter alia, one or more Short Message Service messages. Such feedback may, possibly inter alia, provide details as to why certain content might not be received, suggest one or more alternative content delivery means, etc. and thus serve to obviate what would otherwise be (1) a frustrating, disappointing, etc. user experience for the MS and (2) increased customer service costs for the different content and service providers.
US08131274B2
The invention of present speaks to a method and system for the prevention of unwanted wireless telecommunications which is implemented as part of a computer program product in (preferentially) the telecommunications operator's network, which meets and/or exceeds much of current, proposed and even academically anticipated legislative (and by necessity, technical) criteria, and indeed, thereby complies with the broader body of prima facie consumer requirements associated with wireless telecommunications spam filtering. Indeed, the invention provides for a remarkably flexible and customizable advance in the art through the utilization of a progressive filtering algorithm. This algorithm offers both the subscriber and the service provider with the capability to block and/or extract potentially harmful or unsolicited SMS, MMS and other such messages on the basis of an extensive range of parameters and rules.
US08131271B2
In embodiments, the present invention provides a method and system for using wireless provider data to ascertain a web browser activity, recording a user's mobile web browser activity performed on a mobile communication facility, storing a plurality of mobile web browser activities relating to the user, analyzing the plurality of mobile web browser activities to determine a relationship among web browser activities, creating a category of user profile based at least in part on the analysis, associating the category of user profile with the user, and presenting a content to the mobile communication facility based at least in part on the category of user profile.
US08131269B2
A hosted system receives a request for the delivery of a voice message from a collective such as a school district. The hosted system determines whether the message should be sent over a telephone line at the hosted system or the school district. Instructions are sent to a delivery mechanism at the determined location indicating how to prepare the message and the number to be called. In one embodiment, the instructions are in XML script form to reduce the bandwidth required. Having the hosted system determine the allocation of messages allows for both the efficient use and lower calling cost of any available capacity on telephone lines at a school district or other collective organization, as well as the larger capacity access to telephone lines of a hosted service for quick delivery of numerous or urgent messages.
US08131267B2
A system is responsive to voice commands and requests from a user to access and search distributed data resources. The system may include a speech recognition engine configured to receive a spoken command from the user. A processor is configured to identify a service requested by the user from the spoken command. A search engine is configured to associate the user with other services providing offerings available to the user. A speech synthesizer provides an output to the user that conveys the requested information. The processor may be configured to respond to a spoken selection made by the user to selectively provide the requested information and the offerings to the user. The speech synthesizer is responsive to the processor for converting the information retrieved from the selected service in a format that is audible to the user.
US08131265B2
A Multimedia Customized Ring Back Tone (MRBT) service platform, a terminal and a system for implementing an MRBT service are provided in the present invention. A method for implementing an MRBT service is further disclosed, which includes: performing, by a Multimedia Ring Back Tone (MRBT) platform, a first media capability negotiation with a calling party before a called party answers a call after the calling party initiates the call to the called party; playing, by the MRBT platform, an MRBT for the calling party according to the result of the first media capability negotiation. The scheme of the present invention may implement an MRBT service in a 3G communication network.
US08131259B2
An exemplary computing system may receive a first request from a first voice-communication device to establish a secure-voice-communication session with a second voice-communication device. The computing system may also receive a second request from the second voice-communication device to establish the secure-voice-communication session with the first voice-communication device. The computing system may establish the secure-voice-communication session between the first and second voice-communication devices. Corresponding methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08131256B2
A user device (20) is provided with information relating to a service wherein content is communicated to the user device via an access system provided by a communications network (22). In the method information regarding access charges from a charging entity (26) associated with the access system is provided to a service provider entity (24), where after an indication of total cost of the service covering content charges and the access charges is sent from the service provider entity to the user device. Alternatively, indication of the total costs can be sent directly to the user device from the charging entity.
US08131252B2
Provided are a method and medium for analyzing an environment of a device and a device using the same. A device may include a vibration unit to cause the device to vibrate, a sensing unit to sense vibration of the device, wherein the sensed vibration forms a vibration pattern and a judgment unit to judge an environment of the device according to a vibration pattern of the device sensed by the sensing unit.
US08131247B2
An alternate adjacent channel interference (AACI) filter is integrated into an intermediate frequency (IF) channel select filter to filter received RF signals. The IF channel select filter is an IF staged structure comprising successive IF stages. Each of the successive IF stages is a 2-biquad integrator. The AACI filter is integrated into the first IF stage of the IF channel select filter by re-using circuit components such as an operational amplifier, an input resistor, and a shunt capacitor of the first IF stage. The shunt capacitor is coupled between a middle point of the input resistor and ground. The AACI filter is realized via different equivalent implementations of the re-used circuit components of the first IF stage. A value of the shunt capacitor of the AACI filter becomes a fixed-value when a value the input resistor is inversely proportional to the bandwidth of the AACI filter.
US08131239B1
Methods and apparatus for detecting the presence of electronic communications devices, such as cellular phones, are disclosed. In an exemplary method, a complex radio frequency stimulus is transmitted into a target area, and nonlinear reflection signals received from the target area are processed to obtain a response measurement. The response measurement is compared to a pre-determined filter response profile to detect the presence of a radio device having a corresponding filter response characteristic. In some embodiments, the pre-determined filter response profile comprises a pre-determined band-edge profile, so that comparing the response measurement to a pre-determined filter response profile comprises comparing the response measurement to the pre-determined band-edge profile to detect the presence of a radio device having a corresponding band-edge characteristic.
US08131236B2
The present invention relates to a method of selecting sound contents transmitted by transmission channels and received by an audio or audiovisual receiver. A user first selects a received content and starts playback. Then, the receiver automatically searches among the contents transmitted by the transmission channels for a content whose audio parameters have values close to the values of a previously selected content and plays it back at the end of the current content. The operation is renewed each time the current content ends. According to a refinement, the receiver has a memory that makes it possible to offset the playback of the content in time and thus best synchronize the playback of the various selected contents. The invention also relates to an appliance capable of selecting audio contents originating from several channels and having similar audio characteristics, and playing them back automatically.
US08131235B2
An example radio receiver and a method is provided for controlling a radio receiver having two tuners, and receiving a hybrid signal containing digital and analog broadcast signal components. According to the example method, a selection is made in the radio receiver to operate between at least the following operating modes of the receiver: (i) a first operating mode in which both tuners are tuned to the same broadcast hybrid signal and where one of the tuners is configured to receive the digital broadcast signal and the other tuner is configured to receive the analog broadcast signal; (ii) a second operating mode in which one of the tuners receiving the digital broadcast signal is the operating tuner and the other tuner is a search and check tuner; and (iii) a third operating mode in which one of the tuners receiving the analog broadcast signal is the operating tuner and the other tuner is a search and check tuner. In this example, the hybrid signal is received and the two tuners are controlled in accordance with the selected operating mode of the receiver.
US08131230B2
A system and method for operating an FM system and wireless networking system coexistent in a mobile wireless device. A mobile wireless device includes a frequency modulation (“FM”) system that includes an FM transmitter and, optionally, an FM receiver. The mobile wireless device also includes a wireless networking system having a network receiver. The FM system is configured to disable the FM transmitter if an amplitude of a modulating signal provided to the FM transmitter is below a predetermined threshold.
US08131229B1
Apparatus and methods for adjustment of spectral signal characteristics in polar modulators are described. A composite signal detection circuit is configured to detect when a signal trajectory of a composite signal provided to the polar modulator passes near the origin of a complex plane associated with the composite signal, and then adjusts the composite signal to pass through the origin. A spectral adjustment circuit is described to adjust AM and FM or PM components of the composite signal to reduce the deviation of an FM component of the composite signal.
US08131226B1
A high-frequency circuit comprising a high-frequency switch circuit for switching the three-way connection of an antenna to a transmitting circuit for the first communications system, a receiving circuit for a first communications system, and a transmitting/receiving circuit for a second communications system; a first bandpass filter disposed between the antenna and the high-frequency switch circuit; and a balanced-unbalanced conversion circuit disposed between the receiving circuit of the first communications system and the high-frequency switch circuit.
US08131222B2
Receivers using multiple tuners may introduce crosstalk between signals provided to the tuners. The disclosed embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for detecting and preventing crosstalk. A method is described that includes providing a signal to a first signal processing path, tuning to a channel in the signal provided through the first signal processing path, tuning to the channel in the signal through a second signal processing path, and determining that crosstalk exists if the channel is present on the second signal processing path. An apparatus is also described containing means for providing a signal to a first signal processing path, tuning to a channel in the signal provided through the first signal processing path, tuning to the channel in the signal through a second signal processing path, and determining that crosstalk exists if the channel is present on the second signal processing path.
US08131221B2
Multipath signals are processed to suppress interference utilizing a programmable interface suppression module. One or more circuits that are operable to retrieve at least a portion of stored data from a memory, wherein the stored data corresponds to signals received via a particular receiving antenna and assigned to a particular finger in a rake receiver. A plurality of weighting factor values may be computed based on one or more signals received via the particular receiving antenna. Estimated signals may be generated based on the portion of stored data and the plurality of weighting factors. Residual signals may be generated based on the portion of stored data and the estimated signals. The portion of stored data may be replaced in the memory with corresponding data generated utilizing the residual signals. A plurality of interference suppressed signals may be generated based on the plurality of residual signals.
US08131220B2
A management unit manages a plurality of multiservice communication devices capable of communicating via a plurality of networks. The management unit includes a communication device interface for facilitating a bidirectional data communication with the plurality of multiservice communication devices via a wireless control channel, the bidirectional data communication including outbound control data sent to at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices and inbound control data received from at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices. A network interface receives network resource data from the plurality of networks. A management processing unit processes the inbound control data and the network resource data and that generates the outbound control data in response thereto.
US08131218B2
An embodiment for wirelessly communicating a signal includes a transmitter combining a plurality of phase shifted input data signals with a plurality of synchronization/pilot sequences to produce a plurality of combined signals, performing frequency domain-to-time domain transformations of the combined signals to produce a plurality of candidate signals, determining peak-to-average ratios for at least some of the plurality of candidate signals, identifying a selected signal from the plurality of candidate signals based on the peak-to-average ratios, and transmitting the selected signal over a wireless communication channel. An embodiment further includes a receiver receiving a channel-affected version of the transmitted, selected signal, determining an estimate of a selective mapping index, which identifies the synchronization/pilot sequence from the plurality of synchronization/pilot sequences, applying corrections to the received signal based on estimated channel perturbations to produce an equalized combined signal, and producing an output data symbol from the equalized combined signal.
US08131214B2
A method, a tap initiator, and tap target in a close proximity communication are disclosed. A tap interface 106 may initiate a tap with a tap target 104. The tap interface 108 may receive a tap from a tap initiator 102. A tap gauge 110 may measure a tap duration between the tap initiator 102 and the tap target 104. A processor 304 may determine if the tap duration is within a first duration range and a second duration range and executes a first action for the first duration range and a second action for the second duration range.
US08131209B1
Systems and methods are provided for automatically setting up an initial configuration of a wireless repeater and managing one or more wireless repeaters in a wireless local area network.
US08131203B2
An image forming apparatus adjusts a size of the loop of the sheet between the fixing unit and the transfer unit, according to a signal from a loop detection unit provided in a sheet conveyance path between a transfer unit and a fixing unit and configured to detect a loop of a sheet. The loop detection unit includes a detecting lever that is provided protrudably and retractably from and into the sheet conveyance path and abuts against the sheet, and a loop detection sensor that is turned on or off by the detecting lever. If the sheet is to be conveyed only by the transfer unit, the detecting lever moves to a retracting position from the sheet conveyance path.
US08131194B2
An image formation apparatus belt, including a belt that includes a belt main body, the belt having a recess; and a detected part for position detection that is located in a side edge region of the belt, the detected part being placed in the recess provided in the belt and covered with a ceramic film.
US08131192B2
A record-medium determining apparatus constituted such that a luminescent light source irradiates modulated light to a surface of a record medium, a part of reflected light by the record medium of this irradiated light is detected by a photodetector, the photodetector changes the detected light into an electric signal, and a signal-intensity detecting device detects intensity of a signal modulated from this electric signal is provided further on an upstream side than a fixing unit of a record-medium conveying path.
US08131180B2
A developing apparatus includes a housing having an opening that opens towards an image carrier onto which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developer accommodating unit in which a developer is accommodated, and a continuous charge hole connected with the developer accommodating unit; a developer carrier that carries the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating unit and transports the developer to a developing region in opposition to the image carrier; a sheet member that is provided in the developer accommodating unit and seals a continuous feeding hole; and an insertion hole that is formed in the housing and allows the sheet member to be inserted through when the sheet member is pulled out, wherein the insertion hole has a shape having ends which are more distant from the continuous charge hole than parts of the shape other than the ends.
US08131172B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an accommodating member configured to accommodate developer; a supply member configured to supply the developer of the accommodating member; a developer holding member configured to supply the developer from the supply member to an image holding member; and a voltage controller configured to apply a first predetermined voltage to the supply member and apply a second predetermined voltage to the developer holding member so as to supply the developer from the accommodating member to the electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding member through the supply member and the developer holding member. The voltage controller, when starting to apply a voltage to the supply member, applies an excessive voltage to the supply member, the excessive voltage having a polarity same as the first predetermined voltage and being larger in an absolute value than the first predetermined voltage.
US08131167B2
An image processing apparatus and image processing method for preventing a paper jam in print output are provided. First, when printing is instructed, it is judged whether paper jam exists. Next, when occurrence of paper jam is recognized based on the judgment, information related to an object is obtained. Next, when a paper jam occurs, the information is added to information of each object. Additionally, when each object is reused, it is judged whether there is a possibility that a paper jam will occur again, based on the information added.
US08131161B2
A DPSK optical receiver includes a DPSK demodulation circuit, an optical bandpass filter, a first photodetector, and a first control circuit. The DPSK demodulation circuit demodulates a DPSK optical signal and outputs the DPSK demodulated optical signal. The optical bandpass filter extracts a demodulated optical signal near the center wavelength from the DPSK demodulated optical signal output from the DPSK demodulation circuit. The first photodetector detects the optical power level of the DPSK demodulated optical signal extracted by the optical bandpass filter. The first control circuit performs phase control on the DPSK demodulation circuit so as to optimize the DPSK demodulation circuit with respect to the center wavelength of the DPSK optical signal on the basis of the optical power level detected by the first photodetector.
US08131159B2
In a transmission apparatus, a monitor unit monitors a signal level and generates a monitored value; a level control unit controls the level of the input signal in accordance with the monitored value; an output amplification unit amplifies and outputs the level-controlled signal; and a control unit controls unit operation statuses in accordance with setting information. The control unit recognizes the period of duration of a single level in the input signal, from the signal format given by the setting information, and performs variable control of at least one of a monitor time constant, a response time from the signal input to the monitor unit until the generation of the monitored value, and a level setting time constant, a response time from the input of the monitored value to the level control unit until the execution of level control, in accordance with the period of duration of the single level.
US08131157B2
An optical transmitter is disclosed wherein a modulating signal, such as an NRZ signal, encoding data is combined with a time derivative of the modulating signal and coupled to a directly modulated laser in order to generate artificial transient chirp in the output of the laser effective to substantially compensate for dispersion experienced by the output of the laser traveling through a dispersive medium such as an optical fiber. In some embodiments, the time derivative is added to the modulating signal only at the falling edges of the modulating signal.
US08131154B2
A visible light communication apparatus is constituted with a transmitter for illuminating and projecting visible light on which an information signal is superimposed from a lamp fitting and a receiver for receiving the visible light to take out the information signal superimposed on the visible light. The transmitter modulates a transmission information signal, driving a light projecting element of the lamp fitting so as to superimpose the transmission information signal on the visible light of the lamp fitting, thereby radiating white light containing a blue light component as visible illumination light. The receiver receives the white visible light containing the blue light component radiated from the transmitter and generates a receiving information signal from the light receiving signal on a receiving circuit. A blue light photodiode which receives blue light at the highest sensitivity to output a light receiving signal is used as a light receiving element of the light receiving unit. The lamp fitting for radiating the white light containing the blue light component on the side of the transmitter as visible illumination light and the blue light photodiode for receiving blue light on the side of the receiver at the highest sensitivity can be used to perform visible light communications at high speed, while illuminating by the white light.
US08131151B2
An optical node may include a plurality of optical input components operable to receive a plurality of signals communicated in an optical network and a plurality of optical output components operable to transmit a plurality of signals to be communicated in the optical network. The optical node may also include at least one of: (a) an optical drop component coupled to the plurality of optical input components, the optical drop component operable to select a signal and select a portion of the signal of a particular selectable wavelength to drop to an associated item of test equipment from any one of the plurality of optical input components; and (b) an optical add component coupled to the plurality of optical output components and operable to selectively transmit copies of a selected one or more of a plurality of optical add signals to the plurality of optical output components, wherein the plurality of optical add signals includes a signal of a particular selectable wavelength communicated to the optical add component from an associated item of test equipment, and wherein each optical output component is operable to select a signal to communicate in the optical network received from any one of the optical add component and the plurality of optical input components.
US08131147B2
A movement mechanism of a mover includes a base body disposed in an inner part of an outer case of an imaging device; a mover that is movable in a first movement direction with respect to the base body between a receiving position and a projecting position, and has a locked portion; a pressing spring that presses the mover from the receiving position toward the projecting position; a moving base capable of moving in a second movement direction between a lockable position to the base body and a lock release position; a lock lever that is supported by the moving base rotatably between a lock position and an unlock position; and a driver that is connected to the moving base and is a drive source for moving the moving base in the second movement direction.
US08131145B2
The present invention is a lightweight, cordless security camera comprising a lightweight stand or tripod, a video camera with pan, tilt, and zoom articulation and an audio microphone, a wireless networking interface enabling wireless access to the camera controls, video, and audio data streams, an antenna enabling transmission and reception of the aforementioned data via the aforementioned wireless networking interface, and a lightweight, battery power supply providing power to the video camera and wireless networking system. The lightweight, battery power supply includes one or more quickly coupled and uncoupled lightweight batteries which can be easily and quickly interchanged to provide continuous power to the security camera. This enables security forces such as police and military forces to safely and continuously monitor and surveil areas including crime scenes and combat theaters.
US08131142B2
Digital camera is provided with face detection section that detects faces of a plurality of photographing objects, microcomputer performs continuous shooting in optimum photographing conditions in accordance with the number of faces of the photographing objects for each face of the plurality of photographing objects by a single shutter operation and performs control by assigning serial photographing object numbers to the images of the plurality of photographing objects taken by continuous shooting and recording the images in a single continuous-shooting image folder. Furthermore, microcomputer performs continuous shooting in predetermined order in accordance with the number of faces of the photographing objects and detects, when the photographing object speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the photographing object speed again after photographing other photographing objects.
US08131135B2
Executes a re-encoding after decoding data of a connection section A of a first MPEG picture data. This re-encoding is executed based on a control such that a transition of a VBV buffer occupation value starts from a VBV buffer occupation value at a position a and ends with a VBV buffer occupation value at a position d. Up to the position a of the first MPEG picture data, the first MPEG picture data is reproduced. Next, re-encoded MPEG picture data of the connection section A is reproduced. Thereafter, the data is connected to the position d of a second MPEG picture data, and the second MPEG picture data of the position d and after is reproduced.
US08131129B2
A decoding apparatus and method for producing a browsable slide show and a data storage medium therefor. The decoding apparatus having a mainstream decoder, which decodes mainstream packet data including image data to be reproduced in a browsable slide show; a sub-audio decoder, which decodes sub-audio packet data including audio data attached to the image data; a mainstream system time clock (STC) counter, which provides an STC sequence for controlling the decoding time of the mainstream packet data to the mainstream decoder; and a sub-audio STC counter, which provides an STC sequence for controlling the decoding time of the sub-audio packet data to the sub-audio decoder. Accordingly, it is possible to seamlessly reproduce sub-audio data even when a user selects a forward or reverse play in the middle of reproducing still image data with the sub-audio data attached thereto in a browsable slide show.
US08131124B2
Optical guided mode fast 1×2 and 2×2 spatial switches are provided that can be used in multimedia communication networks. These switches require a relative refractive index change of only 0.0001˜0.0002 and can be realized using Lithium Niobate, Polymers, semiconductors, etc. Extinction ratios of these switches are made to be better than 45 dB, by introductions of a rear edge adjusted broken electrode and a blocker electrode into their architecture. Optical losses are less than 3 dB, and excellent switching characteristics are achieved by suppressing cross talk to ˜50 dB. The two output ports of the 1×2 (2×2) switch are made to be spatially perpendicular (in opposition) by introduction of air grooves, allowing for two-dimensional integration of unit switches into matrices. System applications of the switch are made flexible due to a discrete drive requirement for each optical input to the 2×2 switch.
US08131122B2
An integrated single-fiber multi-directional transceiver such as a diplexer or triplexer for FTTH applications comprises at least a laser for transmitting a first signal at a first wavelength, a photodetector for receiving a second signal at a second wavelength, and a 2×2 optical coupler. The 2×2 optical coupler has four ports, of which port 1 connects to a fiber through an input/output waveguide, port 2 leads to the photodetector through another waveguide, port 3 and port 4 are connected with the gain waveguide and are placed inside the laser cavity. Light emitted by the gain waveguide inside the laser cavity at port 3 of the coupler is partially coupled to port 4 as a feedback for the laser and partially coupled to port 1 which couples to the optical fiber to transmit the first signal. On the other hand, the second signal at the second wavelength that is launched into the coupler from the input/output waveguide at port 1 is entirely coupled to port 2 that leads to the photodetector. The design allows both the transmitted and received signals to be directed to their intended destinations with minimal loss.
US08131118B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for determining the location where an image was captured. In general, a device such as a smartphone may capture one or more images from a location, such as images of buildings, street signs and the like, and a central system may compare the submitted images to images in an image library to identify matches. The location of the match may then be provided back to the smartphone.
US08131114B2
A method for producing a photo album includes sorting images according to a primary predetermined criterion, separating the sorted images into a first page group and a second page group using one or more secondary criteria, and automatically selecting a first page layout from a library of page layouts. The first page layout includes a same number of one or more image receiving areas as the number of one or more images in the first page group. The one or more images in the first page group are automatically placed into the one or more image receiving areas in the first page layout.
US08131111B2
A dead pixel processing device is disclosed. The dead pixel processing device separates an inputted Bayer pattern image into corresponding component data; calculates the distribution (pattern) of pixels based on the median of each data; calculates a comparing value based on a component having a center pixel; outputs an external flag which informs whether there are a dead pixel and/or a hot pixel by using the comparing value; compares the values of the center pixel and adjacent pixels in the component having the center pixel; calculates a measuring value based on the center pixel; outputs an internal flag by using the measuring value; and corrects the dead pixel or the hot pixel. With the present invention, an image can be corrected by detecting a corresponding dead pixel and hot pixel.
US08131110B2
An image processing method that demosaicks a mosaic input image to generate a full color output image. The image processing method calculates both vertical and horizontal luminance-chrominance difference components for each pixel of the mosaic input image. Next, the image processing method calculates an enhanced version of both vertical and horizontal luminance-chrominance difference components for each pixel of the mosaic input image. Then, the image processing method interpolates a G component for each of the original R and B components. Next, the image processing method detects a signal overshoot or undershoot in each interpolated G component and to clamps each interpolated G component with a detected signal overshoot or undershoot to the closest neighboring original G component. Next, the image processing method interpolates missing R and/or B components in each pixel location of the captured image.
US08131101B2
An object of the invention is to adequately remove a halo in an image processing method and apparatus for conversion of an image into an image suitable for image recording and displaying by compression of the dynamic range of the image. As means for solution, an image processing method that compresses the dynamic range of image data includes: an input process of inputting image data; a low frequency component calculation process of calculating, for each pixel, a low frequency component of image data inputted through the input process; an image processing process of calculating an image-processed value for each pixel, according to the below-described equation; and an output process of outputting image data including the image-processed value calculated by the image processing process. Snp=a1·Snus+a2·(Snf−Snus), wherein Snp represents an image-processed value; a1 and a2 are represent factors (0
US08131094B2
A method and apparatus for encoding and decoding three-dimensional mesh information are provided. The method and apparatus separately encode/decode order information of elements, such as vertices and faces, of a three-dimensional mesh model (original model) in consideration of a change in an element order during encoding three-dimensional mesh information for the original model. The method for encoding three-dimensional mesh information includes the steps of: encoding the three-dimensional mesh information and outputting an encoded bit-stream; calculating order information of at least one element in an original model contained in the three-dimensional mesh information; encoding the element order information; and generating packets of the encoded bit-stream, wherein the encoded element order information is inserted into the packet.
US08131086B2
Kernelized spatial-contextual image classification is disclosed. One embodiment comprises generating a first spatial-contextual model to represent a first image, the first spatial-contextual model having a plurality of interconnected nodes arranged in a first pattern of connections with each node connected to at least one other node, generating a second spatial-contextual model to represent a second image using the first pattern of connections, and estimating the distance between corresponding nodes in the first spatial-contextual model and the second spatial-contextual model based on a relationship with adjacent connected nodes to determine a distance between the first image and the second image.
US08131085B2
Techniques for shape clustering and applications in processing various documents, including an output of an optical character recognition (OCR) process. The output of an OCR process is classified into a plurality of clusters of clip images and a representative image for each cluster is generated to identify clusters whose clip images were incorrectly assigned character codes by the OCR process.
US08131082B2
A position and an area of a region to be processed, that is, a region from which image feature parameters are to be extracted, are obtained, and the number of pixels required for obtaining the usable image feature parameters is determined in accordance with types of the image feature parameters to be extracted. Then, a required resolution is calculated in accordance with the determined number of pixels and the area of the region to be processed, an image having a minimum resolution which is equal to or higher than the required resolution and which is usable to extract the usable image feature parameters is selected, and the image feature parameters are extracted from a region to be processed in the selected image.
US08131075B2
A method for segmenting at least a pair of regions of an image. High resolution data is obtained of the image. Each one of the pair of the regions in the image is marked. Graph cuts are used on the downsampled data to obtain first voxels along an outer boundary of a selected one of the pair of marked regions and second voxels along an inner boundary the selected region. The graphs cuts are projected to the previously obtained high-resolution image data. First and second sets of seeds are placed on the first voxels and a second set of seeds respectively. The first seeds grow into first areas extending inwardly of the selected region while simultaneously the second seeds grow into second areas extending towards the first extending areas until the first areas and the second areas meet to thereby establish the outer boundary of the selected region.
US08131072B2
A method and apparatus for reducing false color artifacts in digital images. Aperture correction and color saturation values are determined for a portion of an image surrounding a subject pixel. A color attenuation value is determined based at least in part on the aperture correction and color saturation values. A color value of the subject pixel is adjusted by an amount based at least in part on the color attenuation value. In one exemplary embodiment, the method and apparatus operate in the YUV color space and adjust U and V values of the subject pixel proportionally to the color attenuation value.
US08131068B2
An image matching device includes: a dividing unit that divides a target image, contained in a search window set within an input image constituted with pixels each having a luminance component and a chrominance component, and a template image constituted with pixels each having the luminance component and the chrominance component, each into a plurality of divided areas; a representative value calculation unit that calculates a luminance component representative value and a chrominance component representative value in correspondence to each of the divided areas; a normalizing unit that normalizes the luminance component representative value having been calculated in correspondence to each divided area; and a template matching processing unit that executes template matching processing based upon the normalized luminance component representative value and the chrominance component representative value corresponding to each of the divided areas in the template image, and upon the normalized luminance component representative value and the chrominance component representative value corresponding to each of the divided areas in the target image.
US08131065B2
Machine-readable media, methods, apparatus and system for obtaining and processing image features are described. In some embodiments, groups of training features derived from regions of training images may be trained to obtain a plurality of classifiers, each classifier corresponding to each group of training features. The plurality of classifiers may be used to classify groups of validation features derived from regions of validation images to obtain a plurality of weights, wherein each weight corresponds to each region of the validation images and indicates how important the each region of the validation images is. Then, a weight may be discarded from the plurality of weights based upon a certain criterion.
US08131053B2
Photometric and morphometric features derived from multi-mode imagery of cells in flow are used as a cell analyzer to determine if a marker corresponding to a cancer cell or precancerous cell is present in the population of cells imaged. An imaging system simultaneously acquires a plurality of images for each cell passing through the field of view of the imaging system. Acquiring a plurality of different images (i.e., bright field, dark field, and fluorescent images) facilitates the determination of different morphological and morphometric parameters. Simultaneously acquiring the plurality of images enables relatively large populations of cells to be rapidly imaged, so that relatively small numbers of cancer cells in a large population of cells can be detected. Initially, known cancer cells are imaged to enable a marker to be identified. Then, a sample that may include cancer cells is imaged to determine if the marker is present.
US08131048B2
In a method and apparatus for correcting distortion during magnetic resonance imaging k space data in a number of readout encoding directions, sampling points on the phase encoding lines are primarily in low frequency regions of k space and the number of such sampling points is less than that of all sampling points. A view angle tilting compensation gradient is superimposed on the axis of a layer selection gradient. The k space data acquired from the number of directions are then combined.
US08131045B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a recognizing device which recognizes a bone area extracted from a tomogram, the bone area including a bone site composed of several bone pieces, in units of bone pieces; a display site selecting device which selects a bone site to be displayed; a display/non-display determining device which determines a bone piece to be displayed with respect to the selected bone site; and a display controlling device which controls to display a bone piece corresponding to the selected bone site based on the determination by the display/non-display determining device.Thus, only a selection of a bone site to be displayed allows a display of the selected bone site in units of bone pieces.
US08131044B2
A method for determining the effectiveness of an image transformation process includes acquiring a four-dimensional (4D) image data set, sorting the 4D image data set into separate field-of-view bins using a temporal gating system generating a plurality of deformation vectors using the sorted 4D image data set, and using the plurality of deformation vectors to generate a transformation effectiveness value that is representative of the effectiveness of the image transformation process. The method further includes acquiring a respiratory signal, calculating a power spectrum of the respiratory signal, calculating a power spectrum for each of the plurality of deformation vectors, and comparing the power spectrum of the respiratory signal to the power spectrum of the plurality of deformation vectors to generate the transformation effectiveness value.
US08131042B2
A method for reconstructing an image using an imaging apparatus that includes a radiation source, a detector array, and a computer. The method includes performing a helical scan of an object at a selected helical pitch using the radiation source and detector array to obtain image data, and reconstructing an image of the object utilizing the computer programmed to perform a hybrid cone beam image reconstruction having ray-wise 3D weighting, wherein the weighting is dependent upon both helical pitch and z-distance.
US08131033B2
Systems for rendering images from a multi-dimensional data set include a sensitivity lens configured to electronically render a sequence of images showing features in a region of interest to interrogate and/or explore potential uncertainties in the rendered visualizations of images.
US08131032B2
An apparatus for defining the lumen-intima interface and media-adventitia interface of a blood vessel, for example the carotid artery, comprises a means for acquisition of a two-dimensional representation, generated by an ultrasonographic machine, of a longitudinal or transverse cross section of the vessel. In the two-dimensional representation a region of interest (ROI) is defined comprising the interface lumen-intima and the interface media-adventitia of the vessel. In the ROI N search paths are then defined from the inside to the outside of the vessel. Along each search path i the values f(n, m) are taken of the two-dimensional representation, which are then subject to filtering obtaining filtered values. This allows retrieving discontinuity points of the two-dimensional representation and then localizing the lumen-intima and media-adventitia interfaces through further logical operations.
US08131030B2
Each of detecting circuits 36a, 36d, 36f, and 36h detects a key signal such as a horizontal synchronization signal, a vertical synchronization signal, a capsule ID, a WB coefficient, and error information, i.e., a key signal superposed on RF signals received by an RF receiving unit 33. Each of determining units 36b, 36c, 36e, 36g, and 36i determines whether an image is valid or invalid based on the result of detection. A recording deciding unit 36k decides whether to record the image information in a storage unit 35 or not based on the result of determination. Thus, a receiving apparatus 3 can stop recording the image information received when a trouble occurs, thereby preventing defective images from mixing into the recorded image information, and preventing a recorded image size from becoming large, whereby necessary images can be recorded within a predetermined examination time.
US08131028B2
In a medical imaging system the flexibility and power of measurement tools is improved by making the measurements objects themselves, whereby flexible interaction is provided. The measurement objects (52) are aware of their position relative to other graphical objects (50, 51), in the image. A user of a medical imaging system is thus enabled to easily perform desired measurements and to display the results thereof in a reliable and flexible manner. A method, an apparatus and a computer-readable medium are provided for processing cursored user interaction with a spatially displayed medical image for producing graphics related measurement data on the medical image. The medical image comprises at least one graphics object and dynamic measurement objects are attached to said graphics object, wherein the measurement object may be moved, removed or transferred to other graphic objects on the medical image at any time.
US08131027B2
A finger contact detecting apparatus, which detects a finger being swept on a fingerprint sensor of the finger contact detecting apparatus, the finger contact detecting apparatus including, a pixel data averaging unit calculating an average value of pixel data collected by the fingerprint sensor; a deviation adding unit calculating, based on the average value and respective pixel data of predetermined pixels obtained by the fingerprint sensor, a summation of deviations of the respective pixel data of the predetermined pixels; and a finger contact detecting unit determining whether the finger is separated from the fingerprint sensor based on the summation of deviations and a predetermined threshold value.
US08131017B2
Automatic illuminating and image recording system for an automobile service device, combined illuminating and image recording unit and method for automatic measured value-dependent setting of the image recording and exposure for an automobile service device having contactless measuring capability. Comprises at least one camera (32, 34) having an interface to a control unit, at least one illuminating unit (62, 64) having a control input, and a control unit. This control unit is equipped with an interface to the camera(s) (32, 34), with an interface to the illuminating unit(s) (62, 64), with an image processing-and, respectively, image pre-processing-unit and with an evaluating unit that generates control parameters for the illuminating unit(s) (62, 64) and/or the camera(s) (32, 34).
US08131015B2
A multiple camera tracking system for interfacing with an application program running on a computer is provided. The tracking system includes two or more video cameras arranged to provide different viewpoints of a region of interest, and are operable to produce a series of video images. A processor is operable to receive the series of video images and detect objects appearing in the region of interest. The processor executes a process to generate a background data set from the video images, generate an image data set for each received video image, compare each image data set to the background data set to produce a difference map for each image data set, detect a relative position of an object of interest within each difference map, and produce an absolute position of the object of interest from the relative positions of the object of interest and map the absolute position to a position indicator associated with the application program.
US08131004B2
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a speaker apparatus including: a speaker frame; and a connection terminal for electrically connecting to an outside of a speaker, an axis line of the connection terminal being arranged along a tangential line direction of a circumference of the speaker, the connection terminal being not projected to an outer side in a diameter direction of the speaker from the speaker frame.
US08131001B2
The present invention provides a loudspeaker diaphragm and an electrodynamic loudspeaker of an elongated shape being shorter in the minor-axis direction than in the major-axis direction, which have a desirable sound reproducing capability with a high efficiency and are not significantly influenced by divided vibrations of an elongated loudspeaker diaphragm, and which are suitably installed in devices such as display devices. In the elongated loudspeaker diaphragm: the diaphragm body includes a first diaphragm portion in a central portion of a rear surface thereof, the first diaphragm portion including a junction to a voice coil bobbin, a second diaphragm portion extending on each side of the first diaphragm portion in the major-axis direction, and a reinforcement rib extending continuously through the first diaphragm portion and the second diaphragm portions; and the edge includes a free edge portion for freely supporting opposite ends in the minor-axis direction of the first diaphragm portion and the second diaphragm portion, and a fixed edge portion being thicker than the free edge portion for fixedly supporting a distal end of each second diaphragm portion in the major-axis direction.
US08130998B2
A miniature speaker device includes a housing, a speaker mounted on the housing, a passive radiator mounted on the housing and vibrating in resonance with vibration of the speaker and having no driving system and a low frequency range amplification circuit for amplifying sound pressure in frequency components of a low frequency range of a single audio signal input in the speaker.
US08130994B2
A waveguide configured to function as a high frequency waveguide for a high frequency sound source mounted to the waveguide, and to function as an acoustical low pass filter for a low frequency sound source mounted behind the waveguide in a multi-way loudspeaker system. The waveguide includes openings that overlay the vibrating surface of the low frequency source. The openings are configured by selection of various geometrical parameters to tailor filtering characteristics as desired.
US08130993B2
The invention relates to a securing system for a receiver tube in a hearing device. The object of the invention is to provide a securing system for the receiver tube in a hearing device, which reliably prevents the occurrence of disruptive acoustic feedback and does not require adhesive to secure the receiver tube. This object of the invention is achieved with a hearing device, in particular a BTE hearing device, in which a receiver facility is disposed, wherein the hearing device has a connector piece, which is connected to the receiver facility by way of a receiver tube, in order to conduct an acoustic signal or acoustic signals generated by the receiver facility to an acoustic output of the hearing device, with the receiver tube being provided with a connecting element, which connects the receiver tube and the connector piece to each other in an essentially acoustically sealed manner.
US08130985B2
An ear cup with a bone conduction function comprising a cup (1), a sealing ring (3) and a microphone capsule (5). The cup (1) has an edge (2) on which the sealing ring (3) is disposed. The microphone capsule (5) is disposed in a retainer body (4). The retainer body (4) has an anchorage portion (6) with which the retainer body (4) and its anchorage portion (6) are secured interiorly in the cup. The retainer body (4) has a substantially planar surface for abutment and sealing against the wearer's head in the position of use. In the position of use, the retainer body (4) is located between the sealing ring (3) and the wearer's head, and the retainer body (4) is wholly or partly pressed into the sealing ring (3).
US08130983B2
A body motion controlled audio playing device is disposed with a sensing switch that can be covered in a non-contact way to selectively enable such functions as startup, shutdown, mute, and volume adjustment.
US08130979B2
A microphone system has a base coupled with first and second microphone apparatuses. The first microphone apparatus is capable of producing a first output signal having a noise component, while the second microphone apparatus is capable of producing a second output signal. The system also has combining logic operatively coupled with the first microphone apparatus and the second microphone apparatus. The combining logic uses the second output signal to remove at least a portion of the noise component from the first output signal.
US08130977B2
An arbitrarily positioned cluster of three microphones can be used for stereo input of a videoconferencing system. To produce stereo input, right and left weightings for signal inputs from each of the microphones are determined. The right and left weightings correspond to preferred directive patterns for stereo input of the system. The determined right weightings are applied to the signal inputs from each of the microphones, and the weighted inputs are summed to product the right input. The same is done for the left input using the determined left weightings. The three microphones are preferably first-order, cardioid microphone capsules spaced close together in an audio unit, where each faces radially outward at 120-degrees. The orientation of the arbitrarily positioned cluster relative to the system can be determined by directly detecting the orientation or by using stored arrangements.
US08130960B2
Methods and apparatus for providing seamless functionality in a computer are disclosed. For example, an encrypted file system manager is included to layer an encoded File Allocation Table on top of a disk and to pass to the operating system an Embedded Root Key to provide access to an encrypted Firmware Interface System Partition.
US08130955B2
Systems and/or methods that facilitate security of data are presented. A random number generation component generates random numbers based in part on electron activity in a select memory cell(s) to facilitate data security. Sensor components that are highly sensitive can be employed to sense activity of the select memory cell(s) and/or reference memory cell in a noise margin associated with respective memory cells in the memory component. The activity of the select memory cell is compared to the reference memory cell(s) to facilitate generating binary data. The binary data is provided to the random number generation component where the binary data is evaluated to determine whether a predetermined level of entropy exists in the binary data. The binary data, or a portion thereof, can be processed to generate random numbers that are utilized in cryptographic processes and/or as a physical signature to facilitate data security.
US08130949B2
Techniques are provided to obfuscate seed values to produce a decryption key for a simplified content protection scheme. A first repeatable sequence is performed that encrypts a value stored in a first memory location using a value stored in the second memory location to produce an encrypted value and the value stored in the first memory location is overwritten with the encrypted value and then applying a constraining function to the value stored in the second memory location to produce a result and the value stored in the second memory location is overwritten with the result, wherein the result contains a less entropy compared an entropy level of the value in the second memory location prior to applying the constraining function. This sequence is repeated, but the values used in the first and second memory locations are used in opposite fashion. Techniques are also provided to perform the reverse operation and de-obfuscate a decryption key.
US08130935B1
An agent's emotional state is used to assist with determining how to route an incoming communication. The factoring in of emotional state can be combined with other performance metrics that can include, for example, any suitable metric for expressing or describing agent performance or agent skill level. For example, the metrics can include revenue generated, revenue generation rate, profitability, profitability generation rate, number of units sold, rate of unit sales, average duration of the contact, a rating quantifying the agents proficiency in handling a contact, the occurrence of a trouble ticket, agent requests assistance, a no sale situation, customer satisfaction indicators, customer attention, value of collections, time to close a sale, one-and-done, and/or any other metric indicating the customer's relationship with the business.
US08130923B2
The present invention enables the remote activation of a device by a packet-switched service, e.g., VoIP network service for the purposes of receiving calls identified as urgent from a pre-identified calling party when the device is disabled. The present invention enables registered users to select the calling parties they wish to receive emergency calls from.
US08130915B2
In those transactions requiring the approval of two or more users, users can perform verification of identity and then completion of desired transaction using an IVR system. The combination of two or more user voice prints previously collected during an enrollment phase can be used for verification of parties to the transaction. During a subsequent verification phase of the IVR system, the users can speak their own password phase when prompted to do so during a defined period of time and the IVR system captures them in a captured mixed voice print. Verification can then be provided by comparing the captured mixed voice print with a joined voice reference model built from stored voice reference models.
US08130905B1
Electronic portal imaging device (EPID) images are converted to an absolute dose at a simulated absolute dose plane in a measurement phantom for supporting intensity modulated radio therapy (IMRT) dose quality assurance (QA) by geometrically projecting the EPID image as may be needed, generating an output factor correction map specific to a radiation treatment beam, multiplying an EPID image by the output factor correction map for generating an output corrected EPID image, and convolving the output corrected EPID image with a redistribution kernel for generating a relative dose at a preselected dose plane. A wide field calibration map is then applied to the relative dose for generating an absolute dose at the preselected dose plane location.
US08130902B2
Active optics apparatus and method for aligning active optics are provided for a high-resolution, active optic fluorescence analyzer combining a large acceptance solid angle with wide energy tunability. A plurality of rows of correctors selectively controlled to bend an elongated strip of single crystal material like Si (400) into substantially any precisely defined shape. A pair of pushers engages opposite ends of the silicon crystal strip exert only a force along the long axis of the crystal strip, and does not induce additional bending moments which would result in a torsion of the crystal.
US08130894B2
A data processing apparatus maps input symbols to be communicated onto a predetermined number of carrier signals of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbol. The data processor includes an interleaver memory which reads-in the predetermined number of data symbols for mapping onto the OFDM carrier signals. The interleaver memory reads-out the data symbols on to the OFDM carriers to effect the mapping, the read-out being in a different order than the read-in, and the order being determined from a set of addresses. The set of addresses are generated from an address generator. The address generator includes a linear feedback shift register and a permutation circuit.
US08130891B2
A circuit, such as a CDR circuit, includes a sampler to receive a data signal having a variable data bit-rate responsive to a clock signal in an embodiment of the present invention. A clock circuit is coupled to the sampler and generates the clock signal responsive to a selectable update rate and a selectable phase adjust step-size. In a second embodiment of the present invention, the clock circuit includes a Stall logic that is coupled to first, second and third stages and is capable to hold the phase adjust signal responsive to the first and second stage output signals. In a third embodiment of the present invention, an indicator detects the variable data bit-rate and a counter provides the selectable phase adjust step-size for the adjust signal. In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the clock circuit includes the Stall logic, the indicator and the counter. In a fifth embodiment of the present invention, the clock circuit includes an Averaging circuit to output a phase adjust signal responsive to the averaging of a first and second adjust signals for a predetermined period of time.
US08130890B2
A data clock frequency divider circuit includes a training decoder and a frequency divider. The training decoder outputs a clock alignment training signal, which is indicative of the start of a clock alignment training, in response to a command and an address of a mode register set. The frequency divider, which is reset in response to an output of the training decoder, receives an internal data clock to divide a frequency of the internal data clock in half. The data clock frequency divider circuit secures a sufficient operating margin so that a data clock and a system clock are aligned within a pre-set clock training operation time by resetting the data clock to correspond to a timing in which the clock training operation starts, thereby providing a clock training for a high-speed system.
US08130889B2
A novel receive timing manager is presented. The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an edge detection logic to detect the data transition points, a plurality of data flip-flops for storing data at different sample points, and a multiplexer to select the ideal sample point based on the transition points found. A sample window is made with multiple samples. The sample window size can be designed smaller or greater than the system clock period based on the data transfer speed and accuracy requirement.
US08130879B2
An apparatus and method for interference cancellation is provided to cancel the interference such as echo and cross-talk received by a receiver of a communication system. The apparatus includes a digital cancellation signal generator, a first canceller, and a second canceller. The digital cancellation signal generator can generate a digital cancellation signal, which includes a first and a second portion and represents an interference signal within a received signal. The first canceller can perform an analog cancellation on the received signal to output a partially-interference-canceled received signal according to the first portion of the digital cancellation signal. The second canceller can perform a digital cancellation on the partially-interference-canceled received signal according to the second portion of the digital cancellation signal.
US08130877B2
A method and an apparatus for detecting a signal in a multi-antenna system using a spatial multiplexing are provided. The apparatus includes at least one antenna for receiving a signal, a channel estimator for estimating a channel using the received signal, a detector for calculating multiplication values commonly used to determine a Euclidean distance using the receive signal and channel information and for detecting a transmitted signal by calculating Euclidean distances of one or more candidate symbols using the receive signal and the determined multiplication values and a decoder for demodulating and decoding the detected signal. Hence, the computational complexity of the signal detection can be mitigated.
US08130868B2
A radio communication apparatus includes: generation units generating first to mth signals; a storage storing allocation information defining that beams of different quality levels are allocated to first to mth communication apparatuses for each of first to nth subcarriers so that frequencies of respective quality levels are substantially uniform over all the subcarriers among the apparatuses; determining units determining transmission weights by which the signals are multiplied so that the beams according to the allocation information are formed for the apparatuses for each of the subcarriers; generation units performing multiplication processing by using the signals and the weights for each of the subcarriers to generate first to hth weighted signals for each of the subcarriers; transform units performing inverse Fourier transform on the weighted signals for each of the subcarriers to generate first to hth transformed signals; and transmission processing units transmitting the transformed signals via first to hth antennas.
US08130866B2
A peak suppressing apparatus includes an amplitude limiter that limits amplitude of the transmission signal with a predetermined threshold; a peak-suppressing-signal extracting unit that extracts a peak suppressing signal by subtracting the transmission signal before the amplitude limiting from the transmission signal amplitude-limited by the amplitude limiter; a filtering unit that performs filtering so that a frequency characteristic of the peak suppressing signal extracted by the peak-suppressing-signal extracting unit becomes flat; and an adder that adds the peak suppressing signal filtered by the filtering unit to the transmission signal.
US08130858B1
A plurality of phases are determined. The plurality of phases are to be applied to a plurality of transmit signals to be transmitted via a plurality of transmit antennas. Each transmit signal comprises a plurality of sub-carriers. Each phase of the plurality of phases is to be applied to a corresponding block of sub carriers in the plurality of transmit signals, and each block of sub-carriers comprises a plurality of sub-carriers that are adjacent in frequency. The plurality of phases are applied to the plurality of transmit signals to implement transmit diversity. Each phase is applied to the corresponding block of sub carriers in the plurality of transmit signals.
US08130846B2
A single carrier transmission scheme which utilizes space-frequency block coding and frequency domain equalization (SF-SCFDE) is proposed for frequency selective and fast fading channel. It is shown that employing this technique in slow fading environment depicts the same performance as that obtained with space-time coding scheme. However, in the more difficult fast fading channels, the proposed scheme exhibits much better performance.
US08130843B2
To provide a moving picture stream generation apparatus and the like that generates a moving picture stream that can be played back in trick-play such as variable-speed playback and reverse playback even in a coding format such as the MPEG-4 AVC in which flexible prediction structures are allowed.A moving picture stream generation apparatus includes: a trick-play information generation unit TricPlay for generating supplemental information on a random access unit basis, the supplemental information being referred to at the time of playback of each random access unit and each random access unit including one or more pictures; and a variable length coding unit VLC for generating a stream including the generated supplemental information and the one or more pictures by adding the supplemental information to each corresponding random access unit. At the top of each random access unit, an intra coded picture that can be decoded without depending on any picture is placed, and the supplemental information includes information for specifying pictures to be decoded at the time when pictures included in each random access unit are played back in trick-play.
US08130834B2
An effective method for dynamically selecting the number of I, P and B frames during video coding is proposed. Short-term look-ahead analysis of a video sequence yields a variable number of B frames to be coded between any two stored pictures. The first picture of a group of frames (GOF) may be coded as a B picture. Motion speed is calculated for each picture of the GOF with respect to the first picture of the GOF. Subject to exceptions, as long as the subsequent pictures exhibit motion speeds that are similar and motion vector displacements that are co-linear with those of the first picture in the GOF, they may be coded as B pictures. When a picture is encountered having a motion speed that is not the same as that of the first picture in the GOF, the picture may be coded as a P picture. In some embodiments, a sequence of B pictures that terminates in a P picture may be called a “group of frames” (GOF).
US08130823B2
A video transmission system includes a transceiver module that transmits a video signal to a remote device over at least one RF communications channel wherein the video signal is transmitted as at least one separate video layer stream chosen from, an independent video layer stream and at least one dependent video layer streams that require the independent video layer for decoding. A control module determines at least one channel characteristic of the at least one RF channel and chooses the at least one separate video layer stream based on the at least one channel characteristic of the at least one RF channel.
US08130819B2
A portable device, such as a mobile terminal or user equipment, for encoding uplink acknowledgments to downlink transmissions. The portable device includes a receiver configured to receive a plurality of data blocks, such that each of the data blocks include an associated cyclic redundancy check (CRC), and a processor configured to determine received status for each of the data blocks by checking the CRC of each of the data blocks. The portable device further includes a transmitter for transmitting a response sequence which indicates the received status of all of the data blocks.
US08130817B2
Novel non-data-aided maximum likelihood estimators for the delays and the attenuations in an ultra-wide bandwidth channel are proposed. Numerical results show that these new estimators outperform the previous non-data-aided maximum likelihood channel estimators derived in the literature. Moreover, in some cases, the performances of the new non-data-aided estimators approach those of the data-aided estimators, enabling us to reduce the overhead expense of pilot symbols.
US08130807B2
The invention relates to a diode laser array with at least one laser bar and having at least one emitter and a heat sink array for cooling the at least one laser bar.
US08130799B2
The present invention is directed to providing an environmentally stable, ultra-short pulse source. Exemplary embodiments relate to passively modelocked ultra-short fiber lasers which are insensitive to temperature variations and which possess only negligible sensitivity to pressure variations. Further, exemplary embodiments can be implemented in a cost-effective manner which render them commercially practical in unlimited applications. Arbitrary fiber lengths (e.g., on the order of 1 millimeter to 1 kilometer, or greater) can be used to provide an ultra-short pulse with a cost-effective architecture which is commercially practical.
US08130795B2
A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other via wireless communication by exchanging information in a sequence of time slots in frames. These time slots may be synchronized across the devices using distributed mutual synchronization in which each device exchanges time stamps in the frames with other devices to stabilize clock signals in the devices about a common frequency. Moreover, a time stamp in a given time slot may be generated by a transmitting device, which is transmitting in the given time slot, based on a clock signal in the transmitting device.
US08130790B2
Electronic devices and equipment may communicate over a wired communications path. The wired communications path may include one or more wires and may be associated with a headphone cable. Data may be conveyed in the form of a digital data stream containing multiple traffic channels. The digital data stream may include superframes, each of which has multiple frames of data. The frames of data may each contain a number of data slots. Some of the slots in a superframe may be used exclusively by a particular one of the traffic channels. Boundary slots may be shared between traffic channels. Data interface circuitry may implement a data dispersion algorithm that determines the pattern in which data from each traffic channel is distributed within each boundary slot. Transmitting data interface circuitry may merge traffic channels into a single data stream. Receiving data interface circuitry may reconstruct the traffic channels.
US08130789B2
A method and apparatus providing interconnectivity between several telephone networks. The apparatus receives a telephone transaction initiation message that originated with a telephone set located in a first network. The initiation message bears an originator's registration number identifying a subscriber whose home registration is located in a second network, the first and second networks using disparate signaling protocols. The apparatus then queries the originator's home registration database using the network protocol of the second network to determine the registration status of the originator. Finally, the registration status information is forwarded to the first network in the network protocol of the first network.
US08130787B2
A high-frequency circuit device comprising at least first and second antenna terminals, at least first and second transmitting terminals for a first communications system, at least first and second receiving terminals for a first communications system, two or more switch circuits, and two or more filter circuits, the first transmitting terminal for the first communications system being connectable to the first antenna terminal, the second transmitting terminal for the first communications system being connectable to the second antenna terminal, the first receiving terminal for the first communications system being connectable to the first antenna terminal, and the second receiving terminal for the first communications system being connectable to the second antenna terminal.
US08130786B2
An apparatus is disclosed that includes first transceiver circuitry adapted for transmitting and receiving Ethernet data over a network using a first Ethernet communication protocol at a first data rate, second transceiver circuitry adapted for transmitting and receiving Ethernet data over a network using a second Ethernet communication protocol at a second data rate; and third transceiver circuitry adapted for transmitting and receiving Ethernet data over a network using a third Ethernet communication protocol at a third data rate.
US08130774B2
An object tracking method uses a system having an object identifying device and at least one video tracking device, wherein the object identifying device monitors an area to identify an object entering the area and the video tracking device wired/wirelessly connected to the object identifying device monitors the area monitored by the object identifying device. The method includes: extracting, at the object identifying device, object identification information of the object; providing, at the object identifying device, the object identification information to the video tracking device; tracking, at the video tracking device, the object to extract physical information of the object; mapping, at the video tracking device, the physical information to the object identification information to generate object information of the object; and storing, at the video tracking device, the object information in a memory of the video tracking device.
US08130770B2
A method and system reduce interference between overlapping first and second wireless LAN cells in a medium. Each cell includes a respective plurality of member stations and there is at least one overlapped station occupying both cells. An inter-cell contention-free period value is assigned to a first access point station in the first cell, associated with an accessing order in the medium for member stations in the first and second cells. The access point transmits a beacon packet containing the inter-cell contention-free period value, which is intercepted at the overlapped station. The overlapped station forwards the inter-cell contention-free period value to member stations in the second cell. A second access point in the second cell can then delay transmissions by member stations in the second cell until after the inter-cell contention-free period expires. The beacon packet sent by the first access point station also includes an inter-cell contention-free period value, which causes the member stations in the first cell to delay accessing the medium until polled by the first access point. After the expiration of the intra-cell contention-free period, member stations in the first cell may contend for the medium based on the quality of service (QoS) data they are to transmit, using the Tiered Contention Multiple Access (TCMA) protocol.
US08130769B2
A method performed by a device adapted for communication over a network includes establishing a presence on the network, obtaining default configuration information for the device via the network, the default configuration information identifying a service on the network, receiving a request for validation information from the service, providing the validation information to the service, the service generating device-specific information in response to the validation information, and obtaining the device-specific information.
US08130767B2
A method of aggregating network traffic flows for network traffic elements is described. The traffic elements are characterized by a plurality of characteristics having respective values, where a flow profile is formed by classifying each element into one of a plurality of flows dependent on its characteristic value. The method comprises the steps of obtaining an instantaneous flow profile and aggregating flows from the flow profile having a common value for a characteristic.
US08130759B2
A simulator simulates routing system protocols to build routing tables corresponding to a modeled network, and a comparator compares the routing tables in the actual network to these simulator-created routing tables. Because the modeled system represents a fault-free version of the actual system, and assuming that the modeled routing system protocols are representative of the algorithms used in the actual routers, these simulator-produced routing tables will represent the ‘ideal’ routing tables that should be present in the routers of the actual network. By querying each router in the actual network for its routing table and comparing each routing table to the corresponding simulator-produced routing table, any differences from the ‘ideal’ can be identified.
US08130756B2
A network, network devices, and methods are described for packet processing. A method includes using logic on a first network device to select a checking functionality based on a number of criteria. The method uses logic on the first network device to select the checking functionality from a list of checking functionalities. The checking functionality is selected for processing packets identified by the first network device. The method also includes using logic on the first network device to configure a tunnel initiation to tunnel packets to a second network device that is associated with the selected checking functionality. The second network device has a destination address different from an original destination address of identified packets.
US08130755B2
Generally, a terminal can access a resource selection device to access a content source, the content source being structured and arranged to respond directly to the terminal. For example, a PC (“personal computer”) may be pointed at a load-balancing switch. The load balancing switch translates the PC's traffic and directs the PC traffic to a server (or switch) providing streaming services. The server responds directly to the terminal, but uses the IP address/identity of the load-balancing switch with which the terminal is communicating.
US08130754B2
A system and method is shown for on-chip and chip-to-chip routing. The system and method includes a processor element residing on a processor die to process a data packet received at the processor die. The system and method also include a router residing on the process die to route the data packet received at the processor die. Further, the system and method includes a switch core residing on the processor die to switch a communication channel along which the data packet is to be transmitted. Additionally, the system and method includes a switch core to identify a destination processing element and router (PE/R) module for a data packet, the switch core and the destination PE/R module residing on a common processor die. Moreover, the system and method includes a communication channel to operatively connect the switch core and the destination PE/R module on the common processor die.
US08130753B2
A one-dimensional circulating switch may be defined by connections between several switch modules and one or more temporal cyclic rotators. Where a switch module that is part of a first one-dimensional circulating switch is also connected one or more temporal cyclic rotators that define a second one-dimensional circulating switch, a two-dimensional circulating switch is formed. A two-dimensional circulating switch is flexible and may scale to capacities ranging from a few gigabits per second to multiple Petabits per second.
US08130750B2
A system and method of bypassing the regulated portion of the Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) to establish carrier-grade voice transmissions and/or IP data communications between an Internet Calling Person having a first telephone and a first PC coupled to a first Local Service Access Provider (LSAP) and an Internet Called Party having a second telephone and a second PC coupled to a second different Local Service Access Provider (LSAP).
US08130748B2
A transmitter circuit for transmitting parallel data, suitable for compensating for influence of crosstalk noise in a pre-emphasis scheme. The transmitter circuit includes first through Nth transmission lines configured to respectively transmit first through Nth data (N is 2 or greater); first through Nth output driving circuit sections configured to output the first through Nth data transmitted through the first through Nth transmission lines; first through Nth pre-emphasis circuit sections configured to generate first through Nth pre-emphasis signals for controlling transition output levels of the first through Nth data depending upon signal modes of adjoining data among the first through Nth data; and first through Nth adders configured to generate first through Nth data output signals that are controlled in transition output levels using output signals of the first through Nth output driving circuit sections and the first through Nth pre-emphasis signals.
US08130746B2
A system for generating and distributing decoy data for a work in a Peer to Peer network. The system is included in software providing a Peer to Peer connection for a processing system. The processing system receives data for a work over a Peer to Peer connection. The system then determines whether, the work is a protected work. If the work is a protected work, the system insert decoy data into the data of the work and stores the data of the work including the decoy data in memory. The data of the work including the decoy data is then made available for transfer over the Peer to Peer network by the processing system.
US08130740B2
A radio physical channel is available to multiple logical channels commonly, and multiple radio physical control channels are provided concomitantly with the radio physical channel and include a commonly usable common control channel. A channel transmission apparatus includes a logical channel type determination unit determining a type of a logical channel, and a channel transmission unit transmitting an identifier of the UE in the radio physical control channel depending on the type of the logical channel. A scheme of identifying the UE in the radio physical control channel is modified depending on the type of the logical channel.
US08130736B2
A method and system for facilitating channel measurements in a communication network is disclosed. The method includes contending for a control channel to reserve a logical subchannel of a data channel. The control channel operates in a first frequency band and the data channel operates in a second frequency band. Further, the method includes sending an announce message on the control channel for announcing a reservation at a particular time period of the logical subchannel of the data channel when the contention for the control channel is successful, sending a channel sense message on the logical subchannel of the data channel at the particular time period to facilitate at least one other node to perform channel measurements based on the channel sense message, and monitoring the data channel and performing channel measurements based on at least one other channel sense message received from the at least one other node.
US08130735B2
Method and system for a software defined power amplifier for multi-band, multi-standard applications
Methods and systems for a software defined power amplifier for multi-band, multi-standard applications are disclosed and may comprise configuring a single programmable output stage of a multi-band, multi-standard transmitter to handle transmission of a signal according to multiple wireless communication protocols and frequency ranges. The output stage may be configured by coupling a power amplifier (PA) within the programmable output stage to a switch or a duplexer, which may be coupled to one or more of multiple antennas, each of which may handle signals in a different frequency range. Each antenna may be impedance matched with the power amplifier using transformers, and may be coupled by activating at least one integrated transistor. The PA may be biased to operate in one of a plurality of classes of operation comprising Class A, AB, C and F associated with the wireless communication protocols, which may comprise EDGE, GSM, WCDMA and wireless LAN.
US08130734B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing access to a wireless local area network are provided. A method includes establishing a communication between a first and second software intelligent agent via the wireless local area network. The first software intelligent agent is internal to the wireless local area network and the second software intelligent agent is associated with a cognitive radio-enabled communications device that is external to the wireless local area network. The method also includes retrieving user-configured settings for designating terms of use of the wireless local area network. The user-configured settings are established by, and retrieved via, the first software intelligent agent. The method further includes presenting the terms of use to the second software intelligent agent and providing the cognitive radio-enabled communications device with access to the wireless local area network, subject to the user-configured settings, upon acceptance of the terms of use by the second software intelligent agent.
US08130729B2
In a radio base station system in which a plurality of radio apparatuses are cascade-connected to a control apparatus, the control apparatus transmits information which is updated each time passing through the radio apparatuses, to a communication link that passes through each of the radio apparatuses and is then received by the control apparatus, and identifies the radio apparatuses in the cascade connection, based on an update status of the information having passed through each of the radio apparatuses.
US08130715B2
A synchronization channel is generated by generating, as a P-SCH basic waveform, a signal sequence in which codes with constant amplitude in a frequency domain are placed at intervals of a predetermined number of subcarriers; transforming the signal sequence into a time domain; multiplying the signal sequence transformed into the time domain with a predetermined code sequence; retransforming the signal sequence multiplied with the predetermined code sequence into the frequency domain; generating an S-SCH signal sequence; and multiplexing the signal sequence retransformed into the frequency domain and the S-SCH signal sequence.
US08130713B2
Credit based channel transmission scheduling (CBCTS) of packet data units (PDUs) on a downlink channel is provided based on priority, quantity, and timing efficiency. The CBCTS technique includes initializing a set of credit accounts with a set of credit values. Credit accounts are sorted to determine the account having the highest number of credits. An account is selected from the set having an associated PDU type that is ready for transmission and has a size that fits within a MAC block. The selected PDU is inserted into the MAC block. The cost associated with the inserted PDU is subtracted from the credits. The selected PDU size is subtracted from the MAC block size, and a determination is made as to whether there is free space remaining on the MAC block for insertion of additional PDUs. If so, another sort and search is performed prior to transmission on the downlink channel.
US08130706B2
A variety of wireless communication methods and apparatus for supporting reconfiguration of radio link control (RLC) parameters are disclosed. A radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message is generated that indicates that an RLC unit in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) or a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) should be reconfigured from supporting flexible size RLC protocol data units (PDUs) to supporting fixed size RLC PDUs. If an information element (IE) “one sided RLC re-establishment” is present in the RRC reconfiguration message, only a receiving side subassembly in the RLC unit is re-established. Otherwise, both the receiving side subassembly and a transmitting side subassembly in the RLC unit are re-established. Flexible size RLC PDUs may be discarded and a message indicating the discarded flexible size RLC PDUs may be transmitted. The flexible size RLC PDUs may be modified such that they correspond to a set of pre-defined sizes.
US08130700B2
A method and system for providing a network and routing protocol for utility services are disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises discovering a utility network, wherein a utility device (for example, a constant powered meter) sends network discovery messages to find the utility network. Neighboring meters are discovered and the device listens for advertised routes for one or more networks from the neighbors. The device is then registered with one or more utility networks, receiving a unique address for each network registration. Also illustrated in this invention disclosure is how each device of a class of devices (for example, battery powered meter) finds and associates itself with another device (for example, constant powered meter). The constant powered meter also registers its associate battery powered meter with the utility networks. The constant powered meter registers itself with the access points and the upstream nodes in the path out of each network. Each upstream node can independently make forwarding decisions on both upstream and downstream packets i.e. choose the next hop according to the best information available to it. The constant powered meter can sense transient link problems, outage problems, and traffic characteristics. It uses the information to find the best route out of and within each network. Each network device thus maintains multi-egress, multi-ingress network routing options both for itself and the device(s) associated with it.
US08130692B2
In one embodiment, a system for data handling in a distributed communication network includes a data-handling node (DHN) residing at a mission management center (MMC). The MMC manages operations of one or more remote units. The DHN receives a stream of data units from a routing system. The stream of data units includes both stored mission data (SMD) and telemetry data having originated at the remote units. The DHN, in near real time, extracts the telemetry data from the stream of data units, identifies one or more subsystems of the MMC for receiving the extracted telemetry data, and communicates the extracted telemetry data to the identified subsystems of the MMC for processing.
US08130672B2
A method of transmitting data more effectively, and more particularly, a method of transmitting data to a group comprising a plurality of reception stations that receive the same data from a transmission station when the stations communicate the data in a power line communication (PLC) network, and an apparatus to do the same. According to the method, a transmission station transmits data to a group including a plurality of reception stations that receive the same data at a time, to prevent a channel bandwidth from being wasted, and to prevent a station that does not desire to receive the data from receiving the data.
US08130667B2
A transport block size (TBS) of a first uplink message (RACH Msg3) transmitted on a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) during a random access procedure in a User Equipment (UE) accessing a radio access network may be determined by receiving a pathloss threshold parameter. A downlink pathloss value indicative of radio link conditions between the UE and a base station (eNB) serving the UE is then determined. A smaller value of TBS is selected from a set of TBS values if the determined pathloss value is greater than an operating power level of the UE minus the pathloss threshold parameter. A larger value of TBS is selected if the pathloss value is less than the operating power level of the UE minus the pathloss threshold parameter and the TBS required to transmit the RACH Msg3 exceeds the smaller TBS value.
US08130662B1
A method and apparatus for providing a centralized or regionalized transcoding function are disclosed. For example, the method detects a codec mismatch during a call setup between a calling party endpoint device and a called party endpoint device. The method then invokes a transcoding function directly by at least one border element (BE) to handle the detected mismatch, where the transcoding function is performed by at least one centralized or regionalized transcoding server and at least one media resource.
US08130659B2
A circuit includes a transceiver coupled to transmit an outbound signal in accordance with a plurality of transmit parameters to at least one remote station and receive an inbound signal from the at least one remote station. The transceiver detects a packet transmission failure, selects one of a plurality of transmission failure causes, and adjusts at least one of a plurality of transmit parameters, based on the selected one of the plurality of transmission failure causes.
US08130655B2
Systems and methods for managing communications network congestion are provided. In an embodiment, the system includes a radio access network (RAN) interface configured to receive RAN congestion indicators, a congestion correlator module configured to correlate RAN congestion indicators to service congestion indicators, a database comprising a set of congestion based policy rules, a policy controller module configured to apply the congestion-based policy rules to achieve a policy decision, and a policy enforcement control point interface configured to transmit network control instructions to enforce the policy decisions. In another embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for managing communications network congestion, that includes receiving one or more radio access network (RAN) congestion indicators, correlating the one or more RAN congestion indicators to one or more service congestion indicators, applying a congestion-based policy rule based on service congestion indicators to generate a policy decision, and implementing the policy decision.
US08130652B2
A router (14) for use in a communication network (10) and an associated method. The router (14) includes input ports each having an associated input buffer for receiving data packets from a sending device and output ports for sending data packets to a receiving device. The router (14) also includes a means to direct data packets from the or each input port to one or more of the output ports and a means for providing information to each sending device such that a determination may be made as to whether or not the sending device may transmit packets in order to assure lossless transfer. The means to direct data packets from a particular input port includes a method of control in order to regulate the transfer of data packets, where this regulation is based on a count of the data packets previously transferred from that input port and not yet output from the output port. The router (14) transmits data packets from the output port only when loss free transfer to the input port of the receiving router (14) is assured.
US08130646B2
A resource reservation system and method in a multihoming environment are disclosed. The method includes: transmitting query messages from the mobile node to multiple adjacent access routers using a plurality of care of addresses (CoAs) stored in the mobile node; transmitting the query messages from the adjacent access routers to a crossover node; at one or more intermediate nodes on a communication path between the adjacent access routers and the crossover node, recording available resource information in the query messages; receiving the query messages at a predetermined correspondent node; analyzing, at the correspondent node, the recorded available resource information in the received query messages and selecting a communication path which transferred a query message containing available resource information indicating the available resources required by the mobile node; and transmitting a resource reservation message from the correspondent node to the mobile node through the selected communication path.
US08130644B2
A mechanism is disclosed for enabling load balancing to be achieved in a loop-free switching path, reverse path learning network, such as an Ethernet network. The network is divided into a plurality of virtual networks, with each virtual network providing a different path through the network. When it comes time to send a set of information through the network, one of the plurality of virtual networks, and hence, one of the plurality of paths, is selected. The set of information is then updated to indicate the selected virtual network, and sent into the network to be transported along the selected path. With multiple paths, and with the ability to select between the multiple paths, it is possible to balance the load imposed on the multiple paths.
US08130643B2
A method is provided in one example and includes querying for a total capacity for data transmissions for a local network segment, and identifying an available capacity for the local network segment by subtracting a sum of current aggregate consumption of the local network segment from the total capacity. The method also includes comparing the available capacity to a requested capacity that is generated by a network element for a specific communication session. If the requested capacity is equal to or greater than the available capacity, the request is withheld and not transmitted. In more specific embodiments, if the requested capacity is less than the available capacity, the request is transmitted. The query can be communicated to a gateway. In still other embodiments, the query includes a specific query as to a capacity allocated for video data and the network element is a set-top box.
US08130642B2
Downstream synchronous multichannel (DSSM) communications are provided among a plurality of carriers, each being a completely DOCSIS™ 2.0-compliant downstream. The synchronous multichannels support communications with both DSSM-capable communications nodes and non-DSSM-capable communications nodes (e.g., legacy cable modems). Non-DSSM packets are transmitted on a single channel. DSSM packets are split into multiple pieces, which are transmitted simultaneously on all available channels. Since the physical delay variation (e.g., group delay change) across the adjacent carriers is small (on the order of a symbol time), the multiple pieces arrive at the receiving communications nodes at nearly the same time and can be reassembled with minimal buffering and no packet ordering problems. To avoid causing trouble for the non-DSSM-capable communications nodes, the packet pieces are encapsulated with a header that causes the non-DSSM-capable communications nodes to silently discard them.
US08130623B2
An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprises: a focusing unit (11) which collects generated near-field light on an optical disc (1); a first detector (17) which receives light reflected by the optical disc (1) and outputs an electric signal according to the quantity of the received light; and a distance control circuit (22) which controls the distance between the focusing unit (11) and a light entrance surface of the optical disc (1), using the electric signal that is output from the first detector (17), and the optical disc (1) has at least N (N is an integer of 2 or greater) number of information layers, and a distance d0 from the light entrance surface to a first information layer which is most distant from the light entrance surface and a distance dn from the light entrance surface to an Nth information layer which is closest to the light entrance surface satisfy the relationship of dn≧d0×(1/25). As a result, servo control can be accurately performed regardless which information layer, out of a plurality of information layers of an optical disc, information is recorded to or reproduced from.
US08130617B2
Playback durability of a writable optical disk is ensured. A method of controlling a playback condition includes continuously irradiating an optical disk with a laser beam having a power level lower than a mark formation level and detecting a change of a state of a signal caused by a return light from the optical disk, and setting a playback condition for the optical disk according to the change of the state of the signal. The playback durability of the optical disk can be ensured by adaptively controlling the playback condition as stated above.
US08130600B2
A spherical aberration correction mechanism 30 includes a lens holder 35 that holds a collimator lens 16, a main shaft 36a that supports the lens holder 35 in a linearly movable manner, a lead screw 34 supported in a rotatable manner and provided with a screw thread formed of a first slope and a second slope each in a spiral shape on an outer circumference thereof, and a stepping motor 13 that rotates the lead screw 34. The lens holder 35 includes a rack portion 41 disposed between the main shaft 36a and the lead screw 34 and having a slope that abuts on the first slope and first and second stoppers 46a and 46b that regulate a relative position of the rack portion 41 with respect to the lead screw 34 so that the rack portion 41 does not abut on the second slope.
US08130599B2
There is provided a near-field-light (NFL) generating optical system in which the point where near-field (NF) light is generated can be provided sufficiently close to the end surface of a magnetic pole that generates write field. The optical system comprises: a waveguide through which a light for exciting surface plasmon propagates; and a NF-optical device configured to be coupled with the light in a surface plasmon mode. The NF-optical device comprises: an opposed-to-waveguide surface opposed to the waveguide with a predetermined distance; and a propagation edge provided on the side opposite to the opposed-to-waveguide surface, extending to the NFL-generating end surface of the device, and configured to propagate thereon the surface plasmon excited by the light. In this optical system, the point, where NF-light is generated, of the NFL-generating end surface can be located on the side opposite to the waveguide.
US08130591B2
One or more acoustic transducers are used to measure ultrasonic velocities in the mud in the interior channel of a drill collar. Corrections may be applied for temperature and/or fine grain drill cuttings to get the ultrasonic velocity in the annulus between the drill collar and the borehole wall. The latter velocity may be used for caliper measurements and for correcting measurements made by formation evaluation sensors.
US08130590B2
To test at least one unit of a subterranean survey system, the unit detects presence of wireless signaling of a mobile device. After the detecting, a wireless connection is established between the unit and the mobile device. A test at the unit is performed in response to a test command from the mobile device.
US08130585B2
A system and method for modifying a hidden-refresh rate for dynamic memory cells includes monitoring a control signal from a processor and performing a hidden-refresh of dynamic data at a first refresh rate when the control signal is asserted. The dynamic data is refreshed at a second refresh rate when the control signal is deasserted for a predetermined duration. A hidden-refresh controller couples to an array of dynamic memory cells during a hidden-refresh of the array of dynamic memory cells. The hidden-refresh controller is further configured to monitor a control signal identifying a request from a processor at a memory device and refresh the dynamic data at a first refresh rate when the control signal is asserted. The hidden-refresh controller is further configured to refresh the dynamic data at a second refresh rate when the control signal is deasserted for a predetermined duration.
US08130584B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor memory and a control method therefor, the semiconductor device including a first current-voltage conversion circuit (16) connected to a core cell (12) provided in a nonvolatile memory cell array (10), a second current-voltage conversion circuit (26) connected to a reference cell (22) through a reference cell data line (24), a sense amplifier (18) sensing an output from the first current-voltage conversion circuit and an output from the second current-voltage conversion circuit, a compare circuit (28) comparing a voltage level at the reference cell data line with a predefined voltage level, and a charging circuit (30) charging the reference cell data line, if the voltage level at the reference cell data line is lower than the predefined voltage level during pre-charging the reference cell data line. According to the present invention, the pre-charging period of the reference cell data line can be shortened, and the data read time can be shortened.
US08130579B2
Memory devices and methods of operating a memory cell are disclosed in which a bitline can be grounded after charge sharing with an electrically floating ground line and before writing data to the memory cell. An electric potential of an upper power supply node of a memory cell can be lowered and an electric potential of a lower power supply node of the memory cell can be raised before writing data to the memory cell.
US08130573B2
A semiconductor memory device can automatically control signal transmission power on-chip based on a wireless signal transmission. The semiconductor memory device can have a multi-chip stack structure. A power initializing method of the semiconductor memory device can comprise providing a test signal generated by a signal-providing chip to a first chip, checking whether the test signal provided to the first chip has an error, providing the checking result to the signal-providing chip, setting the power of a first signal provided to the first chip according to the checking result, and setting the power of a signal provided to a second chip adjacent to the first chip and close to the signal-providing chip using the power of the first signal.
US08130569B1
A device for storing data using nanoparticle shuttle memory having a nanotube. The nanotube has a first end and a second end. A first electrode is electrically connected to the first end of the nanotube. A second electrode is electrically connected to the second end of the nanotube. The nanotube has an enclosed nanoparticle shuttle. A switched voltage source is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, whereby a voltage may be controllably applied across the nanotube. A resistance meter is also connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, whereby the electrical resistance across the nanotube can be determined.
US08130568B2
A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device includes performing a first LSB program operation on memory cells coupled to a selected word line in order to store least significant bit (LSB) data in the memory cells, performing a first most significant bit (MSB) program operation on the memory cells coupled to the selected word line, such that threshold voltages of the memory cells rise up to a temporary target voltage less than a target voltage, performing a second most significant bit (MSB) program operation on memory cells coupled to a neighboring word line neighboring the selected word line in order to store most significant bit (MSB) data in the corresponding memory cells, and performing a third most significant bit (MSB) program operation, after performing the second most significant bit (MSB) program operation, on the memory cells on which the first most significant bit (MSB) program operation has been performed, such that the threshold voltages of the memory cells coupled to the selected word line become higher than the target voltage.
US08130556B2
A programming technique reduces program disturb in a set of non-volatile storage elements by programming using selected bit line patterns which increase the clamped boosting potential of an inhibited channel to avoid program disturb. One aspect groups alternate pairs of adjacent bit lines into first and second sets. Dual programming pulses are applied to a selected word line. The first set of bit lines is programmed during the first pulse, and the second set of bit lines is programmed during the second pulse. A verify operation is then performed for all bit lines. When a particular bit line is inhibited, at least one of its neighbor bit lines will also be inhibited so that the channel of the particular bit line will be sufficiently boosted. Another aspect programs every third bit line separately. A modified layout allows adjacent pairs of bit lines to be sensed using odd-even sensing circuitry.
US08130553B2
This disclosure is related to systems and methods for low wear operation of solid state memory, such as a flash memory. In one example, a controller is coupled to a memory and adapted to dynamically adjust programming thresholds over the course of usage of the data storage device such that a signal-to-noise ratio from reading data stored in the data storage cells is no less than a minimum amount needed to recover the data using an enhanced error detection capability.
US08130552B2
Coupling effects between adjacent floating gates in a non-volatile storage device are reduced in a multi-pass programming operation, while reducing program data storage requirements. In one approach, storage elements are programmed in an out of sequence or zigzag word line order. A particular word line is programmed with a coarse program pass, after which another word line is programmed with a fine program pass, after which the particular word line is read. The particular word line is read before another word line is programmed with a coarse program pass which causes coupling interference to storage elements of the particular word line. The read data is subsequently used to perform a fine program pass for the particular word line. This avoids the need to store program data of multiple word lines concurrently, so that storage hardware can be reduced in size along with power consumption.
US08130547B2
Method of maintaining the state of semiconductor memory having electrically floating body transistor
Methods of maintaining a state of a memory cell without interrupting access to the memory cell are provided, including applying a back bias to the cell to offset charge leakage out of a floating body of the cell, wherein a charge level of the floating body indicates a state of the memory cell; and accessing the cell.
US08130543B2
A method and apparatus are described that efficiently program charge-trapping memory cells by dynamically switching sense amplifiers and corresponding drivers depending upon data to be programmed. When a number of sense amplifier/drivers can be operated simultaneously, cells to be programmed to a same level are selected and programmed simultaneously employing up to the number of simultaneously operable sense amplifier/drivers.
US08130531B2
A magnetic memory structure includes a memory track which has consecutive magnetic domains. Each of the magnetic domains has memory capacity of one bit. A first domain-wall injecting layer intersects and connects a terminal of the memory track and constantly stores a first binary data. A second domain-wall injecting layer against the first domain-wall injecting layer intersects and connects the terminal of the memory track and constantly stores a second binary data different from the first binary data. The memory track and one of the first domain-wall injecting layer and the second domain-wall injecting layer together form a domain wall.
US08130530B2
Provided are information storage devices using movement of magnetic domain walls and methods of operating information storage devices. An information storage device includes a magnetic track and an operating unit. The magnetic track includes a plurality of magnetic domains separated by magnetic domain walls. The size of the operating unit is sufficient to cover at least two adjacent magnetic domains. And, the operating unit may be configured to write/read information to/from a single magnetic domain as well as a plurality of magnetic domains of the magnetic track.
US08130517B2
A power converter in one aspect limits the magnetic flux in a transformer. A control circuit included in the power converter includes a pulse width modulator, logic circuits and saturation prevention circuits. The saturation prevention circuits assert a first signal when a first integral value of the input voltage reaches a first threshold value and assert a second signal after a delay time that begins when a difference between the first integral value and a second integral value of a reset voltage of the transformer falls to a second threshold value. The logic circuits turn off the switch when the first signal is asserted, and allow the switch to turn on and off in accordance with the pulse width modulator when the second signal is asserted.
US08130516B2
Disclosed a switching power supply apparatus which includes a voltage converting transformer including an auxiliary winding on a primary side and a switching control circuit, wherein the switching control circuit includes a detection circuit to detect a falling edge of a terminal voltage of the auxiliary winding, and controls a switching transistor connected to a primary winding of the transformer based on the terminal voltage of the auxiliary winding at the time immediately before current flowing through a secondary rectifier diode of the switching power supply apparatus becomes zero, which terminal voltage is obtained based on a detection timing of the detection circuit.
US08130510B2
Disclosed herein is a printed circuit board assembly of an electronic appliance including a plurality of boards on which electrical parts to perform functions necessary for the electronic appliance are separately arranged according to the specification of the electronic appliance. The printed circuit board assembly is divided into a plurality of boards, such that electrical parts having a common specification and electrical parts having different specifications are arranged on different boards, thereby optimizing the printed circuit board assembly and configuring the boards according to the specification of the electronic appliance without loss. Microprocessors are arranged on the boards, and the boards are connected to each other in a serial communication, thereby reducing the number of wiring harnesses (W/H) and thus configuring the printed circuit board assembly with high reliability. Furthermore, the boards are connected to each other in an insulation manner, thereby configuring the boards in an anti-resistance structure.
US08130506B2
A sensor module. One embodiment provides a cap whose perimeter defines a rim. A first semiconductor chip is attached to the cap. The first semiconductor chip includes first connection elements. The rim and the first connection elements define a common plane.
US08130496B2
Embodiments of the present invention describe a device and method of mitigating radio frequency interference (REI) in an electronic device. The electronic device comprises a housing, and a thermal energy storage material is formed in the housing. By increasing the loss tangent parameter of the thermal energy storage material, the REI of the electronic device is reduced.
US08130491B2
A computer equipped with a fan rack aims to facilitate disassembly and assembly of hard disks. The computer includes a casing, a panel located at the front side of the casing and a plurality of side panels on various sides of the casing. The casing has a hard disk installation section. The panel has a hard disk replacing opening corresponding to the hard disk installation section. The panel hinges at least one fan rack corresponding to the hard disk installation section. The fan rack holds at least one fan. The fan provides cooling airflow to the hard disk installed on the hard disk installation section. The fan rack can be opened or closed by pivoting so that the hard disk can be plugged, unplugged or displaced without relying on any tools.
US08130487B2
A capacitor includes a capacitor element including first and second electrodes, an electrolyte solution, first and second collector plates made of metal and joined to the first and second electrodes of the capacitor element, respectively, a case accommodating the capacitor element, the electrolyte solution, the first and second collector plates, a terminal plate placed at an opening of the case and joined to the second collector plate, and a sealing rubber sealing the terminal plate and the opening of the case. The case has a tubular portion and a bottom plate closing the tubular portion. An inner surface of the bottom plate of the case has a contacting portion contacting the first collector plate and a junction portion facing the first collector plate. The first junction portion of the inner surface of the bottom plate has a joining point joined to the first collector plate and a separation part facing the first collector plate around the first joining point by a first gap between the first junction portion and the first collector plate. The first collector plate is located away from the first contacting portion. The capacitor has a high reliability in connecting the electrodes, preventing an unnecessary resistance or a pin hole produced in the case.
US08130485B2
When external electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor are formed by performing direct plating on surfaces at which internal electrodes are exposed without forming paste electrode layers, bonding forces of plating layers are relatively weak, and in addition, when glass particles are included in the plating layers, blisters are often generated. To overcome these problems, a multilayer ceramic capacitor is formed by performing electrolytic plating using a plating bath including glass particles, electrolytic plating layers including glass particles dispersed therein are formed as the external electrodes.
US08130483B2
In a capacitor structure and method of forming the same, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a first insulation layer are sequentially formed on a substrate. The first and second electrodes and the first insulation layer are covered with a second insulation layer on the substrate. A first plug is in contact with the second electrode through the second insulation layer. A second plug is in contact with the first electrode through the first and second insulation layer. A third insulation layer is formed on the second insulation layer. Third and fourth comb-shaped electrodes are formed in the third insulation layer. The third electrode is contact with the first plug and the fourth electrode is contact with the second plug while facing the third electrode. Thus, the teeth of the comb-shaped electrodes are alternately arranged and spaced apart in the third insulation layer.
US08130479B2
A solid state power control scheme is provided with a ground fault interrupt function. Essentially, if a neutral wire is associated with the power supply, the current is sensed in that neutral wire. The sensed neutral wire current is subtracted from a summed current on the power supply lines. If that result is greater than a predetermined limit, then the ground fault function is actuated and the circuit is opened. For power supplies, both those with and without neutral wires, the current is sensed by a shunt resistor on the power supply line.
US08130478B2
A power limiting system for multiple electric motors includes an electrical power generating component, such as an alternator, and a plurality of motor controllers connected to an electrical bus. Each motor controller compares the voltage on the bus to a specified minimum voltage and a specified maximum voltage, and reduces its electric power output if the voltage on the bus is less than the maximum voltage while continuing to operate the electric motors.
US08130476B2
A tunneling magnetic sensing element includes: a pinned magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is pinned in one direction; an insulating barrier layer; and a free magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field. The pinned magnetic layer, the insulating barrier layer and the free magnetic layer are deposited in the named order. A first protective layer composed of a platinum-group element is disposed on the free magnetic layer, and a second protective layer composed of Ti is disposed on the first protective layer.
US08130465B1
A tape drive for use with a tape cartridge having a cartridge leader includes a drive body, and a drive leader that is engageable with the cartridge leader and moveable with respect to the drive body. The tape drive further includes an engaging member that is engageable with a first portion of the drive leader and moveable with respect to the drive body for connecting the drive leader with the cartridge leader of the tape cartridge. The tape drive also includes a retention feature that is engageable with a second portion of the drive leader for inhibiting disengagement of the drive leader from the engaging member, wherein the second portion of the drive leader is different than the first portion.
US08130457B2
A magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus 100 includes: a magnetic head 1; a magnetic recording medium 2; a spindle 3 and a spindle motor 4; a suspension arm 5; a voice coil motor 6; and a control unit 7. The control unit 7 has: a motor driver 8; a head amplifier 9; a read/write channel 10; a laser driver 11; and a controller 12. The controller 12 has: a preliminary recording unit 13; a judgment unit 14; an extraction unit 15; a drive condition determining unit 16; and a preliminary recording terminating unit 17. Based on a reproduction signal evaluation value obtained using these units and a predetermined reference value, a drive condition is determined which is suitable for recording onto the magnetic recording medium 2.
US08130455B2
An image pickup lens includes, in order from an object side thereof: a first lens in a meniscus shape having a positive refractive power and including a convex surface facing the object side; a second lens having a negative refractive power and including a concave surface facing an image side of the image pickup lens; a third lens in a meniscus shape having a positive refractive power and including a convex surface facing the image side; and a fourth lens having a negative refractive power and including a concave surface facing the image side, where at least one surface of the fourth lens is in an aspheric shape. The image pickup lens satisfies a predetermined condition relating to a composite focal length of the first lens and the second lens, and a focal length of a total system of the image pickup lens.
US08130446B2
An optical deflecting sheet for a transmission type screen that emits imaging light projected from an incident side to an emergent side. The optical deflecting sheet includes a highly rigid substrate layer with a light-transmissibility and a high rigidity, and a plurality of layers laminated on the substrate layer. The plurality of layers includes at least a pair of anti-scattering layers disposed on opposite sides of the substrate layer for preventing scattering of the substrate layer. At least one layer of the two or more layers includes an optical deflecting element that deflects imaging light by refracting or reflecting the imaging light. The optical deflecting element is a prism part formed by arranging a plurality of unit prisms each having an incident surface on which light is incident and a total reflecting surface for reflecting at least a part of light incident on the incident surface.
US08130443B2
An optical waveform reshaping device, including a semiconductor optical waveguide which has an active layer, wherein: optical amplification regions and optical absorption regions are installed alternately along the semiconductor optical waveguide; one optical amplification region is set longer than the other optical amplification regions so that a desired amplification factor can be obtained when power of an input optical signal is at an ON level; a power level is maintained by the other optical amplification regions excluding the one optical amplification region and by the optical absorption regions when the power of the input optical signal is at the ON level; and when the power of the input optical signal is at an OFF level, the input optical signal is absorbed by the optical absorption regions so that a power level of an output optical signal will not be higher than the power level of the input optical signal.
US08130442B2
An optical amplifying medium, a method of manufacturing the optical amplifying medium are provided, and an optical device comprising the optical amplifying medium. The optical amplifying medium includes a multi-layer structure in which a first material layer doped with an activator and a second material layer that comprises a sensitizer are stacked.
US08130440B2
A display with a photovoltaic (PV) cells integrated as the front side and/or back side of the display is disclosed. Ambient light may reach a PV cell situated behind a display through fully or partially transmissive features within the display. Display-generated light may also reach a PV cell behind a display. A transmissive PV material situated in front of a display may collect both ambient light as well as display-generated light.
US08130432B2
Provided is a space scanner for a self-control moving object. The space scanner has a structure in which a reflective mirror is rotated and tilted. Thus, the space scanner can scan a moving object in horizontal and vertical directions to secure spatial-data, thereby performing a self-control movement.
US08130431B2
In one embodiment of an optical scanning apparatus, a light blocking member is provided that is disposed facing a reflective face of a polygon mirror near the reflective face, and blocks stray light without blocking light in an effective scanning range of a laser beam. The light blocking member includes a light blocking plate having an opposing face that faces the reflective face of the polygon mirror, a support plate that supports the light blocking plate, and a fixing plate that fixes the lower edge portion of the support plate to a support member. The opposing face of the light blocking plate is inclined relative to the reflective face of the polygon mirror, and a space below the light blocking plate is open.
US08130426B2
An elongate light guide includes a light incident portion provided at an end in the longitudinal direction of the guide, a light reflecting portion extending in the longitudinal direction, a light emitting portion extending in the longitudinal direction for emitting linear light, and a scatterer for scattering the light entering through the light incident portion. For instance, the scatterer is provided as a grained portion formed at least part of the reflecting portion.
US08130417B2
An image processing apparatus includes an inputting unit to receive image data having pixel data, an image processing unit to align and output the pixel data, and a control unit to prevent the pixel data from being transmitted to the image processing unit when the pixel data have null data.
US08130410B2
The image processing apparatus executes a zoom process to an image data depending on a received zoom level, selects a dither matrix from a plurality of dither matrices each having a different resolution. The image processing apparatus selects a dither matrix that has a higher resolution in a case that the received zoom level is equal or less than a first zoom level to reduce the image data. Furthermore, the image processing apparatus selects a dither matrix that has a lower resolution in a case that the received zoom level is equal or more than a second zoom level to enlarge the image data.
US08130404B2
An image processing system is disclosed that is configured to input color image data, generate color image data identification information identifying the color image data, store the color image data identification information in association with the color image data, generate monochrome image data based on the color image data, combine the color image data identification information with the monochrome image data according to a predetermined format and print the combined monochrome image data on a first recording medium. Also, the image processing system is configured to read the combined monochrome image data from the first recording medium, extract the color image data identification information from the combined monochrome image data, read the color image data stored in association with the extracted color image data identification information, and output the read color image data in a predetermined visible format.
US08130403B2
Provided is a printer which receives inquiry information relating to the print setting sent from a host device, sends to the host device reply information based on its characteristic information in response to the received inquiry information, receives print setting information sent from the host device based on the reply information, requests print object data to the host device in accordance with the received print setting information, receiving the print object data sent from the host device in accordance to the request, and prints the received print object data. Thereby, the present invention enables a host device to make a printer print document data in the host device without requiring conventional printer drivers.
US08130398B2
An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus connected to a host device via a network. The host device transmits a power-off notification notifying the image forming apparatus on the network that power is to be turned off, together with job information identifying a job, when the host device is powered off. The image forming apparatus searches whether or not there is a job identified by the job information upon receiving the power-off notification from the host device, reads the job identified by the job information out from a job saving unit, transmits the job to the host device and deletes the job that has been transmitted to the host device, from the job saving unit. Further, the host device saves the job transmitted from the image forming apparatus that has received the power-off notification, in a storing unit, and then turns off the power.
US08130397B2
A method is disclosed on the one hand for transmitting a color extraction, defining positions of pixels of a print color to be deposited onto a print sheet in a print run, in order to produce a print product, from a prepress system to a press system, and on the other hand a management information system for integrated planning and control of the production of print products in a networked graphic production, wherein a pre-press system and a press system can be connected to the management information system. In order to facilitate a conclusive management of the color information in the context of a CIP4 workflow, it is suggested that the color extraction is initially transmitted from the prepress system to a management information system, and subsequently there from to the press system. Additionally it is proposed for this purpose to provide on the one hand a data input in a management information system, through which data of a color extraction, transmitted by the prepress system, defining positions of pixels in a print color to be deposited on a print sheet in a print run during the production of a print product, can be received, and on the other hand to provide a data output, through which data can be transmitted to the press system, a management module, through which the data of the color extraction can be associated with other data of the print product.
US08130390B2
The image data transmitting apparatus acquires the address book data corresponding to the user or such data and the transmittal cover letter data from the server apparatus, selects, out of the acquired information on destinations, the destination according to selecting operation by the user, generates transmittal cover letter image data based on the transmittal cover letter data related to the selected destination and attaches the image data to be transmitted as second and subsequent pages, thereby generating the image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto. While thus generated image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto is transmitted to the destination, transmission is prohibited of image data other than thus generated image data with the transmittal cover letter attached thereto.
US08130370B2
Methods and systems for analyzing optical parameters of a selected optical fiber member are disclosed. A signal input from an optical fiber member may be selected by instructing a corresponding optical separation device. The output from the corresponding optical separation device may be combined with the outputs of other optical separation devices using an optical coupler. A measurement circuit may measure the optical parameter from the output. Proper operation of an optical separation device may be validated by a monitoring circuit. The monitoring circuit may provide an indication to a user or may be processed by a diagnostic processor. A processing circuit may select one of the optical separation devices in order to measure the optical parameter for a corresponding optical fiber member and consequently may instruct an adjustment circuit to cause the selected optical fiber member to conform to a desired value of the optical parameter.
US08130358B2
A liquid crystal display, using a ferroelectric liquid crystal exhibiting mono-stability, which makes it possible to control the direction of the spontaneous polarization of the ferroelectric liquid crystal. The liquid crystal display includes: a first alignment treatment substrate having a first alignment layer which is a rubbed layer; a second alignment treatment substrate having a second alignment layer which is a photo alignment layer using a photo-dimerization type material; and a liquid crystal layer containing a ferroelectric liquid crystal and held between the first alignment treatment substrate and the second alignment treatment substrate. The ferroelectric liquid crystal exhibits mono-stability, and when a negative voltage is applied to a second electrode layer of the second alignment treatment substrate, a molecular direction of the ferroelectric liquid crystal is changed by about 2 times a tilt angle of the ferroelectric liquid crystal parallel to a surface of the substrate.
US08130352B2
A semi-transmissive in-plane switching (IPS) mode liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, in which each pixel region can exhibit the same luminance in transmissive and reflective portions thereof while having a single cell gap structure, is disclosed. A method for fabricating the semi-transmissive IPS mode LCD panel is also disclosed. The panel, in which each pixel region includes a transmissive portion and a reflective portion, comprises a color filter substrate, a thin film transistor substrate assembled with the color filter substrate such that a cell gap is defined between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate, the thin film transistor substrate including storage capacitors each forming, in the reflective portion of an associated one of the pixel regions, a horizontal electric field different from a horizontal electric field formed in the transmissive portion of the associated pixel region, to compensate for a phase difference generated in the associated pixel region, and a liquid crystal layer dispensed in the cell gap, and oriented in a predetermined direction.
US08130351B2
An array substrate for an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a gate line along a first direction on the substrate, a data line along a second direction and crossing the gate line to define a pixel region, a common line on the substrate, a thin film transistor connected to the gate and data lines, a pixel electrode in the pixel region and connected to the thin film transistor, the pixel electrode including horizontal parts along the first direction, and a common electrode in the pixel region and connected to the common line, the common electrode including horizontal portions along the first direction, wherein the pixel electrode and the common electrode are formed on a same layer.
US08130348B2
To provide: a production method of a liquid crystal display device, the production method being capable of efficiently and stably providing alignment treatment for an alignment film of the liquid crystal display device, in which a plurality of domains is formed in a pixel region; and an exposure device for alignment treatment. A production method of a liquid crystal display device comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate facing to the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer provided between the substrates; a first alignment film provided on the liquid crystal layer side surface of the first substrate; and a second alignment film provided on the liquid crystal layer side surface of the second substrate, wherein the production method comprises subjecting the first alignment film and/or the second alignment film to scanning exposure continuously over a plurality of pixel regions, and the scanning exposure comprises exposing the first alignment film and/or the second alignment film while scanning an inside of each pixel region more than one time in antiparallel directions to form, in the each pixel region, regions for aligning liquid crystal molecules to the surface(s) of the first alignment film and/or the second alignment film in antiparallel directions.
US08130345B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display which can switch between a wide viewing angle and a narrow viewing angle in a quad type pixel structure including white subpixels. The liquid crystal display comprises: a plurality of quad type pixels each having an R subpixel, a G subpixel, a B subpixel, and a W subpixel; and a plurality of light blocking patterns disposed on the W subpixels, for guiding light from the W subpixels to a side viewing angle, wherein the W subpixels are fixed at specific positions of the quad type pixels respectively, and the R, G, and B subpixels have a different arrangement for each of the quad type pixels adjacent horizontally or vertically to each other.
US08130344B2
A liquid crystal device includes: a liquid crystal layer which is sandwiched between a pair of substrates; a color filter layer has a first coloration layer for transmitting a first light and a second coloration layer for transmitting a second light; first electrodes has a first pixel electrode disposed on a first sub-pixel region corresponding to a planar region of the first coloration layer and a second pixel electrode disposed on a second sub-pixel region corresponding to a planar region of the second coloration layer; and second electrodes each of which faces each first electrode. Any one electrode of each first electrode and each second electrode has a plurality of band-like portions which are arranged at predetermined intervals. A layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer, a width of each band-like portion, and the predetermined intervals within the first sub-pixel region are smaller than they within the second sub-pixel region.
US08130335B2
Stray light in an oblique direction penetrates a channel part of a thin-film transistor, which sometimes causes light leakage current. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced in the case of using an optical system with high intensity, leading to deterioration in an image quality.To prevent the light that possibly penetrates an equivalent optical waveguide from reaching the channel part, on the condition that a first insulating layer is set to have a layer-thickness t (nm) and a refraction index n, a relation is to be expressed by the following expression. t<(0.61×λ)/(n×sin θ) A value of λ is set to a lower limit 400 (nm) of a visible light wavelength and a value Lc (nm) is set to a distance between an end of a light-shielding layer and an end of a channel region. With those values, an expression of nt2/244 (nm)
US08130332B2
A liquid crystal spatial light modulator for adjusting an optical signal is configured in such a manner that a region of one element is partitioned into two regions so as to perform intensity modulation in one region and phase modulation in the other region. Since the region for performing the intensity modulation and the region for performing the phase modulation can be formed by partitioning one region of the liquid crystal spatial light modulator, only one element allows adjusting functions, both the optical signal intensity modulation and phase modulation.
US08130328B2
The present invention is a mounted rotatable television unit for installing a television in one of a wall and a cabinet wherein when installed therein the television is rotatable at least 180 degrees. The unit has an inner frame and an outer frame. The inner frame is adapted to receive a television. The outer frame is adapted to be installed in one of the wall and the cabinet and is rotatably attached to the inner frame whereby the inner frame may be pivoted such that the television is rotatable at least 180 degrees.
US08130315B2
The solid image capture device 100 in accordance with the present invention is detachably fixed to a wiring board 1 and applies pressure to the side faces of a transparent lid section 3 in a direction normal to the faces, so as to nip and secure the transparent lid section 3. The mechanism allows a solid image capture element 2 to be attached to and detached from the wiring board 1. The solid image capture element 2 is readily positioned precisely on the wiring board 1.
US08130307B2
A drive circuit applying two or more drive voltages to a charge transfer unit includes at least one current mirror circuit that receives a reference current and outputs a predetermined current; at least one switch circuit that switches the current output from the at least one current mirror circuit to apply the multiple drive voltages to the charge transfer unit; and at least one time constant circuit that gives a predetermined time constant to the reference current in the switching by the switch circuit.
US08130304B2
An image sensor has an array of pixels of different colors. The pixels may be arranged in a repeating pattern of eight pixels having four rows and two columns. During charge summing operations, the first and third rows may share a floating diffusion and the second and fourth rows may share a floating diffusion. When charge summing is inactive, transfer gates in the first and second columns may be controlled independently, while transfer gates in pairs of rows may be controlled simultaneously. When charge summing is active, summed charges from pixels of the same color in the first and third rows may be placed on the floating diffusion shared by the first and third rows and summed charges from pixels of the same color in the second and fourth rows may be placed on the floating diffusion shared by the second and fourth rows.
US08130303B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus including: a pixel section having a plurality of pixels, each pixel containing an amplification section for outputting onto an output signal line, and a reset section for resetting an accumulation section; a noise suppressing section with using a first signal being an output from the pixel at the time of resetting for suppressing noise components contained in a second signal corresponding to the signal electric charges; and a control section for, of the outputs onto the output signal line of a first pixel being subject of the noise suppressing operation, respectively limiting the first signal and the second signal to a first electric potential and to a second electric potential with using an output resulting from reset operation onto the output signal line from a second pixel different from the first pixel and connected to the same one output signal line as the first pixel.
US08130298B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a pixel imaging circuit that incorporates a standard photodiode. However, the imaging circuit is modified with a feedback loop to provide a first photo response over a first portion of the light sensing range (e.g., at higher light intensity range) and a second reduced-sensitivity photo response over a second portion of the light sensing range (i.e., at a lower light intensity range), thereby extending the circuits dynamic range of coverage. Also disclosed are embodiments of an associated imaging method and a design structure that is embodied in a machine readable medium and used in the imaging circuit design process.
US08130294B2
An imaging array and method for capturing an image utilizing the same are disclosed. The imaging array includes an array of pixel sensors in which each pixel includes a dual-ported photodiode or photogate and a charge conversion circuit. The charge conversion circuit generates a voltage signal that is a function of a charge on the dual-ported photodiode. The controller applies a potential that varies over the exposure to the second gates in the dual-ported photodiodes, each second port passing charge stored in the photodiode connected to the second port when a potential in the photodiode exceeds the applied potential. The potential is chosen such that charge flows through the second gates of pixel sensors that are exposed to light intensities greater than a first threshold intensity during the exposure.
US08130293B2
An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a color and polarization obtaining section 101 including a single-chip color image capture device that has a color mosaic filter 201 and a patterned polarizer 202 in which a number of polarizer units, having polarization transmission planes defining mutually different angles, are provided for multiple pixels of the same color (G) in the color mosaic filter 201; a polarization information processing section 103 for approximating, as a sinusoidal function, a relation between the intensities of light rays that have been transmitted through the polarizer units for the G pixels and the angles of the polarization transmission planes of the polarizer units; and a color mosaic interpolation section 103 for generating a color intensity image by performing color intensity interpolation and getting a color intensity that cannot be obtained at a pixel of interest.
US08130291B2
A defective pixel specifying method and a defective pixel specifying system for a semiconductor device having a defective pixel are provided. Also provided are an image correcting method and an image correcting system for making a defective pixel inconspicuous on the screen when a read image is displayed. The present invention determines whether or not there is a defective pixel for each pixel and specifies the coordinate of the defective pixel using image signals obtained by reading a plurality of images. The image signal of the defective pixel is set based on the image signals of the pixels adjacent to the defective pixel to correct the image of the subject read.
US08130280B2
An electronic camera includes: an imaging device that captures a subject image and outputs image signals; an image synthesizing device that performs image synthesis to generate a single image by using a plurality of sets of image signals obtained on different imaging conditions by the imaging device; and a control device that determines whether or not to perform the image synthesis with the image synthesizing device based on a predetermined determination condition, and, when it is determined to perform the image synthesis, controls the image synthesizing device so as to perform the image synthesis.
US08130279B2
An image sensing apparatus includes an imager, an image reducer for reducing an image size from imaging data obtained from the imager, a moving image configurer for rendering an image reduced by the image reducer as a moving image, an image processor for image-processing image data, a network communicator, and a storing device for storing frame image data obtained from the imager in response to a control instruction from the outside while taking a moving image. The image data stored in the storing device is image-processed by dividing it into non-operating periods of moving image processing per frame configuring the moving image. Also, parallel processing of a moving image and a still image is performed without lowering a frame rate of the moving image.
US08130265B2
The invention relates to equipment for the identification of an individual by capture of body imprint images and of the underlying venous network, comprising: a prismatic optical element having: a large side for apposition of a body zone; a first inclined lateral side receiving a first radiation having a first wave length emitted by a first lighting means to light the large side with total reflection; a second inclined lateral side facing a first sensor receiving the first reflected radiation carrying an image of the body imprint; and a small side receiving a second radiation having a second wave length emitted by second lighting means, perpendicularly reaching the apposition zone and penetrating the body zone, and which faces a second sensor receiving the second reflected radiation carrying an image of the underlying venous network.
US08130264B2
A high tone image is saved in a versatile image file format to enhance usability. There are provided an imaging unit that images an original image having a predetermined dynamic range, which is a ratio between minimum luminance and maximum luminance; a synthesized image generating part that generates a synthesized image data that is higher in tone than a tone width of the original image by synthesizing a plurality of original images imaged under different imaging conditions at the same observation position; a display unit that displays the images imaged by the imaging unit; a tone conversion part that converts the synthesized image data generated by the synthesized image generating part to low tone image data having a tone width capable of being displayed on the display unit; and a tone data saving part that generates a high tone data-attached display file including a high tone image region for saving the synthesized image data serving as a basis as an image file for saving the low tone image data.
US08130263B2
A head-mounted visual display device for low-vision aid, which features 2 models, they are analog signal model and digital signal model. Said analog device contains at least an analog video extractor, a video decoder, an ITU-R.656 decoder, a de-interlacing unit, an image processor, two YCbCr to RGB converter, two color enhancement units, two video D/A converter, a head mounted display, a signal voltage controller and a wireless communication module. Said digital device consists of a digital video signal extractor/capturer, a RGB to YCbCr converter, an image processor, two YCbCr to RGB converter, two color enforcement units, a head-mounted display, a signal voltage controller and a wireless communication module.
US08130254B2
The optical scanning apparatus has at least two scanning units S1 and S2 which are arranged so as to oppose each other with a deflecting unit interposed therebetween. The scanning units include incident optical systems La and Lb that guide light beams emitted from light source units 1a and 1b to the deflecting unit 4, and imaging optical systems Ma and Mb that cause the light beams for scanning deflected on a deflecting surface of the deflecting unit to form images on surfaces 8a and 8b to be scanned. The two scanning units are configured such that the main scanning planes thereof including an optical reference axis C0 have different heights from a bottom surface 4c of the deflecting unit in the direction of the rotational axis of the deflecting unit.
US08130243B2
A degree of overlapping between separately obtained regions of respective parts of an image is determined. When the degree of overlapping is greater than a defined value, only one of the obtained regions, or both the regions, or a region including both the regions is selected. When the degree of overlapping is less than the defined value, the separately obtained regions of respective parts of the image are separately selected. The image is displayed while reflecting a result of the selection.
US08130241B2
Described herein are methods and systems that allow a user to reposition or size a graphics item or background such that a portion of the graphics item resides outside the background. This permits tailored operating spaces based on user preference and allowable conditions, which are particularly useful with display devices having a large display area.
US08130239B1
A system stores a first object tree that describes a graphical scene in memory and creates a second object tree based on the first object tree, where the second object tree is optimized for use by a graphics processing unit (GPU) to render a graphical scene. The system receives indications of one or more changes associated with the first object tree and traverses the first object tree to make the one or more changes to the first object tree and to generate a composite command for use in making corresponding changes in the second object tree. The system executes the composite command to make the corresponding changes in the second object tree.
US08130229B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for improved timing control in 2-D image processing to maintain a constant rate of memory fetches and pixel outputs even when the processing operations transition to a new line or frame of pixels. A one-to-one relationship between incoming pixel rate and outgoing pixel rate is maintained without additional clock cycles or memory bandwidth as an improved timing control according to the present invention takes advantage of idle memory bandwidth by pre-fetching a new column of pixel data in a first pixel block of a next line or frame while a new column of an edge pixel block on a current line is duplicated or zeroed out. As the edge pixel block(s) on the current line are processed, the data in the first pixel block of the next line or frame become ready for computation without extra clock cycles or extra memory bandwidth.
US08130223B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for efficiently creating and accessing an A-Buffer that supports multi-sample compression techniques. The A-Buffer is organized in stacks of uniformly-sized tiles, wherein the tile size is selected to facilitate compression techniques. Each stack represents the samples included in a group of pixels. Each tile within a stack represents the set of sample data at a specific per-sample rendering order index that are associated with the group of pixels represented by the stack. Advantageously, each tile includes tile compression bits that enable the tile to maintain data using existing compression formats. As the A-Buffer is created, a corresponding stack compression buffer is also created. For each stack, the stack compression buffer includes a bit that indicates whether all of the tiles in the stack are similarly compressed and, consequently, whether the GPU may operate on the stack at an efficient per pixel granularity.
US08130207B2
An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for using dual side input devices for controlling an electronic device and applications running thereon. According to one technique, a user take some action with respect to an adjustable feature associated with the electronic device (e.g., zoom and/or skew an image on a display screen) by simulating (or actually) bending or twisting the electronic device. According to another technique, the user may cause a region of an image displayed on the front of the device to be magnified by touching the back of the device at a location that corresponds to the region. According to yet another technique, the user may cause a graphical item displayed on the front of the electronic device to be rotated by essentially simulating the grabbing of the item with two or more fingers on either side of the electronic device and rolling the item.
US08130203B2
Techniques for identifying and discriminating between different types of contacts to a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. Illustrative contact types include fingertips, thumbs, palms and cheeks. By way of example, thumb contacts may be distinguished from fingertip contacts using a patch eccentricity parameter. In addition, by non-linearly deemphasizing pixels in a touch-surface image, a reliable means of distinguishing between large objects (e.g., palms) from smaller objects (e.g., fingertips, thumbs and a stylus) is described.
US08130198B2
The present invention provides a method for operating application programs in an electronic device, which has a keyboard unit, a touch sensing element and a display. First, the border information corresponding to a border area of the user interface provided by an application program is transmitted to a driving unit of the keyboard unit. Afterward, the keyboard unit is divided into at least two sensing areas corresponding to the operation areas of the user interface according to the border information. Next, the touch sensing element detects a touch on one of the sensing areas on the keyboard unit and then generates a responsive signal according to the touch. Finally, an action is performed on the corresponding operation area of the user interface according to the responsive signal.
US08130187B2
A liquid crystal display comprises: a liquid crystal layer capable of bend orientation; a display screen on which an image is displayed by light transmitted through a bend-oriented liquid crystal layer; and liquid crystal voltage application means for applying a liquid crystal voltage to the liquid crystal layer according to luminance information for each field of image information composed of serial fields, the liquid crystal voltage being applied to cause transmittance of the light to change, thereby sequentially displaying the image corresponding to the fields of the image information, and when the luminance information changes between current and subsequent fields, the liquid crystal voltage application means applies the liquid crystal voltage which changes so as to have a value according to the luminance information by the time the liquid crystal voltage is applied for the subsequent field.
US08130173B2
Each pixel of an active matrix electroluminescent display device has a first amorphous silicon drive transistor for intermittently driving a current through the display element and a second amorphous silicon drive transistor for intermittently driving a current through the display element. The aging effect of amorphous silicon TFTs can be reduced by sharing the driving of the display element between two drive transistors. Providing a duty cycle reduces the on-time for each drive transistor, but also provides a period during which there can be some recovery of the TFT characteristics.
US08130165B2
There is disclosed an electromagnetic transmission line arrangement with a phase shifter, comprising at least one conductive branch line (51a,51b) extending from a junction point (51c) to an associated output port, for the propagation of electromagnetic signals in a frequency band along said branch line. The phase shifter includes at least one dielectric body (52,53,54) which is mounted so as to be movable sideways in a transverse direction into a delaying position at least partly covering said branch line (51a,51b). The longitudinal distribution of its dielectric material (∈) is adapted to cause, when being moved transversally into said delay position, a controlled phase shift but also to secure, by way of said selected longitudinal distribution of its dielectric material in conjunction with said at least one branch line, an input impedance matching of said transmission line arrangement. The transmission line arrangement can be used in the feeding network to a microwave antenna.
US08130164B2
A broadband antenna element configuration having a radiation pattern useful in an antenna array containing a plurality of driven radiating elements that are spatially arranged is disclosed. The antenna element is coplanarly disposed on a suitable planar substrate of dielectric material. The antenna element utilizes a pair of balanced dipole arm elements symmetrically disposed about the centerline of a balanced feed network. Balanced feed network elements are disposed in a broadside symmetrical configuration on first plane and second plane on each side of the aforementioned dielectric. Disposed proximate to each dipole arm element are partially overlapping, parallel planar, frequency bandwidth expanding microstrip lines. The combination of dipole arms and parasitically coupled microstrip lines provides a broad bandwidth radiating element suitable for use in antenna arrays.
US08130161B2
An antenna control system in which various antenna elements in a vertical row are coupled by fixed transmission lines to a central feeding point for a common signal. Adjustment of the phase of the common signal is achieved by means of a linearly movable slide having dielectric body portions influencing the signal velocity along said fixed transmission lines. Further, an electrical motor is used for linearly displacing said movable slide with said dielectric body portions.
US08130160B2
A composite dipole array assembly can have a composite dipole array defined by a plurality of antenna elements and a plurality of non-linear element electrically interconnecting pair of the antenna elements. A reflector can be configured to reflect electromagnetic energy toward the antenna elements. A lens can be configured to focus electromagnetic energy upon the antenna elements. In this manner, the efficiency of the composite dipole array is enhanced.
US08130151B2
A monopole antenna includes a base board with a first side and a second side, a radiating element, a grounding element and a feeding line. The radiating element and the grounding element are located on the first side of the base board. The grounding element is two times longer than the radiating element. The feeding line includes an inner conductor connected to the radiating element and an outer conductor connected to the grounding element.
US08130147B2
A signal wave arrival angle measuring device includes: an observation data vector generation section generating an observation data vector necessary for an angle measurement of a signal wave from an electrical signal having been converted at a sensor group converting the signal wave of an observation target to the electrical signal; an ESPRIT angle measurement processing section calculating an arrival angle of the signal wave from the generated observation data vector; an arriving signal wave estimation section estimating information other than the arrival angle of the arriving signal wave from an angle measurement processing process data of the ESPRIT angle measurement processing at the ESPRIT angle measurement processing section; and a reliability determination section determining whether or not an angle measurement result of the calculated arrival angle is correct based on an estimation result of the arriving signal wave estimation section, and excluding an erroneous angle measurement result.
US08130143B2
Methods and apparatus are present for determining position of a rover from observations of GNSS signals. Observations of GNSS signals are obtained at a rover location, and observations of the GNSS signals are obtained at a plurality of reference stations, each reference station defining a respective baseline between the rover location and a reference station location. For each reference station, a respective differentially-corrected rover position is determined, wherein at least one of the differentially-corrected rover positions is based on one of (i) a multiple-frequency ionosphere-free observable combination, (ii) a multiple-frequency code-phase observable combination, and (iii) a single-frequency carrier-phase and code-plus-carrier-phase combination. A weighted combination of the differentially-corrected rover positions is prepared.
US08130141B2
Systems and methods are described for determining position of a receiver. The positioning system comprises a transmitter network including transmitters that broadcast positioning signals. The positioning system comprises a remote receiver that acquires and tracks the positioning signals and/or satellite signals. The satellite signals are signals of a satellite-based positioning system. A first mode of the remote receiver uses terminal-based positioning in which the remote receiver computes a position using the positioning signals and/or the satellite signals. The positioning system comprises a server coupled to the remote receiver. A second operating mode of the remote receiver comprises network-based positioning in which the server computes a position of the remote receiver from the positioning signals and/or satellite signals, where the remote receiver receives and transfers to the server the positioning signals and/or satellite signals.
US08130140B2
A method for determining beamforming weights used onboard a satellite and ground-based beamforming weights used in a ground-based station as part of a satellite communication system. This beamforming method is a two-stage beamforming process that requires a reduced downlink bandwidth between the satellite and the ground-based station yet achieves optimal signal-to-noise ratio for bandwidth allocated for the downlink. values for the fixed onboard beamforming weights are computed to yield a maximum, max A ( min U S N ❘ W = W ⋓ ) , where the maximum is computed over all possible fixed weights A represented by an L×M matrix, the minimum is computed over all possible positions of remote communication devices U, and the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is computed for the optimal set of ground-based beamforming weights W={hacek over (W)}.
US08130138B2
A ghost target candidate judging device judges that one target of two targets is a candidate for a ghost target where the distances of the two targets from a subject vehicle are equal to each other and where the difference between receiving levels of the two targets is not less than a predetermined value. A running-abreast target judging device judges that one target is the target running abreast of the other target based on changes in an angle difference and in a left-right positional difference between the two targets in accordance with the change in the distances of the two targets from the subject vehicle. The ghost target judging device judges, as the ghost target, a target obtained by removing the running-abreast target data from the candidates for the ghost target. The running-abreast target is prevented from being erroneously recognized as the ghost target while judging which target is the ghost target. Also, a target indicating a lower receiving level is prevented from erroneously being judged as a ghost target when two targets indicating their respective different receiving levels are running side by side.
US08130136B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for the identification of a target object in PCL radar applications. The disclosed embodiments describe the systems and methods used in the identification of a target object from the collection of data representing specific target object features, such as velocity, altitude, fuselage length, wing length, or wing sweepback angle, and the comparison of selected target object features with a database of known aircraft features. The present invention also provides for the calculation of feature dimensions, such as the fuselage length, wing length, or wing sweepback angle from measurements associated with a peak signal lobe as a function of a bistatic aspect angle.
US08130131B2
Provided is an interpolating A/D converter including a reference voltage generation circuit, an analog signal input circuit, a preamplifier group including a plurality of preamplifiers, and an interpolation circuit including a plurality of resistors. Reference voltages from the reference voltage generation circuit and an analog signal from the analog signal input circuit are input to the preamplifier group. The interpolation circuit outputs an interpolation signal by interpolating output signals of the preamplifier group. The preamplifiers amplify a differential voltage when a differential voltage between the analog signal and the reference voltages is smaller than a specified value, and the current flow of which is stopped when it is larger than the specified value. The plurality of resistors are connected in series between the adjacent amplifiers.
US08130127B1
A discrete time delta-sigma modulator circuit, which may be used to implement an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) provides improved anti-aliasing performance when lower quantization rates are selected, by maintaining the clocking rate of a first stage in the delta-sigma modulator loop filter at a rate higher than would ordinarily be selected for a lower quantization rate. To accomplish the anti-aliasing improvement, the ratio between the quantization rate and the clocking rate of the first integrator is reduced at the lower quantization rate, resulting in a first true alias image at a multiple of the quantization rate, permitting anti-aliasing filters to more effectively attenuate the alias image, and attenuating the images spaced at the quantization rate via the averaging operation of the first integrator.
US08130124B2
Embodiments provide for a method for eliminating pathological sequences in a serial bit stream. Parallel data words having a first bit length are received. The received data words may be analyzed for a pathological sequence. If a pathological sequence is present in a data word, the data word containing the pathological sequence may be segmented into data segments having bit lengths less than a pathological sequence. The data word may be reformatted by generating reformatted data words having a second bit length. The reformatted data words may contain at least one of the data segments and the second bit length is greater than the first bit length. The reformatting may be performed by adding framing bits to the segments to form the reformatted data words. The reformatted data words are transmitted in place of the data word containing the pathological sequence.
US08130123B2
A rotary actuator includes a roller having a center shaft protruding along a center axis, a bearing for supporting the center shaft of the roller to allow the roller to rotate about the center axis, a ring magnet fixed to the center shaft of the roller, an elastic member having a ring shape provided between the center shaft of the roller and the bearing, and a fixed magnet facing the ring magnet. The ring magnet is alternately magnetized to an S-pole and an N-pole with predetermined angular intervals. This rotary actuator has a simple structure and operates with a preferable operation feeling.
US08130114B2
An entry detecting system includes a terminal device; a point-to-point communication device; an entry detecting device; and a guard device. The point-to-point communication device includes a transmitting-receiving antenna having directivity in a specific direction. The point-to-point communication device communicates by radio with the terminal device via the transmitting receiving antenna so as to detect a response time from the terminal device and report detected response time to the entry detecting device. The entry detecting device detects a distance from the point-to-point communication device to the terminal device based on the response time reported by the point-to-point communication device, generates entry detecting information based on the detected distance, and transmits the entry detecting information to the point-to-point communication device and the guard device. The point-to-point communication device transmits the received entry detecting information to the terminal device.
US08130108B2
A gas level display controller includes a mass computation module, a reference value setting module, and a display control module. The mass computation module obtains a pressure and a temperature of compressed hydrogen stored in a hydrogen tank and calculates a mass of the compressed hydrogen in the hydrogen tank, for example, according to a known gas state equation. The reference value setting module sets a reference value, which is used for display of a remaining amount of the compressed hydrogen in the hydrogen tank on a display device, to the mass of the compressed hydrogen calculated by the mass computation module on the occasion of filling the compressed hydrogen into the hydrogen tank to limitation of the hydrogen filling. The display control module calculates a ratio of the mass of the compressed hydrogen to the reference value and makes the remaining amount of the compressed hydrogen in the hydrogen tank displayed on the display device, based on the calculated ratio. This arrangement enables a symbol ‘FULL’ to be reliably displayed on a display device on the occasion of filling a compressed gas into a tank to limitation of the gas filling.
US08130107B2
A system and method for detecting leaks using sensors to report the leak and communicate with a control unit to turn off the source of the leak once detected. A valve can be turned off in the event of a leak and embodiments employing battery power can function during loss of power such as a power blackout. Wireless sensors can be employed to detect leaks that wirelessly communicate with a control and operate solely with a designated control unit. The wireless sensors can operate using low power provided by batteries. The control panel can display alarm conditions from the sensors, including: low battery, poor signal, wet sensor, communication failure, sensor failure.
US08130106B1
This invention provides a method for detecting sugars in boiler condensate and/or boiler feedwater in industrial processes. The method includes measuring an oxidation-reduction potential at one or more locations in the process with one or more devices capable of measuring oxidation-reduction potential at operating temperature and pressure and correlating that measurement to an amount of sugar in the system. If the measured oxidation-reduction potential is not within an optimum range, action is taken.
US08130097B2
A card and detection system comprises a group of light sensors located under and covered over by a table felt. The light sensors are directed vertically upward to detect changes in light intensity on the top surfaces of the sensors through the felt. This allows flexibility of placement of the sensors and avoids daily maintenance issues. The sensors read through fabric to detect when objects such as chips or cards are placed on top of the felt. With this system, the procedure of detecting chips or cards is imperceptible to the customers or dealers.
US08130093B2
A repeater providing data exchange with a medical device for remote patient care and method thereof are provided. The repeater includes a transmission device configured to send the data over a wireless medium to a data repository and a processing device configured to detect conditions in respect of an associated communication medium that could affect data exchange, where the processing device is configured to send the data based at least in part on the conditions. The processing device is further configured to analyze the data from the medical device to detect a problem with the medical device.
US08130089B2
A sensor unit and an associated transmitter unit are enclosed, or encased, within a housing, to form a monitoring device, and a thus formed monitoring device is positioned either inside or outside of each tire to be monitored. For tires that are 18 inches or smaller, the monitoring device is preferably attached to the bottom of a specially designed valve stem that is secured to the vehicle's tire where the monitor is located within the tire. For tires that are 20 inches or larger, the monitoring device is preferably attached to the side of another specially designed valve stem that is secured to the vehicle's tire where the monitor is located outside the tire. The same monitoring device is used for each location.
US08130083B2
A system for displaying audio visual presentations based on customer preferences includes a radio frequency identification (“RFID writer”) a reader, a display screen and a control system. The RFID writer writes a descriptive code onto an RFID tag, wherein the descriptive code containing customer specific information based on a consumer's purchase. The reader reads the descriptive code from an RFID tag when the tag enters a predetermined proximity of the reader. The control system is operatively coupled to the display screen and the reader and stores a plurality of audio-visual presentations. The control system initiates the display of an audio-visual presentation on the display screen based on the descriptive code, wherein the control system is adapted to play the audio-visual presentation in the order in which the RFID tag is read by the antenna.
US08130082B2
A radio frequency (RF) tag is provided with an antenna coil adapted and configured to wirelessly exchange data with a read/write terminal, a RF transmitting/receiving unit adapted and configured to modulate and demodulate data exchanged via the antenna coil, a protocol change field programmable gate array (FPGA) unit adapted and configured to selectably process data modulated or demodulated by the RF transmitting/receiving unit, and a memory unit adapted and configured to store data processed by the protocol change FPGA unit. Preferably, the protocol FPGA unit includes a plurality of differently programmed RF transport protocol circuits selected based on code data stored in the memory unit.
US08130076B2
A keyless entry device can accurately judge or determine whether a portable device exists inside or outside a vehicle. A vehicle-side controller includes a memory that stores an inside data group having a plurality of intensity information of a request signal transmitted from the plurality of transmitting antennas when the portable device is located along an inside of a vehicle. Also included is an outside data group having a plurality of intensity information of a request signal transmitted from the plurality of transmitting antennas when the portable device is located along an outside of the vehicle. The vehicle-side controller judges an area where the portable device exists from the intensity information of the request signal received from the portable device. The controller instantly judges the inside or the outside of the vehicle, when the portable device exists in an area apart from a boundary. The controller also judges which data group of the inside and outside data groups stored in the memory approximates the intensity information when the portable device exists in the vicinity of the boundary.
US08130075B1
Systems and methods for touchscreen security gateways are described, wherein a mechanical lock simulation is presented and operated by the user of a touchscreen interface. Comparisons between entered and stored combinations may be processed and/or stored utilizing local or remote processing and/or storage resources. The mechanical lock aspect of the user interface may comprise simulated rotating elements that may be operated by user-induced sliding interactions upon the user interface. Several aspects of the mechanical lock simulation may be customized or programmed by the user, and the presentation of the user interface operation to the user may include audible and/or haptic feedback.
US08130061B2
A filter being small and having a narrowband filter characteristic is achieved using interdigital-coupled resonators. A first resonator and a second resonator are configured using interdigital-coupled quarter-wavelength resonators respectively. In addition, the first resonator and the second resonator are disposed so as to extend along directions intersecting with each other at a predetermined angle θ. Thus, coupling between the resonators is reduced compared with, for example, a case that the first resonator and the second resonator are, as a whole, disposed in parallel to each other. The angle θ, with which the first resonator and the second resonator are disposed respectively, is adjusted, thereby coupling between the resonators may be made into a desired state. Thus, a desired narrowband filter characteristic is obtained.
US08130060B2
In a circuit arrangement (1) for detuning a resonant circuit formed of an inductively acting electric circuit (14) and a capacitively acting discharging device (15), a detuning device (16) is arranged at least partially in series to the discharging device (15). The resonant circuit can be detuned in wide ranges by means of such a detuning device (16).
US08130057B2
The present invention relates to a lumped cross-coupled Wilkinson circuit having a pair of magnetically cross-coupled inductive elements coupled to an isolation network. By magnetically cross-coupling the inductive elements, which have a mutual inductance, the inductance of each inductive element will be significantly less than the inductance of each inductive element in an equivalent lumped traditional Wilkinson combiner. Since the inductance of each inductive element is less, the size of each inductive element may be significantly smaller and the resistive loss of the each inductive element may be significantly smaller. In one embodiment of the present invention, the lumped cross-coupled Wilkinson circuit operates as a lumped cross-coupled Wilkinson combiner. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the lumped cross-coupled Wilkinson circuit operates as a lumped cross-coupled Wilkinson splitter.
US08130056B2
Techniques are disclosed that allow for programmable attenuation using thermometer code steps. By thermometer coding the attenuator structure, monotonicity is guaranteed or otherwise greatly improved, which eliminates instability problems with automatic gain control loops and without the need for compensation or trimming. In addition, the thermometer coding technique also greatly reduces phase discontinuity between adjacent gain states.
US08130054B1
The present invention relates to a frequency-adjustable radio frequency (RF) isolator that may operate as a bandpass filter when processing RF signals in a forward direction and may operate as a notch filter when processing RF signals in a reverse direction. The notch filter has a notch frequency, which is adjustable to provide adequate isolation from reflected signals at a specific operating frequency. The frequency-adjustable RF isolator may include an electro-magnetic gyrator coupled to a variable impedance circuit, which may present a variable impedance to the electro-magnetic gyrator. The notch frequency may be dependent on the variable impedance. The notch filter may be a single-notch filter or may be a multiple-notch filter.
US08130051B2
Aspects of a method and system for varactor linearization are provided. In this regard, a relationship between control voltage and capacitance of a variable capacitor may be controlled utilizing a plurality of bias voltages communicatively coupled to a corresponding plurality of bias terminals of said variable capacitor. The variable capacitor may comprise a plurality of two-terminal unit varactors and a first terminal of each unit varactor may be coupled to an RF terminal of the variable capacitor, a second terminal of one of the unit varactors may be coupled to the control voltage, and a second terminal of each of the remaining unit varactors may be coupled to one of the bias voltages. The bias voltages may be generated via a resistor ladder and/or via the resistive nature of a portion of semiconductor substrate. The bias voltages may linearize the relationship between the control voltage and the capacitance.
US08130050B2
Dual table temperature compensation for a voltage controlled crystal oscillator is achieved by sensing the temperature of the voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO), retrieving from a first table the frequency error with variations in the temperature sensed, retrieving from a second table the oscillator control voltage corresponding to the frequency error from the first table and applying the oscillator control voltage to the VCXO.
US08130046B2
A wireless communication device incorporating a set of comparators and logic interrupt into the local oscillator generation circuit block is described. In one design, the local oscillator circuit block includes a RF VCO with coarse and fine frequency tuning. The RF VCO fine frequency tuning signal is monitored continuously to determine if the control voltage is within specified limits. If the RF VCO fine frequency tuning voltage is too low or too high for the RF VCO to meet system requirements or lock on the current desired frequency, an interrupt signal is asserted. In response to the interrupt signal, a wireless communications processor or a hardware state machine initiates coarse frequency calibration of the RF VCO at the desired frequency. After coarse frequency calibration has completed, the RF VCO fine frequency tuning voltage is within specified limits and is continuously monitored.
US08130043B2
A multi-stage RF/Microwave power amplifier circuit is provided that is capable of operating efficiently at multiple output power levels. The amplifier comprises first and second amplifying stages, an output impedance matching network connected to the output of first amplifying stage and an interstage impedance matching network connected between the outputs of said first and second amplifying stages. In a high power mode, the first amplifying stage is enabled and the second amplifying stage is disabled and the output and interstage impedance matching networks present a first value of the output impedance that improves the efficiency of the first amplifying stage. In a low power mode, the first amplifying stage is disabled and the second amplifying stage is enabled, and output and interstage impedance matching networks present a second value of the output impedance that improves the efficiency of the second amplifying stage.
US08130042B2
Methods and devices for leakage current reduction are described. A regulator transistor is connected to a switch to bias the transistor with a first voltage during an ON state and a second voltage during the OFF state of the transistor. The switchable bias allows leakage current decrease and “on” resistance increase of the transistor.
US08130036B2
A circuit provides a first current corresponding to the differential input Inn and Inp, and a second current corresponding to the common mode input Vcm. The circuit then mirrors the differential current and the common mode current to a third current and a fourth current. Based on the difference between the mirrored differential current and the mirrored common mode current, the circuit pulls up or pulls down these currents to balance the corresponding difference between the differential input and the common mode input. In effect, the circuit adjusts the input common mode voltage to a desired level, without providing an opportunity for it to rise to an unwanted level.
US08130034B2
A rail-to-rail amplifier includes an NMOS type amplification unit configured to perform an amplification operation on differential input signals in a domain in which DC levels of the differential input signals are higher than a first threshold value, a PMOS type folded-cascode amplification unit configured to perform an amplification operation on the differential input signals in a domain in which the DC levels of the differential input signals are lower than a second threshold value which is higher than the first threshold value, the PMOS type folded-cascode amplification unit being cascade-coupled to the NMOS type amplification unit, and an adaptive biasing unit configured to interrupt a current path of the PMOS type folded-cascode amplification unit in a domain in which the DC levels of the differential input signals are higher than the second threshold value in response to the differential input signals.
US08130031B2
Examples of the present invention include a metamaterial comprising a plurality of resonators disposed on a substrate, the substrate comprising a dielectric support layer and a relatively thin semiconductor layer, having a Schottky junction between at least one conducting resonator and the semiconductor layer. The properties of the resonator may be adjusted by modifying the physical extent of a depletion region associated with the Schottky junction.
US08130020B2
A switched-capacitor decimator that can attenuate undesired signal components at odd harmonics of an output sample rate is described. In one design, the switched-capacitor decimator includes at least one sampling capacitor and multiple switches. For each sampling capacitor, the top plate is charged with a first input signal when the capacitor is selected for top charging, and the bottom plate is charged with a second input signal when the capacitor is selected for bottom charging. For each sampling capacitor, the top plate provides its stored charges to a first output signal and the bottom plate provides its stored charges to a second output signal when the capacitor is selected for reading. The switches couple the at least one sampling capacitor to the first and second input signals for charging and to the first and second output signals for reading.
US08130015B2
To include a phase determining circuit that generates a first phase determination signal, a sampling circuit that samples the first phase determination signal and generates a second phase determination signal based on the sampled first phase determination signal, and a clock generating unit that generates an internal clock signal based on the second phase determination signal. The sampling circuit includes a continuity determining circuit that fixes the second phase determination signal when a logic level of the first phase determination signal changes within a sampling cycle, an initial operation circuit that fixes the second phase determination signal at a high level until when a third phase determination signal indicates a high level, and a disabling circuit that disables an operation of the continuity determining circuit after the third phase determination signal indicates a high level.
US08130007B2
Columns comprising a plurality of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes can be configured as electromechanical contact structures or probes. The columns can be grown on a sacrificial substrate and transferred to a product substrate, or the columns can be grown on the product substrate. The columns can be treated to enhance mechanical properties such as stiffness, electrical properties such as electrical conductivity, and/or physical contact characteristics. The columns can be mechanically tuned to have predetermined spring properties. The columns can be used as electromechanical probes, for example, to contact and test electronic devices such as semiconductor dies, and the columns can make unique marks on terminals of the electronic devices.
US08129996B2
A method for detecting SOC and SOH of a storage battery includes: calculating an SOC value of the storage battery with use of an SOC calculation unit based on a measured voltage value or a measured current value of the storage battery and calculating an SOH value of the storage battery with use of an SOH calculation unit based on the SOC value; further calculating a new SOC value with use of the SOC calculation unit based on the SOH value and calculating a new SOH value with use of the SOH calculation unit based on the new SOC value, these further calculations of SOC value and SOH value being repeated a prescribed n times of at least one so as to obtain an nth calculated SOC value and an nth calculated SOH value; outputting the nth calculated SOH value as an SOH output value and outputting the nth calculated SOH value as an SOC output value; and storing the SOH output value into a memory.
US08129993B2
A method to determine one or more parameters of a formation traversed by a borehole, at least a portion of the formation having substantially parallel boundaries, the method comprising disposing a tool in the borehole, wherein the tool includes a transmitter having a dipole moment at an angle θT with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tool and a receiver having a dipole moment at an angle θR with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tool, the transmitter and receiver comprising a transmitter-receiver pair; transmitting an electromagnetic signal while rotating the tool; receiving the electromagnetic signal to produce a measured signal from the transmitter-receiver pair; and determining the one or more formation parameters for the portion of the formation having substantially parallel boundaries based on the measured signal from the transmitter-receiver pair. A tool disposed in a borehole penetrating a formation, at least a portion of the formation having substantially parallel boundaries, the tool comprising a single transmitter having a transmitter dipole moment at an angle θT with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tool; a single receiver having a receiver dipole moment at an angle θR with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tool; and a rotational position indicator.
US08129992B2
A wireless magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner bore tube assembly has a radio frequency (RF) antenna, a microwave antenna array and an electrical screen. The RF antenna is formed of a series of RF antenna elements, each comprising a rung. The rungs are spaced at intervals of substantially half of the wavelength of the frequency of operation of the microwave antenna array. The microwave antenna array is formed by a series of microwave antenna elements interleaved between the rungs and the screen acts as a reflector to reflect signals from the microwave antenna elements towards the center of the bore tube.
US08129976B2
A gate drive circuit for a controllably conductive device, such as a triac, includes a trigger circuit for conducting a gate current through a control input of the controllably conductive device, and a sense circuit operable to generate a control signal representative of the magnitude of the gate current. The controllably conductive device is adapted to be coupled in series between an AC power source and an electrical load for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load. The controllably conductive device is operable to change from a non-conductive state to a conductive state in response to the gate current being conducted through the control input. A controller is operable to control the controllably conductive device via the gate drive circuit and to determine, in response to the magnitude of the gate current through the control input of the controllably conductive device, whether the controllably conductive device is presently conducting current to the load.
US08129968B2
The present invention discloses an integrated circuit for system calibration, applicable to a power supply, comprising: a comparison module, having a feedback input end coupled to a feedback signal and a reference input end coupled to an analog reference signal for delivering a status signal; a detection and control module, for generating a reference signal and a calibration value according to the status signal, wherein the calibration value is derived from the reference signal at an instant when the status signal changes state, and the calibration value is stored into a calibration value register; a memory module, for receiving, storing and outputting the calibration value; and a reference signal generator, receiving the calibration value to provide the analog reference signal. The present invention can therefore be used to automatically calibrate a system with fewer external components to provide qualified systems.
US08129965B2
A low dropout regulator includes an error amplifier, an N-type depletion MOSFET, a first switch, a second switch, a low-pass filter resistor, and a low-pass filter capacitor. By switching on both the first switch and the second switch, a voltage level of an output node at a negative input terminal of the error amplifier may be rapidly raised to be close to and lower than a voltage level of an input node at a gate of the N-type depletion MOSFET. Both the first switch and the second switch are then switched off immediately so that the voltage level of the output node is gradually raised to be equal to the voltage level of the input node through the low-pass filter resistor.
US08129962B2
Apparatus and methods for reducing output load transients of a low dropout voltage regulator (“LDO”) are disclosed herein. A voltage regulator includes an output driver coupled to a regulator output pin, the output driver provides current to a load external to the regulator. A clamping device is coupled between the output pin and an internal node of the regulator. The clamping device forces a voltage at a control input of the output driver to follow the voltage at the output pin when the output driver is disabled.
US08129955B2
A battery pack may include a plurality of battery cells; a discharge switch in series with the battery cells, a temperature sensor configured to sense temperature in the battery pack, and a battery control unit adapted to receive a signal indicative of temperature from the temperature sensor and operable to control the switch to interrupt current flow from the battery cells when the temperature exceeds an over-temperature threshold. The battery control unit may be adapted to receive a reset signal and operable to control the switch to restore current flow upon receipt of the reset signal and when the temperature is below an operating temperature threshold.
US08129945B2
A system and method for charging an undercharged cell of a bank of series connected cells utilizes a charging circuit. The charging circuit includes an inductor that receives current from the entire bank of cells and then provides current to the undercharged cell. Pulse width modulation is utilized to turn the switches on and off to regulate the current that flows to the inductor and thus is provided to the undercharged cell.
US08129944B2
A control device for a secondary battery includes an offset addition unit calculating an offset amount based on a plurality of voltage values sensed by a sensor, the number of a plurality of battery cells included in one battery block and a preset range, and adding an offset amount to the sensed voltage values, when a flag is turned on to indicate the fact the voltage value of one of the battery cells falls within a preset range, and also includes an I/O control unit controlling charge/discharge of the battery based on voltage values containing the offset amount added thereto. Even when the battery voltage is sensed a battery block at a time, the voltage value can be controlled a cell at a time.
US08129930B2
A method of controlling an operation of an induction actuated container cover includes the steps of (a) normally retaining a cover panel of the container cover in a closed position; (b) detecting a target movement of a user by a sensor; (c) generating a first actuating signal to an actuation unit when the sensor detects the target movement of the user; (d) generating an actuation output from the actuation unit to the cover panel of the container cover, wherein the actuation output contains a decelerating and torque enhancing force which moves the cover panel of the container cover at an opened position; (e) pivotally actuating the cover panel of the container cover at the opened position via the actuation output to expose a storage cavity, and (f) generating a second actuating signal to pivotally actuate the cover panel of the container cover back to the closed position.
US08129926B2
A light source control device is provided. A switching seat includes a switching key and a sensing device. A switching circuit is disposed between an external power source and a control circuit to disconnect or connect the external power source, and includes a mechanical switch, an electronic switch and a sensing unit. The mechanical switch is directly connected to the switching key, and is controlled to turn on or off by switching the switching key. The electronic switch is coupled to the sensing unit, and the sensing unit generates a sensing signal to control the electronic switch to turn on or off when the sensing device senses an excitation. The control circuit provides varied power supply to a light source according to the received signal.
US08129925B2
A terminal apparatus and a computer-readable storage medium capable of achieving reduction of power consumption by appropriately controlling lighting of a display unit are provided.A CPU lights or extinguishes a display unit after the end of an interrupt event in accordance with a lighting state (lighting, dim-lighting, being unlighted) of the display unit when the occurrence of the interrupt event is detected. It is therefore possible for the CPU to perform appropriate display control according to the lighting state when an interrupt event occurs.
US08129920B2
Electrical characteristics associated with a filament resistance are detected to control a preheating amount so as to heat a filament into an optimum state for emission in accordance with determined preheating time. A ballast for a discharge lamp includes an inverter including at least one or more switching elements connected to an output end of a DC power source, a control circuit or controlling switching in the inverter, a resonant circuit connectable to a discharge lamp with a thermionic cathode, a load circuit connected to an output end of the inverter, a preheating circuit for preheating a filament of the discharge lamp, and a detection circuit for detecting electrical characteristics associated with a filament resistance of the discharge lamp. The electrical characteristics associated with a filament resistance are detected by the detection circuit to control a preheating amount for the filament, in accordance with a filament resistance value and determined preheating time, so that a ratio of a hot resistance Rh to a cold resistance Rc in the filament falls in a range of 4.0 or more and less than 5.5.
US08129916B2
A light emitting driver circuit, system, and method are provided. The driver circuit system and method can be implemented in various ways. An embodiment includes a bypass circuit which diverts current from the LEDs whenever a switch coupled to the LEDs incurs residual current when turned off. In an additional or alternative embodiment, the residual current can be sensed and the amount of residual current used to trigger fetching of a compensation value. That compensation value can change a dimming function forwarded to the switch in order to compensate for, offset, or substantially eliminate the residual current through that switch.
US08129909B1
A trailer light converter that is configured to operate lights of a towed vehicle from signals supplied from lighting circuits of a towing vehicle includes at least one input that is adapted to be connected with the lighting circuits of a towing vehicle and at least one output that is adapted to be connected with the lights of a towed vehicle. At least one switch is provided that is responsive to a signal applied to the at least one input to supply electrical power to the at least one output to illuminate at least one light of the towed vehicle. The at least one switch includes a switching transistor and an overload protector. The at least one switch is responsive to the signal applied to the at least one input to change to a low impedance state to supply power to the at least one output. The overload protector is responsive to an overload condition on the at least one output to turn the at least one switch to a high impedance state to remove power from the least one output.
US08129908B2
The navigation lighting device for an aircraft, in particular a military aircraft and preferably a fighter aircraft is provided with several navigation light units with navigation lights, a power supply unit for the navigation tight units, and a central actuation unit for the actuation of the navigation light units in each one of several modes of operation. The navigation light units can be actuated for operation in a mode of operation by the central actuation unit sequentially in a predetermined sequence and thus with a time offset. Each navigation light unit comprises a control unit connected to the actuation unit for the actuation of its navigation light in the operation mode predetermined by the central actuation unit. The control units of the navigation light units comprise time-delay elements for the temporal delay of the actuation of the navigation lights on the receipt of an actuation signal of the central actuation unit.
US08129903B2
An organic electroluminescent display device is provided, which includes a substrate having anodes arranged thereon, a bank which defines a luminous region on the anode, an organic emitting layer formed in the luminous region, and a cathode formed on the bank and the emitting layer. A desiccant layer selectively formed on the bank with interposition of the cathode.
US08129902B2
An organic EL display device includes a substrate, pixel regions, each having a first electrode, a light emitting material layer, and a second electrode, and a bank film formed by a laminated structure of a plurality of inorganic material films having different etching rates from one another formed above the substrate to separate pixel regions from one another. The bank film has openings exposing upper surfaces of the first electrodes to the light emitting material layers, and the second electrode is formed over the openings in common with the pixel regions. A side wall of the bank film around the openings thereof is sloped at an angle 10 to 85 degrees (°) with respect to a principal surface of the substrate to prevent deterioration of the light emitting material layer and disconnection of the second electrode at steps of the bank film in the vicinity of the openings.
US08129900B2
According to one aspect of the present invention, a laminated structure of conductive transparent oxide layers containing silicon or silicon oxide is applied as an electrode on the side of injecting a hole (a hole injection electrode; an anode) instead of the conventional conductive transparent oxide layer such as ITO. In addition, according to another aspect of the invention, a laminated structure of conductive transparent oxide layers containing silicon or silicon oxide, each of which content is different, is applied as a hole injection electrode. Preferably, silicon or a silicon oxide concentration of the conductive layer on the side where it is connected to a TFT ranges from 1 atomic % to 6 atomic % and a silicon or silicon oxide concentration on the side of a layer containing an organic compound ranges from 7 atomic % to 15 atomic %.
US08129896B2
An inorganic electroluminescence device includes a first electrode, a dielectric layer disposed on the first electrode, an inorganic light emitting layer disposed on the dielectric layer, and a second electrode disposed on the inorganic light emitting layer. The inorganic light emitting layer includes a fluorescent particle. The fluorescent particle includes a ZnS mother body and a nano-wire disposed on a surface of the ZnS mother body.
US08129894B2
A structure includes a substrate and a metallized carbon nano-structure extending from a portion of the substrate. In a method of making a metallized carbon nanostructure, at least one carbon structure formed on a substrate is placed in a furnace. A metallic vapor is applied to the carbon nanostructure at a preselected temperature for a preselected period of time so that a metallized nanostructure forms about the carbon nanostructure.
US08129890B2
The invention relates to a high-pressure discharge lamp (1) having a burner (2), which is provided with a starting aid device (30, 32) for improving the starting behavior. Said device is configured according to the invention as a grid (30) encompassing the burner in the region of a ceramic (6) holding the burner (2) and having contact with a power feed (24). Said grid (30) acts as a starting aid and as protection against fragments in case of a burner explosion.
US08129887B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and a method for increasing the harvested energy from a piezoelectric element exposed to environmental vibrations via a two-prong system. In a first prong, a cantilever beam is tapered and shaped so as to increase and provide an approximately uniform strain on and along the beam, thus resulting in increased voltage. In a second prong of the system and method, a voltage compensating circuit, when used with a voltage inversion circuit of the prior art, increases the harvested power by injecting current to the piezoelectric element after each voltage inversion so as to increase the voltage level.
US08129877B2
In one aspect, an arrangement for cooling of an electrical machine is provided. A rotor and a stator include an air-gap arranged between the rotor and the stator. The rotor and the stator include a circulation arrangement to allow the circulation of air for cooling-purposes of the rotor and of the stator. The rotor and the stator are encapsulated by a shell which is formed to allow the flow of hot air from the rotor and the stator to a heat-exchanger. The shell is formed to allow the flow of cool air from the heat-exchanger back to the rotor and the stator for cooling-purposes. The shell includes a number of corners, while each corner is used to gather the hot air before it is guided to the heat-exchanger.
US08129873B2
A coolant flow reduction monitoring system for a rotary electric machine having stator coils within a plurality of slots of a stator thereof is provided. The stator coils are cooled by a coolant flowing in a plurality of passages provided in the stator coils. The system includes an outlet temperature sensor for measuring a coolant outlet temperature of the coolant in an outlet of at least one of the plurality of passages, a slot temperature sensor for measuring a temperature in at least one slot at a location along a length of each slot and outside of the stator coils, and an inlet temperature sensor for measuring a coolant inlet temperature of the coolant. A coolant flow reduction monitor generates an alarm indicating a coolant flow reduction based on the at least one coolant outlet temperature, the at least one slot temperature and the coolant inlet temperature.
US08129860B2
Methods and systems for providing electrical power over a network configured to facilitate digital communications are described herein. In different aspects, the methods and systems may include a service provider network module configured to facilitate digital communications and having an autonomous power supply, and a network connection device operably connected to the service provider network module. The network connection device may include at least one network connection port configured to receive electrical power; and a power switching module coupled to the at least one network connection port and configured to switch from a primary power source to enable the network connection device to receive electrical power from the service provider network module via the at least one network connection port when electrical power from the primary power source is interrupted.
US08129851B2
In a wind power generation system, an energy consuming unit is connected to a DC part of a generator-side converter. A shunt circuit is connected between the generator-side converter and a rotor of an AC-excited power generator. In the event of system failure, the switching operation of the converter is stopped, the shunt circuit is put into operation, and the energy consuming unit is put into operation so that DC voltage (voltage of the DC part) is maintained within a prescribed range.
US08129847B2
An interconnect for mounting an electronic device to a substrate includes a base layer between the electronic device and the substrate in electrical communication with integrated circuits on the electronic device, a phase change layer on the base layer made of a material which is liquid at normal operating temperatures of the electronic device and a retaining layer surrounding the phase change layer, and configured to retain the phase change layer in liquid form on the base layer. A method for mounting an electronic device to a substrate includes the steps of: forming a base layer on the device (or on the substrate); forming a phase change layer on the base layer; placing the phase change layer in contact with a corresponding electrode on the substrate (or on the device); and then forming a retaining layer between the device and the substrate configured to surround the base layer, the phase change layer, and the electrode, and to retain the phase change layer in liquid form between the base layer and the electrode.
US08129846B2
A board adapted to mount an electronic device includes an insulating resin layer, a wiring layer of a predetermined pattern provided on one surface of the insulating resin layer, a bump electrode provided on an insulating-resin-layer-side surface of the wiring layer, and a covering, formed of a metal layer, which covers a top surface of the bump electrode and a region, at a side surface of the bump electrode, continuous with the top surface excluding a region in contact with the wiring layer.
US08129844B2
Electronic devices and design structures of electronic devices containing metal silicide layers. The devices include: a thin silicide layer between two dielectric layers, at least one metal wire abutting a less than whole region of the silicide layer and in electrical contact with the silicide layer.
US08129839B2
A sealing layer is provided on a surface of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. The sealing layer includes apertures which expose external contact locations for semiconductor dice formed on the wafer. Solder paste is deposited in the apertures and reflowed to form discrete conductive elements for attachment of electronic devices to higher level circuit structures. The wafer is then divided or “singulated” to provide individual semiconductor dice having their active surfaces covered by the sealing layer. In this manner, the sealing layer initially acts as a stencil for forming the discrete conductive elements and subsequently forms a chip scale package structure to protect the semiconductor dice from the environment.
US08129836B2
A semiconductor device is composed of a pair of semiconductor chips (402, 404) arranged parallel on the same flat plane; a high voltage bus bar (21) bonded on the surface on the collector side of one semiconductor chip (402); a low voltage bus bar (23) connected to the surface on the emitter side of the other semiconductor chip (404) with a bonding wire (27); a first metal wiring board (24-1) connected to the surface on the emitter side of the semiconductor chip (402) with a bonding wire (26); a second metal wiring board (24-2) bonded on the surface on the collector side of the semiconductor chip (404); a third metal wiring board (24-3) connected to the first metal wiring board (24-1); a fourth metal wiring board (24-4) connected by being bent from an end portion of the second metal wiring board (24-2); and an output bus bar (24) having output terminals (405) extending from each end portion of the third metal wiring board (24-3) and that of the fourth metal wiring board (24-4).
US08129833B2
Microelectronic packages are fabricated by stacking integrated circuits upon one another. Each integrated circuit includes a semiconductor layer having microelectronic devices and a wiring layer on the semiconductor layer having wiring that selectively interconnects the microelectronic devices. After stacking, a via is formed that extends through at least two of the integrated circuits that are stacked upon one another. Then, the via is filled with conductive material that selectively electrically contacts the wiring. Related microelectronic packages are also described.
US08129832B2
A mountable integrated circuit package system includes: providing a carrier; mounting a first integrated circuit device over the carrier; mounting a substrate over the first integrated circuit device with the substrate having a conductor-free recess; connecting a first electrical interconnect under the conductor-free recess electrically connecting the carrier and the first integrated circuit device; and forming a package encapsulation over the carrier, the first integrated circuit device, the first electrical interconnect, the conductor-free recess, and partially exposing the substrate.
US08129828B2
A wiring substrate assembly includes a resin wiring substrate and a reinforcement member. The resin wiring substrate does not have a core substrate, and includes a substrate main surface, a substrate back surface, a laminate structure comprised of resin insulation layers and conductive layers, and connection terminals disposed on the substrate main surface, to which a chip component is connectable. The reinforcement member is bonded to the substrate main surface and defines an opening portion extending through the reinforcement member so as to expose the main-surface-side connection terminals. The reinforcement member comprises a composite material including a resin material containing an inorganic material.
US08129825B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, an IC chip mounting package includes a film base member and an IC chip connected via an interposer. Connecting terminals on the film base member side of the interposer are provided so as to have a pitch larger than that of connecting terminals of the IC. A device hole is opened to the film base member, and the IC chip is provided in the device hole. A distance between an inner lead leading end and a periphery of the device hole is set as not less than 10 μm.
US08129823B2
Highly reliable interconnections for microelectronic packaging. In one embodiment, dielectric layers in a build-up interconnect have a gradation in glass transition temperature; and the later applied dielectric layers are laminated at temperatures lower than the glass transition temperatures of the earlier applied dielectric layers. In one embodiment, the glass transition temperatures of earlier applied dielectric films in a build-up interconnect are increased through a thermosetting process to exceed the temperature for laminating the later applied dielectric films. In one embodiment, a polyimide material is formed with embedded catalysts to promote cross-linking after a film of the polyimide material is laminated (e.g., through photo-chemical or thermal degradation of the encapsulant of the catalysts). In one embodiment, the solder resist opening walls have a wettable layer generated through laser assisted seeding so that there is no gap between the solder resist opening walls and no underfill in the solder resist opening.
US08129821B2
A semiconductor device and a method for fabricating a semiconductor device involve a semiconductor layer that includes a first material and a second material. The first and second materials can be silicon and germanium. A contact of the device has a portion proximal to the semiconductor layer and a portion distal to the semiconductor layer. The distal portion includes the first material and the second material. A metal layer formed adjacent to the relaxed semiconductor layer and adjacent to the distal portion of the contact is simultaneously reacted with the relaxed semiconductor layer and with the distal portion of the contact to provide metallic contact material.
US08129816B2
A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate; an element isolation region formed in the substrate including trenches formed at a first depth and being filled with an element isolation insulating film; an element forming region formed on the substrate and being surrounded by the trenches; a gate electrode formed along a first direction on the element forming region via a gate insulating film, the gate electrode extending over the element insulating film filled the trenches extending along a second direction; a source/drain region having a second depth less than the first depth formed in the element forming region beside the gate electrode and having an exposed surface exposed to a trench sidewall; wherein the upper surface of the element isolation insulating film exclusive of a portion underlying the gate electrode is located at a third depth greater than the second depth and less than the first depth.
US08129815B2
A high-voltage device structure comprises a resistor coupled to a tap transistor that includes a JFET in a configuration wherein a voltage provided at a terminal of the JFET is substantially proportional to an external voltage when the external voltage is less than a pinch-off voltage of the JFET. The voltage provided at the terminal being substantially constant when the external voltage is greater than the pinch-off voltage. One end of the resistor is substantially at the external voltage when the external voltage is greater than the pinch-off voltage. When the external voltage is negative, the resistor limits current injected into the substrate. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
US08129810B2
A vertically-integrated image sensor is proposed with the performance characteristics of single crystal silicon but with the area coverage and cost of arrays fabricated on glass. The image sensor can include a backplane array having readout elements implemented in silicon-on-glass, a frontplane array of photosensitive elements vertically integrated above the backplane, and an interconnect layer disposed between the backplane array and the image sensing array. Since large area silicon-on-glass backplanes are formed by tiling thin single-crystal silicon layers cleaved from a thick silicon wafer side-by-side on large area glass gaps between the tiled silicon backplane would normally result in gaps in the image captured by the array. Therefore, embodiments further propose that the pixel pitch in both horizontal and vertical directions of the frontplane be larger than the pixel pitch of the backplane, with the pixel pitch difference being sufficient that the frontplane bridges the gap between backplane tiles.
US08129809B2
Disclosed are an image sensor and a manufacturing method thereof. The image sensor includes a circuit layer on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate, a metal interconnection layer on the circuit layer, trenches formed in a second surface of the semiconductor substrate along a boundary of a pixel, and a light blocking layer in the trenches. The backside illumination type image sensor according to the embodiment has a light blocking structure at a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, thereby improving sensing efficiency while inhibiting interference between adjacent pixels.
US08129807B2
An electro-optical device includes a semiconductor layer including a channel region having a channel length along one of a first direction and a second direction, a source region having a source length along the second direction and electrically connected to a data line, a drain region having a drain length including a portion along the first direction and electrically connected to a pixel electrode, and a junction region formed between the channel region and the drain region, and bent in the drain region in plan view; a gate electrode including a main body portion facing the channel region with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween and an enclosure portion including an L-shaped portion enclosing the junction region along the portion bent in the drain region; and a sidewall portion rising or falling from the enclosure portion and including a portion arranged along the side of the second junction region.
US08129801B2
A discrete stress isolation apparatus for a Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) inertial sensor device having a mechanism die and a package. A capacitive device mechanism is formed in a substrate layer positioned between the mechanism die and package substrate. A discrete stress isolation structure is formed in the same substrate layer with but physically separated from the capacitive device mechanism. The discrete stress isolation structure is interposed between the mechanism die and the package substrate and provides the mechanical and electrical attachment therebetween.
US08129800B2
Gate-all-around integrated circuit devices include first and second source/drain regions on an active area of an integrated circuit substrate. The first and second source/drain regions form p-n rectifying junctions with the active area. A channel region extends between the first and second source/drain regions. An insulated gate electrode surrounds the channel region.
US08129792B2
A semiconductor device includes n- and p-type semiconductor regions separately formed on a substrate, an interlayer insulator formed on the substrate and having first and second trenches formed to reach the n- and p-type regions. There are further included first and second gate insulators formed inside of the first and second trenches, a first metal layer formed inside of the first trench via the first gate insulator, a second metal layer formed in a thickness of 1 monolayer or more and 1.5 nm or less inside of the second trench via the second gate insulator, a third metal layer formed on the second metal layer and containing at least one of a simple substance, a nitride, a carbide and an oxide of at least one metal element of alkaline earth metal elements and group III elements, first and second source/drain regions formed on the n- and p-type regions.
US08129785B2
A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; an annular deep trench penetrating the semiconductor layer in the depth direction to surround an element forming region; a drain region of a second conductivity type formed in a surface layer portion of the semiconductor layer in the element forming region; a drift region of the second conductivity type formed in the surface layer portion of the semiconductor layer to come into contact with the drain region in the element forming region; a body region of the first conductivity type formed in the surface layer portion of the semiconductor layer at an interval from the drift region in the element forming region; a source region of the second conductivity type formed in a surface layer portion of the body region; and a first high-concentration buried region, formed in the semiconductor layer between a portion opposed to the source region in the depth direction and the deep trench, having a higher impurity concentration than that of the semiconductor layer.
US08129776B2
A semiconductor device includes a memory cell array area, a peripheral circuit area on a periphery of the memory cell array area, and a boundary area having a specific width between the memory cell array area and the peripheral circuit area, the memory cell array area including a cell area including nonvolatile semiconductor memory cells, linear wirings extending from inside of the cell area to an area outside the cell area, and lower layer wirings in a lower layer than the linear wirings in the boundary area and electrically connected to the linear wirings, and wiring widths of the lower layer wirings being larger than widths of the linear wirings, the peripheral circuit area including a patterns electrically connected to the linear wirings via the lower layer wirings, the boundary area failing to be provided with the linear wirings and a wiring in same layer as the linear wirings.
US08129766B2
A memory includes first contact plugs; ferroelectric capacitors above the first contact plugs; second contact plugs in a first interlayer film being below an area which is between two adjacent ferroelectric capacitors, the second contact plug; first interconnections connected to the second contact plugs, the first interconnections extending in a first direction substantially perpendicular to an arrangement direction, in which the two ferroelectric capacitors are arranged, on the first interlayer film; a second interlayer film above the first interlayer film and the first interconnection; third contact plugs in the second interlayer film, the third contact plugs being respectively connected to the first interconnections at positions shifted from the second contact plugs in the first direction; and second interconnections electrically connecting the third contact plug to the upper electrodes of the two ferroelectric capacitors.
US08129755B2
A cell of a semiconductor device is disclosed to include a diffusion level including a plurality of diffusion regions separated by inactive regions. The cell also includes a gate electrode level including a number of conductive features defined to extend in only a first parallel direction. Adjacent ones of the number of conductive features that share a common line of extent in the first parallel direction are fabricated from respective originating layout features that are separated from each other by an end-to-end spacing having a size that is substantially equal across the gate electrode level region and is minimized to an extent allowed by a semiconductor device manufacturing capability. The gate electrode level includes conductive features defined along at least four different virtual lines of extent in the first parallel direction. The cell also includes a number of interconnect levels formed above the gate electrode level.
US08129754B2
A cell of a semiconductor device is disclosed to include a diffusion level including a plurality of diffusion regions separated by inactive regions. The cell also includes a gate electrode level including a number of conductive features defined to extend in only a first parallel direction. Each of the conductive features within the gate electrode level is fabricated from a respective originating rectangular-shaped layout feature. The gate electrode level includes conductive features defined along at least four different virtual lines of extent in the first parallel direction. The cell also includes a number of interconnect levels formed above the gate electrode level.
US08129751B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate portion having a plurality of diffusion regions defined therein in a non-symmetrical manner relative to a virtual line defined to bisect the substrate portion. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode level region including a number of conductive features defined to extend in only a first parallel direction. Adjacent ones of the conductive features that share a common line of extent in the first parallel direction are fabricated from respective originating layout features separated by an end-to-end spacing having a size that is substantially equal across the gate electrode level region and is minimized to an extent allowed by a semiconductor device manufacturing capability. Conductive features are defined along at least four different virtual lines of extent in the first parallel direction. A width of the conductive features is less than a wavelength of light used in a photolithography process for their fabrication.
US08129739B2
In a semiconductor light emitting device having a matrix of a plurality of bumps composed of one n-bump formed on an n-electrode layer and of a large number of p-bumps formed on p-electrode layers, the occurrence of a faulty junction after mounting can be suppressed by placement of the n-bump at center of the bump array, because the position at the center is most resistant to occurrence of stress after the mounting. Employment of such a configuration of bump array increases reliability of mounting thereof while improving uniformity of light emission intensity in the semiconductor light emitting device having an increased size.
US08129738B2
This invention relates to optoelectronic devices of improved efficiency. In particular it relates to light emitting diodes, photodiodes and photovoltaics. By careful design of periodic microstructures, e.g. gratings, associated with such devices more efficient light generation or detection is achieved.
US08129735B2
A light source that uses a light emitting diode with a wavelength converting element is configured to produce a non-uniform angular color distribution, e.g., Δu′v′>0.015 within an angular distribution from 0° to 90°, that can be used with specific light based device that translate the angular color distribution into a uniform color distribution. The ratio of height and width for the wavelength converting element is selected to produce the desired non-uniform angular color distribution. The use of a controlled angular color non-uniformity in the light source and using it in applications that translate the non-uniformity into a uniform color distribution, e.g., with a uniformity of Δu′v′<0.01, increases the efficiency of the system compared to conventional systems in which a uniform angular light emitting diode is used.
US08129731B2
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) lighting device (10). The lighting device comprises a light guide plate (12), and a plurality of LEDs (16) accommodated in holes (14) arranged in the plane of the light guide. At least one hole has a first side facet (18) for coupling light from any LED in the hole into the light guide and a second opposite side facet (20) for coupling light out of the light guide. Further, the holes are arranged such that all first side facets are facing one direction. Such an LED based lighting device can be made thin and unobtrusive.
US08129730B2
An electronically active sheet includes a bottom substrate having a bottom electrically conductive surface. A top substrate having a top electrically conductive surface is disposed facing the bottom electrically conductive surface. An electrical insulator separates the bottom electrically conductive surface from the top electrically conductive surface. At least one bare die electronic element is provided having a top conductive side and a bottom conductive side. Each bare die electronic element is disposed so that the top conductive side is in electrical communication with the top electrically conductive surface and so that the bottom conductive side is in electrical communication with the bottom electrically conductive surface.
US08129707B2
With a high-speed nonvolatile phase change memory, reliability in respect of the number of refresh times is enhanced. In a memory cell forming area of a phase change memory using a MISFET as a transistor for selection of memory cells, a phase change material layer of a memory cell comprising a resistor element, using a phase change material, is formed for common use. As a result, variation in shape and a change in composition of the phase change material, caused by isolation of memory cell elements by etching, are reduced, thereby enhancing reliability of memory cells, in respect of the number of refresh times.
US08129702B2
A radiation system includes a contamination barrier configured to permit radiation from a radiation source to pass through and to capture debris coming from the radiation source. The contamination barrier includes a plurality of lamellas. The surface of the lamellas includes a material. The radiation system also includes a collector configured to collect radiation from the contamination barrier. An optical surface of the collector includes a material that is the same as the material of the surface of the lamellas.
US08129690B2
A neutron detector that includes an anode and a cathode. The cathode includes at least one portion that has a porous substrate with surface segments that define open pores and a layer of neutron sensitive material on the surface segments of the porous substrate.
US08129689B2
A radiation detector including a substrate; a first inclined thin film disposed on a first main surface of the substrate, and having crystal planes serving as a factor in inducing anisotropy; a second inclined thin film disposed on a second main surface of the substrate opposite to the first main surface, and having crystal planes serving as a factor in inducing anisotropy; a first electrode pair of electrodes disposed on the first inclined thin film, the electrodes being opposed to each other in a direction in which the crystal planes of the first inclined thin film are aligned inclined to the first main surface; and a second electrode pair of electrodes disposed on the second inclined thin film, the electrodes being opposed to each other in a direction in which the crystal planes of the second inclined thin film are aligned inclined to the second main surface.
US08129686B2
A coded aperture includes a position sensitive detector configured to observe the location of emitted high energy radiation, and a mask disposed in front of the position sensitive detector, wherein the mask has a non-linear shape configured to define a perimeter around position sensitive detector, wherein the mask comprises a plurality of attenuating and transparent elements of a predetermined configuration, positioned such that the emitted radiation is detected by the position sensitive detector after passage through the mask.
US08129680B2
A focused charged particle beam apparatus including an aberration corrector, capable of finding the absolute value of the aberration coefficient at high speed, and capable of making high-accuracy adjustments at high speed. A deflection coil tilts the input beam relative to the object point, and measures the defocus data and aberration quantity at high speed while the beam is tilted from one image, and perform least squares fitting on these results to find the absolute value of the aberration coefficient prior to tilting the beam, and to adjust the aberration corrector.
US08129668B2
A solar tracking and concentration device, including a reflecting unit, a receiving unit, a controlling device, and a plurality of photo sensors, is provided. The receiving unit is used to receive the sunlight reflected and reflected by the reflecting unit. The receiving unit and the reflecting unit face each other. The receiving unit is adapted to move along a first direction. According to the position and the time of the reflecting unit, the controlling device controls a rotation angle of a support element and controls a first moving position of the receiving unit moving along the first direction, in which the support element supports the reflecting unit and the receiving unit. The photo sensors are used to detect the sunlight reflected by the reflecting unit to the receiving unit, and are adapted to output a first feedback signal to calibrate a direction of the receiving unit facing the reflecting unit.
US08129667B2
A solar collector tracking system is provided for maintaining orientation of multiple solar collectors to the sun to provide optimal focusing of solar radiation on a receiver. The system includes a local controller circuit board that contains a sun-tracking algorithm to control the movement of multiple solar collectors to keep them optimally focused on the sun. The system also comprises a separate motor controller for each collector in data line connection with the local controller, and a motor for each collector in power connection with its motor controller. This isolates the local controller from the motor and protects the circuit board against power surges. The local controller allows effective field maintenance using field-replaceable components. Its circuit board is preassembled in a rugged, weather-proof cabinet to minimize the time and work required to prepare and install it in the field. The typical service life of this durable local controller is expected to be 30 years.
US08129660B2
The invention relates to a device for buffering a welding wire, whereby a wire buffer, in particular a wire buffer magazine is arranged between a wire advance device and a further wire advance device which is preferably arranged in the vicinity of a welding torch, or in the welding torch and the welding wire is run between the two wire advance devices in a wire core. According to the invention, a simple and compact a buffer device as possible and an improvement in the dynamic behaviour of the wire supply can be achieved, whereby the wire core is attached or fixed at one end and the other end thereof is free to move and the wire core with the welding wire is arranged such as to be free to move within a wire guide tube with a substantially larger cross-section than the outer diameter of the wire core and the buffer volume of the wire buffer magazine is defined by the cross-section and the length of the substantially larger wire guide tube.
US08129659B2
A DC arc start function for a welder. The arc start function is realized using a universal input DC regulator coupled to a DC to DC converter that produces a regulated DC voltage that is sufficient to strike an arc at an electrode of the welder.
US08129645B2
A dynamically self-stabilizing elastic keyswitch for a key of a keyboard includes a rigid keytop, a thin elastic sheet, and a downward-facing convex rigid key bottom. The rigid keytop has a central axis at least substantially perpendicular to a surface of the rigid keytop. The thin elastic sheet is disposed relative to the central axis, and the central axis is at least substantially perpendicular to a surface of the thin elastic sheet. The downward-facing convex rigid key bottom is disposed relative to the central axis and below the rigid keytop, and the central axis is at least substantially perpendicular to a surface of the downward-facing convex rigid key bottom.
