US08156561B2
Access restriction information that an old storage device has is transferred to a new storage device. A management server 2200 obtains a port management TL 2445 that the old storage device 2400 has, through a LAN 2600 which is separated from a Fiber Channel network which is utilized for data communication. Also, through the LAN 2600, a port list TL 2555 is obtained from the new storage device 2500. And, then, on the basis of the port list TL 2555, a port of the new storage device 2500, which is utilized for an access to a volume of the old storage device, is selected. And, on the basis of the port management TL 2445, on a port of the selected new storage device 2500, it is set up that access restriction information of a port of the old storage device 2400 to which a volume, of which the port is utilized for an access, is assigned.
US08156559B2
To achieve end-to-end security, traditional machine-to-machine security measures are insufficient if the integrity of the graphical user interface (GUI) is compromised. GUI logic flaws are a category of software vulnerabilities that result from logic flaws in GUI implementation. The invention described here is a technology for uncovering these flaws using a systematic reasoning approach. Major steps in the technology include: (1) mapping a visual invariant to a program invariant; (2) formally modeling the program logic, the user actions and the execution context, and systematically exploring the possibilities of violations of the program invariant; (3) finding real spoofing attacks based on the exploration.
US08156558B2
Described is a mechanism for collectively evaluating security risks associated with loading an application. A hosting environment associated with loading the application invokes a trust manager to evaluate the security risks. The trust manager invokes a plurality of trust evaluators, where each trust evaluator is responsible for analyzing and assessing a different security risk. Upon completion of each security risk evaluation, results of those individual security risk evaluations are returned to the trust manager. The trust manager aggregates the variety of security risk evaluation results and makes a security determination based on the aggregated evaluation results. That determination may be to move forward with loading the application, to block the load of the application, or perhaps to prompt the user for a decision about whether to move forward with the load.
US08156554B2
A method and system for verifying identification of an electronic mail message. An electronic mail message including a signature and a key is received, the signature identifying a domain from which the electronic mail message originated and the key for verifying the signature. A key registration server of the domain is accessed to verify the key. The key registration server provides for verifying that a key used to sign an electronic mail message is valid and that the sender is authorized by the domain to send the electronic mail message from the return address.
US08156553B1
Systems and methods for correlating log messages into actionable incidents. Some embodiments implement a method which includes comparing a plurality of disparate log messages to a plurality of incident descriptions. The disparate log messages can be parsed. When the messages correlate with an incident description an incident case can be created. Workflow steps can be associated with the incident case and output along with the incident case. Additional disparate log messages can be compared to the incident expressions and, when additional messages correlate with the correlated incident description, the incident case can be adjusted. In some embodiments, the adjustment can include adding workflow steps to the incident case. Results of various workflow steps can be monitored and adjustments can be made accordingly. In some embodiments, the results can include out-of-bounds activities.
US08156551B2
A network device is allowed to transmit only authentication protocol traffic and no other traffic on an interface that is coupled to a port using port-based authentication until after authentication succeeds. If the network device is using a switch port that does not have authentication enabled, or if an authentication protocol client in the network device is disabled, then the device bypasses a delay and test process, which is otherwise used to allow the authentication to succeed before other packets are sent from the device.
US08156544B2
Systems and methodologies for implementing Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) security are provided herein. As disclosed herein, firewall functionality can be implemented for a WPAN-capable device to control access to resources of the device over a WPAN. In one example, a WPAN protocol can be extended to include low-level access control measures that enable analysis of communication requests to and/or from a device prior to acting on the requests. As described herein, a WPAN firewall associated with a device can be configured to block, monitor, and/or log respective resource accesses to and/or from a WPAN. WPAN firewall functionality as described herein can be configured using mechanisms such as an Application Programming Interface (API) and/or a user control interface. Additionally, lateral regulation of security policies for a WPAN and one or more other networks utilized by a device can be provided.
US08156543B2
One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method including receiving an alias identifier associated with an account associated with a presenter, determining an associated trusted party using the alias identifier, sending a verification request message to the trusted party after determining the associated trusted party, and receiving a verification response message.
US08156539B1
A method and system for protecting a wireless network by establishing virtual walls to confine wireless connection to devices located within a three-dimensional region. A network of wireless monitoring nodes is established at physical locations. The monitoring nodes are arranged in a frame of reference and determine locations of one another and of mobile nodes by conducting measurements of either roundtrip travel time of signals sent and received or of differences in the times of receiving a signal at different known locations. Initially mobile nodes are placed, sequentially, in a triangle at a boundary to be established as a virtual wall for confining communication within the wireless network. The mobile node locations are then stored. The position of a device requesting admission to the wireless network is similarly determined and, if within the established virtual walls, the device may be admitted to the network. Admission is otherwise denied.
US08156536B2
In one embodiment, a method for establishing a session between a first party and a second party in a communication network comprises issuing a request to establish the session with the second party, the request containing a first security level associated with the first party. A response is received to the request from the second party, the response containing a second security level associated with the second party. A security level for the session is identified from the first security level and the second security level and the session established at the identified security level.
US08156529B2
In one embodiment, the present invention is an improved interactive television system and method for t-commerce. The data for upcoming products is pre-loaded into the system's memory. When a product becomes available, a “trigger” appears on the Vertical Blanking Interval (“VBI”) of the shopping channel that causes the system to display special graphics with which the user can interact to order a product. The displayed special graphics may include text, graphics, and/or video about the product. A user can browse a list of upcoming products and select items that he or she wishes to purchase, as soon as the products become available. The system then monitors the VBI of the shopping channel and when a trigger for a selected product appears in the VBI, the system immediately sends a message (the order form) to the order center of the shopping channel and orders the product. The system can accomplish this function unattended while the user is asleep or otherwise occupied.
US08156517B2
Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping
Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping of the device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing, a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data, and a packaging sensor to receive an audio signal. A packaging detector generates a frequency spectrum of the detected audio signal, determines an energy of a first frequency associated with the generated frequency spectrum, determines an energy of a second frequency higher than the first frequency and associated with the generated frequency spectrum, and compares the difference between the energy of the first frequency and the second frequency to a muffling threshold to determine whether the device is located within a package.
US08156510B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for dynamically loading a module into an application address space. In response to receiving a checkpoint signal by a plurality of threads associated with an application running in a software partition, the plurality of threads rendezvous to a point outside an application text associated with the application. Rendezvousing the plurality of threads suspends execution of application text by the plurality of threads. The application text is moved out of an application address space for the application to form an available application address space. The available application address space is an address space that was occupied by the application text. A software module is moved into the available application address space.
US08156507B2
An operating system is provided. The system includes an agent component to monitor computer activities between one or more single-item access components (SIAC) and one or more set-based access components (SBAC). An interface component is employed by the agent component to process kernel mode requests from a user mode application when communicating with a storage platform. Re-try components can be provided to facilitate cooperation between the SIAC and the SBAC.
US08156505B2
The SPD according to exemplary embodiments of the invention may interface with different buses and computer system architectures to enable deployment in a wide variety of devices. Heterogeneous network (300) using SPDs in various computing devices. Desktop computers (302), mobile systems (such as cell phones) (304), mainframes (306), workstations (308), PDA systems (310) and other devices may be operatively connected to a network (such as the Internet or an Intranet). These devices may include SPDs (312) to enable web services to be provided among these devices. They may also communicate with some devices that do not include SPDs (such as the PC Desktop System (302) and Mobile System (304) in FIG. 3). These devices would require the use of a SOAP software toolkit for the particular platform, because they do not include an SPD. The SPDs could have different designs in different systems, while they share a common SOAP engine to provide a consistent and efficient SOAP processing capability.
US08156500B2
Automatic programming, scheduling, and control of planned activities at “worker nodes” in a distributed environment are provided by a “real-time self tuner” (RTST). The RTST provides self-tuning of controlled interoperation among an interconnected set of distributed components (i.e., worker nodes) including, for example, home appliances, security systems, lighting, sensor networks, medical electronic devices, wearable computers, robotics, industrial controls, wireless communication systems, audio nets, distributed computers, toys, games, etc. The RTST acts as a centralized “planner” that is either one of the nodes or a dedicated computing device. A set of protocols allow applications to communicate with the nodes, and allow one or more nodes to communicate with each other. Self-tuning of the interoperation and scheduling of tasks to be performed at each node uses an on-line sampling driven statistical model and predefined node “behavior patterns” to predict and manage resource requirements needed by each node for completing assigned tasks.
US08156492B2
A system and method to improve memory usage in virtual machines running as hypervisor guests. In accordance with an embodiment, the invention provides a system for changing the memory usage of a virtual machine on request from a hypervisor, comprising: a hypervisor; a guest operating system executing inside the hypervisor; a communication channel between the hypervisor and the guest operating system; a balloon driver in the guest operating system; a virtual machine for executing a software application; a communication channel between the balloon driver and the virtual machine; a memory space or heap for use by the virtual machine in storing software objects and pointers as part of the software application; and a compacting garbage collector for use by the virtual machine.
US08156478B2
The present invention generally relates to computer software, and more specifically, to a computerized utility for analysis of optimized program files. A method and apparatus for optimized program analysis is disclosed.
US08156477B2
A method for assessing virtualization capability of a software application involves monitoring execution of the software application to obtain performance data associated with the software application, analyzing the performance data to determine whether the software application satisfies virtualization requirements, and generating a virtualization score indicating virtualization capability of the software application based on the analyzing.
US08156476B2
A debugger enhancement provides a debug-task-provider interface whose implementation includes routines designed to support debugging of programs that contain tasks written for a specific programming model. Task creation hierarchies, individual task properties, resource dependencies, synchronization dependencies, and other information can be made accessible during debugging, through a model-independent interface. In a multithreaded environment, a mapping between tasks and threads is also available.
US08156475B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a device and a method for automatically testing embedded software, and more specifically for testing interfaces between layers of the embedded software. In one embodiment, the device includes: an emulator; a server including embedded software; an evaluation board configured to download the embedded software from the server and controlled by the emulator; and a host system configured to receive the embedded software from the server and automatically generate test cases for testing the embedded software using the emulator.
US08156463B1
A method for designing a system includes determining minimum and maximum delay budgets for connections. Routing resources are selected for connections in response to the minimum and maximum delay budgets.
US08156457B2
Simulating hardware includes generating a data flow representation of the hardware, based on a hardware description language (HDL) description. The data flow representation including compatibility information that preserves behavioral and synthesizable characteristics of the HDL description. Simulating hardware further includes generating code from the data flow representation, and executing the code concurrently.
US08156450B2
A method and apparatus for mask optimization is provided. Mask design and production is optimized by providing proper weighting parameters for critical features. The parameters may include information such as parametric information, functional information, and hot spots determination.
US08156443B2
A stand-alone icon (i.e., an icon that is not part of an application interface) is provided to facilitate communications across a network between users of at least one communications program. The icon represents a contact or a set of contacts. Status information regarding the contact or set of contacts is received and displayed using the icon or in response to an operation performed on the icon. The icon additionally may provide an interface for performing actions related to the contact or set of contacts. The actions may generally include, for example, retrieving profile information about the contact, setting an alert to indicate that the contact's network/login status (e.g., login, logout, or idle) has changed, or performing communications with the contact.
US08156441B1
Disclosed is an inter-gadget communication architecture or framework that allows information from different sources to be independently viewed or correlated from within a browser. The inter-gadget communication architecture or framework comprises gadgets or iFrames, which communicate or interact with other gadgets on the displayed page by accessing other iFrames/gadgets on the same web page. The inter-gadget communication architecture or framework allows gadgets to be vendor application agnostic, providing platform independence.
US08156426B2
Stylized digital content is rapidly created by reading a first file and a plurality of second files. The first file contains a digital content item and each second file contains at least one style definition. At least one display instance of stylized digital content is created by applying the style definition of one of the plurality of second files to the digital content item of the first file. The at least one display instance is mapped to a location on the display device. A location is received from a pointing device and one of the plurality of display instances is displayed based on the received location.
US08156423B1
An intermediary such as a gateway will intercept a markup document being sent in a response message from a web server to a client station and will determine that the client station does not have stored locally the set of objects necessary to render the markup document. The intermediary will then modify the response message to include both the markup document and the necessary set of objects. Upon receipt of the response, the client station will extract and store the objects as non-cached objects, to be used when rendering the markup document. Preferably the client station is a cell phone.
US08156419B2
In one embodiment, the present invention is a system and method for loading a web page in a browser application. The method sends a request to retrieve the web page, receives a response to the request that includes the web page, and displays the web page in the browser application. The web page includes a static view portion, a dynamic view portion, and at least one possible action that a user may take from the web page. When the user takes each possible action, the browser application will display a related web page. The method receives a second response to the request that includes the static view portion of the related web page for each possible action, and stores the static view portion of the related web page for each possible action.
US08156412B2
A tree decoding method for decoding a linear block code is provided. According to the tree decoding method, an estimated path metric of node v is f(v)=g(v)+h(v), where g(v) represents a sum of bit metrics of all bits on a path from the root node to the node v, and h(v) represents a lowest bound of estimated accumulated bit metrics from the node v to the goal node. The present invention creatively improves the approach for calculating h(v). According to the present invention, some parity bits are only related to a part of the information bits, according to which the edge metric h(v) of the parity bits can be preliminarily incorporated into the path metric of the part of the information bits. As such, some nodes having inferior path metric could be eliminated in advance, thus minimizing the searching range and simplifying the decoding complexity.
US08156406B2
A method and system for syndrome generation and data recovery is described. The system includes a parity generator coupled to one or more storage devices to generate parity for data recovery. The parity generator includes a first comparator to generate a first parity factor based on data in one or more of the storage devices, a multiplier to multiply data from one or more of the storage devices with a multiplication factor to generate a product, a second comparator coupled to the multiplier to generate a second parity factor based at least in part on the product, and a selector to choose between the first parity factor and the second parity factor.
US08156405B1
A method of storing data is disclosed. A set of data blocks, including a plurality of proper subsets of data blocks, is stored. A plurality of first-level parity blocks is generated, wherein each first-level parity block is generated from a corresponding proper subset of data blocks within the plurality of proper subsets of data blocks without reference to other data blocks not in the corresponding proper subset. A second-level parity block is generated, wherein the second level parity block is generated from a plurality of data blocks included in at least two of the plurality of proper subsets of data blocks, and wherein recovery of a lost block in a given proper subset of data blocks is possible without reference to any data blocks not in the given proper subset.
US08156401B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for determining from a data block in a buffer a number of first operands in a first portion of the buffer and a number of second operands in a second portion of the buffer. Based on these numbers, a cyclic redundancy checksum (CRC) operation may be iteratively performed on the first and second operands to obtain a checksum result. The first and second operands are of a different length, and the checksum operation may be executed using processor instructions corresponding to the different lengths. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08156400B1
A decoder memory system comprises a first memory comprising at least a portion of a parity check matrix H. A second memory receives the portion from the first memory and that is associated with a previous decoding iteration. A third memory communicates with the first memory, receives the parity check matrix H and is associated with a current decoding iteration. A fourth memory comprises likelihood ratios. A control module generates a LDPC decoded signal based on the parity check matrix H, the previous decoded iteration and the likelihood ratios.
US08156397B2
Aspects of a method and system for feedback of decoded data characteristics to decoder in stored data access and decoding operations to assist in additional decoding operations are presented. Aspects of the system may include a decoder that enables decoding of a portion of encoded data. A processor may enable generation of at least one hypothesis based on the decoded portion of encoded data and/or redundancy information associated with at least the decoded portion of the encoded data. The decoder may enable generation of one or more subsequent portions of decoded data based on the generated at least one hypothesis.
US08156391B2
A memory collar including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate one or more data sequences in response to one or more test commands. The one or more data sequences may be presented to a memory during a test mode. The second circuit may be configured to pre-process one or more outputs generated by the memory in response to the one or more data sequences.
US08156387B2
A system and method for manipulation of event data, such as errors, in a networked environment. The method includes receiving event signal data indicative of an event, and associating descriptive data with the event signal data. The descriptive data is then mapped to one or more associated connections. A determination is made whether to post identifier data corresponding to the event signal data. This determination is made as a function of predetermined criteria. If a determination is made to post the identifier data, the particular identifier data is posted. The posted identifier data may be selectively retrieved and output in a specified format. The identifier data may be stored in a memory. Descriptive data may be accumulated for a plurality of events subsequent to the mapping step. An alert condition may be established based on the type of event that has occurred.
US08156380B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed to configure, format, and test, a data storage subsystem product. The method supplies a data storage subsystem product comprising one or more host computer ports, a processor, one or more data storage device ports, and one or more data storage devices interconnected to the one or more data storage device ports. The method further supplies a configuration appliance comprising a storage configuration. The method connects the configuration appliance to one of the one or more storage device ports, boots up the data storage subsystem product, discovers the configuration appliance by the data storage subsystem product, imports storage configuration data into the data storage subsystem product, formats the one or more data storage device, and tests the input and output data transfer rates for the data storage subsystem product, wherein the formatting and testing are initiated concurrently.
US08156371B2
An apparatus comprises first and second modules configured to operate in a lockstep mode and a reset mode. Each of the first and second modules is configured to asynchronously enter the reset mode when a parent reset signal is asserted at the respective each module. Each of the first and second modules is configured to, in response to the asserted parent reset signal being negated at the respective each module, indicate to the respective other module that the respective each module is ready to exit the reset mode and exit the reset mode when the respective other module has also indicated that the respective other module is ready to exit the reset mode.
US08156369B2
A management system for managing storage systems, having first correspondence information concerned with correspondence of copy pairs with copy groups as setting of remote copying of data in logical volumes of the storage systems, and second correspondence information concerned with correspondence of physical paths and logical paths between the storage systems with the copy groups, wherein when failure information designating a certain physical path is received, a copy group affected by failure in the certain physical path is specified and displayed by referring to the first correspondence information and the second correspondence information. Consequently, physical paths can be monitored from the viewpoint of remote copying.
US08156365B2
A data reception apparatus is disclosed. The data reception apparatus includes a strobe extractor for receiving a transmission signal and extracting a strobe signal from the transmission signal, the transmission signal including the strobe signal inserted between data signals and a clock signal following the strobe signal, the strobe signal having a different magnitude from a magnitude of a data signal, and the clock signal having an equal magnitude to the magnitude of the data signal, a clock recoverer for recovering the clock signal from the transmission signal, using the extracted strobe signal, and a sampler for sampling the data signals included in the transmission signal in response to the recovered clock signal. The probability of generating a timing skew error in the time interval between a clock signal and a data signal is minimized. Even though the level of a common component might change, the clock signal can be recovered accurately and the size of the clock recovery circuit can be reduced. Further, the data reception apparatus is suitable for transmitting/receiving data at a high transmission rate, and is robust against noise generated during transmission of the data signal and the clock signal, or against noise generated along a common path.
US08156363B2
An information processing device and a mobile terminal include a power consumption calculator which calculates, for each processing executed by the information processing device (or mobile terminal), power consumption information concerning an amount of power consumed by executing each processing. A request generator compares the amount of power indicated by the power consumption information and a remaining amount of power of the information processing device(or mobile terminal), and generates a request to execute predetermined processing according to a result of the comparison. A request processor executes the predetermined processing in response to the generated request.
US08156351B2
An embodiment of the present invention is a technique to dynamically swap processor cores. A first core has a first instruction set. The first core executes a program at a first performance level. The first core stops executing the program when a triggering event occurs. A second core has a second instruction set compatible with the first instruction set and has a second performance level different than the first performance level. The second core is in a power down state when the first core is executing the program. A circuit powers up the second core after the first core stops executing the program such that the second core continues executing the program at the second performance level.
US08156350B2
A computing device is arranged to include a resource manager that controls access to all power resources on the device. The resource manager detects unused devices by counting the components that have requested usage and powers down unused resources, and for those resources offering multiple power levels, it guarantees that the operating level is no higher than is needed.
US08156343B2
According to an embodiment of the invention, a method for operating a data processing machine is described in which data about a state of the machine is written to a location in storage. The location is one that is accessible to software that may be written for the machine. The state data as written is encoded. This state data may be recovered from the storage according to a decoding process. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08156342B2
A method for enticing users to behave securely in a computing environment. For security related input, such as selection of password, a progress indicator is provided to the user. The progress indicator correlates to the level of security obtained by the user's entry, rather than to the completion of the task. The indicator follows a non-linear function that crosses zero security and maximum expected security for the task. The function starts at shallow slope, increases towards the middle, and then reverts to shallow slop towards the end of the task.
US08156341B2
Provided a secure pattern recognition method. The method includes: receiving data and generating a probe by converting the received data into a template for pattern recognition; accessing a gallery that is a template registered and stored in advance; determining a region to which the probe belongs and obtaining the center point of the region; obtaining a hash value of the center point and coordinate of the probe; and determining whether or not the hash value of the center point and a hash value stored in the gallery are equal and determining whether or not the probe and the gallery are classified into the same class by calculating whether or not the coordinate of the probe is inside a decision boundary configured with thresholds on the basis of the coordinates of the center point.
US08156338B1
A token value is generated for a user to submit to an authentication service of an electronic system. The token value represents that the user is in possession of an electronic item known to the authentication service, where the electronic item is capable of two-way communications with the authentication service and has thereon an authenticator application transmitted from the authentication service to the electronic item. The authenticator application obtains a current time value from a clock of the electronic item or an authentication value from the authentication service, retrieves predetermined indicia of the electronic item from a location thereon, and combines the obtained value and the retrieved indicia of the electronic item to generate the token value. The authentication service essentially performs the same steps based on information already available at such authentication service to generate a verification token value, and compares the submitted token value to the verification token value.
US08156329B2
A network device management apparatus includes a search unit configured to search for a network device supporting a first communication protocol, an authentication information input unit configured to input authentication information used in communication with the network device using the first communication protocol, an authentication executing unit configured to execute authentication of the network device by using the authentication information, a first checking unit configured to, when the authentication by the authentication executing unit is successful, check whether a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol is enabled in the network device, and a setting changing unit configured to change a setting of the second communication protocol depending on a result of the checking performed by the first checking unit.
US08156323B1
Systems, methods, and computer program products are defined that provide for secure online financial transaction voice chat. According to present embodiments, the security provided to the voice chat stream is less likely to be intercepted by a network attacker during communication. In addition to providing heightened security to voice chat transmissions, methods, systems and computer program products provide for an alternate platform for delivering the voice chat application in the form of a game console. In this regard, the methods, systems and the like provide for voice chat/calls on platforms other than personal computers, laptops and/or telephones.
US08156317B2
An integrated circuit (100) may receive a boot loader code (114) via a debug access port (105), wherein a boot logic is operative to block, upon a reset (123) of the programmable processor (103) from the debug access port (105), commands and to the programmable processor from the debug access port, while still allowing the reset (123) command and while allowing write access to memory (112) to receive the boot loader code image (114) written to memory (112). The boot logic also blocks commands to the memory subsystem (109) from the debug access port and turns off write access to memory (112) after allowing the boot loader code image (114) to be written. The boot logic validates the boot loader code image (114) by performing a security check and jumps to the boot loader code image (114) if it is valid, thereby allowing it to run on the programmable processor (103). The boot logic may be logic circuits, software or a combination thereof.
US08156314B2
A system and method are described that manage incremental state updates in such a way that multiple threads within a processor can each operate, in effect, on their own set of state data. The system and method are applicable to any processor in which multiple threads require access to sets of state information which differ from one another by a relatively small number of state changes.
US08156309B2
Multiple pipelined Translation Look-aside Buffer (TLB) units are configured to compare a translation address with associated TLB entries. The TLB units operated in serial order comparing the translation address with associated TLB entries until an identified one of the TLB units produces a hit. The TLB units following the TLB unit producing the hit might be disabled.
US08156305B1
Described herein are method and apparatus for using an LLRRM device as a storage device in a storage system. At least three levels of data structures may be used to remap storage system addresses to LLRRM addresses for read requests, whereby a first-level data structure is used to locate a second-level data structure corresponding to the storage system address, which is used to locate a third-level data structure corresponding to the storage system address. An LLRRM address may comprise a segment number determined from the second-level data structure and a page number determined from the third-level data structure. Update logs may be produced and stored for each new remapping caused by a write request. An update log may specify a change to be made to a particular data structure. The stored update logs may be performed on the data structures upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.
US08156302B2
Data stored within symmetric and asymmetric memory components of main memory is integrated by identifying a first data as having access characteristics suitable for storing in an asymmetric memory component. The first data is included among a collection of data to be written to the asymmetric memory component. An amount of data is identified within the collection of data to be written to the asymmetric memory component. The amount of data is compared within the collection of data to a volume threshold to determine whether a block write to the asymmetric memory component is justified by the amount of data. If justified, the collection of data is loaded to the asymmetric memory component.
US08156301B1
A method for synchronizing, using at least one processor, a physical machine with a virtual machine while the virtual machine is operational in memory is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring a physical machine that utilizes a physical disk for storing computer data, consolidating a virtual disk with modifications to the physical disk, wherein the modifications to the physical disk are replicated on the virtual disk in response to unavailability of the physical machine, operating a virtual machine that utilizes the virtual disk for storing the computer data and migrating the virtual machine, using the virtual disk, to a computer.
US08156295B2
System and method for a four-slot asynchronous communication mechanism with decreased latency. The system may include a host system and a client device. The host may comprise a data structure with four (two pairs of) slots. The client may comprise first information indicating a status of write operations to the data structure on the host and second information usable to determine a slot that should be written to. If the first information indicates that the second information is accurate, the client may determine which slot in the data structure should be written to based on information stored only on the client device. The determined slot may be the slot that has not been written to more recently of the pair of slots that has not been read from most recently. The client may write data to the determined slot. The client may update at least a portion of the information stored on the client device to reflect the write of data to the determined slot.
US08156290B1
Just-in-time segment cleaning obtains the location of blocks of a storage system predicted to be targeted by a future write operation and cleans the blocks targeted for the future write operation prior to the occurrence of the future write operation. In one aspect, just-in-time segment cleaning is performed in proportion to previous user-initiated write operations. In another aspect, just-in-time segment cleaning applies a cost analysis determination to minimize the work of cleaning.
US08156285B2
A multi-core processor providing heterogeneous processor cores and a shared cache is presented.
US08156284B2
In a data-processing method, first result data may be obtained using a plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements, the first result data may be written into a memory that includes spatially separate first and second memory areas and that is connected via a bus to the plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements, the first result data may be subsequently read out from the memory, and the first result data may be subsequently processed using the plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements. In a first configuration, the first memory area may be configured as a write memory, and the second memory area may be configured as a read memory. Subsequent to writing to and reading from the memory in accordance with the first configuration, the first memory area may be configured as a read memory, and the second memory area may be configured as a write memory.
US08156280B2
Receiving a request for canceling setting, a control circuit erases data stored in a corresponding block, changes a value of a protection flag, and cancels protection setting. When an overall protection is set for any block, the control circuit prohibits access to all blocks, except when it is an operation mode for activating a memory program contained in the microcomputer. Further, control circuit permits an access to a block M only when partial protection is set, CPU is in the mode for activating a memory program contained in the microcomputer and the access is for reading an instruction code in accordance with an instruction fetch.
US08156275B2
In an embodiment, a timer unit may be provided that may be programmed to a selected time interval, or wakeup interval. A processor may execute a wait for event instruction, and enter a low power state for the thread that includes the instruction. The timer unit may signal a timer event at the expiration of the wakeup interval, and the processor may exit the low power state in response to the timer event. The thread may continue executing with the instruction following the wait for event instruction. In an embodiment, the processor/timer unit may be used to implement a power-managed lock acquisition mechanism, in which the processor is awakened a number of times to check the lock and execute the wait for event instruction if the lock is not free, after which the thread may block until the lock is free.
US08156268B2
A multifunction device has a plurality of functions and capable of being connected to a computer via a universal serial bus (USB) interface, the computer having an operating system (OS) installed thereon that recognizes the multifunction device as a device having at least one logic unit capable of transferring data according to a USB-compliant system, at least one of the at least one logic unit being a compound logic unit corresponding to two or more specific functions among the plurality of functions. The multifunction device includes: a controlling unit that, when the computer has transferred output data with an actual data section to the compound logic unit, determines which one of the two or more specific functions the transferred output data is for controlling, based on unique standard data included in the actual data section, and that controls the determined function based on the output data, the controlling unit storing unique standard data in an actual data section of input data to be transferred to the computer as a result of controlling the function, the unique standard data indicating from which one of the two or more specific functions the input data is to be transferred, and transferring the input data to the computer as data from the compound logic unit.
US08156254B2
The invention relates to an electronic payment terminal (30) comprising a first USB connection port (13) comprising at least one first wire (D+″) for data transfer. The payment terminal comprises, furthermore, a first resistor (24) linking the first wire to a first source (VDD) of a first potential and a switch (38) between the first wire and the first resistor or between the first resistor and the first source.
US08156250B2
Disclosed herein is a system that includes a 3270 compatible terminal that can accept browser compatible languages in a 3270 format and process these languages and display such languages in graphical user interface format. In some embodiments it can appear that the browser performs as a “plug-in” to the 3270 application. As utilized herein, a plug is a software module that can “plugs in” to another application under current execution to give the currently running application specific additional functionality.
US08156242B2
A command processing apparatus includes a CPU (28). The CPU (28) determines whether or not a router (16) is compliant with UPnP, and issues a port releasing request to the router (16) when the determination result is affirmative. Thus, a specific port is released. Next, destination information including an identifier of the specific port is requested to be sent to a server (14). The destination information is sent to the server (14) by the router (16), and the server (14) sends a command to the specific port on the basis of the identifier included in the destination information. When the determination result is negative, an information send request is repeatedly issued. Every issuance, destination information including an identifier of an arbitrary port (response wait port) is sent to the server (14) by the router (16), and the response wait port is temporarily released. The server (14) outputs a command to the response wait port on the basis of the identifier included in the destination information.
US08156232B2
An industrial automation device comprises a reception component that receives a request for data resident within the industrial automation device. An encoding component communicatively coupled to the reception component that receives a binary bit stream associated with the request and encodes a payload of the bit stream as XML data, the encoding component further communicates the encoded payload by way of an industrial automation protocol. Furthermore, the industrial automation device can include a compression component that compresses the XML data.
US08156224B2
An integration portal provides a user with access to application entities of a plurality of remote applications. An authorization layer included in the integration portal includes a permission map indicating an association between the user and at least one of the application entities of the plurality of remote applications that the user is permitted to access. The authorization layer in the integration portal is synchronized with an authorization layer included in an application portal that provides the user with access to a subset of the remote applications, whereby the permission map is updated with information about at least one of the application entities that the user is permitted to access through the integration portal. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08156223B2
Binary executables are distributed in a distributed manner by equipping a server with a bootstrap program. The server provides the bootstrap program to a client computer in response to the client's request for the binary executables. The bootstrap program is designed to enable the client computer to obtain the binary executables in one or more portions from one or more peer locations that have already downloaded the said binary executables. In one embodiment, the bootstrap program also monitors the performance associated with obtaining the portions of the binary executables, and reports the performance data to a resource naming service that tracks peer locations that cache the binary executables. In one embodiment, the binary executables also includes a component that registers the client computer as a peer location that caches the binary executables, and provides the binary executables to other client computers responsive to their requests. In various embodiments, content is distributed in like manner.
US08156215B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method of device management. In one embodiment of the present invention, a management device can receive device management data from devices on a network in a variety of device management protocols and map the device management data to a protocol used by a device management client. Because the management device can provide device management data in a format usable by the device management client, regardless of which protocol was originally used to generate the device management data, the device management client can turn to the management device to gather all or a portion the device management data from heterogeneous devices on a network.
US08156214B2
A system includes an analyzer module, a content request data collection module, and a domain name server. The content request data collection module is configured to receive a content request sent to a tracking address, collect content request information about the content request, and provide the content request information to the analyzer module. The domain name server is configured to receive an address request from a local domain name server for a cache server address, provide a tracking address to the local domain name server, collect address request information about the address request, and provide the address request information to the analyzer module. The analyzer module is configured to receive the address request information and the content request information, and determine properties of clients served by the local domain name server based on the address request information and the content request information.
US08156213B1
Techniques are described for merging device schemas to manage different versions of network devices in the same device family. In one example, a computing device includes an interface to receive a first schema to be used for managing a first version of a device in a device family and a second, different schema to be used for managing a second version of the device, a computer-readable medium encoded with instructions for a schema merger module, and a processor to execute the schema merger module to merge the first schema and the second schema to produce a resulting merged schema to be used for managing both the first version of the device and the second version of the device, wherein the resulting merged schema expresses differences between the first schema and the second schema and includes a single instance of each common portion between the first schema and the second schema.
US08156210B2
A method is disclosed, in a diagnostic medical environment, that enhances workflow while using a computer-aided-detection (or diagnosis) (CAD) system in the environment. The method comprises generating image data with a diagnostic medical imaging acquisition system. The image data is transmitted from the diagnostic medical imaging acquisition system to a computer-aided-detection (or diagnosis) (CAD) system and an archive/review station. Detection results are generated by processing the image data, using the CAD system, while storing and viewing the image data on the archive/review station. The detection results are transmitted from the CAD system to the archive/review station. The detection results are integrated with the image data by the archive/review station to form composite image data. The composite image data is displayed by the archive/review system.
US08156205B1
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for creating mobile custom views for tenants of an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for creating mobile custom views for tenants of an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to allow tenants to create and push instructions for generating user-defined views to mobile devices, etc. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature may allow tenants to efficiently and effectively create interfaces on mobile devices.
US08156203B2
Web server processes can host multiple web applications that process multiple requests from multiple clients. Recorded diagnostic information may not provide a useful separation of server execution data (e.g., functionality executed to process a request) based on a client's use of the web server process. An effective method for separating server execution data by client information is provided herein. Dye is injected into a request from a client, the dye comprises information regarding the client application making the request and a transaction (e.g., client defined set of requests) that the request is comprised within. The dye injected request is sent to a web server process (e.g., on a web server) that extracts the dye and executes the request. During execution of the request, executed functionality is associated and stored with the extracted dye. The recorded server execution data may be organized based upon the request, client, application, and/or transaction.
US08156197B1
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a server that stores a set of media files. The server is configured to send an authentication code to a first communication device in response to a request from the first communication device to access the set of media files such that the first communication device can present the authentication code to a user. The server is configured to associate an identifier of a second communication device with the first communication device such that a user of the second communication device can authorize access to the set of media files from the first communication device by sending the authentication code to the server using the second communication device.
US08156196B2
An information processing device capable of communicating with an external device connected thereto via a network and includes an application acquisition unit that obtains an application program to be used to control a function of the external device from an application distribution device present on the network, an external device search unit that searches for external devices on the network and an application execution unit that controls the function of the external device by executing the obtained application program, is provided. The application program obtained by the application acquisition unit includes a function of searching for the external device via the external device search unit, which executes an external device search in response to a request issued from the application execution unit executing the application program.
US08156194B2
A signaling gateway for passing messages from a first network to an application server process provided on a second network, the messages comprising a transaction identifier, the signaling gateway being operable to receive a message and read the transaction identifier, identify the application server process from a part of the transaction identifier and forward the message to the application server process.
US08156193B1
A graphical user interface on a display device of a computer enables communications using a computer service. The graphical user interface includes a list of potential message recipients selected by a user as significant to the user. The graphical user interface also includes a mobile device identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients and a user account identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients. At least one of the listed potential recipients includes a mobile device identifier as the only available conduit for data delivery to the potential message recipient using the computer service.
US08156190B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for allowing an Email User to create a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Email Account and thereafter to digitally sign, send, verify and receive PKI encrypted emails over a computer network, such as the Internet. The systems and methods preferably include a Web-based Email System and a Certificate Authority that coordinate their actions to make the process of creating, maintaining and using the PKI Account as easy as possible for the Email User. In a preferred embodiment, a Keystore System may also be used to enhance the management and use of digital keypairs.
US08156177B2
The invention relates to a system for managing of communication between at least one client (10a-d) and at least one server (12a-d) with a primary broker (20) which comprises a first volatile memory (23) and which manages at least one request of the at least one client (10a-d) at the at least one server (12a-d). The system further comprises a backup broker (30) with a second volatile memory (33) which manages at least one request of the client (10a-d) at the server (12a-d), when the primary broker (20) has failed, wherein the primary broker (20) comprises a journal with entries on actions which may change the state of the first volatile memory (23) and sends these entries of the journal to the backup broker (30) such that the state of the second volatile memory (33) is essentially identical to the state of the first volatile memory (23).
US08156173B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to support synchronizing machines in groups. In some embodiments, synchronization is implemented by receiving an indication to activate a selected machine of a group of sync-aware machines connected to a subnet of a network, where each member of the group has information identifying all members of the group. Further activities include transmitting an activation message from the selected machine to the remainder of the group to notify the remainder that the selected machine is active, capturing a record of activities conducted at the selected machine while the selected machine is active, and transmitting information, based on the record, to the remainder of the group from the selected machine to synchronize results of the activities with the remainder after the selected machine becomes inactive. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08156172B2
Systems and techniques for monitoring and reporting enterprise data by using a message-based data exchange. In one general aspect, the invention features a computer-implemented method that includes receiving at a message hub one or more messages from one or more sources. A message includes enterprise data. The method includes selecting a message from among the one or more messages, using an extractor implemented at the message hub to extract enterprise data from the selected message, and obtaining information regarding message traffic through the message hub. The method includes selecting a destination and sending to the destination the extracted enterprise data and information regarding message traffic.
US08156168B2
A method, system and apparatus that advantageously provide a security protocol for data security. The apparatus includes a random number generator for generating random numbers and a share calculator in communication with the random number generator, the share calculator processes the data to generate one or more encoded data shares where the processing is based at least in part on the random numbers. The apparatus may further include a router that routes the encoded data shares, a switching fabric and associated logic. The data security system includes one or more storage devices that store client data and a splitter that controls access to the client data stored on the one or more storage devices where the splitter apparatus encodes at least a portion of the client data that is stored on the one or more storage devices.
US08156164B2
A method for avoiding directory conflicts across a file system having multiple nodes with one node representing a token manager. For each directory, at least one metanode responsible for directory updates. The method involving obtaining a name-based lock on a filename. Querying the token manager for a lock token. If a new token is obtained, sending a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) to the metanode to obtain matching directory entries, and caching the result of the RPC so that subsequent operations on that filename can be satisfied without additional messages sent to the metanode. Updating a cached directory block in memory by creating a new directory entry in the block or deleting an existing directory entry from the block. Information regarding the updating is sent to the metanode on one of: periodic schedule, a subsequent synchronization event, or when the name-based lock token is revoked.
US08156155B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and techniques for displaying data models and data-model instances. During operation, the system can use a model graph to represent the data model and an instance graph to represent the data-model instance. In the graph representation, a vertex can represent an entity or an entity instance, and an edge can represent a relationship or a relationship instance. The system can display the model graph and the instance graph, either separately or concurrently, thereby enabling the user to visually explore the data model and the data-model instance by exploring the associated graphs. The system can display paths in the graphs to the user, thereby enabling the user to visually explore how entities and entity instances are related to one another. The system can also enable a user to search for entities and relationships using various criteria.
US08156153B2
Global metadata, such as a document identifier, which may be a globally unique identifier, is embedded into an embedded interactive code document by combining a first m-array and a plurality of copies of the first m-array to generate a combined m-array with encoded global metadata such that respective start positions (xd, yd)i of the plurality of copies of the first m-array in the combined m-array are each shifted, by respective amounts that are based on respective portions of the global metadata, relative to a start position of the first m-array in the combined m-array. Global metadata may be decoded from the combined m-array by determining the respective amounts by which the plurality of copies of the first m-array are shifted, relative to the first m-array, in the combined m-array and by combining the respective amounts to produce a decoded value of the global metadata.
US08156149B2
Reshaping of streams is provided to facilitate utilizing the streams without rapidly increasing memory requirements as the size of the stream increases. The streams can be pushed to alternative storage upon being reshaped, for example, such as to a persistent storage. If the streams lose structure, for example if a hierarchical stream is reshaped into a flat structure for storage in a database, structural information can be stored along with the streams and utilized to shape the stream to its original structure upon request for data, for example. Streams can be pulled from an exposing device or application, and portions of the stream can be transformed and stored according to a set of stop elements; the stop elements can be associated with functions that take action on the stream upon reaching a stop element, such as transforming and storing a portion thereof.
US08156139B2
A software and/or hardware facility enables shop and play remote media using a portable media player. Shopping may include, but is not limited to, allowing a user to identify media and acquire (via download or stream) the media to a portable media player for free or for compensation. The facility, in some embodiments, allows a user to shop for media on a network site or service using a portable media player via a wired or wireless connection. The facility, in some embodiments, automatically presents a user with media available from a network site or service that is related to the context of the user's use of the portable media player, such as when a user navigates or otherwise uses the portable media player. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08156135B2
Method and system for progressive disclosure of search results are disclosed. The method includes receiving a first search query from a user, and presenting a first search result page to the user in response to the first search query, where the first search result page includes a first set of search results categorized into a first set of search result topics related to the first search query. The method further includes receiving a second search query from the user, where the second search query includes the first search query, and presenting a second search result page to the user, where the second search result page includes a second set of search results derived from the first set of search result topics and from the second search query.
US08156133B2
In certain embodiments, a method for locating an electronic graphics file stored in a database includes extracting from an electronic graphics file, the electronic graphics file including a first and a second header, the first header of the electronic graphics file being searchable, information corresponding to electronic graphics file annotations stored in the second header of the electronic graphics file. The method further includes storing at least a portion of the extracted information corresponding to electronic graphics file annotations in the first header of the electronic graphics file to form an annotations-searchable version of the electronic graphics file, the annotations-searchable version of the electronic graphics file being searchable according to at least a portion of the information corresponding to electronic graphics file annotations stored in the first header of the electronic graphics file.
US08156131B2
The method for providing a data context service involves extracting context information from a host application associated with an oilfield project, the context information includes a current state of a user in the host application, sorting the context information into multiple dimensions of relevance, generating a search profile for each of the multiple dimensions of relevance, requesting a first set of searches using at least the search profile, receiving oilfield data items resulting from the first set of searches, obtaining a quality measure of an oilfield data item of the oilfield data items based on a pre-determined quality criterion, sending the oilfield data item as a search result to the host application after determining the quality measure exceeds a pre-determined threshold, and generating an output using the host application based on the search result, the output being used to perform an oilfield operation.
US08156128B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for displaying mobile content in association with a website on a mobile communication facility based at least in part on receiving a website request from a mobile carrier gateway, receiving contextual information relating to the requested website, associating the received contextual information with a mobile content, and, finally, displaying the mobile content with the website on a mobile communication facility.
US08156127B1
A method, system, and machine-readable medium for transforming raw data into business intelligent data that provides a reliable, consistent value and other associated data for the data element is provided. The method includes determining a most frequently occurring value of the data element from a plurality of regulated data sources, determining a value from a highly ranked regulated data source based on a ranking of a plurality of regulated data sources, and determining a value from a highly ranked non-regulated data source based on a ranking of said plurality of non-regulated data sources. The method further arbitrates from among the determined values and stores information regarding the consistency and origin of the arbitrated value.
US08156104B2
Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
US08156103B2
A computer-related and/or business type method is presented for embedding one or more media hotspots within a digital media file and, in response to interaction from a separate target entity, such as via an associating request, associating one or more resultant actions with the media hotspot(s). In exchange for associating the one or more resultant actions with the media hotspot(s), an interactive media service entity being affiliated with a web site displaying the digital media file and/or a user being affiliated with the digital media file itself is compensated based upon at least one compensation plan.
US08156096B2
A supplier identification and locator system in that allows a user to identify a supplier of goods or services over the Internet; the system includes at least one directory Web site having a domain name that is at least partially descriptive of a class of goods or services. The directory Web site has a plurality of links that access suppliers' Web sites; a supplier descriptive portion located substantially adjacent to the link; a descriptive title portion substantially corresponding to the class of goods or services described in the domain name; a rollover window that displays information about at least one supplier; and an input receiving area where a user inputs data and ranked search results are displayed.
US08156094B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for navigating search results are provided. In response to receiving a search query, at least one individual search result is presented in an overlay window, the overlay window being configured to overlay at least a portion of a document viewing window. Navigation between the overlay window and the document viewing window may be performed in response to receiving input of at least one pre-determined command. Content associated with a selected individual search result (or other document identifier) may be presented in the document viewing window and, substantially simultaneously, the overlay window may be hidden from view. Subsequently, in response to receiving at least one pre-determined command, the overlay window may be re-presented such that it again overlays at least a portion of the document viewing window.
US08156088B2
Digit counts c′ after the decimal point of attribute values in a structured document are acquired (S404). The detected attribute values are transformed into value character strings that represent integer values by manipulating the decimal point positions of the attribute values in accordance with a maximum digit count of the acquired digit counts (S406). The transformed value character strings and the maximum digit count C are encoded (S407).
US08156087B2
A system analysis apparatus includes a message reconstruction module which reconstructs observed data and data of which the observation has failed, into messages regarding a request and a response which are communicated on a system. The apparatus includes a message candidate extraction module which compares message rules with the reconstructed messages, and extracts messages in the message rules which are identical to the reconstructed messages, from the messages defined in the message rules, as message candidates. The apparatus includes a call relationship extraction module which extracts a call relationship between the message candidates. The apparatus includes a matching module which compares transaction models in which processes in units of transactions on the system have been modeled on the basis of call relationships among the processes on the system, with the extracted call relationship, and selects and determines a transaction model identical to the call relationship.
US08156084B2
Method, computer program product, and system for transferring data from positional data sources to partitioned databases are provided. A record is read from a positional data source. The record is to be written to one of a plurality of partitions of a database. A position of the record in the positional data source is obtained. A transaction is initiated to write the record to the one partition and to store the position of the record in the database. The transaction is committed after the record is successfully written to the one partition and the position of the record is successfully stored in the database.
US08156072B2
A method for the fast reconstruction of content information of a recording medium. The method includes determining a signature of the recording medium, the signature having two or more elements; comparing the signature with two or more signatures stored in a content database; and retrieving associated content information from the content database if the signature matches a signature stored in the content database.
US08156068B2
Predicted ephemeral Points of Interest (PEPOI) are provided to wireless application users, as are likelihood maps. Wireless application users are provided with the ability to record locations and retrieve maps of past locations and predicted future locations of PEPOIs of specific interest. To predict a location for a PEPOI, data about previous reported locations are gathered, along with variable values associated with variations in location. The variables gathered may differ based on the type of PEPOI in question. For instance, a person has different variables associated with its locations than does a storm cloud. Once there is enough data recorded to provide predictable patterns, desirable methods of statistical analysis are chosen depending of the behavior model of PEPOI, which can be used to present a visual guide to finding the PEPOIs at a particular time in the future.
US08156067B1
Techniques for performing anytime motion recognition are disclosed. Based on a motion signal received from a motion-sensitive device being manipulated by a user as a way to interact with an application, a processing unit is configured to a set of prototypes included in a motion recognizer to generate a recognition signal from the motion signal in response to the motion recognizer. A prototype is eliminated out of the set of the prototypes from further consideration when a corresponding running distance of the prototype to the motion signal is beyond a predefined measurement so that the motion recognition speeds up as time passes.
US08156065B1
A system is provided for managing a data structure based variable rules engine. The system includes a processor, a set of questions, a variables data structure comprising values and a set of variables, a results data structure comprising a set of requirements, a user interface, and a rules engine. The user interface outputs the set of questions and receives responses to the set of questions. The rules engine, when executed by the processor, assigns results to the set of variables by combining the responses with the values in the variables data structure, and determines whether the results meet the set of requirements in a results data structure. The set of questions, values, responses, and results are associated with a plurality of time frames. The user interface also outputs the results for the plurality of time frames in response to a determination that the results meet the set of requirements.
US08156064B2
Observation-based user profiling and profile matching are provided. The network behavior of users of a computer-implemented social network are observed and used for user profiling. By observing network behavior instead of necessarily relying on user self-reported data, accurate and objective user profiles can be formed; user profiling is accomplished based on the observed network behaviors with or without the knowledge of the user being profiled. The observed network behaviors can include the customization of a visual graphic, a media preference, a communication preference, or a selection of words from a word list. The user profiles can be with respect to a domain and two or more users can be matched based on their profiles with respect to the same domain. User ratings and profile updating based on the ratings are also provided.
US08156063B1
An assessment of a request for change is made by first receiving the request for change. The request for change is compared with a plurality of stored requests for change that are stored in a change database. Then, a computation is made, using learned similarity functions, of a similarity value for each of the stored requests for change with respect to the received request for change. Feedback is received with respect to the similarity values. A training set of data is updated based on the received feedback. The updated training set of data is applied to a learning process, to obtain learned similarity functions. The similarity calculator is updated with the learned similarity functions. The similarity functions can be used to evaluate the risk of changes by looking at the impact of similar past changes.
US08156062B2
A method for constructing a database to deduce a disease and constructing a Bayesian network for U-Health application, the method including the steps of analyzing U-Health information, which includes a disease, a symptom, and a treatment, and constructing a plurality of U-Health ontologies required for service provision, setting a meta-model defining cause-and-effect relationships between the constructed U-Health ontologies and selecting at least two specific U-Health ontologies from among the plurality of U-Health ontologies, setting the selected U-Health ontologies as nodes, and generating a Bayesian network by applying the meta-model to the set nodes.
US08156052B1
A broker facilitates customer purchases from merchants. Shippers ship shipments containing the purchases from merchants to the customers. A shipper identifies a shipment using a shipment identifier. The broker uses the shipment identifier to obtain the status information for the shipment from the shipper. The broker analyzes the status information in combination with other information to calculate an estimate of the time that the shipment will arrive at the customer's address. The broker sends an electronic message, such as an email or text message, to the customer prior to the estimated shipment arrival time to inform the customer of the impending arrival. The customer can thus arrange for someone to be at the shipping address to receive the shipment at the estimated arrival time.
US08156050B2
A project management system comprising a first, second, third, fourth and fifth processing sequences embodied in a computer readable medium. The first processing sequence is operable to provide a user interface to display a plurality of alert indicia corresponding to a plurality of alert status of a plurality of project requirements. The second processing sequence is operable to convert an incomplete requirement to a complete requirement upon completion of a task corresponding to the incomplete requirement. The third processing sequence is operable to determine the alert status of the requirements of the plurality of projects based on a time difference between a current date and a target date corresponding to each requirement. The fourth and fifth processing sequences are operable override the alert status based on user selections.
US08156043B1
A system for charging fees to a card holder of a credit card account may comprise at least one subsystem that calculates a prepaid interest amount and at least one subsystem that charges the prepaid interest amount to the credit card account in lieu of charging interest on the actual balance of the account.
US08156040B2
Converting electronic files comprising financial transaction data for supporting international electronic financial transactions. A gateway financial institution that processes electronic payments can organize files comprising international financial transactions according to the destination country. The gateway financial institution can transmit the organized transaction files to an interface that is coupled to the computing systems of foreign financial institutions. The interface can convert the transaction files from the format of the originating financial institution to the format of the receiving financial institution. The converted transaction files can then be forwarded to the respective foreign financial institutions. The interface can also transmit additional data associated with the transaction files to support settlement of the transactions.
US08156039B2
A method and system of managing a mortgage rebate transaction card account in which a transaction card provider computes a mortgage rebate amount based on the amount of charges incurred against the account and periodically arranges for application of the mortgage rebate amount against a mortgage loan balance for the cardholder. The account is provided by the transaction card provider in connection with either a pre-existing mortgage loan of the cardholder or a prospective mortgage loan of the cardholder. Further, the account can be provided in connection with a mortgage loan from any mortgage lender regardless of the existence or non-existence of an affiliation or association between the transaction card provider and the mortgage lender.
US08156030B2
This disclosure details methods for measuring and analyzing diversification of portfolio of assets. A dimension is a logical and quantitative means to measure diversification. As the number of dimensions increases so does diversification. Strong asset correlations among each other detract from the notion of independence. A positive correlation increases risks and is therefore undesirable. Assets are embedded into a high dimensional Euclidean vector space. The entire portfolio is interpreted as a set of points whose ambient dimension is the number of assets in the portfolio. The Karhunen-Loève expansion is used to quantify the KL dimension of the geometric object induced by a portfolio. The associated dimension is taken as the measure of diversification accounts for both the number of assets and the commonality within them. This ensures that measuring diversification as a dimension accounts for the complete diversification affect of the portfolio and is thus a valuable portfolio management tool.
US08156028B2
A system and method for producing infrastructure health assessments enabling enterprises to monitor the health of individual technology portfolios and plan accordingly is disclosed. The tool uses two primary assessments to determine: 1) an infrastructure score based the general health of asset components; and 2) adaptability score based on asset components ability to interact with other elements within the asset. To generate the assessment scores, the tool accepts inventory input specific to a portfolio's assets and components. A user interacting with the tool provides classification information relating to each asset and component. The tool then calculates health assessment scores for both individual portfolio assets and for the portfolio as a whole.
US08156019B2
A system for generation of accounts payable processing system tax rules is provided. A tax account system generates an account for a tax jurisdiction. An over-tax rule system generates one or more rules for processing a tax amount in excess of a required tax amount associated with the tax jurisdiction. An under-tax rule system generates one or more rules for processing a tax amount that is less than the required tax amount associated with the tax jurisdiction.
US08156010B2
A method and system for trading of rights to associate information services with multimodal contexts is described. Also described are methods for associating financial transactions with trading of rights in the marketplace and determining the value of the financial transactions. Also described are user interfaces for trading on the marketplace.
US08156007B1
Techniques are described for automatically and dynamically determining, at the time that items are being returned from customers, how to handle the returns of the items. A variety of factors may be considered to determine appropriate item return handling for an item, including by assessing current conditions at the time of the item return. In addition, the dynamic item return handling may include selecting one of a variety of potential return locations for each item being returned and one of a variety of types of return routing for the return. After the item return handling is dynamically determined, information may be provided to the customer to facilitate the item return in the determined manner. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08156000B1
The present invention relates to facilitating retail transactions between participating enrolled members and participating merchants who fund rebate offers targeted to enrolled members based upon a member's past account purchase transaction information, spending habits or member profile information, on qualifying purchases. Account purchase transaction information of merchants funding rebates is monitored by one or more processors at a location(s) other than the participating merchant's location to determine whether a purchase transaction was consummated between an enrolled member and a particular participating merchant, and whether such transaction entitles the member to a merchant funded rebate or reward. The remote monitoring and determining gives the rebate program transparency; no special purpose cards/accounts, or loyalty cards need to be presented by the member and no additional checkout procedures or special equipment are needed by the participating merchants. The rebates or rewards earned can be applied to various accounts, financial instruments or obligations.
US08155999B2
A system and method for implementing a merchant loyalty program is disclosed. The invention includes receiving purchase data, wherein the purchase data comprises a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code; associating the service establishment code with a merchant proprietor rewards account code; calculating a reward amount based on the purchase amount; and, crediting a merchant proprietor reward account with at least a portion of said reward amount.
US08155996B1
A system for customer care complexity management is disclosed that comprises a processor, a customer care index forecast module, and a project launch capability assessment and threshold module. The customer care index forecast module establishes a customer care index forecast model based on a plurality of historical customer care data and a plurality of historical performance metrics data. The customer care index forecast module also forecasts a customer care index using the established customer care index forecast model and a plurality of projected performance metrics data. The project launch capability assessment and threshold module identifies a number of projects to be launched in a current project launch plan based on the forecast customer care index and a pipeline project complexity index for the project launch plan. The project launch capability assessment and threshold module also identifies an adjustment to the project launch plan.
US08155985B2
Disclosed herein is a system and method for eliminating or transferring the non-economic risk of financial securities. The system and method serves to avoid non-economic losses in the first instance, and to counter the adverse capital impact of prior non-economic gap losses by providing capital relief consistent with a determined protected amount. A second party provides to a first party a policy covering potential losses in value for a fixed income securities (FIS) Portfolio, particularly losses between an upper attachment value and a lower exit value. The second party provides capital to the first party as a policy security in the event that the aggregate principle payments (APP) of the FIS Portfolio are less than the attachment value and the first party makes a claim under the policy. The first party pledges policyholder security for its future obligation to return all or a portion of the policy security should no claims arise under the policy or if the policy security exceeds the amount sought by any claims. The policyholder security may be the FIS Portfolio or other agreed upon assets, or some combination thereof.
US08155977B2
A rule processing method includes defining a target group of patients chosen from a group of existing patients. An action to be taken concerning one or more patients within the target group of patients is defined, and an execution time for the action is scheduled.
US08155973B2
A lossless encoding and/or decoding apparatus which encodes audio data on a real-time basis includes a lossless compression unit which losslessly compression encodes the audio data stored in an input buffer in units of predetermined data and outputs the encoded data in sequence, and an output buffer which stores the encoded audio data output from the lossless compression unit. A bitrate controller divides a plurality of the encoded audio data stored in the output buffer into first data having a data amount exceeding the maximum bitrate and second data having a data amount less than the maximum bitrate, divides the first data into third data being the encoded audio data having a data amount of the maximum bitrate and fourth data being the encoded data of the portion exceeding the maximum bitrate, and controls the output buffer so that the fourth data is output together with the second data.
US08155970B2
A system for access to multimedia structures has telephone sets capable of connecting to a telephone network, a storage device capable of storing a plurality of multimedia structures representing messages and/or data and/or commands, and a network access server that can be associated with the telephone sets and is capable of selectively instantiating the multimedia structures via an interconnection network. There is also a voice-recognition and speech-synthesis system that can be associated with the network access server and that comprises modules for reading files in XML format and for processing the files so as to obtain files in a format that can be synthesized by a speech synthesizer.
US08155963B2
A method (and system) which autonomously generates a cohesive script from a text database for creating a speech corpus for concatenative text-to-speech, and more particularly, which generates cohesive scripts having fluency and natural prosody that can be used to generate compact text-to-speech recordings that cover a plurality of phonetic events.
US08155959B2
Systems and methods are described that automatically control modules of dialog systems. The systems and methods include a dialog module that receives and processes utterances from a speaker and outputs data used to generate synthetic speech outputs as responses to the utterances. A controller is coupled to the dialog module, and the controller detects an abnormal output of the dialog module when the dialog module is processing in an automatic mode. The controller comprises a mode control for an agent to control the dialog module by correcting the abnormal output and transferring a corrected output to a downstream dialog module that follows, in a processing path, the dialog module. The corrected output is used in further processing the utterances.
US08155954B2
A filter bank device for generating a complex spectral representation of a discrete-time signal includes a generator for generating a block-wise real spectral representation, which, for example, implements an MDCT, to obtain temporally successive blocks of real spectral coefficients. The output values of this spectral conversion device are fed to a post-processor for post-processing the block-wise real spectral representation to obtain an approximated complex spectral representation having successive blocks, each block having a set of complex approximated spectral coefficients, wherein a complex approximated spectral coefficient can be represented by a first partial spectral coefficient and by a second partial spectral coefficient, wherein at least one of the first and second partial spectral coefficients is determined by combining at least two real spectral coefficients. A good approximation for a complex spectral representation of the discrete-time signal is obtained by combining two real spectral coefficients, preferably by a weighted linear combination, wherein additionally more degrees of freedom for optimizing the entire system are available.
US08155951B2
Related free-text documents, a corpus, are used to empirically derive a semantic knowledge base through a method in which documents are segmented into unique sentences, and then used to define sentential propositions which are arranged in a knowledge hierarchy. The method takes compound natural language sentences and transforms them to simple sentences by a process that is a part of the invention. A knowledge editor enables a domain expert using the methods of the invention to map the sentences in the corpus to sentential proposition(s). The resulting knowledge base can be used to semantically analyze documents in data mining and decision support applications, and can assist word processors or speech recognition devices. The invention is illustrated in connection with radiology reports, but it has wide applicability.
US08155947B2
A system of communicating over cellular telephones using symbols in place of language parts. The symbols are downloaded as part of the lookup table. A user can enter a message in text, and that message is converted into the symbols. The symbols can then be sent to a different interactive device, which can read those symbols, and convert them into text in a different language. The user sees the symbols and begins to learn meanings of the symbols. In addition, the symbols are language independent.
US08155935B2
The system and method of the present invention provides comprehensive design and installation management for agricultural water management systems. Maps and grade profiles are created from data collected by Global Positioning devices in the field. Latitude, longitude, and elevation are triangulated from GPS data to develop contour, grade, and profile maps, used to design drainage systems in real time. Customer billing information and vendor pricing information are produced from map and grade profile data. Interfacing and machine control for machines used to install drainage and/or irrigation systems are generated from contour, grade and profile data. Data is exported and imported in common file formats for efficient data exchange.
US08155934B2
Residue perturbation is used for enforcing passivity of a linear response model of an electrical component having n>1 ports. According to an exemplary embodiment, a modal perturbation approach can be used, which allows weighted perturbation of the individual modes by the inverse of the corresponding eigenvalues. This provides superior results if the admittance or impedance matrix of the device has a large eigenvalue spread.
US08155933B2
The method of modeling residual stresses during laser cutting utilizes thermal diffusion and stress equations and a discretization numerical method to model temperature variation and residual stresses in a substrate material due to laser cutting therethrough of small-diameter holes.
US08155927B2
Noise discrimination in signals from a plurality of sensors is conducted by enhancing the phase difference in the signals such that off-axis pick-up is suppressed while on-axis pick-up is enhanced. Alternatively, attenuation/expansion are applied to the signals in a phase difference dependent manner, consistent with suppression of off-axis pick-up and on-axis enhancement. Nulls between sensitivity lobes are widened, effectively narrowing the sensitivity lobes and improving directionality and noise discrimination.
US08155926B2
Noise discrimination in signals from a plurality of sensors is conducted by enhancing the phase difference in the signals such that off-axis pick-up is suppressed while on-axis pick-up is enhanced. Alternatively, attenuation/expansion are applied to the signals in a phase difference dependent manner, consistent with suppression of off-axis pick-up and on-axis enhancement. Nulls between sensitivity lobes are widened, effectively narrowing the sensitivity lobes and improving directionality and noise discrimination.
US08155918B2
The present invention relates to ambulance cots, cot systems and methods of using the same. In particular, the present invention provides an ambulance cot comprising a hydraulic system and a tip angle monitoring, recording and alert system, and methods of using the same (e.g., to transport subjects and/or to detect and/or record operational data related to cot usage).
US08155915B2
A method is provided for determining the temperature of the delivery fluid of a centrifugal pump driven by a permanent magnet motor, whose rotor runs within a fluid-filled can. The rotor temperature is evaluated by way of electrical variables of the motor, and the temperature of the delivery fluid is determined by way of the rotor. This method permits sensor-free temperature measurement of the delivery fluid with a circulation pump which is driven by a permanent magnet synchronous motor.
US08155910B2
A method of calibrating a robotic device, such as a cardiac catheter, includes oscillating the device on an actuation axis by applying an oscillation vector at an oscillation frequency. While oscillating, a location of the device is periodically measured to generate a plurality of location data points, which may express the location of the device relative to a plurality of measurement axes. The location data points are then processed using a signal processing algorithm, such as a Fourier transform algorithm, to derive a transfer function relating a position of the device to a movement vector for the actuation axis. The transfer function may be resolved into and expressed as a calibration vector for the actuation axis, which may include one or more components, including zero components, directed along each of the measurement axes. The process may be repeated for any actuation axes on which calibration is desired.
US08155909B2
A method, a device and a computer program product, by means of which sensor values of redundant sensors in vehicles can be compared with each other to carry out a plausibility check, the measured values of said sensors not being synchronized with each other, are described. On the basis of a first measured value in time, and using the physical properties of the vehicle, a plausibility window, in which a second, subsequent measured value of a different sensor must be to count as plausible, is formed. The determined plausibility of the measured values is indicated by means of a plausibility signal.
US08155896B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide restrictive-flow flow measurement devices, valve improvements and signal control devices and processes that control the flow of liquids, including control processes for single-liquid calibration. In some embodiments, a fluid flow device can be calibrated using a single standard calibration fluid. The fluid flow of a first fluid through a flow meter is measured by calculating a first pressure difference between pressures sensed by two pressure sensors of the flow meter. The fluid flow of a second fluid through the flow meter is measured by calculating a second pressure difference between pressures sensed by the same two pressure sensors. A calibration coefficient is determined based upon the relationship between the flow rate, the fluid density and the calculated pressure difference for the first and second fluids. A relationship between the calibration coefficient and the kinematic viscosity of each fluid is then determined and stored.
US08155894B2
An X-ray inspection apparatus includes a storage device, a setting device, a determining device, a calculating device and a display control device. The setting device is configured to set a hypothetical reference value that is different from an actual reference value that was used during the inspection of the articles. The determining device is configured to determine whether a contaminant exists inside each of the articles based on a result of a comparison between the hypothetical reference value and each of detection data stored in the storage device. The calculating device is configured to calculate a hypothetical contaminant existence rate as a ratio of a number of the articles in which the determining device has determined that a contaminant exists with respect to a total number of the articles. The display control device is configured to control a display section to indicate the hypothetical contaminant existence rate.
US08155883B2
An information center apparatus has a communication section, a motion information calculating section, a communication delay time calculating section, a communication cycle waiting time calculating section, an error estimating section and a correcting section. The communication section acquires reported current position information of a first moving body apparatus and reports a corrected current position information to a second moving body apparatus. The error estimating section estimate an error in the reported current position information with respect to an actual current position of the first moving body apparatus based on motion information calculated by the motion information calculating section, communication delay times calculated by the communication delay time calculating section, and a communication cycle waiting time calculated by the communication cycle waiting time calculating section. The correcting section corrects the reported current position information using the error estimated by the error estimating section to obtain the corrected current position information.
US08155881B2
A selection item display device allows the user to select a desired selection item in the case where a surrounding situation changes, with improved operability. The device includes: storage element for storing a selection item; retrieval element for retrieving a selection item to be displayed based on a surrounding situation from the storage element; generation element for generating an image of the retrieved selection item; display element for displaying the generated image of the selection item on a display screen; designation element for designating a selection item to be maintained from the displayed selection item; and holding element for holding the designated selection item. Even if the surrounding situation changes, and the retrieval element changes the selection item to be displayed, the generation element leaves the image of the selection item to be maintained on the basis of an instruction from the holding element on the display screen.
US08155872B2
Techniques are provided for providing physical routes to target locations. The techniques include obtaining at least one target location from at least one user; determining at least one physical route to said at least one target location; and displaying said at least one determined physical route through a sequence of at least one sign display, wherein each sign display are configured to display a plurality of physical routes.
US08155871B2
The invention relates to a location method, a locating device, a locating arrangement and a computer program for tracking an object, such as a dog. The method utilises GPS locating, the event time of which may be controlled by the user. In addition, the user may define a data transmission network via which location data are primarily communicated to the tracker's device. By means of the frequency of measurements and the data transmission network used, the power consumption of the locating device of the object being tracked is minimised.
US08155870B2
A method of navigating an agricultural vehicle, which is equipped with a 3D imaging device for imaging surroundings of the vehicle, and an image processing device, includes obtaining from the 3D imaging device frames imaging at least a part of the surroundings of the vehicle at different points of time while the vehicle is moving thus providing a chronological sequence of frames, analysing the frames, and establishing a change of pose of the vehicle using results of the analysis of at least two chronologically different frames.
US08155868B1
Historic vehicle state information specifying a plurality of performance values associated with the plurality of subsystems of the vehicle at a plurality of time points, including a current time point is stored at the vehicle. Historic neighbor vehicle state information specifying a plurality of performance values associated with a plurality of subsystems of a vehicle at a plurality of time points, including a current time point is received from a neighbor vehicle proximate to the vehicle. A forward-looking model is generated based on vehicle state information. An performance value associated with a subsystem of the plurality of subsystems of the vehicle is determined based on the historic vehicle state information, the historic neighbor vehicle state information, and the forward-looking model. A recommendation to a driver of the vehicle is provided based on the optimized performance value.
US08155859B2
A fuel injection device includes a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel. A pressure sensor is configured to output detection signal correspondingly to pressure of the fuel. The fuel injection device further includes a storage unit for storing individual difference information, which indicates an output characteristic of the detection signal. The output characteristic is obtained by an examination. The individual difference information indicates a relationship between change in test pressure and change in detection signal. The test pressure is actually applied to the pressure sensor in the examination. The change in detection signal is attributed to the change in test pressure.
US08155857B2
A method for controlling an internal combustion engine includes: providing a setpoint value of at least one combustion attribute on the basis of a setpoint value characteristics map; determining from a control variable characteristics map a value of a characteristics-map-based control variable for controlling the engine; ascertaining with the aid of a data-based model a value of a modified control variable for controlling the engine, the data-based model specifying a predicted combustion attribute as a function of a real value of the combustion attribute of the preceding combustion, and the value of the modified control variable for controlling the engine being ascertained from the predicted combustion attribute; and providing a real control variable set to a value that is a function of the value of the characteristics-map-based control variable and/or the value of the modified control variable.
US08155852B2
A driving/braking force manipulation control input of a k-th wheel, which denotes one or more specific wheels among a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, is determined such that a required condition concerning a relationship among a road surface reaction force that may act from a road surface on the k-th wheel on the basis of the detected values or estimated values of a side slip angle and a friction characteristic of the k-th wheel, a feedback control input related to the driving/braking force of the k-th wheel for bringing a difference between a state amount of the vehicle and a reference state amount close to zero, a driving/braking force feedforward control input based on a drive manipulated variable supplied by a driver of the vehicle, and a k-th wheel driving/braking force manipulation control input is satisfied. This arrangement makes it possible to properly control a motion of an actual vehicle to a desired motion while properly considering the characteristics of a road surface reaction force acting from a road surface on a wheel.
US08155846B2
A method and system for controlling an internal combustion power train, whereby the values of various operating parameters of the power train are measured by means of a number of sensors, and operation of the engine is monitored by means of at least one control unit, which is physically separate from the engine block and connected to the sensors; at least one pressure sensor is housed in the control unit, is physically separate from the engine block, and determines the intensity of pressure waves generated by the power train; and the control unit determines the value of at least one operating parameter of the power train as a function of the intensity of the pressure waves generated by the power train.
US08155839B2
A motor vehicle steering apparatus is provided with: a steering-angle feedforward-control-value setting unit arranged to set a steering angle value that corresponds to a steering state; a vehicle-behavior-stabilization controlling unit including a steering-angle feedback-control-value setting unit arranged to set a steering-angle correction value that corresponds to vehicle behavior; and a feedback-gain changing unit arranged to decrease a gain of the steering-angle feedback-control-value setting unit to a value less than at a normal time, when the steering-angle correction value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, during vehicle-behavior stabilizing control by the vehicle-behavior-stabilization controlling unit.
US08155836B2
A system and method for controlling a vehicle steering system, comprising receiving at least one signal corresponding to one or more of a lateral acceleration, a longitudinal acceleration, a vertical acceleration, a suspension travel, and a vehicle speed, calculating or determining an optimum steering rack travel from the at least one signal, and limiting travel of a steering rack of the vehicle based on the optimum steering rack travel.
US08155831B2
A vehicle control panel includes knobs and a touch sensitive interface in the place of conventional mechanically activated buttons. The substitution is implemented without modification to the bezel or console assembly and with many components common to consoles utilizing conventional mechanically activated buttons.
US08155826B2
Vehicle behavior learning apparatuses, methods, and programs store pieces of feature information including position information and attribute information of a plurality of target features. The apparatuses, methods, and programs obtain vehicle position information that shows a current position of a vehicle, obtaining image information of surroundings of the vehicle, and obtain one of the stored pieces of feature information corresponding to the surroundings of the vehicle based on the vehicle position information. The apparatuses, methods, and programs perform an image recognition for recognizing a target feature contained in the image information that corresponds to the obtained piece of feature information, detect a behavior of the vehicle that is performed within a predetermined range from a position of the recognized target feature, and store, based on the vehicle position information, the detected behavior in correspondence with information of a position in which the detected behavior was detected. The apparatuses, methods, and programs extract, based the detected behavior being stored a plurality of times at the same position, the detected behavior as a learned behavior, output learned behavior information including attribute information of the detected behavior and the position information of the detected behavior, each of which are kept in correspondence with the piece of feature information of the recognized target feature.
US08155824B2
An electric control apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The apparatus comprises at least two microcomputers, an external monitoring unit, and an internal monitoring means. The two microcomputers are composed of a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer, The first microcomputer is assigned to controlling travel functions of a vehicle. The external monitoring unit monitors whether or not the first microcomputer is in a normal operation and is placed outside the first and second microcomputers. The internal monitoring means monitors whether or not the first microcomputer is in a normal operation and is within the first microcomputer.
US08155816B2
Repair or replacement of a transparency mounted in body of a vehicle, e.g. an aircraft when one or more properties of the transparency is (are) operating outside of an acceptable limit(s) is arranged by monitoring operating performance of a property of the transparency, e.g. by mounted a sensor, e.g. a sensor for detecting moisture; a sensor for detecting impacts and vibrations; a sensor for detecting fractures; a sensor for detecting electric arcing, and a sensor for measuring temperature of an electrically conductive coating, on the transparency. Scheduling repair or replacement of the transparency at a geographical area when the operating performance of the property is outside an acceptable operating performance limit, and forwarding the schedule to the vehicle and to a maintenance location to prepare for the repair or replacement of the transparency at the geographical work area.
US08155811B2
A system is provided for optimizing a path for a marine vessel through a waterway from an initial location to a final location. The system includes a propulsion system and a directional system on the marine vessel, which impart a selective propulsion force on the marine vessel at a selective direction based on a received propulsion command and direction command from a processor. The processor determines an optimal path for the marine vessel, an optimal propulsion command and optimal directional command at a respective incremental location along the optimal path, so to optimize a performance characteristic of the marine vessel. The determination of the optimal path, the optimal propulsion command and the optimal directional command is based on the initial location, the final location, at least one operating parameter, the performance characteristic, and navigational data of the waterway.
US08155810B2
It is an object to provide a train information management system that performs high-order priority processing of brake commands without using a relay, and that achieves improved redundancy, enables high-speed processing, and achieves high reliability with a simple configuration. For that, by performing high-order priority processing of brake notches that are created by an ATC system, an automatic train stop, and a manual braking device without using a relay, but by performing comparison processing based on logic by a train information management system, the improved redundancy, the high-speed processing, and the high reliability are achieved.
US08155807B2
A method of predicting a target type in a set of target types from at least one image is provided. At least one image is obtained. A first and second set of confidence values and associated azimuth angles are determined for each target type in the set of target types from the at least one image. The first and second set of confidence values are fused for each of the azimuth angles to produce a fused curve for each target type in the set of target types. When multiple images are obtained, first and second set of possible detections are compiled corresponding to regions of interest in the multiple images. The possible detections are associated by regions of interest. The fused curves are produced for every region of interest. In the embodiments, the target type is predicted from the set of target types based on criteria concerning the fused curve.
US08155806B2
A display system is provided for a vehicle. The system includes a processor configured to receive data representative of landing information and navigation and control information and to supply display commands associated with the landing information and navigation and control information; and a display device coupled the processor for receiving the display commands and operable to render a three-dimensional view, including first symbology representing the landing information and second symbology representing the navigation and control information. The second symbology is superimposed on the first symbology.
US08155799B2
A method and system for allowing unsafe action signals in a dispensing system of a vehicle. A discharging signalling system of at least one dispenser of a vehicle includes an activation circuit arranged to discharge the dispenser. An indicator is arranged to indicate that dispensing is allowed. The activation circuit includes a first safety arrangement arranged to be activated when an indication from the indicator indicates that dispensing is allowed. The activation circuit also includes a second safety arrangement arranged to be activated when a discharge of the dispenser is indicated.
US08155791B2
Methods and systems for creating dynamic performance measures (DPMs) for an IBA manufacturing process. Included is a method for monitoring an Isobutyl Alcohol (IBA) recovery system that includes computing at least one of an amount of IBA recovered from the IBA recovery system and an amount of waste material produced from the IBA recovery system, and displaying at least one of the recovered IBA and the waste material produced based on time. The method also includes computing a cost saved based on a cost of virgin IBA and the amount of IBA recovered. Computing an amount of waste material includes measuring waste material flow, and computing a cost of waste material management based on the measured waste material flow and a cost per unit volume to dispose of waste material. The IBA recovery system can include an evaporation IBA recovery system and/or a distillation IBA recovery system.
US08155787B2
An intelligent interface device for grasping an object includes a manipulating robot comprising a hinged arm provided with a clamp at its free end and equipped with at least one camera, a computer with a display screen and an input unit, means for controlling the clamp, means for displaying the video image of the object taken by a camera on the display screen, means for graphically identifying a selection area surrounding the object in this image using the input unit.
US08155783B2
A targeted product distribution system is described herein with respect to an exemplary management of product flow through a distribution center. Specifically, the system and method described herein is directed to the management and display of direct and easily-understood instructions, such that average individuals, as well as those with mental disabilities, will be able to contribute equally to the overall process.
US08155775B2
A method comprising building at least one three-dimensional model and a support structure using a layer-based additive technique, where the at least one three-dimensional model is at least partially encased in the support structure, and where the support structure functions as a shipping package for the at least one three-dimensional model.
US08155774B2
A 3D object fabrication method implemented in a fabrication system includes the following steps. A digital object model is retrieved. Sections of the digital object model are respectively printed on plural pieces of plane material. The pieces of plane material are combined to form a physical 3D object of the digital object model.
US08155773B2
Automating the process for providing a radiation filter is based on different software programs executed by a computer system. The software programs include customer interface software, tool path generation software and manufacture scheduling software. Each software program performs a specific function for automating the process. The manufacture scheduling software determines available tooling machines to manufacture the radiation filter based on the generated tool path from a plurality of tooling machines, and selects one of the available tooling machines based on availability for manufacture of the radiation filter. The manufactured radiation filter is shipped, and the customer is then invoiced for the order.
US08155764B2
A multivariable model predictive controller (MPC) for controlling a coalbed methane (CBM) production process. The MPC includes input ports for receiving a plurality of measurement signals including measured process parameters from CBM wells in a well field. A control loop includes a mathematical model that controls the CBM gas production. The model includes individual production characteristics for each CBM well that predicts its behavior for controlled variables (CVs) with respect to changes in manipulated variables (MVs) and disturbance variables (DVs). The control loop calculates future set points for the MVs based on the model and the measured process parameters for CBM production to achieve at least one control objective for the well field. A plurality of output ports provide control signals for implementing the future set points which when coupled to physical process equipment at the plurality of CBM wells control the physical equipment to reach the future set points.
US08155747B2
Methods and systems for modifying the parameters of at least one hearing device for a patient with residual hearing provide needed orchestration of acoustic and electric stimulation of patients wearing such devices.
US08155746B2
A cochlear implant sound processor is powered by a rechargeable battery that is permanently integrated into the sound processor. The sound processor contains an inductive coil that may be tuned to an external charging coil for battery recharging. The electronic circuits and coil of the sound processor are housed in a material transparent to RF signals. The sound processor may be placed in a recharging base station in which the sound processor is positioned in a space surrounded by the inductive charging coil embedded in a material transparent to RF signals. The inductive charging coil sends power to the coil inside the processor and thereby recharges the battery. An alternative embodiment utilizes contacts in the sound processor case and aligned terminals in the recharging base station that allow direct charging of the battery.
US08155744B2
A method for treating a pulmonary disorder in a subject includes inserting a therapy delivery device into a vessel of the subject, advancing the therapy delivery device to a point adjacent an intraluminal target site of the autonomic nervous system, and activating the therapy delivery device to delivery a therapy signal to the intraluminal target site to treat the pulmonary disorder. The intraluminal target site is in electrical communication with nervous tissue selected from the group consisting of a spinal nerve, a postganglionic fiber of a spinal nerve, a sympathetic chain ganglion, a thoracic sympathetic chain ganglion, a cervical ganglion, a lower cervical ganglion, an inferior cervical ganglion, an intramural ganglion, a splanchnic nerve, an esophageal plexus, a cardiac plexus, a pulmonary plexus, an anterior pulmonary plexus, a posterior pulmonary plexus, a celiac plexus, a hypogastric plexus, an inferior mesenteric ganglion, a celiac ganglion, and a superior mesenteric ganglion.
US08155736B2
An EEG control of devices using Sensory Evoked Potentials (SEPs) (e.g., visually-evoked potentials), is disclosed. In some embodiments, a system receives a plurality of EEG signal samples; generates a stimulus locked average signal using the plurality of EEG signal samples; and determines whether the plurality of EEG signal samples are evoked in response to a pattern of stimulus.
US08155731B1
Techniques are described for detecting changes in posture; detecting cardiac ischemia while accounting for changes in posture; and delivering therapy or warning signals in response thereto using the implantable medical device. In one example, the device detects variations in the electrical cardiac signals indicative of a possible episode of cardiac ischemia. Changes in patient posture are detected as well using an accelerometer or similar device. Then, an episode of cardiac ischemia is detected based on the variations in the cardiac signals while distinguishing variations due to changes in posture. In another example, the device instead detects changes in posture based on transient changes in morphological features of electrical cardiac signals.
US08155727B2
A wrist coil for magnetic resonance imaging has a tubular coil formed by a number of coil splicing units spliced together in succession, and an annular coil unit that is wound around the surface of the tubular coil. Since the annular coil unit is wound around the surface of the tubular coil, and the current direction in the annular coil unit is perpendicular to the current direction in each of the coil splicing units, when some of the coil splicing units in the tubular coil do not acquire signals due to the fact that their magnetic field direction is parallel to that of the main magnetic field direction, the annular coil unit will carry out signal acquisition. Furthermore, since the magnetic flux of the annular coil unit is relatively large, this ensures a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio in the acquired signals no matter whatever layout position is adopted for the wrist coil, thus reducing equipment costs and eliminating restrictions for clinical applications in the prior art.
US08155719B2
A key input device for a portable communications apparatus having a main body housing and a sliding body housing mounted on the main body housing to be slid along first and second directions perpendicular to each other. The key input device includes a first key array arranged on the main body housing to be exposed or covered by the sliding motion of the sliding body housing along the first direction, a second key array arranged on the main body housing to be exposed or covered by the sliding motion of the sliding body housing along the second direction, and a third key array arranged on the main body housing to be exposed or covered by the sliding motion of the sliding body housing along either the first or the second direction, wherein the first, second and third key arrays are all exposed or covered when the sliding body housing is slid first along the first direction and then along the second direction, or first along the second direction and then along the first direction.
US08155709B2
An in-vehicle handsfree apparatus is disclosed. The in-vehicle handsfree apparatus includes a handsfree connection section and a control section. The connection section establishes connection with first and second cellular phones by using a handsfree communication protocol. When the control section determines that the first and second cellular phones are respectively receiving incoming calls at a same time, the control section causes an display unit to distinctly display information associated with the incoming call of the first cellular phone and information associated with the incoming call of the second cellular phone.
US08155701B2
Frames of information are communicated between a base station (28) of a radio access network (RAN) and plural types of wireless terminals (30). Frame handlers of the base station and of certain types of wireless terminals (30-2) process differing portions of the frame according to respective differing multiple access technologies. In differing embodiments and implementations, modulation techniques of the differing multiple access technologies can be apportioned to differing portions of the frame in various manners, such as (for example) to differing subframes of a multi-sub-framed frame or to differing burst fields or sections of an uplink (UL) burst.
US08155700B2
Apparatus and a method of securing private content stored in a memory are presented. A terminal includes a memory configured to store a private content identifier associated with private content. The private content identifier includes a mobile station integrated services digital network number of a smart card associated with a user that is authorized to access the private content. A particular smart card includes a smart card identifier associated with the particular smart card. The terminal also includes a security function configured to perform a comparison of the private content identifier to the smart card identifier and to deny access to the private content when a result of the comparison is negative.
US08155694B2
A dual standby mode mobile terminal having a single smart card slot and communication mode control method thereof is provided for enabling the mobile terminal to operate in dual standby mode with a single smart card. A dual standby mode mobile terminal includes a first control unit for controlling a first communication mode, a second control unit for controlling a second communication mode, a removable dual mode smart card containing first and second communication mode data, and a buffer for loading the first and second communication mode data. A communication mode control method for the dual standby mode mobile terminal includes loading the first and second communication mode data in the buffer from the dual mode smart card under the control of the first control unit, detecting an event requiring communication mode data provided by the dual mode smart card, determining whether the communication data are any of the first and second communication mode data loaded in the buffer, and executing the event using the communication mode data loaded in the buffer. The dual standby mode mobile terminal and communication mode control method thereof enables the mobile terminal to stand by in two different communication modes (e.g. GSM and CDMA modes) with a single smart card.
US08155689B2
Techniques for reducing interference with a multiple format channel in a communication system are disclosed. In one aspect, a minimum power level is determined for each format transmitted during a transmission interval. The minimum power level for formats that will experience the interference are increased to compensate. The power level selected for transmission during the transmission interval is the most stringent of the minimum power levels. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of mitigating the effects of a known interfering signal, while avoiding unnecessarily increasing transmit power, thus reducing the interference to other users and increasing system capacity.
US08155684B2
Systems and methods are provided for controlling use of uplink random access channels (RACHs) based on multi-dimensional subscriber classification. These systems and methods are useful in cellular communication networks that implement, for example, a public safety cellular system.
US08155683B2
A method, apparatus, and electronic device for creating a connection between a base station and user equipment are disclosed. A transceiver 202 may receive a physical downlink control channel signal containing a control message subjected to an encoding. A processor 204 may decode the control message. The processor 204 may determine a control channel element of the physical downlink control channel signal for the control message based in part upon the encoding.
US08155676B2
A wireless communications network (120) responds to each incoming call placed to a wireless communications device (134) by transmitting a call-paging message (418) within a corresponding partition of a digital radio frame of prescribed format. Responsive to each occurrence of a broadcast event (404), the network transmits (414) a repeating broadcast-paging message announcing the availability of broadcast content from the network. The broadcast-paging message is transmitted multiple times within each digital radio frame. Another sequence (500) describes WCD operation in this network. Responsive to wakeup (502) from sleep, the WCD detects (509) received signal quality. The WCD also receives (510) scheduled network transmission of a call-paging message and a number of instances (at least one) of a repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message that occurs multiple times for each scheduled transmission of the call-paging message. This number varies inversely with the detected signal quality.
US08155673B2
A method for estimating position using WLAN access point radio propagation characteristics in a WLAN location based service is provided. A location-based services system has a plurality of Wi-Fi access points in a target area. The Wi-Fi access points are positioned at geographic locations and have signal coverage areas. A method of characterizing at least one of the Wi-Fi access points comprises determining the geographic location of the Wi-Fi access point, dividing the signal coverage area of the Wi-Fi access point into at least one section, and determining radio propagation characteristics for each section. The radio propagation characteristics of each section characterize a radio channel of the Wi-Fi access point, and the characterization can be used in a location algorithm.
US08155672B2
Traditional, server-oriented architectures have focused on providing location-based services by using publish-subscribe, efficient message buses, and filtering mechanisms. However, given an enterprise's unique requirements, these techniques have offered mixed results when used in an enterprise context. The present invention enables an efficient way to provide location-based services to an enterprise, as well as to integrate those location-based services into the enterprise's communications platform. A platform for supporting converged, location-based communications comprises one or more application servers such as a transactional server, a Session Initiation Protocol server, and so forth. In addition, the platform advantageously comprises an event processor for managing arriving location streams that are generated by targets being monitored. Such targets include the cell phones and WiFi handsets of the enterprise users, but can also include location data from various users arriving from multiple, fixed points such as credit card readers in stores.
US08155669B2
A location-based messaging system and its methods of operation are disclosed, including methods for receiving and responding to location-based data. Methods for sending geographic location information for a target address from a computing device to a receiving device that will enable the receiving device to display a map and/or directions from a geographic location of the receiving device to the geographic location of the target address, methods for processing and distributing location-based data, and methods for virally distributing location-based applications are also disclosed.
US08155667B2
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal which transfers or receives data, including location information, in various ways, and a method of transferring or receiving data using the same.
US08155665B2
A method includes a user device connecting to another device, receiving position-based signals associated with the user device, calculating mobility information associated with the user device based on the position-based signals, providing the mobility information to a receiver of the user device, and adapting one or more parameters associated with a connection between the receiver and the other device based on the mobility information.
US08155664B2
A network of wireless radios automatically conserves energy, directs the operation of equipment, and locates assets and personnel. The network may identify changes in the occupancy of a building area and automatically alter the building environment according to predetermined settings, personal preferences, or unexpected conditions. The wireless radios also may include sensors that monitor specific parameters, the parameters may relate to building environment conditions or operating equipment. The network may automatically alter the operating building equipment in response to the parameters received. The wireless radios also may be portable and mounted upon movable items, such as personal identification devices, office furniture, equipment, containers, or other assets. The network may locate the movable items within a building based upon signals received from the wireless radios. The network also may track the movement of the movable items within a building. The wireless radios may operable as a mesh network.
US08155648B2
A method of transmitting and receiving control information for a specific service in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method of transmitting control information for a specific service in a wireless communication system which uses multiple carriers includes transmitting notification indication information to at least one user equipment, the notification indication information including information related to a channel resource region through which control information for the specific service is transmitted, and transmitting a notification message to the at least one user equipment through the channel resource region indicated by the information related to the channel resource region, the notification including control information.
US08155637B2
The present invention provides local information indispensable for travelers or the like and serves as a guide satisfying the travelers' tastes at places where the travelers are staying on their journeys. Positional information is detected from an information request signal transmitted from a cellular terminal, and when the cellular terminal is within a specific area, information corresponding to the specific area is delivered to the cellular terminal in a form of a quiz or a game. Further to a response from the cellular terminal for the information delivered to the cellular terminal, a result record is delivered, and when the cellular terminal is not within the specific area, information other than that corresponding to the specific area is delivered. When giving a point according to the result, a point for the information corresponding to the specific area is set at a higher value as compared to that for the information other than that corresponding to the specific area.
US08155630B2
A communications system may include at least one mobile wireless communications device for storing personal interest information for respective contacts and for storing calendar event data. The system may further include a notification server communicating with the at least one mobile wireless communications device via a wireless communications network and configured to access the personal interest information and calendar event data from the at least one mobile wireless communications device, and send notifications to the at least one mobile wireless communications device based upon the personal interest information and the calendar event data.
US08155625B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for saving energy in a mobile device configured to maintain a persistent communication session with an application server over a wireless network. A method comprises detecting a traffic pattern between a mobile device and an application server for maintaining a persistent communication session and automatically initiating a transition of the mobile device from a first operating state to a second operating state in response to detecting the traffic pattern. The power consumption associated with the second operating state is less than power consumption associated with the first operating state.
US08155624B2
Automatically retrieving messages by a wireless telephone based on user preferences. A method of the invention receives a notification, on a wireless device, indicating that a computing device has a message for a user. One or more rules associated with the user are evaluated based on the received notification. The method also automatically requests the message from the computing device as a function of the evaluated rules and received from the computing device. The method further stores the received message in a memory area of the wireless telephone for rendering to the user. Alternatively, one or more rules associated with the user are dynamically generated by monitoring the user interaction with the wireless telephone.
US08155623B2
Systems and methods for obtaining information from a wireless modem are provided. An information requesting device can send an information request to the wireless modem. The wireless modem authenticates the information request, obtains the requested information and provides the obtained information to the information requesting device. The information can be a current location of the wireless modem, a received signal strength, whether the wireless modem is transmitting or receiving data, whether an external device is coupled to the wireless modem, and/or the like.
US08155622B1
A system for providing authorized wireless telecommunication access is provided. The system includes at least one password-protected cellular access (PPCA) node and a database. The database is configured to receive an identifier from a mobile terminal and correlate the identifier with PPCA node data to determine if the mobile terminal is authorized to use a particular PPCA node. A method for providing authorized wireless telecommunication access is also provided.
US08155602B2
The invention relates to an RF circulator device with n ports allowing an RF signal to circulate in a single direction, where the circulator has at least three ports, an input port for receiving a radio frequency signal to be transmitted to a second port designed to be connected to an antenna port, an output port capable of being connected to a receiving device or a load, comprising a first and a second microswitches each comprising two armatures of which the first is a flexible membrane and the second comprises at least one zone of a signal line, both armatures being separated by a thickness of void or of gas, the device making it possible to connect the main line to ground planes by self-actuation of the membrane under the effect of an input signal power.
US08155601B2
Methods and systems for power combining in a multi-port distributed antenna are disclosed and may include power combining signals from power amplifiers (PAs) on a chip. The PAs may be coupled to a single distributed antenna via antenna ports. A phase of each of the signals may be matched at the antenna ports via phase-matching circuitry. A characteristic impedance may be configured at the ports based on a location of the ports. The PAs may be impedance matched to the antenna ports via impedance matching elements. A power level of the power-combined signals may be monitored via a power detector coupled to the distributed antenna. The power detector may include an envelope detector, such as a diode. The antenna may be integrated on the chip or may be located external to the chip. The signals may include RF signals and the antenna may include a microstrip antenna.
US08155584B2
Devices and methods are disclosed for reducing power control cushion of a user terminal configured to communicate with a satellite and a gateway station. The present invention provides a power control algorithm implemented in a user terminal that is designed to operate in a satellite communication system. The power control algorithm can recursively calculate a returnlink power to reduce a power control cushion so that an extra link margin is available to the satellite communication system. The present invention also provides a source coding technique that provides an accurate feedback signal for the user terminal. The average metric of input signal frames is coded in a sequence of bits that are carried by contiguous output signal frames.
US08155580B2
Methods and apparatus for efficient data distribution to a group of users. In an aspect, a method is provided for distributing information. The method includes detecting one or more requests for the information, determining whether the information is to be broadcast, and transmitting the information in a broadcast transmission based on the determination. In another aspect, an apparatus is provided for distributing information. The apparatus includes a detector configured to detect one or more requests for the information, a determination module configured to determine whether the information is to be broadcast, and a transmitter configured to transmit the information in a broadcast transmission based on the determination.
US08155579B2
System and method for assigning and tracking clinical education requirements for healthcare students
The present invention relates to a system and method of identifying clinical competencies to be completed by a healthcare student in a computerized environment. The method receives an academic unit of time for a healthcare student and identifies one or more corresponding clinical competencies for the academic unit of time to be satisfied by the student.
US08155577B1
Education management systems and methods that include a server, at least one student computer that is linked, via a distributed network, to the server; and at least one management computer that is linked, via the distributed network, to the server. The server includes at least some of a products database for storing and/or updating a plurality of product profile records, a criteria database for storing and/or updating evaluation criteria by which a product is evaluated, a students database for storing and/or updating a plurality of student profile records or student profile information, a testing database for storing and/or generating testing documents and data, a curriculum database for assessing a student's personal and/or performance information and developing and/or updating an individual student curriculum based on the student's personal and/or performance information, and a reports database for receiving a student's personal and/or performance information and producing report documents and data.
US08155572B2
A dual mode media registration transport and media pre-transfer baffle arrangement within a printer enables printing onto normal and heavy weight media materials. In a first mode, the arrangement allows normal media to enter pre-transfer baffles with the normal “S” shape, which allows all performance specifications to be maintained. To accommodate heavy weight media, the registration transport and pre-transfer baffles are moved into a second mode position which straightens the media path and enables heavy weight media to enter the pre-transfer area. Thus, enabling the printing of these materials which could not be processed through the “S” shape baffle arrangement.
US08155570B2
A first bias Vslv is applied to a development roller 22 and a second bias Vmag is applied to a magnetic roller 23 to perform development; after completion of development, without changing the setting of Vslv, of the AC component Vpp2 of Vmag, the peak voltage value Vpp2 (max) at the side with the same polarity as toner is made lower than during a development period and development-residual toner on the development roller 22 is collected to prevent a lateral streak formed on photoconductor drums 1a to 1d during a non-development period.
US08155559B2
An image-forming device includes a body frame having a first contacting part and a second contacting part; and a belt unit detachably mounted in the body frame. The belt unit includes a belt unit main frame, a first roller, a second roller, a belt, a belt unit side frame, a handle part, a first contacted part, and a second contacted part. The belt unit side frame is attached to the belt unit main frame. The handle part is disposed at the belt unit main frame. The first contacted part is provided on the handle part to contact the first contacting part. The second contacted part is provided on one of the belt unit main frame and the belt unit side frame to contact the second contacting part. The second contacted part is closer to the second roller than the first roller.
US08155556B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a printer unit that forms an image on a recording sheet; an operation panel for operating and/or setting the printer unit, a side on which the operation panel is provided is defined as a front side; and an ejection space on which the recording sheet ejected from the printer unit is placed. As viewed from the front side, a radius curvature of a first portion that intermediates a right side plane of the printer unit and a front plane of the printer unit is larger than a radius curvature of a second portion that intermediates a left side plane of the printer unit and the front plane of the printer unit.
US08155554B2
A cartridge is detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a main assembly electrical contact. The cartridge includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a memory; a cartridge electrical contact electrically connectable to the main assembly electrical contact; a contact including the cartridge electrical contact; and a support supporting the contact. The support includes first and second regulators of the contact member in widthwise and thickness directions, respectively, with a gap therebetween. Also provided is an opening permitting insertion of the contact into the support that opens in one direction perpendicular to the widthwise and thickness directions. The main assembly electrical contact includes a spring movable by a stroke in the contact thickness direction, and the gap of the second regulator W1, a length W2 of the contact in the thickness direction, the stroke U satisfy, W2
US08155553B2
A developing apparatus includes a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member. A drive transmission member is provided at one end of the developing roller for receiving a driving force and transmitting the driving force to the developing roller. The developing apparatus also includes an urging member, provided at other end of the developing roller, for urging the developing roller. An abutting portion is abutted by the shaft of the developing roller by an urging force of the urging member to position the developing roller with respect to the axial direction of the developing roller, and a contact member contacts a peripheral surface of the shaft of the developing roller to apply a voltage to the developing roller.
US08155552B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus body including a driving force transmitting portion and a process cartridge. The process cartridge includes a housing, a photosensitive drum disposed in the housing, a first bearing rotatably supporting an axial end portion of the photosensitive drum, a driving force input portion, which is provided on the axial end portion of the photosensitive drum and is configured to engage the driving force transmitting portion in order to drive the photosensitive drum by a driving force transmitted from the driving force transmitting portion when the driving force transmitting portion is pressed against the driving force input portion, and a second bearing, which rotatably supports the other axial end of the photosensitive drum, and which comprises a first contact portion which contacts the image forming apparatus body when the driving force transmitting portion is pressed against the driving force input portion.
US08155549B2
A device and a method for improving the quality of prints using a printing device and system for carrying out a print job with a digital printing machine, preferably with a printing machine that works with a toner, in particular with an electrophotographically operating printing machine, whereby the sheets (1) are preferably printed by recto-printing and verso-printing, whereby the sheets (1) to be printed are divided into batches, and whereby, in the case of batches that are incompletely occupied with sheets (1), the slots of the missing sheets are replaced by an approximately sheet-sized toner field (3) on the transport belt (4) for the sheets.
US08155546B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality of developing devices, contactable to the image bearing member, for developing a latent image on the image bearing member with toner; a rotatable member for rotatably supporting the plurality of developing devices; a detecting device for detecting a position of the image bearing member, wherein on the basis of an output of the detecting device, the rotatable member is rotated; and a control device for changeably controlling a period from timing of detection by the detecting device to timing of contact of one of the plurality of developing device, rotated by the rotatable member, to the image bearing member.
US08155545B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a calculating device configured to, in a testing mode to replace a discharge path between a charging wire and a grid of a charger with a testing resistor having a predetermined resistance, calculate a charge voltage using the resistance of the testing resistor and a detection value by a grid-current detecting circuit; and a controller configured to, in an image forming mode to actually form an image, detect the charge voltage from a feedback voltage using a relation between a value of the feedback voltage which is detected by a charge-voltage detecting circuit in the testing mode and the charge voltage calculated by the calculating device.
US08155537B2
An optical receiver circuit and an optical coupling device, which includes: a light-receiving element; TIA operable to output a first voltage signal in response to input of the current signal; a voltage source operable to supply a second voltage signal serving as a reference voltage for determining pulse switching; a voltage source operable to supply a third voltage signal serving as a reference voltage for generating a shift control signal; a level shift circuit operable to output a voltage signal generated by subtracting a level shift voltage from the first voltage signal; a comparator operable to convert the first voltage signal to a pulse, and a controller operable to output the shift control signal outputting the first voltage signal shifted to a low-level side when the first voltage signal exceeds the third voltage signal, and outputting the first voltage signal without shifting after the output of the level shift circuit is lowered below the second voltage signal, are provided.
US08155526B2
One embodiment provides an ONU that includes an optical interface coupled to an optical transceiver, which is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from an OLT through the optical interface. The ONU also includes an ONU chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the OLT through the optical transceiver. The ONU further includes an Ethernet interface coupled to the ONU chip and a power management module configured to provide power to the ONU chip and the optical transceiver using power delivered from a CPE through the Ethernet interface. In addition, the ONU includes a circuit board to which the optical transceiver, the ONU chip, and the power management module are attached, and a wall-mountable fixture, wherein the front side of the fixture includes an opening for the Ethernet interface, and wherein the back side of the fixture holds the circuit board.
US08155521B2
Provided are a network node which has a wavelength switching cross-connection function and can thus interconnect paths of a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signal and convert wavelengths, and an operating method of the network node. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a multi-degree cross-connection system having a simple structure at lower cost by allowing transmission of optical signals supposed not to be added/dropped at a network node without converting them into electrical signals and performing O/E conversion or E/O conversion only on optical signals supposed to be added/dropped at a network node. In addition, it is possible to increase the expandability of networks by regenerating degraded signals and which can effectively utilize bandwidths by grooming low-speed electrical digital hierarchy signals and transmitting them as high-speed optical signals. Moreover, it is possible to increase the availability of network resources by performing wavelength conversion without the need of additional wavelength converters. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent multiplexed optical signals from being degraded by filtering even when the multiplexed optical signals are not demultiplexed into wavelengths. Still furthermore, it is possible to perform a multicast operation on input wavelengths.
US08155519B2
The disclosure relates to optical fiber transmission systems, and in particular, pertains to the transceiver cards in an optical fiber transport system. In particular the disclosure teaches an improved transceiver card architecture that allows high density, flexibility and interchangeability of functionality.
US08155517B2
An optical packet switching apparatus includes plural optical switches, an optical switching section that switches a path of an optical packet transmitted thereto according to the switch control signal to output the optical packet, and a control section that takes out a header portion representing a destination of the optical packet transmitted, photoelectrically converts the header to generate the switch control signal according to the destination to transmit the switch control signal to the optical switching section and controls the optical switch. The apparatus further includes a light monitor section that monitors a light quantity level of the optical packet transmitted and a light quantity level of the optical packet to be sent out, and an abnormality recognizing section that recognizes an effective timing of monitoring of the light quantity levels based on the switching control signal, and recognizes an abnormality based on the light quantity levels at the timing.
US08155515B2
A system and method for responding to a failure in a communications network. The failure is detected by a router, which then transmits data from the protection port. A signal is sent from the router to a optical cross-connect system indicating the failure and causing the optical cross-connect system to connect the protection port of the router to a working port of the OXC.
US08155504B1
A method for media disaster recovery when recording data to re-writable disk media can include defining a sequence of recordable units (RUs) in the re-writable disk media wherein each RU in the sequence has a maximum data capacity. Data can be sequentially recorded in each RU, in sequence. When data has been completely recorded in an RU, RU metrics can be computed. Subsequently, the computed RU metrics can be stored in an RU information file in the re-writable disk media. Significantly, responsive to a media disaster, for example a power outage, a disaster RU can be identified in the RU information file. Specifically, the disaster RU can be an RU in which data had been incompletely recorded during the media disaster. Upon identifying the disaster RU, the sequential recording of data can resume in an RU next in sequence to the disaster RU.
US08155495B2
The present invention is directed to an assembly of an optical fiber and an optical fiber holder for holding the optical fiber, the optical fiber having an end surface formed at an end portion thereof, the end surface being configured to perform light coupling with a light emitting element or with a light receiving element. The optical fiber holder comprises; a throughhole which extends through the optical fiber holder and a recess that is positioned on a surface of the optical fiber holder and that is provided with an opening of the throughhole. The optical fiber is inserted through the throughhole and an adhesive is filled in a gap between an inner wall of the throughhole and an outer periphery of the optical fiber, the adhesive being used for adhering the optical fiber to the optical fiber holder. The end portion, on which is formed the end surface of the optical fiber, protrudes from the opening and terminates within the recess.
US08155492B2
A method is disclosed for forming a photonic crystal in a homogeneous layer of material. The method enables the fabrication of 1D, 2D, or 3D photonic crystals. Photonic crystals in accordance with embodiments of the present invention exhibit low temperature sensitivity and low device curvature. In some embodiments, photonic crystals in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are integrated with mechanical elements, such as micromechanical, nanomechanical, microelectronic, and microfluidics devices and systems.
US08155479B2
In one embodiment of the invention, a digital zoom and panning system for digital video is disclosed including an image acquisition device to capture digital video images; an image buffer to store one or more frames of digital video images as source pixels; a display device having first pixels to display images; a user interface to accept user input including a source rectangle to select source pixels within frames of the digital video images, a destination rectangle to select target pixels within the display device to display images, and a region of interest within the digital video images to display in the destination rectangle; and a digital mapping and filtering device to selectively map and filter source pixels in the region of interest from the image buffer into target pixels of the display device in response to the user input.
US08155452B2
A method for correlating or finding similarity between two data sets. The method can be used for correlating two images with common scene content in order to find correspondence points between the data sets. These correspondence points then can be used to find the transformation parameters which when applied to image 2 brings it into alignment with image 1. The correlation metric has been found to be invariant under image rotation and when applied to corresponding areas of a reference and target image, creates a correlation surface superior to phase and norm cross correlation with respect to the correlation peak to correlation surface ratio. The correlation metric was also found to be superior when correlating data from different sensor types such as from SAR and EO sensors. This correlation method can also be applied to data sets other than image data including signal data.
US08155450B2
A method and electronics circuit for processing very high resolution images or very high frame rate images in real time. Each pixel within a frame of pixels is compared to the neighboring pixels within the frame to determine if the pixel is part of a blob group. If the pixel is part of the blob group, the characteristics of the pixel are added to the statistics for the blob group. When a pixel overlaps two target blob groups, the two blob groups are combined to form one blob group. When the end of the frame is reached information about the blob groups in the frame is made available.
US08155447B2
Embodiments of the invention disclose a system and a method for determining points of parabolic curvature on a surface of a specular object from a set of images of the object is acquired by a camera under a relative motion between a camera-object pair and the environment. The method determines directions of image gradients at each pixel of each image in the set of images, wherein pixels from different images corresponding to an identical point on the surface of the object form corresponding pixels. The corresponding pixels having substantially constant the direction of the image gradients are selected as pixels representing points of the parabolic curvature.
US08155445B2
The present invention relates to an image processing method, an image processing apparatus and an image processing program for dealing with inverted characters (outlined characters) constituted by white pixels on a black ground in a tree structure same as that of normal characters constituted by black pixels on a white ground.In the present invention, black pixel blocks and white pixel blocks are sampled recursively from a binary image, tree structure data indicating a positional relation between the sampled black pixel blocks and white pixel blocks is created, an inverted image is created by white-black-inverting the insides of black pixel blocks that can include inverted characters, of black pixel blocks included in the tree structure data, white pixel blocks and black pixel blacks are sampled from the created inverted image, and data regarding the sampled white pixel blocks and black pixel blocs is added to corresponding nodes of the tree structure data.
US08155438B2
A specific color-adjusting stage adjusts data of an inputted color with respect to a specific color. A total color-adjusting stage adjusts the data of the inputted color with respect to a total color. The specific color-adjusting stage and the total color-adjusting stage are provided in parallel. A composing unit composes linearly an output of the specific color-adjusting stage and an output of the total color-adjusting stage. When a degree that the total color-adjusting stage adjusts the data of the inputted color increases, then a degree that the specific color-adjusting stage adjusts the data of the inputted color decreases, and vice versa.
US08155433B2
A method and computer workstation are disclosed which determine the location in the ground space of selected point in a digital image of the earth obtained by an airborne camera. The image is rectangular and has four corners and corresponds to an image space. The image is associated with data indicating the geo-location coordinates for the points in the ground space corresponding to the four corners of the image, e.g., an image formatted in accordance with the NITF standard. The method includes the steps of: (a) performing independently and in parallel a recursive partitioning of the image space and the ground space into successively smaller quadrants until a pixel coordinate in the image assigned to the selected point is within a predetermined limit (Δ) of the center of a final recursively partitioned quadrant in the image space. The method further includes a step of (b) calculating a geo-location of the point in the ground space corresponding to the selected point in the image space from the final recursively partitioned quadrant in the ground space corresponding to the final recursively partitioned quadrant in the image space. The methods are particularly useful for geo-location from oblique reconnaissance imagery.
US08155432B2
Photographing apparatus having a plurality of photographic optical systems, comprises: an attitude detecting device which detects an attitude of the apparatus body; a physical relationship information obtaining device which obtains information on physical relationship among the photographic optical systems setting; and a shooting direction information obtaining device which obtains information on the shooting direction of each of the photographic optical systems. The images photographed by each of the photographic optical systems may be corrected based on information on the attitude of the apparatus body, information on the physical relationship among the photographic optical systems, and information on the shooting direction of each of the photographic optical systems. Thereby it enables to easily correct tilt and the like of the images.
US08155420B2
A system and method for detecting poor quality images in an optical tomography system includes an acquisition apparatus for acquiring a set of pseudo-projection images of an object having a center of mass, where each of the set of pseudo-projection images is acquired at a different angle of view. A reconstruction apparatus is coupled to receive the pseudo-projection images, for reconstruction of the pseudo-projection images into 3D reconstruction images. A quality apparatus is coupled to receive the 3D reconstruction images and operates to detect of selected features that characterize poor quality reconstructions.
US08155411B2
A computer-implemented method (and corresponding data processing facility and computer program) for creating a 3D bifurcation healthy model from multiple 2D angiographic images comprises the following: a. Creating a 3-D model based on said images; b. Defining a bifurcation region regarding said 3D model; c. Creating an area curve regarding said region; d. Creating a reference area curve regarding said region whilst reconstructing in 2D; e. Creating a healthy model regarding said area curves; and f. Computing quantitative analysis results regarding said healthy model based on the healthy cross-sectional areas of the bifurcation, obstruction boundaries and the diseased 3D model consisting of the bifurcation centerlines and cross-sections of the lumen on the centerline, the healthy centerline and cross-sections.
US08155404B2
An image display apparatus which displays a form image indicative of a form about an imaging area of a subject and a quantitative value image indicative of quantitative values measured with respect to characteristics of the imaging area, said image display apparatus includes a display unit which displays the form image on a display screen thereof and a specific area setting unit which sets a specific area at the form image displayed on the display screen by the display unit. When the specific area is set at the form image by the specific area setting unit, the display unit displays the quantitative value image on the display screen side by side with the form image in such a manner that the quantitative value image indicates the quantitative values measured with respect to a position corresponding to the specific area set at the imaging area.
US08155400B2
A method of cropping a representation of a face for electronic processing, said method comprising: selecting a first geodesic contour about an invariant reference point on said face, setting a region within said first geodesic contour as a first mask, selecting a second geodesic contour about a boundary of said identified first region, setting a region within said second geodesic contour as a second mask, and forming a final mask from a union of said first mask and said second mask.
US08155397B2
A method operable in a digital image acquisition system having no photographic film is provided. The method comprises receiving a relatively low resolution image of a scene from an image stream, wherein the scene potentially includes one or more faces. At least one high quality face classifier is applied to the image to identify relatively large and medium sized face regions and at least one relaxed face classifier is applied to the image to identify relatively small sized face regions. A relatively high resolution image of nominally the same scene is received and at least one high quality face classifier is applied to the identified small sized face regions in the higher resolution version of said image.
US08155396B2
An apparatus detects a predetermined number of facial images from detection target images. An inclination order setting means utilizes the correlative relationships among correlative data obtained by a correlative data obtaining means and the inclinations of faces that appear in input images, to determine the relative value of the probability that faces of a predetermined inclination will appear in the input images. The inclination order setting means sets the order of inclinations of faces to be detected such that faces are detected in order of inclinations according to the relative values of the probabilities, based on the correlative data that they will appear. A face detecting means detects faces within the input images while varying the inclinations of faces to be detected according to the set order.
US08155395B2
An iris authentication apparatus includes an iris area extraction unit, registration pattern generating unit, collation pattern generating unit, and collation unit. The iris area extraction unit extracts iris areas from a sensed registration eyeball image and a sensed collation eyeball image. When the iris area extraction unit extracts an iris area from the registration eyeball image, the registration pattern generating unit generates a registration iris pattern image by performing polar coordinate transformation of an image in the extracted iris area. When the iris area extraction unit extracts an iris area from the collation eyeball image, the collation pattern generating unit generates a collation iris pattern image by performing polar coordinate transformation of an image in the extracted iris area. The collation unit collates the registration iris pattern image output from the registration pattern generating unit and the collation iris pattern image output from the collation pattern generating unit on the basis of a correlation therebetween.
US08155389B2
A method, a system, and a computer-readable medium are provided which perform motion correction of image data. A first set of data and a second set of data of k-space data of an object to be imaged are received. The first set of data and the second set of data include a plurality of phase encoded lines that encompass the object to be imaged. The first set of data correlates with the second set of data. A cross-correlation is calculated by multiplying the first set of data and the second set of data in k-space. A value of the motion of the object to be imaged that occurred between acquisition of the first set of data and acquisition of the second set of data is calculated using the cross-correlation. The second set of data is corrected using the calculated value to remove the motion. The correction process is repeated until the k-space data is completely processed.
US08155379B2
The present invention provides an automatic reproduction method for automatically sequentially reproducing multiple original images, the method comprising the steps of: determining whether or not the original image to be automatically reproduced is an image including a face image of a person; if it is determined that the original image is an image including a face image of a person, cutting out the image of a face area including the face image from the original image; and adding face reproduction in which the cut out image of the face area is displayed in an enlarged state, to automatic reproduction of the original image.
US08155370B2
An audio system utilizes a method for detecting and adjusting a sound field effect thereof. The audio system includes a first speaker and a second speaker. The first speaker is used to emit a first sound signal, and the second speaker is used to emit a second sound signal. The method for adjusting the sound field effect includes the steps of detecting a specific position and adjusting the first speaker or the second speaker based on the specific position to focus the first sound signal and the second sound signal on the specific position.
US08155364B2
An electronic device includes a first acoustic opening, a first microphone, a second acoustic opening, a second microphone, two flexible boots, and two chambers. The first microphone receives sound through the first acoustic opening. The second microphone receives the sound through the second acoustic opening. The first and second acoustic openings are spaced at least about 8 cm. The first microphone and the second microphone are identical and disposed in the flexible boots. The flexible boots are identical and disposed in the chambers. The chambers are identical.
US08155363B2
An electrical horn includes a horn housing, an oscillation member located at the horn housing to generate a sonic wave, and a resonance tube in which the sonic wave generated by the oscillation member flows. In the electrical horn, the resonance tube has a plurality of sonic outlet portions that are open in different directions. Accordingly, when the electrical horn is mounted to a vehicle, it is possible to reduce an amount of foreign material entering into the resonance tube while increasing a sonic pressure toward a vehicle front side.
US08155359B2
Hearing-aid wearers should be able to converse unimpeded even in noisy environments. Provided for this is a hearing system with a first hearing device, a second hearing device and a remote control for the operation of the first and/or second hearing device. The remote control is embodied as a base station to which the first and second hearing device is able to log on to establish a spontaneous communication network. This facilitates a wireless communication using a remote control as a relay station and without the influence of background noise.
US08155357B2
A method and an apparatus to reproduce a 7.1 channel encoded sound through a 5.1 channel speaker system are provided. The apparatus includes a decoder to separate a 7.1 channel audio bitstream into 8 channel audio signals, a signal corrector to correct characteristics of a left channel audio signal, a right channel audio signal, a center channel audio signal, left and right surround channel audio signals, and a low frequency effect channel audio signal out of the 8 channel audio signals, a back surround filter to form virtual speakers for a left back channel audio signal and a right back channel audio signal at arbitrary locations using head related transfer functions measured at predetermined locations around a listener and to cancel crosstalk between the virtual speakers, and an adder to add the right surround channel audio signal output by the signal corrector to the right back channel audio signal output by the back surround filter and to add the left surround channel audio signal output by the signal corrector to the left back channel audio signal output by the back surround filter.
US08155354B2
A condenser microphone capsule is described. The condenser microphone capsule (10) has an electrically conducting transducer membrane (15) arranged in parallel with and at a distance from an electrically conducting electrode surface (26) wherein the active area (20) of the transducer membrane has an essentially triangular shape. The microphone capsule may comprise a lid (50) with a membrane opening (55) that defines the shape of the active area (20) of the transducer membrane (15).
US08155351B2
A sound signal generator includes a sound signal output function for outputting a sound signal to a command-driven amplifier that drives a speaker by using the sound signal being converted according to a control command, a first counter control function for changing a content of a first counter in a storage medium in a predetermined manner, a control command sending function for sending a control command to the command-driven amplifier upon having change in the content of the first counter in the predetermined manner, and a second counter control function for changing a content of a second counter in the storage medium in the predetermined manner upon having the control command sent to the command-driven amplifier by the control command sending function.
US08155341B2
In accordance with a traveling state of a vehicle, a tone indicating, for example, that the vehicle is traveling is generated as a tone of a first performance part. Also, a variation in any of various states of the vehicle, such as an operating condition of a winker or flasher, is detected, and a tone corresponding to the detected state is generated as a tone of a second performance part. For example, ensemble data including the first and second performance parts may be employed.
US08155339B2
A loudspeaker has a horn adapted to both cause air drag and to direct acoustic waves. A speaker and signal generator are electrically coupled to the speaker and secure to the horn. The loudspeaker is transported over a target and dropped from a high elevation. Upon landing the loudspeaker commences broadcasting a message. A shock absorber may secure to the horn and absorbs some of the shock of impact. Contact sensors or motions sensors may trigger broadcasting a message from the speaker. A portion of the horn may be expandable to increase the size of the horn upon deployment or upon impact with the ground.
US08155336B2
Additional functionality in a wireless headset allows it to be used during times that the external device with which it is wirelessly coupled is not being used, but when the headset is nevertheless being worn. This is accomplished by integrating a media player into the wireless headset. The media player may be an audio player, capable, e.g., of playing audio files such as MPEG-3 (“MP3”) files. Optionally, the media player may include a recording function as well, so that a user can record voice notes. In addition, if the external device is a telephone (mobile or landline), the availability of a recording function could make it possible for the user to record all or part of a conversation. Similarly, voicemail messages received on the user's telephone could be uploaded into the headset for later off-line playback. Media files recorded by the headset also could be downloaded to the external device.
US08155320B2
Provided is a data storage device capable of safely and effectively updating software of a home electric apparatus. In the home electric apparatus (100) in which currently used data is to be updated to new data, a reception unit (140) receives encrypted new data and a serial number of data to be updated. A key generation unit (112) generates a key by executing a predetermined irreversible calculation on the unique information correlated to the currently used data by a number of times based on the serial number of the data to be updated. An update unit (113) decrypts the new data by using the key.
US08155319B2
A method for protecting traffic in a radio access network connected to at least two core networks. The method comprises maintaining a corenetwork-specific authentication protocol and a radio-bearer-specific ciphering process, and generating, for each ciphering process, a count parameter comprising a cyclical sequence number and a hyperframe number (HFN) which is incremented each time the cyclical sequence number completes one cycle. For each core network or authentication protocol, a first radio bearer of a session is initialized with a HFN exceeding the highest HFN used during the previous session. When a new radio bearer is established, the mobile station selects the highest HFN used during the session for the core network in question, increments it and uses it for initializing the count parameter for the new radio bearer. At the end of a session, the mobile station stores at least part of the highest HFN used during the session.
US08155315B2
A data file reproduction system has a data file supplying apparatus that extracts video data and audio data from a received data file, compresses the extracted video and audio data and produces a compressed data file containing the compressed audio and video data together with meta data or navigation data determined from the received data file for enabling navigation of the original data file. The compressed data file is then copy-protected. Upon request, the copy-protected compressed data file is communicated to a reproduction apparatus. The reproduction apparatus decompresses the compressed audio and video data of the received copy-protected compressed data file, encodes the decompressed audio and video data and produces a copy-protected reconstituted data file containing the encoded audio and video data together with the meta or navigation data determined from the copy-protected compressed data file, so enabling navigation of the copy-protected reconstituted data file in the same manner as the original data file.
US08155304B2
A communications device is presented for providing bi-directional audio communications between a near-end user and a far-end user via a bidirectional communications channel. The communications device includes an adaptive echo canceller receiving a near-end audio signal and a far-end audio signal and providing an echo-canceled near-end audio signal for transmission to the far-end user via the communications channel. The adaptive echo canceller includes a first bank of analysis filters for filtering the near-end audio signal, a second bank of analysis filters for filtering the far-end audio signal, and a bank of synthesis filters for filtering sub-band echo-canceled signals generated within the adaptive echo canceller. The first and second filter banks have a frequency response optimized to reduce echo residual gain.
US08155301B2
A dialing prompt system and method may include a monitoring unit, and a dialing prompt information processing unit. The monitoring unit is adapted to monitor whether it is necessary to send dialing prompt information to a user, and if necessary, trigger the dialing prompt information processing unit. The dialing prompt information processing unit determines dialing prompt information for the user, and sends the information to the user. After the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a communication system, if the user sends a call request (by going off-hook, for example), the dialing prompt system generates voice information, text information, picture information, or video image information (namely, at least one of such items) as an indication that allows the user to make the call. That is, at least one item of “voice information, text information, picture information, and video image information” may form diversified information to replace the existing unitary dialing prompt audio signal.
US08155300B2
A method, computer program product, and an apparatus for transferring a telephone call and associated data from an IVR system to a live agent or other system are provided. An exemplary embodiment may include a voice portal of the IVR system requesting an access number for a live agent and sending data associated with the telephone call to a CTI system. The CTI system may request and receive a routing label from a router and then send the data associated with the telephone call and the request for an access number to a call center using the routing label provided by the router. The CTI system may receive the access number from the call center and send the access number back through the IVR system to an exchange carrier for transferring the caller to the call center.
US08155295B1
A method and apparatus for providing a method for determining the status of allocated phone numbers in a VoIP network by providing a tool to automatically determine whether allocated phone numbers are in service, deactivated, or waiting to be allocated phone numbers are disclosed. The present method enables access into service provisioning systems and their associated database regarding move, add, change, and disconnect operations to make this determination.
US08155286B2
A communication apparatus includes: a modem that modulates and demodulates a signal transmitted and received through a communication line; a caller information acquisition unit that acquires caller information for identifying a caller based on the signal output from the modem; a display device that displays the caller information; an instantaneous disconnection detection unit that detects an occurrence of an instantaneous disconnection while the communication line is connected; and a reconfiguration unit that reconfigures the modem when the instantaneous disconnection detection unit detects the instantaneous disconnection.
US08155282B2
A method includes receiving from a visual voice mail (VVM) client a request to access VVM services and determining whether VVM services have been previously activated. The method further includes providing a negative response to the VVM client if it is determined that VVM services have not been activated and receiving, from the VVM client, a self-provisioning request to initialize VVM services. The method may also include configuring VVM services based on the self-provisioning request and providing, to the VVM client, an indication that VVM services have been configured. The method may additionally include providing notifications and retrieval of voice mail messages, and submitting voice mail messages from the user device.
US08155279B2
A method processes a call received from a caller over a communication network. The method determines a telephone number of the caller, and accesses an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the caller, the caller's stored language preference being associated with the caller's telephone number in the electronic database. The method also routs the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the caller in the electronic database.
US08155277B2
A method and system for communicating without use of manual contact with a communications unit. The user approaches a communications system and can activate a communications unit by a proximity/motion detector and/or a voice activation device. The person can generate audio signals, such as by voice command, to activate the unit and establish contact. Body movements can also be used to connect to a specific location and/or control the communications mode, such as private, semi-private or conference call mode.
US08155272B2
In one aspect, an x-ray scanning device is provided. The x-ray scanning device comprises a target adapted to convert electron-beam (e-beam) energy into x-ray energy, a detector array positioned to detect at least some x-rays emitted from the target, and a conveyer mechanism adapted to convey items to be inspected through an inspection region formed by the target and the detector array, wherein the target and the detector array are rotated out of alignment with each other such that x-rays emitted from the target impinge on diametrically positioned detectors of the detector array without passing through near-side detectors of the detector array.
US08155267B2
A device for X-ray analysis of a sample (1), including: a generation system for the generation of an X-ray beam to irradiate an analysis zone of the sample, said analysis zone defining a analysis mean plane, and the X-ray beam being emitted along a direction of incidence; a detection system for the detection, in at least one dimension, of X-rays diffracted by the irradiated analysis zone. An analyser system located between the sample and the detection system and includes an X-ray diffracting surface forming a partial surface of revolution about an axis of revolution being contained in the analysis mean plane, with the axis of revolution being distinct from the direction of incidence and passing through the centre of the analysis zone, and with the diffracting surface being oriented so as to diffract the X-rays toward the detection system.
US08155266B2
When urinary organ contrasting inspection is performed by using a fluoroscopy for digestive organs, a region of interest such as a bladder often comes to a vicinity of a foot side end of a table top. Consequently, it is often the case that an irradiation field cannot be limited to a suitable area with respect to the region of interest and only an oblique photography can be performed. When the urinary organ contrasting inspection is performed, an X-ray tube device (1), an X-ray diaphragm (16), and an X-ray image detector (3) are interlocked to enable a foot side end of the irradiation field to be consistent with a foot side end of the X-ray image detector (3). Thus, a focal point (1A) of the X-ray tube device (1) can be moved directly above the foot side end of the X-ray image detector (3).
US08155264B2
A computed tomography system (100) includes a windowing component (140) that receives an ECG signal that includes a premature heart cycle. The ECG signal is time-synchronized with x-ray projection data of a beating heart. The windowing component (140) either removes or repositions a first reconstruction window within a first heart cycle to correspond to a desired cardiac phase when the premature heart cycle causes the first reconstruction window to correspond to a different cardiac phase, based on available data. A reconstructor (148) that reconstructs projection data corresponding to a plurality of reconstruction windows from different cardiac cycles generates image data indicative of the desired phase of the heart.
US08155257B2
Disclosed herein is synchronizing circuit including: a numerically controlled oscillating section; a phase rotating section; a phase error estimating section; a loop filter; and a gain controlling section; wherein the gain controlling section controls the gain so as to suppress an effect of a phase error in an immediate main signal section in a known start section from a start of the known section to a predetermined symbol.
US08155252B2
A frequency error correction scheme applicable in a receiver of a mobile telecommunication system is presented. The present frequency error correction scheme is carried out in a time domain after an equalization process. The present frequency error correction scheme may be applied to a base station receiving signals transmitted according to a single-carrier frequency division multiple access communication scheme. The separation of different received signals for further processing is carried out in the frequency domain before the equalization and the frequency error correction.
US08155251B2
A technique for detecting one or more access bursts (112) in a random access channel (110) is described. Each access burst includes a transmission preamble, the transmission preamble being a member of a preamble set including sequences of preamble symbols that can be obtained by cyclically shifting a basic preamble sequence. A detector (118, 120) in a radio base station (108) determines correlation information indicative of a correlation of a single correlation preamble with each of the one or more received transmission preambles, wherein the correlation preamble is a member of the preamble set. The one or more access bursts are detected based on the correlation information.
US08155231B2
A method for selecting an antenna in an orthogonalized spatial multiplexing system. Upon receipt of at least one symbol from a transmitter via multiple receive antennas, a receiver decodes each of the received symbols; determines a rotation angle between the received symbols, and selects an optimal subset of transmit antennas using a distance between vectors of the decoded symbols; generates feedback information including the determined rotation angle and the selected optimal subset, and transmits the generated feedback information to the transmitter. Upon receipt of the feedback information, the transmitter beam-forms an antenna corresponding to the optimal subset depending on the received feedback information, and transmits a data symbol to the receiver. The receiver detects each of data symbols received from the transmitter.
US08155229B2
An apparatus is provided for transmitting a signal in a communication system. Upon receipt of an information vector, the apparatus includes converting the information vector into a plurality of sub-information vectors; performing coding and modulation on each of the sub-information vectors according to a corresponding mode thereby generating a modulation symbol; interleaving the modulation symbol generated for each of the sub-information vectors; allocating power to the interleaved modulation symbol for each individual mode; and beamforming the modulation symbols power-allocated for each individual mode, and transmitting the beamforming symbols.
US08155225B2
A wireless communications device may include a wireless transmitter, a modulator connected to the wireless transmitter, and a white Gaussian noise generator connected to the modulator. The white Gaussian noise generator may include at least one pseudorandom number generator, and a fast Walsh transform module for generating white Gaussian noise based upon the pseudorandom numbers.
US08155220B2
A transmit filter for a stream of OFDM symbols has a remapper, Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter and a controller, the transmit filter operating on a stream of OFDM symbols. The transmit filter accepts symbols to be transmitted, the re-mapper re-orders them, the IIR filters the re-ordered stream, and a controller provides an output by rearranging the filtered symbols. The incoming symbol stream contains a series of symbols, each followed by a guard interval, where each guard interval has a first Tg symbol interval, and a second Tg symbol interval, the remapper generating a re-ordered stream having a first Tg symbol interval, a second Tg symbol interval and the symbol, the output of the IIR filter thereby generating a filtered first Tg symbol, a filtered second Tg symbol, and a filtered symbol, and the controller forms the transmit output by discarding the filtered first Tg symbol and outputting, in sequence, the filtered second Tg symbol, the filtered symbol, and a copy of the filtered second Tg symbol. The filtered second Tg symbol may be saved into a local buffer at the time it is initially output for use following the current symbol.
US08155209B2
A picture decoding method and apparatus for decoding a bit stream, the bit stream being compatible with MPEG 1 moving picture video standard. The method includes receiving, via an input terminal, from a bit stream that includes extension data added in a header of a picture layer of the bit stream when the header includes control data that is newly added in MPEG 2 standard format, the extension data of an anterior header of the picture layer. The method also includes decoding the bit stream in the picture layer using the extension data of an anterior header of the picture layer when an extension start code indicating the beginning of the extension data of the current header is not received from the bit stream.
US08155207B2
Systems and methods that receives a video stream in a transport stream, the first video stream comprising a plurality of compressed pictures, and that receives information in the video stream, wherein the information includes plural data fields, the received information comprising: a first data field corresponding to a location in the video stream of a potential splice point in the video stream, wherein the value of the first data field identifies a location in the video stream after the location of the received information in the video stream; a second data field corresponding to decompressed pictures yet to be output (DPYTBO) by a video decoder at the identified potential splice point (IPSP) when the video decoder decompresses the video stream, wherein the value of the second data field is a number corresponding to the DPYTBO by the video decoder at the IPSP; and a third data field corresponding to pictures with contiguous output times (WCOT), wherein the value of the third field corresponds to a set of pictures WCOT of the DPYTBO by the video decoder at the IPSP.
US08155206B2
A picture encoding method of the present invention is a picture encoding method of predictively encoding an input picture with reference to pictures stored in a picture buffer, decoding the encoded input picture, judging whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for reference and whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for output which needs to be stored until its display time, and storing, in the picture buffer, the picture for reference and the picture for output based on the determination result.
US08155201B2
A motion vector coding method and apparatus that improves efficiency of coding motion vectors when a current block is coded using a plurality of motion vectors. The apparatus includes a motion vector coding unit that codes a motion vector inputted from a motion vector detecting unit. A motion vector for each current block is coded based on a difference between the motion vector and a predicted vector obtained from motion vectors for previously coded neighboring blocks. The predicted vector is generated by one of the following processes: (A) the motion vectors which refer to the same picture are selected from among the motion vectors for the neighboring blocks so as to generate the predicted vector; (B) the motion vectors for the respective neighboring blocks are ordered in the predetermined order, and the motion vectors of the same order rank are selected from the ordered motion vectors so as to generate the predicted vector; and (C) the predicted vector for the second motion vector of the current block shall be the first motion vector, and if the second motion vector and the first motion vector refer to different pictures, the first motion vector is scaled according to the temporal distance between the pictures so as to generate the predicted vector.
US08155200B2
A motion vector coding method and apparatus that improves efficiency of coding motion vectors when a current block is coded using a plurality of motion vectors. The apparatus includes a motion vector coding unit that codes a motion vector inputted from a motion vector detecting unit. A motion vector for each current block is coded based on a difference between the motion vector and a predicted vector obtained from motion vectors for previously coded neighboring blocks. The predicted vector is generated by one of the following processes: (A) the motion vectors which refer to the same picture are selected from among the motion vectors for the neighboring blocks so as to generate the predicted vector; (B) the motion vectors for the respective neighboring blocks are ordered in the predetermined order, and the motion vectors of the same order rank are selected from the ordered motion vectors so as to generate the predicted vector; and (C) the predicted vector for the second motion vector of the current block shall be the first motion vector, and if the second motion vector and the first motion vector refer to different pictures, the first motion vector is scaled according to the temporal distance between the pictures so as to generate the predicted vector.
US08155186B2
A conventional coding method has a problem that, for frame-by-frame reverse playback, data must be once decoded in a forward direction and thus a larger volume of data must be processed and a larger volume of memory is required. By recoding a forward predicted picture and a backward predicted picture for a frame in a bit stream, the bit stream can be played back reversely frame by frame easily. By the use of this method for multi-viewpoint video coding, a device that can play back pictures while varying the viewpoint in real time is realized.
US08155179B2
An adaptive cable equalizer includes a data signal input unit, a clock signal input unit, a variable equalizer that inputs a data signal input from the data signal input unit, and a transition time measuring portion that measures a transition time of a data signal output from the variable equalizer, with an equalizer control loop being configured that controls characteristics of the variable equalizer based on the output signal of the transition time measuring portion. The adaptive cable equalizer further includes a control circuit that controls response characteristics of the control loop according to the frequency of a clock signal input from the clock signal input unit. This enables a quick response at fast transfer rates by making the relationship between the response time of the control loop and the number of data bits substantially constant even when the transfer rate changes from a slow transfer rate to a fast transfer rate.
US08155178B2
A data processing apparatus maps input symbols to be communicated onto a predetermined number of sub-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 sub-carrier signals. The interleaver memory reads-out the data symbols on to the OFDM sub-carriers to effect the mapping, the read-out being in a different order than the read-in, the order being determined from a set of addresses, with the effect that the data symbols are interleaved on to the sub-carrier signals. The set of addresses are generated from an address generator which comprises a linear feedback shift register and a permutation circuit.
US08155171B2
A multipath signal judging method includes: performing correlation calculation for I and Q components for a reception signal as a positioning signal modulated in a spread code and a replica code; judging code phase based on the correlation calculation; calculating an angle formed by position vectors of correlation values at advanced phase and delayed phase from the code phase in advanced and delayed directions by N chip (0
US08155165B2
Parameters of a spread spectrum clock signal in a communication signal are characterized by acquiring voltage samples of the communication signal at a nominal time location of an edge of the communication signal. The voltage samples are converted to time samples and the difference between the maximum and minimum time values is determined at the nominal time location. A spread spectrum clock magnitude number is generated by dividing the difference between the maximum and minimum time values by the nominal time location of the acquired voltage samples of the spread spectrum clock signal. A spread spectrum modulation profile of a spread spectrum clock signal is estimated by over sampling the time samples using an aliased index value to generate over sampled triangular waveforms representing the spread spectrum clock modulation profile. One of the over sampled triangular waveforms is use to generate the spread spectrum clock modulation profile.
US08155158B2
The invention discloses a network aggregation system, apparatus and method for creating aggregated network connections to provide high availability and increased throughput where the plurality of network connections may possess diverse physical and logical characteristics. Increased throughput on the aggregated network connection equals the sum of the available throughput on the aggregated network connections. Aggregation is performed in a transparent fashion, independent of any physical or logical characteristics of the individual connections. Network connectivity over the aggregated connection is managed such that the loss or gain of connectivity in an individual connection among the aggregated group does not result in the loss of data from the data stream aggregation device.
US08155155B1
The present invention sets forth computer-readable non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions for providing network-centric service distribution method that integrates a wireless access system/service with conventional telecommunications services in the residence, SOHO, business or public environment through the use of a local broadband network, such as a Residential-Business Broadband Network (RBN). The RBN communicates with the service provider's broadband transport network and broadband packet network to facilitate end-to-end packet telecommunication services. Signals from a plurality of wireless devices are accepted and forwarded to an IEEE 802.11b interface for a wireless modem and/or to an Ethernet interface for a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP)/Ethernet Processor, where the forwarded signals comprise intranet telephony and data.
US08155143B2
A data transmission system forming a network including transmission line sections comprising traditional infrastructure such as AC power line (mains), twisted-pair (e.g. CAT-5) and coaxial cable wiring interconnected with a novel adapter to form a data system also providing data transfer over an extended length and diversity of connected equipment. Further combined with a data bridge connected to conventional format data (e.g. Ethernet) and to the traditional data infrastructure wiring, the novel adapter permits connection to any 2 of twisted pair/multi-pair, coaxial and power mains for data flow therebetween.
US08155128B2
The invention includes a method and apparatus for establishing DIAMETER associations between nodes of a network. The invention uses a DIAMETER application server disposed between DIAMETER nodes in order to establish DIAMETER associations between nodes and, further, to provide DIAMETER traffic load balancing using established associations. A method includes receiving a DIAMETER connection establishment request from an originating node requesting an association with a destination node, terminating the DIAMETER connection establishment request, obtaining respective DIAMETER associations for the originating node and the destination node, linking the obtained DIAMETER associations, and storing the linked DIAMETER associations. The DIAMETER association for a node may be obtained by identifying a node associated with the DIAMETER connection establishment request, determining if an association exists for the identified node, and retrieving the association from memory if an association exists for the identified node, retrieving the association from memory, or, if an association does not exist for the identified node, establishing the association.
US08155122B2
The present invention is directed to a system for linking a first autonomous network system to at least one second autonomous network system. The first autonomous network system having a first private IP address space and the at least one second autonomous network system having at least one second private IP address space. The first private IP address space and the at least one second private IP address space are at least partially overlapping. The system includes a first routing domain including the first autonomous network system and at least one second routing domain including the at least one second autonomous network system. A geographically diverse linking autonomous system couples the first autonomous network system and the at least one second autonomous network system. The linking autonomous system includes a first routing domain management system configured to manage the first routing domain, and at least one second routing domain management system configured to manage the at least one second routing domain.
US08155115B2
A method for transmission, a method for reception, a system, a transmitter and a receiver for signalling a hierarchical priority mapping of a transport stream (TS) to a receiver is disclosed. A way to separate tuning information between different TSs with different priorities. In a wireless hierarchical broadband transmission, preferably based on DVB-T, one signal may carry two transport streams: low priority (LP) stream and high priority (HP) stream, and both should be identified with their own respective transport_stream_id. One bit flag is added into a certain descriptor of the broadband transmission to indicate the hierarchy of the transport stream on which said descriptor is providing information. By the appliance of this priority indication or priority flag, the receiver can obtain hierarchy mapping of each transport stream announced in the administrative information of the broadband transmission.
US08155113B1
An integrated circuit includes a plurality of tiles, and a plurality of interface modules coupled to the switches of a subset of the tiles. Each tile comprises a processor, and a switch including switching circuitry to forward data over data paths from other tiles to the processor and to switches of other tiles. At least some of the interface modules are configured to multiplex data from one or more parallel communication links of the switch to an multiplexed communication link having reduced parallelization, and mediate between a network protocol of the switch and a communication protocol of the multiplexed communication link.
US08155100B2
A method and apparatus for multiplexing a reference signal from a User Equipment (UE), not having any other signal transmission in the respective Transmission Time Interval (TTI), with a reference signal from another UE also having data transmission in the respective TTI, or with the control signal and reference signal from another UE transmitted in the respective TTI. The multiplexed reference signal from the UE not having any other signal transmission in the respective TTI can serve as a sounding reference signal to enable the serving base station to apply link adaptation to a subsequent signal transmitted by the UE or it can serve as a reference signal conveying state information, such as resource request or service request.
US08155099B2
A method of operating wireless devices includes providing a plurality of sender nodes each having a respective message to wirelessly send to a receiver node. A probability distribution is assigned to a plurality of frequency channels such that a respective probability of selection is assigned to each frequency channel. At least two of the probabilities of selection are unequal. A respective frequency channel is probabilistically selected for each of the sender nodes according to the probability distribution. The messages are wirelessly sent from the sender nodes to the receiver node in the selected frequency channels. The receiver node is used to sample a first one of the frequency channels and a second one of the frequency channels. The second frequency channel has a higher respective probability of selection than the first frequency channel. If the receiver node sensed a signal in both the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel during the sampling, the receiver node is tuned to the first frequency channel and receives a remainder of the message on the first frequency channel.
US08155096B1
Each of multiple directional transmissions from an antenna array of a subscriber unit are received at a base unit. Based on the detected quality of received signals at the base unit, directional transmissions from the antenna array that produce a higher quality of received signal at the base unit receiver are identified. Feedback messages can be used to notify the subscriber unit which of the directional transmissions are optimal. Consequently, settings of an antenna array at the subscriber unit can be adjusted to support more efficient directional transmissions from the subscriber unit to the base unit.
US08155082B2
Terminal devices F and G store statistical information related to interference from an external communication system, and notify the stored statistical information to a master station E. The master station E determines the terminal device G as a candidate station for a master station capability handover destination based on collected statistical information. The master station E requests to hand over a master station capability to the terminal device G. If it is determined that the terminal device G accepts handover of the master station capability, the terminal device G starts to act as the master station.
US08155080B2
A heterogeneous network system performs a vertical handover based on media independent handover (MIH) in different networks in which a WiMAX (Wireless Broadband Internet) network (or a WiBro (Wireless Broadband Internet)) and a WLAN (Wireless LAN) network are coexisted. The heterogeneous network system cyclically acquires neighboring network information in advance through a media independent handover server, and performs new address (NCoA) generation at a handover preliminary time. And then DAD (Duplicate Address Detection) and BU (Binding Update) are performed. Accordingly, the vertical handover between different networks can be performed to receive packets from a switched network while a handover delay time is minimized.
US08155075B2
A processing capability for data communication with a packet terminal is secured while packet loss is prevented, and a load to a mobile station in a handover is reduced. A wireless communication system comprises mobile stations 101 and 102 each having a wireless interface a configured with an antenna 11a and a wireless transmission/reception unit 12a as well as a wireless interface b configured with an antenna 11b and a wireless transmission/reception unit 12b, MAC addresses being assigned to the wireless interfaces, and base stations 201 and 202 for performing data transfer with the mobile stations 101 and 102, a L2SW 302 for switching base stations that performs the data transfer, and a packet terminal 401 for performing the data communication with the mobile stations 101 and 102. When the mobile stations 101 and 102 perform the handover, a data transfer MAC address assigned to the wireless interface (one of a and b) is reassigned to the other wireless interface.
US08155074B1
Methods and systems for improving the performance of a radio access network (RAN) are presented. In particular, for a given WCD, a RAN may detect a pattern of forward link buffer occupancy and reverse link buffer occupancy that is indicative of the given WCD's reverse link data rate suffering from the effects of the WCD's forward link being congested. Accordingly, the RAN may allocate additional forward link capacity to the given WCD, so that the given WCD may be able to receive more data on the forward link. As a result, the WCD may also be able to transmit at a higher reverse link data rate.
US08155073B2
Disclosed is an OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) wireless communication system operable on a frequency selective channel, and a channel compensation method. An IDFT (inverse discrete Fourier transform) unit of a transmitter includes first through third N-point IDFT units, and performs IDFT on a binary information signal twice. A DFT (discrete Fourier transform) unit of a receiver includes first through third N-point DFT units, a channel predictor and interpolator, and a channel compensator, and performs DFT on the signal received from the transmitter twice.
US08155068B2
A base-station apparatus measures a frequency variation and time variation based on a signal transmitted from a mobile machine. Then, based on the measured frequency variation and time variation, the base-station apparatus allocates either an adjacent sub-channel or a distributed sub-channel to the mobile machine. With this, the base-station apparatus allocates a sub-channel according to the wireless propagation environment where the mobile machine is located.
US08155067B2
A method and apparatus for signaling the release of a persistent resource in long term evolution (LTE) are disclosed. An indication of the release of a downlink (DL) persistent resource is received by a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) from an evolved Node-B (eNB) via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). A positive acknowledgement (ACK) is transmitted by the WTRU which denotes that the indication has been received. The PDCCH or a medium access control (MAC) CE may be used by the eNB to signal the indication. At least one bit may be added to contents of the PDCCH to signal whether the PDCCH is for DL persistent or dynamic resource allocation. The DL persistent resource is then released and an indication that the DL persistent resource has been released is transmitted.
US08155066B2
A scheduling apparatus and method for proportional resource allocation among Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) are provided. The method includes, for each MVNO, allocating a dedicated resource of each MVNO to Quality of Service (QoS) traffic in consideration of priorities, for each MVNO, determining a presence or absence of unscheduled QoS traffic, and for MVNOs each of which has the unscheduled QoS traffic, allocating a common resource shared by all MVNOs to the unscheduled QoS traffic in consideration of priorities without distinguishing each MVNO. Accordingly, proportional resource allocation depending on a pre-set ratio can be guaranteed, efficiency of resource use can be improved, and QoS can be guaranteed.
US08155065B2
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements for interference reduction for bursty or intermitted transmissions. DPCCH gating with regular on/off-gating patterns can create waveforms that can interfere with non-UMTS audio equipments, e.g. hearing aids. The present invention relates to modifying the transmission instants of data packets in such a way such interference can be significantly reduced. This is achieved by introducing a randomization mechanism into the mapping function of data packets onto the HARQ processes, which in turn are mapped onto predefined transmission occasions (sub-frames). This results in a non-periodic transmission pattern while maintaining user data transmission requirements.
US08155061B2
Method of and system for transmitting signals, e.g. control signals, request signals, interrogation signals etc. in a control system comprising at least two units, wherein at least one of said units is designed to operate as a master unit and wherein at least one of said units is designed to operate as a slave unit, whereby a plurality of channels may be used for the transmission, whereby a first unit performs the steps of detecting a vacant channel and transmitting a signal via said vacant channel, and whereby at least one other unit performs the step of scanning the channels for transmitted signals.
US08155055B2
This disclosure relates to frequency hopping (FH) communication systems, such as Bluetooth. In particular, it relates to a substantially automatic recovery procedure for re-establishing a previously lost link or connection between a master unit and a slave unit in a frequency hopping communications system. Some embodiments of the disclosed invention relates to methods for recovery of a previously lost link or connection between two Bluetooth units in a Bluetooth Sniff mode.
US08155052B2
A wireless device is operable to use received signals to divide time into a succession of frames, each frame having plural consecutive timeslots, and into a succession of four or more superframes. A transmitter is operated only in a single timeslot in one frame. A receiver is operated in the other timeslots in the frame and for all timeslots of immediately preceding and following frames, and in no other frames. This allows devices to predict periods in which to hibernate or carry out intensive tasks. The device determines which timeslots of the first frame are occupied to provide local awareness information, and transmits it as a code on its transmit timeslot along with payload data. This allows other devices in a network to obtain information about their local environment and about the environment of their neighbors. Routing decisions are made on this basis.
US08155051B2
Improving a transmission latency of a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is provided. The apparatus includes a communicator transmitting a message for measuring power of a transmission signal to a radio access station (RAS) and receiving a response message corresponding to the message from the RAS; a TCP manager instructed by a controller to check and store a round trip time (RTT) required for receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) corresponding to data, which is transmitted from the portable terminal to the RAS; and the controller instructing the TCP manager to measure the RTT for measuring a retransmission timeout (RTO).
US08155045B2
Nodes in a wireless network participate in either point-to-multipoint (PMP) or MANET/mesh communications with other nodes on one or more shared channels of the network. A first or base station node transmits a downlink signal having a time frame structure of determined duration to a number of second or subscriber nodes. Portions of the frame structure establish (i) first time periods during which messages are transmitted from the first node to the second nodes, and (ii) second time periods during which messages are transmitted from the second nodes to the first node, using the PMP protocol on one or more shared channels or subchannels of the network. Other portions of the time frame structure establish third time periods during which nodes communicate with one another using the MANET/mesh protocol on the shared channels or subchannels, while avoiding interference with messages transmitted under the PMP protocol.
US08155044B2
A method and system broadcasts an alert packet in a wireless multi-hop network of nodes. An event is sensed in a source node of the network, and an alert packet is broadcast in response to sensing the event. The alert packet is received in a set of candidate nodes within a broadcast range of the source node. Each candidate node infers a distance between the candidate node and the source node based on a receive power of the received alert packet, and determines a priority for rebroadcasting the alert packet, wherein the priority is based on the distance to minimizing a probability of collisions while rebroadcasting the alert packet and extend a range of the rebroadcasting.
US08155036B1
A portable multi-level security communications system (system) provides a communications backbone for Internet Protocol (IP) based data at multiple levels of security and allows on-board users to communicate, with each other and an outside network, while maintaining separation from the on-board communication system. The system can connect to an outside network using a fast, reliable connection without impeding or conflicting with current on-board operating systems. The system is able to run multiple security enclaves while maintaining separation between the enclaves and their users.
US08155030B2
There is disclosed a manner of managing the active topology, that is the scheme for forwarding data, in a computer network such as an Ethernet local area network. A root bridge is selected from a plurality of bridges in the network; the root bridge calculating at least one spanning tree from a topology database that has been populated by bridge neighbor information gleaned from link state advertising messages. The root bridge may also calculate an alternate topology for implementation in the event a failure condition that affects the primary spanning tree is detected. The root bridge then advertises the spanning tree and remotely configures the port states of the bridges in the spanning tree through tree advertising messages that the bridges are arranged to process and set their ports accordingly.
US08155028B2
The invention includes a method and apparatus for configuring logical connectivity for a network comprising a plurality of nodes. A method includes determining a physical topology of the network, determining a set of LSP paths based on the physical topology of the network, and determining a set of LSPs using the set of LSP paths, where the set of LSPs includes a plurality of LSPs adapted for providing full logical connectivity between the nodes of the network. The physical topology is determined using information indicative of physical connectivity between nodes of the network. The set of LSP paths includes, for each pair of nodes in the network, at least two logical paths between the nodes of the node pair. The set of LSPs includes a plurality of LSPs adapted for providing full logical connectivity between the nodes of the network. The full logical connectivity between the nodes of the network may be maintained in response to physical topology change events, such as addition of nodes to the network removal of nodes from the network, and the like.
US08155025B2
Spectrum monitoring measurements are made by microcell base stations in a layered cellular network, while not serving calls or engaged in processing calls. The microcell base station transmits a first control message from to a microcell mobile station, to increase the duration for the mobile station to reside in the camping state on a control channel of the microcell base station. The microcell base station transmits a second control message from the microcell base station to the microcell mobile station, to increase the duration for the mobile station to reside in a call origination state while attempting to access a control channel of the microcell base station. Then, to perform the spectrum monitoring measurement, the base station's transmitter is turned off, the receiver is retuned to the frequency to be monitored, a signal strength measurement taken on that frequency, the receiver is retuned back to its assigned frequency, and the transmitter is turned back on, all in a short time interval. Because the measurement time is so short, it is possible to take spectrum-monitoring measurements without causing inactive mobiles registered on the measuring base station to reselect control channel. Mobiles initiating a call during a spectrum monitoring measurement by its base station are also delayed in their control channel reselection.
US08155022B1
Method and system a first network node communicating with a second network node using a plurality of network links grouped as a trunk is provided. The method includes determining a peak data transfer rate for the trunk during a monitoring duration; comparing the peak data transfer rate to a threshold data transfer rate for the trunk; determining if one or more of the plurality of network links can be deactivated or activated; and based on the determination, activating or deactivating one or more of the plurality of network links.
US08155021B2
Methods are disclosed for detecting feature interactions during a call that has a signaling path comprising two or more legs. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, feature state information is maintained for each of the legs of the call and is propagated along the signaling path. The illustrative embodiment is capable of detecting interactions between features in different legs of a call, as well as interactions between features in the same leg of a call. Moreover, the illustrative embodiment is capable of accommodating a variety of feature resolution techniques. In one illustrative embodiment specific to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony, a Back-to-Back User Agent (B2BUA) stores and propagates the feature state information, and performs address mapping for two specially-defined headers in addition to the usual Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) headers.
US08155014B2
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, a method using Quality of Service (QoS) information to influence a user's presence state is provided that includes the establishment of a virtual communication session between a first network device and a second network device. The virtual communication session emulates a communication session that may be established in the future. At least one QoS parameter associated with the virtual connection is monitored. Presence information is then provided to a first user that includes the QoS parameter.
US08155009B2
A system for automated installation of a communication line using an optimal route between a source location and a destination location is disclosed. The system includes a routing engine providing an automated design process for rendering the optimal route. The routing engine utilizes a routing algorithm to select the optimal route from a graph of capacity links defining a plurality of possible routes between the source and destination locations. If, at any time during the design process, the optimal route or capacity links defining the optimal route are detected as unavailable for any reason, the routing engine re-initiates the design process and thereafter selects a new optimal route based upon a new capacity graph built without the previously unavailable capacity link. Once designed, the available optimal route is provided to a command and control engine, which, in turn, manages the installation of the communication line using the optimal route. The command and control engine manages the process for assigning the optimal route in the provisioning system.
US08155008B2
Wireless mesh networks (or “meshes”) are enabled for arbitrary interconnection to each other and may provide varying levels of coverage and redundancy as desired. Interoperability between meshes having differing configurations, internal operations, or both, may be freely intermixed and inter-operated in unrestricted combination. Enhanced explicit inter-bridge control protocols operate using pre-existing control packets. Pre-existing broadcast packet floods are used to learn the best paths across interconnected meshes (termed a “multi-mesh”). Enhanced routing protocols operating within each mesh may optionally examine information limited to the respective mesh when forwarding traffic, thus enabling robust multi-mesh scaling with respect to memory and processing time required by the routing protocols. Communication scalability is improved by enabling frequency diversity across the multi-mesh by configuring meshes within interference range of each other for operation at a plurality of frequencies. Each mesh may operate at a respective non-interfering frequency.
US08154985B1
Disclosed are exemplary apparatus, techniques, algorithms and methods for reducing the size of time domain data with minimal distortion. In general, the exemplary techniques use a digital channelizer to convert a time series in to a set of frequency bins. Frequency bins that have a power less than a predefined threshold are converted to zero. The frequency domain data is then compressed using a compression routine. The compressed frequency domain data may be stored or transmitted. Recovery of the time domain data involves reversing the compaction process. Since the digital channelizer produces perfect reconstruction of the time signals, little distortion of the time domain signals occurs.
US08154980B2
An objective lens driving apparatus includes an objective lens (13) collecting a light flux emitted from a light source on a optical disk (11), and a lens holder (14) holding the objective lens (13). The lens holder (14) includes a first bonding portion (14i) and a second bonding portion (14j) for holding the objective lens (13) by means of bonding. The objective lens (13) is fixed to the lens holder (14) by applying a first bonding adhesive (25) to the first bonding portion (14i) to thereby bond the objective lens (13) thereto, adjusting an inclination of an optical axis of the objective lens (13) while causing the first bonding adhesive (25) to deform, and applying a second bonding adhesive (26) to the second bonding portion (14j). The second bonding adhesive (26) has a larger Young's modulus after curing than the first bonding adhesive (25).
US08154976B2
Disclosed is a reflecting wavelength plate that deflects and reflects a light path and adds a phase difference with respect to plural incident light having different wavelengths. The reflecting wavelength plate includes a substrate; a reflecting film laminated on the substrate; and a sub-wavelength concavo-convex structure that is laminated on the reflecting film and has a pitch less than or equal to the shortest wavelength of the plural incident light. The filling factor and the groove depth of the sub-wavelength concavo-convex structure are determined so as to add the phase difference obtained by (kπ)/8, where k is an integer, to the plural incident light having the different wavelengths.
US08154969B2
A recording parameter setting device setting parameters of pulse sequences forming recording marks on recording media. The device includes a storage section storing first and second look-up tables, and a recording parameter setting section for obtaining from the tables and setting parameters corresponding to recording information. The pulse sequences form at least marks equal to or longer than a first predetermined length but not longer than a maximum mark length, and include top and last sections. Also, the first lookup table stores parameters for top sections that control heat of front edges of marks classified into a same group. The second lookup table stores parameters for last sections for controlling heat of rear edges that are equal to or longer than a second predetermined recording mark length, that is longer than the first predetermined recording mark length, through the maximum recording mark length and classified into a same group.
US08154967B2
An optical recording medium provided with one or a plurality of recording layers includes an adjustment data recording area for recording therein adjustment data used for adjusting focus or spherical aberration of laser light used for recording/reproduction, the adjustment data recording area being disposed at a predetermined position on each of the one or plurality of recording layers, and a determination information recording area for recording therein determination information indicating whether or not the adjustment data has been recorded in the adjustment data recording area in each of the one or plurality of recording layers.
US08154964B2
A data processing device and a data processing method, a program and a program recording medium, a data recording medium, and a data structure, all enable data multiplexed into multiplexed data to be specified according to metadata irrespective of the number of pieces of data. A Clip( ) being metadata about a program stream into which a plurality of elementary streams are multiplexed includes as many stream_id/private_stream_id sets as the number of elementary streams number_of_streams. The stream_id/private_stream_id sets each consist of a stream_id, defined for each attribute of data in the MPEG-2 System (ISO/IEC 13818-1), for identifying data, and a private_stream_id for identifying data whose attribute is not defined in the MPEG-2 System. And each of the elementary streams multiplexed into the program stream is specified on the basis of the stream_id and the private_stream_id included in the Clip( ). Embodiments are applicable to, e.g., game machines using a DVD.
US08154952B1
A computer based system and method for real-time display of co-registered historical and current side scan sonar imagery during a side scan sonar survey. Embodiments also include modules for detection of clutter in the current imagery, identification of features, extraction of snippets, filtering based on predetermined size and shape parameters, and determination if a current feature is the same as a previously identified contact from historical imagery.
US08154951B2
A method is disclosed for more accurately determining the relative bearing angle of a directional receiver in a borehole using an existing three-dimensional (3D) geological model, one or more seismic sources and a three component (3C) directional receiver. A disclosed method includes: receiving direct compressional arrivals generated by multiple source events at the directional receiver disposed in the borehole; rotating the seismic data into the true earth frame using an estimated relative bearing angle; measuring a polarization vector of the rotated seismic data; estimating an incident ray vector of the direct compressional arrivals at the directional receiver using ray-tracing through the 3D model; calculating the weighted sum of an angular difference between the polarization vector and the incident ray vector; and adjusting the estimated relative bearing angle until the angular difference between the polarization and incident ray vectors is minimized.
US08154925B2
A semiconductor memory device includes first and second memory chips and a control logic configured to execute an interleave program between the first and second memory chips. The control logic receives write data to be written into first and second memory blocks of the first memory chip. If the first and second memory blocks are normal blocks, the control logic simultaneously performs a program operation for the first and second memory blocks. If one memory block of the first and second memory blocks is a bad block, the control logic writes the received write data corresponding to the one memory block into a storage circuit.
US08154924B2
Disclosed is a nonvolatile memory including a memory cell array including a first cell string connected between a first bit line and a first common source line, and a second cell string a second common source line and a second bit line adjacent to the first bit line. The nonvolatile memory also includes a control logic circuit configured to independently control the first and second common source lines.
US08154912B2
Memory elements are provided that exhibit immunity to soft error upset events when subjected to high-energy atomic particle strikes. The memory elements may each have ten transistors including two address transistors and four transistor pairs that are interconnected to form a bistable element. Clear lines such as true and complement clear lines may be routed to positive power supply terminals and ground power supply terminals associated with certain transistor pairs. During clear operations, some or all of the transistor pairs can be selectively depowered using the clear lines. This facilitates clear operations in which logic zero values are driven through the address transistors and reduces cross-bar current surges.
US08154910B2
A full complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) static random access memory (SRAM) may have a reduced cell size by arranging a word line of a pair of transistors arranged on the uppermost layer of the SRAM. First and second transistors may be arranged on first and second active regions. Third and fourth transistors may be arranged on first and second semiconductor layers formed over the first and second active regions. Fifth and sixth transistors may be arranged on the third and fourth semiconductor layers over the first and second semiconductor layers. A word line may be arranged in a straight line between the first and second gates of the first and second transistors and between the third and fourth gates of the third and fourth transistors.
US08154906B2
Embodiments disclosed include memory cell operating methods, memory cell programming methods, memory cell reading methods, memory cells, and memory devices. In one embodiment, a memory cell includes a wordline, a first bitline, a second bitline, and a memory element. The memory element is electrically connected to the wordline and selectively electrically connected to the first bitline and the second bitline. The memory element stores information via a resistive state of the memory element. The memory cell is configured to convey the resistive state of the memory element via either a first current flowing from the first bitline through the memory element to the wordline or a second current flowing from the wordline through the memory element to the second bitline.
US08154901B1
Certain embodiments described herein include a memory module having a printed circuit board including at least one connector configured to be operatively coupled to a memory controller of a computer system. The memory module further includes a plurality of memory devices on the printed circuit board and a circuit including a first set of ports operatively coupled to at least one memory device. The circuit further includes a second set of ports operatively coupled to the at least one connector. The circuit includes a switching circuit configured to selectively operatively couple one or more ports of the second set of ports to one or more ports of the first set of ports. Each port of the first set and the second set comprises a correction circuit which reduces noise in one or more signals transmitted between the first set of ports and the second set of ports.
US08154893B2
A three-phase inverter circuit including a DC portion including capacitors connected between output terminals of a solar battery and single-phase inverters connected in series with AC output lines of the three-phase inverter circuit that together constitute an inverter section, the inverter section being connected to a three-phase power system. The three-phase inverter circuit outputs a reverse-polarity voltage pulse during a period within each of basic voltage pulses of which pulsewidth corresponds to a half cycle every half cycle of a system voltage. A power burden born by the individual single-phase inverters in each half cycle is made approximately zero and the individual single-phase inverters make a correction for subtracting a common voltage from target output voltages of individual phases during the period when the reverse-polarity voltage pulse is generated.
US08154890B2
An inverter apparatus converts a DC power of a capacitor charged via a rectifier circuit connected to a first AC power system into an AC power, and supplies the AC power to a second AC power system. The inverter apparatus includes a discharge circuit, a control circuit, a trigger circuit, a first voltage-sag detection circuit, a control power circuit, and a second voltage-sag detection circuit. When the second voltage-sag detection circuit detects a voltage sag of the control power circuit below a threshold, the trigger circuit generates a discharge command signal for causing the discharge circuit to discharge a charge from the capacitor.
US08154883B2
A socket is configured to receive a trackball device in a receiving space formed therein. The socket has an exterior configured to fit within an installation recess in a printed circuit board. A biased electrical interconnector extends from an interior surface of the receiving space into the receiving space, the electrical interconnector oriented within the receiving space at a position that establishes biased electrical contact with a target electrical contact of the trackball device and biased electrical contact with a corresponding electrical contact on the printed circuit board when the socket is installed in an installation recess.
US08154881B2
A radiation-shielded semiconductor assembly includes at least one radiation-shielding lamina within the package. In some embodiments, a semiconductor assembly includes a microelectronic component, and at least one radiation-shielding layer affixed to a surface of the component.
US08154876B2
A circuit board module includes: a board having a mounting surface; an electronic component mounted on the mounting surface; a frame which is mounted on the mounting surface so as to surround the electronic component; a resin portion which is provided inside the frame and closely contacts the electronic component, the mounting surface, and the frame; and a lid portion which covers the electronic component, and which is connected to the frame. The lid portion includes a flat portion which is provided at a region containing an area corresponding to the electronic component not covered with the resin portion and which protrudes outward more than the other regions.
US08154872B2
A portable hand held power inverter/converter having a pass through device for simultaneously sourcing A.C. and multiple voltage D.C. power consuming devices through a single D.C. power source connection. Inverter and converter circuitry is provided to invert and convert D.C. voltage to an A.C. voltage source and a lower DC voltage. A.C. electrical outlets are provided to facilitate a connection to an external A.C. power-consuming device and a DC outlet to a lower volt DC power-consuming device. The pass through device provides an independent and simultaneous connection to an additional D.C. outlet that would otherwise be eliminated when occupied by the inverter thus allowing simultaneous connection and operation of both A.C. and multi source D.C power consuming devices through a single external D.C. power outlet of a single D.C. power source.
US08154871B2
According to one embodiment, a cooling structure includes a first heat radiating member receiving heat generated by a first heat generating body, and including a plurality of first heat radiating fins projecting toward a second housing, a first flow-in portion provided to the first housing to be open in one of first directions, a second heat radiating member receiving heat generated by a second heat generating body, and including a plurality of second heat radiating fins projecting toward a first housing, and a first flow-out portion provided to the second housing to be open in one of second directions crossing the first directions. The cooling structure includes a cooling fan unit configured to supply the air that has flown from outside to the first heat radiating fins, thereafter supply the air to the second heat radiating fins and cause the air to flow to the outside.
US08154870B1
A computing system includes a rack system that allows air to flow into the rack system on a first side of the rack system and to discharge from the rack system on a second side of the rack system. One or more air directing devices are coupled to the rack system on the first side of the rack system or the second side of the rack system. At least one of the air directing devices includes a duct having an upwardly increasing interior cross section over at least a portion of the height of the duct. The duct segregates air passing through the duct from air outside the duct. The air directing device may include a louver that couples to the rack system. The louver may include one or more airflow control members that allow air to pass through the louver.
US08154869B2
The invention relates to a cooling arrangement with a first and at least one second heat-creating computer component, each coupled to at least one heatsink (40, 50). Heatsinks (40, 50) are arranged one after the other in a plane (10) in the direction of a provided coolant air stream (30). The cooling arrangement is distinguished in that heatsinks (40, 50) are of identical construction, and each heatsink (40, 50) comprises at least two side-by-side areas (41, 42, 51, 52) with heat transfer properties different from one another. In addition, heatsinks (40, 50) are arranged in plane (10) rotated relative to one another in such a manner that areas (42, 52) of heatsinks (40, 50) with a higher respective heat transfer power than the adjacent area (41, 51) are arranged one after the other in the direction of coolant air stream (30).
US08154868B2
An electronic device includes a cover, a body, and a sliding mechanism connecting the cover to the body. The sliding mechanism includes a slidable plate and at least one telescoping member. The cover is rotatably coupled to ends of the at least one telescoping member. Other ends of the at least one telescoping member are slidably coupled to the slidable plate. The slidable plate is slidably received in the body, and at least a part of the slidable plate is capable of sliding out of the body.
US08154863B2
A data storage device assembly includes a rack, a mounting member, and a handle. The rack has a data storage device mounted therein. The mounting member is secured on the rack. The mounting member defines a receiving room. A clamp is slidably received in the receiving room. The clamp includes two spaced elastic claws. The handle is pivotally mounted on the mounting member. The handle includes a clasp. The handle is rotatable on the mounting member between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the clamp is located in the receiving room, the two spaced elastic claws are restricted by edges of the receiving room, and the clasp is fastened between the two elastic claws. In the second position, the clamp is located out of the receiving room, and the clasp is not fastened between the two elastic claws.
US08154854B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a positive electrode foil made of metal, a dielectric oxide layer provided on a surface of the positive electrode foil, a separator provided on the dielectric oxide layer, a solid electrolyte layer made of conductive polymer impregnated in the separator, a negative electrode foil facing the dielectric oxide layer across the solid electrolyte layer, and a phosphate provided on the dielectric oxide layer. This solid electrolytic capacitor reduces a leakage current.
US08154853B2
One embodiment of the present subject matter includes a stack of substantially planar electrodes including at least a first and second anode layer, and a plurality of cathode layers, a case in which the stack is disposed and to which the plurality of cathode layers is connected, a first feedthrough disposed through the case and connected to the first anode and a second feedthrough disposed through the case and connected to the second anode, wherein a first capacitor including the first anode layer and a second capacitor including the second anode layer are electrically isolated.
US08154851B2
A dielectric ceramic includes primary crystal grains. The primary crystal grains include a composite oxide of Ti and at least one kind of alkaline earth metal element selected from Ca, Sr and Ba. The primary crystal grains contain metal compositions of Mg, Mn and a rare earth element. At least one of the metal composition of the Mg, the Mn and the rare earth element is present at a higher concentration on the surface side of the primary crystal grains than the inside thereof. A 0.04 to 0.2 parts by mass of Zr in terms of oxide to 100 parts by mass of the composite oxide is present. As a result, a high dielectric constant can be imparted even to finely granulated barium titanate based crystal grains.
US08154838B2
A Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) device, a Protective Circuit Module (PCM) including the PTC device, and a secondary battery including the Protective Circuit Module (PCM) are provided. A support portion is formed at one end of a conductive plate of the PTC device, a conductive layer disposed on the upper portion of the PTC main body is fixed to the Protective Circuit Module (PCM), and the support portion is fixed by a coated adhesive that is melted at a high temperature and then hardens when the high temperature is removed, thereby preventing the PTC device from swaying or twisting.
US08154836B2
A line current differential protection system that uses an external time reference continues providing protection to a power apparatus upon the loss of the external time reference. An external time reference synchronization mode and a channel based synchronization mode may be selectively applied on a per channel basis such that only those channels in the system that are not guaranteed to stay symmetrical use external time reference synchronization. When the external time reference is lost, fallback strategies may be used such as disabling or de-sensitizing the line current differential protection function, switching from the external time reference synchronization mode to a channel based synchronization mode with appropriately selected protection settings, and/or marking the channel as unavailable to isolate the system from the consequences of synchronization errors over this channel and instead using a master-slave mode with other available channels to continue providing line protection with the current differential system.
US08154833B2
A line side crowbar circuit for an energy converter is disclosed. In one aspect there is a power unit that includes an energy converter; a transformer configured to transfer electrical energy generated from the energy converter to an electrical grid; and a crowbar coupled to the energy converter and the transformer that is configured to prevent an overvoltage event from damaging electrical components associated with the energy converter and the transformer.
US08154829B2
A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a TMR read head for a magnetic recording hard disk drive, has a magnesium oxide (MgO) tunneling barrier layer and a ferromagnetic underlayer beneath and in direct contact with the MgO tunneling barrier layer. The ferromagnetic underlayer comprises a crystalline material according to the formula (CoxFe(100-x))(100-y)Gey, where the subscripts represent atomic percent, x is between about 45 and 55, and y is between about 26 and 37. The ferromagnetic underlayer may be the CoxFe(100-x))(100-y)Gey portion of a bilayer of two ferromagnetic layers, for example a CoFe/(CoxFe(100-x))(100-y)Gey bilayer. The specific composition of the ferromagnetic underlayer improves the crystallinity of the MgO tunneling barrier after annealing and improves the tunneling magnetoresistance of the TMR device.
US08154826B2
Provided is a thin-film magnetic head in which the magnetic spacing can be appropriately controlled by dynamically and accordingly, by adjusting the pressure working between the thin-film magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium according to the change of conditions such as the change over time. The thin-film magnetic head comprises at least one cavity for adjusting a pressure working between the thin-film magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium, provided in a surface of the head opposed to the magnetic recording medium, and a volume of the at least one cavity being variable. When the magnetic recording medium passes through near the cavity, the cavity generates a (negative) pressure that attracts the head and the medium toward each other. The amount of the negative pressure depends on the volume of the cavity; thus, a magnetic spacing dMS can be controlled dynamically and accordingly by adjusting the volume.
US08154822B1
Methods, apparatuses, and systems implementing analog techniques to decode signals extracted from servo wedges of computer-readable storage media. A digital signal representing a repeatable runout (RRO) signal included in an analog signal of a computer-readable storage medium is obtained. The RRO signal includes a preamble that represents a magnitude of the RRO signal, and data. The digital signal includes a digital representation of the preamble. An estimate of the magnitude of the RRO signal is determined based on the digital representation. The estimate is compared with a specified level to generate an error signal based on a difference between the two. The provision of the error signal, for application to a subsequent RRO signal of the computer-readable storage medium, is delayed. The RRO signal is amplified prior to being represented as the digital signal to match a value established to decode the RRO signal.
US08154820B1
A system comprising: a read/write head configured to generate signals in response to the read/write head being at a particular fly height over a storage medium during a read operation; a weighting function module configured to i) determine time domain samples in response to the signals generated by the read/write head, and ii) multiply each of the time domain samples by a corresponding coefficient of a window function to generate weighted samples; a first harmonic sensor module configured to estimate a magnitude of a first frequency in response to the weighted samples; and a head height control module configured to i) determine an estimated height of the read/write head over the storage medium in response to the magnitude of the first frequency, and ii) selectively adjust, during the read operation, the particular fly height of the read/write head over the storage medium based on the estimated height.
US08154813B2
A method of making a disc for a computer disc drive and a disc made in accordance with the same. The disc includes a deposited magnetic layer of a thin film medium over a disc-shaped substrate. A master pattern having a plurality of tracks is recorded on the disc. Each track on the disc includes a plurality of magnetic islands, each having a size and magnetic properties. The size and/or magnetic properties of one or more of the magnetic islands of each track are modulated such that each track has a modulation frequency, so as to imprint a magnetic topology on the disc. The modulation frequency of each track is either a fundamental frequency or an overtone of the fundamental frequency.
US08154808B2
An autofocus imaging apparatus (200) for three-dimensional imaging on a surface of a flexible media mounted on a cylindrical drum (104) includes a carriage (210) which moves parallel to a surface of the drum and an imaging stage (208) mounted on the carriage. The imaging stage includes a displacement sensor (112) for measuring a distance to the surface of the flexible media; imaging optics (216) for producing a three-dimensional image on the flexible media; and an autofocus drive (220) for changing a focus of the imaging optics. Encoders (256, 260) provide data on the drum and carriage position. A controller (116) receives and processes data from the displacement sensor and the encoders. A computer (236) receives data from the controller, processes controller data, and transmits instructions to the controller. The controller receives computer instructions and transmits focus commands to the autofocus drive or the imaging stage.
US08154802B2
An optical element may include a substrate including a diffractive structure having multiple periods, at least one period of the multiple periods having multiple steps, heights of the multiple steps non-monotonically increasing across the at least one period. The optical element may be used with at least two wavelengths, e.g., three wavelengths, may be on a single surface and may provide an efficiency of at least 50% for all wavelengths.
US08154797B2
A surgical microscope has an illuminating arrangement for illuminating light in an operating region to be examined with the surgical microscope. The arrangement contains a high-power light source which includes an intensity adjusting device. The device makes possible an adjustment of the intensity of the illuminating light, which is guided to the object region, between a maximum value and a minimum value. The microscope has a control unit for the illuminating arrangement which includes an operator-controlled module via which the illuminating arrangement can be activated and controlled. For adjusting the intensity of the illuminating light guided to the operating region, the control unit coacts with the adjustable filter unit. A signal generator outputs a warning signal when an intensity of the illuminating light is adjusted via the operator-controlled module which exceeds the safety limit value stored in a memory.
US08154794B2
There is provided an imaging lens including: a transparent substrate; an upper lens disposed on a top of the transparent substrate; and a lower lens disposed on a bottom of the transparent substrate to correspond to the upper lens, wherein one of the upper and lower lenses includes a lens element and a partition wall formed higher than the lens element to surround the lens element. Also, there is provided a method of manufacturing the same. In the imaging lens, the partition wall is replicated together with the lens element on one or both surfaces of the transparent substrate. The partition wall is formed higher than the lens element and has a flat top surface. Therefore, when another lens element is replicated on an opposite surface of the transparent substrate, the previously replicated lens element is prevented from deformation.
US08154778B2
Systems and methods for generating color corrected digital image data from a document image according to personal preferences of an identified user of the digital image copy. A color correction profile is provided defining color correction parameters for a particular identified user. The digital image copy is generated in accordance with the color correction profile by replacing problematic colors with alternate presentations as defined by the color correction parameters. The alternate presentations may include corrections to compensate for colorblindness of an identified user. The document image may be logically segmented to identify objects associated with each of a plurality of segments of the document image such as text, graphics, photographic images, etc. The color correction profile may define different color correction parameters to be associated with each defined type of segment.
US08154776B2
It is desirable to provide a bitstream format for compressed data that would allow multiple processors to access and decompress different parts of the data in parallel. Compressed images are usually defined in terms of macroblocks that have a width less than the image width and a height less than the image height. Thus, an image is divided several bands of multiple lines, and each band of multiple lines is divided into a macroblock. The set of macroblocks that define a band is called herein a macroblock rasterscan. The bit stream format includes, for each image, a picture header followed by image scan data. The image scan data includes data corresponding to a plurality of macroblock rasterscans. The data for each macroblock rasterscan includes data for a plurality of macroblocks for a band of lines in the image followed by padding. The padding ensures that data for each macroblock rasterscan terminates on a data boundary. The picture header references an image scan index that indicates a number of macroblock rasterscans in the image scan data and a number of lines per macroblock rasterscan, followed by entries of the index. Each entry in the index includes an offset of the macroblock rasterscan in image scan. The picture header may contain a reference to a picture header type, that references an I_frame_image_descriptor, which references the image scan index.
US08154773B2
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image communication apparatus comprising a first FAX communication unit configured to make communications with a partner apparatus according to a first FAX communication function using a public telephone network, a second FAX communication unit configured to make communications with a partner apparatus according to a second FAX communication function using an IP network, an accepter unit configured to accept an operation designation of the first and second FAX communication functions, and a limiter unit configured to limit the first and second FAX communication functions based on the operation designation accepted by the accepter unit.
US08154771B2
A user of an accessibility device is taught to properly use the device with a test image such that the accessibility device captures the entirety of or a large portion of a test image. In training the user, the device processes test image's information located within the device's field of view. Based on this processed information, the device indicates to the user if the device should be re-positioned such that a larger portion of the test image comes within the device's field of view.
US08154768B2
An electrical apparatus includes a main body and a display device. The display device has a display panel that moves between a first and second position, and the display device, and a first and second link member. Each of the first and second link members has a first and second end. The first end of both the first and second link member is connected to the frame, and the second end of the first and second link member is connected to the main body. The first end of the first link member rotates about a first axis, and the second end rotates about a second axis. The first end of the second link member rotates about a third axis, and the second end rotates about a fourth axis. The first, second, third, and fourth axes are orthogonal to a direction in which the first and second link members extend.
US08154767B2
Image formation free from quality degradation is achieved by selecting whether to perform correction of color shift before or after a halftone process. When the amount of color shift is determined as larger than a predetermined threshold value, the halftone process is executed before a color shift correction process. On the other hand, when the amount of color shift is determined as equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the halftone process is executed after the color shift correction process. That is, with the large amount of color shift, the image degradation as a result of not being able to keep the number of screen lines when the correction of color shift is performed before the halftone process looks more conspicuous than the case with the correction of color shift after the halftone process.
US08154754B2
In response to a print request from a host computer, a port for receiving print data is assigned to the host computer, the host computer is notified of a URI representing the port that serves as a destination of print data, and the port is associated with the URI in a port-status management table. When a connection for sending print data from a host computer is established, the port-status management table is referred to. If the host computer is associated with the port of the connection, printing is executed. After receiving print data, the port is closed, and the port-status management table is updated to cancel the assignment of the port to the host computer.
US08154753B2
A method and system according to the disclosure facilitates subscription based access to services for image systems including an image acquisition device configured to generate image data describing a target object in a target area of the image acquisition device and an image display device configured to generate a human perceptible rendering of the target object based on the image data.
US08154750B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, including: a first storage section to store a plurality of pieces of job information each having a plurality of data items corresponding to a plurality of items; a second storage section to store read-out definition information in which one or more of the items to be read out from each of the pieces of job information are set; an input section to input an instruction to read out one or more of the pieces of job information; and a control section to extract one or more of the data items corresponding to one or more of the items set in the read-out definition information from each of the one or more of the pieces of job information when the instruction is inputted by the input section, and to output the extracted one or more of the data items.
US08154749B2
A method of transferring a deferred vertical synchronous signal and an image signal processor executing the method thereof are disclosed. Once the vertical synchronous signal for a kth frame is inputted from an encoding unit after a capture command is inputted, the method transmits a defer control command for a (k+1)th frame to an image sensor. Then, a return control command is transmitted to the image sensor if encoding of the kth frame is completed. With the present invention, complete encoding of image data becomes possible.
US08154746B2
An information communication system having a sending device that sends electronic information via a communication section, a receiving device that receives the electronic information sent from the sending device via the communication section, the sending device which includes a ratio information maintaining section that maintains ratio information regarding an amount of electronic information assigned to each of plural communication sections at the time of sending the electronic information, a dividing section that divides the electronic information corresponding to the plural communication sections on the basis of the maintained ratio information, and a sending section that sends the divided electronic information to the receiving section, the receiving device comprising, a receiving section that receives the electronic information sent from the sending section via the plurality communication sections, and a restoring section that combines and restores the received electronic information to a state prior to being divided by the dividing section.
US08154742B2
A printing method in a system which receives a designated document from a print service server and prints the received document by a printer in order to print it from the state upon interruption by a simple operating instruction at the same or different base without re-inputting printed matter information, print setting information, and the like by the user. A print interrupting instruction is inputted from a first print control apparatus. Information indicative of an interrupting print position of the designated document is stored into a print interruption information storing unit of the print service server on the basis of the inputted print interrupting instruction. In accordance with a restarting request from a second print control apparatus, the designated document is obtained from a printed matter information storing unit or the like on the basis of the information indicative of the interrupting print position of the designated document. The printing is restarted by a second printing apparatus which is controlled by the second print control apparatus which can print.
US08154735B2
In an apparatus for measuring a quasi-static error of a rotation driving shaft, a positional error and an angular error in each of X, Y, and Z axis directions during rotation of a driving shaft is measured by means of a single measurement apparatus. In the apparatus, a first splitter, a second splitter, and a reflector spectrally output or reflect a laser beam, which is output from a laser driving device, to a first position sensor and a second position sensor, so that it is possible to obtain every error information on positional errors and angular errors in X, Y, and Z axis directions of a rotation driving shaft through input position change data of the inputted laser beam.
US08154728B2
Thermally controlled enclosures that can be used with gas analyzers are described. The enclosures incorporate one or more phase changing materials that buffer ambient and internal heat loads to reduce the power consumption demand of mechanical or electronic heating apparatus. Maintenance of gas analyzer equipment at a consistent temperature can be important to achieving stable and reproducible results. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles are also described.
US08154726B2
An optical analysis system and method for determining information carried by light include a multivariate optical element disposed in the system to receive a source light from an illumination source; filtering the source light through a spectral element in the optical element analysis system; reflecting the filtered light through an inner region of a cavity in a first direction of a sample to be measured, the cavity defining a second region disposed about the inner region; focusing the reflected light proximate the sample; reflecting the focused light from the sample through the second region in a second direction of a beamsplitter, the light being reflected from the sample carrying data from the sample; splitting the sample carrying light with the beamsplitter into a first light and a second light; optically filtering the data of the first light with the multivariate optical element into an orthogonal component; directing the first light filtered by the multivariate optical element onto a first photodetector; directing the second light onto a second photodetector; and comparing the orthogonal component to information present in the second light to determine a property of the sample.
US08154723B2
Methods and systems for particle characterization using a light fluctuation component of an optical sensor output signal. The use of the light fluctuation component enables particle characterization (e.g. provision of information on particle size, type and confidence) without requiring measurements at multiple wavelengths or multiple angles and using relatively lightweight calculations. The methods and systems allow integration of real-time airborne particle characterization into portable monitors. The methods and systems in some embodiments also use the output signal to further characterize particles through determination of particle density information.
US08154720B2
A method for calibrating a spatial light modulator comprising an array of channels includes selecting a plurality of channel sets; operating each of the channel sets to provide corresponding output radiation; providing a detector for measuring the output radiation; determining a plurality of intensity values, each representing an intensity of the output radiation provided by a different one of the channel sets; providing a correction factor for each of the channels sets, wherein each correction factor remains constant during a subsequent recalibration of the spatial light modulator; modifying each determined intensity value in accordance with a corresponding one of the correction factors; determining a difference between one of the modified intensity values and a target intensity value; and reducing the determined difference by adjusting a control level of at least one channel in the channel set corresponding to the one of the modified intensity values.
US08154715B2
A method for measuring and monitoring the state of polarization (SOP) of a polarization maintaining (PM) fiber using a narrowband fiber Bragg grating (FBG) written on the same is provided. The PM fiber comprises a first narrowband reference FBG which is used as a reference to measure and monitor the SOP of the PM fiber. Due to the birefringence properties of the PM fiber, the reference FBG typically reflects two narrowband spectra, each having a central wavelength; one in the slow axis and one in the fast axis. By measuring the intensity of the reflected spectra in each axis and by tuning the fiber with a polarization controller, it is possible to adjust the fiber to a predetermined SOP. Accurate measures of optical properties (e.g. reflectivity) of optical devices (e.g. a FBG grating), according to the predetermined SOP, are possible.
US08154703B2
A liquid crystal display panel includes an array substrate including a scanning line, a signal line crossing the scanning line, a switching element electrically connected to the scanning line and the signal line, and a pixel electrode formed on the scanning line, the signal line, and the switching element and electrically connected to the switching element, an opposite substrate including a common electrode with a through-hole and arranged opposite to the array substrate with a gap, a columnar spacer formed on either one of the array substrate and the opposite substrate and positioned away from the pixel electrode, the columnar spacer overlapping the through-hole and holding the gap between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the array substrate and the opposite substrate.
US08154688B2
A planar light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting units each including a light source and a lightguide plate. The light-emitting units are arranged with the light-exiting surfaces of their respective lightguide plates being substantially flush with each other. Each lightguide plate has an upper surface as a light-exiting surface, a lower surface opposite to the light-exiting surface, and a peripheral side surface extending between the respective peripheral edges of the upper and lower surfaces. The lightguide plate emits light received from the light source from the light-exiting surface. At least a part of the peripheral side surface is an inclined surface inclined relative to the light-exiting surface.
US08154684B2
A light emission device including: a light emission panel including at least two emissive regions spaced apart from each other and a non-emissive region between the emissive regions; and a light diffuser located in front of the light emission panel, the light diffuser including at least two first diffusion parts corresponding to the emissive regions and a second diffusion part corresponding to the non-emissive region, wherein the second diffusion part has diffusion transmittance that is greater than diffusion transmittance of the first diffusion parts.
US08154679B2
A flat panel display includes a display panel, a mold frame receiving the display panel and a flexible printed circuit including a first portion disposed under the mold frame and a second portion extended from an end of the first portion and connected to the display panel. The first portion of the flexible printed circuit is attached to the mold frame. The mold frame includes a sidewall extending in a first direction, and a receiving plate extended from the sidewall in substantially a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The receiving plate of the mold frame is disposed between the display panel and the flexible printed circuit.
US08154677B2
(Object) To increase the ratio of the opening in each pixel in a liquid crystal display device.(Means for Achieving Object) In a liquid crystal display device having an active matrix type liquid crystal display panel: TFT elements in two pixels which are adjacent to each other with one scanning signal line in between respectively have a gate connected to the scanning signal line and either a source or drain connected to a different video signal line; and between two adjacent scanning signal lines, a pixel having a TFT element of which the gate is connected to one of the two scanning signal lines and a pixel having a TFT element of which the gate is connected to the other scanning signal line are aligned in the direction in which the video signal lines extend, and either the sources or the drains of the two TFT elements are connected different video signal lines.
US08154668B2
A television receiver includes a liquid crystal module, a control board, a jack holder, a cabinet and a plurality of spacers. The control board has a jack. The jack holder is mounted to the control board to hold the jack. The cabinet houses the liquid crystal module, the control board and the jack holder. The cabinet has an opening to which the jack holder is attached from inner side of the cabinet. The spacers are disposed between the jack holder and the cabinet at locations spaced apart where the jack holder and the cabinet overlap. The spacers maintain a gap between the jack holder and the cabinet.
US08154662B2
A method for outputting alert information. The method includes selecting broadcasting signals by a tuner of the television in response to channel selection signals from a microprocessor of the television; determining whether digital baseband signals being received from the tuner by the microprocessor; retrieving auxiliary data from memory of the television when the digital baseband signals are determined not being received from the tuner; and outputting alert information by an outputting means according to the retrieved auxiliary data from the memory.
US08154649B2
An optical unit is provided which is characterized by compact configuration, high performance and minimized noise, and which has a drive element to drive a lens cone holding an image pickup optical system, and has the same outside diameter as the lens cone, wherein the optical unit drives the image pickup optical system by expanding and contracting the drive element in a direction of an optical axis of the image pickup optical system. An image pickup apparatus is provided which is characterized by compact configuration, high performance and minimized noise, and which has an optical unit coupled to an image pickup unit through a drive element, and has the same outside diameter as the optical unit, wherein the apparatus drives the optical unit by expanding and contracting the drive unit in a direction of an optical axis of the optical unit.
US08154646B2
An image capturing apparatus comprises an image capturing unit which captures image data of an object, a zoom image data generating unit which generates items of zoom image data having different zoom magnifications, a display control unit which displays through images on a display unit based on the items of the generated zoom image data, a selection unit which selects one of the zoom magnifications by selecting one of the through images displayed on the display unit, and a recording control unit which records image data corresponding to the selected zoom magnification in a storing medium.
US08154641B2
A solid-state image pickup device according to the present invention has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a plurality of switching elements. The photoelectric conversion element is formed above at least one switching element, and a shielding electrode layer is disposed between the switching elements and the photoelectric conversion elements. Further, a radiation image pickup device according to the present invention has a radiation conversion layer for directly converting radiation into electric charges, and a plurality of switching elements, and has the radiation conversion layer formed above one or more switching elements, and a shielding electrode layer disposed between the switching elements and the radiation conversion layer.
US08154636B2
An image enhancement circuit (26, 60, 190, 260) includes an input interface (64, 262), which is operative to accept a stream of input pixel values belonging to pixels (32) of an input image. The input image includes a plurality of different input sub-images including respective subsets of the pixels, such that the input pixel values of the pixels in the different input sub-images are interleaved in the stream. A plurality of filter cells (92, 144, 206, 222, 238, 364) are connected in a two-dimensional array configuration and are arranged to separately filter the input pixel values of each of the input sub-images with respective two-dimensional deconvolution kernels so as produce respective output sub-images that include output pixel values. A multiplexer (88, 332) is coupled to multiplex together the output pixel values of the output sub-images so as to produce a filtered output image.
US08154620B2
An imaging apparatus includes: first and second light receiving elements that photoelectrically convert light, capable of being controlled independently from each other and arranged in a predetermined arrangement; imaging control means, for controlling the first and second light receiving elements; image signal processing means, for obtaining image signals based on the output of the first and/or second light receiving elements and for generating image data; photometry means, for measuring photometric values; imaging condition determining means, for determining imaging conditions including exposure and dynamic range, based on photometry results; judging means, for judging whether flash is to be emitted, based on the photometry results; imaging method selecting means, for selecting a first imaging method when flash is not emitted, and a second imaging method when flash is emitted; and control means, for driving the imaging element and the image signal processing means according to the selected imaging method.
US08154615B2
A device and system and a method for selecting and displaying images in accordance with attention responses of an image viewer. An image capture device captures a viewer image of a spatial region potentially containing a viewer of the image display device and a viewer detection mechanism analyzes the viewer image and determines whether a potential viewer is observing the display screen. A gaze pattern analysis mechanism identifies a viewer response to a currently displayed image by analysis of the viewer's emotional response as revealed by the viewer's facial expression and other sensory inputs, and the selection of an image to be displayed is then modified in accordance with the indicated viewer's attention response.
US08154612B2
Embodiments include a method of image processing including decomposing a reflectance spectrum for a test surface into a linear combination of reflectance spectra of a set of test targets. The coefficient vector calculated in this decomposition is used to predict a response of an imaging sensor to the test surface. A plurality of such predicted responses may be used for various applications involving color detection and/or classification, including human skin tone detection.
US08154611B2
A method for increasing resolution of a focal plane array having a plurality of pixels dispersed across a total pixel area is described. The method includes providing an active pixel area for the focal plane array that is less than the total pixel area, acquiring image data utilizing the reduced active pixel area, and storing the image data in a portion of a memory, the memory having a capacity corresponding to the total pixel area of the focal plane array.
US08154603B2
An imaging device comprises an interface for connecting an external recording device, a control circuit for controlling data communication with the external recording device connected to the interface, and an information storage. The control circuit comprises a connection establisher for realizing a connection established status with the external recording device, an information supplier for supplying the data management information stored in the information storage to the external recording device, and a connection canceller for canceling the connection established status before or at the time of setting the device main body to the electric power saving mode, after making the information supplier execute the data management information supply operation or after completion of the data management information supply operation by the information supplier.
US08154601B2
A television receiving system has a plurality of setup-data including wireless settings, which can be selected by user's choice the optimum wireless setting for every position where the display is located. This configuration can create a stable signal-receiving environment no matter where the display is located.
US08154592B2
The invention relates to a device for inspecting fast repetitive events of defined duration, comprising image recording means for recording successive images of the repetitive event, and image reproduction means for providing a synchronized slow motion representation of said successive images of the repetitive event during the total duration of the repetitive event or a multiple thereof, whereas said image recording means comprise high frame rate image recording means for digitally recording a limited burst of successive images of a fraction of one event, and the device comprises software means to provide synchronized image recording of said fraction of one event and slow motion representation of said limited burst of successive images during the total duration of said one event or multiple thereof, andto an inspection method for such repetitive events involving high frame rate image recording of a limited burst of successive images of a fraction of one event, and synchronized slow motion representation of said limited burst of successive images during the total duration of said one event or multiple thereof.
US08154591B2
An eyelid opening level determination device includes a face image taking unit; an upper eyelid detection unit for detecting an upper eyelid in the face image; a lower eyelid area setting unit for setting an area for searching a lower eyelid based on the upper eyelid; an edge group detecting unit for detecting an edge group where brightness changes from dark to bright as a lower eyelid candidate by scanning the area from an upper side to a lower side; a reliability value obtaining unit for obtaining a reliability value of the edge group; a lower eyelid determination unit in which the edge group having the reliability value exceeding a predetermined value in the edge group is determined to be the lower eyelid; and an eyelid opening level obtaining unit for obtaining opening level of the eyelid based on positions for the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid.
US08154588B2
A system of microphones, signal processors, and loudspeakers provides enhanced comprehension of speech in noisy social events where the locations of participants are relatively constrained. Speech enhancement comprises both boosting sounds moderately at higher frequencies and delaying them to match the arrival of sounds directly from speakers. Virtual loudspeakers create the illusion for each listener that the boosted sounds come from the vicinity of each talker. Video cameras determine the head positions and facing directions of participants. Subgroups of participants having at least temporary conversational affinities can be identified. Such subgroups may overlap and change. Speech from talking participants is picked up by directional microphones and filtered, sorted, and relayed selectively via loudspeakers to listening participants identified as subgroup members, reinforcing and enhancing the naturally heard speech. More weight can be given to enhancing speech between affined participants. Either conventional or parametric loudspeakers may be used.
US08154575B2
Provided is a heating resistor element, including: an insulating substrate (9); a heat accumulating layer (10) bonded to a surface of the insulating substrate (9); and a heating resistor (11) provided on the heat accumulating layer (10), in which: on at least one of bonded surfaces between the heating substrate (9) and the heat accumulating layer (10), at least one of the insulating substrate (9) and the heat accumulating layer (10) is provided with a concave portion (16) in a region opposed to the heating resistor (11) to form a hollow portion (17); and the concave portion (16) has a curvature radius of 10 μm or more at each corner thereof. Accordingly, occurrence of stress concentration caused by heat or a load can be suppressed to improve durability, and both a sufficient strength and heating efficiency are realized.
US08154567B2
A liquid crystal panel includes a first type pixel and a second type pixel that are formed adjacent to each-other. The first type pixel has a first layout of respective first and second sub-pixels, and the second type pixel has a second layout of respective first and second sub-pixels. The first layout is different from the second layout such that the liquid crystal panel is driven according to dot inversion with alternating first and second sub-pixels determining the image displayed on the liquid crystal panel for preventing vertical faults.
US08154562B2
A method and an arrangement for improving the digital-signal-generated grayscale resolution of a monochrome visual display unit (3) to which the digital signals from an image source (1) can be supplied over n-bit wide RGB channels (2). Measures are proposed that make it possible to display distinguishable grayscale gradations on the visual display unit (3) regardless of whether a grayscale signal (6; 10) or RGB color signals (12, 13, 14) are transmitted to the visual display unit (3).
US08154558B2
A color data setting unit that sets a plurality of sets of fifth color data that are defined in a first color space in one to one correspondence with a plurality of fourth color data sets. An identifying unit identifies some of first reference points, that are in proximity to the fifth color data set for each of second reference points. A calculation unit calculates, for each of all the second reference points, color differences between the fifth color data set for the each second reference point and the some of the first reference points. A determining unit determines, for each of the first reference points, a single fifth color data set that has the smallest color difference among all the color differences that are calculated with respect to the each of the first reference points. A registering unit registers, at each of the first reference points, the fourth color data set that is set in correspondence with the single fifth color data sets.
US08154556B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system for generating multiple video output signals from a single video pipeline within a graphics processing unit. Pixel data from more than one display surface is retrieved and multiplexed before being transmitted to a video pipeline for processing. The resulting video pixel data is routed to video output encoders, which selectively accept the video pixel data for transmission to attached display devices.
US08154538B2
A differential signaling system where a first wire and a second wire are connected to a sending end and a receiving end of a differential signal line. A termination resistor is connected between the first wire and the second wire adjacent to the receiving end. A programmable compensation circuit is connected to the termination resistor in parallel. The programmable compensation circuit includes: a plurality of switches for receiving each bit of an input digital control signal through a gate thereof; a plurality of first capacitors including a first electrode connected to a source electrode of each of the switches, and a second electrode connected to the first wire; and a plurality of second capacitors including a first electrode connected to a drain electrode of each of the switches, and a second electrode connected to the second wire.
US08154533B2
A liquid crystal display device is adapted to reduce cross-talk and signal noise so as to improve the perception ratio and accuracy of a sense element. The liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal panel including a plurality of pixels connected to gate lines and data lines thereon, respectively; a gate drive circuit applying scan signals to the gate lines; a data drive circuit applying pixel voltage signals to the data lines; at least one sensor unit formed in at least one pixel region and sensing external lights and a touch of the liquid crystal panel; a switch unit switching a switch voltage and the pixel voltage signals to be applied to the data lines on the liquid crystal panel; a sense processor processing the sensed signal from the sensor unit; and a timing controller controlling the gate drive circuit, the data drive circuit, the switch unit, and the sense processor to be driven in one of data write mode and light sense mode.
US08154531B2
A touch panel having high durability is provided. Either one or both of a display device and a flexible panel have island-shaped protective bodies formed on surfaces of electrode layers (upper electrode layer, lower electrode layer), and a transparent conductive film is exposed between the protective bodies. Since the protective bodies protrude highly from the surface of the transparent conductive film, when the flexible panel is pressed and the upper electrode and the lower electrode layer are brought into contact, a load to be applied to the transparent conductive film is reduced by the protective bodies, so that the transparent conductive film is not broken.
US08154526B2
A touch screen display device is provided. The touch screen display device includes a touch screen, a sensor, a control element and a sensitivity-setting element. The sensor is configured to detect if the touch screen display device is being inserted in a connection chamber. The control element is electrically connected with the sensor and is configured to generate a control signal according to an insertion status of the touch screen display device. The sensitivity-setting element is configured to set the touch screen to a first sensitivity or a second sensitivity according to the control signal. The touch screen with the first sensitivity is more sensitive than with the second sensitivity. A method for setting sensitivity of a touch screen is also provided.
US08154523B2
Display devices and methods for operating the same are provided. In one embodiment, the display device has an electronic display having an active area for presenting visual content; a housing holding the electronic display and having an opening allowing a person to view a first portion of the active area; and a bezel about the opening, the bezel covering a second portion of the active area and providing a window through which at least a part of the second portion can be viewed. A sensor system senses when a person is close to touching the bezel or when a person is in touch with the bezel and generates a sensor signal; and a controller is operable to adjust the appearance of the active area in the part of the second portion when the controller determines that a person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel.
US08154518B2
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided. If a field into which text is being entered is determined to be a special input field, a disambiguated result can be sought first from a predetermined data source prior to seeking results from other data sources on the device.
US08154510B2
A method for constituting identification code utilized in a wireless human input device includes the following steps. Step A is to save a predetermined identification code in a non-electrical memory of a wireless human receiving device. Step B is that the wireless human transmitting device sends a packet contained an identification code with the same value as the predetermined identification code to the wireless human receiving device during the wireless human transmitting device being first time set up. The identification code is automatically generated by micro controller of the wireless human transmitting device. Step C is that the wireless human receiving device receives the packet in step B. Step D is that the computer detects if the wireless human receiving device in step C can receive normally via executing program codes and the computer reads the memory of the wireless human receiving device via executing the program codes in case of normal receiving being detected, and then the computer compares the predetermined identification code to the read data and outputs a message of the wireless human input device being normally operated if a result is true after comparison.
US08154507B2
A back light system and a liquid crystal display device, which can reduce the power consumption substantially, are provided. The power consumption can be substantially reduced by providing a plurality of light-emitting dividing parts to which area division of the light emitting surface which illuminates with light towards a liquid crystal panel is performed, and controlling the luminescent brightness in the light-emitting dividing parts according to the corresponding display image of a display area in the liquid crystal panel.
US08154504B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate divided into a display region and a non-display region including a first region and a second region, a liquid crystal layer, and a second substrate. The backlight unit is disposed opposite a surface of the first substrate to emit light onto the liquid crystal display panel. The first sensor is disposed in the first region to sense ambient light, and the second sensor is disposed in the second region to sense light emitted from the backlight unit.
US08154501B2
A data line drive circuit includes a plurality of output circuits and a plurality of switch portions. The plurality of output circuits outputs voltages corresponding to grayscale voltages with respect to display data. The plurality of switch portions becomes an ON-state in response to a line output signal and connects the plurality of output circuits and a plurality of data lines, respectively. ON-resistance values of at least part of the plurality of switch portions vary in the ON-state.
US08154498B2
In a display device using an RGB time division drive system in which RGB data to be supplied to display pixels of three colors RGB are subjected to time-division multiplexing and input to a liquid crystal panel unit, (1) data are input to the liquid crystal panel unit alternately in the order of RGB and BGR every line signal, and a selection signal SC which is in the on-state at a break of one line period is kept in the on-state until the next line period. In addition, (2) over a partial non-display period in partial display, selection signals SA, SB and SC are always in the off-state and an equalize signal EQG is in the on-state.
US08154494B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal modulation element including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a liquid crystal layer, a potential difference providing unit that provides a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an illumination optical system that illuminates the liquid crystal modulation element by using light from a light source. The liquid crystal display device includes a charge adjusting mode for reducing the intensity of an electric field generated by electric charge stored between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.
US08154489B2
A source circuit for generating, based on image data composed of RGB signals, drive voltages for a row of pixels arranged in a horizontal direction which is a main scanning direction on a liquid crystal panel 12a and applying the drive voltages to signal lines. The source circuit can interchange the drive voltages applied to the signal lines in accordance with an arrangement of a color filter by changing of setting of voltage to be supplied to the source circuit, and is electrically connected and integrally fixed to a glass substrate 31, and the setting of voltage to be supplied to the source circuit 20 is changed by changing wiring formed on the glass substrate 31.
US08154471B2
An antenna module is disclosed, including a housing, an antenna disposed through the housing, a first member fixed to the housing, and a fastener. The housing comprises a flexible cantilever having a nub engaged in a through hole of the antenna. The fastener is disposed through first member and fixed to the antenna.
US08154467B2
Disclosed is an antenna apparatus which can control directivity of a plurality of radiation elements using one parasitic element. The antenna apparatus includes two radiation elements arranged on a base parallel to each other, and a parasitic element disposed between the two radiation elements. Radiation directivity of the two radiation elements is controlled according to the length of the parasitic element. This configuration provides a small-sized antenna apparatus including a plurality of radiators with desired directivity.
US08154464B2
A magnetic material antenna using a ferrite sintered body comprising one or more conductors disposed at least on a surface or in internal portion of the ferrite sintered body, wherein the ferrite sintered body is a sintered body of Y-type ferrite containing BaO, CoO, and Fe2O3 as main components and wherein the ferrite sintered body contains Cu and, in a cross section for the sintered body, an area rate of a cubic Co-rich phase, which has a ration of an amount of Co being higher than a Y-type ferrite phase being a mother phase, is 1% or less.
US08154462B2
An apparatus including a wireless communications device has an internal antenna system located within the wireless communications device. The internal antenna system includes a passive antenna set comprising at least one antenna element having at least one multilevel structure, a feeding point to the at least one antenna element and a ground plane. The feeding point and a point on the ground plane define an input/output port for said passive antenna set. The passive antenna set provides a similar impedance level and radiation pattern at two or more frequency bands such that the passive antenna set is capable of both transmitting and receiving wireless signals on selected channels. The selected channels are selectable from a plurality of channels throughout an entire frequency range within each of said two or more frequency bands.
US08154457B2
There is disclosed an apparatus comprising a plurality of three-dimensional radiator elements, each radiator element transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves. The radiator elements are arranged so that at least one pair of adjacent radiator elements are separated by a gap, which behaves like a waveguide inducing by a coupling effect electromagnetic interferences with the waves. The apparatus includes a portion to establish a galvanic contact between the adjacent radiator elements, so as to suppress the coupling effect, while allowing for the thermal expansion of the adjacent radiator elements.
US08154454B2
The disclosed subject matter generally relates to hybrid positioning systems and methods and, more specifically, systems and methods of detecting moved WLAN assess points using a wireless local area network based positioning system (WLAN-PS) and a satellite-based positioning system (SPS) with at least two satellites measurement.
US08154440B2
A device and system for use in emergency management operations before and after a disaster. The device incorporates a GPS and a radio with very simplified, pre-programmed instructions which are uploaded automatically in the device's memory via wireless technology prior to the unit's first use at a disaster site. Maps of areas to be searched are uploaded into the device and the areas covered during the search are retained in the devices' memory. A unique feature enables the searcher to quickly indicate a specific need or service at a particular location during the search, which information automatically is geocoded and time/date stamped once the user saves the information inputted. Via wireless technology areas that have been searched during an operational period are downloaded to a base unit and areas to be searched the following operational period are uploaded to the portable units at the beginning of the day. Radios on the units can enable the searchers to audibly communicate with each other without cell towers. The system can be employed by cleanup teams, insurance adjusters, and any number of post incident response teams both focused on short and long term recovery operations. The entire system is designed to be self contained to operate when normal cell and Internet systems are damaged or destroyed. The system can quickly organize, sort, and edit the data collected by field users for daily and future analysis and documentation or any and all disaster operations.
US08154437B2
There is provided a traveling direction vector reliability determination method in which reliability of a traveling direction vector of another vehicle is calculated so as to increase reliability of a collision prediction. The traveling direction vector reliability determination method determines the reliability of the traveling direction vector when the traveling direction vector is calculated based on position coordinate points of a target, which are calculated by a radar device. The method includes a traveling direction vector calculation step of calculating, based on a movement history of the position coordinate points, the traveling direction vector of the target; and a reliability calculation step of calculating, in a case where the position coordinate points include normally recognized coordinate points and estimated coordinate points, the reliability of the traveling direction vector, based on at least one of information about the normally recognized coordinate points and information about the estimated coordinate points.
US08154436B2
An object is detected by generating a m-ary primary signal having an irregular sequence of states. Each transition results in the transmission of a pulse encoded according to the type of transition. Reflected pulses are processed with a delayed, reference version of the primary signal. The presence of an object at a range corresponding to the delay is determined from the extent to which the reflected pulses coincide with transitions in the reference signal. In one aspect, transitions between states of the primary signal occur at varying time offsets with respect to nominal regular clock pulses. In another aspect, the object-detection system is operated while inhibiting the transmission of pulses, and if a significant output is obtained, the parameters of the transmitted signal are altered.
US08154433B2
A force/sense voltage-mode DAC coupled with multiple transconductance amplifiers that generate a correction current injected to a node in one of the DAC cells is discussed. The correction current injected into the DAC cell may reduce nonlinearity produced by biasing current to the operational amplifiers in the DAC.
US08154431B2
A waveform memory 66 stores data streams with each data stream having M-bit parallel data. A sequence memory 60 stores sequence information and data discard information on the amount of data to discard from the last data in each data stream. A sequencer 62 and a waveform memory controller 64 access the waveform memory 66 to provide the data streams using the sequence information. A barrel shifter 68 shifts data in the data stream according to the number of effective data of the last parallel data in the previous data stream if the number of the effective data is less than M. A data shift controller 100 generates data enables indicating whether the data in the data stream are effective or not based on the data discard information. A combiner 72 combines the effective data in the data stream using the data enables.
US08154430B2
A digital recording apparatus for recording 1-bit digital audio data of a first sampling frequency on a recording medium in accordance with the recording format of multi-bit PCM data of a second sampling frequency includes a storage section to which input 1-bit digital audio data of the first sampling frequency is written; an encoder configured to read, from the storage section, the 1-bit digital audio data at a clock synchronized with the second sampling frequency and configured to convert the 1-bit digital audio data in such a manner that bits of the 1-bit digital audio data are arrayed in a 1-bit data area provided in the multi-bit PCM data that is in accord with the recording format; and a recorder configured to record data output from the encoder on the recording medium in accordance with the recording format.
US08154429B2
The present invention relates to a keyboard device. The keyboard device includes a base, a main circuit board, a base cover, a touching membrane switch, a touching thin plate, an upper cover and a plurality of keys. The touching membrane switch is activated to implement a predefined hot key function so as to reduce fabricating cost.
US08154419B2
A method of conducting a well treatment service job. The method comprises assembling an oilfield communication network. The oilfield communication network comprises a plurality of mobile terminals distributed across a plurality of well sites and a plurality of base transceiver stations. Some of the mobile terminals are coupled to each other in wireless communication by the base transceiver stations. The method further comprises preparing a well for the well treatment service job, performing one or more well treatment steps, collecting one or more data parameters associated with the well treatment service job, and communicating the one or more data parameters from at least a first one of the mobile terminals via the oilfield communication network.
US08154418B2
A mirror system of a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element and an information input display providing a display representative of a plurality of input characters. The information input display is disposed behind the reflective element and viewable through the reflective element and a transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element when the information input display is backlit by a backlighting device. A control is operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at the reflective element and correlate the determined location to an input character of the information input display. The mirror system may include a video display for displaying video images and the information input display may be disposed at a main viewing region of the reflective element so as to provide an information input display that is larger than the video display.
US08154416B1
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an alarm assembly for a wheel chair is disclosed. A pair of mounting brackets is combined to the frame underneath the seat of the wheel chair. A removable and extendable switch-bar selectively combines to the mounting brackets. The switch-bar is adjustable in length to accommodate chairs of various widths and selectively positionable on the mounting brackets to change the distance between the seat and switch. The switch on the switch-bar senses the presence of a patient and in response to the absence of a patient communicates an alarm signal to the alarm.
US08154414B2
Systems and methods for collecting data. A modular sensing system includes a renewable power source with wireless and/or optical communication modules, a processing plane, and a sensing plane. The sensing systems can be deployed in various environments or on active subjects. A device with various components can be used to interact with the sensing system and collect data in real time or at a later time. Sensing systems can be enclosed within a structure or body and then recharged or renewed using an optical signal transmitted through the boundary.
US08154412B2
An identification badge worn by an individual is sensed when that individual enters a lavatory. The individual is also provided with an indicator device which is worn on or about the hands. Inside the lavatory, there is also provided a hand cleaning station which includes one or more indicator readers that determines whether the indicator device is in close proximity and dispenses soap on the individual's hands, then provides an appropriate indication to a computer system. Should the badge sensor sense the individual's departure from the lavatory without an appropriate indication being generated by the indicator readers, a warning signal is generated, which is sent to the computer system and to an appropriate officer, who can then address the individual.
US08154404B2
A system, method, and apparatus for monitoring and detecting movement of components of a shipping container latch. A latch monitor may embody an electromagnetic sensing unit and a nearby magnet or light emitter for measuring and characterizing the profile of a nearby electromagnetic field. The field profile is monitored to detect a change in the profile, log the change, and report any abnormal disturbance to the electromagnetic field, indicating a breach of the integrity of a latching mechanism on a shipping container. An alert of a breach event may be sent via a communication network to an authority for response. The invention can distinguish authorized, incidental, and tampering events, and also store and upload an electronic manifest for a shipping container.
US08154403B1
In one embodiment, a system for facilitating the location of a first item of a set of items includes a first wireless device associated with the first item of the set, the first wireless device including an output device and a receiver, and a second wireless device associated with a second item of the set, the second wireless device including an input device and a transmitter. The second wireless device in response to an input signal transmits a wireless signal to the first wireless device, which in response provides a first output signal that is either sufficiently visible or sufficiently audible so as to facilitate the location of the first item of the set.
US08154402B2
A wireless temperature sensor network includes a base station unit which transmits query signals cyclically addressing a plurality of temperature sensor transponder units. The transponder units are passive and derive operating power from the query signal to encode measured temperature data into a reply signal which is received by the base station. In a dual carrier embodiment, the query signal and reply signals are transmitted on separate frequencies. In a backscattering embodiment, the antennas of the transponder units can be switched between an absorption mode in which the query signal is received and a reflection mode in which the query signal is reflected back to the base station. The transponder antennas are switched in such a manner as to encode temperature data in the reflected signal to form a reply signal. The network embodiments are particularly applicable to space based platforms.
US08154398B2
A remote location monitoring system, for example, a home monitoring or weather monitoring system may include one or more sensors and/or receivers at a remote location such as a residence or business to be monitored. The sensors and receivers may communicate with a central server via a gateway device, and may be controlled by users locally or remotely via the server. Users may register to receive remote notifications of weather events and other home monitoring events. Users may also access remotely sensors and receivers to configure alerts, notifications, and automatic responses for the devices and integrated appliances at the remote location.
US08154397B2
A system comprises a network of sensors inside a cargo container, each sensor capable of generating sensor information pertaining to the environment within the cargo container; an operation center; and a device (e.g., a lock) outside of the cargo container capable of communicating with the network of sensors (possibly using a wireless standard) and with the operation center (possibly using a satellite or cellular network), capable of receiving the sensor information, and capable of reporting a message based on the sensor information to the operation center. The sensor network may include an arrangement of temperature sensors, humidity sensors, radioactivity sensors, chemical/biological toxin sensors, chemical explosive sensors, vibration sensors, sound sensors, collision sensors, and/or light sensors. The device may include a communication module capable of communicating with other device on other containers. The operation center may monitor messages received from the devices to determine proper responses.
US08154387B2
An electronic tag is configured to be responsive to a TTO or TTF protocol energizing signal from a reader, but to suspend transmission when receiving an RTF protocol communication signal from a reader. The tag typically includes a protocol detector 120 which is operable to detect receipt of an RTF protocol communication signal and to suspend transmission when the electronic tag receives an RTF protocol communication signal from a reader.
US08154386B2
Provided are an RF reader and an RF system. The RF reader includes: a plurality of antennas; a path selector for selecting a transmit or receive path of an RF signal; an RF processor for processing the RF signal received through the transmit or receive path of the path selector; and a controller for controlling the path selector selecting a path.
US08154384B2
A personal authentication apparatus comprises an input unit configured to input image data; a face detection unit configured to detect a face region of a person included in the image data input by the input unit, and to detect feature data from the detected face region; a facial expression determination unit configured to determine a facial expression from the face region detected by the face detection unit; a storage unit configured to store feature data used to authenticate a person in correspondence with respective facial expressions of a plurality of faces; a selection unit configured to select feature data corresponding to the facial expression determined by the facial expression determination unit from the storage unit; and an authentication unit configured to authenticate a person by comparing the feature data of the face region detected by the face detection unit, and the feature data selected by the selection unit.
US08154382B2
Systems, methods, and kits for automatically activating a garage door opener. A garage door opener system is supplemented with motion sensor technology or RFID technology to allow for automatic activation of a garage door opener. An automobile that is moving near or is proximate to a garage associated with at least one garage door opener can cause the garage door opener to be automatically activated to open or close a garage door that is operatively connected to the garage door opener.
US08154377B2
The invention relates to a circuit breaker for electrical supply lines, particularly power supply lines or battery cables, for motor vehicles, which circuit breaker is comprised of a first connecting element (1), a second connecting element (3) connectable to said first connecting element (1), and a current path whereby in the conducting state of the circuit breaker a current passes between the first connecting element (1) and the second connecting element (3).The technical problem of providing a circuit breaker for electrical supply lines which can be manufactured and advantageously ensures an error-free operation is solved in that a pyrotechnic separating unit (5) is thermally actuatable by Joule heat emitted by at least one of said connecting elements (1, 3) and in that, the connection between the connecting elements (1, 3) can be released by means of the actuated pyrotechnic separating unit (5).
US08154371B2
A method includes calculating a number of turns of a shield winding included in an energy transfer element of a power supply, where the calculating is to have a low noise current in an input conductor of the power supply. The method further includes: increasing the number of turns for the shield winding; operating the power supply; and adjusting a value of a shield impedance to substantially reduce the noise current. An apparatus includes a power supply having an energy transfer element and a shield impedance. The energy transfer element includes a shield winding having an end terminated externally to the energy transfer element. The shield impedance is coupled between the externally terminated end of the shield winding and an input conductor of the power supply, where the shield impedance has a non-zero finite impedance value to substantially reduce a noise current in the input conductor.
US08154362B2
A method and apparatus to provide a bi-directional constant impedance filter. Embodiments include electric networks which give filter responses while presenting a constant impedance to a signal received at either an input or an output port for a plurality of frequencies.
US08154350B2
An apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprising a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), an amplifier, a switch, a calibration capacitor, and a control loop. The VCO includes a capacitive network that receives a first tuning voltage that is based at least in part on an input signal and a switched capacitor array that is coupled to the capacitive network. The amplifier amplifies the difference between the reference voltage and the first tuning voltage. The switch receives the reference voltage and the amplified difference between the reference voltage and the first tuning voltage. The calibration capacitor receives the output from the switch and generates a second tuning voltage. The control loop receives the input signal and the second tuning voltage. The control loop also controls the switch so as to apply the reference voltage to the calibration capacitor when the apparatus resets and controls the switched capacitor array so as to adjust the capacitance of the VCO to generally maintain phase and frequency lock.
US08154348B2
An amplifier circuit operating at a fundamental angular frequency •0, includes: a transistor which is represented by an equivalent circuit which includes: an equivalent output current source, a drain-source capacitor as a parallel parasitic capacitor to an output node of the equivalent output current source, and a drain inductor as serial parasitic inductor connected between the equivalent output current source and a drain output node; a harmonic frequency processing circuit which includes an input node connected with the drain output node and an output node; a resonant circuit section provided between the output node of the harmonic frequency processing circuit and a ground node and comprising (2n+1) resonators which have resonance frequencies different from each other; and a load resistance provided in a back stage of the harmonic frequency processing circuit. The resonance frequencies of the (2n+1) resonators are coincident with frequencies of (n+1) poles and n zeros formed between the drain output node and the ground node in the transistor when the output node of the harmonic frequency processing circuit is short-circuited to the ground node.
US08154346B2
In one embodiment, a method includes: detecting one of a short-to-ground condition and a short-to-supply condition at an output node; selectively activating a feedback control transistor according to the detecting; detecting a first current passing through a first transistor using a second transistor sized to be smaller than the first transistor; mirroring the detected current using a plurality of transistors to form a feedback current; and providing the feedback current to a gate electrode of the first transistor according to the selectively activating the feedback control transistor.
US08154345B2
An apparatus for sensing power amplifier current includes a system voltage source that is used to develop a reference voltage, a wire bond structure connected between the system voltage source and a power amplifier, where a sense voltage developed across the wire bond structure is indicative of a current flowing through the power amplifier, and a current source configured to compensate the reference voltage for changes in resistance of the wire bond structure due to a temperature coefficient of the wire bond structure.
US08154339B2
A wireless communications system includes a first multiplexer distribution network fed by a radio frequency input; a plurality of multi-stage power amplifiers fed by the first multiplexer distribution network, wherein each one of the multi-stage power amplifiers includes: a pre-distortion linearizer fed from the first distribution network; a first combiner receiving input from the pre-distortion linearizer; a second combiner; a plurality of power amplifier cells fed by the first combiner and feeding the second combiner; and a second multiplexer distribution network, wherein the second multiplexer distribution network is fed by the second combiner and feeds a radio frequency output.
US08154334B2
An apparatus comprises a voltage regulator including an high side switching transistor and a low side switching transistor. An high side drive controls operation of the high side switching transistor. A low side driver controls operation of the low side switching transistor. A bootstrap capacitor provides an operating voltage to the high side switching driver. The bootstrap capacitor is charged to a predetermined level responsive to a supply voltage. A low side driver drives the low side switching transistor according to a process that charges the bootstrap capacitor to the predetermined level. The process turns on the low side switching transistor for a first predetermined number of cycles and turns off the low side switching transistor for a second predetermined number of cycles. The process is repeated for a predetermined number of times during startup of the voltage regulator when a prebias load is applied to the voltage regulator.
US08154333B2
A charge pump circuit includes at least one stage between an input end and an output end. The at least one stage includes a first CMOS transistor coupled with a first capacitor and a second CMOS transistor coupled with a second capacitor. The at least one stage is capable of receiving a first timing signal and a second timing signal for pumping an input voltage at the input end to an output voltage at the output end. During a transitional period of the first timing signal and the second timing signal, the at least one stage is capable of substantially turning off at least one of the first CMOS transistor and the second CMOS transistor for substantially reducing leakage currents flowing through at least one of the first CMOS transistor and the second CMOS transistor.
US08154332B2
A current-controlled resistor comprises a first input terminal configured to receive an input signal and a second input terminal configured to receive a current control signal. The resistor comprises a first stage configured to receive the current control signal; the first stage includes first and second PN diodes having first terminals of a first type and second terminals of a second type. The first terminals of the first and second PN diodes are coupled each other and a second terminal of the first PN diode is coupled to the first input terminal. The resistor comprises a second stage configured to receive the current control signal; the second stage includes a third PN diode having first and second terminals of the first and second types, the second terminal of the third PN diode being coupled to the second terminal of the second PN diode.
US08154331B2
A duty correction circuit is presented for use in compensating for a duty rate error brought about when a malfunction of a clock signal generator or a failure of a signal transmission line occurs. The duty correction circuit is configured to select one of differential signals as an input signal according to a duty rate. The duty correction circuit is also configured to combine the input signal and a signal obtained by delaying the input signal by a delay time adjusted in accordance to the duty rate. The duty correction circuit is also configured to generate the combined signal as a duty correction signal.
US08154325B2
Provided is a semiconductor integrated device that selects one or more of a plurality of functional blocks and resets the selected functional block, and a control method of the semiconductor integrated device. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a functional block that is reset when a clock signal and a reset signal are supplied, a reset signal output unit that outputs the reset signal for resetting the functional block, a clock mask circuit that stops the clock signal to be supplied to the functional block, and a clock mask control circuit that controls the clock mask circuit.
US08154323B2
An output driver includes a pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit coupled to an output terminal and a capacitor having a first terminal coupled to a gate terminal of a P-channel transistor of the pull-up circuit and a second terminal configured to receive a drive signal. The output driver further includes a drive circuit coupled to the first terminal of the capacitor and configured to transfer charge from a power supply node to the first terminal of the capacitor when the drive signal is at a signal ground voltage and to decouple the first terminal of the capacitor from the power supply node when the drive signal is at a voltage level greater than the signal ground voltage such that a voltage swing of a signal generated at the gate terminal of the P-channel transistor is constrained to be less than a voltage of the power supply node with respect to the signal ground voltage.
US08154320B1
A level shifting circuit includes a string of diodes and an active load across which the control voltage is applied. A resistor is coupled across the lowermost diode to develop a switch control voltage. At low control voltage, the diode string allows no current to be developed across the resistor. At higher control voltage, the diodes conduct and the active load takes up the difference between the control voltage and the diode string voltage. A switch responds to the resistor voltage, for switching a load On and OFF. A second active load takes up excess load supply voltage.
US08154307B2
An electronic circuit includes several (at least two) oscillating and/or resonant devices. The circuit uses a measuring device to measure the phase noise of one of the two oscillating/resonant devices. This measuring device is integrated on a chip on which the oscillating/resonant device to be measured is also integrated. The circuits and methods described find application in the area of radiofrequency/high frequency electronics RF/HF, in particular adapted to general public applications in mobile communication systems and/or to metrology.
US08154300B2
In a voltage measuring device, according to a setting of input terminals for setting the number of unit cells to be measured SEL1, SEL2, SEL3, a logic circuit turns on switches in a switching circuit connected to the unit cells to measure a voltage across each unit cell.
US08154296B2
A method of monitoring cathodic protection of an item located at an underwater facility having an item requiring cathodic protection, and the facility are provided. The facility can include a processing device. The steps can include providing a pair of first and second electrodes, the first electrode being electrically connected to the item and the second electrode being in contact with water proximate the item, measuring the potential between the first and second electrodes, producing an electrical signal indicative of the cathodic protection level, converting the signal into a communications format compatible with the processing device and passing it to the processing device, and transmitting the converted signal from the processing device to a surface location.
US08154292B2
An apparatus for DNP-NMR measurement on a sample, with a magnet configuration for producing a magnetic field in a first working volume and in, a second working volume with a magnetic field gradient in the direction of an axis (z) which extends through the second working volume, with a device for measuring MR signals, with a DNP excitation device, and with a positioning mechanism for transferring the sample, is characterized in that, near the second working volume, a compensation configuration made of magnetic material is mounted that, in the operating condition of the magnet configuration, produces a magnetic field gradient in the direction of the axis (z) in the second working volume that is between −90% and −110% of the magnetic field gradient of the same order of the stray field of the magnet configuration.
US08154290B2
NMR solenoidal coil and NMR probe having specialized static magnetic field compensating arrangements
Solenoid coil arrangements for sending a high-frequency wave, receiving or sending and receiving in a measurement of an NMR signal, wherein the solenoid coil has at least two leader lines for connections to a resonance circuit. A static magnetic field compensating member is arranged outside of the leader lines and is at least one of: (a) arranged to extend a main solenoid coil in an axial direction, and not to generate a high-frequency magnetic field in a direction to cancel a high-frequency magnetic field generated by the main solenoid coil; (b) constituted by an insulant having a magnetic susceptibility of the same sign as a material of a main solenoid coil and is in an outer side in an axial direction of the main solenoid to contact with the main solenoid coil; and (c) constituted by ring-shaped members divided into a plurality of sections in a circumferential direction.
US08154277B2
A method and an apparatus for measuring the thickness of a metal layer. The metal layer has a resistivity (ρ1) that differs from the resistivity (ρ2) of the metal object. The apparatus includes a first device arranged to generate a magnetic field in close vicinity of the metal layer, and to generate a variation of the magnetic field so that a current is induced in the surface of the metal layer, a second device arranged to measure the changes of the magnetic field outside the metal layer due to the induced current during a time period that is longer than the time it takes for the current to propagate through the metal layer, and a computing unit to determine the thickness of the layer based on a mathematical relation between the thickness of the layer and the measured values of the changes of the magnetic field.
US08154275B2
An apparatus and method for testing sense amplifier threshold voltages on an integrated circuit includes one or more sense amplifier modules each including a number of sense amplifier circuits, a voltage generator unit, and detection logic. The voltage generator unit may select a differential voltage to supply to at least some of the sense amplifier circuits, and each sense amplifier circuit may be configured to generate an output value that is dependent upon the applied differential voltage in response to receiving an enable signal. The detection logic may detect and capture an output value of each of the sense amplifier circuits. In one implementation, the voltage generator unit may iteratively select a different differential voltage in response to a control input. Accordingly, the detection logic may capture the output value of the sense amplifiers after each change in differential voltage.
US08154274B2
A safety interlock for use in a medical device having a control system for controlling operation of the medical device includes a central tubular portion defining a fluid passage for passing fluid through the safety interlock. An outer ring portion is adapted for mounting the safety interlock in the medical device. A spoked connector portion connects the central tubular portion to the outer ring portion so that the outer ring portion is spaced radially outwardly from the central tubular portion in opposed relation with at least a portion of the central tubular portion. The safety interlock is adapted for mounting in the medical device in a path of electromagnetic radiation from a source of electromagnetic radiation such that the central tubular portion reflects the electromagnetic radiation to a electromagnetic radiation detector when properly loaded on the medical device.
US08154267B2
A switching regulator for converting input voltage to output voltage includes a switch; an inductor energized by input voltage by the switch; a rectifier for discharging the inductor; and a slope voltage generator for generating slope voltage inclined responsive to current of the inductor, amplifies a difference between reference voltage and divided output voltage, and compares the amplified voltage and the slope voltage to generate signal for controlling the switch. The slope voltage generator includes a detector for converting current flowing through the inductor when the switch is on into voltage; and a voltage generator for generating ramp voltage. These voltages are added as the slope voltage. The voltage generator includes constant current; a resistor; and a ramp capacitor charged by the constant current through the resistor. Voltage drop of the resistor is added to terminal voltage of the ramp capacitor to output the ramp voltage.
US08154266B2
Bi-directional direct current (DC) power circuit having: a signal processing module for processing feedbacks of output voltage and voltage drop, and outputting pulse control and directional control signals; a pulse width modulation (PWM) module for outputting pulse signals in response to the control signals from the signal processing module; and a switch rectifying module for switching on and off in response to the pulse signals from the PWM module. The pulse control signal from the signal processing module can be in response to an input current signal from a sense resistor. The circuit is capable of achieving both step-up and step-down voltage conversions.
US08154259B2
A memory subsystem is configured to obtain power from an external system and from at least one power capacitors. The memory subsystem includes logic to verify the power delivery capability of the power capacitors.
US08154257B2
In a storage system provided with a plurality of storage modules, the rated power consumption can be reduced. The storage system is provided with a charge control unit. The charge control unit stops, when detecting that a predetermined number of a plurality of battery modules are during battery charging, the battery charging in the remaining battery modules.
US08154255B2
Systems and methods for waking up a battery system (e.g., battery pack such as a smart battery pack) installed in an information handling system from a shipping mode in response to the occurrence of one of at least two detected events. The first of these of these at least two events is detection of the battery system being removed and reinstalled into operational electrical contact with the information handling system, and the second of these at least two events is the activation of a user input device provided for the battery system.
US08154254B2
A converter ECU obtains a temperature increase start signal indicating start of temperature increase of a power storage unit from each sensor and ECU provided in a vehicle. In addition, the converter ECU obtains allowable electric power of the power storage unit from a battery ECU and obtains a power storage unit temperature from a temperature detection unit. When any of the obtained power storage unit temperatures is lower than a corresponding temperature lower limit value, the converter ECU generates a temperature increase instruction for the power storage unit of which temperature is lower than the corresponding temperature lower limit value, based on the temperature increase start signal. In addition, the converter ECU selects one control mode from among a plurality of control modes set in advance, based on the generated temperature increase instruction, and sets that mode as the control mode for a converter.
US08154249B2
An electrical combination including a driver drill capable of producing an average current draw of approximately 20-amps, a circular saw capable of producing an average current draw of approximately 20-amps, and a power tool battery pack operable to supply power to the driver drill and to the circular saw, the battery pack including a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells each having a lithium-based chemistry.
US08154240B2
A control apparatus for an electric railcar includes an inverter that exchanges power with an AC rotating machine, a filter capacitor connected in parallel to a DC side of the inverter, a filter reactor provided between the filter capacitor and an overhead line, an overhead line voltage measuring instrument that measures a voltage value of the overhead line, a voltage increase detection unit that senses an amount of voltage increase occurring when, with an overhead line voltage being supplied, the overhead line voltage goes beyond a reference voltage value and rises at a rate equal to or higher than that by a predetermined time constant. A correction torque command value calculation unit calculates a correction torque command value that is corrected so that a torque command value to be received from an external unit becomes smaller for a predetermined time elapsing after the voltage increase detection unit has sensed, during regeneration operation of the inverter, an amount of voltage increase more than a predetermined range. A vector control unit controls the inverter so that the AC rotating machine develops torque coincident with the correction torque command value.
US08154238B2
A filter representing a complex impedance of a motor system based on a deviation between a first voltage driven by a command signal and a second voltage driven by the command signal can be dynamically adjusted. The motor system can be held in a steady state, eliminating back electromotive force, by providing zero mean current excitation.
US08154237B2
A sealed electric compressor having a normally-off type pressure switch and a fuse element. The pressure switch is placed in a sealed housing, connected parallel to a main winding of an electric motor, and, when the pressure of refrigerant in the sealed housing is abnormally high, activates to short-circuit the main winding. The fuse element is connected in series to the main winding and an auxiliary winding of the electric motor and interrupts conduction of electricity to the electric motor when an excess current that is produced when the pressure switch short-circuits the main winding flows.
US08154236B2
An EPC connected between a three phase motor and a battery fixes a voltage of the V phase of the three phase motor to a voltage potential of a positive electrode of the battery. A converter unit is placed for each of the U and W phases of the three phase motor. Each of the converter units has a chopper circuit part and a capacitor. Each of the converter units converts the voltage of the battery to a desired voltage. The voltage of each of V and W phases is adjusted until the voltage of being twice of the voltage of the battery based on the voltage potential at the positive electrode of the battery as a reference voltage. This makes it possible to adjust the absolute value of a line voltage between V and W phases until the voltage of the battery as an upper limit voltage.
US08154232B2
In order to enable in a motor system, in which a soft start of the motor has been implemented, the operation of the motor, wherein the power consumption is reduced, it is proposed to operate the driver circuit during a switch-on phase in order to carry out a soft start of the motor. In at least one embodiment, the driver circuit can be bypassed in a normal operational phase as a function of a load, by means of which the motor is operated.
US08154224B2
A medical examination or treatment facility comprising at least one display facility that can be moved in space is provided. The facility includes one or a plurality of lighting facilities arranged in a distributed manner to illuminate the space. It is possible to change the brightness and/or position of the individual lighting facilities automatically by a control or regulation facility as a function of a captured spatial position and/or orientation of the object, in particular of the display facility.
US08154223B2
A driving apparatus of a light emitting diode (LED) and a driving method thereof are provided. In the driving method, when the driving apparatus performs dimming and a duty cycle of a dimming signal is smaller than a predetermination value, outputting time of driving currents are equally allotted in a period, and a magnitude of each driving current is regulated correspondingly. When the driving apparatus performs dimming and the duty cycle of the dimming signal is equal to or greater than the predetermination value, the driving currents are simultaneously output in the period, and the magnitude of each driving current is regulated according to the dimming signal. Therefore, an audio noise and an electromagnetic interference caused by excessive variation of a sum of the driving currents are suppressed.
US08154215B2
In a discharge-lamp lighting apparatus, a switching frequency of an AC voltage applied to an LC series circuit including an inductor and a capacitor is swept near a frequency having a value provided by dividing the resonant frequency of the LC series circuit by an odd number at startup of a discharge lamp and is set to a frequency near or greater than the frequency after the sweeping after the switching frequency is swept to control the on-off duty ratio of switching elements in a DC-AC inverter circuit and, after the operation at startup of the discharge lamp is repeated once or more times, the switching frequency is set to less than the frequency after the sweeping to light the discharge lamp.
US08154207B2
A control unit determines whether a vehicle has entered an area under a covering object that covers the upper side of the vehicle. In the case where the control unit determines that the vehicle has entered the area under the covering object, the control unit turns on light apparatus when both of a measurement of an upper light intensity, which is measured with an upper light intensity sensor, and a measurement of a front light intensity, which is measured with a front light intensity sensor, require turning on of the light apparatus.
US08154180B1
An LED lamp having a heat-dissipating mechanism has a top casing, a heat-conducting tube and a bottom casing. The top casing has a foundation board, a lamp holder and multiple fins. The foundation board has a first tube guide formed around and protruding downwardly from a perimeter of the foundation board and is made of a metal material. The lamp holder is hollow and centrally mounted through the top casing, and has a second tube guide formed on a bottom thereof. The fins are radially formed on a top of the foundation board and around the lamp holder. The heat-conducting tube is mounted against one side of the first tube guide and within the second tube guide. The bottom casing is securely combined with the top casing. Besides the fins, the heat-conducting tube enlarges the contact area with the top casing, thereby enhancing the heat-dissipating efficiency.
US08154168B2
A fixing enhancement mechanism for large iron core, including an iron core and two end rings. The iron core is composed of several arc-shaped bodies, which are successively connected in an annular form with their curvature centers coinciding with each other. The end rings are coaxially fixedly connected to two axial ends of the iron core respectively to keep the iron core in the annular form. The fixing reinforcement mechanism further includes an enhancement section having several rod-shaped enhancement members. The enhancement members are bridged between the two end rings in abutment with outer arc surfaces of the arc-shaped bodies. According to the fixing enhancement mechanism, the components for fixing the large iron core are simplified and the fixing performance is enhanced to keep the motor operating stably.
US08154163B2
An electric power collection/distribution ring of a rotary electric machine including: a plurality of ring shaped bus rings each of which is to be connected to one of a plurality of coils provided in the rotary electric machine, the coils each corresponding to phases of the rotary electric machine; a plurality of fixing member which are fixed to the bus rings and arranged along the circumferential direction thereof; and a plurality of connection terminals which are fixed to the bus rings and arranged along said circumferential direction, and which can be connected with one of leader line sections of the coils.
US08154156B2
A coil assembly for a linear motor includes a coil unit which has multiple adjacently arranged coils, a base, and a resin encapsulated layer. The coils have two corresponding vertical action sides, a first non-action side, and a second non-action side. The coils further form multiple interlaced first bending sections on the first non-action side. Plural conducting wires disposed on the second non-action side could connect to an external cable on an end section of the coil unit. The base has a receiving slot thereon. The cross-section of the receiving slot corresponds in shape to that of the first bending sections for insertion of the coils. The resin encapsulated layer covering the coils and sealing the receiving slot of the base increases the contacting area between the coils and the inner wall of the receiving slot of the base to enhance the heat dissipation rate.
US08154150B2
A power line communication system which enables high quality communication utilizing a pair of power lines connected to a vehicle mounted battery, has a pair of communication lines connected to a pair of power lines, respectively, to communicate a high frequency signal of 1 MHz or more. This system has a balance filter which is interposed between each of the communication lines and a vehicle mounted communication apparatus, the filter, a circuit configuration of which is formed in balance type. The communication system also has a pair of electrically balanced lines which are connected between the balance filter and each of the communication apparatuses and are power-fed from the battery, for performing communication between the communication apparatuses.
US08154147B2
A system and method for controlling the delivery of power to a powered device in a Power over Ethernet Broad Reach (PoE-BR) application. Cabling power loss in a PoE-BR application is related to the resistance of the cable itself. A PHY can be designed to measure electrical characteristics (e.g., insertion loss, cross talk, length, etc.) of the Ethernet cable to enable determination of the cable resistance. The determined resistance in a broad reach cable can be used in increasing a power budget allocated to a power source equipment port.
US08154141B2
The wind power installation comprises a rotor with at least one rotor blade, a generator, and a pitch control system for controlling the pitch of the rotor blades, said pitch control system comprising at least one AC motor (100) arranged to be fed by a converter (101). The pitch control system further comprises means (102) for bypassing said converter (101) so as to connect the AC motor (100) to receive power from an emergency AC power supply source.
US08154139B2
Method for controlling the rotational speeds of wind turbines, including determining the rotor rotational speed of a first and a second wind turbine; determining the rotor azimuth angle of the first and the second wind turbine; calculating a speed control value for the first wind turbine, based on the determined rotor azimuth angles and rotor rotational speeds; adjusting the rotor rotational speed of the first wind turbine according to its speed control value, wherein the speed control value is calculated such that the rotor azimuth angle of the first wind turbine is equal to the rotor azimuth angle of the second wind turbine after speed adjustment, and a wind turbine control master unit, a wind turbine control slave unit, a wind turbine control device, a signal light control module, and a wind turbine therefor.
US08154123B2
A solder bump and a conductive connection structure are provided which can conductively connect a semiconductor chip and a substrate with high connection reliability. Filler 5 is contained in a solder bump 6 and a solder joint 17 which connect a connection electrode 3 of a semiconductor chip 2 and a substrate 11, and the filler has a larger density on the side of the connection electrode 3 than on the side of the substrate 11 in the solder joint 17. Therefore, in the cooling solidification of solder, the shrinkage of the solder joint 17 near the connection electrode 3 of the semiconductor chip 2 is reduced by the filler 5 and the occurrence of a stress is reduced on the peripheral portion of the connection electrode 3, thereby preventing the occurrence of cracks near the joint.
US08154119B2
The present invention is an apparatus for integrating multiple devices. The apparatus includes a substrate having a first via and a second via, a semiconductor chip positioned on a top portion of the substrate and positioned between the first via and the second via, first and second bumps positioned on the semiconductor chip, and an interposer wafer having a first interposer spring assembly and a second interposer spring assembly, the first interposer spring assembly having a first interposer spring and a first electrical connection attached to the first interposer spring, and the second interposer spring assembly having a second interposer spring and a second electrical connection attached to the second interposer spring.
US08154109B2
A lead frame (410) including a die pad (100) for mounting at least one integrated circuit (405) thereon and a plurality of lead fingers (413). The die pad (100) includes a metal including substrate (105) having a periphery that includes a plurality of sides (111-114), an intersection of the sides forming corners (115). A first plurality of grooves including least one groove (106) is formed in a top side surface of the substrate and is associated with each of the corners (115). The groove (106) has a dimension oriented at least in part at an angle of 75 to 105 degrees relative to a bisecting line (118) originating from the corners (115). A lead-frame-based packaged semiconductor device (400) includes a lead frame (410) including at least one metal comprising die pad (418) and a plurality of lead fingers (413) around the die pad (418). At least one integrated circuit (405) is mounted on the top surface of the die pad (418), and electrically connected to the plurality of lead fingers (413). A mold compound (414) encapsulates the integrated circuit (405), wherein the mold compound (414) is present inside the first plurality of grooves to form a restraint from delaminating between the mold compound (414) and the die pad (418).
US08154106B2
A coating and developing system for forming a resist film on a substrate by coating the substrate with a liquid resist and developing the resist film after the resist film has been processed by immersion exposure that forms a liquid layer on the surface of the substrate is capable of reducing difference in property among resist films formed on substrates.The coating and developing system includes: a cleaning unit for cleaning a surface of a substrate coated with a resist film; a carrying means for taking out the substrate from the cleaning unit and carrying the substrate to an exposure system that carries out an immersion exposure process; and a controller for controlling the carrying means such that a time interval between a wetting time point when the surface of the substrate is wetted with the cleaning liquid by the cleaning unit and a delivery time point when the substrate is delivered to the exposure system is equal to a predetermined set time interval. The set time interval is determined such that the substrate is subjected to the immersion exposure process after contact angle drop rate at which contact angle between the cleaning liquid and a surface of the substrate drops has dropped from an initial level at the wetting time point when the surface of the substrate is wetted with the cleaning liquid to a level far lower than the initial level.
US08154101B2
A high voltage diode in which the n-type cathode is surrounded by an uncontacted heavily doped n-type ring to reflect injected holes back into the cathode region for recombination or collection is disclosed. The dopant density in the heavily doped n-type ring is preferably 100 to 10,000 times the dopant density in the cathode. The heavily doped n-type region will typically connect to an n-type buried layer under the cathode. The heavily doped n-type ring is optimally positioned at least one hole diffusion length from cathode contacts. The disclosed high voltage diode may be integrated into an integrated circuit without adding process steps.
US08154100B2
The present invention is to provide an electromagnetic wave detecting element that can suppress the trapping of charges in a semiconductor layer. Plural lower electrodes, which collect charges generated in the semiconductor layer, are each provided to cover at least a portion in a length direction and the entire region in a width direction of a scan line adjacent thereto, and the lower electrodes are disposed at positions at which the scan lines are provided.
US08154084B2
A silicon/germanium material and a silicon/carbon material may be provided in transistors of different conductivity type on the basis of an appropriate manufacturing regime without unduly contributing to overall process complexity. Furthermore, appropriate implantation species may be provided through exposed surface areas of the cavities prior to forming the corresponding strained semiconductor alloy, thereby additionally contributing to enhanced overall transistor performance. In other embodiments a silicon/carbon material may be formed in a P-channel transistor and an N-channel transistor, while the corresponding tensile strain component may be overcompensated for by means of a stress memorization technique in the P-channel transistor. Thus, the advantageous effects of the carbon species, such as enhancing overall dopant profile of P-channel transistors, may be combined with an efficient strain component while enhanced overall process uniformity may also be accomplished.
US08154080B2
An electronic device including in any sequence: (a) a semiconductor layer; and (b) a dielectric structure comprising a lower-k dielectric polymer and a higher-k dielectric polymer, wherein the lower-k dielectric polymer is in a lower concentration than the higher-k dielectric polymer in a region of the dielectric structure closest to the semiconductor layer.
US08154079B2
A semiconductor device, which can prevent an element breakdown by alleviating of electric field concentrations, and can also prevent reduction of gain, includes: a source electrode formed on a semiconductor layer; a drain electrode formed on the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode formed between the source electrode and the drain electrode; an insulating film formed on the semiconductor layer and the gate electrode; a field plate electrode formed on the insulating film; and a resistor for connecting the field plate electrode and the source electrode.
US08154077B2
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate via an insulating layer; a source region including an extension region, a drain region including an extension region, a first diffusion restraining layer configured to prevent a diffusion of the conductive impurity in the source region and including an impurity other than the conductive impurity, and a second diffusion restraining layer configured to prevent a diffusion of the impurity in the drain region and including the impurity other than the conductive impurity.
US08154073B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a vertical type trench gate MOS transistor; a Schottky barrier diode; multiple trenches having a stripe pattern to divide an inner region into first and second separation regions; and a poly silicon film in each trench. The first separation region includes a first conductive type region for providing a source and a second conductive type layer for providing a channel region. The first conductive type region is adjacent to a first trench. The poly silicon film in the first trench is coupled with a gate wiring. A second trench is not adjacent to the first conductive type region. The poly silicon film in the second trench is coupled with a source or gate wiring. The substrate in the second separation region is coupled with the source wiring for providing a Schottky barrier.
US08154071B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a memory cell being formed in a first region of a semiconductor substrate and a periphery circuit being formed in a second region of the semiconductor substrate, including forming a first gate electrode material film over the semiconductor substrate via a first gate insulator in the first region, etching the first gate electrode material film and the first gate insulator using a mask having a first opening in a first element isolation of the first region, etching the semiconductor substrate to a first depth to form a first isolation groove, forming a first insulation isolation layer in the first isolation groove, forming a second insulator on the first insulation isolation layer and on the first gate electrode, removing the second insulator by anisotropic etching, etching an upper portion of the first gate electrode to a second depth to form a first concave portion on the upper portion of the first gate electrode, etching the first side-wall film and the first insulation isolation layer to a depth at a bottom surface of the first concave portion, forming a second gate insulator on the upper portion of the first gate electrode, and forming a second gate electrode material film on the second gate insulator.
US08154059B2
An object of the present invention is to prevent the deterioration of a TFT (thin film transistor). The deterioration of the TFT by a BT test is prevented by forming a silicon oxide nitride film between the semiconductor layer of the TFT and a substrate, wherein the silicon oxide nitride film ranges from 0.3 to 1.6 in a ratio of the concentration of N to the concentration of Si.
US08154051B2
A strained channel transistor can be provided by combining a stressor positioned in the channel region with stressors positioned on opposite sides of the channel region. This produces increased strain in the channel region, resulting in correspondingly enhanced transistor performance.
US08154049B2
An ESD protection apparatus includes a substrate, a transistor structure arranged in the substrate, and a diode structure arranged in the substrate, a high-resistance electrical connection being provided between the transistor structure and the diode structure in the substrate.
